“We’re having a barbecue tonight,” he said.
“Yes,” Alice said. “Joshua Eaton and his daughter, Karen, are joining us. They own the amusement park.”
“Oh, great,” Violet said, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe they’ll tell us something about the merry-go-round horses.”
“I hope so!” Jessie said. “Let’s go to our house and clean up.”
After Henry had given Joe and Alice the box of candy he’d won, the children left.
Once they’d washed and put on clean clothes, they came back to help with dinner.
Jessie was placing the silverware on the table when the doorbell rang.
A gray-haired man and a young woman of about twenty entered. Benny blurted out, “Why, you’re the girl we saw by the House of Mirrors.”
“Yes, I am,” she replied with a flicker of a smile.
“Hello! Hello!” the gray-haired man said. “I’m Joshua Eaton.”
“And these are our cousins,” Alice said, presenting Violet, Jessie, Henry, and Benny.
The children said hello. “Wow,” Benny said. “You own the amusement park! I won a softball!”
“Good for you,” Joshua Eaton said.
“Please, everyone, sit down and make yourselves comfortable,” Alice said. “Before dinner we’ll have a glass of tomato juice.”
“And,” Joe said, bringing in a plate, “crackers and cheese.”
Joshua Eaton leaned forward. “How did you kids like my amusement park?”
“It was great,” Jessie said, looking especially nice in a pink sweater and white shorts.
“The horses on the merry-go-round are beautiful,” Violet said.
“Ah,” Joshua said, settling into his chair. “I’m glad to hear you like my carousel. You know, those horses were carved by the Dentzel Company a long time ago, and are extremely valuable.”
Karen gave a bitter little laugh. “Those horses!” she sneered. “Who cares about some dumb wooden horses! I keep telling Dad that we have to modernize. No one rides the merry-go-round except little kids, and it’s mostly teenagers who come to the park.”
Benny sat up straight and glared at Karen. “Little kids are important, too! And I loved the merry-go-round horses.”
“And I loved the merry-go-round,” Jessie said, a hint of defiance in her voice.
“An amusement park without a carousel wouldn’t be much fun,” Violet said.
“You see, dear,” Joshua said mildly, facing his daughter. “We must keep our valuable carousel.”
Karen sniffed and tossed back her long red hair. Her green sweater brought out the freckles on her oval face. Jessie thought Karen’s face could be pretty if she would smile once in a while.
“Well,” Karen said stiffly, “we’ll see which will get more use, the House of Mirrors or the merry-go-round.”
Joshua sighed as if he and his daughter had had this argument many times.
“The horses are very different from the horses I’ve seen on other carousels,” Henry said.
Joshua chuckled. “Yes, most horses are painted bright colors and trimmed with gold, but the Dentzel horses are usually gray or brown.”
“Tell us about Mr. Dentzel,” Jessie said.
Joshua smiled at the Aldens, pleased that they liked his horses as much as he did. He ran his fingers through his silver hair and began. “Gustav Dentzel was born in Germany. He came to America and settled in Philadelphia. He and his brother, son, and nephews started the Dentzel Company in 1867.”
“The horses are old!” Benny exclaimed.
“Very old,” Joshua said, smiling at Benny. “In the Dentzel Company one man carved the bodies, another the legs, and Gustav’s brother assembled the horses.” He glanced at Henry. “Gustav’s brother’s name was Henry, too.”
“How many Dentzel merry-go-rounds are there?” Alice asked.
“Very few are in operation today,” Joshua answered. “The company only produced two carousels a year. The Dentzel horses,” he continued, “have a distinctive style. They were carved in what is called ‘The Philadelphia Style.’ ”
“The Dentzel animals are so lifelike,” Violet said.
Benny nodded. “I thought the horse I rode today could breathe fire.”
Joshua laughed. “It’s true, Benny. Sometimes it looks like the horses could gallop right off the carousel.”
“Is the company still in business?” Henry questioned.
Karen snorted disdainfully. “No, thank heaven, or we’d be buying more horses. After Gustav Dentzel died, his son, William ‘Hobbyhorse’ Dentzel took over. When he died in 1928, the company ended.”
