Tree House Mystery Read Online Free

it was a little too high.
    Four long beams were soon resting on the lowest of the big branches. Henry himself nailed them safely in place. Then he showed Jeffrey and Sam how to lay the floorboards. The boards from the piano box were smooth and all the same length. They made a good floor.
    “Now you boys have fun for yourselves. Put in a nice flat floor,” Henry said. Then he climbed down.
    Sammy said, “Let’s put the nails in my basket and pull it up.” So after all, the basket on the rope was the first thing in the tree house instead of the last.
    Jeffrey laid the boards and Sammy stayed by his side and gave him the nails one by one. Benny climbed down and handed up more floorboards. He called up to Sammy, “You can live there just as soon as you have a roof over your heads.”
    “I think we can live here just as soon as we have a floor under our feet,” said Sammy.
    Benny began to swing himself up the tree, holding onto the smaller of the lowest branches. Sammy looked up and watched him. He said, “I think we need a ladder. We’ll have to go up and down lots of times, and the girls can’t climb anyway.”
    “Oh, yes, they can!” answered Benny.

    Violet looked up and said, “I think we do need a ladder just the same. We can climb, but we can work faster with a ladder. And we want to get the house done.”
    The Aldens turned to see Jeffrey running to the cellar for a ladder. That settled it.
    Soon Henry went up the ladder and looked around. “This is certainly a big tree, Ben,” he said. “It can easily hold a house for four people.”
    “Then we’ll come up, too,” Jeffrey called from the ground. He went up the ladder. His brother followed him.
    “It’s nice up here,” said Jeffrey. “With all these big branches people can’t see us from the ground.”
    Mr. McGregor had been mowing the Alden’s lawn and watching. He could see what a good time everyone was having. He called out, “You are doing a fine job, boys!”
    Sammy called back, “Thanks, Mr. McGregor. You know, this is going to be a dandy floor. It’s going to have a wall-to-wall carpet.”
    “Really?” Mr. McGregor stopped mowing.
    “Yes, sir! We have an old rug in the cellar. We can cut it to fit.”
    “A grand idea,” agreed Mr. McGregor. “Not many tree houses have carpets.”
    But Jeffrey went on working on the floor, so Sammy stopped talking and handed him more nails.
    Violet went up the ladder to look. “You are doing well,” she said. “You are real carpenters.”
    In another hour the floor was done. “Now,” said Sammy, “I wish we had a spyglass.”
    “So do I,” said Jeffrey. “I wonder if Uncle Max could tell us anything about the one that was lost.”
    Henry and Jessie looked at each other. Jessie said, “Couldn’t you go on your bikes to see Uncle Max if we all went with you?”
    “Maybe!” said Sammy, eagerly. “Wouldn’t that be fun—we haven’t used our bikes at all.”
    “Ask your dad if you can go tomorrow,” said Benny. “Tell him we will take good care of you.”
    Henry said, “Be sure to say we will be on the Shore Road, not on the highway. There isn’t much traffic.”
    Jeffrey looked up. He said, “Dad knows that already. About the traffic, I mean. Mom and Dad think that is the trouble with Uncle Max’s restaurant. All the traffic goes on the state highway.”
    “I see,” said Benny. “Not many people eat at the diner.”
    Henry said, “I think we have done enough for today.”
    “Then we have to pick up our tools,” said Sammy.
    Benny laughed. “You’re the youngest, but you are the one to think of picking up the tools.”
    Sammy replied, “If we don’t, we can’t use the tools. My dad says fine tools always get fine care.”
    They all worked picking up the tools and boards. Then Henry started for home. He said, “Boys, remember to ask your father if you can go tomorrow. We can start rather early, and maybe put up the sides of the house when we get home.”
    “Don’t