The Deserted Library Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  “It would be wonderful to be able to do that for him,” Violet said.

  “I’ll help you, Henry,” Benny said, running downstairs.

  “Careful,” Jessie cautioned. “Some of those wooden steps might be broken.”

  “I’m okay,” Benny said. “See?” He stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up. His hands were behind his back, and he wore a big grin.

  “Good, Benny,” Henry said. “Here we come.” They hurried down after Benny.

  They all pitched in. The boards were removed from the windows, letting the sunlight stream in. They dusted and cleaned until Benny said, “Isn’t it time for lunch yet?”

  Violet halted, wiping her forehead. “Yes, I’m ready for a sandwich, too.” She sat down, straightening the collar on her violet T-shirt. Violet was her favorite color. She even had wallpaper in her room at home with violets on it.

  “Lunch will be later,” Jessie said. “It’s only eleven o’clock.”

  Willingly, they straightened more books.

  “Look,” Benny said, holding up a volume of fairy tales. It was an old book with no cover, but the pages were still in good condition. “Read me this story, Jessie,” he said, pointing to one.

  Jessie, who was on her knees, stood up and took a deep breath. “I’m ready for a break. We’ll sit over here by the circulation desk, Benny. Ah, you’ve chosen Rumpelstiltskin.” She began to read about the maiden who was forced to weave all day, and the threads she wove that turned to gold.

  When Jessie finished the story, Benny stood up. “Wow!” he exclaimed, “Rumpelstiltskin was a mean man. I’d like to spin gold!”

  “And what would you do with it, Benny?” Jessie asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

  “I’d fix up this old library for Grandfather,” he said promptly.

  “That’s a great idea,” Henry said, joining them. “Right now, though, rest time is over.”

  “Is it lunchtime?” Benny asked.

  “Not yet,” Henry chuckled, lightly touching Benny’s chin with his fist. “We’ve got hundreds of books to straighten.”

  “Okay,” Benny said cheerfully. “But I’m going upstairs.”

  “Will you place the books neatly on the shelves?” Violet asked.

  “I sure will!”

  And before anyone could say another word, Benny raced upstairs.

  Jessie smiled. “I hope he’s this eager to help by late afternoon.”

  “Look at this old speller I found,” Violet said, handing a thin book to Jessie.

  Jessie wrinkled her small nose. “It smells musty.” She handed the book back. “We’d better finish these shelves.” She pulled out a book and flipped through its pages. All at once she gasped. “A moth! It flew right in my face.”

  Violet glimpsed a winged insect flying out the window. “What next?” she asked, with a sigh.

  Suddenly Benny rushed downstairs. His round face was pale, and his lower lip trembled.

  “Benny! What happened?” Jessie asked in a concerned tone. “You’re as white as a sheet.”

  “I-I heard a noise,” he said in a quavering voice. “Someone is up there.”

  Jessie glanced at Violet and Henry, then turned back to Benny. “Just what did you hear, Benny?”

  “It was kind of a little sound, and then I saw a big black shadow!”

  “We’ll all go upstairs and look around,” Violet said. She put her arm around Benny’s shoulders. “Maybe it was a squirrel hiding a nut.”

  Benny shook his head. “No. Someone was there! I know it!”

  They went upstairs and searched every row of books and every corner. “No one’s here, Benny,” Jessie said, tousling her brother’s hair. “Maybe the squirrel went out through the broken windowpane.”

  “M-maybe,” he stammered. But Benny glanced at the stairs. Not for a minute did he believe it was a squirrel. Violet, too, had a nervous look on her face.

  CHAPTER 4

  The Missing Food

  “It’s almost time for lunch, Benny,” Henry announced. He wanted to take Benny’s mind off the strange noise. Food usually did the trick.

  “Is it time to eat?” Benny looked at Henry. “I forgot.”

  “You forgot lunch?” Jessie teased. “That’s hard to believe.”

  Benny was wiping one last shelf. But all at once his rag snagged on a dark object in back. “What’s this?” he said, holding up a strange piece of metal. “Look, everybody!”

