Read The Mystery of the Mummy's Curse Page 7


  “Yes,” said Sam. “When Tina got hurt, I was pleased that Pete suggested you children would help me. I figured I could slip anything past a bunch of kids.” She raised her eyebrows. “But I didn’t realize who I was dealing with. You Aldens are smart. And you don’t give up.”

  “No,” Henry said. “We don’t. Not until we’ve solved the mystery.”

  “So you never told anyone that those pieces were missing, did you?” asked Violet.

  “Of course not,” said Sam. “I didn’t think you’d even notice if a piece was gone here and there. That’s why I didn’t take them all at once. I hadn’t counted on you having such good memories. I had to pretend I was surprised each time you noticed another one missing. But I figured that if you kids were the only ones who knew, then I was safe.”

  “But then why did you give me that list to make sure nothing was missing?” asked Jessie.

  “I made up that list myself. I left off the pieces I’d already taken,” Sam said.

  “What about my notebook?” Jessie asked. “Did you take it?”

  “I did,” Sam said. “You let me look at it, and I never gave it back. I changed it, too. I tried to make it look like your handwriting, so you wouldn’t realize. Then I left it by Dr. Snood’s office, so you’d think he’d taken it, not me.”

  “What about the lock on the door and the open coffin?” asked Henry. “Did you do that?”

  Sam nodded. “That’s where I was hiding the pieces,” she said.

  “In the coffin?” Benny asked, shocked.

  “I knew no one would look in there,” she said. “Last night I came back here very late, after everyone had left. I was planning to take out the last of the pieces. But then the security guard came by, just as I was about to leave. I quickly turned off the lights so she wouldn’t see me. But then she did something I hadn’t expected.” Sam laughed a short laugh. “She thought no one was in here, so she locked the door. I was locked in.”

  “And you had to break out,” Henry said.

  “Exactly,” said Sam. “Good thing I know how to pick a lock. But in my hurry I left the coffin open and forgot to lock the door behind me. And I accidentally left the most valuable piece here—that gold cat.”

  While they were talking, Pete had quietly gone over to the telephone and made a phone call. A police officer appeared in the doorway just as Sam was finishing her story.

  As the police officer led her away, Pete said, “It looks as if the mummy’s curse is on Sam.”

  James Alden and his grandchildren arrived at the museum that night just before seven o’clock.

  “I can’t wait to see how everyone likes the exhibit,” Benny said.

  “And I can’t wait to see what you’ve all been working on,” Grandfather said.

  “Hello, Aldens,” Pete said, coming over as soon as he saw them. He brought Dr. Snood with him. The Aldens were surprised to see how happy Dr. Snood looked.

  “James, good to see you,” Pete said. He introduced Dr. Snood to James Alden.

  “The exhibit looks great,” said Grandfather.

  “We couldn’t have done it without your grandchildren,” Pete said.

  “I must admit I had my doubts at first,” Dr. Snood said. “But I was wrong. They did a great job with the exhibit—and they caught a criminal!”

  “That is their specialty,” Grandfather said proudly.

  “Can I tell you something, Dr. Snood?” Jessie asked in a quiet voice.

  “Yes,” Dr. Snood said.

  “We thought you might be the thief,” she said.

  “Me?” he said. And then he did something they had never seen him do. He began to laugh. “Why me?”

  “Well, we kept seeing you looking at the pieces, and then they’d be missing,” said Jessie. “And there always seemed to be something bothering you.”

  Dr. Snood was silent for a moment. Then he spoke. “You children are wise beyond your years. There has been something bothering me, and it took this exhibit for me to realize it.”

  “Realize what?” Pete asked.

  “I realized, as I watched this exhibit being put together, how much I miss Egyptology. That’s my real love. So I’m stepping down as director. I’m going to lead a dig in Egypt next year.”

  “Excuse me,” said a voice behind the children.

  They turned around and were surprised to see Lori Paulson.

  “Hello, Ms. Paulson,” Pete said.

  “What are you doing here?” Benny couldn’t help asking.

  Suddenly Henry laughed. “I think I know,” he said. “You’re a reporter for the Greenfield Daily News, aren’t you?”

  “How did you know?” Lori asked, surprised.

  “When I called the newspaper yesterday, you were the one who answered, weren’t you?” Henry said.

  Lori nodded.

  “I knew your voice was familiar,” Henry explained. “I just didn’t figure out it was you until now.”

  “I’ve just started working there,” Lori explained. “I’m an assistant in the Arts and Entertainment section. I was trying to make a name for myself by bringing in a report on the new exhibit. The museum was keeping it all such a secret. I thought there had to be something important going on. I wanted to get the story before any other reporter.”

  “So that’s why you were always at the museum asking questions,” said Benny.

