The Hundred-Year 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

  THE 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

  THE 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 BLACK PEARL MYSTERY

  THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY

  THE PANTHER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS

  THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY

  THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY

  THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP

  THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN

  THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL

  THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK

  THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY

  THE POISON FROG MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE

  THE HOME RUN MYSTERY

  THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES

  THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME

  THE HONEYBEE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE

  THE HOCKEY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL

  THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY

  THE COPYCAT MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE

  THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE

  THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY

  THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP

  THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT

  THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY

  THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY

  THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY

  THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY

  THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE

  THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY

  THE RADIO MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST

  THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR

  THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE

  THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES

  THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT

  THE GAME STORE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN

  THE VANISHING PASSENGER

  THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY

  THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE

  THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY

  THE SECRET OF THE MASK

  THE SEATTLE PUZZLE

  THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW

  THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND

  A HORSE NAMED DRAGON

  THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE

  THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES

  THE SPY GAME

  THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY

  THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY

  SUPERSTAR WATCH

  THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS

  THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW

  THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY

  THE CUPCAKE CAPER

  THE CLUE IN THE RECYCLING BIN

  MONKEY TROUBLE

  THE ZOMBIE PROJECT

  THE GREAT TURKEY HEIST

  THE GARDEN THIEF

  THE BOARDWALK MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE FALLEN TREASURE

  THE RETURN OF THE GRAVEYARD GHOST

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN SNOWBOARD

  THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD WEST BANDIT

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SOCCER SNITCH

  THE MYSTERY OF THE GRINNING GARGOYLE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING POP IDOL

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN DINOSAUR BONES

  THE MYSTERY AT THE CALGARY STAMPEDE

  THE SLEEPY HOLLOW MYSTERY

  THE LEGEND OF THE IRISH CASTLE

  THE CELEBRITY CAT CAPER

  HIDDEN IN THE HAUNTED SCHOOL

  THE ELECTION DAY DILEMMA

  JOURNEY ON A RUNAWAY TRAIN

  THE CLUE IN THE PAPYRUS SCROLL

  THE DETOUR OF THE ELEPHANTS

  THE SHACKLETON SABOTAGE

  THE KHIPU AND THE FINAL KEY

  THE DOUGHNUT WHODUNIT

  THE ROBOT RANSOM

  THE LEGEND OF THE HOWLING WEREWOLF

  THE DAY OF THE DEAD MYSTERY

  NEW! THE HUNDRED-YEAR MYSTERY

  NEW! THE SEA TURTLE MYSTERY

  Copyright © 2019 by Albert Whitman & Company

  First published in the United States of America in 2019 by Albert Whitman & Company

  ISBN 978-0-8075-0748-3 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-0-8075-0749-0 (paperback)

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  THE BOXCAR CHILDREN® is a registered trademark of Albert Whitman & Comp
any.

  Printed in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 LB 22 21 20 19 18

  Illustrations by Anthony VanArsdale

  Visit the Boxcar Children online at www.boxcarchildren.com.

  For more information about Albert Whitman & Company, visit our website at www.albertwhitman.com.

  100 years of Albert Whitman & Company

  Celebrate with us in 2019!

  Contents

  1. Will There Be Ghosts?

  2. Curiouser and Curiouser

  3. Cold Clues and Warm Cookies

  4. A Dangerous Climb

  5. The Only

  6. MOO-ving Day

  7. Secrets in the Attic

  8. The Paperboy’s Clue

  9. AJ’s Treasure

  10. The Fight for the Manor

  Will There Be Ghosts?

  Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts. Will there be ghosts? Six-year-old Benny Alden biked far behind his brother and sisters. Usually he pedaled the fastest, leading the way. Not today. Not where they were going.

  Benny could see the others far ahead. Fourteen-year-old Henry was in front. Twelve-year-old Jessie and ten-year-old Violet biked close behind. The curvy bike path led away from Greenfield. The Aldens had never followed this path before. They never had a reason to go this way. Until now.

