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15 - The Box Car Children - Gertrude Warner · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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  Speaker 1: Chapter fifteen, a new grandfather. In less than an hour,
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  Speaker 1: the town was buzzing with the news. The chaffeur told
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  Speaker 1: the maids, and the maids told the grocery man, and
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  Speaker 1: the grocery man went from house to house telling that
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  Speaker 1: old James Cordyce had found his four grandchildren at last.
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  Speaker 1: In fact, the biggest part of the town knew it
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  Speaker 1: before the children themselves. Jess and Benny came across the
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  Speaker 1: lawn to select some white moonflowers for Violet's tray. They
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  Speaker 1: were just in time to hear Henry say, but grandfather, grandfather,
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  Speaker 1: echoed Jess, whirling around to gaze at them. Yes, Jess
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  Speaker 1: said Henry eagerly. He's the man we've been running away
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  Speaker 1: from all this time. I thought you was old, observed Benny,
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  Speaker 1: an awfully cross Jess said, so, I didn't know, Benny,
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: said Jess, turning pink, to think of running away from
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  Speaker 1: this kind friend. But her grandfather did not seem to mind.
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  Speaker 1: He stroked her short, silky hair and proposed that they
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  Speaker 1: all go up into Violet's room with the moonflowers. There
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  Speaker 1: was no stopping Benny. He rushed into Violet's room, dragging
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  Speaker 1: his grandfather by one hand and shouting, it's grandfather, Violet,
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  Speaker 1: and he's nice after all. I shouldn't wonder When Violet
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  Speaker 1: at last understood just what Benny was trying to tell.
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  Speaker 1: She was perfectly happy to rest against her ruffled pillows
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  Speaker 1: with one hand curled about her grandfather's arm, and listened
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  Speaker 1: to the rest. Where have you been living, demanded mister Cordyce.
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  Speaker 1: At last, the whole company looked at each other, even
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  Speaker 1: doctor mc allister and his mother. Then they all laughed
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  Speaker 1: as if they would never stop. You just ought to see,
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  Speaker 1: observed doctor mc allister, wiping his eyes. What said the
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  Speaker 1: children all at once? You never saw in the daytime.
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  Speaker 1: You don't mean it, returned the doctor, teasing them, I
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  Speaker 1: have seen it quite a number of times in the daytime.
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  Speaker 1: Seen what in Heaven's name, asked mister Cordyce. At last.
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  Speaker 1: Then they told him, interrupting each other, to tell about
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  Speaker 1: the beds of pine needles, the wonderful dishes, the freight
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  Speaker 1: car roof over all, the fireplace, and the swimming pool
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  Speaker 1: that's where Violet got her bronchitis, observed the doctor sitting
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  Speaker 1: by that pool. She shouldn't have done it, I thought,
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  Speaker 1: so from the first you thought so, repeated Henry puzzled,
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  Speaker 1: How did you know she sat by it? I'm sure
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  Speaker 1: I didn't myself. I was your most frequent visitor, declared
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  Speaker 1: the doctor, enjoying himself hugely. I hope you were our
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  Speaker 1: only one, said Jess, with her mouth open. Well I
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  Speaker 1: think I was, said the doctor. The first night after
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  Speaker 1: Henry mode my lawn, I followed him as far as
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  Speaker 1: the hill to see where he lived. Why did you
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  Speaker 1: do that, interrupted mister Cordyce. I liked his looks, returned
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  Speaker 1: the doctor, and I noticed that he didn't tell much
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  Speaker 1: about himself, so I was curious. But you surely didn't
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  Speaker 1: see the freight car, then, said Jess. No, but I
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  Speaker 1: came back that night and hunted around, replied doctor mc allister.
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  Speaker 1: At about eleven o'clock, Henry cried. The doctor assented our rabbit,
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  Speaker 1: said Henry and Jess together. I made as little noise
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  Speaker 1: as possible when I saw the freight car. Then I
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  Speaker 1: saw the door move, so I thought some one was inside.
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  Speaker 1: And when I heard the dog bark, I was sure
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  Speaker 1: of it and went home. But you came back, questioned Jess. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: every time I knew all of you were safe in
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  Speaker 1: my garden. I made you a little visit, just to
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  Speaker 1: be sure you were having enough to eat and enough dishes.
