Mystery at School

by Laura Lee Hope

  “It serves him right,” Flossie said stoutly, “for scaring us about Snap!”

  The next day was Saturday and the twins gathered around the breakfast table a little later than usual. Nan was glancing at the morning newspaper. Suddenly she gave an exclamation.

  “That circus is in Sanderville!” she cried.

  “A circus!” Freddie and Flossie both put down their spoons. “Wow! Let’s go!”

  “This is a special circus,” Nan replied.

  “What do you mean?” Bert asked.

  “It’s the Hayden Circus!”

  “Oh, the one that went off the track just ahead of our train!” Bert exclaimed.

  “You mean the one maybe Snap belongs to,” Freddie said, his face falling.

  Nan read more of the notice in the newspaper. It said that the Hayden Circus had been traveling around the state and would give performances in Sanderville that day.

  Mrs. Bobbsey came into the dining room at that moment. Nan showed her the paper. “May we go?”

  “We’ll see what your father says,” she replied. “I really think we should find out, in any case, if Snap belongs to that circus.”

  “Oh, Mommy, we can’t send Snap away!” Flossie wailed.

  “But, dear,” Mrs. Bobbsey explained, “if he belongs to someone else, we can’t keep him.”

  “Maybe Daddy will buy him for us!” Freddie suggested hopefully.

  “We’ll see!” his mother said.

  Mr. Bobbsey had already left for his office at the lumberyard on the shore of Lake Metoka, so Mrs. Bobbsey telephoned him and explained about the circus.

  “Why not take Snap and the children over to Sanderville this afternoon?” he suggested. “And see what you can find out. I’d come too, but I’m very busy here.”

  He paused a moment, then went on, “I suppose we could try to buy the dog.”

  “That’s what the children were hoping you’d say.” Mrs. Bobbsey laughed as she said good-by.

  The twins felt happier about taking Snap to Sanderville when their mother told them there was a possibility of her buying the pet

  After an early lunch they all piled into the station wagon. Snap sat on the back seat between Freddie and Flossie, as he had done the first night.

  Sanderville was about twenty miles away and considerably larger than Lakeport. When Mrs. Bobbsey reached the outskirts of the city she inquired at a service station about the circus grounds.

  “They’re over on the other side of town,” the attendant informed her. “Go straight through on Main Street. You can’t miss the circus. Have a good time!” The children waved happily.

  Traffic was heavy at that time of day, and when the Bobbseys reached the circus grounds, the show had started. Mrs. Bobbsey parked the car and asked a guard where they might find the manager. He pointed to a small tent nearby.

  Flossie snapped a leash on Snap’s collar, and they walked toward the manager’s quarters. Sounds of music and clapping came from the main tent.

  Mrs. Bobbsey stepped into the manager’s office ahead of the children. A short, plump man with a big cigar in his mouth was talking to a man made up as a clown. When the short man saw Mrs. Bobbsey he came forward.

  “Are you looking for me, ma’am?” he asked in a pleasant tone. Then he looked beyond her. “Bob!” he exclaimed in astonishment. “Where did you come from?”

  CHAPTER XII

  A TRIP TO THE MOON

  “BOB?” Surprised, Mrs. Bobbsey looked around. Only the twins and Snap were behind her. But Snap was whining eagerly and straining at his leash.

  Bert stepped up. “Do you know this dog?” he asked the circus manager.

  “Sure!” the man replied. “He’s Bob, Red Rankin’s trick dog. He disappeared, and we thought he must have been hurt or killed in that train accident.”

  “But his name’s Snap!” Flossie protested. “He followed us home, and he lives at our house I”

  The circus man walked over to the dog and put out his hand. Snap licked it eagerly. Then he jumped up and put his front paws on the man’s shoulders.

  “It’s Bob all right, or my name isn’t Tiny Hayden!” the fat man declared.

  Quickly Mrs. Bobbsey explained that they had been on the train behind the derailed one, and described how the dog had attached himself to their family.

  “He’s a good dog,” Mr. Hayden agreed. “He and Red put on a fine act!”

  “May we see this Mr. Rankin, who owns the dog?” Mrs. Bobbsey asked pleasantly.

