儿童英语读物 The Deserted Library Mystery CHAPTER 4 The Missing Food

“It’s almost time for lunch, Benny,” Henry announced. He wanted to take Benny’s mind off the strange noise. Food usually did the trick.



“Is it time to eat?” Benny looked at Henry. “I forgot.”



“You forgot lunch?” Jessie teased. “That’s hard to believe.”



Benny was wiping one last shelf. But all at once his rag snagged on a dark object in back. “What’s this?” he said, holding up a strange piece of metal. “Look, everybody!”



They gathered around Benny, and Henry carefully examined what he had found.



“This is the hilt of a sword,” Jessie said. “Whew! It must be covered with six coats of grime! But where’s the rest of it?” she wondered.



Violet reached for a crumpled 1 piece of yellow paper that dangled 2 from the hilt by a worn ribbon. Carefully she unfolded the square sheet and began to read:



This sword is presented to Captain Charles Howard for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg. Your strength and courage in leading the Union soldiers against General Robert E. Lee’s forces was a major factor in winning this vital battle.



Signed,



General G.G. Meade



Union Commander



July 5, 1863



The children gasped 3.



Henry sat down in a chair and turned the hilt every which way.



“What’s Gettysburg?” Benny asked.



Henry leaned back. “Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was where one of the most important battles of the Civil War was fought.”



“Wasn’t General Lee the Confederate leader who led his army on an attack against the North?” Violet asked.



“That’s right,” Jessie said. “If he had won, the whole outcome of the war might have been different. Our country would have been split in two. Today the North would have their own flag, and the South would have theirs.”



“Wow,” Benny whispered. “Then this is valuable, isn’t it?”



“Yes, it is,” Henry said. “It would be even more valuable if we could find the blade.”



Jessie took the sword hilt and wrapped it in a towel. “We’ll keep the hilt under the desk. I’m certain we’ll find the rest of the sword.” She smiled. “In the meantime, we’ll have lunch. We’ll fix our own sandwiches. I brought a jar of strawberry jam and a jar of peanut butter.”



“And I brought the bread,” Violet said.



“And I brought the milk,” Henry added.



“And I brought the appetite!” Benny yelled. He glanced around. “Good-bye, squirrel, and don’t come back!”



After they had eaten, Jessie looked into her backpack. “You know what? We still each have an apple to eat.”



Benny said, “Not for me. I ate two sandwiches.”



“Then I’ll leave them here for our snack tomorrow.” Jessie put the sack on top of the circulation desk.



They continued to work until late afternoon. Then Henry said, “Enough. We’ll finish tomorrow.”



They were all tired and dirty and glad to return to their cozy 4 house. The bunk 5 beds were made, the stove shone, and the old pump in the back gave them fresh water to wash in.



After dinner and a good night’s sleep, the children awoke refreshed and hurried back to the library. Jessie put their lunch basket on the desk next to the apples. She checked the sack and was astonished to see only three apples. “That’s funny!” she said. “I know there were four apples here yesterday.”



Benny laughed. “Jessie made a mistake,” he sang out.



Jessie laughed, too. But she was uneasy. She knew she had left four apples. One was missing, and she didn’t think a squirrel had carried away a big apple!



Jessie, however, began to work just as if nothing was wrong, She put an old copy of Alice in Wonderland in a box of what she thought might be more valuable books. The box was getting full.



“I’m tired!” Benny said after a while, sitting down on the floor and folding his arms. “I’m taking a rest!”



Violet sat in a chair. “That’s a good idea.” She took a deep breath. “I’m tired of books!”



“I think we all need a break,” Henry said. “Let’s bike down to the seashore.



“Perfect!” Jessie said. “First, though, let’s set out our lunch. When we return we’ll be starving.”



Violet set one wrapped sandwich at each place, and Henry put three glasses and Benny’s pink cup around the thermos 6 in the middle of the big desk. Jessie put out napkins and the three apples. She didn’t leave an apple at her place.



Happily they biked down to the coast. It was a two-mile ride, but they enjoyed it. The day was crisp, and the air salty.



Once at the shore, they all took off their shoes and ran along the sand. Then they waded 7 in the cold water, laughing and splashing each other. White sea gulls 8 dipped and soared above them. Benny found a crab 9, and Violet picked up three lovely shells. Two, of course, had a lavender tint 10. Henry and Jessie searched for interesting pieces of driftwood.



Everyone soaked up the sunshine for over an hour. Then, feeling refreshed, they headed back to the library.



Once inside, they eagerly sat down to eat.



Violet stared at her plate. It was empty. Finally she said in a low voice, “Someone has stolen my sandwich.”



Benny, Jessie, and Henry looked at Violet’s plate. Sure enough, the sandwich had disappeared.



Henry said nothing, but he glanced around him. Benny was right, he thought. There was a mysterious stranger in this library!



Violet moved closer to Jessie. “I don’t like this one bit,” she whispered, a worried frown on her face.



Jessie nodded her head. “Neither do I,” she said. “The door was locked, yet someone was in here.”



“Well,” Henry said, breaking the silence. “There’s only one thing to do. We’ll need to search the upstairs.”



Benny hung back. “Not me! I’m not going up there again!”



“Henry’s right,” Jessie said. “We have to find out who’s up there.”



Violet said weakly, “Yes, I guess you’re right.” But clearly she didn’t want to.