Martin raised his water glass. “I’d like everyone to join me in a toast,” he said. “Fifteen years ago today this fine lady left her hometown of Keller’s Crossing and arrived in Elmford. Let’s drink a toast to my future bride — Dorothy Ruth Ursela May!”
Jessie’s jaw dropped. Everything suddenly clicked into place. “Oh, my goodness!” she cried, putting her hands to her mouth.
The others turned to look at her. “What’s the matter, Jessie?”
“I know the answer to another mystery,” she told them in an awestruck voice.
“Another mystery?” Martin asked.
“I know who Drum Keller is,” Jessie said. She looked right at Dottie Shallum.
Dottie lowered her eyes.
Benny looked confused. “But, Jessie, Drum Keller’s a man. Remember?”
“That’s just what we thought,” Jessie told him.
Again Dottie seemed to be pretending not to hear. Even Martin was strangely quiet.
“It all fits,” Jessie went on. “You came to Elmford fifteen years ago, Dottie. That’s when Drum Keller disappeared.”
“But Jessie — ” began Violet.
“That’s not all,” Jessie cut in. “The first letters in Dorothy Ruth Ursela May spell — ”
“DRUM!” Henry cried out, his voice rising with excitement.
Jessie nodded slowly. “And Keller is from the name of Dottie’s hometown — Keller’s Crossing! That’s the part that seemed familiar to me. I just couldn’t remember why.”
All eyes turned to Dottie. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out right away. For a long time, she didn’t say a word. Finally, she smiled. “I guess you’ve found me out,” she said. She looked around at all the faces staring at her. Then she took a deep breath and continued, “I wrote The Fortune Cookie Mystery series when I was living in Keller’s Crossing. My publishers wanted to keep my identity a secret. They thought it would be a good — ”
“Sales gimmick?” put in Benny
“Exactly, Benny.” Dottie patted his hand. “They thought it would be a good sales gimmick to make Drum Keller very mysterious. The whole idea suited me just fine. You see, I was never interested in fame. It was always the writing I loved.”
Violet looked confused. “Then why did you suddenly stop, Dottie?”
“My husband became very ill.” Dottie looked at the children sadly. “After he died, I decided to stop writing the Drum Keller mysteries. My heart just wasn’t in it, anymore.”
“Dottie packed her bags,” said Martin, picking up where his partner had left off, “and came to Elmford to make a fresh start.”
“Martin and Auntie Two were the only ones who knew about my secret identity,” Dottie continued. “The publishing company simply announced that Drum Keller had disappeared.”
Jessie shot Henry a glance. No wonder Dottie wouldn’t part with those books in the cabinet. She was the author! That would explain Martin’s behavior, too. He was upset to hear the customer insulting Dottie’s books.
“When Benny found that strange message in his fortune cookie,” Dottie went on, “everything came rushing back to me. I remembered how much fun I used to have making up codes and clues.”
“Is that why you wanted to sniff out some clues with us?” asked Benny.
“Yes, Benny.” Dottie nodded. “I was also very curious. You see, I knew that first fortune cookie was meant for me. But I couldn’t figure out why someone had made it.”
“This is all my fault, Dottie,” said Martin. He looked troubled. “I never meant to betray your secret. But how could I know the Aldens would come along and figure everything out?”
Dottie waved this away. “I’m glad the truth is out, Martin. I’m tired of keeping the past a secret.” Turning to Lucy, she added, “I’d love to read some of your stories, Lucy. And who knows? Maybe I can even give you a few pointers.”
“Thank you.” Lucy sounded pleased. “I would love that!”
“I might even try writing another Drum Keller mystery,” added Dottie. “How would you feel about that, Martin?”
“It would make me very proud,” Martin replied, his voice filled with emotion.
“Will it be another mystery in a fortune cookie, Dottie?” Benny asked hopefully.
“You bet, Benny,” said the famous author. “You bet!”
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
The Boxcar Children
Surprise Island
The Yellow House Mystery
Mystery Ranch
Mike’s Mystery
Blue Bay Mystery
The Woodshed Mystery
The Lighthouse Mystery
Mountain Top Mystery
Schoolhouse Mystery
Caboose Mystery
Houseboat Mystery
Snowbound Mystery
Tree House Mystery
Bicycle Mystery
Mystery in the Sand
Mystery Behind the Wall
Bus Station Mystery
Benny Uncovers a Mystery
The Haunted Cabin Mystery
The Deserted Library Mystery
The Animal Shelter Mystery
The Old Motel Mystery
The Mystery of the Hidden Painting
The Amusement Park Mystery
The Mystery of the Mixed-Up Zoo
The Camp-Out Mystery
The Mystery Girl
The Mystery Cruise
The Disappearing Friend Mystery
The Mystery of the Singing Ghost
Mystery in the Snow
The Pizza Mystery
The Mystery Horse
The Mystery at the Dog Show
The Castle Mystery
The Mystery on the Ice
The Mystery of the Purple Pool
The Ghost Ship Mystery
The Mystery in Washington, DC
The Canoe Trip Mystery
The Mystery of the Hidden Beach
The Mystery of the Missing Cat
The Mystery at Snowflake Inn
The Mystery on Stage
The Dinosaur Mystery
The Mystery of the Stolen Music
The Mystery at the Ball Park
The Chocolate Sundae Mystery
The Mystery of the Hot Air Balloon
The Mystery Bookstore
The Pilgrim Village Mystery
The Mystery of the Stolen Boxcar
Mystery in the Cave
The Mystery on the Train
The Mystery at the Fair
The Mystery of the Lost Mine
The Guide Dog Mystery
The Hurricane Mystery
The Pet Shop Mystery
The Mystery of the Secret Message
The Firehouse Mystery
The Mystery in San Francisco
The Niagara Falls Mystery
The Mystery at the Alamo
The Outer Space Mystery
The Soccer Mystery
The Mystery in the Old Attic
The Growling Bear Mystery
The Mystery of the Lake Monster
The Mystery at Peacock Hall
The Windy City Mystery
The Black Pearl Mystery
The Cereal Box Mystery
The Panther Mystery
The Mystery of the Queen’s Jewels
The Stolen Sword Mystery
The Basketball Mystery
The Movie Star Mystery
The Mystery of the Black Raven
The Mystery of the Pirate’s Map
The Mystery in the Mall
The Mystery in New York
The Gymnastics Mystery
The Poison Frog Mystery
The Mystery of the Empty Safe
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
copyright © 2003 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2886-9
This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
EBOOKS BY GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
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