said. “Because we agreed that our plan was . . .”
Violet felt uncomfortable listening to a private conversation. She grabbed her money and closed the drawer very loudly.
Wendy and Will stopped talking. Wendy peeked around the corner and into Violet’s room. “Violet!” she said. “I thought you had gone to the boardwalk.”
“I forgot my money,” Violet said. “I want to buy a souvenir in one of the shops. I am leaving now.”
Violet joined Henry, Jessie, and Benny outside, and the children headed down the boardwalk. On the way, Violet told her sister and brothers what she had overheard.
“What kind of plan do you think Wendy meant?” Jessie asked.
“I don’t know,” Violet said. “And why would Wendy think that Will had the missing bolt?”
“It could be that Will misplaced the bolt when he was putting the zombie back,” Henry said. “Sometimes, when I am fixing things, I misplace a bolt or a screw. It can happen very easily.”
“Look!” Benny cried. “Here is the store! Can we go in?”
At the Beach Stop Shop, Benny picked out a blue bucket and a large red shovel. Violet found a small jewelry box decorated from top to bottom with very tiny seashells.
Then the children paid for their purchases and left the store. They soon passed a woman in a white apron and a tall chef’s hat. She stood outside Laura’s Fudge Shop with a tray. “Would you like to try some of our fudge for free?” she asked the children.
“Free fudge! I would like some,” Benny cried. He tried the chocolate peanut butter flavor. “It’s so good!” he said.
“I’m glad you like it,” the woman said. “We also have delicious saltwater taffy.”
Benny shivered. He remembered when he accidentally got saltwater in his mouth when he was boogie boarding with Hunter. It did not taste good. “You put saltwater in your taffy?” he asked.
The woman laughed. “No. There is no saltwater in our saltwater taffy.”
“Then why is it called that?” Benny asked.
“A very long time ago, a man had a taffy stand on the boardwalk in Atlantic City,” the woman explained. “One night a big wave came and hit his stand. It ruined all his taffy. He was upset. He had nothing to sell the next day. When a customer asked for taffy, the man said that all he had to sell was saltwater taffy. He had to throw all the taffy away. The man worked hard and made more taffy. But he thought the name saltwater taffy was catchy. And he was right! We still call it saltwater taffy more than one hundred years later!”
The woman reached into her apron pocket. She pulled out some saltwater taffy. She gave one to each of the Aldens. “Try some,” she said.
Benny took a bite of the soft candy. “This one tastes like peppermint!” he said. The soft and chewy candy seemed to melt in his mouth.
“Mine is butterscotch,” Violet said. She laughed after she took a bite.
“Thank you very much,” Jessie said, swallowing a chocolate-flavored taffy. “It is delicious. We will stop back later to buy some more! We don’t have time right now.”
“You kids are in a hurry?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” Jessie said. “We are on our way to Hanson’s Amusement Pier.”
The woman looked concerned. “Be careful, kids,” she said. “I’ve heard that it might not be safe at the pier.”
“Someone is spreading false rumors,” Jessie said. “Please do not believe them. The pier is very safe.”
The children thanked the woman and left. “It was nice of that lady to give us free samples,” Benny said.
“Yes, and smart, too,” Violet said. “It makes us want to go back and buy more candy. And it has given me a very good idea for Hanson’s Amusement Pier.”
“Free candy?” Benny asked.
“No,” Violet said. “Something even better. Something that will help stop all of the false rumors.”
CHAPTER 9
Violet Has an Idea
T he children found Mr. Hanson sitting in his shed at the back of the pier. There were tools all around him on his
Violet felt uncomfortable listening to a private conversation. She grabbed her money and closed the drawer very loudly.
Wendy and Will stopped talking. Wendy peeked around the corner and into Violet’s room. “Violet!” she said. “I thought you had gone to the boardwalk.”
“I forgot my money,” Violet said. “I want to buy a souvenir in one of the shops. I am leaving now.”
Violet joined Henry, Jessie, and Benny outside, and the children headed down the boardwalk. On the way, Violet told her sister and brothers what she had overheard.
“What kind of plan do you think Wendy meant?” Jessie asked.
“I don’t know,” Violet said. “And why would Wendy think that Will had the missing bolt?”
“It could be that Will misplaced the bolt when he was putting the zombie back,” Henry said. “Sometimes, when I am fixing things, I misplace a bolt or a screw. It can happen very easily.”
“Look!” Benny cried. “Here is the store! Can we go in?”
At the Beach Stop Shop, Benny picked out a blue bucket and a large red shovel. Violet found a small jewelry box decorated from top to bottom with very tiny seashells.
Then the children paid for their purchases and left the store. They soon passed a woman in a white apron and a tall chef’s hat. She stood outside Laura’s Fudge Shop with a tray. “Would you like to try some of our fudge for free?” she asked the children.
“Free fudge! I would like some,” Benny cried. He tried the chocolate peanut butter flavor. “It’s so good!” he said.
“I’m glad you like it,” the woman said. “We also have delicious saltwater taffy.”
Benny shivered. He remembered when he accidentally got saltwater in his mouth when he was boogie boarding with Hunter. It did not taste good. “You put saltwater in your taffy?” he asked.
The woman laughed. “No. There is no saltwater in our saltwater taffy.”
“Then why is it called that?” Benny asked.
“A very long time ago, a man had a taffy stand on the boardwalk in Atlantic City,” the woman explained. “One night a big wave came and hit his stand. It ruined all his taffy. He was upset. He had nothing to sell the next day. When a customer asked for taffy, the man said that all he had to sell was saltwater taffy. He had to throw all the taffy away. The man worked hard and made more taffy. But he thought the name saltwater taffy was catchy. And he was right! We still call it saltwater taffy more than one hundred years later!”
The woman reached into her apron pocket. She pulled out some saltwater taffy. She gave one to each of the Aldens. “Try some,” she said.
Benny took a bite of the soft candy. “This one tastes like peppermint!” he said. The soft and chewy candy seemed to melt in his mouth.
“Mine is butterscotch,” Violet said. She laughed after she took a bite.
“Thank you very much,” Jessie said, swallowing a chocolate-flavored taffy. “It is delicious. We will stop back later to buy some more! We don’t have time right now.”
“You kids are in a hurry?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” Jessie said. “We are on our way to Hanson’s Amusement Pier.”
The woman looked concerned. “Be careful, kids,” she said. “I’ve heard that it might not be safe at the pier.”
“Someone is spreading false rumors,” Jessie said. “Please do not believe them. The pier is very safe.”
The children thanked the woman and left. “It was nice of that lady to give us free samples,” Benny said.
“Yes, and smart, too,” Violet said. “It makes us want to go back and buy more candy. And it has given me a very good idea for Hanson’s Amusement Pier.”
“Free candy?” Benny asked.
“No,” Violet said. “Something even better. Something that will help stop all of the false rumors.”
CHAPTER 9
Violet Has an Idea
T he children found Mr. Hanson sitting in his shed at the back of the pier. There were tools all around him on his
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