Boxcar Children 64 - Black Pearl Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Mary waved the children over to the lookout. “Well, you’re not dreaming this. See that tiny ray of light way across the crater? That’s the sun’s first light. One Hawaiian legend says that a magician named Maui caught the sun with a rope to slow it down over the crater so his mother’s laundry would dry. That’s why the sun seems to take so long rising over Haleakala.”
    Henry looked around at the other small groups of shivering tourists. Many of them aimed their cameras at the other side of the crater where the sun was rising. The Aldens didn’t take out their camera right away. They wanted to watch the amazing sunrise with their very own eyes.
    Wow!” Benny said, along with other visitors when a huge orange ball lit up the sky. Ever so slowly, it rose over the biggest hole Benny had ever seen in his life. The sun looked almost as big as the earth itself, climbing in slow motion over the crater.
    You can see why Haleakala means ‘House of the Sun,’ ” Cousin Mary told the Aldens.
    For the next hour, Cousin Mary and the Aldens sat on the crater rim and enjoyed the bright morning sunshine. The cold air had made them hungry. They enjoyed the delicious eggsandwiches and hot cocoa Cousin Mary had brought along.
    After breakfast they stopped by the gift shop in the visitors’ center. The children wanted to send postcards to Alice and Joe Alden and to Mrs. McGregor.
    Can I write something to Watch?” Benny asked Violet.
    Sure, Benny,” Violet said. “Go ahead.”
    Benny drew a smiley face for Watch, then printed his name.
    You children can sleep all the way back to Pineapple Place,” Cousin Mary said when they climbed into the van to go home.

    I’m not sleepy,” Soo Lee said.
    Me neither,” said Benny. But within minutes after the van had started, the five Aldens fell fast asleep. They didn’t wake up again until Cousin Mary stopped for gas not far from Norma Kane’s cannery.
    Henry climbed down from the van to pump the gas for Cousin Mary. The other children stretched and yawned, happy to be awake after their long naps.
    Look, a pineapple truck from the Kane plantation is in front of us,” Henry told Cousin Mary after she drove away from the gas station.
    Cousin Mary noticed the truck, too.
    Violet could see Cousin Mary’s puzzled face in the rearview mirror. “I thought they didn’t need any more pineapples at the cannery.”
    Cousin Mary slowed down the van. “I’m going to pull to the side of the road here and run into the cannery. It can’t hurt to ask Norma whether she can use more pineapples after all. Ours are still good for juice.”
    The pineapple truck from the Kane plantation pulled off the road in front of the cannery, too. Before Cousin Mary even turned off the engine, the truck driver got out.
    Goodness! It’s Joseph!” Cousin Mary cried. “Why is he driving Norma Kane’s truck? He told me he needed a few days off. He never mentioned anything about working for Norma.” She took a deep breath and leaned her head against the steering wheel.
    This is so awful,” Violet whispered from the backseat. “Why would Joseph do that?”
    Cousin Mary restarted the van. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

CHAPTER 9
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    W hen Cousin Mary and the Aldens returned to Pineapple Place late that afternoon, they had a surprise.
    Grandfather!” Jessie said when she spotted Mr. Alden strolling by Cousin Mary’s house. “You’re back early. We’ve been pineapple picking and snorkeling and visiting an old volcano and all kinds of things.”
    Cousin Mary looked especially pleased to see her cousin James Alden. She needed to put Joseph Kahuna out of her mind for a little while. “I’m so glad you returned early, James. What a nice surprise.”
    Now I’m the one to be surprised,” Mr. Alden said. “Didn’t you get the message that I would be arriving today?”
    Cousin Mary looked confused. “What message?”
    Why, last night I left a message with a woman who answered the