“You’ll have more than enough money to fix up the resort, Abby,” Adam told her.
“And pay for some advertising,” added Grandfather.
Abby clasped her hands together. “Yes, it looks like I’ll be keeping the old place after all.”
“Your grandchildren really saved the day, James,” said Abby. Her smile made the four Aldens feel warm all over.
But something was still bothering Violet. “If Rilla wasn’t behind the Ogopogo hoax, then who was?”
“That was me,” Adam said in a small voice.
All eyes turned to him. “What’s this all about?” asked Max.
Adam blurted out the truth. “I wanted the Aldens to think they’d seen Ogopogo.”
“But … how?” Violet’s eyebrows furrowed.
Adam looked over at her. “You’re wondering how I did it?”
Violet nodded. “It looked just like—oh!” she cried in sudden understanding. “You used one of Patch’s carvings, didn’t you?”
Adam didn’t deny it. “I put the carving on the raft, and floated it out into the water.” Then he glanced over at Abby sheepishly. “I just borrowed it from one of the cabins, Abby. I planned to put it back.”
“I don’t understand,” said Abby. “Why would you try to fool the Aldens?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Max added with a frown.
Henry thought he knew the answer to that. “You thought we’d report it to the newspaper, didn’t you?”
“I was hoping a sighting would bring tourists into town,” Adam confessed.
Jessie nodded in understanding. No wonder Adam seemed to have changed his mind overnight. He didn’t believe Ogopogo was real, but he wanted the Aldens to believe it did.
“Oh, I get it,” said Max. “You figured if business picked up, then Abby wouldn’t sell the resort.”
Adam nodded. “I hadn’t counted on the Aldens figuring out it was a hoax.”
“I know your heart was in the right place, Adam,” said Abby. “But it’s never a good thing to fool people.”
Adam looked truly sorry. “I guess I made a big mistake.”
“Everybody makes mistakes.” Henry told him. “We’ll be here until the end of the week,” he added with a friendly smile. “Maybe we can make a fresh start.”
Adam smiled. “I’d like that.”
Abby looked at Adam. “You made a mistake because you were trying to be a friend, and I’m so lucky to have so many friends care about me so much.”
“There’s no treasure better than a good friend!” said Benny. “Right?”
“Right!” everyone answered together.
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 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
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 Black Raven
The Mystery of the Pirate’s Map
The Mystery in the Mall
The Mystery in New York
The Gymnastics Mystery
The Poison Frog Mystery
The Mystery of the Empty Safe
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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 © 2006 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2897-5
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