  Mr. Hayden shook his head sadly. “I’m afraid not,” he said. “When Bob disappeared, Red’s act was gone. He left the circus.”

  “But you must know where he went!” Nan said in distress.

  “No, my dear, I don’t!” the circus man replied. “Red was a good boy, but he was getting tired of circus life. He said he thought he’d try something else.”

  While this conversation had been going on, Freddie and Flossie had been staring at the clown. He had a broad, red mouth painted over his dead-white make-up. Little black spots over and under his eyes made them look very funny.

  As the twins watched, he gave them a big wink. “Would you like to peek inside the big tent?” he asked.

  The children looked eagerly at their mother. She nodded consent. “Just a peek,” she said. “We must be starting home shortly.”

  After Freddie and Flossie had gone off with the friendly clown, Mr. Hayden pulled several camp chairs forward. “Do sit down,” he urged.

  Taking a seat, Mrs. Bobbsey asked uncertainly, “What shall we do about the dog? Leave him here?”

  Settling into a chair and relighting his cigar, which had gone out, the circus manager puffed for a moment. Then he said, “Your children seem very fond of the dog, and he’ll have a good home with you. I suggest that you keep him for the present.”

  Bert and Nan both smiled. “That sounds like a great idea!” Bert cried. “We’ll take good care of Snap.”

  Mr. Hayden smiled. “And if I hear from Red Rankin, I’ll give him your address, and you people can work the problem out between you.”

  “That’s terrific!” cried Nan with pleasure.

  Snap seemed to approve of the arrangement. He pranced about and barked happily as Mrs. Bobbsey, Bert, and Nan walked back to the station wagon.

  In a few minutes Freddie and Flossie ran up. “Oh, Mommy,” Flossie bubbled, “we had the best time! We saw the monkeys and the ponies again. And I’m sure one of the monkeys remembered me ! He waved !”

  “Maybe he thought you were his sister!” Bert said teasingly.

  Flossie made a face at Bert and gave him an impish poke.

  Freddie saw Snap stretched out on the back seat of the station wagon. “Is he going home with us?” he asked excitedly.

  Bert and Nan explained that they were to keep Snap until Red Rankin claimed him.

  Flossie threw her arms about the shaggy dog. “I hope Mr. Rankin has gone to the moon and will never come back for you!” she exclaimed. Snap licked her hand and wagged his fluffy tail in response.

  Mrs. Bobbsey threaded her way through the city traffic once more and headed the car toward Lakeport. She was making good time when suddenly a white panel truck turned onto the highway in front of her. She put on the brakes and slowed down. The truck swayed a moment, then picked up speed and raced along the road.

  “I think that was the ice-cream man we’re looking for!” Nan exclaimed. “I caught only a glimpse of him but I’m sure it was!”

  “What’s the license number, Bert?” Freddie asked excitedly, standing up and peering through the windshield.

  “Can you drive faster, Mother?” Bert urged. “We must catch that man!”

  Mrs. Bobbsey speeded up. But the faster she drove, the faster the truck went. Suddenly it careened into a side road. Mrs. Bobbsey was going too fast to turn safely.

  “Mother!” Nan exclaimed. “You’ve lost it!”

  Mrs. Bobbsey by this time was entering into the spirit of the chase. Quick
ly she backed to the side road, turned, and sped down it. The road was narrow and full of holes, and the station wagon bumped and swayed.

  Finally she slowed down. “I’m afraid we’ve lost the truck, children,” she said. “I just can’t go any faster on this road. It’ll ruin the car.”

  In spite of the twins’ protests she turned the car and drove back to the highway. Later, as they neared the outskirts of Lakeport, Bert turned to his mother. “Let’s stop at police headquarters and see if Chief Mahoney has any more news,” he suggested.

  Mrs. Bobbsey and Snap waited in the car while the four children went into the building. The chief was busy when they arrived, but within a few minutes they were ushered into his office.

  The officer smiled when he saw them. “How are the little detectives this afternoon?” he inquired. “Any more clues for me?”

  Eagerly Freddie told about the white panel truck which they had seen on the highway. “He was going so fast we couldn’t catch him!” the little boy ended his story.

