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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Orphan Train CHAPTER 8 Two Make One

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“It’s not much to go on,” Jessie remarked as she made a copy of the rhyme.

Benny was scratching his head. “What I don’t understand,” he said, “is how two can make one.”

Henry shrugged1. “Beats me.”

“I can’t understand it, either,” admitted Violet. “Thane’s clues are tough to figure out.”

The children puzzled over the strange rhyme all morning. They thought and thought, but they couldn’t come up with any answers. Everyone was stumped2.

“I have an idea,” Violet said when she caught a whiff of flowers coming through the opened window. “Let’s pack a picnic lunch and go for a bike ride.”

The others were quick to agree. “We could use a break,” said Henry.

After telling Kate about their plans, the Aldens loaded sandwiches, apples, and a large thermos3 of lemonade into Henry’s backpack, then set off on the bikes Kate kept for her guests. Putting all thoughts of the mystery aside for a while, they pedaled happily through the countryside.

By the time they returned to Wiggin Place, the afternoon sun was getting hot, the rhyme was still a big question mark, and the necklace was still missing.

“Kate’s been tearing her room apart all day,” Violet remarked. “I think she’s beginning to give up hope.” The children were sitting at the umbrella table on the stone patio4, sipping5 ice-cold cranberry6 juice from tall glasses.

Jessie tugged7 her notebook from her back pocket. “One mystery at a time, remember?”

Henry agreed. “Let’s take another look at that rhyme.”

Nodding, Jessie read it aloud. “Blue and yellow/ yellow and blue/ two make one/ a gem8 of a clue!”

“What about Kate’s necklace?” said Violet, after a moment’s thought. “Isn’t it blue and yellow?”

Jessie was quick to agree. “A bluebird charm on a yellow-gold chain.”

“And the blue and yellow make one necklace,” added Violet, pouring Benny another glass of cranberry juice.

Henry was nodding his head. “You might be on to something, Violet.”

Jessie said, “The clues seem to fit.”

“But Kate’s necklace doesn’t have any gems9 on it,” argued Benny. “Not even a single diamond. Blue and yellow are supposed to make one gem of a clue. Remember?”

“Good point, Benny,” Henry said, arms folded, leaning back in his chair.

“But … what else could it mean?” Jessie was bending over her notebook again.

“It’s a mystery,” Violet said, laughing a little. “As Grandfather would say, Wiggin Place has more mysteries than you can shake a stick at.”

“And the mysteries aren’t easy to solve,” added Henry.

“Sally Crawford is the key,” said Benny.

The others had to admit their little brother was right. All the mysteries had something to do with Sally.

Jessie started adding everything up on her fingers. “There’s the mystery of Ethan Cape10. Didn’t the famous photographer come all the way to Kansas just to take Sally’s picture? And how about the missing necklace? It once belonged to Sally.”

“And don’t forget about Thane Pace,” put in Violet. “He saved Sally’s life.”

Henry added, “Even the rhymes were meant for her.”

“I wish we knew more about Sally’s secret,” Jessie said, lost in thought. “The one she wanted to share after Ethan Cape’s visit.”

“Speaking of Ethan Cape,” said Violet, reaching for a book on the empty chair beside her, “looks like somebody’s reading his biography.”

“Probably Kate,” guessed Henry.

“I’m sure you’re right, Henry.” Violet began to thumb through the pages. “Wow, there’s all sorts of photographs in here.” Her eyes were shining. “Ethan was a genius with the camera.”

“Sounds like a good book,” Jessie remarked. “Maybe you can borrow it when Kate’s finished.”

But Violet was only half-listening. She had come to something that made her stop and stare. “This is strange,” she said in a puzzled voice. “Here’s a photo taken in the olden days.”

Benny, Jessie, and Henry crowded around to take a look. A middle-aged11 woman in a high-necked blouse and long skirt was sitting at a table shaped like a half moon. She was wearing a white apron12 and matching cap.

“That lady must have been a cook,” observed Benny. “At least, that’s how she’s dressed.”

Henry nodded his head. “That’s what I was just thinking.”

Jessie looked at her sister. “What’s strange about that, Violet?”

