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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Orphan Train CHAPTER 3 Sally’s Secret

时间:2017-11-21 03:06来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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It didn’t take the Aldens long to unpack1. In no time at all, they were following the wonderful cooking smells down the stairs to the kitchen.

As they stood in the doorway2 they noticed a young woman standing3 by the stove with her back to them. Her blond hair hung in one long braid. She must have felt someone was behind her because she suddenly whirled around to face the children. A piece of paper fluttered to the floor. In a flash, she snatched it up and shoved it into her apron4 pocket. She looked as though they’d caught her in the middle of something she wanted to keep secret.

“I didn’t realize anyone was here,” she said. “I was, um, just checking out a … a grocery list.”

Jessie couldn’t help wondering if there was more to it than that. But she said only, “I’m sorry if we startled you.”

Pulling herself together quickly, the attractive young woman smiled. “You must be the Aldens.”

“Yes. I’m Jessie, and here are Henry, Benny, and Violet.” Jessie motioned to her brothers and sister.

“And I’m Lindsay Lowe.”

“Hi, Lindsay,” said Benny. “Do you work here?”

“Kate hired me to help out for the summer,” Lindsay told him, nodding as she tucked a loose strand5 of hair behind her ear.

“Can we give you a hand with anything?” offered Henry.

“Thanks, Henry, but everything’s ready. Why don’t we head for the dining room?”

A few minutes later, the children were sitting at a long table with Lindsay, Kate, and the professor. Jessie was just wondering about the two empty places when a young couple came into the room.

Kate quickly introduced the Aldens to her guests, Josh and Vanessa Mavin. Josh was a slight young man with curly dark hair and brown eyes. Vanessa was tall and slim, with reddish-brown hair and a splash of freckles6 on her nose.

“Have you seen any of the sights yet, kids?” Josh asked, after everyone had said hello.

Henry passed the mashed7 potatoes to Violet. “No, but we’re hoping to get over to Dodge8 City.”

“Grandfather said he’d take us,” added Benny. He helped himself to a pork chop.

Kate nodded. “Yes, that’s something you must see. Dodge City was once the Cowboy Capital of the World, you know.”

Josh turned to his wife. “Now, that might be fun to check out.”

Vanessa was pulling a biscuit apart. “I’m not all that interested in cowboys,” she said in a bored voice. “I’d much rather browse9 through antique stores.”

Josh shrugged11 a little as he lifted green beans onto his plate.

“Kate knows all there is to know about antiques,” Lindsay put in, looking fondly at her employer. “She’s a real expert on the subject.”

“Oh?” Vanessa looked over at Kate.

Kate shook her head. “I’m not really an expert, but I have—”

“What an interesting piece of jewelry12!” Vanessa broke in. “Is that necklace an antique? It certainly looks old.” Everyone followed Vanessa’s gaze to the bluebird charm that hung from a gold chain around Kate’s neck.

“Depends on what you call old,” said Kate. “This necklace belonged to my grandmother. The funny thing is, she could never remember how she came by it. But she loved it all the same.”

“It really is beautiful,” Jessie said admiringly.

Violet nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Neither have I.” Vanessa carefully buttered each half of her biscuit, then ate two mouthfuls. “About how old do you think it is?”

Kate lifted her shoulders in a shrug10. “I really have no idea.”

“But it must be an antique,” insisted Vanessa.

“Yes—I suppose,” Kate said.

“Do you think it was passed down through the family?” pursued Vanessa.

Kate laughed a little. “Vanessa, there’s no point in asking me all these questions. As I said, my grandmother couldn’t remember who gave it to her. All I know is that she loved it, and always wore it on special occasions. In fact, she was wearing this necklace when Ethan Cape13 photographed her.”

The professor, who had been staring glumly14 at his plate, suddenly looked up. For a long moment he fixed15 his gaze on Kate’s necklace.

“Yes, yes, of course,” he said at last, more to himself than anyone else. “That’s the necklace in the photograph.”

“Oh, have you seen it, Professor?” Violet asked shyly. “The original photograph taken by Ethan Cape, I mean.”

The professor gave Violet a funny look. “Why do you ask?” he replied sharply.

“No reason, really,” said Violet in surprise. “I just thought—”

The professor broke in before she could finish. “I have no interest in photography—or in Ethan Cape.”

Everyone seemed surprised by Professor Brewer’s harsh tone. Jessie caught Henry’s eye. Why was Kate’s guest so upset?

There was a strained silence until Lindsay spoke16 up. “You must see The Wizard of Oz while you’re here, kids,” she said, changing the subject. “I caught a performance last week and really enjoyed it.”

Jessie was about to say something, but Vanessa spoke first.

“How much?” she asked, turning to Kate. She propped17 her knife on the edge of her plate. “Just name your price.”

Kate wrinkled her forehead. “Are you talking about tickets to the play, Vanessa?”

“No, no, no!” Vanessa waved her hand in a frustrated18 way. “I’m talking about your necklace. I’ve taken quite a fancy to it.”

Kate’s hand closed over the bluebird charm. “I’m afraid it’s not for sale.”

“Oh, come now!” Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? Everything has a price tag.”

“No, Vanessa. You are quite wrong.” Kate shook her head. “Everything does not have a price tag.”

“But—” began Vanessa.

“Let it go,” Josh told his wife through tightened20 lips.

