Tree House Mystery by Gertrude Warner Read Free Book Online Page B

window and door but they had found nothing. They looked at the old toys and shook the red slippers. But they could not find any new clues.
    Jessie said, “Come on, Violet. Let’s put the drawers back in the desk. Too bad it’s all empty.”
    The big rocking horse stood in the center of the room. Sammy patted its head. He ran his hand over its mane. He touched the saddle.
    “Look,” he called. “I think the saddle comes off. Help me undo this buckle.”
    Everyone gathered around. Violet unfastened the buckle. Benny helped Jeffrey lift the saddle. As the boys did so, something slipped from the rocking horse’s back and fell to the floor.
    Sammy crawled between the rockers and lifted the paper carefully. He handed it to Jessie. “You take it, Jessie,” he said. “I’m afraid I’ll tear it.”
    “I’m almost afraid to touch it myself,” said Jessie. She took the folded paper. “It’s a little book,” she said. “Only four pages long.”
    The old paper was folded twice and pinned with a rusty pin to make a little book.
    Sammy said, “Somebody drew a picture of the rocking horse on the cover.”
    Sure enough, there was a picture of the horse. It showed a little boy sitting on its back. Underneath was printed “My Pony.”
    Jessie turned the pages carefully. “It looks as if somebody wrote a story,” she said.
    “Read it,” Sammy begged.
    “Yes, read it,” they all said.
    The writing was faded and hard to read. Jessie read slowly.

    “‘This is a true story,’” she began. “‘It is Willy’s favorite story. Once upon a time there was a little boy named Willy. Every summer he came to Grandma Carver’s house. Grandma loved Willy. She made a little room just for him up under the roof. Willy likes his little room.’”
    Violet said, “Oh, Jessie, somebody must have written all that down for Willy. Maybe he liked to hear it at bedtime. Go on.”
    Jessie read on. “‘Willy has special toys at Grandma’s. The most special of all is a rocking horse. It has been in Grandma’s family for years and years. Many little boys have ridden it. Now Willy loves to ride it. He calls it his pony. The End.’”
    “That’s all?” Jeffrey asked.
    “Yes,” replied Jessie. “That’s the end.”
    “We have two real clues,” Benny said. “We know the little boy’s name. And we know he came to visit his grandmother here. He didn’t live here all the time. But why do you suppose the room was all closed up?”
    “Well, that’s still a mystery,” said Henry.
    Benny looked over at the toys he and Henry had found. He looked at the ball, the toy horn, and the little train engine. Suddenly something made him stand still.
    “Wait,” Benny said. “I’m getting some sort of idea. That horn reminds me of something.”
    Everyone stared at Benny. Nobody laughed. Then Benny smiled. “I know! Do you remember when we made the casserole?” he asked.
    “Yes,” Jessie said. “But what has that to do with this room?”
    “Mrs. McGregor!” Benny said. “That’s what! She told us when she was a little girl she came to this house for a birthday party. She remembered something about a toy horn and a little boy.”
    “It must have been Willy Carver’s party!” Violet exclaimed. “If we tell her about this, maybe she can remember something more.”
    “Come on,” Benny said. “Let’s show her the horn and see.”
    Mrs. McGregor was in the kitchen. She dusted flour off her hands and smiled at her visitors. She listened to their story and picked up the old toy horn.
    “Oh, deary me!” she said. “How well I remember this little tin horn! The little boy had it for a birthday present. The boy in the sailor suit.”
    “That’s good!” said Benny. “That’s a good clue, Mrs. McGregor.”
    Mrs. McGregor still held the little tin horn in her hands. She said, “I wish I could tell you more.”
    “You have told us a lot,” said Violet. “Maybe if we knew when the party was it might help. At least we would know