“Well, maybe this is just a weird13 coincidence,” said Violet, “but isn’t there something about this photograph that looks familiar?”

Jessie took a closer look. “Now that you mention it,” she said, “it reminds me of Sally’s photograph. The one taken when she was Benny’s age.”

Peering over Violet’s shoulder, Henry nodded. “There’s a half-moon table in both pictures.”

“But that’s not all,” put in Violet. “Did you notice the background?”

Jessie looked. “Oh, my goodness!” she cried. “An oval window with frosted glass!”

“And wallpaper with big roses all over it,” added Benny.

Jessie nodded. “That can mean only one thing.”

Benny looked at her. “What?”

“The cook’s photograph was taken right here at Wiggin Place.”

Henry shook his head. “This is getting weirder14 and weirder.”

“What does it say under the picture, Violet?” Jessie asked.

As Violet scanned the small print, her eyes widened.

“What is it?” Henry asked.

Before Violet could answer, the professor stepped out onto the patio. When he caught sight of the book Violet was holding, he rushed over and snatched it away. “How dare you!” He sounded upset. “You have no business touching15 my grandfather’s book! It’s a good thing I came back early.”

Violet’s eyes widened in alarm. “But I thought—”

The professor walked away before Violet could finish. Then he suddenly wheeled around to face them again. “This must never happen again,” he said in an icy voice. “I’m warning you, you’ll regret it if it does!” And then he was gone.

The Aldens looked at one another in disbelief.

“It was just a mistake,” Violet said in a small voice, “I didn’t know the book belonged to the professor’s grandfather.”

Jessie patted her sister gently on the shoulder. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Violet,” said Jessie, trying to comfort her. “The professor wouldn’t even give you a chance to explain.”

“Wait a minute,” said Henry. “Didn’t the professor say he wasn’t interested in Ethan Cape?”

Jessie nodded slowly. “Why would he pretend he wasn’t?”

“That’s just what I was wondering,” said Henry.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 stumped bf2a34ab92a06b6878a74288580b8031     
僵直地行走,跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 ); 把(某人)难住; 使为难; (选举前)在某一地区作政治性巡回演说
参考例句:
  • Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活,然后很艰难地走出房间。
  • He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌,半天说不出话来。
3 thermos TqjyE     
n.保湿瓶,热水瓶
参考例句:
  • Can I borrow your thermos?我可以借用你的暖水瓶吗?
  • It's handy to have the thermos here.暖瓶放在这儿好拿。
4 patio gSdzr     
n.庭院,平台
参考例句:
  • Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there,I thought.我又忽然想到家里漂亮的院子,我能够在这里宁静地呆会。
  • They had a barbecue on their patio on Sunday.星期天他们在院子里进行烧烤。
5 sipping e7d80fb5edc3b51045def1311858d0ae     
v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
  • She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。
6 cranberry TvOz5U     
n.梅果
参考例句:
  • Turkey reminds me of cranberry sauce.火鸡让我想起梅果酱。
  • Actually I prefer canned cranberry sauce.事实上我更喜欢罐装的梅果酱。
7 tugged 8a37eb349f3c6615c56706726966d38e     
v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • 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》
8 gem Ug8xy     
n.宝石,珠宝;受爱戴的人 [同]jewel
参考例句:
  • The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
  • The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。
9 gems 74ab5c34f71372016f1770a5a0bf4419     
growth; economy; management; and customer satisfaction 增长
参考例句:
  • a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
  • The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。
10 cape ITEy6     
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风
参考例句:
  • I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
  • She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
11 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句:
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
12 apron Lvzzo     
n.围裙;工作裙
参考例句:
  • We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
  • She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。
13 weird bghw8     
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的
参考例句:
  • From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来,他好像有点怪。
  • His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
14 weirder cd9463d25463f72eab49f2343155512f     
怪诞的( weird的比较级 ); 神秘而可怕的; 超然的; 古怪的
参考例句:
  • Actually, things got a little weirder when the tow truck driver showed up. 事实上,在拖吊车司机出现后,事情的发展更加怪异。
15 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
参考例句:
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
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