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  Speaker 1: The doctor laughed when I found you had a strainer
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  Speaker 1: and a vase of flowers, and a salt shaker and
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  Speaker 1: a cut glass pump unch bowl. I stopped worrying. Didn't
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  Speaker 1: you suspect they were my children, demanded mister Cordyce. Didn't
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  Speaker 1: you see my advertisement? Why didn't you notify me at once?
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  Speaker 1: They were having such a good time, confessed the doctor,
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  Speaker 1: And I was too. I just wanted to see how
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  Speaker 1: long they could manage their own affairs. It was all
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  Speaker 1: tremendously interesting. Why that boy and girl of yours are
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  Speaker 1: born business managers, mister Cordyce. Mister Cordyce took note of this.
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  Speaker 1: But I don't see yet. How you knew Violet sat
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  Speaker 1: by the pool, said Jess. Curiously. You couldn't know that,
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  Speaker 1: of course, replied the doctor. I went up twice when
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  Speaker 1: I knew Henry had taken the dog down to my
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  Speaker 1: barn to catch rats. I hid behind the big white
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  Speaker 1: rock with the flat top. That's lookout rock, explained Jess,
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  Speaker 1: where we used to let Benny watch for Henry. But
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  Speaker 1: we didn't hear you. No, said doctor mc allister. I
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  Speaker 1: didn't even snap a twig those times. But I had
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  Speaker 1: the very best time when I went to with mother.
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  Speaker 1: Have you seen it too, cried the children. I have indeed,
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  Speaker 1: returned missus mc allister. I even had a drink from
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  Speaker 1: your well. Every one has seen it but me, said
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  Speaker 1: mister Cordyce. Patiently, we'll show it to you, screamed Benny,
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  Speaker 1: and I'll show you my wheels made on a cart,
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  Speaker 1: and my bed out of hay, and my pink cup.
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  Speaker 1: Good for you, Benny, said mister Cordyce, pleased. When Violet
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  Speaker 1: gets well, we'll all go up there, and if you'll
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  Speaker 1: show me your house, I'll show you mine. Have you
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  Speaker 1: got a house, asked Benny in surprise. Yes, you can
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  Speaker 1: live there with me if you like it, replied mister Cordyce.
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  Speaker 1: I have been looking for you for nearly two months
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  Speaker 1: under missus mc allister's wonderful care. Violet soon became strong again,
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  Speaker 1: but she had been skipping around the garden for several
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  Speaker 1: days before the doctor would allow the visit to the
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  Speaker 1: freight car house. When at last the whole party started
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  Speaker 1: out in the great limousine. Many people looked out of
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  Speaker 1: their windows to watch after mister Cordyce and his grandchildren.
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  Speaker 1: Many of them knew Henry as the boy who won
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  Speaker 1: the race, and were glad that he had found such
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  Speaker 1: a friend. But when the children reached their beloved home,
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  Speaker 1: they were like wild things, watch capered about furiously, taking
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  Speaker 1: little swims in the pool, and sniffing at all the
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  Speaker 1: dear old, familiar things. Mister Cordyce seated himself on a
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  Speaker 1: rock and watched them all, exchanging a glance now and
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  Speaker 1: then with missus mc allister and her son. See our building,
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  Speaker 1: shouted Benny, for that was what he always called the fireplace.
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  Speaker 1: It burns really too. And this is the well, and
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  Speaker 1: this is the dishpan, and this is thefrigerator. At last,
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  Speaker 1: everyone climbed into the car itself, and mister Cordyce saw
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  Speaker 1: the beds, the cash account on the wall, the wonderful shelf,
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  Speaker 1: and each set dish. Each dish had a story of
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  Speaker 1: its own. That's more than my dishes have observed, mister Cordyce.
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  Speaker 1: Missus mc allister, who knew what his dishes were, was silent.
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  Speaker 1: They ate chicken, sandwiches on the very same tablecloth, and
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  Speaker 1: Benny drank from his pink cup, and Watch couldn't understand
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  Speaker 1: why they went away at all, but it was a
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  Speaker 1: trifle cool on the hill now when the sun began
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  Speaker 1: to sink, And after rolling the door shut, they left regretfully. Tomorrow,
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  Speaker 1: suggested mister Cordyce, as they drove home. Will you all
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  Speaker 1: come and see my house? Oh? Yes, agreed the children happily,
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  Speaker 1: little dreaming what was in store for them on the
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  Speaker 1: next day and all the days to come. End of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter fifteen.