“How sad,” Violet said thoughtfully. “I wish they’d kept on carving more beautiful horses.”
“With the money we’d earn from selling the horses,” Karen said, “we could install up-to-date rides. We could even add a roller coaster. Teenagers want more exciting rides than what we have.” She frowned at her father. “You have to get with the times, Dad. Who cares about Dentzel’s old horses?”
“I do!” Benny said in a very loud voice. “I love the horses.” He looked pleadingly at Joshua. “Please, Mr. Eaton, don’t ever sell them!”
Joshua reached over and squeezed Benny’s knee. “As long as I’m around,” he promised reassuringly, “the horses will be around, too!”
Jessie glanced at Karen’s face. Joshua’s daughter’s green eyes flashed, and her mouth twisted downward. For a moment Jessie felt a twinge of sadness. Because of Karen’s determination to update the park, Jessie wondered if Karen would be able to talk Joshua Eaton into selling his wonderful horses.
CHAPTER 3
The Deserted Barn
Wednesday morning, after a breakfast of waffles and milk, Jessie and Henry biked to the store for groceries. They walked through the aisles, pushing a cart and picking up bread, milk, hamburger, chicken, buns, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, lemons, chocolate chip cookies, eggs, orange juice, green beans, and corn on the cob. At the deli counter, they bought ham.
When they returned, bike baskets overflowing with grocery bags, they saw Violet and Benny sitting in the porch swing of Joe and Alice’s house. Benny jumped off the porch and dashed toward them.
“See what we’ve brought,” Henry called, pedaling around the back.
“Hurrah for food!” Benny shouted, running around the house to the guest house. He danced around Henry, craning his neck to see what he had brought.
Violet ran after Jessie.
Pulling out one sack after another, Benny asked, “What are we going to do today?”
Violet, setting the gallon of milk in the refrigerator, turned and smiled at Benny. “What would you like to do?”
“Go on a picnic,” Benny promptly replied.
“What a good idea,” Violet said, placing the apples in a bowl.
“Yes!” Jessie said, tossing up a lemon and catching it, “and I’ll make the lemonade.”
“Look,” Violet said. “Ham for sandwiches.”
“And,” Benny said, reaching for the cookies, “cookies for dessert.”
Violet busily set to work making up four sandwiches, while Jessie squeezed lemons and added water and sugar to the juice.
Henry filled four small sacks each with a sandwich and an apple, and Benny added two cookies.
“Let’s not go by the amusement park,” Benny said, “or I’ll want to stop.”
“Then we’ll head in the opposite direction,” Henry said.
In his bike’s basket Henry carried a big thermos, three paper cups, and his lunch bag. Benny carried his lunch bag and his pink cup. Jessie carried her lunch bag, a rolled-up tablecloth, and four napkins. Violet carried her lunch bag and paper plates.
As they pedaled, Jessie pointed to a dirt side road. “Let’s go down that lane. It looks lovely with those elm trees lining both sides.”
“Yes!” Benny shouted. “We’ll explore new lands!”
They laughed and sang all the way down the narrow winding road. Overhanging
branches shaded them. They pedaled by a meadow with grazing black and white cows. The yellow field appeared golden in the bright sunlight.
After they had been traveling for a few miles, Benny suddenly groaned. “I’m starving. Are we ever going to stop?”
“Yes, Benny,” Violet answered. “I’m ready to stop, too.”
Henry veered left. “Over there,” he shouted. “There’s a brook and a grove of trees.”
“Perfect!” Jessie said, biking ahead and leaning her bike against a tree.
She lifted out the tablecloth, which she spread on the soft green grass. Violet set out plates while Henry poured the lemonade. Benny put a sandwich on each plate.
Sitting cross-legged, Benny smiled with contentment. “This is nice,” he said. “I can hear the little creek rushing over the rocks.”
“Yes, this is a perfect spot,” Jessie said, gazing over the green grass and the blue water beyond. In the distance was a red barn trimmed in white.
“I wish I had brought my paints,” Violet said.
The tree branches swayed gently in the warm breeze, and nearby a meadowlark trilled a sweet song.
