Mystery in the Old Attic by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page B

handed the book to the professor.
    The professor looked at the drawing carefully. Then he flipped the pages of Emily’s diary and read the passages the Aldens pointed out. “This is fascinating,” he said. “You’ve found a wonderful piece of local history here.”
    Grandfather gazed fondly at his four grandchildren. “They always manage to find important things, wherever they go,” he said.
    â€œYou know, if I had known what this ring meant to your family and you, I never would have pawned it. In fact, let me go buy it back right away.” The professor suddenly seemed in a great hurry. He grabbed his coat off the couch and rushed to the door.
    â€œWhy the rush?” asked Benny.
    â€œHe wants to get to the store before anyone buys the ring,” Jessie explained.
    â€œOh, right,” said Benny. “But we didn’t get to ask him where he found the ring. It didn’t sound like he was in the secret room.”
    â€œDon’t worry, Benny. He’ll be back,” Grandfather assured him.
    â€œGood. I want to tell him how we solved the riddle,” said Benny.
    Sure enough, the professor was back in twenty minutes, with Adam. He carried a blue velvet box in his hands.
    â€œAdam Tormala, I’d like you to meet James Alden,” said the professor. “Adam is one of my students. I hear he’s met your grandchildren already.” The professor’s eyes twinkled.
    Adam shook Grandfather’s hand, but he barely glanced at Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny.
    â€œI am very sorry about the misunderstanding with the ring,” said Jessie.
    â€œWe all are,” said Henry.
    Adam looked solemn. “I accept your apology,” he said. “Sam told me all about the mix-up when I talked to him this morning. I have no hard feelings, but I still think you children should check your facts more carefully before you go around accusing people.”
    â€œWe will from now on,” said Jessie.
    â€œYes,” agreed the others, and they meant it.
    â€œAdam is very interested in local history,” the professor informed them. “I told him all about the discovery you children made. He’d like to see the diary and anything else you found.”
    â€œSure,” said Henry. “We didn’t even get a chance to tell you about the secret room in the attic.”
    â€œAnd how we solved the riddle,” added Benny.
    â€œI want to hear all about it,” said Adam eagerly.
    â€œI do, too,” said the professor. “But first let me give you the ring.” The professor handed the little box to Grandfather.
    Grandfather opened the box with trembling hands. “My, it’s beautiful,” he said as he held the ring up for everyone to see.
    The professor fished in his deep pockets. “These are the lace handkerchiefs that were in the ring box. They belong to you, too.”
    â€œNo one sews like that anymore,” said Violet, admiring the fine lace. Although the handkerchiefs were yellow with age, they still looked good to the Aldens.
    â€œAnd now let’s go up to the attic,” said Benny. On the way up the stairs, the Aldens told the professor and Adam all about finding the dumbwaiter, the doll’s tea party, and the riddle.
    â€œWe knew the ring had to be in this little room,” said Henry as he swung open the door.
    â€œGoodness,” exclaimed the professor as he looked at the dolls seated around the table.
    â€œAfter we searched the room, we tried to put everything back just the way it was,” said Jessie.
    â€œJust the way Emily would have wanted it,” added Violet. Her mind was faraway, in another era.
    â€œAnd here is the dumbwaiter.” Benny opened the little door.
    â€œI see,” said the professor, looking inside. “And you see, here, where the plaster is crumbling.” The professor pointed to a small hole in the wall near the dumbwaiter’s shaft.
    â€œYes,