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Episode 7
WilliwA Christmas ClueGrace

It was two days after Christmas, and Willie was at Grace's house, nibbling on a stale Christmas cookie. "Did your familiy have a nice holiday?" he asked.

"We sure did. I still get the shivers when I think about that creepy old warehouse, though. Do you think we should go back again?" wondered Grace.

"I don't think we should go alone. Would your brother Miguel come with us, do you think?

"I'll ask him when he gets home from the store."

Furball was sitting on top of the computer, eying Rosy the cockatiel with a hungry look in his eye.

"Mom and Dad gave me a fascinating book for Christmas that might help with our mystery," said Willie. "It's called Famous Shipwrecks off Bean Point. Most of the wrecks happened around the time our map was made. I am sure there's a connection! I brought the book with me." Willie showed Grace a small paperback book.

Grace and Willie spent the next hour studying accounts of sailing ships that had crashed against the rocks of Bean Point. One story was especially interesting. It was about a sailing ship called The Oleander which was delivering cargo to Beantown from San Francisco. No one knew just what the cargo was, but it was delivered to Beantown January 4, 1898, and then set out to sea again. But a huge storm came, and no one ever heard from The Oleander again. It vanished into the windy night.

"I think someone from that ship hid something in that old warehouse on Titus Street. He made the map with the code, and when he saw that his ship was going to sink, he put the map in that old bottle and threw it overboard," said Grace excitedly.

"I wonder what the mysterious cargo could have been," thought Willie. "Gold? Jewels? Treasure?"

Just then, Miguel came into the kitchen. "Hey, Willie, don't be sounding so greedy!" he laughed. "You kids aren't going to be exploring any old abandoned warehouses without an adult. I'm getting pretty interested in this whole story. How 'bout the three of us go down to Titus Street tomorrow? Tomorrow's New Year's Day, and there won't be many people around."

"Great!" said Grace. "And tonight we get to stay up 'til midnight at the church's New Year Eve party! We're going to eat pizza, play games, and watch movies all night. Is your family coming, Willie?"

"We sure are. I'd better get on home. See you guys tonight!"

NEXT STORY: "New Years Resolutions"