儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Singing Ghost CHAPTER 4 The Argument

In the morning none of the Aldens felt like going right to the house.



Benny said, “Can’t we go somewhere else first? We can clean in the afternoon.”



“Benny’s right,” Violet 1 said.



Jessie thought for a minute and then said, “I know. Let’s go to the lake in the park. We can swim and then go to the house.”



“Great!” Henry agreed.



“I think we should stop at the bakery first and buy some jelly 2 doughnuts,” Benny said.



Henry laughed. “Okay, Benny, we can do that.”



The children biked into town and went to the bakery. Joan Bernstein, a tall, blonde woman who owned the shop, smiled when the Aldens came in. She looked away from the customer she was waiting on and said, “Hi, Aldens. I’ll be with you in a minute.”



She finished putting chocolate cookies into a bag and then said, “I think you children should meet Terry Evans.” She gestured toward 3 her customer, who was a short red-haired woman. “Ms. Evans is writing a book about the history of Greenfield.”



“Is Greenfield that important?” Benny asked.



Ms. Bernstein nodded. “This town goes way back to colonial 4 times.”



Terry Evans smiled at the Aldens. “Have you all lived here very long?” she asked them.



“Since our grandfather found us and brought us here,” Benny answered.



Ms. Evans laughed and started to leave the store.



“The Aldens’ cousins have bought that old Roth house,” Ms. Bernstein said. “The children are cleaning it up for them. Everyone in town is talking about how helpful the kids are.”



Terry Evans turned to the Aldens. “Oh,” she said. “I hear that’s a very interesting house. Can you tell me about it?”



“We don’t know that much,” Jessie said hesitantly.



“You must know something,” Ms. Evans insisted.



“Just that Mr. Farley says it’s haunted,” Benny said.



“But we know that’s silly, of course,” Henry added.



“Is it?” Ms. Evans asked. She looked at the children mysteriously. Then she said, “I have to go now, but I’d like to talk to you all again.” Then she left.



Benny looked after her. “She liked us, I think. She wants to talk to us again.”



“Yes, but why?” Henry asked. “We told her we don’t know much about the house.”



“She’s just a very curious woman,” Joan Bernstein said. “Now, what can I give you children?”



“Jelly doughnuts,” Benny answered. “We’re going to take them to the park.”



Violet got four small containers of orange juice from the cooler, and Ms. Bernstein put the doughnuts, juice, and straws into a bag. The Aldens paid her and went out to their bikes. “Be careful at the lake,” she called after them.



“We will,” Violet called back.



When they reached the park, they sat on the grass under a tree. The shimmering 5 lake was only a few yards from them.



Benny opened the paper bag and gave his brother and sisters a doughnut. Violet passed around the juice and straws. They sat contentedly 6 and ate their snack, watching three teenagers playing in the lake.



They waited a little while after they had finished eating. Then they stripped 7 down to the bathing suits they had on under their clothes. They ran to the lake and swam and splashed 8. Benny stayed near the shore. The Aldens kept their eyes on each other while they swam.



When they finally ran out of the water, they dried themselves and lay on the grass, talking softly 9. Suddenly, very close by, they heard loud voices. Under a nearby tree were Mr. Farley and Thomas Yeats. They hadn’t seen the Aldens.



“I’ll never do that. Never!” Mr. Farley cried out.



“I’m willing to pay you,” Thomas Yeats said.



“No! It’s not about money. I won’t do it,” Mr. Farley insisted.



“Forget it!” Mr. Yeats said, and he strode 10 away. In a few seconds Mr. Farley left, too.



“Wow!” Violet said.



“What was that all about?” Jessie asked.



“What do you suppose Mr. Yeats wanted Mr. Farley to do?” Henry asked.



“Whatever it was, he was willing to pay for it,” Violet said.



“Mr. Farley was certainly definite,” Jessie said.



“It’s a mystery!” Benny said, smiling.



“It sure is,” Violet agreed.



When the Aldens got to the house later that day, Terry Evans was sitting on a porch 11 step. “I just wanted to ask you a few questions,” she said.



“Oh,” Jessie said. “What kind of questions?”



“About the house, of course,” Terry replied. “Do you know anything about the girl who used to live here … Celia Roth?”



“The girl who disappeared?” Benny asked eagerly.



Terry nodded.



“We don’t know anything at all,” Violet answered.



“This house should really be a Greenfield landmark,” Ms. Evans said. “With its strange history, no one should be allowed to buy it.”



“What history?” Benny asked.



“Well,” Terry said, “I’ve heard a number of people lived here after the Roths left. But no one stayed long. For whatever reasons, they left fairly quickly. Ghosts, you know.” She smiled slyly 12, waved, and left.



Mr. Farley, who was back in his yard, walked over to the Aldens. “Why’s that woman snooping around?” he asked. “She sure asks a lot of questions.”



Henry wanted to ask Mr. Farley what he and Mr. Yeats had been arguing about. But he didn’t want Mr. Farley to think they’d been eavesdropping 13. Instead he asked, “Mr. Farley, how long did Mr. Roth stay after Celia disappeared?”



Mr. Farley thought for a minute. “Just a few months. He was mysterious. Wouldn’t talk about Celia at all. He just left Greenfield.”



“Ms. Evans said other people lived here,” Jessie said.



Mr. Farley nodded. “Yes, a few families bought the house, lived here a short time, and then left. It’s been empty now for a good twenty years. The only thing left from the Roths is an old bed, that big old desk upstairs, and some boxes of old books.”



“When did Celia disappear?” Jessie asked.



Mr. Farley said, “I remember it all well. I was only ten years old, but some things you don’t forget. It was the summer of 1917. August, it was. A hot day in August and, poof, she just vanished 14. But I know she came back … to the house … for some reason … or at least her ghost did.”



Henry laughed. “Come on, Mr. Farley. We just don’t believe that.”



The Aldens went into the house and sat down on the floor.



“What do you think happened to Celia?” Jessie asked.



“Maybe she was kidnapped,” Violet said.



“Or she might have drowned in the lake,” Henry suggested.



“Maybe Celia ran away, just like we did,” Benny said.



“Yes, Benny, but Grandfather found us,” Violet said. “No one ever found Celia.”