Mystery at School

by Laura Lee Hope

  “Oh, I’ll be back later,” Tony explained. “But next week I’m taking a vacation!”

  “Who is the new man?” Nan wanted to know.

  Tony explained that he did not know the man but that he had asked to take Tony’s place for a week. “He’s going to rent another truck. So, with what he’s paying me for the route, I’m off for a trip with my family.”

  At that moment the school bell rang. The children waved good-by to Tony and trooped into the building.

  “We’ll meet you and Freddie in the museum room after school,” Nan told Flossie as she turned into her home room.

  An activities room had been newly decorated for the purpose. There were shelves around the sides of the room and several glass cases. When Mr. Tetlow came in, the Bobbseys, Nellie, Charlie, and two little friends of the younger twins, Susie Larker and Teddy Blake, were looking at a vase. It had a large, egg-shaped body and a narrow neck with a handle on each side. A procession of red horses against a background of black encircled the piece.

  “I see you like my vase,” Mr. Tetlow remarked with a smile. “It’s called an amphora and was made in Greece several thousand years ago.”

  “I like the horses!” Freddie said. “They’re chasing each other around the vase.”

  Mr. Tetlow laughed. “That’s right The scene is a horse race and the amphora was probably given to the winner at the great athletic games which they held in those days.”

  “I like this statue best,” Nan remarked. She picked up a little figure about eight inches tall. It was of a woman with a tiny waist and wide skirt. Her high headdress was a brilliant red while her dress was blue and cream-colored.

  “You have good taste, Nan,” the principal observed. “That is a statuette of the snake goddess, and it came from the ruins of an ancient palace in Crete.”

  “Where’s Crete?” Freddie asked.

  Mr. Tetlow explained that Crete was an island in the Mediterranean Sea near Greece. “This statuette is the most valuable thing in the museum. A friend of mine, Mr. Thomas Nelson, has loaned it to us while he is in Europe.”

  As the Bobbsey twins continued their tour of the room, Bert admired a collection of Indian flints and arrowheads. Freddie and Teddy pressed their noses against a glass case to get a better look at some bows and arrows. Charlie examined a group of early American coins.

  Finally when they had looked at everything in the room, the children thanked Mr. Tetlow and started home. “Why don’t you all stop at our house and play awhile?” Nan suggested to the twins’ friends.

  “Yes,” Flossie said mischievously, “I saw Dinah baking some cookies this morning”

  The eight children walked into the Bobbseys’ back yard. Dinah came to the kitchen door with a broad smile on her face.

  “Looks like I got some customers for my fresh cookies!” she remarked. “You all sit down around the picnic table, and I’ll bring you a little snack.”

  Nan ran in to help, and in a few minutes she and Dinah came out carrying a plate of cookies, a tray of glasses, and a big pitcher of milk.

  “Boy! That looks good!” Charlie exclaimed as they settled around the table.

  Talk about the new museum went on as the children drank the milk and munched the cookies.

  “We’ll have to get busy and find some more things for it,” Bert said as he finished eating.

  “Yes, the room does look sort of empty,” Charlie agreed.

  “We can ask everyone at school to bring in exhibits,” Nellie proposed enthusiastically.

  “It would be nice to have some things which would belong to the school and stay in the museum permanently,” Nan spoke up.

  “But where will we get the money to buy anything?” Charlie objected.

  “We ought to be able to think of some way to raise money!” Nan insisted.

  Nellie looked thoughtful for a moment. “I have an idea!”

  CHAPTER V

  THE MISSING STATUE

  THE children turned toward Nellie. “We might have a white elephant sale,” she proposed.

  “But where would we find a white elephant, and who would buy him?” Flossie asked.

  The older children laughed at the idea of a real white elephant, but Freddie spoke up in defense of his twin. “What’s so funny about that?” he asked.

  Nan explained that a white elephant sale was one to which people brought things they did not want. Then other people who might like the articles bought them.

  “But where is the elephant?” Flossie persisted, still puzzled.

