Mystery Ranch Page 5
“Well, well!” he said, “Nothing to forgive!”
“Thank you, James,” said Aunt Jane.
Mr. Gardner took the children to meet their grandfather’s train, the day before Aunt Jane’s birthday.
When the children saw Mr. Alden, what a noise they made! They all shouted at once. They rushed up and took his bags. Tom Young stood in the door of the station and laughed.
“They think a lot of him,” he said.
They all piled into Mr. Gardner’s car and drove to the ranch.
Aunt Jane was sitting up very straight in the front room. She shook hands with her brother.
“It was good of you to come, James,” she said.
“I’m glad to see you,” said Grandfather. “I had forgotten you were so pretty.”
It was true. When the children looked at their aunt, they saw that she was really pretty. Her blue eyes were very bright.
Mr. Alden said, “I want to see Henry alone.”
Henry and his grandfather went to the back room to talk. Grandfather came back alone. The children heard Henry drive out of the yard in Mr. Gardner’s car. They were very surprised.
“Where is Henry going?” asked Aunt Jane.
“A secret,” said Mr. Alden, laughing.
Henry came back in a little while. He nodded at his grandfather and said, “All right.”
“What can it be?” wondered Jessie. “How can we wait until tomorrow?”
After supper, Grandfather said, “Jane, I have a plan. Do you want to hear it?”
“I do,” said Aunt Jane. “It seems funny, doesn’t it? I never would listen to you before.”
“I was too bossy,” said Mr. Alden. “I know that now.” He smiled.
“My grandchildren love your ranch, Jane,” he said, “but they can’t stay here all winter.”
“Yes, I know that, James,” she said sadly.
“They want to fix up the other end of this house for Sam and his wife. We can cut a door between your room and the next one. Maggie can have that room. Then you will be safe all winter.”
“You are kind to plan this for me,” said Aunt Jane. She smiled kindly at her brother.
“The children planned it,” said Mr. Alden. “They want to fix the rooms upstairs for themselves.”
“Well, they certainly can,” said Aunt Jane.
“Now, one last idea,” said Mr. Alden. He looked at Jessie, with a twinkle in his eye.
“I heard all about your Mystery Man,” he said.
“He’s not my Mystery Man,” said Jessie, laughing. “But he was nice, wasn’t he?”
“He doesn’t seem like a Mystery Man any more,” said Violet. “I’d like to see him again sometime.”
Mr. Alden said, “He could come to the party tomorrow, if anyone asked him.”
“Very well,” said Aunt Jane. “I don’t mind having a Mystery Man at my birthday party.”
“Will he fly?” asked Jessie.
“No. He is already here,” said Grandfather. “He got off the train when I did!”
“And we didn’t even see him,” said Benny.
“Well, he is still a Mystery Man in some ways, isn’t he?” said Violet.
CHAPTER 15
The Party
It’s the Mystery Man!” shouted Benny, looking out the window the next day. “I hope the guard will let him in.”
It was John Carter, the tall young man with the brown hair and brown eyes. He went first to Aunt Jane and thanked her for asking him to come. Then he spoke to all the children as if he were delighted to see them.
“I want to show you something, Carter,” said Mr. Alden. “You children come, too. We’re going to look at the fireplace in the other kitchen.”
“I won’t go,” said Aunt Jane, smiling. “I know all about that chimney.”
When they stood before the fireplace, Mr. Alden said, “See that yellow and black in the stone, Carter?”
“Why, this is funny!” Mr. Carter said, “That fireplace is made of uranium ore! There is gold and silver in it, too.”
“The gold and silver are not good,” said Mr. Alden. “Of course, we had never heard of uranium when we built the chimney. I think that is the only chimney in the world that is made of uranium ore.”
“Is the chimney the same all the way up?” asked Benny.
Grandfather laughed. “Yes, all the way up. We left it rough outside, and smoothed it inside. My father and mother and I went East, and we had a chimney right here with uranium in it!”
They went back to the living room.
Jessie said, “Aunt Jane, you remember you said there were no mysteries in this house? And in a way, that chimney was a fine mystery.”
“I didn’t know it then,” said her aunt.
“We didn’t know about the fields either,” said Benny, “or who the Mystery Man was. Let’s call this Mystery Ranch!”
“That’s a fine name!” said Mr. Carter. “You could paint the name on a sign and hang it over the driveway.”
At six o’clock, the birthday party began. Everyone was excited. Watch barked and barked, and nobody stopped him.
They set the big table with a white linen cloth. They set eight places with Aunt Jane’s best dishes. The birthday cake had seventy tiny candles on it.
When supper was over, Aunt Jane said, “Take the dishes into the kitchen and leave them there. You can wash them later. I want to open my presents!”
The children had made their presents for Aunt Jane with loving hands. They sat, watching the pretty little lady.
Jessie thought, “How very different she is from the little old lady in bed! I’m glad we came here.”
“I love every one of my presents!” cried Aunt Jane.
“Now let me get yours, Grandfather!” cried Henry.
“Very well, my boy,” said Mr. Alden, smiling.
Henry rushed out to the barn. Soon he came back with a tiny black and white puppy in his arms. He put it on the floor. It was very soft. Watch stood up quickly and looked at it.
“Come here, Watch,” said Jessie. “Be a good dog.”
“Her name is Lady, Aunt Jane,” said Henry.
“Oh, what a beautiful little dog!” said Aunt Jane. “Is she for me?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Alden. “To take the place of Watch when the children go home.”
Watch wagged his tail a little. He sat down.
“She’s just a baby dog, Watch,” said Jessie. “You be good, now.”
“Do you want to hold the puppy, Aunt Jane?” asked Henry.
He put the little dog in her arms. Watch didn’t like this. He sat and looked at the stranger.
Aunt Jane loved it. Anyone could see that. The puppy loved her, too. It lay down against her arm and shut its eyes.
“Lady is tired,” said Henry. “She goes to sleep whenever she can.”
Aunt Jane sat very still. She held the baby dog quietly. She was very pleased when it went to sleep.
Watch lay down again, beside Jessie, as if to say, “Well, I don’t care. After all, I’m Jessie’s dog.”
Grandfather looked at his family and his friends. He loved every one of his grandchildren. He was very happy now that he had a sister again.
Grandfather said to Mr. Carter, “This is a very happy day for me. You can see what fine grandchildren I have.”
“You certainly do, Mr. Alden.”
“Now we will all be happy next year,” he went on. “The children will go back to school. Sam and Annie can move into this house. Maggie can stay happily with Jane. And best of all, I have a sister again.”
But Aunt Jane shook her head and said, with tears in her eyes, “No, James. Best of all, I have a brother.”
The Alden children just looked at one another. They were too happy to say a word.
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet
this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car—the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible—something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her book. And so she continued the Aldens’ adventures, writing a total of nineteen books in the Boxcar Children series.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN
PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT
AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN
BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER
GAME
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED
HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER
MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE
MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD
MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S
CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE
COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY
GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED
BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING
BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING
TOMATOES
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
copyright © 1958, 1986 by Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN: 978-1-4532-0764-2
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