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15 - The Box Car Children - Gertrude Warner · Adventure Books Collection

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  Chapter fifteen, a new grandfather. In less than an hour, the town
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  was buzzing with the news. The chaffeur told the maids, and the maids
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  told the grocery man, and the grocery man went from house to house telling
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  that old James Cordyce had found his four grandchildren at last. In fact,
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  the biggest part of the town knew it before the children themselves. Jess and
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  Benny came across the lawn to select some white moonflowers for Violet's tray. They
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  were just in time to hear Henry say, but grandfather, grandfather, echoed
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  Jess, whirling around to gaze at them. Yes, Jess said Henry eagerly.
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  He's the man we've been running away from all this time. I thought
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  you was old, observed Benny, an awfully cross Jess said, so,
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  I didn't know, Benny, said Jess, turning pink, to think of
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  running away from this kind friend. But her grandfather did not seem to mind.
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  He stroked her short, silky hair and proposed that they all go up
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  into Violet's room with the moonflowers. There was no stopping Benny. He rushed
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  into Violet's room, dragging his grandfather by one hand and shouting, it's grandfather,
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  Violet, and he's nice after all. I shouldn't wonder When Violet at
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  last understood just what Benny was trying to tell. She was perfectly happy to
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  rest against her ruffled pillows with one hand curled about her grandfather's arm, and
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  listened to the rest. Where have you been living, demanded mister Cordyce.
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  At last, the whole company looked at each other, even doctor mc allister
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  and his mother. Then they all laughed as if they would never stop.
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  You just ought to see, observed doctor mc allister, wiping his eyes.
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  What said the children all at once? You never saw in the daytime.
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  You don't mean it, returned the doctor, teasing them, I have seen
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  it quite a number of times in the daytime. Seen what in Heaven's name,
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  asked mister Cordyce. At last. Then they told him, interrupting each
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  other, to tell about the beds of pine needles, the wonderful dishes,
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  the freight car roof over all, the fireplace, and the swimming pool that's
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  where Violet got her bronchitis, observed the doctor sitting by that pool. She
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  shouldn't have done it, I thought, so from the first you thought so,
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  repeated Henry puzzled, How did you know she sat by it? I'm
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  sure I didn't myself. I was your most frequent visitor, declared the doctor,
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  enjoying himself hugely. I hope you were our only one, said Jess,
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  with her mouth open. Well I think I was, said the doctor.
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  The first night after Henry mode my lawn, I followed him as far
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  as the hill to see where he lived. Why did you do that,
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  interrupted mister Cordyce. I liked his looks, returned the doctor, and I
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  noticed that he didn't tell much about himself, so I was curious. But
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  you surely didn't see the freight car, then, said Jess. No,
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  but I came back that night and hunted around, replied doctor mc allister.
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  At about eleven o'clock, Henry cried. The doctor assented our rabbit, said
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  Henry and Jess together. I made as little noise as possible when I saw
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  the freight car. Then I saw the door move, so I thought some
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  one was inside. And when I heard the dog bark, I was sure
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  of it and went home. But you came back, questioned Jess. Yes,
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  every time I knew all of you were safe in my garden. I
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  made you a little visit, just to be sure you were having enough to
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  eat and enough dishes. The doctor laughed when I found you had a strainer
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  and a vase of flowers, and a salt shaker and a cut glass pump
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  unch bowl. I stopped worrying. Didn't you suspect they were my children,
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  demanded mister Cordyce. Didn't you see my advertisement? Why didn't you notify me
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  at once? They were having such a good time, confessed the doctor,
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  And I was too. I just wanted to see how long they could manage
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  their own affairs. It was all tremendously interesting. Why that boy and girl
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  of yours are born business managers, mister Cordyce. Mister Cordyce took note of
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  this. But I don't see yet. How you knew Violet sat by the
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  pool, said Jess. Curiously. You couldn't know that, of course,
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  replied the doctor. I went up twice when I knew Henry had taken the
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  dog down to my barn to catch rats. I hid behind the big white
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  rock with the flat top. That's lookout rock, explained Jess, where we
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  used to let Benny watch for Henry. But we didn't hear you. No,
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  said doctor mc allister. I didn't even snap a twig those times.
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  But I had the very best time when I went to with mother. Have
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  you seen it too, cried the children. I have indeed, returned missus
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  mc allister. I even had a drink from your well. Every one has
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  seen it but me, said mister Cordyce. Patiently, we'll show it to
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  you, screamed Benny, and I'll show you my wheels made on a cart,
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  and my bed out of hay, and my pink cup. Good for
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  you, Benny, said mister Cordyce, pleased. When Violet gets well,
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  we'll all go up there, and if you'll show me your house, I'll
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  show you mine. Have you got a house, asked Benny in surprise.
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  Yes, you can live there with me if you like it, replied mister
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  Cordyce. I have been looking for you for nearly two months under missus mc
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  allister's wonderful care. Violet soon became strong again, but she had been skipping
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  around the garden for several days before the doctor would allow the visit to the
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  freight car house. When at last the whole party started out in the great
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  limousine. Many people looked out of their windows to watch after mister Cordyce and
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  his grandchildren. Many of them knew Henry as the boy who won the race,
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  and were glad that he had found such a friend. But when the
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  children reached their beloved home, they were like wild things, watch capered about
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  furiously, taking little swims in the pool, and sniffing at all the dear
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  old, familiar things. Mister Cordyce seated himself on a rock and watched them
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  all, exchanging a glance now and then with missus mc allister and her son.
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  See our building, shouted Benny, for that was what he always called
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  the fireplace. It burns really too. And this is the well, and
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  this is the dishpan, and this is thefrigerator. At last, everyone climbed
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  into the car itself, and mister Cordyce saw the beds, the cash account
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  on the wall, the wonderful shelf, and each set dish. Each dish
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  had a story of its own. That's more than my dishes have observed,
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  mister Cordyce. Missus mc allister, who knew what his dishes were, was
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  silent. They ate chicken, sandwiches on the very same tablecloth, and Benny
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  drank from his pink cup, and Watch couldn't understand why they went away at
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  all, but it was a trifle cool on the hill now when the sun
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  began to sink, And after rolling the door shut, they left regretfully.
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  Tomorrow, suggested mister Cordyce, as they drove home. Will you all come
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  and see my house? Oh? Yes, agreed the children happily, little
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  dreaming what was in store for them on the next day and all the days
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  to come. End of Chapter fifteen.