  They gathered around Benny, and Henry carefully examined what he had found.

  “This is the hilt of a sword,” Jessie said. “Whew! It must be covered with six coats of grime! But where’s the rest of it?” she wondered.

  Violet reached for a crumpled piece of yellow paper that dangled from the hilt by a worn ribbon. Carefully she unfolded the square sheet and began to read:

  This sword is presented to Captain Charles Howard for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg. Your strength and courage in leading the Union soldiers against General Robert E. Lee’s forces was a major factor in winning this vital battle.

  Signed,

  General G.G. Meade

  Union Commander

  July 5, 1863

  The children gasped.

  Henry sat down in a chair and turned the hilt every which way.

  “What’s Gettysburg?” Benny asked.

  Henry leaned back. “Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was where one of the most important battles of the Civil War was fought.”

  “Wasn’t General Lee the Confederate leader who led his army on an attack against the North?” Violet asked.

  “That’s right,” Jessie said. “If he had won, the whole outcome of the war might have been different. Our country would have been split in two. Today the North would have their own flag, and the South would have theirs.”

  “Wow,” Benny whispered. “Then this is valuable, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is,” Henry said. “It would be even more valuable if we could find the blade.”

  Jessie took the sword hilt and wrapped it in a towel. “We’ll keep the hilt under the desk. I’m certain we’ll find the rest of the sword.” She smiled. “In the meantime, we’ll have lunch. We’ll fix our own sandwiches. I brought a jar of strawberry jam and a jar of peanut butter.”

  “And I brought the bread,” Violet said.

  “And I brought the milk,” Henry added.

  “And I brought the appetite!” Benny yelled. He glanced around. “Good-bye, squirrel, and don’t come back!”

  After they had eaten, Jessie looked into her backpack. “You know what? We still each have an apple to eat.”

  Benny said, “Not for me. I ate two sandwiches.”

  “Then I’ll leave them here for our snack tomorrow.” Jessie put the sack on top of the circulation desk.

  They continued to work until late afternoon. Then Henry said, “Enough. We’ll finish tomorrow.”

  They were all tired and dirty and glad to return to their cozy house. The bunk beds were made, the stove shone, and the old pump in the back gave them fresh water to wash in.

  After dinner and a good night’s sleep, the children awoke refreshed and hurried back to the library. Jessie put their lunch basket on the desk next to the apples. She checked the sack and was astonished to see only three apples. “That’s funny!” she said. “I know there were four apples here yesterday.”

  Benny laughed. “Jessie made a mistake,” he sang out.

  Jessie laughed, too. But she was uneasy. She knew she had left four apples. One was missing, and she didn’t think a squirrel had carried away a big apple!

  Jessie, however, began to work just as if nothing was wrong, She put an old copy of Alice in Wonderland in a box of what she thought might be more valuable books. The box was getting full.

  “I’m tired!” Benny said after a while, sitting down on the floor and folding his arms. “I’m taking a rest!”

  Violet sat in a chair. “That’s a good idea.” She took a deep breath. “I’m tired of boo
ks!”

  “I think we all need a break,” Henry said. “Let’s bike down to the seashore.

  “Perfect!” Jessie said. “First, though, let’s set out our lunch. When we return we’ll be starving.”

  Violet set one wrapped sandwich at each place, and Henry put three glasses and Benny’s pink cup around the thermos in the middle of the big desk. Jessie put out napkins and the three apples. She didn’t leave an apple at her place.

  Happily they biked down to the coast. It was a two-mile ride, but they enjoyed it. The day was crisp, and the air salty.

  Once at the shore, they all took off their shoes and ran along the sand. Then they waded in the cold water, laughing and splashing each other. White sea gulls dipped and soared above them. Benny found a crab, and Violet picked up three lovely shells. Two, of course, had a lavender tint. Henry and Jessie searched for interesting pieces of driftwood.

  Everyone soaked up the sunshine for over an hour. Then, feeling refreshed, they headed back to the library.

  Once inside, they eagerly sat down to eat.

