Mystery of the Runaway Ghost (9 page)

Fran seemed surprised to hear this. “But … you always wanted me to put something a little more modern up there, Nelson. Something with more pizzazz, remember?”

“Yes, it seems to me I did say that,” Nelson recalled, laughing a little. “On more than one occasion.”

“Just imagine,” said Cora. “We’re looking at an original Winslow Homer!”

Nelson took a sip of lemonade. “The past really does hold some wonderful treasures,” he said. The ice clinked in his glass.

Fran nodded, her face beaming.

Henry was wondering about something. “What will you do with the painting, Fran?”

“You’ll have lots of pennies to rub together if you sell it,” put in Benny.

After a few moments, Fran went over to the fireplace. “This painting should be enjoyed by everyone,” she said, as she buffed the brass plaque attached to the frame. “I’ll make sure
The Runaway Ghost
finds a home in one of the finest museums in Wisconsin.”

Nelson opened his mouth as if about to argue. But then he closed it again. He said only, “Whatever makes you happy, Mother.”

Just then, Fran suddenly exclaimed, “What on earth … ?”

The others turned to look at her. “What is it?” asked Cora.

“This plaque’s a bit loose,” Fran said. “And … there seems to be something tucked into a small opening just beneath it.” While everyone watched in amazement, she pulled out a folded piece of paper, yellowed with age.

“What is it?” Benny asked, bouncing with excitement.

Fran carefully unfolded the paper, then read the words aloud:

“Dearest children,

If you are reading this letter, then you have solved the riddles and found this painting hidden in the Buttercup Room. Although our good friend, Winslow Homer, never laid eyes on our treasured pet, he has managed to capture Buttercup’s likeness exactly — right down to the number one on her bell! It’s enough to make you believe in ghosts, isn’t it?

Your loving mother, Anne.”

“So the mystery really
was
just a parlor game,” Jessie realized. “Anne just wanted her children to have some fun finding the painting.”

“There’s something I don’t understand.” Benny looked puzzled. “If the mysterious box was still under the floorboards, how was the mystery solved?”

That was a good question. It was clear Anne’s children had never found the box of clues. So how had Winslow Homer’s painting come to hang on the wall in the living room?

“Anne died from pneumonia the winter of 1866,” Fran said after a moment’s thought. “It’s possible she became ill before giving her children the first riddle.”

“Oh, no!” cried Violet.

Fran went on, “Somebody probably came across the painting of
The Runaway Ghost
when the old mudroom was torn down years later.”

“I guess the answer to the last riddle was supposed to lead to the Buttercup Room,” Henry concluded.

Grandfather nodded. “Anne probably had no idea the painting itself would be worth a fortune one day.”

“And when it was finally found,” added Cora, “I imagine nobody knew the real artist was the great Winslow Homer.”

“Well, thanks to the Aldens, the mystery has finally been solved,” said Fran. “And I have a lot more to add to that article I’m writing.”

Cora blinked in surprise. “You’re writing an article?”

Fran nodded. “For the historical magazine. It’s all about the runaway ghost.”

The Alden children looked at one another. That was what Fran had meant when she said she wasn’t going to sit around and do nothing. If Cora wouldn’t write about Buttercup, then
she
would!

Benny looked over at the painting. “Did Winslow Homer really paint a
ghost
?” he asked.

“I don’t know, Benny,” Fran said with a wink. “It’s a mystery.”

G
ERTRUDE
C
HANDLER
W
ARNER
discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book,
The Boxcar Children,
quickly proved she had succeeded.

Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.

When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.

While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.

Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.

The Boxcar Children Mysteries

The Boxcar Children

Surprise Island

The Yellow House Mystery

Mystery Ranch

Mike’s Mystery

Blue Bay Mystery

The Woodshed Mystery

The Lighthouse Mystery

Mountain Top Mystery

Schoolhouse Mystery

Caboose Mystery

Houseboat Mystery

Snowbound Mystery

Tree House Mystery

Bicycle Mystery

Mystery in the Sand

Mystery Behind the Wall

Bus Station Mystery

Benny Uncovers a Mystery

The Haunted Cabin Mystery

The Deserted Library Mystery

The Animal Shelter Mystery

The Old Motel Mystery

The Mystery of the Hidden Painting

The Amusement Park Mystery

The Mystery of the Mixed-Up Zoo

The Camp-Out Mystery

The Mystery Girl

The Mystery Cruise

The Disappearing Friend Mystery

The Mystery of the Singing Ghost

Mystery in the Snow

The Pizza Mystery

The Mystery Horse

The Mystery at the Dog Show

The Castle Mystery

The Mystery of the Lost Village

The Mystery on the Ice

The Mystery of the Purple Pool

The Ghost Ship Mystery

The Mystery in Washington, DC

The Canoe Trip Mystery

The Mystery of the Hidden Beach

The Mystery of the Missing Cat

The Mystery at Snowflake Inn

The Mystery on Stage

The Dinosaur Mystery

The Mystery of the Stolen Music

The Mystery at the Ball Park

The Chocolate Sundae Mystery

The Mystery of the Hot Air Balloon

The Mystery Bookstore

The Pilgrim Village Mystery

The Mystery of the Stolen Boxcar

Mystery in the Cave

The Mystery on the Train

The Mystery at the Fair

The Mystery of the Lost Mine

The Guide Dog Mystery

The Hurricane Mystery

The Pet Shop Mystery

The Mystery of the Secret Message

The Firehouse Mystery

The Mystery in San Francisco

The Niagara Falls Mystery

The Mystery at the Alamo

The Outer Space Mystery

The Soccer Mystery

The Mystery in the Old Attic

The Growling Bear Mystery

The Mystery of the Lake Monster

The Mystery at Peacock Hall

The Windy City Mystery

The Black Pearl Mystery

The Cereal Box Mystery

The Panther Mystery

The Mystery of the Queen’s Jewels

The Stolen Sword Mystery

The Basketball Mystery

The Movie Star Mystery

The Mystery of the Black Raven

The Mystery of the Pirate’s Map

The Mystery in the Mall

The Mystery in New York

The Gymnastics Mystery

The Poison Frog Mystery

The Mystery of the Empty Safe

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

copyright © 2003 by Albert Whitman & Company

978-1-4532-2888-3

This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media

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