The Lighthouse Mystery Read online

  The Lighthouse Mystery (Boxcar Children #8)

  Gertrude Chandler Warner

  Chapter One Lighthouse for Sale

  The 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?"

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  "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."

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  Lighthouse for Sale

  "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."

  10

  "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 climbing. 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

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  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-

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  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 you 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

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  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.

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  [PICTURE NOT SHOWN]

  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

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  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.

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  CHAPTER 2

  Unfriendly Characters

  Watch 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."

  17

  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

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  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.

  19

  "Well!" said Benny, when the man had gone by. "He's a queer character."

  "He did look at us sideways," said Violet. "I saw him when he was far

  down the street."

  "But why should he almost bump into Jessie?" Henry asked. "He might have

  knocked her down if she hadn't moved quickly. A queer character is

  right, Ben."

  "I think we notice everybody now," said Violet. "We think they are a

  part of our mystery."

  Suddenly everyone was thinking about the noise in the night. It had been

  real!

  "Right!" said Henry. He took Violet's arm as they went into the store.

  "You are always right."

  There was only one person in the store. It was a boy of about Henry's

  age. Under his arm he had a college book. Henry knew it at once.

  The girls started to buy groceries, but Henry gave the boy a friendly

  smile and said, "I noticed your book. Do you go to college?"

  "I certainly don't," said the boy loudly. Then he

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  went out of the store and banged the door.

  "Hey, what's the matter with

  him?"

  asked Henry. He stared after the boy.

  "He's looking for trouble, that feller!" said Benny. His voice sounded

  just like his grandfather's.

  Mr. Hall said, "He doesn't have to look for trouble. He's got trouble."

  "What trouble?" asked Henry. "He looks so cross at everybody."

  "Well, his father won't let him go to school," said Mr. Hall.

  "School?" cried Benny. "He

  wants

  to go to school, and his father won't

  let

  him?"

  "That's right," said Mr. Hall.

  Benny said, "Didn't that boy go to high school?"

  "Oh, yes, he had to go to high school. It's the law. He's very smart,

  especially in science. He got through high school at sixteen."

  "Well," said Henry, "he is smart, then. But he's looking for trouble. It

  wouldn't hurt him to be

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  Unfriendly Characters 21

  [PICTURE NOT SHOWN]

  22

  polite to a stranger."

  "He isn't polite to anybody," said Mr. Hall. "I try to be nice to him,

  but you see how he acts. He doesn't want friends."

  "Now

  that

  is too bad," said Benny. "Everyone ought to have friends."

  "I guess it isn't hard for you to make friends," said Mr. Hall. He

  laughed.

  "No, it isn't," said Benny. "I'm lucky. We're all lucky."

  Henry was quiet. At last he said, "I wish we could do something with

  that father. A boy like that ought to go to college if he wants to."

  "He wants to all right. That's all he thinks about -college-college-and

  I guess whatever lives in the sea. He's always picking up shells or bits

  of seaweed. Now I say if any boy wants to learn, let him learn."

  "Right," said Benny. "There are lots of boys I know that don't want to

  learn."

  "I don't think you can do anything with his

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  Unfriendly Characters

  father," Mr. Hall said. "You're not the first people who have tried."

  Then the four Aldens thought of the same name-Grandfather. But they did

  not say it. Grandfather knew how to get things done.

  "That boy is another queer character," said Benny. "Two cross people in

  ten minutes." Benny did not see many cross people.

  Then Mr. Alden said, "By the way, Mr. Hall, our dog barked in the night.

  We feel that someone was prowling about. I thought I'd see the police

  today."

  Mr. Hall shook his head. "No police in this town," he said. "Never had

  any trouble here."

  "No police!" said Mr. Alden. "I never heard of such a thing. Who looks

  up a mystery?"

  "Nobody, I guess. Never had a mystery either."

  As the Aldens drove home, they were all thinking.

  Grandfather said, "I suppose I could send for John Carter."

  24

  "Oh, please don't," cried Benny. "We
want to find out for ourselves. No

  police, no Mr. Carter, no help at all!"

  "Very well," said Grandfather with a smile.

  "We'll have to solve the mystery, Ben," said Henry.

  "Maybe we can do it better than Mr. Carter can," said Benny.

  "Oh," said Jessie. "Somebody thinks he's pretty smart, Mr. Benny! But we

  all know that Mr. Carter is right there. He would come to help us in a

  minute."

  When they reached the lighthouse with the groceries, Jessie said, "I

  wonder just the same about that black-eyed man and the cross boy. Could

  one of them have anything to do with our mystery?"

  "I don't see how," said Benny. "But you never know. Maybe they are

  cooking up something or other."

  Benny didn't know then how near he was to the truth.

  25

  CHAPTER 3

  Cement for a Project

  Jessie boiled a dozen eggs and a dozen potatoes. She put them in the

  refrigerator. By noon she had made an enormous potato salad. She had

  bought rolls and butter and a cherry pie.

  "Let's eat lunch out on the rocks," she said. "It's too hot in the

  lighthouse. You carry the salad, Henry. And, Benny, you carry the cherry

  pie and the knife."

  They found a fine seat for Grandfather that just fitted him. "Really,

  this is an easy chair," he said, "made out of rocks."

  The other seats were not so easy. The rocks were sharp. The table was

  not very flat either.

  "I have an idea," shouted Benny suddenly. "Let's find stones and make

  five easy chairs. Then build up the table with a flat stone. And then

  get some cement and fill in the cracks."

  26

  "A wonderful idea, Ben," said Henry. "A small bag of cement would be

  enough. We've got plenty of sand."

  "I saw a place where they had cement," said Violet. "Some men were

  building a driveway."

  "Where?" asked Benny.

  "Well, don't you remember when we came from Aunt Jane's there was a big

  new gas station where some men were building a driveway?"

  "I remember it," said Mr. Alden. "It was right beside a little fish

  market."

  "Let's go the minute lunch is over," said Benny.

  "Lunch is over for me right now," said Mr. Alden. He ate the last of his

  cherry pie. "The ocean will wash away the crumbs."

  Jessie and Henry picked up all the dishes and washed them in the sea.

  Then Henry backed the car out and they all went down to the little fish

  market. Sure enough, the men were at work on the driveway. Bags of

  cement were lying around.

  "Where can we buy some cement?" asked