The Nearly Twins and the Secret in the Mason Jar

By Miriam Jones Bradley

May Lynn Neely is 27 days older than her brother, Bryce, which makes them “nearly twins.” They’re smart, curious, and full of energy—so much energy you might think there ought to be more than just the two of them. This brother-sister pair brings loads of fun wherever they go. Buried treasure doesn’t have to be only in a pirate’s chest and adventures aren’t only for grown-ups. Now that they’re back home after helping the Double Cousins solve the mystery of Custer’s gold, the Nearly Twins are itching to have a mystery of their own. So excitement runs high when they dig up an old mason jar with objects sealed inside. Does the Alzheimer’s patient hold the crucial clue? Can they fit together the history and people, as well as the geography and geology of the western North Carolina mountains, to find the answer? Is there an actual treasure at the end of their quest?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ambassador International
• Release date: Nov 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781620204979

Book preview

The Nearly Twins

and the Secret in the Mason Jar

© 2016 by Miriam Jones Bradley

All rights reserved

Illustrations by Jason Newsome

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-1-62020-566-2

eISBN: 978-1-62020-497-9

Cover Design and Page Layout by Hannah Nichols

Ebook Conversion by Anna Riebe Raats

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Dedication

The Bradley family moved into the Saluda, NC, area before the American Revolution, and since a few elements of this story reflect some of that family history, this book is dedicated to the Bradleys–to my husband’s late parents, Archie and Olivia Bradley, and the immediate family, to their ancestors, and to the extended connections. Those extended connections encompass many of the old families of the area, so the dedication includes in a general way all or most of Old Saluda.

Author’s Notes

This is a work of fiction in its entirety. Actual places and family names are used in a fictional manner and do not represent any real person.

When I started researching the history of Saluda, NC, I was overwhelmed. ALL of that really happened in little ol’ Saluda? Yes, indeed! It really was a tourist town where people from the flatlands went to escape the summer heat. There really was a seminary school, a famous baby hospital, and an annual seminar for pediatricians. And there really is an effort to save the old depot (www.historicsaluda.org).

The local family names used in the story are the names of old families in the area, but none of the characters’ personalities correspond with real people. Holbert’s Cove and Green River Cove are real places, but none of the features attributed to them are real. The story about when the road took the farm is true, and we hear that similar things happened to lots of families all over the country.

While researching for this book I watched a documentary on Netflix titled Alive Inside, which demonstrates the benefits of using music with dementia patients, specifically those with Alzheimer’s disease. Being a music lover and a nurse, I was intrigued. You can learn more about the program to provide iPods for patients at this website: www.musicandmemory.org.

Several people gave me specific help with the research. My husband, as always, was my first research partner, especially since his family is from Saluda. My sister-in-law spent an afternoon exploring the sites of the old hotels with me. Our friend Pooch Pace provided me with an invaluable tool, a copy of Saluda, N.C. 100 Years 1881-1981 Volumes I and II (Brewster, NY: Holly Hill Press, 1996). This was compiled by Anne Osborne and Charlene Pace. I have become a huge fan of these locally produced histories. In addition, at the Saluda Community Library I found books written by fourth-grade students at Saluda Elementary School. Through Our Eyes is a collection of interviews with elders. For an author looking for primary sources, this is a jackpot!

As always I need to thank the people who read my manuscript and offered editorial comments. Bruce Bradley, Ginny Bradley, Jan Bennett, Phyllis Thomas, Jessica Cook, Sarah Calhoun, and Riley and Katie, two of my fan base: I am so thankful for you!

I hope this book causes you to look around your town and see things a bit differently!

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Information

Dedication

Author’s Notes

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Contact Information

CHAPTER 1

Unearthed

BRYCE NEELY THUNDERED THROUGH THE house and burst out onto the porch. BAM! The old screen door slammed open and then closed with an enormous bang, startling his sister, who had been reading peacefully in the porch swing. Do you want to go with me? Mom said we can use Miss Beulah’s metal detector.

May Lynn dropped her book in the swing and jumped up. Her jet-black hair bounced on her shoulders and glistened in the late afternoon sun. Sure! Where should we try today? She grabbed her hot-pink sweater and pulled it on over her bright red shirt. May Lynn loved bright colors and jarring combinations.

