儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Secret Message CHAPTER 4 Caught Red-handed!
时间:2018-12-06 作者:英语课 分类:55 The Mystery of the Secret M
- 1 儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Secret Message CHAPTER 4 Caught Red-handed!
Everyone stood still in the dark-room. They stared at the sticklike letters forming before their eyes.
The letters spelled out a single sentence:
MOVE IT THE DAY BEFORE
Benny, who was just learning to read, repeated the strange words in an awed 1 whisper.
“Amazing!” Henry murmured.
“How did you know there was something written there?” Violet asked Dawn.
The photographer turned off the small lamp and flipped 2 a wall switch. The dark-room was suddenly bright.
“The paper tipped me off,” Dawn said, waving the photograph to dry it. “The texture 3 didn’t feel right.”
Jessie touched the photograph. “It feels like ordinary paper to me.”
Dawn smiled. “I learned some tricks in one of my photography classes in college. We would coat a special paper with a chemical solution. With another chemical, we would write or draw on this treated paper. Only you wouldn’t see it.”
“So the space would look blank,” Henry said.
“Exactly,” Dawn said. “To make the words or drawing appear, we simply dipped the paper in water. And then held it over a light.”
“Just like the invisible writing spies use!” Benny exclaimed. “We have a spy in Greenfield!”
Dawn laughed. “I don’t know about a spy, but someone knows a lot about photography. The paper that picture is printed on is unusual. It’s not used for ordinary developing.”
“Where would paper like that come from?” asked Jessie. “I mean, Violet’s pictures were printed on regular paper.”
“You can request it,” Dawn replied. “You can order a certain type of paper when you drop off your roll of film.”
Violet nodded. “On the envelope you check off the size of your prints and how many. I always order four-by-six prints and only one set. Then if one of my pictures turns out really well, I might order another copy.”
“Those are called reprints,” Dawn told her. “The big developing labs do all sorts of special services.”
Jessie stared at the equipment in the dark-room. “I’m confused. How did that strange picture get in Violet’s photographs?”
“Good question.” Dawn tugged 4 her pony-tail over one shoulder. “Basically, a person drops film off at a store. The store sends the roll of film — along with lots of others — away to a laboratory. The lab develops the film, then sends the prints back to the store.”
“So the mix-up could have happened at the lab,” Henry guessed.
“Or at the drugstore,” Dawn added, still holding the photograph. “Would you mind if I kept this, Violet? It’s such a neat example.”
Violet hesitated. She liked Dawn, but she didn’t want to give up the message photograph. Not until they found out more.
“I’m trying to find the person who lost this,” she said finally. “Mr. Kirby said he’d let me know if anyone asks for it.”
Dawn reluctantly handed the photograph to Violet. “If nobody claims the picture, maybe you’d let me have it.”
“Thanks a lot,” Violet said. “You’ve been a big help.”
“Yeah,” said Benny. “We never would have found the message.”
Dawn opened the door to the front room. “I’ll see you kids around. I’m taking pictures for a souvenir booklet about the town square.”
“We’re having a photo booth at the festival,” Violet said.
Jessie nodded. “People are going to pose by Josiah’s statue.”
Dawn smiled. “Good! You can’t have too many photographers at a special event.”
Outside, the Aldens bubbled over with excitement.
“A secret message!” Benny whooped 5.
“But what does it mean?” Henry asked. “Move what? The day before what?”
“Who was supposed to get this message?” Violet put in.
“Who sent it?” Jessie wondered.
“And how,” Benny added, “did the picture get into Violet’s envelope?”
Jessie sighed, adjusting the strap 6 of her tote bag. “Looks like you were right all along, Benny.”
He grinned. “I knew we’d find another mystery!”
The children talked about the new mystery as they finished cleaning the statue. Jessie was buffing the small brass 7 plate when Grandfather came by.
“Old Josiah never looked better,” he praised. He held up two cans of red paint. “I found some leftover 8 paint in the garage. How about repainting the benches?”
“Sure,” Henry said. “We like to paint.”
When Grandfather left, the children painted the benches. They even had enough paint for the trash cans.
As they were cleaning the brushes, Jessie said, “I wish we knew more about that photograph. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“We know the delivery man from the photo lab dropped his bag of envelopes in the drugstore,” said Violet. “The photograph probably fell out of someone’s envelope — ”
“And accidentally got put into your envelope,” Henry finished. “How can we find out who else had pictures in that delivery?”
“Easy.” Benny wiped his hands on a rag. “Why don’t we go in the drugstore and ask Mr. Kirby?”
Cooke’s Drugstore was crowded with mid-afternoon shoppers. Jessie recognized Sylvia Pepper. She also caught a glimpse of Rick Bass 9 spinning a rack of greeting cards.
