Mystery Ranch by Gertrude Warner Read Free Book Online

of it. But I wouldn’t, would you, Aunt Jane?”
    “I’m not tired of it yet,” said Aunt Jane.

CHAPTER 14
    The Boss
    B oy, look at that car!” said Benny, looking out the window. It was long and low. It was painted yellow and black. A man got out of the car. A guard spoke to him and nodded, and the man came to the back door.
    Henry opened the door, and the man said, “James Alden asked me to come and see his sister.” “Come in,” said Henry. “This is my aunt.” The man smiled at the little old lady. “James Alden is one of my best friends,” he said.
    “Sit down,” said Aunt Jane, in a kind voice. “We seem to have all our callers in the kitchen. Some day we may use the front door.”
    “The kitchen is all right with me,” said the stranger, with a quick smile. “My name is Gardner. I am a mining man. Your brother sent me to take care of your uranium field.”
    Benny asked, “Are you the boss of everything?”
    “That’s a good way to put it,” agreed Mr. Gardner.
    “Will you let us watch you dig?” asked Benny.
    “Yes. There are some men digging in your field now. Do you want to see them?”
    “We certainly do!” said Henry at once.
    They started across the field.
    “Keep your eyes on that white place on the mountain. The hole is there,” Mr. Gardner said.
    When they came to the hole, they saw two guards beside it. Two other men were standing in the hole with long sticks in their hands.
    “Those are geiger counters!” shouted Benny.
    “That’s right,” said Mr. Gardner.
    The men heard his voice and looked up. When they saw who it was, one of them came out of the hole.
    “It’s good, sir,” he said. “Want to hear it?”
    The boss listened. “Good!” he said. “Noisy, isn’t it? Let the children listen. After all, they own the whole works.”
    Benny was so excited that he almost fell into the hole.
    “How it snaps!” he said.
    “There must be a lot of uranium here,” said Henry, as he listened to the geiger counter pop.
    When the children walked into the house again, Aunt Jane was sitting by the window in the front room.
    “Did you have a good time?” she asked.
    “Wonderful!” said Benny. “We listened to the geiger counter, and it made a terrible noise. That means uranium, Aunt Jane.”
    “Does it? I am glad to hear it.” She seemed to be very pleased.
    After dinner that evening the children left Violet alone with their aunt. Violet was sewing.
    “Aunt Jane,” she said gently, “I really don’t understand why you didn’t let your own brother help you when you needed money.”
    “I might as well tell you the whole story,” said Aunt Jane. “Father and mother went East. Your grandfather was a very young man. He wanted to sell the ranch and go into the mill business.”
    “I begin to understand,” said Violet softly.
    “I’m glad somebody understands,” said Aunt Jane. “I loved the ranch. So I said I’d stay here. But I couldn’t run the ranch. I didn’t know how. I had twenty men working for me. Then I had to let the men go, one by one. At last, only Sam was left. I sold the horses and cattle.”
    Aunt Jane paused. “How could I ask your grandfather for money? He never wanted me to stay here and I wouldn’t give in and say that I was wrong.”
    “I’m glad you told me this, Aunt Jane. I’ll help you get to bed, now.”
    Things happened fast on the Alden ranch in the next few weeks. A mine was dug. Big machines worked night and day. Houses for workmen were built. New stores opened in town. The train was not taken off. Instead, there were four trains every day. Two telephone girls stayed upstairs all day to answer the telephones. And Aunt Jane made a surprising announcement.
    “I want to give a party!” she said.
    “A party?” asked Henry. “When?”
    “My birthday is next week, and I want a birthday party.”
    “People don’t give their own birthday parties,” said Henry. “Let us give the party for you.”
    “No,” said Aunt Jane.