  Violet stared at her plate. It was empty. Finally she said in a low voice, “Someone has stolen my sandwich.”

  Benny, Jessie, and Henry looked at Violet’s plate. Sure enough, the sandwich had disappeared.

  Henry said nothing, but he glanced around him. Benny was right, he thought. There was a mysterious stranger in this library!

  Violet moved closer to Jessie. “I don’t like this one bit,” she whispered, a worried frown on her face.

  Jessie nodded her head. “Neither do I,” she said. “The door was locked, yet someone was in here.”

  “Well,” Henry said, breaking the silence. “There’s only one thing to do. We’ll need to search the upstairs.”

  Benny hung back. “Not me! I’m not going up there again!”

  “Henry’s right,” Jessie said. “We have to find out who’s up there.”

  Violet said weakly, “Yes, I guess you’re right.” But clearly she didn’t want to.

  CHAPTER 5

  Miguel, the Runaway

  Henry, his finger to his lips, loosened his laces and removed his sneakers. He motioned everyone else to do the same. Next, he tiptoed upstairs, the others following.

  The Aldens searched upstairs, every corner, every nook, every cranny.

  Jessie shrugged her slim shoulders. “There’s no one here,” she whispered.

  Benny, who stood by the window, suddenly said in a loud, urgent whisper, “Henry, over here.”

  In four strides, Henry was at Benny’s side. Benny pointed to the low velvet curtain below the window seat. Without a moment’s hesitation, Henry yanked back the velvet seat covers.

  There, huddled in a corner, was a small boy. His chin rested on his knees, and he stared at them with a frightened expression.

  “Come out of there!” Henry said sternly. “Why are you hiding?”

  “And why are you stealing our food?” Benny asked, his hands on his hips.

  The frightened boy crawled out into the daylight. His face was thin and pale and a thatch of black hair fell forward on his forehead. He had the darkest brown eyes the Alden children had ever seen. He bowed his head. “I-I was hungry,” he said softly.

  “But why are you hiding?” Violet repeated. “We won’t hurt you.” Her voice was gentle.

  “Before you answer any questions,” Jessie said, “I think that you . . .” She stopped. “What’s your name?”

  “Miguel Morales,” the boy answered shyly. “I am ten years old.” A proud gleam lighted his eyes.

  “Well, Miguel,” Jessie said kindly, “would you like a sandwich?”

  Miguel nodded vigorously.

  “I’m starved, too!” Benny said, rubbing his stomach.

  They all laughed, going downstairs.

  Over a sandwich and a glass of milk, Miguel told his story.

  “I am hiding because,” his voice caught in his throat, “because I heard two men at the bait shop in my town talking about how my father’s fishing boat sank. They thought he and two other fishermen drowned. I ran before they could see me.” Tears filled his eyes, and he put his sandwich down.

  “When?” Jessie asked quietly.

  “Two days ago.” Miguel looked at each Alden. He knew they could be trusted. “You see, I live with my father in Dalton, which is many miles from here. My mother died three years ago, when I was seven.”

  “Poor Miguel,” Violet sympathized. “How did you get here?”

  He glanced at her gratefully and went on. “I walked for hours. Then I found this old building. I crawled through the back window.”

  “You scared me!” Benny said reproachfully.

  “Sorry,” Miguel mumbled. “I didn’t mean to.”

  “So why are you hiding?” Henry asked.

  “I have nowhere to go,” Miguel said, a tear spilling down his cheek. “If my father drowned, I’ll be put in a home.”

  “We won’t let them!” Violet cried, her small chin jutting out. “We’ll protect you. We know what it’s like to have to hide from someone.”

  “Do we!” Benny said. “I’ll never forget that old boxcar we lived in.”

  Violet nodded. “We don’t have any parents, either, Miguel, and our grandfather was searching for us after our mother and father died. He planned to force us to live with him.”

  “We thought he was a mean man,” Benny said.

  Jessie smiled. “Grandfather Alden is just the opposite. He’s very kind, and we have a wonderful home with him now. So you see something good can happen to you.”

