The Camp-out Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page B

other customers. There’s been no sign of her. I’m getting worried.”
    â€œAnd she doesn’t have a phone,” Violet commented.
    â€œNo, and I can’t leave the store—it’s delivery day,” Doris said.
    â€œWe could stop to check on her,” Henry offered.
    â€œOh, would you?” Doris sounded relieved.
    â€œSure,” Violet said. “But she probably won’t want to see us.”
    â€œI wouldn’t ask you to do it,” Doris said, “it’s just that … well, I’m worried.”
    With her help, the children gathered the things on Jessie’s list. Then, promising to be careful, they hurried off.
    Henry and Violet raced into camp.
    Breathing hard, Henry announced, “Something’s happened to Hildy!”
    â€œWhoa! Slow down,” Mr. Alden said to them. “You look as though you’re being chased.”
    Jessie and Benny took the grocery bags from their brother and sister and set them on the table.
    â€œSit down,” Jessie said. “Catch your breath.”
    They sank to the picnic bench. Benny sat between them.
    Grandfather hobbled over and sat down, too. He gave the children time to calm down before saying, “Now, tell us what happened.”
    Violet started at the beginning. “We met the Changs in the parking lot,” she said. “They were leaving because they couldn’t stand the music and the other things that have been happening.”
    Henry picked up the story. “And then we went to the store. Doris was upset because Hildy hadn’t come in for her groceries.”
    â€œMaybe she’ll be in later,” Grandfather said.
    Violet shook her head. “Doris said today is her shopping day, and she always comes in first thing.”
    â€œWe said we’d check her cabin,” Henry told them. “But we wanted to bring the groceries back first.”
    â€œAnd get you two and Watch,” Violet said to Jessie and Benny.
    â€œThat was smart,” Grandfather said. “There’s safety in numbers. I only wish I could go with you.”
    â€œOh, don’t worry, Grandfather,” Henry said. “We’ll be all right.”
    Benny shot to his feet. “Well, what are we waiting for?”
    The four children hurried along the stream path. Watch yapped at their heels.
    Hildy’s cabin looked deserted. The children approached it slowly. At the door, Henry knocked.
    No response.
    He knocked again. “Hildy!” he called. “It’s the Aldens. We have a message from Doris.”
    Still no answer.
    â€œTry the door,” Jessie suggested.
    Henry turned the knob. The door was unlocked.
    Slowly, cautiously, Henry pushed the door. It creaked as it swung open.
    A few bars of light from the window fell across the cabin floor. Otherwise, the cabin was dark.
    â€œHildy?” Henry called softly.
    He stepped inside the cabin. The others followed. Watch ran around sniffing.
    Pointing to a small table under the window, Benny said, “Look! Our missing lantern!”
    A battery-powered lantern stood in the center of the table.
    Henry took a few steps forward. “It looks like our lantern all right,” he said.
    â€œThere are lots of lanterns like that,” Violet said.
    â€œBut Hildy had a kerosene lantern,” Benny reminded them.
    â€œAnd it was broken,” Jessie remembered. She went to the table and picked up the lantern. She turned it over. “It’s our lantern, all right,” she said. She showed the others the name Alden scratched on the bottom.
    â€œHildy took it!” Benny concluded. “She is the one behind everything!”
    Henry wasn’t convinced. “But our lantern was missing before we saw Hildy with her broken one.”
    â€œMaybe she already had our lantern here in her cabin,” Violet suggested.
    â€œBut if she had our lantern, why would she be so upset about hers being broken?” Jessie