  “There isn’t a real elephant, honey,” Nan said. “It’s an old saying that things people have no further use for are no more good to them than a white elephant would be.”

  Freddie chuckled. “Then Danny Rugg’s a white elephant of ours!”

  The others laughed, and Bert suggested with a grin, “Maybe we can sell Danny!”

  “Nobody’d want him!” Charlie said scornfully.

  “We might have a cookie sale,” Flossie proposed.

  “We’ve had those before,” Nan objected. “Let’s do something different!”

  There was silence for a few minutes while the children thought about ways to earn money. Charlie finally spoke up, “How about a circus?”

  “That’s good,” Bert replied, “except that it might be too much work.”

  “A circus would be fun, though,” Nan mused. Then she sat up straight as an idea came to her. “I know!” she cried. “We can have a puppet show. I saw directions for making puppets in a magazine Mother had.”

  “That would be exciting!” Nellie declared.

  Nan began to describe how puppets are constructed. The others listened intently. Suddenly Nellie looked up and laughed.

  “Is this your trick dog?” she asked.

  Snap, holding a stick in his mouth, was hopping across the lawn on his hind legs. When he reached Nan, he dropped the stick and looked up expectantly. Nan picked it up and threw his stick as far as she could. With a scurry, Snap ran after the stick, grabbed it, and returned to Nan.

  “Let’s see his other tricks!” Charlie urged.

  Bert snapped his fingers. Immediately Snap rose to his hind legs and marched in a circle. Then when the twins clapped their hands, the dog dropped to the ground and rolled over. Next he sat down in front of Bert and held out his paw to shake hands.

  “He’s the best dog I ever saw!” Susie cried.

  “Maybe he’d jump through a hoop,” Nellie suggested.

  “We’ll try it!” said Bert. He ran into the house and returned shortly with a red hoop of Flossie’s. Snap gave an excited bark.

  “Come on, boy!” Bert called, snapping his fingers and holding out the hoop.

  The dog ran a little way down the yard. Then he turned around and raced toward Bert. When he got there he rose gracefully into the air and sailed through the hoop.

  “Say, he’s really sharp!” Charlie commented admiringly, and they all applauded.

  “We think maybe he’s been in a circus,” Nan explained.

  Evidently feeling that he had done enough tricks, Snap walked to the end of the yard and lay down under a bush. Snoop, who had been watching from a branch of the apple tree, jumped to the ground. He walked over to Snap and settled himself comfortably at the dog’s side.

  Flossie had an idea. “Why don’t Freddie and Susie and Teddy and I run a pet show? Freddie, you and I can make Snap do some tricks. The other children in school can bring their special pets and we can have prizes for the best!”

  “I’ll bring my turtle,” Teddy Blake offered.

  “I’ll bring Fluffy, my kitty,” Susie decided.

  “I know something else we can do!” Flossie’s blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “What?”

  Flossie motioned the younger children over to the side of the yard and whispered. Susie and Teddy giggled. Then Freddie said, “That’s a good idea, Floss. We’ll do it!”

  “What are you four going to do?” Nan asked when she hear
d him.

  “We’re—”

  “No, don’t tell, Freddie!” Flossie protested. “It’s a secret!”

  At this moment Dinah came to the back door. “Susie,” she called, “your mother wants you to come home. She just telephoned.”

  “I guess we’d all better go,” Nellie said. “I’m glad we decided to have the shows. It will be fun.”

  “Okay, we’ll make the puppets next week,” Nan said as she walked to the front of the house with her friend.

  Charlie and Nellie turned one way while Susie and Teddy walked in the other direction. “See you Monday, Flossie!” Susie called.

  Nan walked over to Bert and said in a low voice, “I hope we won’t hear anything from the newspaper ad. It would be a shame if Snap’s taken away before our show.”

  “Right,” said Bert.

  But no call or letter came from the dog’s owner over the week end.

  Early Monday morning Dinah called Bert to the phone. “It’s Mrs. Mason,” she told him.

