The Mystery of the Black Raven Read Online Free PDF

“I’ll speak to the rest of our group. Thank you for your help.”
    As they walked up to the third floor, Henry asked, “Are you going to ask the others to look in their luggage?”
    “I hate to do it,” Grandfather said. “It automatically assumes that one of us is a thief. Miss Parker and I both believe it’s too soon to invade people’s privacy. We’d have to bring the bags in one room and go through them with the others watching. To do that, we’d need everyone’s agreement.”
    Jessie could imagine the fuss the Pittmans would make. “Do you think the scrapbook and raven will turn up before we leave?” she asked.
    “I’m hoping that will happen,” said Grandfather. “If you children want to stay up and read or talk, go ahead. I’ll see you in the morning.”
    After saying good night to their grandfather, the Aldens gathered in Violet and Jessie’s room to discuss the case.
    “Suppose one of the others did steal the scrapbook and raven,” Henry proposed. “What good will it do? Sooner or later, everyone gets a turn to keep the items. Why steal them out of turn?”
    “Unless there’s something we’re overlooking,” said Jessie. “Maybe the person who took the scrapbook and raven isn’t really interested in those old things, but instead is trying to get back at Grandfather.”
    “For what?” asked Benny. “Everybody loves Grandfather.”
    Violet smiled. “Not everyone knows Grandfather the way we do. Remember, the other people here have never met him before this trip.”
    “I’ve been thinking about Mr. Pittman,” Jessie said. “Remember how he told Steve he would be somebody someday? Suppose he took Grandfather’s things to be famous.”
    “How would that make him famous?” Benny asked.
    Jessie opened her mouth to comment, but just then there was a knock at the door.
    She slid off the bed to answer it.
    Miss Parker stood in the doorway. Quickly glancing up and down the hallway, she whispered, “May I come in?”
    “Sure.” Jessie held the door open for the former teacher.
    Miss Parker’s face was flushed, as if she’d been running.
    “Are you okay?” Violet asked.
    “I’m fine, thanks,” the older woman replied. “I’ve just been talking to your grandfather. I still feel terrible that the scrapbook and raven were stolen. Your grandfather told me you children are very good detectives and have solved a number of mysteries.”
    “That’s true,” stated Benny.
    “But this case is tough,” admitted Jessie.
    Miss Parker pulled something from her gray tote bag. “I believe I have something that might help. I should have shown it to you sooner!”

CHAPTER 5
Miss Parker’s Clue
    T he older lady sat down on the bed, and the children settled around her. From a side pocket of her tote, she pulled out an old envelope.
    “I found this while I was going through my great-uncle’s belongings,” Miss Parker explained. “One of my Blake cousins sent me boxes of his things. She didn’t want them cluttering up her apartment.”
    “What was in the boxes?” asked Benny.
    “Nothing of great value,” the teacher replied. “Things of sentimental value, but not worth much money. But this was interesting.”
    She opened the worn envelope.
    Violet leaned forward. She could barely read the fine, spidery writing. It was addressed to Edward James Alden in Greenfield, Connecticut. A faint postmark was stamped April 16, 1910. The letter had been mailed to her ancestor!
    “That was sent to Grandfather’s great-uncle,” she said.
    “Yes, it was,” said Miss Parker. She pulled out several sheets of tissue-thin paper filled with the same spidery handwriting. “I won’t read you all of the letter because people in those days took a long time to get to the point. Basically it says my great-uncle couldn’t make it to the annual Four Rock Miners reunion in Skagway.”
    “Why not?” Henry asked. “I thought it was a tradition.”
    “It was, but Uncle Pete’s little daughter was very