All eyes were on Jon. He looked at Officer Weiss. Finally he said, “I set up a timer under the stage so that the electricity would go off during the Greenfield Four’s show.”
The children looked at each other in disbelief.
“When is it supposed to go off?” Jessie asked.
“Eight-thirty,” Jon replied. The Aldens checked their watches—that was less than an hour from now!
“Where did you put the timer?” Henry asked.
“In the back, by the right side of the stage,” Jon told them.
“We’d better get over there,” Violet said.
“And fast!” Benny added.
By the time Raymond and the Aldens got to the festival, the Greenfield Four had just gone onstage. The children could see a man in the front row wearing a white suit and a wide hat. He didn’t look happy, but he didn’t look unhappy, either. He was paying close attention to the show.
“That must be the man from the record company,” Violet said.
“We need to hurry,” said Jessie. “That timer might go off any minute now!”
They rushed to the back of the stage. The crawl space underneath the stage was covered by a dark curtain. Henry flipped it up and peered underneath. Raymond had brought two flashlights and handed him one.
“Be very careful, Henry,” Violet said. “Those wires and cables can be dangerous!”
“I wouldn’t touch one if you gave me a million dollars,” Henry told her, looking at the cables as if they were live snakes. “I just want to find the timer and stop it.” He checked his watch. It read eight-twenty-five.
Henry and Raymond turned on their flashlights and crawled in. The noise coming from the stage above them was tremendous. Henry could feel the drums beating. They crawled around cardboard boxes, instrument cases, and packing crates. Henry and Raymond pointed their flashlights everywhere.
“Henry?” Raymond asked. “Did you find it?”
“No, not yet,” Henry answered.
Then Henry pushed aside a large box and he saw glowing red numbers underneath.
The timer. And there were less than three minutes left!
“Here it is!” he called out. Raymond, on his hands and knees, crawled over as fast as he could.
The timer was a simple metal box. There were four small buttons, but they weren’t marked. Henry watched as the red numbers counted down. 2:00 … 1:59 … 1:58 …
Henry reached out slowly and pushed the first button. Nothing happened. He pushed the second button, and nothing happened again. The timer kept going down—1:33 … 1:32 … 1:31 …
He tried the third button.
Still nothing. 1:10 … 1:09 … 1:08 …
Henry’s heart was pounding like mad now. Only one button left. He pressed it.
And then something happened.
“Uh-oh,” Henry said.
The red numbers vanished for a moment. Then they reappeared. Now they said “0:10.” Ten seconds!
Raymond saw this. “Jon set the timer up so it would go into a fast countdown if someone tried to shut it off!” he cried.
Henry didn’t say anything. He just watched with a helpless feeling as the numbers counted down.
0:03 … 0:02 … 0:01 …
Suddenly, there was a loud CLICK!
Everything went dark.
There was a loud gasp from the crowd. Suddenly, it was pitch black on the stage, and the entire festival was lit only by the glow of the full moon.
The members of the Greenfield Four turned around and looked at the three Alden children who were standing by the stage. For a moment they all stared at each other, frozen.
Then Violet had an idea.
“Play that new song of yours,” she called to Karen, “with the acoustic guitars.”
Benny wanted to asked what “acoustic” meant, but then he remembered—an acoustic instrument was one that didn’t need any power in order to make sound.
“Good idea,” Alan said with a nod.
Alan turned back to the crowd. “Well, it looks like someone forgot to pay the electric bill this month,” he said. Everyone laughed. “So, until we can get the problem fixed, the band would like to play a nice little song that we wrote a few months ago with some instruments that don’t need any electricity.”
Dave came out from behind his drum set and tapped his sticks together. Amy and Karen picked up their acoustic guitars. Then Alan led the band down the steps at the side of the stage and onto the ground. They walked into the middle of the crowd, and the four of them began to play. Within minutes the audience was singing and clapping along to the beautiful song.
When they finished, the crowd gave them thunderous applause. Then, suddenly, all the lights came on, and the audience clapped again for Raymond and the rest of the crew who had fixed the electricity. A night that could have been a disaster had turned into something magical instead.
After the show, behind the stage, Alan Keller patted Henry on the back.
“You did it, my friend.”
“Not fast enough,” Henry said, frowning. Karen waved her hand to show that this was a silly idea. “We covered it up pretty well with that acoustic song.”
“And that was Violet’s brilliant idea,” Amy pointed out. Violet blushed.
“That’s my sister,” Jessie said, putting her arm around her.
Then the man in the white walked towards them. It was the man who owned the record company.
“I have to tell you, I was very impressed by the way you handled that power failure,” he said. “It takes a band with a lot of smarts and experience to do that. You made sure to keep the crowd’s attention. You knew exactly how to make sure the show went on.”
“Thank you,” Amy Keller replied.
“A band with that kind of talent is exactly the type of band I’d like to have making music for me,” he told them, putting his hand out so Alan could shake it. “Congratulations, I’d like the Greenfield Four to record an album for me.”
The members of the band were speechless. Then, finally, Alan Keller said, “Well, we’d like to take all the credit for tonight’s show, but we had a little help. In fact, we had a lot,” he said, looking at the Aldens.
“Oh?”
“That’s right,” Karen continued. “These kids solve mysteries as well as we make music—maybe even better.”
“I don’t know that’s true,” said Violet.
“Now, don’t be modest,” Alan replied. “If it weren’t for the four of you, we would’ve sounded awful tonight.” Alan quickly explained the whole story. “In fact, we’ve talked it over and decided to write a song about it. We’ll call it ‘The Ballad of the Aldens.’”
The children didn’t know what to say, but the man from the record company did. “Sounds like your first big hit,” he said.
“The first of many,” Violet added.
Then Benny, dazzled by the thought of being mentioned in a song, said, “Wow, I’ll be famous!”
Everyone laughed. “Too famous to go on solving mysteries?” Henry asked him.
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 books.
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
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, 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, 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 © 2009 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2898-2
This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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EBOOKS BY GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
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