“Mr. Chessy’s boxcar is very nice, but it wouldn’t be any fun to have the fanciest boxcar in the world if we didn’t have Watch!”
CHAPTER 9
The Key to the Mystery
A s the Aldens walked through Greenfield, they saw signs everywhere that said: COME TO THE GREENFIELD FOUNDERS’ DAY PARADE! They saw shoppers hurrying about and children playing. Watch wagged his tail at the people passing by. He sniffed noses with a poodle on a leash.
“Everybody likes Watch,” said Benny. “And Watch likes everybody.” He paused and frowned. “Except Mr. Chessy doesn’t like Watch. And Becky doesn’t like Watch and Watch doesn’t like Becky. And Watch doesn’t like whoever took our boxcar. Do you, Watch?”
“Benny!” exclaimed Jessie. ‘That’s it!”
“What?” said Benny.
“That’s the key to the mystery!” said Jessie. She threw out her hands excitedly and almost dropped her bike.
“Whoa,” said Henry, catching Jessie’s bicycle before it fell over.
“Mr. Chessy couldn’t have taken the boxcar because of Watch. He’s too allergic to dogs to even let Watch near him. Remember how he had to jump out of the boxcar the day he visited it, because Watch was inside?’
“And he was sneezing then, too,” Benny said.
“How does that help solve the mystery?” Henry asked.
“Well, when Watch saw Becky, he didn’t like her. And she didn’t like him. Remember what she said. ‘I hate that nasty dog. He’s barking at me again!’ ” Jessie went on. “But how did she know she didn’t like ‘that dog’? And how could Watch be barking at her ‘again’ if Becky and Watch had never met each other? At least, not when we were with Watch.”
Violet said slowly, “But Becky acted as if she knew Watch. And Watch acted as if he knew Becky.”
“And when we saw Becky, she said, ‘I want to go play in my new playhouse.’ Why did she say that about her new playhouse when she saw us?” asked Henry.
Everyone thought a moment. Henry continued, “She wanted our boxcar for her playhouse, remember? That’s why seeing us reminded her of her playhouse . . . because our boxcar is her new playhouse!”
The Aldens all looked at one another. Then Jessie said, “And Watch was inside when she got it. That’s why Watch doesn’t like Becky. And why Becky doesn’t like Watch!”
“But how could a little girl take a boxcar?” wondered Violet.
“I don’t know, Violet. But we’re going to find out where Becky Jennings lives. And I think when we do, we’re going to find our boxcar!”
The Aldens looked up the name “Jennings” in the phone book the moment they got home.
“There,” said Violet, pointing. “Harold Jennings on Mansion Road. That woman who was talking about Becky and her father the first time we met Becky said that’s where the Jennings lived.”
The Aldens left their house quickly. As they did, Jessie stopped to grab the photograph from the newspaper article that was stuck to the refrigerator. Then the Boxcar Children and Watch raced toward Becky Jennings’ house.
When they got near Mansion Road, Watch suddenly barked and pulled ahead. He turned between two huge, open gates set in a high wall, and pulled Jessie with him before she could even see the street number on the wall by the gate.
“I think Watch knows the way,” she called.
“He sure does,” said Henry, following Jessie. The Aldens rode their bicycles down the long, long driveway and stopped.
The house was indeed a mansion. It was three stories tall and seemed even taller. As they stood there, the door opened. A tall man with a round stomach looked down his nose at the children. It was the butler.
Before the butler could say anything, Jessie said, “We’ve come to talk to Becky, please.”
“One moment, please,” said the butler. Soon he returned, looking surprised. “Miss Becky and her father are in the back play area,” he said. “I will arrange for someone to take you to them.” He raised his hand slightly,
CHAPTER 9
The Key to the Mystery
A s the Aldens walked through Greenfield, they saw signs everywhere that said: COME TO THE GREENFIELD FOUNDERS’ DAY PARADE! They saw shoppers hurrying about and children playing. Watch wagged his tail at the people passing by. He sniffed noses with a poodle on a leash.
“Everybody likes Watch,” said Benny. “And Watch likes everybody.” He paused and frowned. “Except Mr. Chessy doesn’t like Watch. And Becky doesn’t like Watch and Watch doesn’t like Becky. And Watch doesn’t like whoever took our boxcar. Do you, Watch?”
“Benny!” exclaimed Jessie. ‘That’s it!”
“What?” said Benny.
“That’s the key to the mystery!” said Jessie. She threw out her hands excitedly and almost dropped her bike.
“Whoa,” said Henry, catching Jessie’s bicycle before it fell over.
“Mr. Chessy couldn’t have taken the boxcar because of Watch. He’s too allergic to dogs to even let Watch near him. Remember how he had to jump out of the boxcar the day he visited it, because Watch was inside?’
“And he was sneezing then, too,” Benny said.
“How does that help solve the mystery?” Henry asked.
“Well, when Watch saw Becky, he didn’t like her. And she didn’t like him. Remember what she said. ‘I hate that nasty dog. He’s barking at me again!’ ” Jessie went on. “But how did she know she didn’t like ‘that dog’? And how could Watch be barking at her ‘again’ if Becky and Watch had never met each other? At least, not when we were with Watch.”
Violet said slowly, “But Becky acted as if she knew Watch. And Watch acted as if he knew Becky.”
“And when we saw Becky, she said, ‘I want to go play in my new playhouse.’ Why did she say that about her new playhouse when she saw us?” asked Henry.
Everyone thought a moment. Henry continued, “She wanted our boxcar for her playhouse, remember? That’s why seeing us reminded her of her playhouse . . . because our boxcar is her new playhouse!”
The Aldens all looked at one another. Then Jessie said, “And Watch was inside when she got it. That’s why Watch doesn’t like Becky. And why Becky doesn’t like Watch!”
“But how could a little girl take a boxcar?” wondered Violet.
“I don’t know, Violet. But we’re going to find out where Becky Jennings lives. And I think when we do, we’re going to find our boxcar!”
The Aldens looked up the name “Jennings” in the phone book the moment they got home.
“There,” said Violet, pointing. “Harold Jennings on Mansion Road. That woman who was talking about Becky and her father the first time we met Becky said that’s where the Jennings lived.”
The Aldens left their house quickly. As they did, Jessie stopped to grab the photograph from the newspaper article that was stuck to the refrigerator. Then the Boxcar Children and Watch raced toward Becky Jennings’ house.
When they got near Mansion Road, Watch suddenly barked and pulled ahead. He turned between two huge, open gates set in a high wall, and pulled Jessie with him before she could even see the street number on the wall by the gate.
“I think Watch knows the way,” she called.
“He sure does,” said Henry, following Jessie. The Aldens rode their bicycles down the long, long driveway and stopped.
The house was indeed a mansion. It was three stories tall and seemed even taller. As they stood there, the door opened. A tall man with a round stomach looked down his nose at the children. It was the butler.
Before the butler could say anything, Jessie said, “We’ve come to talk to Becky, please.”
“One moment, please,” said the butler. Soon he returned, looking surprised. “Miss Becky and her father are in the back play area,” he said. “I will arrange for someone to take you to them.” He raised his hand slightly,
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