The Mystery in the Snow Read Free

lodge to visit with Mr. Mercer.
    â€œAll right then,” Mr. Alden said, “I’ll be on my way.”
    He opened the door and Watch darted in. His nose and whiskers were all white, and snow hung from his chin like a beard. He ran around the room smelling everything, leaving little puddles of melting snow wherever his nose touched.
    The Aldens waved to their grandfather. Then, Henry closed and latched the door.
    â€œBenny and I will share one bedroom,” he said. “You girls take the other.”
    â€œI get the top bunk,” Benny said.
    â€œFine with me,” Henry agreed.
    Benny unzipped his duffel bag. He pulled out a white box. “What should we do with this?” he asked.
    â€œWhat’s in it?” Jessie asked.
    â€œThe cookies we made this morning,” Benny answered.
    Jessie looked around the room. There was a small sink near the table. Above it was a cabinet. She opened its door. “Put them in here, Benny,” she said.
    Benny handed her the box. He wasn’t tall enough to reach the shelf.
    â€œThere’re dishes in here and paper napkins. And, look! Here’s a tablecloth,” Jessie said.
    â€œLet’s cover the table,” Violet suggested. “It’ll look more homey.”
    Jessie took out the red-and-white checked cloth and laid it on the tabletop.
    â€œNow all we need’s a centerpiece,” Violet said.
    Benny dragged his duffel bag across the room. “How about some fruit?” He put several apples and oranges on the table.
    â€œHere’s a container,” Henry said. He slipped a basket off a peg beside the fireplace.
    Violet arranged the fruit in the round basket and placed it in the center of the table.
    Then, Benny said, “Let’s eat.”
    â€œWe just had supper,” Henry reminded him.
    â€œI know, but I’m getting sleepy,” Benny said, “and I can’t go to bed without a snack.”
    Jessie took down the box of cookies. “I don’t suppose a cookie or two would hurt,” she said.
    â€œToo bad we don’t have something to drink,” Violet said.
    Benny pulled several cans of juice from his bag. “Ta-da,” he said.
    Henry laughed. Then, he took four cups from the cabinet shelf.
    â€œI don’t need a cup,” Benny told him as he fished in the duffel. “I brought my own.” He held up the cracked pink cup he had found in a dump when they had lived in the boxcar.
    Jessie gave each of them two cookies on a red paper napkin.
    Henry poured the juice.
    â€œThe juice is warm,” Benny said. “I like it cold.”
    â€œI can fix that,” Henry said. He took a bowl from the cabinet and went outside. He returned with a bowlful of snow.
    Benny scooped some into his cup. “It’s like a snowcone without the cone,” he said.
    They began talking about the next day’s activities.
    â€œWhose team will we be on?” Violet wondered aloud.
    â€œMaybe we’ll be on different teams,” Jessie said.
    â€œI want to be on Freddy’s team,” Benny said.
    â€œWhy?” Violet asked. “Jimmy’ll be a good captain, too.”
    â€œBut Freddy said her team was going to win,” Benny reminded his sister.
    â€œJust because she says it, doesn’t make it so,” Jessie argued.
    â€œI don’t care who wins,” Violet said. “Just being a part of a team will be fun.”
    â€œThere might not be any teams,” Henry said.
    They remembered the locked equipment shop.
    â€œWhat do you suppose happened to the keys?” Jessie asked.
    â€œMaybe someone took them,” Benny said.
    â€œWhy would anyone do that?” Henry asked.
    They could not think of a single reason.
    â€œMaybe Mr. Mercer put them somewhere else and forgot,” Violet suggested.
    â€œLet’s hope he finds them,” Jessie said.
    â€œOr figures out some other way to get into the equipment shop,” Henry put