
At the edge of a sleepy hill town, three friends—Kate and the twin brothers Sam and Lee—return from a long school day, eager for the promised summer at their families’ orchard house. Their parents teach at the nearby college for girls, and the children look forward to long walks, gardening, and lazy afternoons on the porch. Yet the old orchard house, with its creaking timbers and overgrown vines, carries a whisper of something unsettled.
Kate, sturdy and quick‑witted, notices odd things: a missing garden gate, a sudden chill in the cellar, and the inexplicable absence of a neighbor known as the “comrade” who used to visit the orchard. While Sam and Lee tease her, she feels a pull to uncover what lies behind the house’s shadows. Her determination to set the mystery right drives the trio into a careful investigation.
The story blends gentle humor with a keen sense of adventure, inviting listeners to join Kate’s brave quest for answers. As the first clues surface, the friends must balance their summer plans with the urgency of solving the orchard’s secret. It’s a charming, early‑twentieth‑century mystery perfect for anyone who enjoys clever heroines and a touch of intrigue.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (372K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2020-10-14
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1890–1972
Best remembered for imaginative children's stories and brisk mystery fiction, this American writer moved easily between fairy-tale charm and page-turning suspense. Her books include beloved fantasy tales for younger readers as well as novels for teens and adults.
View all books