The Boxcar Children Mysteries: Books One through Twelve (77 page)
Read The Boxcar Children Mysteries: Books One through Twelve Online
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Lighthouse Mystery
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
Illustrated by David Cunningham
ALBERT WHITMAN & Company, Chicago, Illinois
Contents
CHAPTER
1
Lighthouse for Sale
T
he visit to Aunt Jane came to an end. Now, after so many years, Aunt Jane was married to Andy Bean. Nobody called her Mrs. Bean. This pleased her very much. Everyone called her Mrs. Andy, and that pleased Andy.
Grandfather Alden called his four grandchildren to him and said, “I think we should go home now. Aunt Jane and Andy want to go away on a wedding trip.”
“I wonder where?” said Benny. “I bet they are going around the world. Andy told Aunt Jane that she would never have a dull moment.”
Henry laughed. “I can believe that,” he said. “Andy is never still.”
Violet said, “Aunt Jane looks so young and well, doesn’t she, Jessie?”
“Yes,” agreed Jessie. “Ever since Uncle Andy came home she has been very happy. I agree with you, Grandfather. I think we ought to go. We don’t want to stay on the farm without Aunt Jane.”
So they packed their bags to go home. Aunt Jane helped Jessie make a picnic lunch.
All the good-bys were said and Henry started the car. “Here we go!” Benny cried.
And so they started for home—at least that was what they planned.
Henry said, “Let’s have a change and go home by the beach road.”
Henry drove the station wagon down the beach road. They could see the ocean most of the way. After about an hour Benny said, “I’m hungry.”
“You are always hungry,” said his grandfather. “Wait till we come to the lighthouse in Conley. There is a little store there. We could buy some milk. We have enough sandwiches to last two meals—ham and chicken. Aunt Jane makes delicious sandwiches.”
“Let’s go out and see the lighthouse,” said Benny. “Maybe the lighthouse keeper would show us the little porch on the top floor.”
“Maybe he would, old fellow,” said Henry, laughing. “That is called a lookout, not a porch. But it is a long climb to the top of a lighthouse.”
Soon they saw the lighthouse in the distance. It was white. There was a little white house near the foot of the lighthouse with a little path between. The two buildings stood on a rocky point of land, almost in the water.
“Look!” cried Violet. “There’s a sign on it. What does it say?”
“I can’t see yet,” said Mr. Alden.
“I can,” said Henry. “It says for sale.”
“A lighthouse for sale!” said Jessie. “I didn’t know anyone ever sold lighthouses. I thought they belonged to the government.”
“To the Coast Guard,” said Mr. Alden. “But I have heard that many lighthouses are being sold. Radar is used to keep ships safe now.”
“Oh, what a wonderful house that would be to live in, Grandfather!” said Benny. “See, there is a window on each floor. You could sleep on the first floor, and then you wouldn’t have to do any climb-ing. The girls could have the next floor, and Henry the next, and I could have the top floor with that little porch—I mean lookout. That would be neat!”
Mr. Alden laughed. He said, “Are you saying you want to buy the lighthouse?”
“Oh, absolutely!” said Benny.
“Really,” said Jessie, “we could have a lovely time in a lighthouse, Grandfather. We could go swimming any time right in our own yard.”
“And we could pick up shells and study the water birds,” said Violet quietly.
“We could certainly go fishing,” added Henry.
They had come to the lighthouse by this time. Henry stopped the car, and they all looked at the place. Nobody said a word. They were all waiting for Grandfather to make up his mind.
At last he said, “Come on, children, we’ll go into the little store and ask some questions. Maybe we
could
use a lighthouse.”
“Hurray!” shouted Benny.
Everyone else was as pleased as Benny. They smiled and looked at each other.
“Drive right up to the door,” said Mr. Alden. “A store man always knows everything.”
It was true. When Mr. Alden said, “What do you know about that lighthouse?” the man laughed and said, “I know everything about that lighthouse. It’s not used any more.”
“I see it’s for sale,” said Mr. Alden.
“Well, it isn’t for sale now,” said the man, “because I bought it myself. I haven’t had time to take down the sign. I’d like to rent it, though.”
“Would you?” asked Mr. Alden. “My grandchildren think they would like to spend a few weeks there.”
“Well, I’d be glad to rent it to you. It’s all fixed up for light housekeeping.”
Benny laughed. “Light housekeeping in a light- house,” he said. “That’s a good joke.”
“Does the little white house go with it?” asked Henry.
