Surprises
T he following morning, the Aldens woke and dressed quietly. They were all wondering what had happened to Ginger and feeling very sorry for Anna.
“I have an idea,” said Violet. “Let’s get some flowers for Anna. They won’t take Ginger’s place, but they might make her feel a little better.”
“The flower shop downtown is open early,” said Jessie. “We could go right now.”
In no time the Aldens were walking down Main Street toward the flower shop. Suddenly, up ahead, they saw a tall person walking a golden retriever!
It was Mr. Dominick!
“Hey, you!” Benny cried out, breaking into a run. “Stop!”
The others chased after Benny, expecting Mr. Dominick to run away. But surprisingly, he came toward them.
“Well, hello,” he called out, a broad grin on his face.
“You kidnapped Ginger!” Benny shouted angrily.
But as he got closer, Benny stopped in his tracks. The others stopped right behind him. The dog wasn’t Ginger! It was a different golden retriever!
“Meet Lola,” Mr. Dominick said. “When I realized I couldn’t get Ginger, I searched all over and found a breeder who sold me this beautiful dog. I told you I wouldn’t give up.”
“But we thought you meant —” Jessie began.
“You thought I meant what?” asked Mr. Dominick.
“Oh, nothing,” Jessie said, patting Lola on the head. “She is a beautiful dog.”
“Her first show is in two months. Come see her win,” Mr. Dominick said. “Bye-bye!”
The Aldens watched as Mr. Dominick and Lola walked off down the street. “Well, I guess Mr. Dominick wasn’t the one trying to take Ginger,” said Violet.
“Who could it be?” wondered Jessie.
Then they turned slowly and went into the flower shop. There they selected a pretty bunch of nice-smelling flowers that they thought Anna would like, and headed back to the school.
As the Aldens were walking up the school’s driveway, they saw Jason walking just ahead of them. “Hey, wait for us!” Henry called out.
When Jason turned, the children noticed he had a strange look on his face. He was carrying something in a bag, which he quickly tucked behind his back.
“So you had some things to do this morning, too,” said Jessie.
“Uh, yes,” Jason said. He sounded uncomfortable.
“What’s in the bag?” asked Benny.
“Nothing. . . .” Jason said. He seemed relieved when a car pulled into the driveway, interrupting their conversation. It was Charlotte Davis.
A few moments later they were all gathered in Mrs. Carter’s office, along with Anna and Mrs. Carter. Jason showed the diamond bracelet to Mrs. Davis. “This was tucked inside Ginger’s collar. Do you recognize it?”
“I think so,” she said, taking the delicate piece of jewelry from him. “It looks like the heirloom bracelet that I haven’t been able to find for a few months. I’ll put on my glasses and then I’ll know for sure.” Mrs. Davis began patting her pockets, feeling for her glasses. “Now where did I put them?” she mumbled to herself. “Oh, I must have left them in the car.”
“Can I run down and get them?” Henry offered.
“Thanks, but I’ll just call down to my driver to bring them up.” Mrs. Davis went to the window and called down to her car, which was parked just below. “Glen! Would you please bring my glasses? I think they’re in the backseat.”
A few minutes later, a tall man entered the room carrying an eyeglass case. As he crossed the floor to where Mrs. Davis was sitting, Benny gasped.
“What is it, Benny?” Jessie asked.
“It’s him!” Benny said. “He’s the one who was following us! I can tell by the way he walks.”
Glen was walking with a limp. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked at Benny.
“Are you sure?” Jason asked.
“ I’m sure,” said Anna. Everyone turned to look at Anna, who’d been sitting quietly in the corner. “I recognize the sound of his walk from the grocery store yesterday. And I can smell his
T he following morning, the Aldens woke and dressed quietly. They were all wondering what had happened to Ginger and feeling very sorry for Anna.
“I have an idea,” said Violet. “Let’s get some flowers for Anna. They won’t take Ginger’s place, but they might make her feel a little better.”
“The flower shop downtown is open early,” said Jessie. “We could go right now.”
In no time the Aldens were walking down Main Street toward the flower shop. Suddenly, up ahead, they saw a tall person walking a golden retriever!
It was Mr. Dominick!
“Hey, you!” Benny cried out, breaking into a run. “Stop!”
The others chased after Benny, expecting Mr. Dominick to run away. But surprisingly, he came toward them.
“Well, hello,” he called out, a broad grin on his face.
“You kidnapped Ginger!” Benny shouted angrily.
But as he got closer, Benny stopped in his tracks. The others stopped right behind him. The dog wasn’t Ginger! It was a different golden retriever!
“Meet Lola,” Mr. Dominick said. “When I realized I couldn’t get Ginger, I searched all over and found a breeder who sold me this beautiful dog. I told you I wouldn’t give up.”
“But we thought you meant —” Jessie began.
“You thought I meant what?” asked Mr. Dominick.
“Oh, nothing,” Jessie said, patting Lola on the head. “She is a beautiful dog.”
“Her first show is in two months. Come see her win,” Mr. Dominick said. “Bye-bye!”
The Aldens watched as Mr. Dominick and Lola walked off down the street. “Well, I guess Mr. Dominick wasn’t the one trying to take Ginger,” said Violet.
“Who could it be?” wondered Jessie.
Then they turned slowly and went into the flower shop. There they selected a pretty bunch of nice-smelling flowers that they thought Anna would like, and headed back to the school.
As the Aldens were walking up the school’s driveway, they saw Jason walking just ahead of them. “Hey, wait for us!” Henry called out.
When Jason turned, the children noticed he had a strange look on his face. He was carrying something in a bag, which he quickly tucked behind his back.
“So you had some things to do this morning, too,” said Jessie.
“Uh, yes,” Jason said. He sounded uncomfortable.
“What’s in the bag?” asked Benny.
“Nothing. . . .” Jason said. He seemed relieved when a car pulled into the driveway, interrupting their conversation. It was Charlotte Davis.
A few moments later they were all gathered in Mrs. Carter’s office, along with Anna and Mrs. Carter. Jason showed the diamond bracelet to Mrs. Davis. “This was tucked inside Ginger’s collar. Do you recognize it?”
“I think so,” she said, taking the delicate piece of jewelry from him. “It looks like the heirloom bracelet that I haven’t been able to find for a few months. I’ll put on my glasses and then I’ll know for sure.” Mrs. Davis began patting her pockets, feeling for her glasses. “Now where did I put them?” she mumbled to herself. “Oh, I must have left them in the car.”
“Can I run down and get them?” Henry offered.
“Thanks, but I’ll just call down to my driver to bring them up.” Mrs. Davis went to the window and called down to her car, which was parked just below. “Glen! Would you please bring my glasses? I think they’re in the backseat.”
A few minutes later, a tall man entered the room carrying an eyeglass case. As he crossed the floor to where Mrs. Davis was sitting, Benny gasped.
“What is it, Benny?” Jessie asked.
“It’s him!” Benny said. “He’s the one who was following us! I can tell by the way he walks.”
Glen was walking with a limp. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked at Benny.
“Are you sure?” Jason asked.
“ I’m sure,” said Anna. Everyone turned to look at Anna, who’d been sitting quietly in the corner. “I recognize the sound of his walk from the grocery store yesterday. And I can smell his
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