The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm Read Online Free PDF Page B

work,” whispered Jessie to Meg. “Maybe the car won’t start.”
    Meg smiled.
    “That would be nice.”
    Betty walked into the barn and came over to where Meg stood. Betty nosed Meg’s shoulder, rubbing her long face there.
    Meg’s eyes filled with tears.
    “I’ll miss this old cow,” she said. “And you can’t put Betty in a jar for me to take along.”
    Jessie put her arms around her.
    “We will always be friends,” said Jessie.
    “We will always be family,” said Meg.
    Suddenly there was the sound of a car starting outside. Henry and William looked up and stopped working. Meg and Jessie looked at the barn door.
    Violet stood there.
    “Jake fixed the car,” she said sadly.

Chapter 10
Not Good-Bye
    The children slept late the next morning, almost as if they were sleeping so no one would leave. William and Meg wouldn’t get into the car. No one would wave good-bye. Everything would stay the same.
    Jake and Sarah, Mama and Papa were at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. They were quiet.
    There were several suitcases by the front door, and some boxes.
    “Who wants cocoa?” asked Mama. “We have pancakes, too.”
    William sat down at the table. He shook his head.
    “I’m not hungry,” he said. “Thank you,” he added.
    Meg and Jessie and Violet sat down. They looked at one another and shook their heads, too.
    “I’m not saying good-bye,” said Benny, getting up on his chair.
    There was a silence. Then Benny smiled.
    “Not good-bye,” he said. “It is a not good-bye day!”
    Everyone looked at him.
    “And I’m hungry for pancakes,” he added.
    “Benny,” said Papa, “that is a brilliant idea!”
    “It is?” said Benny.
    “It is,” said Papa. “You’re the smartest person here.”
    “I am?”
    Benny looked amazed.
    “Papa’s right,” said Henry. “We won’t say good-bye because we’ll see each other again soon. I’m hungry, too!”
    “Me, too,” said Meg.
    “Me, too,” said the others.
    “Well,” said Mama, “let’s have a very splendid breakfast.”
    “And we won’t say good-bye!” said Violet.
    “And remember,” said Jessie, “Jake and Sarah, Meg and William are in the cookie jar!”
    “Joe, too,” said Benny.
    “And Joe!” said everyone.
    The breakfast was long and noisy, with lots of laughter.
    And when Jake and Sarah packed up the car, and Meg and William packed their things, Henry showed William and Meg where they were going to live on the turn-around globe.
    “There,” he said. “You’re only this far.”
    He held out his fingers to measure.
    “Only this far. Three inches away.”
    “Not good-bye,” said William and Meg outside.
    “Not good-bye,” said everyone.
    It was Joe who now looked sad, walking to the car with Meg and William, turning to look back at Benny as if waiting for him.
    “It’s all right, Joe. Not good-bye, Joe,” said Benny, his eyes beginning to fill with tears.
    “Remember the cookie jar,” called Sarah, waving.
    And they were gone.

Chapter 11
Summer
    It was very quiet at Fair Meadow Farm. Everything seemed to move more slowly, silently.
    Henry and Jessie missed their walks to school with Meg and William. Benny missed Joe.
    “I’d like to have Joe,” he told Mama.
    “Well, Joe belongs to another family,” she said. “Maybe when we have enough money to feed a dog, we’ll get one.”
    “When I am grown up, I will have twenty-seven dogs,” said Benny.
    “That’s a lot,” said Mama.
    “Twenty-seven,” said Benny proudly.
    Now, at night, Benny slept with Bear.
    School ended and it was a hot summer.
    Other people who’d lost their jobs and houses came by the Alden farm. A family lived out in the meadow in their tent for a while. A man and his wife stayed in their car for a week. The man had a guitar, and some summer evenings at dusk, they would hear his soft music.
    “Hard times,” Henry said to Jessie.
    “I hope the hard times end,” said Jessie.
    But they didn’t that summer.
    And one day a man and his