At that, Vanessa backed off.

“Can you believe it?” Lindsay said later as the Aldens helped her clear the plates from the table. “Vanessa has such a nerve.”

“She sure wanted Kate’s necklace,” said Benny, gathering21 up the napkins. “I wonder why.”

“Vanessa wants everything she sees,” stated Lindsay, who seemed to be getting more annoyed by the minute. “She’s from a wealthy family you know. From what I gather, she’s used to getting whatever she wants.” Lindsay paused to tighten19 the lid on the salt shaker. “Josh is a high school teacher. I’m afraid Vanessa’s not used to living on a budget.”

“It must be quite a change for her,” said Violet, who never liked to think badly of people. “She probably needs time to get used to her new life.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Lindsay said, backing down a little.

After helping22 with the dishes, the Aldens went looking for Kate. They found her in the front room, reading a book. She looked over and smiled when the children came through the doorway.

“Come and make yourselves comfortable,” she said, setting her book aside.

Jessie and Benny joined her on the sofa while Henry sat in the rocking chair nearby. Violet couldn’t resist settling into a lavender chair with padded arms. Purple was Violet’s favorite color, and she almost always wore something purple or violet.

“There it is, Violet,” said Kate. She pointed23 to the picture that hung above the fireplace. “The great Ethan Cape himself took that photograph of my grandmother, Sally Crawford.”

From inside an oval frame, a lady with snow-white hair and gentle eyes smiled down at them. Around her neck she wore a bluebird charm on a gold chain.

“What a wonderful picture,” said Violet.

Kate agreed. “Ethan Cape was a brilliant photographer. He managed to capture my grandmother’s inner beauty.”

Jessie nodded. “You can see the kindness in her eyes.”

“Everyone loved Sally Crawford, Jessie,” said Kate. She paused to take a sip24 of coffee. “Sadly, she died a few weeks after that photograph was taken.”

The Aldens looked at one another in surprise. “What happened, Kate?” Henry asked.

“My grandmother’s health took a turn for the worse, Henry.” A shadow seemed to fall over Kate’s face.

“Oh!” Jessie cried. “How sad.”

“Yes, it was sad. But Sally Crawford died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. Nobody can ask for more than that.” Kate let out a long sigh. “What’s really sad is that she never had a chance to reveal her secret.”

“Secret?” Benny echoed in surprise.

“Yes, my grandmother was making plans to get the entire family together. She said she had a secret to reveal—a secret that had been kept hidden too long.”

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then Benny spoke up. “You’re not supposed to tell secrets,” he said.

This made Henry smile a little. Benny was famous for not keeping secrets. “It’s okay if it’s a secret about yourself,” he told his little brother.

Violet had been wondering about something. “Do you think the secret had anything to do with Ethan Cape?”

“It’s possible, Violet,” admitted Kate. “But not very likely. After all, Ethan Cape had never stepped foot in this house until he arrived to photograph my grandmother. Ethan Cape and Sally Crawford had never met before that day.” Leaning back against a cushion, she let out a long sigh. “I doubt we’ll ever know the truth. I’m afraid my grandmother took her secret to the grave with her.”

The Aldens looked at one another. Was Grandfather right? Was this one mystery that might never be solved?


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 unpack sfwzBO     
vt.打开包裹(或行李),卸货
参考例句:
  • I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
  • She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。
2 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
3 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
4 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。
5 strand 7GAzH     
vt.使(船)搁浅,使(某人)困于(某地)
参考例句:
  • She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
  • The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。
6 freckles MsNzcN     
n.雀斑,斑点( freckle的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时,脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 mashed Jotz5Y     
a.捣烂的
参考例句:
  • two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
  • Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。
8 dodge q83yo     
v.闪开,躲开,避开;n.妙计,诡计
参考例句:
  • A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪,才没被车从身上辗过。
  • The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。
9 browse GSWye     
vi.随意翻阅,浏览;(牛、羊等)吃草
参考例句:
  • I had a browse through the books on her shelf.我浏览了一下她书架上的书。
  • It is a good idea to browse through it first.最好先通篇浏览一遍。
10 shrug Ry3w5     
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
参考例句:
  • With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩,走出了房间。
  • I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
11 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》
12 jewelry 0auz1     
n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝
参考例句:
  • The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
  • Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。
13 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。
14 glumly glumly     
adv.忧郁地,闷闷不乐地;阴郁地
参考例句:
  • He stared at it glumly, and soon became lost in thought. 他惘然沉入了瞑想。 来自子夜部分
  • The President sat glumly rubbing his upper molar, saying nothing. 总统愁眉苦脸地坐在那里,磨着他的上牙,一句话也没有说。 来自辞典例句
15 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
16 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
17 propped 557c00b5b2517b407d1d2ef6ba321b0e     
支撑,支持,维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
  • This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。
18 frustrated ksWz5t     
adj.挫败的,失意的,泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧
参考例句:
  • It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
  • The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 tighten 9oYwI     
v.(使)变紧;(使)绷紧
参考例句:
  • Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
  • Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策,以避免通货膨胀。
20 tightened bd3d8363419d9ff838bae0ba51722ee9     
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)变紧; (使)绷紧; 加紧
参考例句:
  • The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
  • His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机,然后又松开了。
21 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
22 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
23 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
24 sip Oxawv     
v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量
参考例句:
  • She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
  • Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。
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