  “That’s very interesting,” Chief Mahoney said. “My men have been watching the Nelson place, and Perry isn’t there. They talked to the neighbors and learned that he was planning to take his vacation while Mr. Nelson is in Europe.”

  The police officer continued, “We’ve also had a report that a gang of art thieves from New York has been operating in this area. I’m inclined to believe that the man who stole Mr. Nelson’s statuette was a member of that gang.”

  “You mean you think he probably has left Lakeport by now?” Bert asked.

  The chief nodded. “We’ve sent our report to the New York police and are hoping they’ll have some news for us.”

  The twins turned away, discouraged. It looked as if they were not going to be able to solve the mystery of the snake goddess.

  “I’ll let you know if we find out anything from New York,” the chief called after the twins as they left.

  When the station wagon pulled into the Bobbseys’ driveway Snap jumped out and ran to the back yard. The twins followed their mother into the house.

  “I’m hungry!” Freddie said with a sigh, patting his stomach.

  Mrs. Bobbsey smiled. “I think if you go out to the kitchen Dinah might be able to find something for you to eat.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Bert observed. “I’ll go along!”

  “Me too!” both Nan and Flossie cried.

  In the kitchen Dinah set a plate of cookies on the table. “You all eat them here,” she directed. “I just finished cleaning the downstairs, and I don’t want you all trapsin’ around and gettin’ a lot of crumbs on my floor.”

  Bert and Nan took chairs while the small twins perched on the two tall stools. They told Dinah about their visit to the circus.

  “Snap’s going to live here until Red Rankin gets back from the moon!” Freddie announced.

  “Land sakes !” Dinah exclaimed. “What’s he doin’ on the moon?”

  “He’s eating lots of green cheese!” Flossie replied with a giggle.

  Bert and Nan laughed. “He hasn’t really gone to the moon, Dinah,” Nan explained. “Flossie just said she wished he would go there and not come back for Snap!”

  “Oh!” Freddie looked disappointed. He stood up on the rungs of the stool and reached for the cookies. Just as his hand grasped the plate, the stool slipped out from under him. Freddie went down with a crash ! The plate fell to the floor and broke, while pieces of cooky scattered in all directions!

  Dinah rushed over. “Are you hurt, Freddie?” she asked anxiously.

  The little boy shook his head ruefully as Bert helped him up. “No, but I got crumbs on the floor! I’m sorry!”

  Flossie picked up the broken plate and the larger pieces of cooky. Nan got the broom and swept up the rest. In a few minutes all was back to normal.

  Bert wandered over to the back door and gazed out. “I wonder what Snap has in his mouth,” he said. “He’s holding something in his teeth and running around the yard like mad!”

  “Let’s see!” Flossie ran outside, followed by the others.

  They laughed when they saw their pet. “It’s only a piece of red cloth,” Freddie said when the dog had come closer.

  Suddenly Snap dashed to the back of the yard, skidded to a stop, turned, and ran back to where the children stood. He shook the cloth with a growling sound, then raced off again!

  “Catch him, Bert!” Nan cried.

  The next time Snap raced by the twins, Bert reached out and grabbed his collar. “Steady there, old boy!” Bert called. “Let me see that cloth.”

  With ears pricked up and tail wagging, Snap permitted Bert to take the cloth from his jaws. The boy held it up. It was a square of red silk.

  “It looks like a big handkerchief!” Nan exclaimed. “Where do you suppose it came from?”

  His fun over, Snap stretched out on the grass, panting. Dinah had come to the door to watch the excitement.

  “Is this yours, Dinah?” Bert asked, showing her the piece of silk.

  Dinah shook her head. “It’s right pretty,” she observed, “but it’s not mine. Maybe that man who was here while you all were gone dropped it.”

  “Who was that?” Nan asked curiously.

  The cook explained that a man had come to the back door asking for work. She had suggested he might try at the lumberyard.

  “What did he look like?” Freddie wanted to know.

  “He was a nice-lookin’ man. He had red hair,” Dinah replied.

  “Red hair!” Bert exclaimed. Then he turned to Nan. “Do you suppose he could have been the circus man, Red Rankin?”