After eating, Henry stretched out while Jessie and Benny ran to the little brook. The water was so clear that they could see the pebbles and sand on the bottom. Before Violet could join them, the little boy and his big sister had slipped off their sneakers and socks, rolled up their jeans, and waded into the water.
“Ohhh, it’s c-cold,” Benny stammered.
“Soon it will feel okay,” Jessie reassured him.
It wasn’t long before Violet splashed into the water, also. Wading downstream, they found smooth pretty pebbles.
At last they came ashore and lay on the bank. In a few minutes, Jessie propped herself up on her elbows. “I wonder what’s in that barn,” she said lazily.
“Let’s find out!” Benny said with excitement.
“Right!” Violet said, turning to look for Henry. “Henry! Come here.”
“I heard you,” he said, standing behind her and chuckling. “I’m ready to check out the red barn. It looks deserted.” He motioned to Benny, and the two boys dashed ahead. Once in the quiet barn, the children gazed at the sunbeams dancing with dust particles. The clean barn floor appeared to be unused. The stalls were brand-new, and fresh hay was piled inside. No one was around. Not a horse. Not a cow. Not even the farmer. There were no tools. The barn was empty.
“Where is everyone?” Benny whispered.
Henry poked his head around one of the stalls and said, “I don’t know, Benny.”
The smell of fresh hay filled the air as they explored the empty barn.
Finally, Jessie said, “Let’s leave. This place gives me the creeps.” They quickly left, puzzled by the silence and the emptiness.
Once they had biked home, they saw Joe and Alice, watering and weeding the flowers in front of the house.
“Hi, kids, come on in for a cold glass of juice,” Alice called, wiping her forehead. She wore gardener’s gloves and held a watering can.
“Gladly!” Benny shouted, dismounting his bike and running toward the house.
The others quickly followed.
Sitting around the table, the Aldens drank the juice and relaxed.
Jessie said, “Today we saw an unusual place.”
Alice, her brown eyes smiling, looked at her. “What kind of a place?”
“A big red barn!” Benny blurted out.
“Yes,” Henry said. “We picnicked near a stream west of here.”
“And we explored a nearby barn,” Violet finished. “It had fresh hay, but it was completely empty!”
“Ah,” Joe said, leaning back. “I know the place. The barn belongs to Old Jim Mitchell, an eccentric man, who lives alone. He doesn’t have any cows or horses and I’ve often wondered why he has such a big barn.”
“What could Old Jim be up to?” Alice wondered.
“It’s a mystery!” Benny said, a big smile crossing his face. “I love mysteries!”
Jessie smiled. “Benny, maybe there’s no mystery at all. Maybe this Old Jim just likes to have a barn for storing things.”
Violet glanced at Jessie. Perhaps her sister was right. And yet remembering the way the deserted barn looked sent a shiver up her spine.
CHAPTER 4
Peter McKenzie
The next morning the Alden children hiked to Clear Lake, which was a small lake in Pine Grove Park.
Arriving at the park with the lake shimmering before them, they eagerly jumped off their bikes. They hurriedly stripped down to the swimsuits they wore underneath their clothes.
As they ran toward the blue-green water, they heard voices. A man and woman were sitting on the sandy bank. The young man said, “But each horse is worth a fortune!”
The girl replied, “Yes, but you know how my father feels about the merry-go-round.”
The young man said, “I like the dapple gray, don’t you?”
The girl emphatically said, “No! Not the dapple gray, the brown, or any other color.” She sighed. “If it were up to me I’d get rid of the carousel. We could sell those horses and make a lot of money. But my father … ” Her words quickly trailed off as she glanced backward and spied the Aldens.
Jessie stopped in her tracks. “Why, Karen, it’s you!” She wondered if Karen would do anything against her father’s wishes.
“Hello,” Karen said smoothly, rising to her feet and tossing back her red hair. “Please, come and meet my friend Peter McKenzie.”
“Hi, kids,” the young man said, a lopsided smile spreading across his handsome face. He had long black hair and wore khaki pants, sneakers, and a white short-sleeved shirt.
“Meet Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny,” Karen said, introducing each of them. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re going swimming at the lake,” Violet answered with a smile.
