it feels good to get out of there,” Benny said as he emerged from the cramped closet.
“I know what you mean,” Henry said. He stretched his arms out in front of him and rubbed his shoulders. “It was crowded inside with all of us. It’s a good thing the broom closet in the kitchen has more room.”
“I’m just glad we didn’t disturb anything,” Jessie said as she let Violet crawl out in front of her. Violet was careful not to pull down any of the aprons that hung crisply on their hangers.
“I’m afraid we may have a long wait ahead of us,” Henry whispered. “I’m going to call Grandfather from the pay phone to tell him where we are, and that we’ll be home by nine o’clock.”
“Be careful not to let anyone see you from the window,” Jessie warned him.
“Don’t worry, the shades are down,” Henry whispered back.
“Why are we all whispering?” Benny wondered. “We’re the only ones here.”
For the next three hours, the Aldens played word games and ate the sandwiches Henry had saved from lunch. At about eight o’clock, the parlor was dark.
“It’s spooky in here when the sun goes down,” Benny said softly.
“We should have brought a flashlight,” Henry observed.
“I know where we can find one,” Jessie said. No sooner had she pulled a flashlight from a big drawer, than they heard someone rattling the back door.
“Someone’s trying to get in!” Benny whispered loudly.
“Quick!” Henry said. “Into the storage closet.” The Aldens hurried inside amongst the mops and brooms as the rattling grew louder and louder. Benny’s heart was pounding so loudly he was sure everyone could hear it. But he kept still. Finally, when he thought he couldn’t stand the suspense any longer, the back door creaked open.
Someone turned on the kitchen light and a muffled voice said, “Okay, come in.”
CHAPTER 10
Confession
B enny gulped. Henry peered through the keyhole. What he saw made him shake his head sadly.
Brian was leading four skinny boys into the parlor’s kitchen. The boys wore T-shirts that looked much too big for them, and worn-out shoes.
As Henry watched, Brian seated the boys at the big kitchen table. “Can we have chocolate sundaes tonight?” one of the boys asked.
“Sure,” Brian said. “You know this is the last night we can do this,” he added as he went to the counter to bring back the container of vanilla ice cream.
“But Brian, you promised,” the tallest boy protested.
“I know, Eric,” Brian said as he scooped out four generous portions of vanilla ice cream and put them in special sundae dishes. “But the owner knows something is up.”
“Was he mad about those glasses we broke?” one of the boys asked.
“No,” Brian said as he poured chocolate sauce on the ice cream.
“We didn’t do it on purpose,” Eric said. He got up to help Brian finish making the sundaes. “Paul tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and dropped the package.”
“I don’t think Mr. Brown even noticed those glasses,” Brian said as he put cherries on all the sundaes. “But we have to remember to put everything back in the refrigerator. One night we left the cream out and it spoiled.”
“I guess it didn’t help when we broke that big window,” Eric said glumly. “But we were just trying to help you clean up. I was chasing Paul with the broom and the next thing I knew, the handle went through the window.”
“I know you didn’t do it on purpose,” Brian said as he brought the sundaes to the kitchen table with Eric’s help. “But we should have tried to keep Robbie from scribbling on the menus.”
The boy called Robbie shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Brian,” he said softly.
Brian patted the little boy’s shoulder. “I know you were very excited when you saw all those crayons in the kitchen drawer.”
Brian seated himself at the table while the boys ate hungrily. Henry, who was still watching through the crack, noticed that Brian did not eat
“I know what you mean,” Henry said. He stretched his arms out in front of him and rubbed his shoulders. “It was crowded inside with all of us. It’s a good thing the broom closet in the kitchen has more room.”
“I’m just glad we didn’t disturb anything,” Jessie said as she let Violet crawl out in front of her. Violet was careful not to pull down any of the aprons that hung crisply on their hangers.
“I’m afraid we may have a long wait ahead of us,” Henry whispered. “I’m going to call Grandfather from the pay phone to tell him where we are, and that we’ll be home by nine o’clock.”
“Be careful not to let anyone see you from the window,” Jessie warned him.
“Don’t worry, the shades are down,” Henry whispered back.
“Why are we all whispering?” Benny wondered. “We’re the only ones here.”
For the next three hours, the Aldens played word games and ate the sandwiches Henry had saved from lunch. At about eight o’clock, the parlor was dark.
“It’s spooky in here when the sun goes down,” Benny said softly.
“We should have brought a flashlight,” Henry observed.
“I know where we can find one,” Jessie said. No sooner had she pulled a flashlight from a big drawer, than they heard someone rattling the back door.
“Someone’s trying to get in!” Benny whispered loudly.
“Quick!” Henry said. “Into the storage closet.” The Aldens hurried inside amongst the mops and brooms as the rattling grew louder and louder. Benny’s heart was pounding so loudly he was sure everyone could hear it. But he kept still. Finally, when he thought he couldn’t stand the suspense any longer, the back door creaked open.
Someone turned on the kitchen light and a muffled voice said, “Okay, come in.”
CHAPTER 10
Confession
B enny gulped. Henry peered through the keyhole. What he saw made him shake his head sadly.
Brian was leading four skinny boys into the parlor’s kitchen. The boys wore T-shirts that looked much too big for them, and worn-out shoes.
As Henry watched, Brian seated the boys at the big kitchen table. “Can we have chocolate sundaes tonight?” one of the boys asked.
“Sure,” Brian said. “You know this is the last night we can do this,” he added as he went to the counter to bring back the container of vanilla ice cream.
“But Brian, you promised,” the tallest boy protested.
“I know, Eric,” Brian said as he scooped out four generous portions of vanilla ice cream and put them in special sundae dishes. “But the owner knows something is up.”
“Was he mad about those glasses we broke?” one of the boys asked.
“No,” Brian said as he poured chocolate sauce on the ice cream.
“We didn’t do it on purpose,” Eric said. He got up to help Brian finish making the sundaes. “Paul tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and dropped the package.”
“I don’t think Mr. Brown even noticed those glasses,” Brian said as he put cherries on all the sundaes. “But we have to remember to put everything back in the refrigerator. One night we left the cream out and it spoiled.”
“I guess it didn’t help when we broke that big window,” Eric said glumly. “But we were just trying to help you clean up. I was chasing Paul with the broom and the next thing I knew, the handle went through the window.”
“I know you didn’t do it on purpose,” Brian said as he brought the sundaes to the kitchen table with Eric’s help. “But we should have tried to keep Robbie from scribbling on the menus.”
The boy called Robbie shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Brian,” he said softly.
Brian patted the little boy’s shoulder. “I know you were very excited when you saw all those crayons in the kitchen drawer.”
Brian seated himself at the table while the boys ate hungrily. Henry, who was still watching through the crack, noticed that Brian did not eat
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