儿童英语读物 Schoolhouse Mystery CHAPTER 2 Being Watched

The next day the Aldens began in earnest 1 to learn more about Port Elizabeth.



First they walked over to the little store. They found that they could buy almost any kind of food there. The girls bought enough food to last for a few days. Then Benny asked Mr. Fenton, “Who lives in the big mansion 3 on the cliff 4?”



“Well,” said Mr. Fenton, “Miss Gray lives there. Miss Elizabeth Gray. She is the last of her family.”



“She lives alone in that great house?” cried Benny.



“No, not really alone. She has a woman to get her meals and a man to mow 5 the grass and shovel 6 snow in the winter. But she has no family. Her grandfather built that house, and twelve children grew up there. But some of them died and some left. She hasn’t anyone close to her. People say she writes books.”



Jessie said, “I should think she would be very lonesome. Does she ever go out?”



“No,” said Mr. Fenton. He shook his head. “Almost never. Nobody calls there, either. She is shy, and people don’t feel comfortable with her. She has plenty of money, and she has done a lot for the town. Her grandfather built the schoolhouse many years ago. He called it the Elizabeth Gray School for his wife, Miss Gray’s grandmother. Miss Gray is the one who has the schoolhouse cleaned in the fall, and she keeps the keys. But she stays by herself.”



“I’m sorry for anyone like that,” said Benny. “She must miss a lot of fun.”



As the Alden family talked with the storekeeper, a red-haired boy and girl came in together. They looked alike 7 and were certainly twins.



The island children did not look at the Aldens. In fact, they looked the other way. But Benny thought, “They must have looked us over before they came in.”



“We want some flour,” said the boy. “And Ma wants some more tea.” His voice was as rough 8 as his looks. His sister looked rough, too. Her hair hung in wisps around her face.



The girl counted out the money carefully, but she did it slowly. It seemed hard for her, so at last Mr. Fenton helped her. When they had gone, Mr. Fenton said, “To tell you the truth, Mr. Alden, I’m sorry for the children who are brought up here. Living is hard on this island, and the people have no education. The children never have a chance to learn any other way to live. They don’t even have TV. They don’t see magazines, and they never go off this island.”



“Oh, dear,” said Jessie, “I shouldn’t think they would know anything about the world.”



“They don’t,” said Mr. Fenton. “As soon as they’re old enough, they work in the sardine 9 factory. Those two are the Moss 10 twins. They work in the factory whenever it is open.”



“Then they earn some money,” said Benny.



Mr. Fenton smiled. “I can see you don’t know what the island people are like. The children don’t ever see that money. The fathers take it and keep it. They don’t spend much. All these people save all the money they can, but they never put it in the bank. They put it in an old stocking 11.”



“That’s a queer 12 thing to do,” said Benny. “They might lose it that way.”



Mr. Fenton gave a short laugh. “Yes, they certainly might,” he said. “And then again, they might not! Here’s something funny. A strange man came here last summer and he gave Mr. Moss ten dollars for an old quarter. He gave me three dollars for an old penny 13, but I didn’t trust him.”



Suddenly Grandfather was interested. “What was this man’s name?” he asked.



“Mr. Fred Willet,” said Mr. Fenton. “He said he would come back this summer.”



“Well, if he does,” said Mr. Alden, “I hope to see him.”



“You will,” said Mr. Fenton. “Everyone will see Freddy Willet if he’s around. He’s very friendly. I’ll say that much for him.”



Then Jessie paid for the groceries 14 and thanked Mr. Fenton for telling them about the island. Henry and Benny raced home to the hotel to put the food away.



Violet 15 said, “Imagine how it would be to live on this island and not know anything else.”



“I can’t imagine,” said Jessie. “I don’t blame that girl if she can’t count very well.”



When the boys came back, they and the girls went down to the beach. Mr. Alden did not go this time. He had to write some letters.



As the young people walked along, Violet said, “I have a funny feeling that people are staring at us.”



“Me, too,” said Benny. “And how is it we don’t see any men around? I see kids and some women, but not a single man. I thought a lot of fishermen lived here. But where are they?”



Henry looked all around. “You’re right, Ben. I hadn’t really noticed. But I think I know the answer. If the men are fishermen, they must be out in their boats.”



“Let’s go down to the wharf 16 and see what is going on,” said Benny.



There were people on the beach. There were many children of all ages and some mothers. Some of the older girls and boys were sitting on the sand working on nets. They tied knot 17 after knot. They all worked fast. They did not look up when the Aldens went by.



Little children were playing in the water. They all swam like fishes. Some boys dived off the wharf into deep water.



“Aren’t you afraid to be under water?” Benny asked a small boy.



“No, I like it. I can always come up,” the boy said. He seemed surprised that anyone would ask him such a question.



“I can see you are a fine swimmer,” Benny told him. “Probably you’ve been swimming all your life.”



Henry laughed. He said, “Probably all these children can swim as soon as they can walk.”



Jessie smiled and said hello to a woman who was knitting 18. The woman answered gruffly, but she quickly looked the other way.



When the Aldens went home for lunch, Jessie said to her grandfather, “These people aren’t very friendly, are they?”



“No,” said Mr. Alden. “They don’t trust strangers. I’ve seen people like this before.”



Benny frowned 19. “What have we done wrong?” he asked.



“Nothing,” said Mr. Alden. “You’ll just have to get used to the idea that these people have different ways.”



Benny said, “Well, even if they do, I should think they could smile.”



“Do you want to go home?” Grandfather asked.



“Oh, no, not yet!” said all four Aldens together. Then they laughed, for they had all agreed to keep trying.



Grandfather smiled. He liked to see his grandchildren 20 stick to something that was not easy.



It was lucky that the Aldens could not hear what people were saying about them. The people had watched them quietly ever since they had come.



One girl said, “They’re stuck-up rich kids. Look at their clothes! I bet 2 those girls never had to work.”



Some of the older people said, “Summer people! We’ve seen plenty of them. I wish we had half the money they spend.”



“That car is air-conditioned,” said a big boy. “Showing off, they are.”



But his mother spoke 21 up. “I don’t think they’re stuck-up. And I don’t think they’re showing off. They all smile and act friendly. You are just jealous 22.”



It was true. The island children wished they were like the Aldens with nothing to do. They watched them every minute. They could hear the four young people laughing and talking together as they went around the town.



But as time passed, things began to change. People began to like the Aldens. They were such pleasant visitors. The island children really wanted to be friends, but not one of them knew how to say so.