“Sorry, Watch,” Jessie said after breakfast the next morning. She bent down and gave their family pet a hug. “You can’t go with us today. We’ll be riding our bikes.”
Benny scratched the little dog behind the ears. “We’ll take you for a walk later,” he promised. Watch looked up and barked.
A few minutes later, the Aldens were pedaling along the streets of Greenfield. After dropping their T-shirt contest entries into a mailbox, they turned onto a dirt road. It wasn’t long before they were biking past rolling hills and woods.
“Isn’t it a perfect day to be out in the country?” said Violet, who was riding right beside Jessie. She breathed in the smell of wildflowers as they arrived at a white farmhouse with a big porch.
“I hope they didn’t forget we were coming,” Benny said.
“Mrs. Dawson would never forget about us, Benny,” Jessie assured him.
No sooner had she spoken than the screen door swung open. “Hi, kids!” Mrs. Dawson said with a warm smile. “Amanda can’t wait to meet you.”
The Aldens followed Mrs. Dawson into the living room. A young woman was resting on the couch, flipping through the pages of a magazine. Her bandaged foot was propped up on pillows, and her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her face broke into a big smile when she noticed the Aldens.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Jessie told Amanda Penner.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Amanda said. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help.”
“No problem,” said Henry. “We like to help.”
Benny was staring at the crutches leaning against the couch.
Amanda grinned. “The truth is, I found them a bit tricky at first, Benny,” she said. “But I get around on those crutches now like a pro.”
“Cool!” Benny’s eyes became wide with interest.
Violet spoke up shyly. “We were sorry to hear about your accident, Amanda.”
“It’s not as bad as it looks, Violet. Besides, I have Mrs. Dawson to keep everything running smoothly around here.”
Just then Amanda’s housekeeper came back into the room. She was carrying a tray with five glasses of apple cider on it.
“Were your ears burning, Mrs. Dawson?” Amanda asked, a twinkle in her eye. “I was just talking about you.”
“I hope you weren’t too hard on me.” Mrs. Dawson laughed as she passed around the drinks. “Actually, I’ve known Amanda since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. She stayed here every summer when she was growing up.”
“I have good memories of those days,” Amanda said, as Mrs. Dawson returned to the kitchen. “There’s a spot in Fudge Hollow—at the back of the property—where a tree fell across the creek. My grandfather and I used to sit there and dangle our feet in the water.” Amanda had a faraway look in her eyes. “That tree is over a hundred years old,” she added. “As old as this house is now.”
“Has this house always been in your family?” Jessie asked.
Amanda nodded. “Ever since 1904,” she said. “Brandon Penner built it for his bride—Dora. As a matter of fact, we still have Dora’s hope chest in the attic.”
Benny wrinkled his forehead. “What’s a hope chest?”
Amanda explained, “In the old days, young girls would make quilts and lace tablecloths and … well, all sorts of things. They stored everything in a chest. They were hoping they’d have a home of their own one day.”
“Oh, I get it,” said Benny, catching on. “That’s why they call it a hope chest.”
“Exactly,” said Amanda.
Henry finished his apple cider. “Well, we should get started on that walkway.”
“That’s true. It’s supposed to be a real scorcher by mid-afternoon.” Amanda leaned heavily on the crutches as she led the children out into the hallway. She paused for a moment by the grandfather clock and nodded towards a framed photograph on the wall. “That’s Dora on her wedding day,” she said.
“Brandon’s bride?” Jessie took a step closer. The photograph showed a pretty girl—tall and slim—in a gown of white. She had a heart-shaped face, and was wearing an orange-blossom wreath in her fair hair.
“Oh!” Violet was peering over Benny’s shoulder. “She looks so … so …”
“Young?” said Amanda, finishing the thought. “Yes, Dora was only sixteen when she became Brandon’s bride. As a matter of fact, she was married on her birthday.”
“Sixteen?” Henry was shocked.
“It’s not as surprising as you might think, Henry,” said Amanda. “People got married much younger in the old days.”
Jessie noticed something written in white ink at the bottom of the photograph. She read the words aloud: “Pandora on her wedding day, February 29, 1904.”
Benny looked confused. “Pandora?”
“That was her full name,” Amanda explained. “But everybody called her Dora for short. That photograph is very special,” she added. “It’s the only place where Dora’s name appears in full.”
“I like Dora better,” said Benny. “Don’t you, Jessie?”
Jessie didn’t answer. She was still staring at the writing on the photo. Something about it seemed odd to her. But there was no time to think about it. Amanda was heading along the hall again.
Outside, Benny was the first to spot the stone path winding through the flower garden. “Is that the walkway?” he asked.
“Yes, it is, Benny,” Amanda said. “And you’ll find everything you need in that shed.” She nodded towards the far end of the lawn. “Can you see it over there?”
Shading their eyes from the sun, the children looked over to where an old shed peeked out from behind the lilac bushes. “Where should we put the stones?” Henry asked.
“Maybe you could pile them behind the shed for now,” Amanda said. “By the way, we always keep a pitcher of cold lemonade in the refrigerator. Feel free to help yourselves when you need a break.”
“Sounds good,” said Jessie.
“And I’m expecting you to join me for lunch,” Amanda added, as she walked away. “I won’t take no for an answer!”
“Don’t worry,” Henry called out. “Benny never says no to food.” Everyone laughed.
For the next few hours, the Aldens worked hard. Jessie pried the stones free from the dirt with a spade, while Henry loaded them into the wheelbarrow. Then Violet and Benny pushed the wheelbarrow back and forth between the flower garden and the weedy jungle behind the shed. When they were almost finished, Benny saw something strange.
“What is it?” Violet asked when she found Benny staring at one of the stones.
“Something’s carved into this stone,” Benny said.
Henry and Jessie hurried over, too. Sure enough, the letters G and S had been carved into the bottom.
“That’s odd,” said Violet.
Jessie turned over another stone. “There’s part of a letter carved into this one, too,” she told them. “Looks like the letter N.”
The Aldens began checking the stones they’d piled up against the shed.
“Somebody carved letters into all of them,” Henry said. “There are parts of words on some of them.”
“Maybe it’s a secret message,” said Henry. He was half-joking.
“Of course!” Violet cried. “I bet if we put the stones together, like a puzzle, they’ll spell something out.” She turned to her older brother. “That is what you’re thinking, isn’t it, Henry?”
Henry held up a hand. “I was just trying to be funny.”
But Violet was excited. “Let’s spread the stones on the grass,” she suggested. “Maybe we can make sense of it.”
“I bet it is a secret message!” Benny said.
So the Aldens lined the stones up on the grass—in neat little rows. For the next hour, they moved the stones from one place to another until they all fit together.
Finally, Henry let out a low whistle. “Look!” he said. “Violet was right!”
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