The Boxcar Children

Mr. Alden is a rich mill owner nearby. Every year, he holds a Field Day, a series of races for boys and girls. The highlight is the “free-for-all” (102) race anyone can enter. Dr. Moore interrupts Henry’s lawn-mowing and drives him to the Field Day, asking him to make note of all the winners.

Sitting in the bleachers, Henry talks to a little boy who tells him about the free-for-all, which anyone can enter. Henry decides to run the race. He hasn’t trained and doesn’t expect to win but thinks it’ll be fun. He signs in, gets some racing clothes, and heads out to the start. It’s a long race, so he decides to begin easy.

The starting bell rings, and everyone takes off. Henry falls behind, then speeds up to see what he can do. Soon he has passed all but one other racer. Sensing he might win, he runs all out and just passes the lead runner for the win.

Henry is carried on people’s shoulders to Mr. Alden. The boy wins prize money and a silver cup. An official asks his name. Not wanting to reveal his last name, he says simply, “Henry James,” and the scorekeepers put that up on the board.