Mystery of the Empty Safe by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner [Warner, Gertrude Chandler]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4532-2132-7
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2011-10-26T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

Mr. Woodruffs Workshop

When Jessie and Benny got back to the Woodruffs’ house, they wanted to tell the others what had happened in town. But Sara was there, and they decided to wait until they were alone.

All the decorations were done except the stars. The children quickly mixed the glitter with the yellow paint and painted the stars.

As they were working, Mr. Woodruff came downstairs, as grouchy as ever.

“Are you kids here again?” he asked.

“We’ve got a lot to do if we want this party to be really great,” Henry explained.

Mr. Woodruff walked slowly around the basement, looking at all the decorations the children had painted. He was frowning the whole time. The children waited anxiously wondering what he would say about them. But he said nothing. Instead he noticed some spots on the linoleum floor. “You spilled some paint here,” he said, annoyed.

“Don’t worry Mr. Woodruff. It’s washable paint,” said Henry quickly. “We’ll clean everything up before we go.”

“Make sure you do,” Mr. Woodruff grumbled. “There are cleaning supplies in there.” He motioned to a door. “And Sara, have you cleaned your room yet?”

“No, Dad,” Sara said quietly. “I was going to do it later.”

“You’d better have it done before dinnertime,” her father said before heading upstairs.

Benny was sitting silently. He had a thoughtful look on his face.

Sara was also sitting quietly, her face red. At last she spoke softly. “I’m sorry about my dad. He’s not usually like this. It’s been a hard year. Ever since Uncle John …” She stopped, and said nothing more.

“That’s okay,” Violet said. “Sometimes people act differently when they’re feeling sad or something is bothering them.”

“Yes, I guess so,” Sara muttered.

Henry opened the door Mr. Woodruff had indicated, looking for a sponge. The door led into a large workshop. There were some large pieces of machinery and some long wooden boards propped up in a corner. The floor was covered with sawdust.

Sara followed him in. “This is my dad’s workshop,” she explained.

“Looks like he’s good with his hands,” Henry said, impressed by all the tools. “What kind of things does he make?”

“He doesn’t make things as much as fix things,” Sara said. “You know, anything that breaks—my mom’s radio, my Rollerblades. Once he even had to fix the lock on our safe when it got stuck.”

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