  Will there be ghosts? Benny shivered. He fell farther and farther behind. Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts. That’s all he’d thought about since breakfast—since what Grandfather had said.

  This morning at breakfast, Benny had talked and talked and talked about his hundred-day project. Everyone at Benny’s school needed to collect one hundred of something, or make one hundred of something, or do one hundred somethings. But Benny couldn’t think of one hundred of anything that wasn’t boring.

  He’d tried a bunch of things. Gluing one hundred pennies on ping-pong paddles? Bor-ing. Stringing one hundred pieces of popcorn? Bor-ing. Bending one hundred pipe cleaners into animal shapes? Bor-ing. His best idea had been to collect one hundred worms. For two days he dug all around the backyard. But he only found ten worms. He set them free.

  Then, at breakfast, Grandfather had asked, “How would the four of you like to take a tour of Wintham Manor?”

  “Isn’t that the giant gray house on the hill?” Jessie asked.

  “That’s Wintham Manor, all right,” said Grandfather. “No one’s lived there for a hundred years.”

  “Why not?” Benny asked.

  Grandfather wiggled his eyebrows and said, “That is one of the many mysteries of Wintham Manor. My friend Ella leads tours there and said you’re welcome to come. She told me the Manor will be one hundred years old next month.” Grandfather smiled at Benny. “With all your talk of one hundred this and one hundred that, I think a hundred-year-old house is a perfect place to visit.”

  “But,” Benny said, “I can’t carry a whole house to school for my project.”

  Grandfather had laughed. “No, I expect not. But Wintham Manor might give you a helpful idea or two. Besides, the four of you have been wanting to bike to someplace you’ve never been before. Today seems a perfect day for a new adventure.”

  Henry, Jessie, and Violet had all liked Grandfather’s suggestion. So now the children were biking to visit the mysterious old house. What bothered Benny was why no one had lived in Wintham Manor for a hundred years. He could think of only one good reason. Ghosts. People were afraid to live in Wintham Manor…because it was haunted!

  In the distance, Henry and the girls biked up a hill past a group of tall rocks. Benny shuddered. The rocks looked like giant fingers reaching up out of the ground. A few minutes later he got to the rocks and stopped. They didn’t look as scary close up. Benny noticed something strange on the tallest finger. Someone had carved marks near the bottom. The markings were old and worn. They sort of looked like words, but different.

  What if it’s a warning? Benny wondered. What if it means “danger”? Benny jumped on his bike, pedaling as fast as he could until he caught up with the others.

  As the sun moved higher in the sky, the bike path took a sharp curve along a creek. That’s when the children saw the manor. The dirty stone building stood like a castle on the next hill. Henry stuck his right arm out and down. It was their signal to stop. The Aldens stared at the giant house. A dark cloud passed over it. Benny’s heart thumped as the house fell into the shadow of the cloud.

  One corner of Wintham Manor was a huge stone tower. Violet pointed to the top. “Look at that big window,” she said. “It’s like the tower where Rapunzel let down her hair.”

  “The whole house looks like something out of a fairy tale,” said Jessie.

  “Or a scary movie,” said Benny, “with ghosts.”

  “Wintham Manor is not scary,” said Jessie. “It’s just old.”

  “How do you know?” Benny asked.

  “Because,” said Jessie, “Grandfather would never send us anyplace like that.”

  Henry smiled. “I wouldn’t let anything hurt my favorite little brother. Not even some old ghost.”

  Jessie knew how to move Benny’s mind away from ghosts. “I could use some water and a snack before we bike up that hill,” she said.

  “Me too!” said Benny, opening his backpack. He still wasn’t sure about ghosts, but he was sure he was hungry. Benny unwrapped a fig bar and started talking about his hundred-day project…again.

  Jessie sighed. “Benny, you’re really going to have to choose a project soon.” She tore open a small bag of pretzels. “Maybe it won’t be perfect, but it has to be something.”

  Benny stuck out his jaw. “It’s not my fault I was sick when the hundred-day project started,” he said. “By the time I got back to school, all the good ideas were taken.” Benny folded the entire cookie into his mouth.

