The Mystery at the Calgary Stampede by Gertrude Chandler Warner Read Free Book Online Page A

picked up his performing shirt
from where he’d tossed it on the counter.
He fingered the pin on his shirt and looked
dismayed. “I really thought this pin would
bring me good luck,” he said.
    “Good luck doesn’t come from a thing
like that,” said Daisy, overhearing the
conversation. It comes from all our hard
work. I think my aunt was right after all.”
    Clay undid the pin and looked at it closely
as if it could tell him a secret. At last he placed
it on the counter and got up and left the room.
    Henry picked up the pin for a closer look.
He turned it over to see if it might have been
engraved. He didn’t see anything suspicious,
but the pin did feel a bit scratched under
his fingertips.
    His sisters came closer and Benny hovered
at his elbows eager for a look.
    “What do you think?” Henry asked.
    Each of them took a turn inspecting the pin.
Violet pointed to some marks on the back.
“It looks as if someone dropped it on the
sidewalk and stepped on it,” she said.
    “Or could it have been engraved and then
scratched off?” Jessie held the pin up to her
eyes and turned toward the light in the room.
    “Quick,” said Benny, hearing the bathroom
door open and close down the hall. “I think
Clay’s coming back.”
    But it was Little Clay who entered the
dressing room with her shy smile. “What are
you doing?” she asked.

    Just then Jessie had an idea. “Little Clay, do
you know how long Clay has had this pin?”
she asked.
    “Weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks,”
Little Clay answered.
    “Are you sure?” asked Henry. That would
mean the pin couldn’t possibly be Daisy’s.
    “Of course I’m sure,” Little Clay said. “I
gave it back to him, because he needs some
luck. Did you see him drop that wagon wheel?”
    Clay was suddenly behind her. “What are
you saying?” he asked in a really grouchy
voice.
    “I’m just talking about that wagon wheel…”
his little sister started to say.
    “See?” said Clay, turning to Benny. “It
wasn’t just you who saw it. Everyone saw my
mistake. Even my little sister.”
    Little Clay looked dismayed at first, but
slowly a smile grew on her face. She leaned
toward her brother and whispered something
in his ear.
    His face went from grumpy to a half smile.
Then it stretched to a full smile. He gave a
chuckle. “I’d forgotten how you make me
laugh sometimes,” he told Little Clay.
    “You have been pretty grouchy lately,” she
said, not whispering anymore.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. It sounded as if he
really meant it.
    “I get it,” said Little Clay. “I know what it’s
like to be scared to get up in front of people
and sing and dance.”
    “I think you should have the pin!” said
Big Clay.
    “No,” said Little Clay. “I don’t need it. I
already have—”
    Crash!
    Marian had been sweeping the broom
around Clay and his little sister and under
the makeup counter. Now she’d accidentally
bumped one of the vases of flowers off the
counter and it had come tumbling down.
Water and flowers and pieces of the ceramic
vase were all over the floor. “Oh no!” she cried.
    The other performers rushed in to help,
and Jessie gave Marian a hug.
    “It’s only an old vase,” one of the performers
said. “Nothing to be bothered about.” The
floor was clean in minutes.
    Before long all the Young Canadians were
out of costume and ready to go home. They
drifted out in groups, and soon just the
Aldens, Daisy, Clay, and Little Clay were left.
    “So what did Little Clay whisper to you?”
Jessie asked Clay.
    “She told me I shouldn’t worry about
dropping the wheel, because everyone knows
what I was doing is wheely wheely hard to do!”
He laughed. “It made me realize I was silly to
be so worried about anyone noticing me drop
the wheel. Benny was right: my catch was a
good one.”
    Benny agreed. “It was a good catch!”

CHAPTER 9
Skyride
    T he Aldens arrived at the gate to Stampede
Park first thing the next morning. “I’d really
like to go on the