long,” Mrs. Page said.
“Mr. Marshall is pretty popular,” Henry said when the Aldens had left the lawyer’s office. “What do you suppose Brad’s special entry is?”
“The crate!” Benny said before the other children could gather their thoughts. “I bet he’s keeping his invention in there. That’s what he was nailing shut in the kitchen. He sure didn’t want us to see what was sticking out of the crate, either.”
“I wonder if his invention is the surprise we heard him mention on the phone,” Jessie said.
“Maybe,” Henry said. “Brad wouldn’t let me get near that crate. It could have been anything.”
Violet stopped in front of a barbershop to put up a flier. “Mr. Percy and Brad both tried to hide things from us that were in boxes. What I can’t figure out is if it has anything to do with the missing plan book.”
Henry frowned. “Martha’s the one I wonder about — more than the other two. She gave Mr. Marshall the riddle book. She clearly doesn’t trust Ms. Putter. Plus, we’ve seen her wandering near the grandfather clock a couple times now at noon and at midnight. The question is, why?”
CHAPTER 8
Henry’s New Invention
When the Aldens returned to the Putter house, they saw three parked cars in the driveway. They checked the garage, but no one was there. From a porch window, they saw Martha in the library room pulling books from the bottom shelves.
“Hi, Martha,” Jessie called through the open window. “Need some help in there?”
Martha quickly stood up. “Wait, I’ll be out in a second.”
“Guess what.” Benny said when Martha came out to the porch. “Your friend dropped his card at the Red Rooster. The waitress asked us to give it to you.”
Martha looked down at Benny, then at the other children. “The Red Rooster?” She looked a bit alarmed. “Were you there?”
Jessie stepped forward and handed Martha the business card. “We were sitting behind you. You left before we could say hello.”
Martha quickly snatched the card but said nothing about it. “Brad, Mr. Percy and I are working indoors this afternoon. I have some outdoor work for all of you.” She pointed out some large cartons and folded tables stacked on the lawn. “The rental company dropped off the tent canopies and display tables. That’s where we’ll put the inventions we don’t have room for in the house. I need you to set up the canopies and tables.”
“See what I mean?” Jessie said after Martha went back inside. “Why is she poking around in the house? There’s so much paperwork to do with the inventions in the garage.”
The children unpacked the display tents. They had done a lot of camping, so they knew how to put the poles together.
As the Aldens put together the tents, Henry thought of something. “These poles just gave me a fan idea! Remember that periscope I made in science class a couple years ago? I could make a few more out of these cardboard tubes that the tent poles came in. We can use them to see around corners.”
Right away, Benny wanted one. “How about a periscope to go on my hat?”
Henry laughed. “You won’t even be able to lift your head if you put anything else on your hat. I’m going to get our toolbox from the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”
“Go in the side way,” Jessie advised, “Martha told us to stay out here. I don’t want her to get upset with us.”
Martha didn’t concern Henry much. “I’ll just tell her I had to run inside to get something I needed.”
As he ran up the side steps, Henry heard tapping and banging sounds coming from the house. “Hey, Brad/’ he said when he stepped inside.
Brad looked up. “I thought you kids would be outside all day,” he said. “Don’t expect to work in here. I’ve got nails and my electric equipment going. No place for kids.”
Henry grabbed Grandfather’s toolbox from the counter. “We just needed some tools and materials. We’re still working on our inventions.”
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“Mr. Marshall is pretty popular,” Henry said when the Aldens had left the lawyer’s office. “What do you suppose Brad’s special entry is?”
“The crate!” Benny said before the other children could gather their thoughts. “I bet he’s keeping his invention in there. That’s what he was nailing shut in the kitchen. He sure didn’t want us to see what was sticking out of the crate, either.”
“I wonder if his invention is the surprise we heard him mention on the phone,” Jessie said.
“Maybe,” Henry said. “Brad wouldn’t let me get near that crate. It could have been anything.”
Violet stopped in front of a barbershop to put up a flier. “Mr. Percy and Brad both tried to hide things from us that were in boxes. What I can’t figure out is if it has anything to do with the missing plan book.”
Henry frowned. “Martha’s the one I wonder about — more than the other two. She gave Mr. Marshall the riddle book. She clearly doesn’t trust Ms. Putter. Plus, we’ve seen her wandering near the grandfather clock a couple times now at noon and at midnight. The question is, why?”
CHAPTER 8
Henry’s New Invention
When the Aldens returned to the Putter house, they saw three parked cars in the driveway. They checked the garage, but no one was there. From a porch window, they saw Martha in the library room pulling books from the bottom shelves.
“Hi, Martha,” Jessie called through the open window. “Need some help in there?”
Martha quickly stood up. “Wait, I’ll be out in a second.”
“Guess what.” Benny said when Martha came out to the porch. “Your friend dropped his card at the Red Rooster. The waitress asked us to give it to you.”
Martha looked down at Benny, then at the other children. “The Red Rooster?” She looked a bit alarmed. “Were you there?”
Jessie stepped forward and handed Martha the business card. “We were sitting behind you. You left before we could say hello.”
Martha quickly snatched the card but said nothing about it. “Brad, Mr. Percy and I are working indoors this afternoon. I have some outdoor work for all of you.” She pointed out some large cartons and folded tables stacked on the lawn. “The rental company dropped off the tent canopies and display tables. That’s where we’ll put the inventions we don’t have room for in the house. I need you to set up the canopies and tables.”
“See what I mean?” Jessie said after Martha went back inside. “Why is she poking around in the house? There’s so much paperwork to do with the inventions in the garage.”
The children unpacked the display tents. They had done a lot of camping, so they knew how to put the poles together.
As the Aldens put together the tents, Henry thought of something. “These poles just gave me a fan idea! Remember that periscope I made in science class a couple years ago? I could make a few more out of these cardboard tubes that the tent poles came in. We can use them to see around corners.”
Right away, Benny wanted one. “How about a periscope to go on my hat?”
Henry laughed. “You won’t even be able to lift your head if you put anything else on your hat. I’m going to get our toolbox from the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”
“Go in the side way,” Jessie advised, “Martha told us to stay out here. I don’t want her to get upset with us.”
Martha didn’t concern Henry much. “I’ll just tell her I had to run inside to get something I needed.”
As he ran up the side steps, Henry heard tapping and banging sounds coming from the house. “Hey, Brad/’ he said when he stepped inside.
Brad looked up. “I thought you kids would be outside all day,” he said. “Don’t expect to work in here. I’ve got nails and my electric equipment going. No place for kids.”
Henry grabbed Grandfather’s toolbox from the counter. “We just needed some tools and materials. We’re still working on our inventions.”
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