Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner

Pilgrim Village Mystery (8 page)

At last Benny managed to uncover the square metal box. But he was very disappointed when he saw that the box was shut tight with a large metal lock.

“Wait until Henry and Jessie and Violet see this!” he cried, picking up the box and running all the way to the tavern.

Meanwhile, Linda and the Aldens were beginning to wonder what had happened to Benny.

“He certainly wouldn't miss breakfast,” Jessie said.

“Not our Benny,” Violet agreed.

At just that moment, Benny ran in, out of breath and covered with mud.

“Look at you!” Henry said.

“What have you been up to?” asked Jessie.

Then the Aldens saw the box Benny was carrying.

“What's that?” Violet asked.

Benny had almost caught his breath. “It's buried treasure,” he gasped. “I found it in the stable yard!”

Linda and the Aldens gathered around Benny, who placed the rusty old box on the table.

“Well would you look at that,” Linda said, almost to herself.

“What do you think is inside?” Violet asked.

“Only one to way to find out,” said Jessie.

“But it's locked,” Benny said.

“That lock looks pretty rusty and weak to me. All we need is a hammer to pry it off,” said Henry.

“There's one in my office,” Linda said.

“What have you got there?” asked Red, who had just come out of the kitchen. He was looking at the box with great interest.

“Buried treasure!” cried Benny.

“I don't know, Red,” said Linda. “Benny just found this in the stable yard, and we're going back to my office to find out what it is. Join us if you'd like,” Linda said.

Red looked around the tavern, which was unusually empty. “Things seem pretty quiet here. I think I will join you.”

With Benny carrying the box, Linda led the group back to her office. She got out her hammer and placed the back end of it in the lock and pushed down hard. Slowly, slowly, the weak, rusty metal lock began to give. At last it snapped off.

She pushed the box toward Benny. “It's your treasure.”

Benny lifted the top of the metal box. But when he saw what was inside, he was disappointed. “There's no treasure in here. There's just a piece of paper.” He lifted a folded, yellowed piece of paper from the box.

“That's not just a piece of paper,” a voice said.

Everyone looked up. Eric had just come in and was peering around the group at what Benny was holding. “It's a map,” he said.

“A treasure map?” Benny asked excitedly.

“Not the kind you're thinking of,” Eric said, “but the map itself is a treasure. A very old, historic treasure.”

Carefully Benny unfolded the piece of paper. Eric was right. It was a map.

“Where did you find it?” Eric asked Benny.

“It was in this metal box, buried in the yard by the stable,” Benny said. “I saw a corner sticking up out of the mud.”

“But how did you know what was in the box?” Jessie asked.

“Does this have something to do with your special project?” asked Violet.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, it does,” Eric said. “I've been wondering where this was hidden. May I?” He gestured to Benny, who nodded. Very carefully, Eric took the map in his hands and looked at it. A warm smile filled his face.

“Would you mind explaining what you're talking about?” Linda asked.

“It's a long story,” Eric began. “You see, my, uh, assistant and I were studying Thomas Heathcliff's journal. In it, he mentions a visit by George Washington in February of 1780. He says that Washington, who was the commander of the Revolutionary Army, gave him a hand-drawn map of an upcoming battle. Heathcliff wrote in his journal that he hid the map somewhere on the farm.”

Eric paused and looked around at everyone. They were watching him and listening, fascinated.

“Go on,” said Linda.

“Well, the map has never been found. My assistant and I realized that it must still be hidden here somewhere. And â¦” Eric didn't seem to know what to say next.

“And you've been looking for it,” Jessie finished for him.

“It's a bit more complicated than that,” said Eric. “I wanted to find the map and display it here at the village. It's a wonderful, important piece of history, and people should be able to see it.”

“Think of all the visitors it would bring,” Linda said.

“Exactly,” Eric agreed. “But my assistant had a different idea. She thought that if we found it we should sell it to a big museum. All she was interested in was making money. I told her I couldn't agree to that. And so she stormed off.”

“Are you talking about Judith?” asked Jessie.

“No, not my shop assistant,” Eric said. “My
research
assistant.”

“Is someone talking about me?” asked a voice.

Everyone turned to see Shelly standing in the doorway.

“Yes,” Eric said to Shelly. “Benny found the map.”

“Would somebody please tell me what's going on?” Red asked, completely confused.

Now Shelly took up the story. She sounded weary. “I guess Eric has told you that we both wanted to find the map. I took the potter's job just so that I could sneak into the old buildings and look for the map after hours.”

“We figured out that you weren't really a potter,” said Jessie.

“I've never made a pot in my life,” Shelly said. “I read some books so that I could answer questions, but I would never have been able to make a pot. That's why I had to get rid of all the clay.”

“We also knew that you and Eric hadn't just met that day on the green,” Henry said.

“That was when I realized what Shelly was up to,” Eric said. “And I knew I had to find the map before she did.”

“So you read Heathcliff's journal for clues, and planned to search in all the original buildings,” Henry said.

“Yes,” Eric said.

“I knew that you were looking, too,” said Shelly, “so I hurried to find the map first. In my rush I made some mistakes.”

“Like knocking over our tray of type in the printer's shop?” asked Benny.

“Yes. I didn't have time to fix it so I just threw the blocks back in the tray any which way,” Shelly said.

“And then you looked in the candlemaker's shop,” Violet said.

“How did you know that?” Shelly asked.

“Violet found your pin in the wax. I knew it looked familiar. You were wearing it on your blouse the day we met you,” Jessie said.

“Is that where I lost it?” said Shelly. “It must have fallen off while I was searching there. Then I looked in the weaver's shop.”

“And you made quite a mess,” said Linda angrily.

“I know,” Shelly said, looking sad. “Finding the map had become the most important thing to me. I was frantic.”

“And you sent us that note that was supposed to be from Eric, just to get rid of us,” said Jessie.

“I had to search your cabin,” said Shelly.

“And all along the map was buried in the stable yard,” said Eric.

“Why didn't you tell me about this map, Eric?” Linda demanded.

“I should have,” Eric admitted. “I didn't want to get your hopes up since I wasn't sure it would really turn up. But when I saw all the trouble Shelly was causing, I came here this morning to tell you.”

“Are you going to call the police?” Shelly asked Linda.

“I should,” Linda said. “What you've done was very selfish and wrong. But bad publicity won't help the village.” Linda thought for a minute. “Shelly, you and I need to have a serious talk. I think we'll be able to figure out some way that you can repay the village for all the trouble you've caused.”

Shelly nodded silently.

“What about the strange things happening at the tavern?” Jessie asked Shelly. “The burnt biscuits, and the food running out. Did you cause those, too?”

Shelly looked puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

Red cleared his throat. “I'm afraid those were my fault.”

“
Your
fault?” Linda asked.

“Yes,” Red said, sighing wearily. “I haven't wanted to admit it, but I just can't keep up with things the way I used to. Especially not with all the crowds lately. I'm afraid I messed up a few times lately.”

“I've been telling you for years we should get you some extra help in the kitchen,” Linda said.

“I know. I just never wanted to admit that I needed help,” Red said.

“Maybe we could help with lunch today,” Jessie offered. “I've been wanting to find out how you make that delicious apple pie.” She smiled at Red.

“Sounds good to me,” Red said, giving the Aldens the first real smile they'd seen from him.

“We've solved a mystery, and now we get to make apple pie!” Benny cried. “What a great vacation!”

G
ERTRUDE
C
HANDLER
W
ARNER
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 each 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 â 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 â 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 books.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, 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.

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