The Windy City Mystery Read online

  The Boxcar Children Mysteries

  THE BOXCAR CHILDREN

  SURPRISE ISLAND

  THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY RANCH

  MIKE’S MYSTERY

  BLUE BAY MYSTERY

  THE WOODSHED MYSTERY

  THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY

  MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY

  SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY

  CABOOSE MYSTERY

  HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY

  SNOWBOUND MYSTERY

  TREE HOUSE MYSTERY

  BICYCLE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY IN THE SAND

  MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL

  BUS STATION MYSTERY

  BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY

  THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY

  THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY

  THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING

  THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO

  THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY GIRL

  THE MYSTERY CRUISE

  THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST

  MYSTERY IN THE SNOW

  THE PIZZA MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY HORSE

  THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW

  THE CASTLE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL

  THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC

  THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT

  THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN

  THE MYSTERY ON STAGE

  THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC

  THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK

  THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON

  THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE

  THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR

  MYSTERY IN THE CAVE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN

  THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE

  THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY

  THE HURRICANE MYSTERY

  THE PET SHOP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE

  THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO

  THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO

  THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY

  THE SOCCER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC

  THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER

  THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL

  THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY

  THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY

  created by

  GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER

  Illustrated by Charles Tang

  ALBERT WHITMAN & Company

  Morton Grove, Illinois

  Contents

  1. The Windy City

  2. A New Mystery

  3. No Clue

  4. Another Clue

  5. Two Lions and Tiny Rooms

  6. Picture, Picture

  7. Old Stories and New Fire Engines

  8. The Final Clue

  9. Another Phone Call

  10. X Marks the Spot

  11. Buried Treasure

  About the Author

  CHAPTER 1

  The Windy City

  “Look for Chad,” Grandfather Alden said.

  He and the Alden children had just gotten off an airplane.

  “We’ve never met Chad,” Henry, who was fourteen, reminded him.

  Grandfather smiled. “That’s right,” he said. “I forgot.”

  Twelve-year-old Jessie glanced around the airport. “What does he look like?”

  “I haven’t seen him in a long time,” Grandfather answered. “I’m not sure I’d recognize him myself.”

  “There he is!” Benny said. He skipped toward a tall, thin young man.

  The others followed.

  “Welcome to Chicago,” the young man said.

  “Chad Piper!” Mr. Alden said. “You’ve grown up!” He introduced Chad to the Alden children.

  Then Jessie said, “Benny, how did you know this was Chad?”

  Chad held up a sign. It read ALDENS.

  “I’m six!” Benny said. “I can read!”

  “I wasn’t sure I’d recognize you,” Chad said, leading the group down the long hall. “So I made the sign.”

  Ten-year-old Violet thought it would be fun to spend the day just watching the people come and go. “This place is really big,” she said.

  “O’Hare is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world,” Chad told her.

  They picked up their luggage from the carousel and went to the parking garage.

  When they were settled in the car and on their way, Chad asked the children, “Have you decided what you want to see?”

  “They didn’t have much time to plan,” Mr. Alden said.

  “Grandfather just told us about the trip two days ago,” Henry added.

  “No problem,” Chad said. “I’m to be your guide when your grandfather and my father are busy.”

  Jacob Piper, Chad’s father, owned Piper Paper Products. Mr. Alden, who owned a mill, had come to see him on business.

  “We’ll pick up some maps and brochures tomorrow,” Chad continued. “Then you can decide what you want to see.”

  “Oh, look!” Violet exclaimed.

  Ahead, the city skyline was golden in the late afternoon sun.

  “There it is,” Chad said. “The Windy City.”

  “Wow!” Benny said, pointing to a building that towered over all the others. “That building looks like a giant!”

  “It’s the Sears Tower,” Chad told them. “One hundred and ten stories high — counting the antennae on top. It’s the tallest building in North America.”

  Before long, they turned off the expressway onto city streets. People hurried along the sidewalks and in and out of buildings.

  Chad parked the car. “Here we are,” he said.

  Everyone got out. Henry helped Chad with the suitcases.

  Benny tipped his head back to look up. This building was not one hundred and ten stories, but it was tall. “Is this where we’re staying?” he asked.

  Chad nodded. “Piper Paper Products owns an apartment here. My father keeps it for visitors.”

  Inside, a man in a blue uniform was talking on a phone.

  Chad gave Mr. Alden a key. “Take the elevator to twenty,” he said. “Apartment 2004. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

  As the Aldens entered the elevator, Violet glanced over her shoulder. “Chad’s talking to the man in the uniform,” she said.

  Henry turned around to look. “That’s the doorman.”