  “I was hoping you kids would tell me something,” said Lori. “I listened when you were in the café and made notes in my notebook.”

  “So that’s what you were hiding under the table that day,” Henry said.

  “I also sneaked up to the exhibit hall a couple of times and tried to peek in,” Lori told them.

  “We heard your footsteps,” Violet said.

  “And I did something I regret.” Lori looked down at her feet and then back at the children. “One day, I sneaked into the prep room and went through the papers on the desk and looked at the artifacts. I was hoping to learn something to put in the article. But I heard a sound and rushed out before I had a chance to put things back. I’m afraid I left quite a mess.”

  “What were you doing at the Carson City Museum?” Henry asked.

  “I heard they’d tried to get this exhibit, too,” said Lori. “So I called them to find out. They wrote to me, and then finally gave me an appointment with the director the day I saw you there.”

  “And what did she have to say?” Dr. Snood asked.

  “She told me at first they were disappointed they hadn’t gotten the exhibit,” Lori said. “But when she talked with Pete Miller, they came up with some ways the two museums could work together in the future.”

  “Good work,” Dr. Snood told Pete.

  “Why were you being so secretive?” Jessie asked Lori.

  “I was afraid that if you knew I was a reporter you wouldn’t tell me anything,” Lori said.

  “We thought you were a spy” said Benny.

  “A spy?” Lori said. And they all burst out laughing.

  “As it turns out,” Pete said, “there is quite a story behind this exhibit. And I think the Aldens are just the ones to tell it.”

  The children spent the rest of the night telling Lori everything that had gone on at the Greenfield Museum while the exhibit was being prepared.

  The next morning, Jessie picked up the newspaper at the front door. She brought it in to the kitchen, where the whole family was sitting, eating Mrs. McGregor’s special blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Jessie turned straight to the Arts and Entertainment section. There, on the front page, was a picture of the four Aldens standing next to the mummy, and an article written by Lori Paulson, staff reporter. The headline read, ALDEN CHILDREN KEEP MUMMY’S CURSE FROM COMING TRUE.

  About the Author

  GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly pro
ved she had succeeded.

  Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.

  When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.

  While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.

  Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.

  The Boxcar Children Mysteries

  THE BOXCAR CHILDREN

  SURPRISE ISLAND

  THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY RANCH

  MIKE’S MYSTERY

  BLUE BAY MYSTERY

  THE WOODSHED MYSTERY

  THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY

  MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY

  SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY

  CABOOSE MYSTERY

  HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY

  SNOWBOUND MYSTERY

  TREE HOUSE MYSTERY

  BICYCLE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY IN THE SAND

  MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL

  BUS STATION MYSTERY

  BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY

  THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY

  THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY

  THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING

  THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO

  THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY GIRL

  THE MYSTERY CRUISE

  THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST

  MYSTERY IN THE SNOW

  THE PIZZA MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY HORSE

  THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW

  THE CASTLE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL

  THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC

  THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT

  THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN

  THE MYSTERY ON STAGE

  THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC

  THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK

  THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON

  THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE

  THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR

  THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN

  THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE

  THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY

  THE HURRICANE MYSTERY

  THE PET SHOP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE

  THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO

  THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO

  THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY

  THE SOCCER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC

  THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER

  THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL

  THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY

  THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY

  THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY

  THE PANTHER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS

  THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY

  THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY

  THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP

  THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN

  THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL

  THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK

  THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY

  THE POISON FROG MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE

  THE HOME RUN MYSTERY

  THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES

  THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME

  THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE

  THE HOCKEY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL

  THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY

  THE COPYCAT MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE

  THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE

  THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY

  THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP

  THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT

  THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY

  THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY

  THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY

  THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY

  THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE

  THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY

  THE RADIO MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST

  THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR

  THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE

  THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES

  THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT

  THE GAME STORE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN

  THE VANISHING PASSENGER

  THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY

  THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE

  THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY

  THE SECRET OF THE MASK

  THE SEATTLE PUZZLE

  THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW

  THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND

  A HORSE NAMED DRAGON

  THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE

  THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES

  THE SPY GAME

  THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY

  THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY

  SUPERSTAR WATCH

  THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  copyright © 2002 by Albert Whitman & Company

  978-1-4532-2145-7

  This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media

  180 Varick Street

  New York, NY 10014

  www.openroadmedia.com

 


 

  Gertrude Chandler Warner, The Mystery of the Mummy's Curse

 


 

 
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