Mystery at School

by Laura Lee Hope

  “I’m afraid it’s impossible to tell anything from fingerprints. There are too many.” He looked puzzled. “You say this is the only thing missing?”

  Bert nodded.

  “It is also the article worth the most money,” Mr. Tetlow added. “It seems as though whoever stole the statue knew its value.”

  In reply to further questioning by Officer Murphy, Bert told about the mysterious man who had come to check the lights. “The electric company says they didn’t send anyone,” he added.

  After getting a description from the janitor of the man in the blue coveralls, Officer Murphy closed his little notebook. “We’ll send out an alarm for a man answering that description,” he said. “We should be able to pick him up soon.”

  While all this was going on at school, Freddie and Flossie were at home. “What shall we play now?” Freddie asked his twin as they wandered onto the back porch of the Bobbseys’ big house.

  “We could play house. I’ll be the mother, and Snap and Snoop can be our children!”

  “I don’t want to do that,” Freddie said glumly. “A dog and cat would be silly children!”

  At this moment Flossie noticed a bundle of clothes in a corner of the porch. “What are these for?” she called to Dinah, who was busy in the kitchen.

  “Your mother left them there. Someone was supposed to pick them up for a rummage sale,” was the reply.

  An impish look came into Flossie’s blue eyes. “Let’s dress up Snap!” she suggested. “I see my old blue party dress. I think Snap would look pretty in it!”

  “Say, that would be fun!” Freddie exclaimed. “A dog dressed up. Let’s do it!”

  While Flossie pulled the dress from the bundle, Freddie ran to the end of the yard where Snap was asleep. At Freddie’s urging, the dog got up and followed the little boy back to the porch.

  Freddie held him as Flossie slipped the fluffy blue dress over his head and pushed his front paws through the little sleeves. Then she fastened the dress down the dog’s back.

  Snap, entering into the game, stood on his hind legs and waved his front paws in the air.

  Flossie giggled. “Doesn’t he look funny?” She turned to the bundle of clothes again and picked up a white straw bonnet with little blue flowers around the crown. “I think he needs a hat!”

  She placed the bonnet on Snap’s shaggy white head and tied the blue ribbon streamers under his jaw.

  Freddie grabbed a white cloth handbag from the bundle and held it in front of Snap. The dog leaned forward and took it between his teeth.

  “Look at him!” Freddie and Flossie doubled over with laughter.

  Snap, evidently proud of his costume, took off down the driveway, hopping along on his hind legs, the white purse swinging from his mouth.

  A boy, riding past the house on his bicycle, turned to look at the strange sight. He lost control of the bike, and almost skidded into a woman stepping from the sidewalk. He fell flat.

  Caught by surprise the woman dropped a bag of groceries she was carrying. Oranges and apples rolled down the street.

  “Oh! Oh!” she cried, trying to keep from tripping over the fallen bicycle.

  Upset by the commotion, Snap dropped to all fours and dashed around the corner of the house. Freddie and Flossie ran down to the street and picked up the fruit. The boy with the bicycle had scrambled to his feet and pulled his machine upright.

  “We’re awf’ly sorry our dog made everything happen,” Flossie said, as she put the oranges back into the bag.

  “That’s all right,” the woman said with a twinkle in her eye. “I can’t blame the boy for falling off his bike. It isn’t often one sees a dog like that one!”

  “Snap’s a trick dog!” Freddie explained proudly.

  When he and his twin reached the back yard again Dinah was standing in the kitchen doorway, her hands on her hips. “You children take those good clothes right off that dog!” she ordered sternly. “And fix up that bundle again.”

  Then she softened. “If you want something to do, you can sprinkle the front lawn. It’s getting mighty brown !”

  Quickly the children undressed Snap, and Dinah said she would launder the dress before putting it back into the bundle. Freddie and Flossie ran around to the front yard. Snap trotted after them.

  Freddie attached the hose to the outlet and began to water the flower borders. Flossie picked up a long stick. Snap watched her eagerly, making little whining sounds.

  “I wonder if he wants to jump over it?” Flossie called out to her twin.