  Upstairs, Benny ran ahead, reading the numbers on the doors. “Here it is!” he said.

  Mr. Alden unlocked the door and stepped back to let the children enter. The apartment had high ceilings and lots of woodwork.

  On their right was a small kitchen. Benny went to the refrigerator. He opened it and peered inside. “Look at all this food!” he said. “Eggs and bacon and jam and milk and soda and … everything!” He closed the door. “I’m going to like it here.”

  Beyond the kitchen was a large living room. Violet crossed to the wall of windows.

  Grandfather followed her. “There’s Lake Michigan,” he said.

  A few blocks east, the lake sparkled.

  “It’s beautiful,” Violet said. />
  Henry came up beside them. “It sure is,” he agreed.

  Jessie came into the room. “There are three big bedrooms,” she told them. “Grandfather can have one. Henry, you and Benny can have another, and Violet and I will take the third.”

  The other Aldens took their suitcases and followed her. Jessie was good at organizing things.

  They were in their separate bedrooms when Chad came into the apartment and called, “Where is everyone?”

  The Aldens returned to the living room.

  “This is a nice place,” Jessie said.

  Chad grinned. “I’m glad you like it. I helped decorate it. It’s a challenge — an old place like this.”

  “Are you a decorator?” Violet asked.

  Chad shook his head. “Actually, I work part-time for my father,” he said, “but I am going to school. I want to be an artist.”

  “Violet’s an artist.” There was pride in Benny’s voice.

  “Are you?” Chad said. “That’s great!”

  Violet blushed. “I’m not really an artist,” she objected. “I just like to sketch.”

  “That’s how I started,” Chad told her. “I’d like to see your work.”

  “You brought your sketchbook, didn’t you?” Henry asked.

  Violet nodded. She always packed her sketchbook.

  “Good,” Chad said. “We’ll make time to do some drawing.” He turned to the others. “If everything’s all right here, I’ll let you get settled.”

  “Are we going to meet your father?” Henry asked.

  Chad frowned. “I don’t know. He’s always busy with some new plan for his business. Thank goodness he has his hobby or he would never relax!”

  Jessie wanted to ask what his father’s hobby was, but Mr. Alden said, “I know you’re busy. You run along. Tell your father I’ll see him in the morning.”

  “And I’ll be back bright and early to show you the city,” Chad said to the children. He started out. At the door, he said, “Are there any questions about the apartment or anything?”

  “I have a question,” Benny piped up. “Can we eat anything we find?”

  Chad laughed. “Anything,” he said. “Just don’t eat it all at once.”

  After Chad left, the Aldens unpacked.

  When they had finished, Jessie said, “I have a surprise.” She showed them a book about Chicago.

  Grandfather Alden was more surprised than anyone. “That’s my old school workbook. Where did you find it, Jessie?”

  “In the bookcase at home,” she answered.

  “You used that book in school?” Benny said. He thought it must be very old, but he didn’t say so.

  “We were studying American cities,” Grandfather said. He took the book from Jessie and glanced through it. “Soon after we finished our study, your great-grandfather brought me here on the train. Very few people traveled by airplane then.”

  “A train is still the best way to travel,” Henry said, thinking of the boxcar he and his brother and sisters had lived in after their parents had died. When their grandfather found them, he brought the children and their boxcar to his home.

  The others agreed with Henry. “You see so much more,” Jessie concluded.

  Grandfather closed the book. “This is a very old book,” he said. “You will find things have changed.”

  The children sat down to study the book.

  “Chicago’s a terrific city,” Mr. Alden put in. “It was a good city before the fire and a great one after.”

  “Fire?” Violet repeated.

  Henry held up the workbook. “It tells about it in here,” he told his sister. “It’s called the Great Chicago Fire. It nearly destroyed the whole city way back in 1871.” He showed the other Aldens a picture of a building. “That’s the Water Tower — one of the few buildings that wasn’t burned.”

  “How did the fire start?” Violet asked.

  Henry studied the book. Then he said, “No one knows.”

  “The most popular explanation concerns a cow and a lantern,” Grandfather said.

  “That story is here in the book,” Henry said. “People thought Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern and started the fire. High winds spread it.”

  “Is that why they call it the Windy City?” Benny asked. “Because of the winds?”

  “Could be,” Grandfather answered. “But most say it’s because residents bragged so much about their city. People said they were windy — full of hot air.”

  Jessie said, “This city is full of mysteries!”

  Grandfather agreed. “Those mysteries will never be solved,” he said. “But here’s one you can solve: Shall we eat supper here or go out?”

  “Here!” the younger Aldens all said.

  Grandfather started for the kitchen. “I’ll be the cook tonight.”

  The children looked at one another. Grandfather seldom did the cooking.

  “Do you want some help?” Jessie asked.

