street. He had been wearing a brown hat.
“No,” Benny said. “I did not see a hat.”
Jessie pulled out her notebook. She wrote down everything that had happened at the theater. She tapped her pencil on her book. “Who could it have been?” she wondered.
“It could have been Mr. Higgins,” Benny said. “He does not like the food pantry.”
“It could have been Ms. Matthews, too,” Henry said. “She does not even believe that the food pantry will ever open,” Henry said. “She thinks Mr. Grayson is just being sneaky.”
“But why would either Ms. Matthews or Mr. Higgins sneak into the theater during the day?” asked Violet.
“It makes no sense,” Jessie said.
The children sat quietly for a few moments thinking about the mystery.
“There are a lot of seats in this theater,” Violet said. “If every person brings a donation, the food pantry shelves will be filled by tomorrow. We have to make sure there are no problems tonight.”
CHAPTER 8
A Turkey at the Movies?
The line to get into the movie was very long. Violet sat in the booth and sold the tickets as fast as she could. Everyone seemed to have brought bagfuls of donations.
“What a wonderful idea!” one woman said.
“How kind of you to support the food pantry,” a man said to Mr. Tipton. He dropped an armful of cereal boxes into the donation bins.
Henry and Mr. Tipton were very busy watching the bins. They soon became full. Henry had to empty them several times. He put all the items in Mr. Tipton’s office. Then he brought the empty bins back to the front of the theater.
Mr. Grayson came early and helped, as well. He shook Mr. Tipton’s hand. “This is wonderful!” he said. “With all these donations, we will be able to open the food pantry in time for Thanksgiving.”
Jessie and Benny were very busy behind the snack counter. They made a lot of popcorn and sold many candy bars. The line was growing long.
“Hi, kids!” Noreen, the waitress from Green Fields restaurant, stood in front of the counter. “Would you like some help back there?” she asked.
“Yes, please!” Jessie said.
Mr. Tipton stopped by the snack counter. “See anything suspicious?” he whispered to Jessie.
“No,” she said. “But we have been so busy selling snacks. I am afraid we have not been watching as best we can.”
“Keep up the good work,” Mr. Tipton said. “I will donate half of all the money you make here tonight to the food pantry. So, the more you sell, the more I will donate.”
Jessie smiled. “That is very generous,” she said.
There were crowds of people standing in the lobby. They were talking excitedly about the new movie. Jessie started when she saw Ms. Matthews. She was standing in a corner watching all the excitement. Soon, she saw Jessie looking at her. She walked over to the snack counter.
“I see that you children did not take my advice,” Ms. Matthews said. “You are still helping Mr. Grayson with the food pantry.”
“Yes,” Jessie said. “We believe that a food pantry in Greenfield is a very nice idea.”
“You still believe that he is going to open up a food pantry?” Ms. Matthews shook her head. “I do not think so.”
“So many people have come here tonight,” Jessie said. “They all believe in the food pantry.”
Ms. Matthews looked around the lobby. “The people of Greenfield are good and kind people,” she said. “They are also very generous. But they do not know Mr. Grayson like I know him. He is sneaky. He was sneaking around Mr. Higgins’s grocery store the other day. I saw him carrying a very big package out of the back alley. It was covered in plastic. When he saw me watching him, he hurried away. Do you know what he was doing?”
Jessie was surprised. “No. I do not.”
Ms. Matthews started to walk away. She turned back to Jessie. “I do think a food pantry would be a good idea for our town. And I would like to be wrong about Mr. Grayson. But I don’t think that I am.”
Noreen
“No,” Benny said. “I did not see a hat.”
Jessie pulled out her notebook. She wrote down everything that had happened at the theater. She tapped her pencil on her book. “Who could it have been?” she wondered.
“It could have been Mr. Higgins,” Benny said. “He does not like the food pantry.”
“It could have been Ms. Matthews, too,” Henry said. “She does not even believe that the food pantry will ever open,” Henry said. “She thinks Mr. Grayson is just being sneaky.”
“But why would either Ms. Matthews or Mr. Higgins sneak into the theater during the day?” asked Violet.
“It makes no sense,” Jessie said.
The children sat quietly for a few moments thinking about the mystery.
“There are a lot of seats in this theater,” Violet said. “If every person brings a donation, the food pantry shelves will be filled by tomorrow. We have to make sure there are no problems tonight.”
CHAPTER 8
A Turkey at the Movies?
The line to get into the movie was very long. Violet sat in the booth and sold the tickets as fast as she could. Everyone seemed to have brought bagfuls of donations.
“What a wonderful idea!” one woman said.
“How kind of you to support the food pantry,” a man said to Mr. Tipton. He dropped an armful of cereal boxes into the donation bins.
Henry and Mr. Tipton were very busy watching the bins. They soon became full. Henry had to empty them several times. He put all the items in Mr. Tipton’s office. Then he brought the empty bins back to the front of the theater.
Mr. Grayson came early and helped, as well. He shook Mr. Tipton’s hand. “This is wonderful!” he said. “With all these donations, we will be able to open the food pantry in time for Thanksgiving.”
Jessie and Benny were very busy behind the snack counter. They made a lot of popcorn and sold many candy bars. The line was growing long.
“Hi, kids!” Noreen, the waitress from Green Fields restaurant, stood in front of the counter. “Would you like some help back there?” she asked.
“Yes, please!” Jessie said.
Mr. Tipton stopped by the snack counter. “See anything suspicious?” he whispered to Jessie.
“No,” she said. “But we have been so busy selling snacks. I am afraid we have not been watching as best we can.”
“Keep up the good work,” Mr. Tipton said. “I will donate half of all the money you make here tonight to the food pantry. So, the more you sell, the more I will donate.”
Jessie smiled. “That is very generous,” she said.
There were crowds of people standing in the lobby. They were talking excitedly about the new movie. Jessie started when she saw Ms. Matthews. She was standing in a corner watching all the excitement. Soon, she saw Jessie looking at her. She walked over to the snack counter.
“I see that you children did not take my advice,” Ms. Matthews said. “You are still helping Mr. Grayson with the food pantry.”
“Yes,” Jessie said. “We believe that a food pantry in Greenfield is a very nice idea.”
“You still believe that he is going to open up a food pantry?” Ms. Matthews shook her head. “I do not think so.”
“So many people have come here tonight,” Jessie said. “They all believe in the food pantry.”
Ms. Matthews looked around the lobby. “The people of Greenfield are good and kind people,” she said. “They are also very generous. But they do not know Mr. Grayson like I know him. He is sneaky. He was sneaking around Mr. Higgins’s grocery store the other day. I saw him carrying a very big package out of the back alley. It was covered in plastic. When he saw me watching him, he hurried away. Do you know what he was doing?”
Jessie was surprised. “No. I do not.”
Ms. Matthews started to walk away. She turned back to Jessie. “I do think a food pantry would be a good idea for our town. And I would like to be wrong about Mr. Grayson. But I don’t think that I am.”
Noreen
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