“Well, we didn’t exactly catch him,” Violet pointed out. “But who else would want to make Richard’s name bigger?”
Jessie and Henry both nodded.
“What about the Tinman?” Benny asked as he came out of the costume room. “Don’t you think it’s strange he never takes his costume off?”
“Well, yes,” Jessie agreed reluctantly. “Still, I can’t believe he’d be responsible for ruining costumes and sets. He’s so serious about his acting.”
“You could say the same about Sarah,” Henry reminded them.
“Yes.” Jessie said slowly. “I’ve been wondering about Sarah ever since the play started. She’s so secretive.”
“Don’t forget about that folder she didn’t want us to see,” Benny reminded his sister as he joined his family.
“Yes,” Jessie nodded.
“But all these pranks were directed against Sarah,” Violet pointed out. “It’s Sarah’s costume someone ruined, Sarah’s name that was crossed off the audition sheet …”
“And Sarah’s props and script that were taken,” Jessie finished.
Henry stood and stretched. “The question is, why wouldn’t someone want Sarah in the show?” he asked.
“Well, Melody wouldn’t want her,” Benny noted.
“No,” Jessie agreed. “She wouldn’t.”
“And Richard wouldn’t want her in the play, either, because she takes too much attention away from him,” Violet pointed out.
“That’s true,” Henry said, nodding.
“I guess if we’re naming suspects, we can’t forget the woman outside in the fur coat,” said Violet.
“Or the man in the big white car,” Benny remarked.
“Yes,” Henry agreed. “I wonder why he didn’t want to go backstage to find Sarah himself. No one else would have taken his parking place. No other cars were even parked near his.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Violet said slowly. She suddenly stood up and looked around the large backstage area. “By the way, where is Soo Lee?”
“I don’t know,” Benny said. “Soo Lee! Soo Lee, where are you?” he called loudly.
“I’m in here,” answered Soo Lee from the costume room. “I think I found something.”
The Aldens rushed to her side. “There’s a big trunk in this closet,” Soo Lee told them. “Look what’s inside!”
“Soo Lee! You found a spare bulb,” Henry almost shouted. “I won’t have to reset the lights.” Henry gave his cousin a big hug. “All we have to do now is replace this light and we’re set for tomorrow.”
“The show will go on,” said Benny happily.
On the night of the performance, Jessie, Mrs. McGregor, and Benny arrived early. They needed plenty of time to change and put on their stage makeup.
Soo Lee came into the auditorium with Henry and Violet. She was all dressed up to be an usher in a red velvet dress and black patent leather shoes.
“I can’t thank you enough for finding that light, Soo Lee,” Jim said when he saw her.
Soo Lee smiled.
“Goodness, some people are here already,” Violet said softly, looking toward the door.
“Oh, I better go seat them,” Soo Lee said as she took a stack of programs in her arms.
“We’ll be backstage,” Henry called to Soo Lee.
From his post by the lighting board, Henry could peek behind the thick red curtain and watch the audience. He was the first to notice Grandfather seated near the front row.
Benny soon came to join Henry. Benny was all dressed up in his Munchkin outfit — pale blue pants and a matching jacket.
“Look, you can see Grandfather,” Henry said as he stood near the curtain. Benny peeked out into the auditorium. He looked back at Henry in surprise. “The woman in the fur coat is sitting next to him.”
“What?” Henry left his post by the lighting board to look for himself. Sure enough, Grandfather was helping the woman off with her coat. “They’re talking like they know each other,” Henry said, surprised. “I wonder who that woman could be?”
While Henry stood behind the curtain talking to Benny, he heard some rustling noises behind him. A man wearing a tweed coat was opening the fuse box near the lighting board. He couldn’t see Henry or Benny as they were hidden from him by the curtain.
“Hey!” Henry shouted to the man. “What are you doing?”
The man whirled around holding one of the fuses. Henry recognized him. He was the man he’d seen in the big white car. Suddenly, Sarah appeared in the wings with Jessie, Violet, and Jim. She was all dressed in her costume. “Oh, Dad!” she sounded heartbroken. “It was you all along, wasn’t it?”
Sarah’s father stared at the fuse in his hand and then at the shocked faces of Sarah, Henry, Benny, Jessie, Violet, and Jim.
“Yes,” he muttered looking down at the floor. “I couldn’t let you be in this play,” he continued in a shaky voice. “I just couldn’t.”
“Why not?” Benny blurted out.
When the man looked up, he had tears in his eyes. “Sarah’s my only child,” he explained looking at his daughter. “Her mother was an actress. She died in the theater in a freak accident when Sarah was only a baby.”
“I knew that, but I still wanted to act!” Sarah exclaimed. She had tears in her eyes, too.
“Ten minutes to curtain time,” Nancy called to Henry from behind the backstage curtain. “I’ll be ready,” Henry called back.
