Tony drove into Elmford where he had been staying so he could pack his things. The others walked with Mr. Taylor to open the store.
âWhat a morning this has been,â Nancy said as they all went inside. âSo much has happened!â
âI told you weâre always having adventures,â Benny said.
âYes, you did, Benny,â Nancy laughed.
In just a few minutes, a customer arrived. She walked over to Mr. Taylor. âI just wanted you to know that Iâve tried that new Elmford Shopping Center,â she said to him.
Mr. Taylor looked worried. âYes?â
The customer nodded. âAnd your store is much better,â she said firmly. âYour fruit and vegetables are fresher. Your fabric is just as good. And your prices are much better.â
Mr. Taylor looked relieved. âThatâs very good to hear,â he said.
âI knew your customers wouldnât desert you, Jerry,â Aunt Jane said.
âIâm beginning to think youâre right,â Mr. Taylor said.
Aunt Jane was just about to leave when a man came into the store. âHello, Dick,â she said. âLook, Jerry, itâs Dick Forest, who used to work here.â
âHi, Mr. Taylor,â Dick said. He looked around and saw Nancy and the Aldens putting out fruit, dusting, and pricing things. âI see you have plenty of people working for you.â
âAs a matter of fact, I donât,â Mr. Taylor said. He explained that Nancy and the Aldens would be leaving soon.
Dick looked very happy. âThen would you hire me again?â he asked.
âOf course I would,â Mr. Taylor said. âBut what about your job at the Elmford Shopping Center?â
Dick shook his head. âI quit, Mr. Taylor. I thought it would be a nice place to work. But the people who own it arenât very friendly. Iâm just not happy there.â
âThen youâre welcome to come back here,â Mr. Taylor said. âThat way, weâll both be happy.â
The Aldens smiled at each other. âEverything is turning out great,â Jessie said.
âNow when we all go home, we wonât have to worry about Mr. Taylor not having anyone to work for him,â Henry said.
âIâm glad,â Violet said. âI canât wait to see Grandfather and tell him about it.â
Benny went over to Jerry Taylor. âArenât you glad, Mr. Taylor?â he said. âNow you have someone to take our place.â
âIâm glad about Dick, Benny,â Mr. Taylor said with a smile. He looked at all the Aldens. âBut no one can ever replace the four of you.â
âThatâs what Grandfather says,â Benny told him.
âHeâs right,â Mr. Taylor said.
Violet smiled at Mr. Taylor. âIâm glad everything is working out for you,â she said. âMaybe I could make more signs for your store someday.â
âThat would be just fine, Violet,â Mr. Taylor said.
âAnd maybe when we come to visit Aunt Jane again, we could work here, just for a day,â Benny said.
Mr. Taylor laughed. âYouâre all welcome here anytime, and you donât have to do any work,â he said. âBut if I ever do need help again, Iâll know exactly who to turn to.â
âYou can count on us anytime, Mr. Taylor,âBenny said.
âRight,â Jessie said.
âYes,â Violet said. âBut now itâs time to go home to Grandfather.â
About the Author
G ERTRUDE C HANDLER W ARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write each mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be