儿童英语读物 Benny Uncovers a Mystery CHAPTER 2 Wanted: A Summer Job

As they rode along, Benny said, “The girls are lucky. They already have jobs. They each have their own, but so far we just know of one job and there are two of us.”



Henry asked, “What would you really like to do if you could do anything you wanted?”



“I like the idea of working in a store,” Benny said. “I’d like to wait on customers. Maybe a hardware store would be the best place to work. Lots of people come in for tools and garden hoses 1 and rakes. I could sell eggbeaters and cupcake tins and hammers and saws.”



Benny smiled at the thought of all the interesting things there are in a hardware store.



“Well, why not go to the hardware store first, then?” asked Henry. “Maybe this will be your lucky day.”



But Benny saw Tucker’s Grocery Store. It was an old-fashioned store and Benny knew Mr. Tucker and his wife. “I’d like to work here, too,” he told Henry. “I could make those fancy piles of apples and oranges in the window.”



“What ideas you have, Ben,” Henry said. “It’s more likely you’d have to handle cartons of eggs. You would feel terrible if you broke any eggs.”



“Maybe I wouldn’t break any eggs,” said Benny. “Mr. Tucker has known us for a long time. He’d give us jobs if he could.”



So the boys parked their bikes in front of Tucker’s Grocery Store and went inside.



“Well, hello, boys,” said Mr. Tucker. “It’s a hot day to go grocery shopping.”



Henry looked around. “As a matter of fact,” he said, “we aren’t shopping for groceries at all. We’re shopping for jobs.”



Mr. Tucker sat down on a high stool 2. He exclaimed, “You’re just too late! I wish you had come yesterday. I just hired a young man to help me out. I needed a helper who’s strong to put things away. No matter how often I do it, there’s more to be done. So I hired Tad Decker.”



“Well, maybe he needs a job more than we do,” said Henry.



“He does,” said Mr. Tucker. “His father has lost his job, and Tad has to work. I’m sorry about you boys, though. I’d like to have a couple of Aldens work for me if I could. Try the hardware store. Maybe Mr. Green or Mr. Spencer has something.”



“Thanks,” said Henry and Benny together. “We’ll go there next.”



“Good luck,” Mr. Tucker called.



When the boys had locked their bikes in front of the hardware store, they swung open the heavy door. They found the store empty. There was not a single customer in sight. Mr. Spencer and Mr. Green were leaning against a counter, talking in low tones 3 to each other.



The boys knew the answer to their question before they asked it. The men shook their heads.



Mr. Spencer said, “As you can see, boys, our business is slow in the mornings. I’m sorry we have nothing for you.”



“That’s OK,” said Benny. “Of course, we’ve had no experience.”



“That’s not the reason,” replied Mr. Green. “We just don’t need any more help now.”



The boys said goodbye and left the store.



“Let’s stop next door and see Mr. Shaw at the jewelry 4 store,” Henry said.



Shaw’s Jewelry Store was a small shop with only one showroom. Mr. Shaw was in the back of the store, repairing a watch. As the boys opened the door, he pushed back the heavy blue curtain that hid his work table.



Mr. Shaw had a small magnifying 5 glass over one eye. He pushed it up so that he could see the Aldens.



“It isn’t often that you two come in,” he said. “What can I do for you customers?”



“We aren’t customers,” said Benny. “We are looking for work.”



“Sorry,” said Mr. Shaw. “I haven’t room for another person. I lock up the store when I go to lunch or do errands 7. Your best bet is Furman’s.”



When they were outside, Benny looked unhappy. “I didn’t think it would be this hard to find a job. We should have gone to Furman’s first. Someone else probably has that job by now.”



“I don’t think so,” Henry said. “The paper just had the ad today. Let’s try.”



So the boys were off to Furman’s, the biggest store in town. It was not like a city department store, but it had most of the things people in Greenfield wanted to buy.



Furman’s Department Store filled nearly a block in the business part of Greenfield. It had been a much smaller store when Mr. Furman’s father had first begun it. Now it had new sections and two floors with many different departments.



Benny and Henry headed for the office as soon as they walked into the store. They knew where the office was, on a landing halfway 8 up the stairs between the first and second floor.



Mr. Furman was in the office. It was a square room, something like a cage because the sides were built of open metal work. Mr. Furman could see almost all of the first floor counters when he looked out. Some people said he should make the store modern and put in glass walls. But Mr. Furman liked his office the way it was. It suited him.



He had seen Henry and Benny enter the store. He thought how big the boys were. He could remember when Benny had been so small that he came to the store with a note saying what he was to buy. The store people would make sure Benny had his purchases and the right change to take home.



Mr. Furman was surprised to see the Aldens pass the downstairs counters and come up the stairs to his private office. The worried look on his face changed to a smile.



Henry rapped 9 on the door and Mr. Furman called out, “Come right in.”



Henry was just going to explain the boys’ errand 6 when Benny said in a rush, “We boys want to work until school starts. We saw the ad in the paper. Is the job still open?”



“Yes, it is,” said Mr. Furman. “I’ve had trouble filling the job because it will only last from four to six weeks at the most. I need someone who can take the place of a salesperson 10 when the regular worker goes on vacation.”



Benny looked at Henry and smiled. The job sounded just right for Henry.



Mr. Furman went on. “There will be a lot of variety, but it can be hard to change from one department to another. I think it just might be right for Henry, though.” He stopped and seemed to be thinking. “Yes, maybe you can do it, Henry. There will be some problems, I’m sure, but ...”



When Mr. Furman did not say anything more, Henry said, “Well, Mr. Furman, I’d like to take the job. I only need to work until I go back to school. But it was really Benny’s idea to go job hunting. He’s the one who wants to be busy.”



Benny and Henry looked at Mr. Furman and waited.



There was a long pause. Mr. Furman said thoughtfully, “Benny is a little young to work here full time. I’m afraid I have no work you would take, Benny.”



“What do you mean?” asked Benny. “I’d take anything.”



Mr. Furman laughed and asked, “You wouldn’t want to be assistant delivery boy, would you?”



“Oh, yes, I would,” said Benny.



Benny and Henry both smiled at Mr. Furman.



“Then it’s settled,” said Mr. Furman. “Come back after lunch and we’ll handle the paperwork to get you hired. I’ll introduce you to some of the department managers and salespeople 11. You’ll be all set to start to work tomorrow morning.”



The Aldens, still smiling, left Mr. Furman’s office. Some of the people behind the counters called out hello to them. But one man carrying an electric fan scowled 12 at the boys.



“Can’t you see you’re in the way?” he asked. “If you aren’t buying something stand over there by the door, out of my path. This fan is heavy and my back hurts.”



Benny started to say something, then changed his mind. If he was going to work at Furman’s, he couldn’t talk back to the other workers. He’d have to learn how to get along with them. And Benny felt sure he could do that.



But Henry remembered Grandfather’s words about trouble at Furman’s and wondered.