so,” answered Benny. “They are all stuck on blue cloth.”
“Bright blue,” added Violet. “Like the cases.”
Grandfather sat down again. Violet laid the coins on the desk in front of him.
“I can’t believe it!” said Grandfather. “I just can’t believe that these are the coins from little Stephanie Shaw.”
Grandfather looked sharply at the coins. He tried to lift one to see the back. “Stuck with glue,” he said. “Now where did you children find this?”
“Turn it over, Granda, and you’ll see,” said Rory. He was having the time of his life.
Mr. Alden turned the whole cardboard over and saw the photograph.
Henry exclaimed, “Right on the back of the very picture of our house. Stephanie told the truth. It is on the back of the house.”
“And her father never found it,” Violet said, a little sadly.
“I guess Stephanie thought the Shaws were coming back. Or perhaps something kept her father from following the clues,” Jessie said. “So the coins have been safely hidden all this time.”
Violet said suddenly, “We promised to tell Mrs. Wren if we found the coins. I’ll telephone the shop.”
She went at once to the telephone. Soon the family heard her say, “Yes, Mrs. Wren. We’ll come over soon to tell you the whole story. You’ll hardly believe it.”
Then she came back and sat down with the others.
“What are we going to do with the coins?” Benny asked his grandfather.
“Well, I think the time has come to call my friend, Professor Nichols,” he said.
“Will he come?” asked Benny.
“Oh, he’ll come all right if he hears the word ‘coin,’” said Mr. Alden. “You children will have to get another room ready for a guest.”
“That’s nothing,” said Benny. “Getting a room ready is the best thing we do.”
“When will you call him, Granda?” asked Rory. He wanted to see this professor who knew so much.
“This very minute,” said Mr. Alden with a smile. “When he comes, you must all be ready for his strange looks. He is a rather odd person. His hair is snow white, although he is not any older than I am. He never wears a hat, not even in winter. He is a wonderful person. You will be lucky to meet him.”
Mr. Alden found the telephone number and in a moment he was saying, “Hello, Andrew. This is James Alden.”
“You don’t say so!” answered a booming voice. The children could hear every word. “What’s the trouble?”
“No trouble,” replied Grandfather. “Just a few old coins turned up. My—”
“Say no more,” interrupted Professor Nichols. “I’ll come as soon as I can get a plane. You knew I’d say that, didn’t you?”
Grandfather laughed and answered, “We’ll meet your plane. You’ll know me because I will have five young people with me.”
“I’d know you anyway, anywhere,” said the professor’s voice. “Without any children at all.”
As Mr. Alden hung up the telephone he said, “Same old friend! Same old Andrew!”
“It’s lucky that you know Professor Nichols, Grandfather,” Benny said. “I don’t know anyone at all who could help us with the coins. But I guess we could have gone to the library for a book on coin collecting.”
“Yes, I’m sure the library has many books on coins,” said Grandfather with a quick nod. “But Professor Nichols is a real expert. He is just the man to ask about the hidden coins. After all, he knew Stephanie and her father many years ago.”
A day later Henry drove the station wagon to the airport. The Aldens could hardly wait for the plane to come in. When they saw Professor Nichols leaving the plane, they knew that Mr. Alden was right. People stared at the great man. His long white hair blew in the light breeze.
“I came right away, James,” said Professor Nichols. “You know I will go almost anywhere if I can find a new coin.”
Mr. Alden said, “I know that very well, Andrew. I’m glad to get some coins together just to get you to come here to visit me. We
“Bright blue,” added Violet. “Like the cases.”
Grandfather sat down again. Violet laid the coins on the desk in front of him.
“I can’t believe it!” said Grandfather. “I just can’t believe that these are the coins from little Stephanie Shaw.”
Grandfather looked sharply at the coins. He tried to lift one to see the back. “Stuck with glue,” he said. “Now where did you children find this?”
“Turn it over, Granda, and you’ll see,” said Rory. He was having the time of his life.
Mr. Alden turned the whole cardboard over and saw the photograph.
Henry exclaimed, “Right on the back of the very picture of our house. Stephanie told the truth. It is on the back of the house.”
“And her father never found it,” Violet said, a little sadly.
“I guess Stephanie thought the Shaws were coming back. Or perhaps something kept her father from following the clues,” Jessie said. “So the coins have been safely hidden all this time.”
Violet said suddenly, “We promised to tell Mrs. Wren if we found the coins. I’ll telephone the shop.”
She went at once to the telephone. Soon the family heard her say, “Yes, Mrs. Wren. We’ll come over soon to tell you the whole story. You’ll hardly believe it.”
Then she came back and sat down with the others.
“What are we going to do with the coins?” Benny asked his grandfather.
“Well, I think the time has come to call my friend, Professor Nichols,” he said.
“Will he come?” asked Benny.
“Oh, he’ll come all right if he hears the word ‘coin,’” said Mr. Alden. “You children will have to get another room ready for a guest.”
“That’s nothing,” said Benny. “Getting a room ready is the best thing we do.”
“When will you call him, Granda?” asked Rory. He wanted to see this professor who knew so much.
“This very minute,” said Mr. Alden with a smile. “When he comes, you must all be ready for his strange looks. He is a rather odd person. His hair is snow white, although he is not any older than I am. He never wears a hat, not even in winter. He is a wonderful person. You will be lucky to meet him.”
Mr. Alden found the telephone number and in a moment he was saying, “Hello, Andrew. This is James Alden.”
“You don’t say so!” answered a booming voice. The children could hear every word. “What’s the trouble?”
“No trouble,” replied Grandfather. “Just a few old coins turned up. My—”
“Say no more,” interrupted Professor Nichols. “I’ll come as soon as I can get a plane. You knew I’d say that, didn’t you?”
Grandfather laughed and answered, “We’ll meet your plane. You’ll know me because I will have five young people with me.”
“I’d know you anyway, anywhere,” said the professor’s voice. “Without any children at all.”
As Mr. Alden hung up the telephone he said, “Same old friend! Same old Andrew!”
“It’s lucky that you know Professor Nichols, Grandfather,” Benny said. “I don’t know anyone at all who could help us with the coins. But I guess we could have gone to the library for a book on coin collecting.”
“Yes, I’m sure the library has many books on coins,” said Grandfather with a quick nod. “But Professor Nichols is a real expert. He is just the man to ask about the hidden coins. After all, he knew Stephanie and her father many years ago.”
A day later Henry drove the station wagon to the airport. The Aldens could hardly wait for the plane to come in. When they saw Professor Nichols leaving the plane, they knew that Mr. Alden was right. People stared at the great man. His long white hair blew in the light breeze.
“I came right away, James,” said Professor Nichols. “You know I will go almost anywhere if I can find a new coin.”
Mr. Alden said, “I know that very well, Andrew. I’m glad to get some coins together just to get you to come here to visit me. We
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