“You almost ruined our production so your daughter couldn’t be in the theater!” Jim exclaimed. He couldn’t believe it.
Mr. Bellamy sighed. “Yes, I was very upset when I heard Sarah was even trying out for a part. I made that phone call during the auditions and wrote those notes. I used to go backstage after everyone had left for the evening. I stole Sarah’s script and tore Dorothy’s costume, too.”
“How did you get in?”
“I would usually be somewhere in the building before the janitors locked the auditorium.”
Jim nodded grimly. “Someone could have been badly hurt when that light toppled over,” he said, scowling.
“I know.” Mr. Bellamy looked ashamed. “I was so upset, I couldn’t think clearly. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for all the problems I caused you.”
Jim nodded. “Well, I must confess, I am relieved to know the reason for all these disturbances,” he said slowly. “At first, I thought this play was jinxed, and no one would ever hire me as a director again.”
“Oh, that’s why you always looked so worried, even at the very beginning, before the auditions began,” Violet said.
Jim smiled and looked a little embarrassed.
Sarah blinked her eyes furiously to keep the tears from running down her cheeks. She went over to her father and put an arm around him. “I really love being with you Dad, but I love acting, too. Please stay for the show. Just watch me. I love the theater so much,” Sarah said.
Mr. Bellamy looked at his daughter. “I know you do. I must say I’ve been impressed with your determination to go on despite all I did to stop you.”
“Five minutes to curtain time,” Nancy called from behind the curtain.
Mr. Bellamy sighed. “Will you let me stay?” he asked Jim. “I wouldn’t blame you for saying no.”
“You can stay,” Jim said gruffly. He motioned to one of the ushers to lead Mr. Bellamy to a good seat.
“Time to raise the curtain,” Jim announced.
“Let’s break our legs,” Benny said as he took his place in the wings beside the other Munchkins.
CHAPTER 10
Curtain Call
“It’s going so much better than the dress rehearsal,” Jessie said to Henry as she raced by him between scenes.
“I can tell,” Henry said as he brought one of the switches down to the off position.
Nancy caught Jessie’s eye and put her finger to her lips. Although she tried to look stern, she couldn’t resist giving the Aldens a big smile. Jim had told her about catching M
r. Bellamy before the show, but she had had no time to thank the Aldens. Now she stood in the wings and quickly turned the pages of her script. As stage manager, she had to make sure everyone was on stage at the right time.
When the curtain fell on the final scene, the audience clapped and cheered. Sarah and Harold each received a standing ovation. Indeed, the audience applauded so hard, Sarah and Harold came on stage three times to take their bows. The third time, Sarah received a huge bouquet of red and white roses.
Sarah, Jessie, and Melody hugged one another in the dressing room. Soon the stage doors opened. Friends and relatives streamed backstage to congratulate the performers.
Grandfather stopped into the dressing room with Joe, Alice, Mr. Bellamy, and the woman in the big coat.
“You girls were wonderful,” Grandfather told Jessie, Sarah, and Melody. They all beamed at him.
“Sarah, I’m so proud of you,” Mr. Bellamy said. He choked a little over his next words. “I was wrong to try to stop you. You’re really gifted, just like your mother.”
“Oh, Dad, I’m so happy!” Sarah threw her arms around her father and hugged him for a very long time.
“You’re going to be even happier.” Sarah’s father smiled at her as he stepped back to put his hand behind the woman in the big coat. “I’d like to introduce you to Marilyn Morris. She’s a theatrical agent from New York. She’d like you to be her client.”
“I wrote to you,” Sarah said as she shook her agent’s hand. She looked dumbfounded. “I sent you my resume and a picture.”
“So that’s what you had in that mysterious manila folder you wouldn’t let us see,” Jessie teased. Sarah nodded sheepishly.
“I wrote to Ms. Morris also,” Harold said as he came by to offer his congratulations. “I told her she needed to come and discover you.” As he finished speaking, Harold lifted off his helmet.
“You’re Andrew Tompkins, the Broadway actor! Harold’s not your name at all.” Sarah could not contain her excitement. “What are you doing here?”
“You’re the man we saw in the pizzeria!” Benny blurted out. “Everyone recognized you except me.”
“I had to take a vacation from Broadway for health reasons, but I wanted to do some acting,” Andrew explained. “I wanted to go somewhere I wouldn’t be recognized. Only Jim knew my secret, but some of you came close to guessing,” he added, smiling at the Aldens.
“I think we should all go out to celebrate,” Grandfather suggested.
“I agree,” Benny said.
“I’ll never forget this evening as long as I live,” Sarah said, looking pleased and proud.
“None of us will,” Jessie said.
“Let’s eat,” Benny added, smiling happily.
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 boys and girls telling her how much they liked her books.
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 CL
OCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
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 MYSTERY
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
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
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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.
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