  “Try him!” Freddie urged.

  Flossie held the stick straight out about two feet off the ground. Snap backed away, then ran forward and leaped over the stick.

  “Snap has another trick!” Flossie cried.

  “Maybe he’ll jump over the water from the hose!” Freddie suggested. “I’ll squirt it out straight You stand on the other side and call Snap.”

  Flossie did this but Snap did not seem to want to jump over the water. He hopped about, barking sharply. But he would not do the trick.

  “Come on, Snappy!” Flossie urged. “You won’t get wet if you jump high enough!”

  Freddie lowered the stream and Flossie called again. This time the dog leaped over the stream of water. Then he turned around and leaped back again.

  “See! He likes itl” Flossie cried, clapping her hands.

  Snap continued to jump back and forth until he was dripping wet. Dinah came to the front door to see what was going on. As Flossie ran toward her, Snap followed. He caught up with the little girl and shook himself vigorously.

  “Oh!” Flossie exclaimed. “Stop! You’re getting me all wet!”

  Freddie, forgetting he still held the hose, turned in Flossie’s direction. She jumped aside to escape the water and slipped on the wet grass.

  “Land sakes!” Dinah declared. “Flossie, you come in the house this minute and get on some dry clothes!”

  After Flossie left, Freddie returned to sprinkling the flower beds and the lawn. He had nearly finished when Danny Rugg came along. He stopped in front of the Bobbseys’ house.

  “Hi, Freddie!” Danny said cheerfully.

  Freddie, who did not trust Danny, muttered a greeting and went on with his work.

  “Jack Westley just told me that Greek figure in the museum has been stolen! He was still at school and heard all the excitement,” Danny volunteered.

  Freddie said nothing.

  “And I know who stole it, too!” Danny said.

  “Who?” Freddie asked curiously.

  “Your brother Bert!”

  CHAPTER VII

  PING-PONG PUPPETS

  “MY brother never stole anything!” Freddie declared hotly.

  “Oh, no?” Danny replied with a sneer. “Well, I saw him with my own eyes coming out of school at noon with a package under his arm. And it wasn’t his lunch!”

  “He was taking something to Charlie Mason!” Freddie’s voice rose to a shout.

  “A likely story!” Danny jeered.

  By this time Freddie was so furious he could hardly speak. He wanted to fight Danny but knew he was too little. There was something else he could do, though Quick as a wink he turned the hose directly on Danny!

  “You get out of here!” he cried.

  Danny, caught by surprise, stood still for a second in the spray from the hose. Then with a yell he jumped aside. His clothes were soaked, and water dripped from his face.

  “I’ll get even with you for this, Freddie Bobbsey!” Danny yelled. He shook his fist and ran off down the street.

  Snap, who had been watching the two boys eagerly, bounded after Danny, barking fiercely.

  “Come back, Snap!” Freddie called. Reluctantly the dog returned.

  Nan was late getting home from her shopping trip with Nellie. It was suppertime when Bert arrived, so the twins had no chance to talk before going to the table.

  “What’s the matter, son?” Mr. Bobbsey asked. “You look very glum!”
r />   Bert explained about the disappearance of the ancient statuette from Crete. “And I’m supposed to be in charge of the museum!” he ended gloomily.

  “That was my favorite exhibit!” Nan commented sadly.

  “Danny says you took it, Bert,” Freddie spoke up. “But I turned the hose on him for saying it, and he ran!”

  “Freddie!” Mrs. Bobbsey exclaimed. “What do you mean?”

  When Freddie told of his meeting with Danny that afternoon and how it had ended, Flossie giggled. “Danny must have been s’prised when he got all wet!”

  “That was a very naughty thing to do, Freddie!” Mrs. Bobbsey said sternly. “You know Danny likes to tease. You should pay no attention to him !”

  Bert and Nan had a different opinion. They were sure Danny would spread the story about Bert. But they said nothing.

  “Who do you suppose did take the figure?” Mr. Bobbsey wondered. “Could it be a joke?”

