Mystery of the Hidden Painting by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2008-05-31T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

No More Clues?

The next afternoon the children were in the boxcar, playing Monopoly. Suddenly Jessie put the dice down. “I have something to tell you,” she said.

“What?” Benny shouted. “It sounds like another mystery.”

“It’s the same mystery,” Jessie said. “Do you remember when we were leaving Mrs. Newton’s, I stopped to look in the mirror?”

“I remember,” Violet answered.

“Well,” Jessie continued. “There was a letter on the table under the mirror. It was addressed to Mrs. Newton, but the return address was a Mrs. Susan Barstow in Silver City.”

“That’s right near here,” Henry said. “But I don’t see what’s so strange about that. What are you thinking?”

Jessie shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seemed funny to me. Mrs. Newton getting a letter from a place so near here.”

“I don’t follow you, Jessie,” Henry said. “What do you want to do?”

“I thought, maybe, we could just bike ride over there and well … ”

“Do what?” Violet asked.

“Just look at the house, I guess,” Jessie answered.

“What are you looking for?” Benny asked.

“I just can’t believe we are at a dead end,” Jessie said. “Maybe we’ll see something at Mrs. Barstow’s. I don’t know what. But it can’t hurt to look.”

“I guess it can’t hurt,” Violet agreed.

“Let’s go!” Benny said.

They ran up to the house and into the kitchen where Mrs. McGregor was making spaghetti sauce. “We’re going for a bike ride,” Jessie said.

Mrs. McGregor looked away from the pot she was stirring. “Be careful and don’t be late for dinner.”

“We won’t,” Henry said.

“Was that a lie?” Benny asked, as they all took their bikes from the garage.

“No, it wasn’t, Benny. We are going for a bike ride,” Henry said.

“We just didn’t say where we’re going,” Violet said.

“And Mrs. McGregor didn’t ask, so that’s okay,” Henry added.

“Okay,” Benny said.

They rode along, enjoying the warm sun and the fresh smells of summer grass. When they got to Silver City they stopped and asked a policeman the way to 1600 Hudson Lane. It was small and white with blue shutters and a neat little garden in front. The Aldens stopped behind a hedge to the left of the house and got off their bikes.

“Now that we’re here,” Henry said, “what are we looking for?”

Jessie said, “I guess I really don’t know. I just didn’t want to give up.”

They waited for five minutes, but no one came out of the house. “I’m bored,” Benny said.

Violet laughed. “At least you’re not hungry.”

“I’m hungry, too,” Benny said, smiling mischievously.

Just then a car pulled up. “Look!” Jessie whispered.

Laura Garrison walked up the path to the house and rang the bell. The door opened and she went inside.

“I wonder what she’s doing here?” Violet said.

“Well, if Mrs. Barstow writes to Mrs. Newton, Laura might know her, too. So it’s not so strange if she visits Mrs. Barstow,” Henry said.

They waited silently, watching the house.

Finally, Laura Garrison came out. The Aldens couldn’t see who was in the doorway, but a woman’s voice was loud enough for them to hear. “I will never agree to what you want, Laura.

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