Henry went up to the pharmacy 10 counter. “Excuse me,” he said politely. “Has anyone asked about the missing picture?”
“What missing picture?” As usual, Mr. Kirby was busy.
“This picture. The one that was in my envelope,” Violet reminded him.
She took the message photograph from her basket. She flashed it briefly 11, with her thumb over the blank space. She didn’t want Mr. Kirby to see the message.
“Oh, that photograph.” The pharmacist drew his bushy brows together in a frown. “I told you kids to forget about it. One dumb photograph isn’t important.”
But Violet knew the photograph was important.
“We’d like to track down the owner,” she said. “Could you tell us who was in the store yesterday morning? When the delivery man dropped the bag of envelopes?”
Mr. Kirby made an impatient noise. “Do you kids really think I can remember everyone who was in the store yesterday morning? I don’t even know the people around here. I’m just the substitute. Now I’m very busy.”
Henry took the hint. Mr. Kirby was always too busy to bother with “kids.”
“One more thing,” he said. “Could we leave our paint supplies with you? We’ll pick them up tomorrow.”
Mr. Kirby flapped his hand. “Yeah, sure. I’ll take care of it. Just leave the stuff outside the store.”
“Maybe Mrs. Turner will help us,” Benny said, leading the way to the counter.
Mrs. Turner laughed when she saw the Aldens. “Look at those red hands!”
“We’ve been painting benches,” Benny said. He looked down at his red-smeared fingers.
Henry spoke 12 up. “Mrs. Turner, could you tell us who was in the store yesterday when the photo delivery man dropped the bag? We asked Mr. Kirby, but he couldn’t help us.”
The waitress shook her head sympathetically. “You have to forgive Mr. Kirby. He was hoping to end his stay in Greenfield, but Mr. Cooke called to say he’d be gone another week.” Mrs. Turner lowered her voice. “I think he’s trying to find a job in another town. He keeps phoning to set up interviews.”
“I don’t know why he doesn’t like it here,” Jessie said. “Greenfield is a friendly town.” Much friendlier than Mr. Kirby, she thought.
Henry got back to the question. “Do you remember who was in here yesterday?”
“Sure do. Two of them are here right now.” Mrs. Turner nodded toward the back of the store. “Sylvia Pepper was one. She made a big fuss because we don’t carry her brand of toothpaste.”
“Who else?” Benny prodded 13.
“The young man who’s running the museum,” the waitress replied. “What’s his name?”
“Rick Bass,” Jessie supplied.
“And that new photographer next door. Dawn Wellington,” added the waitress.
Violet drew in a breath. Dawn had never mentioned being in the drugstore the morning of the photo mix-up.
“The place was a madhouse,” Mrs. Turner went on. “No wonder the man from the lab dropped his delivery sack.”
A line of people waited at the cash register by the door. Sylvia Pepper tapped her foot impatiently. Rick Bass was also in line. Mrs. Turner left to take care of the customers.
“Did you hear that?” Henry said. “Both Sylvia Pepper and Rick Bass were in here yesterday morning.”
“Dawn, too,” said Benny.
“Any one of them could have picked up pictures they had developed,” Jessie stated.
“Not Dawn,” Violet said. “She develops her own film. Why would she send her photos away to a lab?”
“But she really wanted to keep your message photo,” Henry reminded her. “I wonder why she was so interested.”
Violet nodded. Henry was right. Maybe Dawn was the one who sent the message photo. Or was she the one who was supposed to receive it?
Benny was thinking that a hot fudge sundae would hit the spot. “Mysteries sure make me hungry,” he hinted.
Jessie smiled. “Sorry, Benny. Mrs. Turner is busy. And we have to get home.”
The children worked their way through the crowd clustered near the front door.
As Jessie put her hand on the door to push it open, she felt the strap on her tote bag dig sharply into her shoulder. A second, harder jerk nearly knocked her off balance.
She whirled to look back, but there were too many people leaving the store. That yank was deliberate.
Someone had tried to steal her bag!
“Henry! Did you see who tried to grab my bag?” asked Jessie.
“No, I didn’t. Maybe it was just an accident,” said Henry.
“Maybe,” said Jessie. But she doubted it.
- The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声,人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转,撞毁了。
- The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。
- We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
- Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。
- She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
- A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The bill whooped through both houses. 此提案在一片支持的欢呼声中由两院匆匆通过。
- The captive was whooped and jeered. 俘虏被叱责讥笑。
- She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
- The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。
- Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
- Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
- These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
- Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。
- He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
- The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。
- She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
- Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。
- I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
- He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。