  Bert shook his head. “I don’t think so. Mr. Tetlow and I looked all over the building before we called the police. We all think it was the man who pretended to be from the electric company.”

  Conversation turned to other topics, and nothing more was said about the missing statuette. But Bert did not forget what Freddie had said.

  At noon the next day as he was leaving the school building, he challenged Danny. “I hear you think I stole the statue!” Bert said angrily.

  “Yes, I do, and I’m going to tell the police!” the bully declared. “Your little brother can’t turn the hose on me and get away with it!”

  “You’d better apologize for what you said about me!” Bert persisted.

  “Who’s going to make me?”

  By this time the boys had reached the play yard. Danny gave Bert a shove which sent him staggering against the side of the building.

  Bert regained his balance and advanced on Danny with clenched fists. He punched the bully on the arm. Although Bert was smaller than Danny, he was strong. Stung by the blow, Danny lashed out violently.

  “What’s going on here?” a stern voice asked. Both boys turned quickly. Mr. Tetlow walked toward them.

  “He started it!” Danny said with a whine.

  Mr. Tetlow looked at Bert. “What’s the meaning of this?” he asked.

  Bert told the principal of Danny’s accusation.

  “I’m ashamed of you, Danny,” Mr. Tetlow said. “You know Bert didn’t take that statue! Now apologize to him and go on home to lunch!”

  Danny muttered something and hurried away.

  Mr. Tetlow put his hand on Bert’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about the statuette,” he said kindly. “I’m sure the police will find it.”

  At the end of the afternoon session Nan called to Bert and Charlie as they were leaving their classroom. “Nellie and I got some things for making puppets. Do you fellows want to help us?” she asked.

  The boys agreed, and soon the four children were settled around the Bobbseys’ dining room table. Paste, crayons, and bits of material were strewn about.

  “What are the Ping-pong balls for?” Charlie asked in surprise.

  “They’re what we use to make the heads,” Nellie explained. “The man at the store made holes in them so one of our fingers will fit in. We draw faces on the balls, fasten a costume to each one, then work them with our hands.”

  After some discussion the children decided to make four puppets—one for each of them to manage. Bert said he would make a clown puppet, and Charlie chose a policeman. Nan and Nellie thought they would make animals—Nan an ostrich and Nellie a kitten.

  Bert’s was the easiest to do. He drew a wide red mouth on the Ping-pong ball, a round black mark for a nose, and big, staring eyes. Then he folded a bit of red paper into the shape of a clown’s hat and pasted it onto the head.

  “I’ll make the suit if you’ll fix the ostrich head,” Nan offered.

  Bert grinned and set to work. First he covered the ball with gray crayon and drew large eyes with long lashes on them. Then he made a wide bill from a piece of brown paper and pasted it on.

  “This will be the long neck,” he said, holding up a cardboard tube. He fastened one end of this to the hole in the Ping-pong ball.

  By this time Nan had finished the clown suit. It was made of red-and-white dotted cloth, and at the ends of the arms she fastened tiny hands of red cloth stuffed with cotton.

  Bert pasted the suit to the head. Then he stuck his index finger into the hole at the back. He put his middle finger and thumb into the two arms.

  “Ho! Ho!” he laughed, making the clown’s hands beat against its chest while the head tossed back and forth.

  “That’s great, Bert!” Charlie said admiringly. “But wait until I finish my policeman! Then your clown won’t be laughing!”

  Charlie had colored his Ping-pong ball tan. Now he drew a red button nose, black dots for eyes, and a red line for a mouth. Next he ravelled a bit of cord and pasted it over the mouth for a mustache. A piece of blue paper formed a cap.

  “He’s wonderful!” Nellie cried when Charlie held up his policeman’s head. “Can you make a kitten’s head for me?”

  While Charlie worked on this, the two girls sewed the bodies for the other three puppets.

  Suddenly Nellie looked at the clock. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “It’s getting late. I’d better go home.”

  Charlie decided he should leave also. Bert and Nan walked to the door with them, then went back to the dining room to straighten up.

  “It’s been almost a week since we put that ad about Snap in the paper,” Nan observed, “and we haven’t had any reply.”