  Sadly, Miguel shook his head.

  “Yes, it will,” Benny stated in a loud voice. “I know it will!”

  Miguel looked up and gave them a weak smile. “Thanks, everyone. I know you won’t turn me in.”

  “Well,” Henry said slowly. “You can’t stay here, Miguel. At least not forever.” He smiled. “We’ll do a little investigating. Maybe your father was rescued. Are you positive that he drowned?”

  Miguel stared at Henry, his big eyes growing bigger. “I—I don’t know,” Miguel frowned. “I heard that The Maria sank and that three men drowned, and I ran.”

  “Your father’s boat is called The Maria?” Jessie said.

  Miguel nodded, unable to speak. Finally, he said, “My father named it after my mother.”

  “I see,” Jessie said. She patted Miguel’s knee. “Whatever we decide you should do, we’ll talk it over with you first. Is that okay?”

  “That’s okay,” Miguel said, giving her a trembling smile.

  “Then that’s settled,” Henry said. “Miguel, do you want to help us straighten books in this old library?”

  “Oh, yes!” Miguel said eagerly. “I’m a good worker!”

  And Miguel was as good as his word. He worked all afternoon, and when the sun set he was glad to go back to the house with his new friends. He sat behind Henry on his bicycle.

  At supper Jessie smiled at Miguel. He was a good eater, like Benny. As she stacked the dirty dishes, she felt a sense of relief. At last the mystery was solved. No more strange noises, no more shadows, no more missing food.

  CHAPTER 6

  The Gray Glove

  The next morning Henry biked to Pete’s Café to buy milk and bread. But he had a more important reason. He needed to call Grandfather for advice.

  Arriving at the café, Henry carefully placed his bike next to the white building. He entered the café and glanced around. Besides Pete there were only two other men, one at a table, and the other at the counter.

  “Hi, Henry, my boy,” Pete called. He was drinking a cup of coffee at the counter. “How do you like living in my house? Are you taking good care of it?”

  Henry smiled. “We sure are.” He liked old Pete. He’d been a friend of Grandfather’s for years.

  “I knew you kids would.” Pete chuckled. “What brings you out so early, Henry?”

  Henry smiled. “I need to buy bread and milk.”

  Whil
e Pete was taking the milk out of the refrigerator, Henry called Grandfather.

  “Henry!” Grandfather Alden said in a delighted voice, “I’m glad to hear from you. Is everything all right?”

  “Fine,” Henry said, clearing his throat. “We found a small boy hiding in the library.”

  “Oh?” Grandfather said, waiting for Henry to continue.

  “His name is Miguel Morales, and he’s scared that he might be sent to a home. He’s only ten, and he’s all alone.”

  “Well,” Grandfather began.

  But Henry hurried on before Grandfather could interrupt. “You see Miguel’s father was a fisherman, and his boat sank.”

  “Was it The Maria?”

  “Yes,” Henry said, surprised. “How did you know?”

  “I heard the news on the radio. There were three fishermen on the boat.”

  “Yes, that’s what Miguel said,” Henry answered.

  “I’ll check with the Coast Guard and find out if anyone was rescued. Don’t worry, Henry, we won’t let Miguel be taken to a home.”

  Henry sighed with relief. Grandfather could always be depended upon to help.

  “And what else have you been up to?” Grandfather Alden asked.

  “Oh,” Henry said. “I almost forgot. Benny discovered the hilt of a Civil War sword on the library shelves. We found a letter from General Meade awarding the sword to a Charles Howard. Captain Howard had been a courageous soldier at the Battle of Gettysburg.”

  “A Civil War sword!” Grandfather sounded excited. “That could be a very valuable find. Many museums would want to put it on display.” He paused. “It could even help the library become a landmark. But didn’t you find the rest of the sword?”

  “No,” Henry said. “Not yet. There are plenty of shelves, though, that we haven’t cleaned. We might still find it.”

  “I hope it turns up,” Grandfather said. “You’ve done a lot of work at the library. Are you and Violet and Jessie and Benny ready to come home?”