  “I tried to give you one hundred buttons,” said Jessie, “and Violet offered a hundred colored pencils, and Henry said you could pick out a hundred nails.”

  “Mgshwidlfhst.” Benny tried to speak, but his mouth was too full.

  Henry laughed. “What did you say?”

  “Benny,” whispered Violet, “you should finish chewing before you talk.”

  Benny chewed and chewed. Then he swallowed. “I want my project to be something really, really different,” he said finally.

  The children ate their snacks in silence. This was going to be one project Benny would have to figure out for himself. When they finished, Jessie collected their garbage into a bag to throw away later. She looked around at the blue creek and the green trees and the big manor on the next hill. It gave her an idea. “If we have time,” she said, “I’d like Violet to take a few photos for my blog.”

  Jessie’s blog was called Where in Greenfield? Every week she posted a photo of something around town—a tree house, a playground, a statue. Her readers sent in guesses about where in Greenfield the photo was taken. The next week, Jessie blogged the answer and posted a new photo. She thought the creek would be the perfect place for this week’s entry.

  Henry checked his watch and said, “Okay, let’s meet back here in fifteen minutes.”

  Violet pulled her camera from her bike basket. Jessie took out the notebook and pen she always carried in her pocket. As the girls went exploring, the boys took off their shoes and socks and waded into the creek. A swarm of tadpoles darted away. “I could bring one hundred tadpoles for my project,” said Benny.

  Henry laughed. “You would have to catch them first.” He picked up a flat stone and skipped it across the water. The stone skipped five times. He found another stone for Benny. “Hold it sideways, like this,” said Henry. He moved Benny’s fingers around the edges. Benny’s first stone sank. But after a few tries, Benny could skip a stone two and three times.

  For a while, Benny forgot about the project. But when they stopped skipping stones, the thoughts came back. “I’ll never have a good idea,” he said. “Never, ever, ever.”

  “Sometimes,” said Henry, “when I have a p
roblem I can’t solve, I just stop thinking about it.”

  “Huh?” said Benny.

  “I know it sounds strange,” Henry said. “But when I ignore my problem, I get busy doing other things.”

  “Like what?” asked Benny.

  “Like building that new doghouse for Watch or fixing Grandfather’s record player or going for a long run. Pretty soon the answer to my problem sneaks up on me. The more I ignore it, the closer it comes. Then, one day, the answer jumps in front of me and shouts, ‘Here I am!’”

  Benny thought about this. “So, I should stop worrying about the project?” he asked.

  “That’s right,” said Henry. “Let’s go to Wintham Manor to see what a hundred-year-old house looks like. I bet watching out for ghosts makes you forget all about your problem.”

  Henry lay back on the bank of the creek and closed his eyes. Benny lay back and watched puffy clouds change into different shapes: a dog, a bear, a shoe, a snowman. He liked listening to the sound of water in the creek. He liked feeling the cool ground under him. This place reminded him of when the children lived in the woods.

  After their parents died, the Alden children had run away from home. They had been afraid to go and live with their grandfather because they thought he would be mean. The children searched and searched for a place to live. Then one night, they took shelter in an old railroad car in the woods. They decided to make that boxcar their home. They even found a dog named Watch and kept him as their pet. The children had many adventures in the boxcar. They even played in a creek just like this one. Then they met Grandfather, who had been searching for them. He wasn’t mean at all! Now the children lived with Grandfather in Greenfield. They used the boxcar as their clubhouse.

  Just as Benny was starting to relax, Violet and Jessie came back.

  “Time to hit the road,” said Henry.

  This time Benny kept up with the others. He still wasn’t sure he wanted to meet ghosts. But, together, he knew the four of them could face whatever was waiting for them at Wintham Manor.

  Curiouser and Curiouser

  The Aldens climbed the stone steps and stared at the manor door.

  “This is strange,” said Henry. The doorway was so low that anyone taller than him would have to bend to enter. Henry gripped the heavy door knocker and banged it once. The sound echoed through the old house.

  “Nobody’s home,” said Benny. “Let’s go.”

  “Hang on,” said Henry. “Grandfather’s friend is supposed to be here.” Henry knocked again. Still no answer. He knocked a third time.