  “I hope that means he doesn’t belong to anyone and we can keep him!” Bert said as he put the top on the paste jar.

  All this time Freddie and Flossie had been at Susie Larker’s house to play. Now they came running up the walk to the front door. As Freddie turned the knob, Flossie leaned over to pick something up from the porch floor.

  “It’s a letter I” she said. “It must have dropped out of the mailbox!”

  The small twins ran into the dining room with it. “Here’s a letter,” Flossie said. “Ooh lookee! It says for the Bobbsey twins!” She handed it to Nan.

  “Open the letter and read it, sis!” Bert urged.

  With a puzzled expression Nan tore open the envelope and pulled out a piece of lined tablet paper. She quickly read the few lines of writing.

  “Oh dear!” she cried. “It’s from a man who says he thinks we have his trick dog!” “Who is he?” Bert asked.

  “Where does he live?” Freddie wanted to know.

  “You mean Snap belongs to him?” Flossie cried, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

  Nan studied the sheet of paper again, then turned the envelope over in her hand. “That’s funny,” she said finally. “He doesn’t give any address or telephone number.”

  “What’s his name?” Bert asked.

  “James Smith.”

  “Maybe we can find him in the phone book.”

  Bert went to the hall table to get it. He flipped the pages until he came to the Smiths. He ran his finger down the column.

  “There are five James Smiths,” he announced.

  “I suppose we’ll have to call them all,” Nan observed sadly.

  “I want to call first!” Flossie declared. “May I, Nan?”

  When Nan nodded, Flossie ran to the hall phone and dialed the numbers as Bert called them out. There was a long wait, then a little voice said, “Hello.”

  “Is this James Smith?” Flossie asked. “And did you lose a dog?”

  “I’m Sally Smith,” the voice replied. “I don’t have a dog!”

  “Sally!” Flossie exclaimed. “This is Flossie!” Sally and Flossie were in the same room at school. “Are you sure your daddy didn’t write us a letter about Snap?”

  “I don’t think so,” came the uncertain reply, “but I’ll ask him when he comes home.”

  “You have the wrong Smith, Flossie!” Nan whi
spered. “Say good-by and hang up!”

  When Flossie had done so, Freddie took his turn. The James Smith he called had a quavery voice. “What’s that you say?” he asked.

  Freddie repeated the question. “Haven’t had a dog since I was a little shaver,” came the reply. “I’m getting old now, but if you want to get rid o’ your dog, I’ll take him!” The man gave a cackling laugh.

  “Oh, no!” Freddie cried. “We want to keep him!” The little boy put down the phone.

  Bert made the next call, and a woman answered. When Bert asked for James Smith, she said, “James Smith hasn’t been here for six months. What do you want him for?”

  The boy explained about the letter which they had received. “I don’t know anything about any dog,” the woman said sharply, “and I don’t want to be bothered about James Smith!” With that she slammed the receiver.

  “Well, we’re not having much luck!” Bert remarked as he and Nan made the last two calls.

  “No one seems to be missing a trick dog.”

  “You know something?” Nan said thoughtfully. “I don’t think any James Smith wrote that letter!”

  CHAPTER VIII

  BERT’S CLEVER TRAP

  “WHAT makes you think James Smith didn’t write the letter, Nan?” Bert asked curiously.

  “Because the writing just doesn’t look like a man’s. And if the person really thought Snap was his dog, he would have given us his address!” Nan said convincingly.

  Bert took the letter and examined it carefully. “I think maybe you’re right,” he said finally. “And I’ll bet I know who sent it.”

  “Danny Rugg!”

  Bert nodded grimly.

  “Then we still can keep Snap!” Flossie cried.

  “Yes, if we can think of some way to prove the letter is a trick,” Bert mused. He thought for a minute, then his face lighted up. “I have an idea how I can find out for sure!”

  He told the other twins his plan. Nan laughed. “That should trap Danny if he really is the one who wrote the note!”

  The next morning on the way to school Bert told Nellie and Charlie what he was going to do. Then before the bell rang he had a conversation with Miss Vandermeer.