Everyone was talking. Violet was talking to David. Benny was talking to Lovan. Jessie was talking to Mr. Carter. Henry looked at Grandfather. “What a noise!” he said.
“But a good noise,” said Grandfather. “Listen and you’ll hear all the news.”
Lovan was telling Benny that David had bought her a warm blanket with her new money. David was telling Violet that Lovan had made colors to paint with from things in the woods. Mr. Carter told Jessie that David was going to school in the fall.
“David is going to be even busier,” said Grandfather. “Dr. Osgood tells me that he has tried him out on the mountain, and he’s going to hire him as a helper in the summers.”
“I didn’t know there were such interesting things in the world,” David said.
So here was David Walking-by-Night with a real job, and a new aunt, and a family to help him, and a good hound dog. What more could he want?
When the Aldens packed up to go, Benny said, “No we won’t say it! We’ll say we’ll ‘come again soon.’”
So that was it—come again—no goodbye.
On the way home, Benny said, “Oh, by the way, what will we do next summer, Grandfather?”
“Don’t you wish you knew!” teased Grandfather.
“You mean you know?”
“I didn’t say so, did I?”
“No, but your face looked so.”
“Dear me,” said Grandfather, “I must be more careful about my face!”
Benny teased for quite awhile. Then he stopped for he knew that Grandfather would not tell them until he got ready.
“Well, it’s OK with me,” he said at last. “Anyway whatever we do will be another story, huh, Gramps?”
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.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her book. And so she continued the Aldens’ adventures, writing a total of nineteen books in the Boxcar Children series.
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 OF THE LOST VILLAGE
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
THE 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 PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER
GAME
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED
HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER
MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE
MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD
MOUNTAIN
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S
CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE
COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO M
YSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY
GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED
BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING
BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING
TOMATOES
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 © 1964 by Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN: 978-1-4532-0791-8
This 2010 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
Sochoolhouse Mystery
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
Illustrated by David Cunningham
ALBERT WHITMAN & Company, Chicago, Illinois
Contents
CHAPTER
1 Benny’s Plan
2 Being Watched
3 Wanted: A Schoolhouse
4 A Woman of Few Words
5 The Money Man
6 Mystery Painting
7 Grandfather Makes a Call
8 Caught by the Tide
9 The Disappearing Stranger
10 A Discovery
11 Who Is the Englishman?
13 Surprise for Violet
14 Caught!
15 The Last Song
About the Author
CHAPTER 1
Benny’s Plan
The whole Alden family sat on the front porch reading. It was one of those hot vacation days in June. Supper was over and the sun had not yet set.
“Plenty of light to read by,” said Benny as he took his favorite book to his favorite seat in the corner. Jessie and Violet, his sisters, were already sitting in the porch swing. Henry, the oldest of the Aldens, was just home from college. He sat in one easy chair, and Grandfather sat in another.
Suddenly Grandfather looked up. Benny was not reading any more. He was looking straight ahead. But he was not looking at anything.
“What’s the matter, Ben?” asked Mr. Alden.
“I’m thinking,” said Benny. He did not move.
“What are you thinking about, old man?” asked Henry. “It seems to be important.”
“No, it isn’t important,” Benny said, but he did not go back to his book.
“You might as well tell us,” said his older sister Jessie. “It must be interesting.”
Violet added, “Please, Benny.”
“Well,” said Benny, “it’s something Max said.”
“Oh, your friend Max?” said Henry. “What did Max say?”
“Well, it wasn’t much,” said Benny, “but it got me thinking. He said that we Aldens always seem to have an exciting time on vacation no matter where we go. Always some adventure.”
“Max was right,” said Violet.
“Yes,” said Benny, looking at Violet. “I told Max he was dead right. But then he said he’d like to see us have any exciting adventures if we went to his father’s favorite fishing town up on the northern coast. He said it was a tiny village with nothing there. He is sure we couldn’t go there and have any adventures. He said even an Alden couldn’t find anything exciting in that place.”
Mr. Alden was quick to read Benny’s mind. He laughed and said, “So I suppose you want to go to this fishing village and try it?”
Benny turned and looked at his grandfather. “Well,” he said, “you see it sounded pretty interesting. I mean I can’t imagine being dull anywhere, can you?”
“No, Benny, I can’t,” said Mr. Alden. “This is not a family to have a dull time. It never was. How would you like to go there for a short time? There would still be half the summer left to go somewhere else.”
“Oh, I remember!” said Jessie. “You had something all planned for this summer, Grandfather.”
“It can wait,” Mr. Alden said, smiling to himself.