  Charlie’s mother said that her son twisted his ankle the evening before. “I think he should stay off it today. He wants you to bring him the paper bag he left in his desk.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Mason,” Bert replied. “I’ll bring it at noon. I’m sorry about Charlie’s ankle.”

  But at noon Bert hurried home with the other twins and forgot Charlie’s message. On the way back to school after lunch he suddenly remembered. “I’ll get it now,” he said to Nan. “There’s still time to run over to the Masons’.”

  “Okay,” said Nan. “There’s the ice-cream truck. I’ll go over there.”

  Bert ran into the school building and Nan wandered over to a white panel truck where a group of children had gathered.

  The driver already had opened the back and was selling the ice-cream sticks from a freezer in the truck. He had rather dirty-looking blond hair, and his white coveralls were not too clean.

  “I’ll be glad when Tony comes back,” Nan said to Nellie as the two girls stood eating their ice cream. “This man doesn’t seem very nice!”

  Suddenly the man turned to Danny Rugg, who was standing nearby. “Will you sell these things for me, sonny?” he asked. “I just remembered my wife wants me to pick up some frozen food at that grocery on the other side of the school. Just take in the money. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Danny beamed. “Sure,” he said. “I’ll be glad to.”

  After the man had left, Danny motioned to Jack Westley and several other special pals. “Step up, fellows,” he called, “and have some free ice cream!”

  “You’re not supposed to give that ice cream away, Danny!” Nellie protested.

  “Mind your own business!” Danny said rudely. “I’m the one he asked to help him!”

  “Sure, Danny, I’ll have chocolate!” Jack Westley called with a smirk.

  In a few minutes Danny was doing a brisk business with his pals. The other children looked on, alarmed. Finally Nan and Nellie walked away in disgust.

  Bert came out of the building with Charlie’s package under his arm. He stopped to speak to the girls just as Freddie and Flossie, followed by Snap, came up.

  “I’d like some ice cream,” Freddie said wistfully, “but I forgot to bring my money!”

  “I’ll buy you some,” Bert offered. “I’ll treat you and Flossie and you can pay me back when we get home,” he added with a grin.

  “But that’s not treating!” Flossie objected.

  “Bert’s teasing you,” Nan said. “I’m sure he’ll buy you some ice cream. But wait until the man comes back. Don’t get mixed up with Danny!”

  Bert caught sight of Snap, who was running around among the children. “You shouldn’t have brought Snap. He can’t go to school!”

  Flossie giggled. “He’s smart enough!”

  “He followed us,” Freddie explained, “and we couldn’t make him go back!”

  “Oh well, he’ll probably leave when we go into the building,” Bert said as he started off toward Charlie’s house.

  Just then the blond truck driver came hurrying up. He was carrying a paper parcel. Quickly he put it into the back of the truck and slammed the door. Then he looked around for Danny.

  “Where’s the kid who was selling for me?” he asked curtly.

  Danny came forward and sheepishly put a few coins in the man’s hand. The driver stuck them into his pocket without counting and hurriedly climbed up onto the truck seat.

  Danny shot Nellie a look of triumph. He had gotten away with his little trick!

  At that moment Snap came trotting up. “Woof! Woof!” he barked fiercely and ran toward the truck.

  The ice-cream man paid no attention to the dog and started the engine. Snap gave a flying leap and landed on the seat beside the man. Bert, attracted by the noise, looked back.

  “Get out of here!” the driver snarled at Snap. He gave the dog a violent shove which sent him sprawling to the ground. Then the man started the truck and headed for the dog.

  “Snap!” Nan screamed. “Get out of the way!”

  Snap gathered himself together and managed to scramble out of the way of the oncoming truck. It sped down the street.

  In a flash Bert pulled a small notebook from his pocket and wrote down the license number of the truck.

  “That was the meanest thing I ever saw!” he said hotly. “I ought to report him to the police!”

  “Thank goodness Snap wasn’t hurt!” Nan said, leaning down and hugging the dog.

