and stinging insects, the Aldens hurried down the twisting path and into the glen.
The cabin door stood half open. Voices raised in argument filtered into the clearing.
“Stay back,” Henry cautioned the others.
The children hid behind an oak tree and waited. After a few minutes, Eugene Scott appeared, carrying a folder. He stomped out of the cabin, rudely slamming the door behind him.
Muttering to himself, he found the footpath and quickly disappeared into the dense underbrush.
Henry stood up. “The coast is clear. Now let’s see who Eugene was yelling at.”
They ran up to the cabin porch and knocked.
None of the children was surprised when Rachel Cunningham opened the door.
CHAPTER 9
The Old Cabin’s Secret
A t first Rachel looked startled when she saw the children. Then her whole body slumped.
“I knew you’d come sooner or later,” she said quietly. “You’re smart kids. It didn’t take you long to figure out where I was.”
“We stumbled on this cabin a few days ago,” Henry said. “It sure is hard to find.”
“The cabin belongs to my grandparents. It’s been in my family for generations. But when the land was bought by the college, my grandparents moved. They made the trail off-limits because it was too overgrown. They thought people might get lost. Hardly anybody knows it’s here now.” Rachel smiled. “You might as well come on in.”
Jessie glanced around. Rachel’s familiar pink sweater hung from a wooden peg. Paper plates overflowed the trash can. She could smell sausage from the smuggled breakfast Eugene Scott had brought.
On the table in the center of the room stood a typewriter.
“Dr. Porter said you were at your grandparents’ house,” Jessie said to Rachel. “But you’ve been here all along.”
Rachel nodded. “I was there for one night but then I came here. Maybe the search teams covered this area when I was at my grandparents’ house.”
“Why are you hiding?” Henry demanded.
Rachel sank into an old rocker. “Make yourselves comfortable,” she said. “It’s a long story.”
Benny and Violet settled on the hooked rug in front of the fireplace. Jessie and Henry perched on the edge of the quilt-draped bunk.
“I don’t know where to start,” Rachel said, spreading her hands helplessly.
Henry pointed to the project on the table. “Why don’t you tell us what you’re doing. Are you writing a book?”
She shook her head. “That’s Mark Jacob’s science paper. Eugene and I are redoing it so it looks like Eugene wrote it.”
The children were so shocked they could not say anything.
Then Jessie spoke. “There’s a word for what you’re doing.”
“I know. Plagiarism,” Rachel said, looking defeated. “It’s just as bad as cheating.”
“You’re cheating?” Benny asked. He never cheated, not even at checkers. “Why?”
She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I’m not sure how I got in this fix. And I sure don’t know how I’m going to get out of it.”
Violet understood Rachel’s distress. “Why don’t you tell us why you’re copying Mark’s paper?”
“That’s easy. For money,” she replied flatly. Then, haltingly, she began her story.
“I’ve always wanted to go to college, but my parents couldn’t afford to send me,” she said. “So my grandparents scraped together a little money. I also got a job here, cleaning dorms and waiting tables.”
“Are you going to be a scientist?” asked Jessie.
Rachel smiled sadly. “I hope to, someday.” She went on. “Most of the students here have rich parents. I guess I resent them. I really resent the lazy ones, like Eugene Scott.”
“If he’s your friend,” Benny said, “he’s sure a grouch.”
“He’s not my friend,” Rachel stated. “Eugene wants to be a great astronomer. He heard about Mark’s discovery and wanted to discover something, too.”
“So why didn’t he?” asked Jessie.
“He’s too lazy to do the work! Night after night, Mark would be up
The cabin door stood half open. Voices raised in argument filtered into the clearing.
“Stay back,” Henry cautioned the others.
The children hid behind an oak tree and waited. After a few minutes, Eugene Scott appeared, carrying a folder. He stomped out of the cabin, rudely slamming the door behind him.
Muttering to himself, he found the footpath and quickly disappeared into the dense underbrush.
Henry stood up. “The coast is clear. Now let’s see who Eugene was yelling at.”
They ran up to the cabin porch and knocked.
None of the children was surprised when Rachel Cunningham opened the door.
CHAPTER 9
The Old Cabin’s Secret
A t first Rachel looked startled when she saw the children. Then her whole body slumped.
“I knew you’d come sooner or later,” she said quietly. “You’re smart kids. It didn’t take you long to figure out where I was.”
“We stumbled on this cabin a few days ago,” Henry said. “It sure is hard to find.”
“The cabin belongs to my grandparents. It’s been in my family for generations. But when the land was bought by the college, my grandparents moved. They made the trail off-limits because it was too overgrown. They thought people might get lost. Hardly anybody knows it’s here now.” Rachel smiled. “You might as well come on in.”
Jessie glanced around. Rachel’s familiar pink sweater hung from a wooden peg. Paper plates overflowed the trash can. She could smell sausage from the smuggled breakfast Eugene Scott had brought.
On the table in the center of the room stood a typewriter.
“Dr. Porter said you were at your grandparents’ house,” Jessie said to Rachel. “But you’ve been here all along.”
Rachel nodded. “I was there for one night but then I came here. Maybe the search teams covered this area when I was at my grandparents’ house.”
“Why are you hiding?” Henry demanded.
Rachel sank into an old rocker. “Make yourselves comfortable,” she said. “It’s a long story.”
Benny and Violet settled on the hooked rug in front of the fireplace. Jessie and Henry perched on the edge of the quilt-draped bunk.
“I don’t know where to start,” Rachel said, spreading her hands helplessly.
Henry pointed to the project on the table. “Why don’t you tell us what you’re doing. Are you writing a book?”
She shook her head. “That’s Mark Jacob’s science paper. Eugene and I are redoing it so it looks like Eugene wrote it.”
The children were so shocked they could not say anything.
Then Jessie spoke. “There’s a word for what you’re doing.”
“I know. Plagiarism,” Rachel said, looking defeated. “It’s just as bad as cheating.”
“You’re cheating?” Benny asked. He never cheated, not even at checkers. “Why?”
She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I’m not sure how I got in this fix. And I sure don’t know how I’m going to get out of it.”
Violet understood Rachel’s distress. “Why don’t you tell us why you’re copying Mark’s paper?”
“That’s easy. For money,” she replied flatly. Then, haltingly, she began her story.
“I’ve always wanted to go to college, but my parents couldn’t afford to send me,” she said. “So my grandparents scraped together a little money. I also got a job here, cleaning dorms and waiting tables.”
“Are you going to be a scientist?” asked Jessie.
Rachel smiled sadly. “I hope to, someday.” She went on. “Most of the students here have rich parents. I guess I resent them. I really resent the lazy ones, like Eugene Scott.”
“If he’s your friend,” Benny said, “he’s sure a grouch.”
“He’s not my friend,” Rachel stated. “Eugene wants to be a great astronomer. He heard about Mark’s discovery and wanted to discover something, too.”
“So why didn’t he?” asked Jessie.
“He’s too lazy to do the work! Night after night, Mark would be up
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