“It certainly would be fun to visit a dull town,” said Jessie. “Is it right on the sea?”
“Yes,” said Benny. “It’s an island at high tide with water on all sides. But at low tide the ocean goes out and leaves a roadway made of rocks and gravel. You can drive a car across or walk across. But the people don’t go off the island very often, Max says. Just the summer visitors.”
“And I guess there are not many of them,” said Henry.
“Where do the visitors stay?” asked Violet.
“There’s only one place,” Benny answered. “It’s something like an old country hotel with six rooms for summer fishermen like Max’s father. The village is tiny. There’s a schoolhouse and a store. There isn’t even a post office. There are houses for the people who live there, and a sardine factory where they work. They use the schoolhouse for town meetings. And that’s all.”
Grandfather looked around at the family. “If you all want to go, I’m ready. But every one of you must want to go.”
“Of course we do, Grandfather,” said Henry. “It will be fun to prove old Max is wrong. We have exciting times just by ourselves.”
“We’ll show Max!” said Benny.
Henry added, “It would be interesting to study a village where people are so cut off from everyone else. I might even write a college paper on it.”
“What’s the name of this village?” asked Grandfather. “Maybe I know it from my old fishing trips.”
“Maybe you do,” said Benny. “You know a lot of things. It is called Port Elizabeth.”
Mr. Alden shook his head. “No, I don’t know that name. We can look for it on a map. It can’t be too far away.”
Violet ran into the house and soon came back with a book of maps. “You look it up,” said Grandfather.
“Here it is,” cried Violet. “It must be very small, the name is in such fine print. And here’s the island. The only town near it is Northport.”
Henry looked at the map. “It looks as if Northport is about thirty miles away,” he said. “It must be a very small town, too.”
“It’s bigger than Port Elizabeth, though,” Jessie said. “We can probably buy things there.”
“We can take some things with us, too,” said Grandfather.
Benny began to laugh. “I never thought you would want to go to Max’s village,” he said. “I just can’t help thinking about the surprise we’ll have for Max.”
“Neither can I,” said Henry. “We’ll let Benny tell Max when we get home what a dull time we had.”
“You seem to be very sure you will have an adventure,” said Grandfather, his eyes twinkling. “What happens if it is dull, just as Max said?”
“Let’s try it anyway, Grandfather,” said Jessie. “If it
is dull, we won’t mind.”
Violet said, “I’ll take my watercolors. I love to paint the sea.”
Henry winked at Benny and said, “We’ll find something to do. We can always fish.”
Just a week later Henry drove the station wagon into the fishing village of Port Elizabeth. The tide was out. It was exactly as Max had said. There was the old hotel with six rooms, the schoolhouse, and a small store. They knew that the storekeeper, Mr. Fenton, owned the hotel. He had rented them three rooms by telephone.
“Shall we go to the store first?” asked Henry.
“Yes, I’m sure Mr. Fenton will have the keys. We can let him know we have arrived,” said Grandfather. “I hope the beds are comfortable.”
Everyone was surprised when Mr. Fenton opened the door of the first room. They had not expected anything so pleasant. There were two comfortable beds. The floor was bare except for two handmade rugs near the beds.
“Very good, very good,” said Mr. Alden nodding his head at the storekeeper. “I can see that we are going to enjoy this.”
“It’s lovely,” said Violet. “It’s just right for us.”
“Now,” said Mr. Fenton, “I’m going to show you something I don’t show all my guests. It’s a kitchen.”
He opened another door at the end of the hall, and, sure enough, there was a small kitchen. There was a large table in the middle of the room. The sink and stove were old fashioned, but the refrigerator looked new. There were cupboards full of dishes.
“It will be a pleasure to let you use it,” Mr. Fenton said. “There’s no place to eat in Port Elizabeth, and you’d have to go to Northport for your meals—and that’s thirty miles away.”
“Oh, aren’t you kind!” cried Jessie, “A kitchen like this is just what we need.”
“Can you cook?” asked Mr. Fenton.
“They all can cook, even Benny,” said Mr. Alden, laughing. “I tell them they can make something out of nothing.”
“Good,” said Mr. Fenton. “I thought you people looked as if you could take care of yourselves. I’m pretty good at guessing what people are like. Don’t often make a mistake. That’s why I showed you the kitchen.”
“Today we brought our own supper,” said Benny. “We didn’t know about the kitchen.”
“That’s fine,” said Mr. Fenton. “You must be tired. You have had a long drive. Maybe you’ll go to bed early and start up again tomorrow.”
“We’ll just drive around and see the town first,” said Mr. Alden.