  “Why did Snap bark at that man?” Flossie asked.

  Bert shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe the man reminded Snap of someone he doesn’t like! See you later. I’ll have to run all the way to Charlie’s to get back before the bell rings!”

  Bert made good time and slipped into his home room just as the teacher, Miss Vandermeer, was closing the door.

  When classes were over for the day Nan said to her twin, “Nellie and I are going to the store to buy the material for our puppets. I’ll see you at home.”

  Bert packed his books and homework assignments, then turned toward the museum room.

  “Everyone’s gone home. I guess I can lock up now,” he decided.

  When Bert reached the room he gave a quick glance around before turning out the lights. Everything seemed to be in order. Then suddenly he noticed something was wrong.

  The valuable statue of the Cretan snake goddess was missing!

  CHAPTER VI

  SNAP DRESSES UP

  “BUT the statue can’t be gone I” Bert thought in dismay. “Who would take it?” He searched frantically around the room, but there was no sign of the little figure.

  Bert ran down the hall to the principal’s office. The secretary had left, but the door to Mr. Tetlow’s private office was open. Bert dashed in.

  Mr. Tetlow looked up from some papers he was reading. “What’s the matter, Bert?” he asked. “You seem upset!”

  Bert blurted out his story of the missing statuette. Mr. Tetlow jumped to his feet. “That figure gone!” he exclaimed. “That’s the most valuable thing we have in the museum! We must find it!”

  The principal hurried from his office, followed by Bert. Mr. Tetlow looked carefully on each shelf in the museum room and opened all the cupboards. The statuette was not there I

  “We’ll search the whole building,” he decided. “Perhaps this is someone’s idea of a joke!”

  Together he and Bert looked into every classroom and storage place, but they did not find the missing snake goddess. Finally Mr. Tetlow summoned the janitor.

  “Mr. Carter,” the principal said to the short, jolly-looking man, “have any strangers been in the building today?”

  The man stared up at the ceiling as he thought. Then he said, “Yes, there were two. A man was here trying to sell me a new kind of floor wax. And there was an inspector from the electric light company.”

  “Did either of them go into the museum?” Bert asked eagerly.

  The janitor reported
that he had taken the salesman in to look at the floors and that the man from the electric company had said he was going all over the building to check the lights.

  “What did these men look like?” Mr. Tetlow asked.

  “Well, let me see.” Mr. Carter pondered a moment. “The floor-wax man was about my height and had light hair. The other man was bald. He wore blue coveralls.”

  “Do you think one of them took the statuette?” Bert asked anxiously, looking at Mr. Tetlow.

  “It’s hard to tell.”

  “Why don’t we call the companies and find out about the men?” Bert suggested eagerly.

  “That’s a good idea,” Mr. Tetlow declared. “I remember you’re pretty good at solving mysteries, Bert. Maybe you can solve this one!”

  Mr. Carter told Bert the wax company’s number, and he called it. The head of the sales department said that he had sent the salesman to the school that day and that he was a very reliable man.

  Bert thanked him, then called the electric company. When he asked about the man who had come to check the lights, the official said, “I don’t know what you mean. We haven’t sent anyone out to check lights!”

  “You don’t have an inspector who’s bald and wears blue coveralls?” Bert persisted.

  “No one like that in our employ!” the light company man insisted.

  Bert put down the phone and cried out, “It must have been that phony electric company man! How can we find him?”

  “The first thing to do is notify the police,” Mr. Tetlow stated firmly.

  When Chief Mahoney came on the line, the principal reported the theft of the valuable figure. The officer said he would send a man up at once.

  “You’d better stay awhile, Bert,” Mr. Tetlow advised. “You may be able to help.”

  In a short time a police car stopped in front of the school, and an officer hurried into the building. He introduced himself as Jim Murphy.

  “Just where was this statue when it was stolen?” he asked briskly.

  Mr. Tetlow and Bert led the way to the museum and showed him the shelf where the snake goddess had been displayed. Officer Murphy looked around the room.