儿童英语读物 The Old Motel Mystery CHAPTER 5 Oranges and More Oranges

The next morning the sun shone brightly, but there was a nice breeze. It was a good day to help Kay, Jessie thought. The plumber 1 had brought the missing part the evening before, and now the water was turned on. A painter went by the window. All was going well.



Violet boiled water for poached eggs while Jessie broiled 2 bacon. As Henry slid bread in the toaster and Benny poured the milk, there was a knock on the door.



Benny hopped 3 down from his chair to answer.



Millicent Fair entered, proudly displaying a plate of muffins. She set them on the breakfast table. “Eat these banana-walnut muffins while they’re still warm,” she said with a smile, pulling up a chair before Henry could do it for her. Her sharp eyes darted 4 from one to the other. “Where were you yesterday?” she asked. “I missed you.”



“We went on Rolf’s boat in the Everglades,” Benny said. “And I saw an alligator 5!”



“Oh, my, Benny,” Millicent Fair said, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. “You had a big day. Did Kay stay home?”



“Yes,” Jessie said, setting a glass of orange juice in front of Millicent.



“Did your Aunt Jane go on the tour?” Millicent questioned.



“Yes,” Henry answered.



“Well, I had quite a day, too.” She frowned. “There was not a drop of water,” she said in a disapproving 6 tone. “No water!”



“We know there was no water,” Henry said, wrinkling his forehead. “Someone deliberately 7 shut it off!”



“You don’t mean it,” Millicent said, sinking back in her chair in surprise. After a brief pause, she leaned forward. “There are some queer things going on around here.” With those words she drank her orange juice.



Violet gave Millicent a sharp look. Why had she been so eager to know where they’d been and what they were doing?



“Won’t you have some breakfast?” Jessie asked politely.



Millicent jumped up, shaking her plump cheeks. “No, no, I must run. I have a hair appointment in Lyndale and the taxi will be coming any minute.” She backed out, nodding and smiling.



After Millicent left, Henry said, “Millicent is certainly curious, isn’t she?”



“I thought so, too,” Violet said, eating the last piece of her bacon.



When they had finished eating and the dishes were washed, the Aldens chose four bikes from the bike shed for a ride. Waving to the painters, they pedaled past the swimming pool which Rolf had just filled that morning.



After circling the motel’s grounds they headed out to the open road, riding beyond the store and to the edge of Lyndale.



When they returned, they placed the bikes in the bike shed.



“Let’s go for a swim,” Benny coaxed 8.



“First,” Jessie said, “let’s see if Kay needs our help.”



“That’s a good idea,” Henry said.



The four children ran up the hill, eager to see what Kay needed.



When they arrived, Kay and Aunt Jane were sewing and talking.



“Hi, children,” Kay said. “What are your plans for today?”



“We wanted to see if you needed anything done,” Jessie said.



Kay smiled. “Aren’t you sweet? I did call in the order for the bedspreads and drapes and they should arrive tomorrow,” she said. “Then you could put them in each room, if you wanted to.”



“Oh, yes we can do that,” Violet said. “It will completely change the look of the rooms.”



“Thanks, everyone,” Kay said. “The painters should finish soon. Yesterday I placed an ad about my motel in several northern papers. In a few months it will soon be time for my ‘Snowbirds’ to fly south.”



“Snowbirds?” Violet asked quietly.



Kay smiled. “Yes, that’s what we Floridians call tourists from the north who fly south for the winter. I’m hopeful that I’ll soon be receiving reservations to fill my motel.” Her eyes began to sparkle and once again she seemed full of hope. “In the meantime, how would you like to pick oranges?”



“Yes!” Benny shouted. “That will be fun.”



“Good,” Kay said. “If we’re to serve orange juice every morning to tourists, I’ll have to squeeze the juice and freeze it.” She reached over and touched Benny’s hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re all as sweet and helpful as your Aunt Jane.”



“Aw,” Benny murmured. “It’s nothing.”



Jessie moved to the door. “The oranges are waiting for us.”



They all laughed and followed her out to the backyard. They stood beneath the trees that were drooping 9 with oranges ripe for the picking.



Leaning against the house was a ladder that Henry carried to the first tree. Jessie and Violet brought six bushel baskets from the same spot. They began to pull big oranges off the branches and drop them in the baskets.



The Aldens worked for an hour in the morning and came back in the afternoon. Catherine Wilson climbed the hill.



“Why are you picking all these oranges?” the attractive tall girl asked, glancing at the two full baskets.



“Kay intends to freeze juice for her winter tourists,” Violet said.



“I hope her motel is better occupied than it is now,” Catherine said.



“It will be!” Benny answered positively 10.



“I hope so,” Catherine said, wiping her forehead with a handkerchief. “It’s hot today,” she said. “I just returned from the Seminole camp, and I think I need a swim.



Why don’t you stop picking oranges and join me,” she urged.



“We want to finish filling these baskets,” Jessie said. “We will later.”



“Please come,” Catherine coaxed. “I don’t want to swim alone.”



“We’d like to,” Henry said, placing several oranges in the basket, “but we’d better finish.”



“The oranges will be there tomorrow,” Catherine urged.



“Sorry,” Violet said. “We’ll join you later.”



“Oh, all right,” Catherine said in a disappointed voice. With a wave Catherine headed down the hill. How gracefully 11 she moves, Jessie thought. She picked a big orange and tossed it down to Violet, still thinking about Catherine. Why did she want them to quit working? She had been so insistent 12.



When Kay came out, Jessie forgot her suspicions of Catherine. “Hi, Kay,” she said, stepping down from the ladder.



“Why, you have six baskets brimming with oranges!” Kay exclaimed. “How wonderful!” Thoughtfully, she tapped a finger on her chin. “Let’s see, we’ll put three baskets in the kitchen, and we’ll leave the rest by the back door. I’ll deal with those in the morning.”



The children were pleased that they had helped Kay. “Now,” Benny said, “you’ll have lots and lots of orange juice.”



Kay laughed. “You’re right, Benny.”



“Can we go for a swim now?” Benny asked, squinting 13 up at Henry.



“You bet,” Henry said.



They raced down the hill to change into their swimsuits.



When they got to the pool, Catherine had already left, but they had a splashing good swim.



After a supper of hamburgers, baked beans, and chocolate cake, they almost fell into bed. They were tired from a day of hard work and their long swim.



As they slept, a soft rain fell, but the children didn’t awaken 14 until Benny sat up in bed and complained, “Henry! Water is falling on my nose!”



Henry threw back his covers and hurried to Benny’s bed. He pulled the bed away from the dripping ceiling. “It’s the roof, Benny,” he said. “I heard Rolf tell Kay that he’d repair it tomorrow.” Without waking Jessie and Violet he tiptoed into the kitchen and found a pan to put under the leaky roof.



Benny and Henry went back to sleep and didn’t open their eyes until the next morning.



Henry suggested a swim before breakfast.



“Hurrah!” Benny said. “I love to swim!” He pulled on his swim trunks and ran to the pool. But he didn’t go in.



Instead he rushed back to the motel. “The oranges,” he yelled. “Come, quick!”



Henry raced outside, followed by Jessie and Violet, who were also in swimsuits. When they reached the edge of the pool, they halted. They were too stunned 15 to move another step.



There, before their eyes, three empty baskets and hundreds of oranges could be seen bobbing about on the clear water.