“And if they don’t, I’ll bet Grandfather will take us to a city where they’re performing!”
“Yes, Grandfather would do that, wouldn’t he,” Benny said, putting on his jacket. He felt better.
When they arrived at the airport, Alex and Carl rushed to meet them. “We were afraid you wouldn’t get here on time,” Carl said. He raised Benny high in the air.
Benny shouted with delight.
Alex turned to Jessie. “Will you write to me? I want to hear how your skating lessons are going.”
“Of course,” Jessie said, trying to swallow away the lump in her throat.
Alex hugged Jessie and Violet. She looked at Henry, reaching for his hands, and hugged him, too.
Henry’s ears reddened, but he smiled with pleasure.
Alex turned to Benny, but before she could hug him, he stuck out his hand. “Good-bye, Alex,” he said. “I don’t like mushy stuff.”
Alex smiled, gravely shaking his hand.
Janet O’Shea motioned to her skaters. “Hurry! They’ve called our flight. Ollie and the others are already on the plane.” With a wave, she hurried away.
Carl’s voice was firm. “We’ll never forget the Aldens!” He spun about, grabbing Alex’s hand. They disappeared down the ramp to the plane.
With sadness, Jessie watched the Starlight Troupe’s plane taxi down the runway, then lift into the air. But as soon as their plane was out of sight, another plane circled the airfield, then landed.
“Joe and Alice are on that plane!” Henry exclaimed.
“And Soo Lee!” Benny shouted.
At the gate, the Aldens watched eagerly as the passengers emerged. All at once, Joe and Alice came down the passageway holding the hands of a small Korean girl.
“Over here!” shouted Henry.
Joe and Alice hurried toward them.
They hugged each of the Aldens, then, smiling, said, “This is our daughter.”
Soo Lee’s big dark eyes were solemn as she gazed at the Aldens.
“Hi, Soo Lee,” Jessie said, bending over. “Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes, thank you,” Soo Lee said. She gave Jessie a shy smile.
“Let’s get your bags,” James Alden said. “I have the station wagon, and we’ll stop at our house for hot chocolate.”
“We’d have been here two days ago,” Alice said, “except for the blizzard.”
“Yes, but the blizzard helped us catch a thief,” Benny piped up.
Joe gave Benny a sharp look. “A thief?”
“We’ll tell you the whole story,” Henry said, “in the car.”
When James Alden pulled into the driveway, everyone piled out.
Joe said, “What an adventure you had, Benny!”
“It was exciting!” Benny exclaimed, “but I’m glad we found out who robbed the Murrays, and I’m really glad you’re home!”
“So are we!” Alice said emphatically. “It was a long trip.”
Over hot chocolate and cookies, Joe told of their wait in Seoul, Korea, for Soo Lee.
“You should have seen the papers we signed,” Alice said, shaking her head. She reached over and put her hand over Soo Lee’s. “But it was worth it.”
Benny, sitting next to Soo Lee, turned to her and said, “Do you play Monopoly?”
“No, but thank you.”
“I don’t think Soo Lee knows what Monopoly is,” Joe said.
“Is it food?” Soo Lee asked.
“Monopoly is a game,” Benny said with an encouraging smile. “I’ll teach you.”
Soo Lee smiled and her dark eyes shone. “Good. I would like that.”
“She learns fast,” Joe warned. “She’ll beat you soon.”
Jessie presented Soo Lee with a package. Opening the box, Soo Lee smiled. She held the teddy bear tightly in her arms.
Henry and Violet gave her their gifts. “For me?” Soo Lee pointed at herself.
“Yes,” Grandfather said. “The children wanted to make your homecoming special.”
Soo Lee admired the doll and the book. When she opened the fire truck Benny had given her, her smile broadened. “I like this,” she said, getting off the chair and rolling the truck back and forth on the carpet.
“I’m glad you like it,” Benny said.
“Yes, Grandfather would do that, wouldn’t he,” Benny said, putting on his jacket. He felt better.
When they arrived at the airport, Alex and Carl rushed to meet them. “We were afraid you wouldn’t get here on time,” Carl said. He raised Benny high in the air.
Benny shouted with delight.
Alex turned to Jessie. “Will you write to me? I want to hear how your skating lessons are going.”
“Of course,” Jessie said, trying to swallow away the lump in her throat.
Alex hugged Jessie and Violet. She looked at Henry, reaching for his hands, and hugged him, too.
Henry’s ears reddened, but he smiled with pleasure.
Alex turned to Benny, but before she could hug him, he stuck out his hand. “Good-bye, Alex,” he said. “I don’t like mushy stuff.”
Alex smiled, gravely shaking his hand.
Janet O’Shea motioned to her skaters. “Hurry! They’ve called our flight. Ollie and the others are already on the plane.” With a wave, she hurried away.
Carl’s voice was firm. “We’ll never forget the Aldens!” He spun about, grabbing Alex’s hand. They disappeared down the ramp to the plane.
With sadness, Jessie watched the Starlight Troupe’s plane taxi down the runway, then lift into the air. But as soon as their plane was out of sight, another plane circled the airfield, then landed.
“Joe and Alice are on that plane!” Henry exclaimed.
“And Soo Lee!” Benny shouted.
At the gate, the Aldens watched eagerly as the passengers emerged. All at once, Joe and Alice came down the passageway holding the hands of a small Korean girl.
“Over here!” shouted Henry.
Joe and Alice hurried toward them.
They hugged each of the Aldens, then, smiling, said, “This is our daughter.”
Soo Lee’s big dark eyes were solemn as she gazed at the Aldens.
“Hi, Soo Lee,” Jessie said, bending over. “Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes, thank you,” Soo Lee said. She gave Jessie a shy smile.
“Let’s get your bags,” James Alden said. “I have the station wagon, and we’ll stop at our house for hot chocolate.”
“We’d have been here two days ago,” Alice said, “except for the blizzard.”
“Yes, but the blizzard helped us catch a thief,” Benny piped up.
Joe gave Benny a sharp look. “A thief?”
“We’ll tell you the whole story,” Henry said, “in the car.”
When James Alden pulled into the driveway, everyone piled out.
Joe said, “What an adventure you had, Benny!”
“It was exciting!” Benny exclaimed, “but I’m glad we found out who robbed the Murrays, and I’m really glad you’re home!”
“So are we!” Alice said emphatically. “It was a long trip.”
Over hot chocolate and cookies, Joe told of their wait in Seoul, Korea, for Soo Lee.
“You should have seen the papers we signed,” Alice said, shaking her head. She reached over and put her hand over Soo Lee’s. “But it was worth it.”
Benny, sitting next to Soo Lee, turned to her and said, “Do you play Monopoly?”
“No, but thank you.”
“I don’t think Soo Lee knows what Monopoly is,” Joe said.
“Is it food?” Soo Lee asked.
“Monopoly is a game,” Benny said with an encouraging smile. “I’ll teach you.”
Soo Lee smiled and her dark eyes shone. “Good. I would like that.”
“She learns fast,” Joe warned. “She’ll beat you soon.”
Jessie presented Soo Lee with a package. Opening the box, Soo Lee smiled. She held the teddy bear tightly in her arms.
Henry and Violet gave her their gifts. “For me?” Soo Lee pointed at herself.
“Yes,” Grandfather said. “The children wanted to make your homecoming special.”
Soo Lee admired the doll and the book. When she opened the fire truck Benny had given her, her smile broadened. “I like this,” she said, getting off the chair and rolling the truck back and forth on the carpet.
“I’m glad you like it,” Benny said.
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