  CHAPTER XIII

  THE DESERTED HOUSE

  NAN looked at Bert in surprise when he suggested that the caller might have been Red Rankin.

  “You mean he was here hunting for Snap?” she asked.

  “Maybe,” Bert replied. “He may have come to Lakeport when he left the circus. Remember, Mr. Hayden said he was going to look for some other kind of work.”

  Nan was becoming more convinced. “And you think he dropped the handkerchief and Snap recognized it?”

  “Dogs can often tell people by their scent,” Bert said. “Maybe Snap can trail the man who dropped the handkerchief !”

  “Let’s try him!” Nan’s brown eyes sparkled with excitement.

  Bert called to Snap, who rose, stretched, and walked over to the twins. Holding the piece of red silk to the dog’s nose, Bert said, “Get him, boy!”

  Snap whined gently but did not move. “Come on,” Bert urged. “Find him!”

  The dog sniffed at the handkerchief again. Then he started off at a trot, the children behind him.

  When Snap reached the street he paused. With a little whimper he ran first in one direction, then another. Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he started down the sidewalk.

  “He’s going toward the lake!” Freddie exclaimed as Snap made a turn at the next corner.

  Lake Metoka, on the edge of Lakeport, was not a long walk from the Bobbseys’ house. This was where Mr. Bobbsey’s lumberyard was located.

  Snap went on, stopping now and then to sniff at a leaf or patch of grass. Finally he reached the shore and turned in the direction of the lumberyard. But before reaching it, Snap turned again and ran to the Bobbseys’ boathouse. He stood by the door, whining.

  “The man must be in there!” Nan exclaimed.

  “Oh, this is ’citing,” Flossie cried, taking Nan’s hand.

  Bert pushed open the door, and Snap dashed in. He ran to a comer where an old blanket lay.

  “Nobody’s here!” Flossie said, disappointed.

  “Where did the blanket come from?” Nan asked curiously. “I never saw it before!”

  “I don’t know,” Bert replied, “but Snap seems to recognize it!”

  The dog pushed the blanket around with his nose. Then he ran from the boathouse onto the dock and stood there barking.

  “The man must be here somewhere!” Bert decided. “Le
t’s keep looking.”

  The twins ran along the shore, peering around the other boathouses as they went. But they saw no one. Finally they gave up.

  “Dinah said she told the man to ask for work at Daddy’s lumberyard,” Flossie reminded the others. “Maybe he’s there!”

  Mr. Bobbsey was coming from his office when the children ran up to the small building. “Hi, twins!” he called. “I’m just going home. Want a ride?”

  “We’re looking for Snap’s owner,” Freddie said seriously. “Did he come here?”

  “Maybe I could tell you, if I knew who he is,” Mr. Bobbsey said teasingly.

  The children told him the story of their trip to Sanderville and about the man who had been looking for work at their house.

  “You say he has red hair?” Mr. Bobbsey said thoughtfully. “I did see a red-haired man talking to the yard foreman. I’ll ask him.”

  But when he was questioned, the foreman could give little information. He said the man had asked for work, but when told there was none, he had refused to leave his name and address.

  “Then we can still keep Snap,” Flossie said as she climbed into her father’s car for the trip home. The others happily agreed.

  Monday when the twins came back to school after lunch, Tony, the ice-cream man, and his truck were in the driveway.

  “Are we glad to see you!” Bert exclaimed. “That man who took your place came only once. And we didn’t have any ice cream all last week!”

  Tony looked puzzled. “I don’t know what happened to him.” Then he grinned. “I guess you’re ready for some ice cream now. What flavor will it be?”

  The children all gave their orders and business was brisk until the bell rang for classes.

  That afternoon as the older twins were leaving school Bert pulled Nan aside. “How about walking with me to the Nelson house and looking around? Maybe we can find out whether Ernie Perry really is the ice-cream man.”

  “All right,” Nan agreed. “Wait until I tell Freddie and Flossie that we’re not going directly home.”

  She was back in a minute, and the two set out for the Nelson house. It was about a mile from the school on a shady street. The houses in that section of town were old and large and were set back from the sidewalks in spacious grounds.