Under Padlock and Seal

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Pages: 104

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About this book

At two in the morning, Elsie hears a grindstone turning in the tool-house below her bedroom. She slips downstairs expecting to surprise her cousin Brian, whose boat-building often keeps him busy, but a light in the window and the strange hour unsettle her. Back upstairs, her sister Ida tries to explain the disturbance, while the family dog adds another puzzle to the night's events.

Harold Avery builds this children's adventure around a household at the Pines, a wooden box, and a legacy from Uncle Roger. The family circle includes Elsie's brother Guy, her sister Ida, and Brian, with adults drawn into questions about a carving-knife. Later, news of a ship collision brings sorrow to the breakfast table. For readers who enjoy domestic mysteries, the appeal lies in small clues, lively exchanges between children, and the way familiar rooms become places of uncertainty.

About the author

Harold Avery

Harold Avery built a prolific career in juvenile adventure, and his many books helped define the school story at the start of the twentieth century. Gunpowder Treason and Plot, and Other Stories for Boys brings together seven tales by Avery, Frederick Whishaw, and R. B. Townshend.