Free Snowbound Mystery by Gertrude Warner Page A

to find Mr. Alden working in a bakery.
    The four hungry workers went down the street to a restaurant. On the way people stopped them to say how good Tom’s baking was.
    While they waited for lunch Benny heard a girl say, “I’m delighted to have a real bakery here. I love that little Puggsy at the counter.”
    The man with the girl said, “I’d go in just to hear him talk.”
    Benny and Puggsy made faces at each other.
    It was a long day, but a happy one. The Nelsons had dinner with the Aldens before going to their home over the old store.
    Puggsy said, “I do miss the squirrels. It was fun to see Watch chase them.”
    “Well, I don’t miss them,” Jessie said. “But I do wonder where they went.”
    Benny said, “Listen, some day let’s go back to the cabin and see if we can find the squirrels.”
    “We could take a lunch with us,” Violet said.
    Jessie looked at Tom and said, “I still don’t know how that blue card got up in the attic over the bedrooms.”
    Tom answered, “I don’t either.”
    Not long after that on a beautiful day the Aldens and the Nelsons went up to the hunters’ cabin. Before they reached the cabin Watch began to bark.
    “Listen!” said Benny. “That’s pounding!”
    They walked faster. A ladder was leaning against the side of the cabin. A man on the roof was pounding shingles. He saw them and waved.
    Jessie said, “That’s the carpenter who worked on Franklin’s Store. Remember?”
    Benny shouted, “Did you get all the squirrels out of the attic first?”
    “No squirrels there!” called the carpenter. “I looked.” Then he pointed at the tall tree in front of the cabin. “I think you’ll find your squirrels in that tree. There’s a lot of ’em.”
    “Oho!” Puggsy said. “Mike said they might move into that tree. And there they are.”
    At first no one could count the squirrels. They were running around in the tree, chasing each other. At last Benny was sure there were five. Not a nut was left on the step.
    Benny said, “I bet they took every nut into that hole before night.”
    “Well,” said Violet, “we don’t have to worry about the squirrels. Let’s have our picnic lunch in the cabin. It’s too cold to eat outdoors.”
    The carpenter called down, “I’m leaving now. You can have your picnic without any pounding.”
    “No hurry,” answered Jessie. “We’ll go in and look around.”
    “I’d like to talk with you before I go,” said the man.
    “Now what does he want?” wondered Benny. He took out the key and everyone went into the cabin. Barbara and Jessie began to put the lunch on the table.
    In a few minutes the carpenter tapped at the door and Puggsy let him in. He sat down on the couch, holding his old felt hat. He looked at the Nelsons and said, “My name is Don Perry. When I was working in the new store I heard you tell how the blue recipe card was found up here.”
    Tom Nelson said, “Yes, that was the strangest thing. I’m sure my father wanted me to have that recipe card. But I have never been able to guess how he thought I could find it.”
    “He never knew a thing about the new ceiling,” said the carpenter. “After your father died, the cabin was sold to the Sportsmen’s Club. They told me to shut in that part over the bedrooms to make them warmer at night.”
    “I told you so,” said Benny.
    The old man went on, “When I was putting up the new ceiling I did notice some old papers on a beam. And there were some blue cards, too. But I didn’t think anything about it then.”
    Jessie said, “We thought the squirrels carried them up there.”
    “No,” said Mr. Perry. “Old Mr. Nelson put them there, and I nailed ’em in.”
    Tom Nelson said, “This explains everything. I never knew that the attic was closed after my father died. I thought the ceiling had always been there. I’m glad we know.”
    “Oh, I’m glad we got caught in the snow,” exclaimed Jessie. “If it hadn’t snowed, we wouldn’t have found the