“Want to go in the lake with us?” Benny questioned, his sturdy legs planted far apart. His red trunks looked even redder against the yellow towel slung over his shoulders.
Peter turned and stared at Benny. A grin broke across his tanned face. “Not today, partner. I’ve got to go back to work.”
“Do you work near here?” Jessie asked.
“Sure do,” he responded. “I’m a golf pro at the Old Oaks Country Club.”
“Do you teach golf?” Henry asked, tossing the beach ball he’d brought up in the air and catching it. “I’d like to learn to play golf someday myself.”
Peter raised heavy brows over his dark eyes. “If you want a lesson, look me up.”
“We will,” Henry said. “That would be great.”
“I’d like to learn, too,” Jessie added.
“I’ve got the time,” he said cheerfully. “Today I only teach one lesson. I’m not earning much money, as you can see.”
“Let’s go, Peter,” Karen said, taking his arm. “I want to check the House of Mirrors.”
“Karen, you have the most fun job of all,” Benny said.
Karen looked at Benny. “I like my job, but,” she added with annoyance, “I’d like it better if the amusement park showed a bigger profit.” With these words she and Peter hurried away.
Jessie watched as Karen and Peter disappeared among the trees. She didn’t like the sound of Karen’s words. Was money the only thing Karen was interested in?
“Come on in the water, Jessie!” Benny yelled.
“Be right there,” Jessie answered. And forgetting Peter and Karen, she laughingly raced into the water and splashed Benny.
The children played together for quite a while, then Jessie and Violet swam out to a raft that was anchored down by ropes. They jumped up on the raft and lay on their backs with their faces to the sun.
Henry and Benny played catch with the beach ball. The morning flew by. When it was time to get out of the water, Benny held back. “Can’t we stay in longer?” he begged.
Henry shook his head. “Violet and Jessie are coming in. It’s almost
time for lunch. Later we’re going to the amusement park. Don’t you want to go?”
“Oh, yes,” Benny said, wrinkling his sunburned nose. “I forgot.” He waded as fast as he could to the bank.
It was such a warm and sunny day that they took their time pedaling home.
Once in the house they all helped with lunch. Jessie broiled hot dogs, Violet toasted the buns, Henry poured the milk, and Benny set out the mustard, relish, and ketchup. Dessert was cherry pie.
After lunch, Benny leaned back. “Ummmm,” he said, rubbing his stomach. “That tasted good.”
“Are you sleepy, Benny?” Violet asked.
“A little,” Benny murmured.
“We’d better forget about the amusement park,” Jessie teased.
“No! No!” Benny shouted, his eyes opening wide. “I want to ride the merry-go-round on that pretty dotted gray horse.” He glanced at Jessie. “I mean the dapple gray one.”
Jessie laughed. “You remembered, Benny. Yes, you can ride the dapple gray. Twice if you want to.”
So about two o’clock the children again mounted their bikes and headed for the park. From the distance they could hear the calliope music, and they began to pedal faster.
When they arrived, Benny ran to the cotton candy stand.
“Well,” Sheila Arnold said, “if it isn’t the Aldens again.”
“A cotton candy, please,” Benny ordered.
Sheila filled a cone with pink frothy sugar.
Frank chuckled. “Glad you like our stand, my boy. Come back as often as you like.”
“I like the merry-go-round best of all … better even than cotton candy,” Benny said.
Sheila glanced at Frank and said quickly, “I need some help here, Frank. Stop gabbing!”
Frank nodded, and didn’t say another word. Violet wondered why Sheila was grouchy all of a sudden. Maybe she just didn’t like little kids. Some people didn’t.
After Benny had his candy, he and Jessie went over to the tilt-a-whirl with Violet and Henry trailing behind. It wasn’t long before the four of them were seated in a round tilt-a-whirl car with Benny in the middle. Soon the ride started. At first, the car made a slow half turn, then it picked up speed and whirled one way, twirled another, and spun all the way around. Benny screamed with delight. Henry and Violet laughed so hard their sides hurt. When the car came to a halt, Jessie wiped her eyes. “Oh, that was fun,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath.