BOOK30-Chapter 4 The Boxcar Helpers

尘世浮萍

棚车

BOOK30

Chapter

Boxcar

Helpers

少年

棚车少年

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny had begun to gather their art supplies together the next morning when someone knocked on the front door.

“I’ll get it,” said Benny. He hurried to the front door with Watch close behind him. When he opened it, Beth was standing on the porching, smiling shyly.

“Hi!” said Benny. He led Beth back through the house. “Here’s Beth!” he said.

“Hello,” everyone said.

“Hello,” said Beth, “May I carry something?”

“Thanks,” said Violet, who had been struggling with the blank poster boards. She gave half of them to Beth.

“Come on, then,” said Henry.

Beth and the Aldens left the house and went across the backyard toward their boxcar.

“It’s really a real boxcar!” Beth exclaimed.

“Yes,” Jessie said, smiling. “It really is.”

“It’s wonderful.” Beth stopped to study it.

Henry stepped up on the old stump that they used for the front steps and went into the boxcar, followed by Benny, Violet, and Jessie.

Benny leaned out the door of the boxcar. “Come see this inside, Beth!”

So Beth climbed inside and carefully propped the blank poster boards against the wall next to Violet’s. She looked around admiringly. There on the shelf was the old knife that the Alden children had used to cut bread and butter, and vegetables, firewood, and string. The big kettle they’d used for cooking was there, and a blue cloth was spread on the table. Beth saw a pitcher and a teapot. Suddenly she heard a loud noise and jumped.

“What is that?” Beth asked.

Henry laughed. “Oh, that’s just Benny, ringing the dinner bell.”

Beth looked out the door and saw that Benny was ringing an old tin can hung over a branch.

Climbing back into the boxcar, Benny grinned. “I’ll show you my cup when we get back to the house,” he promised. Benny had a cracked pink cup that he had found when they lived in the boxcar. It was one of his most favorite things in the world, and he still used it.

But now it was time to go to work. Violet had carefully arranged all the art supplies so that they were easy for everyone to reach. The Aldens and Beth sat down at the table.

“First let’s decide what we’re going to call ourselves,” suggested Jessie.“How about ‘The Helpers,’ ” said Benny.

“Or maybe ‘The Boxcar Helpers,’ ” said Violet.

Everyone liked Violet’s idea.

“Now you need to figure out how much you’re going to charge for each choice,” Beth said.

“And where we’re going to put the posters up,” Henry added. “And how many we need to make.”

“It’s a good thing there are a lot of us,” said Benny. “That will make deciding easier!”

“It doesn’t always,” laughed Henry. “What do you think, Beth? Do you have brothers and sisters? Do you always agree on everything?”

“I don’t think anyone ever always agrees,” answered Beth. “Not even brothers and sisters.”

Violet nodded. “Even if your brothers and sisters are your best friends.”

Beth didn’t say anything. Then Henry said, “Well, let’s start deciding what we’ll do then.”

The Aldens and Beth talked it over and soon decided what skills they wanted to advertise, and how much to charge for each kind of job. After that it was easy to think of all the places in town they could put up posters.

“We will have to use all of our poster boards, then,” said Jessie. “We’d better get started.”

But just then, Mrs. McGregor’s friendly face appeared in the door of the boxcar.

“How’s your project coming along?” she asked.

“We’re The Boxcar Helpers,” said Benny proudly. “We do everything.”

“Just like Charlie the Fix-it Man,” said Mrs. McGregor.

“Who’s that?” asked Violet.

“You’ve probably seen his truck around town. It says on the side of it, No Job Too Big, No Job Too Small, Just Call Charlie,” quoted Mrs. McGregor. “He’s a handyman.”

“That’s a good slogan.” Henry laughed. “I wish we’d thought of it! Only we’re not fix-it people. We just help out.”

“Well, anyway, I’ve made some chocolate-chip cookies. Would you like some?” she asked.

“Would I!” cried Benny excitedly, jumping up.

“Yes, please,” said Beth.

“Yes for all of us,” said Jessie.

So they went with Mrs. McGregor back to the kitchen. Benny got his pink cup from the cupboard and sat down at the kitchen table, and everyone joined him. The big, friendly kitchen was filled with the smell of warm cookies.

“Chocolate-chip cookies are my favorite,” said Benny as Mrs. McGregor set a plate of delicious-looking cookies on the kitchen table.

“All cookies are your favorite,” teased Mrs. McGregor. She gave Henry the pitcher of milk, and he poured everyone a tall glassful and filled Benny’s pink cup.

“If chocolate chip wasn’t my favorite before, it would be now,” said Beth. “These cookies are wonderful, Mrs. McGregor.”

Mrs. McGregor looked pleased. “Thank you.” She paused, then said, “You know, Beth, when you start painting, you might get spots on your clothes.”

　　“Oh!” Beth looked at the Aldens. They were all wearing old clothes. Henry had on jeans and one of his grandfather’s patched shirts. Violet was wearing cut-off jeans and a very faded tank top that had once been violet. Jessie had on a white T-shirt that already had paint stains on it and a pair of plain, paint-speckled shorts. Benny was wearing his favorite old overalls, with an old T-shirt, too.

Then Beth looked down at the crisp white shorts and blue-and-white striped T-shirt she was wearing. “You know, I didn’t even think of that.”

“Why don’t I go get one of Mr. Alden’s old shirts from my mending basket?” suggested Mrs. McGregor. “I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“Thank you, Mrs. McGregor. That would be great,” said Beth. “And I’ll still try to keep it clean.”

“I’ll be right back,” said Mrs. McGregor, walking out of the kitchen. “I know just where they are.”

“I have all kinds of ideas for posters,” said Violet. She tilted her head to one side, as if she could see all of the ideas lined up in front of her.

“Something with violets on it, I’m sure,” Jessie said, teasing her sister with affection.

“Flowers would be good on a poster for hospital fund-raising,” agreed Violet with a good-natured smile.

“I can’t wait to start!” Benny said excitedly.

“Now you can at least wait for Beth, can’t you?” Henry said with a twinkle in his eye.

Mrs. McGregor came back into the kitchen and handed Beth one of Mr. Alden’s old blue work shirts.

“That is just right!” exclaimed Beth. “Thank you.”

“You can go change in my room,” said Violet. “It’s the first one at the top of the stairs at the end of the hall. You can’t miss it.”

“I’ll be right back,” said Beth, running from the room.

The Aldens finished their cookies and milk slowly, trying to make them last.

After several minutes had passed, Violet said, “Maybe Beth got lost. Maybe I should go look for her.” She had just pushed her chair back from the kitchen table when Beth came running breathlessly into the kitchen.

“Look. The shirt covers my shorts, so I won’t get paint on them, either,” said Beth.

“Come on,” said Jessie. “Let’s get to work on those posters!”

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