sparkle-toothed man striding toward them.
“Great Wall of China—it’s good to see you again!” cried the stranger as he reached out both his arms, clutched Mr. Whipple’s hand, and shook it thoroughly. “How have you been, Charlie? It’s been ages, hasn’t it?”
Mr. Whipple looked disoriented and more than a bit uncomfortable. His mouth opened slightly, but before he could speak, the stranger noticed Arthur’s mother standing just behind her husband.
“Ah…and you must be the lovely Mrs. Whipple,” smiled the stranger. Releasing his grasp on her husband, he offered his hand to Arthur’s mother. “I’ve seen your photo countless times, of course, but I must say—you are even more radiant in person!”
With that, he raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed it.
“Rex Goldwin,” he introduced himself. “You may recognize me from the latest issue of
The Amazing Ardmore Almanac of the Ridiculously Remarkable
. First time I’ve graced its pages in nearly twenty years—but I’m happy to say I’ve just signed a new, record-breaking sponsorship contract. It’s no
Grazelby Guide
, of course—but we can’t all be Whipples, now can we?” he winked with a chuckle.
Arthur was well aware of the
Ardmore Almanac
. It was the one book Mr. Whipple had prohibited his children from ever reading.
“Why, of course, Mr. Goldwin,” Arthur’s mother nodded. “I believe your picture was on the front page of
The Record
some weeks ago—though I’m afraid my husband forgot to mention he knew you. Not overly chatty about the past, this one. Honestly, I sometimes forget he ever had a life before I met him….”
Mr. Whipple stepped forward. “I’m sorry, Mr. Goldwin,” he said, “but are you sure you received an invitation?”
“Charles!” scolded his wife. “That’s hardly hospitable behavior.”
“Not at all, Mrs. Whipple,” Rex Goldwin assured. “Your husband has every right to be selective about his guests.” He reached into his jacket and retrieved a folded piece of parchment with silver lettering. “Really, it’s my fault for not stopping in as soon as we received it. It
has
been a very long time since Charlie and I last spoke—andI can hardly blame him for being a bit surprised to see me. In fact, I wasn’t quite sure the invitation was meant for us when it was delivered to the new house—but then there it was, ‘Dear Neighbor…’”
Just then, a voice called out from behind him.
“Rex, dear?”
The group turned to see a woman striding toward them in a glittering gold dress with blonde hair that had been pulled up into a glamorously gigantic beehive. Following behind her was a sizable cluster of smiling and well-groomed children.
“Where have you—” she began, but stopped short when she realized with whom Rex was conversing. “Oh, my,” she gasped. “What an honor.”
“Hello, darling,” Rex greeted the woman. “Sorry for running off like that, but I just couldn’t pass up the chance to finally say hello to our distinguished hosts. Charles, Eliza—allow me to introduce my wife, Rita. Rita—Charles and Eliza Whipple.”
“It is such a privilege to finally meet you,” gushed Rita Goldwin as she shook hands with a reluctant Mr. Whipple and his far more sociable wife. “We’re all big fans,” she confessed. Then, turning to the group of children behind her, she said gleefully, “Children, say hello to the Whipple family.”
“Hello, Whipple family,” beamed the children.
“We’ve been telling them stories about you ever since they were born,” Rita explained, “and now, I must say,they’ve become quite the little record breakers themselves.”
“Isn’t that sweet, Charles?” cooed Mrs. Whipple.
Arthur’s father offered no response.
Rita Goldwin turned again to her children. “Children, would you like to introduce yourselves?”
The children nodded enthusiastically.
“I’m Roland,” declared the athletic-looking boy on the far end of the
“Great Wall of China—it’s good to see you again!” cried the stranger as he reached out both his arms, clutched Mr. Whipple’s hand, and shook it thoroughly. “How have you been, Charlie? It’s been ages, hasn’t it?”
Mr. Whipple looked disoriented and more than a bit uncomfortable. His mouth opened slightly, but before he could speak, the stranger noticed Arthur’s mother standing just behind her husband.
“Ah…and you must be the lovely Mrs. Whipple,” smiled the stranger. Releasing his grasp on her husband, he offered his hand to Arthur’s mother. “I’ve seen your photo countless times, of course, but I must say—you are even more radiant in person!”
With that, he raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed it.
“Rex Goldwin,” he introduced himself. “You may recognize me from the latest issue of
The Amazing Ardmore Almanac of the Ridiculously Remarkable
. First time I’ve graced its pages in nearly twenty years—but I’m happy to say I’ve just signed a new, record-breaking sponsorship contract. It’s no
Grazelby Guide
, of course—but we can’t all be Whipples, now can we?” he winked with a chuckle.
Arthur was well aware of the
Ardmore Almanac
. It was the one book Mr. Whipple had prohibited his children from ever reading.
“Why, of course, Mr. Goldwin,” Arthur’s mother nodded. “I believe your picture was on the front page of
The Record
some weeks ago—though I’m afraid my husband forgot to mention he knew you. Not overly chatty about the past, this one. Honestly, I sometimes forget he ever had a life before I met him….”
Mr. Whipple stepped forward. “I’m sorry, Mr. Goldwin,” he said, “but are you sure you received an invitation?”
“Charles!” scolded his wife. “That’s hardly hospitable behavior.”
“Not at all, Mrs. Whipple,” Rex Goldwin assured. “Your husband has every right to be selective about his guests.” He reached into his jacket and retrieved a folded piece of parchment with silver lettering. “Really, it’s my fault for not stopping in as soon as we received it. It
has
been a very long time since Charlie and I last spoke—andI can hardly blame him for being a bit surprised to see me. In fact, I wasn’t quite sure the invitation was meant for us when it was delivered to the new house—but then there it was, ‘Dear Neighbor…’”
Just then, a voice called out from behind him.
“Rex, dear?”
The group turned to see a woman striding toward them in a glittering gold dress with blonde hair that had been pulled up into a glamorously gigantic beehive. Following behind her was a sizable cluster of smiling and well-groomed children.
“Where have you—” she began, but stopped short when she realized with whom Rex was conversing. “Oh, my,” she gasped. “What an honor.”
“Hello, darling,” Rex greeted the woman. “Sorry for running off like that, but I just couldn’t pass up the chance to finally say hello to our distinguished hosts. Charles, Eliza—allow me to introduce my wife, Rita. Rita—Charles and Eliza Whipple.”
“It is such a privilege to finally meet you,” gushed Rita Goldwin as she shook hands with a reluctant Mr. Whipple and his far more sociable wife. “We’re all big fans,” she confessed. Then, turning to the group of children behind her, she said gleefully, “Children, say hello to the Whipple family.”
“Hello, Whipple family,” beamed the children.
“We’ve been telling them stories about you ever since they were born,” Rita explained, “and now, I must say,they’ve become quite the little record breakers themselves.”
“Isn’t that sweet, Charles?” cooed Mrs. Whipple.
Arthur’s father offered no response.
Rita Goldwin turned again to her children. “Children, would you like to introduce yourselves?”
The children nodded enthusiastically.
“I’m Roland,” declared the athletic-looking boy on the far end of the
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