The Neely kids, recently dubbed the Nearly Twins by their friend Chad Rawson, were both ten years old. May Lynn, although a head shorter than Bryce, was twenty-seven days older than her brother. Their parents had been in the process of adopting her from China when they found out they were going to have a baby. So Bryce and May Lynn were just a year old when she joined the family.

I thought we could check out the inside of that old tater shed behind the house, Bryce said. It’s probably had lots of different junk in it through the years, and there’s no tellin’ what we’ll find.

This house has been here a long time. May Lynn chattered as she followed Bryce around the back to where a door led into the basement under the house. Daddy said it was originally a farm house before Saluda even became an official town here in North Carolina, back when it was called Pace’s Gap, and even before the railroad came through.

In the doorway to the basement Bryce flipped on the light, swatting at cobwebs as he hurried through the dark, damp, and dusty room to the spot where they had discovered the metal detector.

May Lynn hung back and waited outside the doorway. It stinks in there. Like somethin’ got all wet and musty.

It sure does. Bryce grabbed the metal detector and hurried out of the basement. I hope we find somethin’ good today. I’m sure there’s been lots of stuff buried and lost around here. Remember the story we read last night? That man buried his gold and it wasn’t ever found. I’m thinkin’ we could find somethin’ real valuable.

Maybe even gold like the Double Cousins found at Christmas, May Lynn said.

That would be awesome! Bryce shook his head. Not too likely, though. I was thinkin’ about the kid Mom mentioned from Facebook who found a tiny dictionary with a clasp on its cover in his front yard. Maybe somethin’ like that!

The two hurried over to the tater house. The block shed built into the yard’s edge looked like it had been there for a hundred years. Full of holes, the roof leaked, and the shed had long since been emptied. The kids ducked into the low room and looked around.

Bryce turned on the metal detector like he had seen his dad do the week before. He then began to inch it along the ground in hopes it would come to life and show some metal was buried in that spot. I’m glad Miss Beulah said we could use this.

Me too! May Lynn kicked at the dirt on the floor. It’s also nice she let us rent her house for the semester while she recovers from her broken hip. I bet she’ll be glad to get home this summer.

Bryce continued moving the machine along the inside walls. For sure! She lived in this house her whole life.

She told me she was the youngest in her family, May Lynn said. I wish I could go back in time for one day and see what Saluda was like when the trains were bringing the summer people up the mountain from the flatlands.

Wouldn’t that be awesome? It’s hard to believe now this quiet town was such a busy place with all of those hotels and guest houses. I’d love to hear that train whistle the old people talk about. Bryce continued sweeping the machine back and forth, back and forth. Suddenly, noise erupted from the machine, and he grinned. It’s not real strong, but somethin’s there for sure.

May Lynn hurried out the door. I’ll get a shovel! When she returned, she handed the shovel to Bryce. I guess you ought to do it. I’m not sure I can dig in this dirt.

Bryce chipped at the hard-packed dirt and finally uncovered a used bullet casing. He handed it to May Lynn. There’s our first treasure. He started the machine again and continued around the room.

By the time he had circled the room, they had discovered four more bullet casings, several nails, and one tin can.

None of this stuff is valuable. May Lynn waved her hand at the little pile in the corner.

Bryce brushed back his blond hair and started sweeping the metal detector back and forth across the width of the room. May Lynn leaned against the wall and watched, her arms crossed.

Right in the middle of the room, the machine sputtered and crackled, this time much louder.

Bryce shot a look at his sister and wiggled his eyebrows like he always did when he was excited. Bingo! He took the shovel and struck the ground, but just under the dusty top layer it was hard as a rock. Too bad the roof didn’t leak right here. It sure woulda made it easier to dig.

But if there’s something valuable, the dryness will be better. At least that’s what Daddy always says.

Maybe we need a hoe . . . or a little garden trowel, Bryce suggested.

May Lynn ran to get the tools while Bryce continued chipping away at the dirt. When she returned, she dropped to her knees with the trowel and started to loosen the earth packed into the floor by years of use while her brother hacked at the dirt with the hoe.

Eventually they got past the hardest-packed layer, and Bryce was able to stand on the shovel. Using the weight of his body, he pushed the tool into the dirt. Clunk. We’ve hit something! Bryce shouted.

May Lynn scraped away the dirt a tiny bit at a time with the garden trowel. We better be extra careful now. We don’t want to damage whatever is there.

No kidding. Bryce felt