The next day, as soon as they had finished breakfast, the four Aldens helped Mrs. McGregor pack lunches for them. Then they got on their bicycles for a ride into Greenfield.
Watch wanted to come, but he couldn’t. “We are going to the post office and then to the library, Watch,” Benny explained. “We might be in the library for a long time. And dogs aren’t allowed in the post office or the library.”
Watch tilted his head. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to go.
“I know, Watch,” said Benny. “I think they should change those rules, too. But you can stay here with Mrs. McGregor until we get back.”
Mrs. McGregor, who was standing by the back door, opened it and said, “I think I might have a nice dog biscuit in the kitchen for Watch.”
At the word “biscuit” Watch got up and trotted happily into the house.
The Aldens set off for the post office. On the way, they stopped by to pick up their cousin, Soo Lee. Soo Lee lived with their cousins, Joe and Alice, in an old gray-shingled house nearby. The Boxcar Children had helped their cousins fix up the house when they moved there.
Soo Lee was waiting for them. She got on her bicycle as soon as her four cousins came into sight, and coasted down the driveway to join them.
The five children went to the post office first, to mail the parade entry form to the Greenfield Parade Committee. Then they went to the library to research their costumes for the parade.
They found lots of books about trains and costumes in the old days. But the long dresses with their high necks and tight sleeves didn’t look like much fun to Jessie or to Violet.
“These are pretty dresses,” said Jessie. “But you can’t run or play or even ride bicycles in them.”
Violet agreed. “They don’t look very comfortable, either. And I think it would be hard to make costumes to look like that.”
“Listen to this,” said Henry. “This book says that a train engineer usually wore a gray-striped cap and a red bandanna around the neck. And here’s an old picture of an engineer on an early locomotive. He’s wearing overalls, too.”
The four children crowded around Henry to look at the picture.
“We all have overalls,” said Jessie. “We could get caps and bandannas and all dress like engineers. They sell all kinds of caps and bandannas at the department store in town, and they aren’t too expensive. We can buy our costumes there and then we will have plenty of money left over for our other supplies.”
“Look at this.” Soo Lee pointed to another picture in the book. “We can learn some of the train signals, too. The signal for the train to stop is two arms up.”
After doing a little more research on the history of Greenfield — and on railroads in particular — the children decided it was time for lunch.
“Let’s take our lunches to the old railroad station,” said Violet as they came out of the library.
When they got to the train station, the windows were all boarded up, the paint was chipped and peeling, and there was a big lock on the door.
“It looks like it could use some fixing up,” said Henry. “But it would take a lot more than just paint!”
The five children took out their lunches and sat on stone steps that led up to the station. “I bet this was a really busy place a long time ago,” Soo Lee said, as she took a big bite of her sandwich.
Just then, a voice said, “So! I was right. You changed your minds!”
The Aldens all looked up. It was Mr. Chessy!
“What are you doing here?” exclaimed Henry in surprise.
“This is where I’m staying.” Mr. Chessy swung around and motioned with his hand. Then the Aldens saw an old-fashioned railroad car pulled off onto a side track near the back of the train station. “That’s my traveling home,” the man said. “It’s an old caboose.”
“It looks a little like our boxcar,” said Henry.
“The first cabooses were just the last boxcars on the trains, you know.” Mr. Chessy sounded almost friendly.
Benny cried, “I’d like to see what your boxcar looks like!”
Mr. Chessy looked surprised — and pleased. “Would you?” he asked. “Come along and I’ll show you the inside.”
The children all looked at one another. “Thank you!” said Henry.
The children had finished lunch. They quickly cleaned up and followed Mr. Chessy to his railroad car.
“Come in, come in,” said Mr. Chessy. He stepped back and motioned for them to come into his caboose.
The Aldens couldn’t help thinking of how they’d made their boxcar a home when they’d first lived in it. Their boxcar had an old table they’d found, with a blue tablecloth on it. They’d made beds at one end out of pine needles. They didn’t have any light, except when they built a fire outside to cook.
But this caboose had a lamp that looked like an old-fashioned lantern. It had a stove and a refrigerator and even a sink with a little window above it.
Mr. Chessy proudly showed them around his caboose, explaining how he had designed and built everything himself.
Then he opened a narrow door. He stepped inside — and disappeared!
“Come on up!” his voice said above them.
A short ladder was inside the door. The children climbed up it, and found themselves in a small square room with windows all around and benches around all the walls.
“This is the cupola, or crow’s nest,” said Mr. Chessy. “Conductors and trainmen sat here to watch the train — and the scenery! I’m glad you came to see my little home. I’d take just as good care of your boxcar, if you should ever decide to sell it, you know. I’ll be leaving soon, but you have my card — if you change your minds.”
“Thank you,” said Henry, without saying anything about selling the boxcar. The others thanked him, too.
Mr. Chessy was smiling as they left. When Jessie looked over her shoulder, however, she saw Mr. Chessy wasn’t smiling anymore. He had his arms folded and his eyes were narrowed.
Was Mr. Chessy just pretending to be nice because he wanted their boxcar? she wondered.
But Jessie didn’t say anything. She just listened as her brothers and sister told Soo Lee all about Mr. Chessy and his offer the day before to buy the boxcar. They didn’t have to tell her that they’d never, ever sell it. Soo Lee knew that already!
They decided to go to the hardware store next to get supplies for fixing up the boxcar, and then to the department store.
When they got to the hardware store, the owner remembered the Aldens from their last visit. “Did you enter the parade?” she asked.
“We sure did,” said Benny. “We’re going to be engineers in our boxcar.”
The owner of the hardware store, like many people in Greenfield, knew the story of the Boxcar Children. She nodded approvingly. “That’s a neat idea.”
Henry explained that they were going to paint the boxcar for the parade and soon the Aldens had almost more supplies than they could carry.
After that, they went to the department store and bought red bandannas and engineer’s caps. They even bought an extra bandanna for Watch to wear.
It was getting late. They quickly loaded the supplies on their bicycles, and headed for home.
“I don’t think we’re going to have time to start fixing the boxcar today,” said Henry.
“I’ve got to go home,” said Soo Lee. “Tomorrow I can’t help you. But I’ll come over as soon as I can the day after.” They rode with Soo Lee back to her house. As she went inside, she waved her new engineer’s cap at her cousins. “See you day after tomorrow!” she called.
That evening at dinner, the children told Grandfather all about their busy day. They also told him about visiting Mr. Chessy’s railroad car.
“Mr. Chessy, Hmmm. I was thinking about what you told me and remembered I’d read an article about him in a magazine recently. I imagine he could tell you all about the history of your boxcar.”
“I don’t think he will want to talk to us about anything except selling our boxcar,” said Jessie.
Grandfather laughed. “Collectors like to talk about the things they collect. He might be willing to talk to you.”
“Then maybe we can call him tomorrow.” Henry yawned. “But not tonight. Tonight I am too tired.”
Everyone agreed that it had been a long day, but a good one, and that they could hardly wait for tomorrow. |