  “You can set the table,” Grandfather answered.

  They decided to move the table nearer to the windows. Then Jessie and Violet poked through drawers until they found a tablecloth and silverware. Henry and Benny found the dishes.

  “Oh, look,” Benny said. “A pink mug!” It reminded him of the cracked pink cup he had used when they lived in the boxcar. “That’ll be my cup,” he said.

  Before long, Grandfather announced, “Dinner’s ready.”

  He brought five omelettes to the table.

  “They look delicious,” Violet said.

  Benny took a taste. “Ummm. It is delicious!”

  “You didn’t know your old grandfather was such a good cook, did you?”

  “All the Aldens are good cooks,” Henry said.

  “But how did you do it so fast?” Jessie asked.

  “Ahh,” Mr. Alden answered. “There’s a mystery for you.”

  Benny poured milk into the pink mug. “That’s our mystery for this trip,” he said. “There won’t be any more.”

  Grandfather tilted his head to one side. His eyes twinkled. “Don’t be too sure of that, Benny. You children seem to attract mysteries.”

  CHAPTER 2

  A New Mystery

  Henry was the first one up in the morning. He made bacon and eggs and poured orange juice.

  Benny came into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. “I smell bacon,” he said.

  Soon the others were up, too. Violet made toast. Jessie made coffee for Grandfather.

  When he joined them in the living room, Mr. Alden said, “That’s what I like to see: teamwork.”

  They sat before the large windows where they watched the early sun trace golden paths across the lake.

  “I wonder what we’ll do today,” Jessie said.

  “Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes,” Grandfather told them. “I’m sure you’ll do a lot of walking.”

  The telephone rang. “Chad will be late,” Grandfather said as he hung up.

  “That’s all right, Grandfather,” Jessie said. “We aren’t ready anyway.”

  Mr. Alden looked at his watch. “I have a meeting at Piper’s office. I don’t like to keep everyone waiting.”

  “You can go, Grandfather,” Henry said. “We’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sure you will be,” Mr. Alden said. “I sometimes forget how responsible you are.” He looked at his watch again. “Chad said he’d meet you downstairs in the lobby. We’ll go downstairs together.”

  “Hurry up and get ready,” Jessie directed. “We’ll do the dishes later.”

  They were dressed and ready in a flash.

  In the elevator, Mr. Alden gave Henry the apartment key. “In case you get back before I do,” he explained. “I’m sure Cob has another key. I’ll get one from him.”

  “Who’s Cob?” Benny asked.

  “Mr. Piper. His real name is Jacob, but everyone calls him Cob.”

  “Cob Piper,” Benny said. He liked the sound of it.

  Downstairs, the doorman was t
alking to someone — a balding man with a bushy mustache. Wearing bib overalls and carrying a striped cap, he looked out of place. When he saw the Aldens, he hurried away. The doorman followed him out of the building.

  Grandfather looked at his watch. “I have to go,” he said. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

  “Of course, Grandfather,” Henry said. “We’ll be fine.”

  “Well, then, I’ll be on my way,” Mr. Alden said. “Have fun, and don’t wander off without Chad. This is a big city.”

  The Aldens sat down on a marble bench.

  “Did Grandfather seem like he was acting a little strange to you?” Jessie asked.

  Henry nodded.

  “He was probably just afraid he was going to be late for his meeting,” Violet said.

  Henry nodded. “Grandfather likes to be on time.”

  They fell silent, watching the people hurrying through the lobby. Outside, the doorman smiled at everyone who passed through the doors.

  After a while Violet said, “I wonder where all these people are going.”

  “Most of them are probably headed to work,” Henry said.

  “What about that man with the big mustache?” Benny asked.

  “He was dressed in overalls,” Violet said. “I’ll bet he doesn’t work in an office.”

  “The city is full of all kinds of jobs,” Jessie said.

  “He looked like a railroad engineer,” Henry added.

  Just then they saw Chad outside. He stopped to talk to the doorman.

  “Let’s go.” Henry stood up and started for the door.

  “He’s going away!” Benny observed as Chad hurried out of sight.

  The doorman came in. “You must be the Aldens,” he said, smiling. “I’m Willard. I have a message for you.”

  “From Chad?” Henry asked.

  Willard nodded. “He says he’ll be with you shortly. He had an errand down the street.” He started away. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, turning back. “This is for you, too.” He handed Henry an envelope and went back outside.

  “Who’s that from?” Benny asked.

  Henry studied the envelope. “It doesn’t say.”

  “It’s probably from Chad,” Violet decided.

  Henry opened the envelope and took out a piece of paper. “This is odd,” he said, and he began to read the note aloud.

  In this city

  There’s lots to do.

  Follow my lead

  To each new clue.

  And when you’ve seen

  All the rest,