“Well, no,” said the storekeeper. “It ought to. But I wasn’t quick enough to buy the house. A man named Cook bought that. He buys houses and sells them. He is going to fix it up to rent someday. But now the windows are broken, as maybe vou saw, and they are all boarded up. He never thought anyone would rent the lighthouse.”
“Won’t we need the little house?” asked Jessie.
“No. That was the summer kitchen. The winter kitchen in the lighthouse is all right. It really has a better gas stove and refrigerator. There’s a good cot bed on every floor. You could get all your food right here in my store. My name is Hall.”
“I thought so, Mr. Hall, when I saw the sign HALL’S GROCERY,” said Mr. Alden.
Henry asked, “Could we ever build a fire on the beach for a cook-out?”
“Yes, you could. There’s nothing on that point but sand and water and rocks. No bushes. You will be careful, I know.”
Benny said, “Yes, we bury our fires with sand.”
“Good! Make yourselves at home. Do anything you want. Here’s the key if you want to go in and look around.”
“Well, I do,” said Benny. “I want to see the top floor with the porch railing.”
“Fine,” said Grandfather. “You get in the car. I’ll settle the rent with Mr. Hall.”
Henry took the key and drove down to the lighthouse. They could not drive to the door because the road was too sandy.
When Henry unlocked the door, the girls went into the kitchen at once.
“Good!” said Jessie, “this is a fine little gas stove.”
Violet said, “The dishes are all different, but we like them different.”
Benny climbed the winding stairs. Round and round he went.
He called, “These rooms are very small. Nothing but a cot bed in each one.” He stopped to look out of each window. He called out, “First floor. This is Grandfather’s room.”
He climbed higher. “Second floor, Jessie and Violet. Third floor, Henry. And here’s mine!” They could hardly hear him.
Then they heard no more at all from Benny. He was out on his top floor looking out to sea.
Grandfather said, “It’s lucky there’s a window on every floor. It will be hot in here.”
“Maybe not too hot,” said Violet. “We are right by the sea breezes.”
By the time the beds were made, everyone was tired.
“Let’s go to bed,” said Mr. Alden.
“Go to bed at eight o’clock?” cried Benny. “But I guess my bed will feel rather nice after all.”
Everyone was soon asleep. No one heard the town clock strike. But it did strike—nine, ten, eleven. As it struck twelve, Watch sat up and began to bark.
2
Unfriendly Characters
W
atch always slept at the foot of Jessie’s bed.
“Keep still, Watch!” said Jessie. “You’ll wake everybody up!”
But Watch didn’t stop. He barked all the more. His hair stood up straight around his neck.
Benny came down the stairs. Henry came. Mr. Alden called, “What’s the matter with Watch, Jessie?”
“I don’t know, Grandfather,” called Jessie. “He must hear something he doesn’t like.”
Benny began to pat the dog. “What’s the matter with you, Watch? Why do you have to bark at twelve o’clock midnight? Why couldn’t you bark at four o’clock in the afternoon? Then we could do something about it.”
Watch barked on and on. He stopped just long enough to growl.
Suddenly Benny said, “I smell steak and mashed potatoes.”
“Benny, mashed potatoes don’t smell,” said Violet.
“I can smell them,” said Benny.
“Are you sure it is not baked potatoes you smell?” asked Henry. “I don’t smell anything.”
“No. Baked potatoes smell even better. Maybe it’s the milk and butter and pepper and salt that I smell.”
“Well, maybe pepper, Benny. Certainly not salt,” said Jessie.
Henry was frowning. “Maybe someone is hiding and eating in that little house at the foot of our lighthouse. But I thought it was empty,” he said.
Just then Watch stopped barking. He lay down and put his head on his paws and shut his eyes. Everyone was surprised.
“Just look at Watch now,” said Jessie. “He doesn’t care any more. I guess the danger is over, whatever it was.”
“That’s a funny thing,” said Benny. He started upstairs.
“It’s more than funny, Ben,” said Henry. “The dog must have heard something.”
“We’ll find out tomorrow,” said Mr. Alden. “I’ll ask the police.”
Then everyone went back to bed. Violet thought she could not go back to sleep, but she did.
They slept till morning. After a rather poor breakfast, Jessie said, “Well, the first thing is to go to the store and buy food.”
“Right,” said her grandfather. He missed his morning coffee and toast.
No one spoke of the midnight noise. With the sun shining, it seemed as if nothing had happened.
As they walked up the street to the grocery store they saw a middle-aged man coming. He had sharp, black eyes. He did not even look at the Aldens. He passed Jessie, almost bumping her.
