CHAPTER 16
Aunt Jane’s Surprise
At supper, Aunt Jane said to everyone, “I have something special to tell all of you.”
She stopped and smiled at Andrew Bean, then went on, “Andy and I are no longer young, but we are going to be married. We are not going to wait any longer!”
Jessie and Violet jumped up and kissed their aunt. Henry took her hand, but Benny just smiled from ear to ear.
Then everyone turned toward Andy and soon it seemed as if the most wonderful kind of party had begun.
“From now on,” Andy said, “Jane and I will share our adventures. I promise you that.”
Benny said, “Do you want to run the farm, Uncle Andy?”
“Don’t call me uncle! You started with Andy. Keep on with Andy. No, I’m not a very good farmer. But I can get plenty of help to run the farm.”
“How about Willie?” asked Benny. “He’s a good farmer.”
“Right,” said Andy. “He can handle growing things.”
“He doesn’t talk much, does he?” said Benny.
“No, he’s not a talker,” agreed Andy.
“We didn’t guess for a long time he knew part of the mystery,” said Henry.
By now the whole meal was over, and the whole family moved outdoors to sit together in the yard. How good it seemed to have Andy as a part of the family! Already he seemed to belong to them all. Who would have guessed the mystery would end this way?
Aunt Jane said, “I’m glad we know the whole story of the woodshed and the potato pit.”
“We have had a lot of mysteries,” Jessie added. “But this is the first time we ever solved one without Grandfather’s help.”
Violet nodded. She said, “He will help us with that old letter. I think he might want to put it in a museum.”
Benny said, “I think the things ought to be loaned to a school museum. Kids will be interested.”
“Yes, that’s an idea, Benny,” said Henry. “We found the things and you could tell about them. Just like a mystery story.”
Andy broke in and said, “No, I’ll come if you want me, young feller! I like to talk to kids.”
“Oh, that will be neat, Andy!” cried Benny. “You know the whole story better than I do.”
Henry looked at Jessie. He said, “We could take pictures of the woodshed and the potato pit. We’d have to take flash pictures. Your John Carter has a wonderful camera, Jessie. Let’s ask him to come up here.”
Jessie said, “He isn’t my John Carter, Henry.” But Violet looked at her sister’s face and saw it turning pink.
“Ask him anyway,” said Henry laughing. “He will be here in a minute, I know.”
“How do you know?” asked Benny.
“Well, he wanted to stay when he brought Aunt Jane here in the plane. He told me he didn’t want to leave. He didn’t say why.” Henry smiled.
“Well, we still have most of our summer left,” said Benny. “I wonder if we will have any more adventures this vacation?”
Aunt Jane laughed. She said, “You will. If Andy is around, there will always be some excitement.”
Andy said, “Right, Jane! I’ll see to it that you will always have something interesting going on.”
“My wedding will be enough excitement for me,” said Aunt Jane. “We’ll have to get your grandfather to come up here soon. Maybe Mr. Carter will drive him up.”
Everyone heard what she said. But nobody knew what would happen before the summer was over. Not even Aunt Jane herself, nor Andy, nor Henry, nor Grandfather, nor Benny. Not even the man who used to work for the F.B.I.,—John Carter. |