The Lighthouse Mystery Read online

  baked in that pan."

  "Try it," said Benny. "Larry said we could." The doctor broke off a

  piece of the cake and tried it.

  "How is it?" asked Benny.

  "Not too bad, not too good," said the doctor.

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  "But why is Larry using seaweed?" asked Mr. Cook.

  "There's a great deal of it," said Henry. "Anyone can get it free. It

  could be made into food people could eat. It would help feed the world."

  The doctor said slowly, "I know the Japanese use it, but they like it.

  They make cakes and candy and puddings."

  "That is exactly right," said Henry. "If we liked it, we could have all

  we wanted just for sending boats out after it."

  Mr. Cook looked at Henry and said, "So that is what my boy was

  doing-trying to make seaweed taste good. He did know what he was talking

  about all the time."

  "Then Larry is well if he is talking sense," said Dr. Phillips. "Only he

  is still weak. He can get up when he feels able."

  Dr. Phillips went on his way, and the rest went back to Larry. He was

  sitting up eating his breakfast.

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  "Tell us, Larry, what you were trying to do," said Grandfather, sitting

  down beside the bed.

  "Oh, it is so interesting!" cried Larry. "I had to do my experiments

  with seaweed because plankton wouldn't keep. Uncle Rich Snow always

  brought me some plankton from the South Seas. He had a refrigerator."

  "We've been in that refrigerator," said Benny, laughing. "We saw your

  white bags of plankton, but we didn't know then what it was."

  "I like to look at the plankton under my microscope. But I do wish I had

  a large microscope. The plankton would be so beautiful. It's all colors

  and so many different kinds, and so small you can't see it at all

  without the microscope."

  "We saw some plankton when we went to Blue Bay," said Henry.

  "Then you know. If we could only make it good to eat, it would feed the

  world."

  "Tell us about your experiments," said Mr. Alden.

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  "Well, I have tried a good many things. Of course I don't have much to

  work with. I mixed the jelly of the seaweed with flour and sugar and

  made cakes and fried them. They were not very good. Next time I was

  going to put in flavoring."

  "Good work!" said Mr. Alden. "You have done well all alone. Now you need

  help."

  Then Grandfather went on talking to Mr. Cook. "If you will let Larry go

  to Adams College, I will help you pay for it."

  "Oh, no," said Mr. Cook. "That isn't it! I have enough money. Captain

  Snow would have given us money, too. I just made up my mind that he

  couldn't go, and I hated to give in. You see I never had a chance for

  much schooling. I've done all right. I couldn't see why Larry needed to

  go to college. A waste of money, I thought." Mr. Cook stopped and then

  he added, "I guess I'm quick to lose my temper and slow to change my

  mind."

  "I was like that, too," said Benny. "I used to howl my head off."

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  Mr. Cook laughed. He said, "And you think I am howling now? All right.

  He can go."

  Jessie looked at Larry. His eyes were shining. He had forgotten his

  breakfast.

  Mr. Alden said, "Let's all sit down and talk about this. This is

  wonderful of you, Mr. Cook. You see, I know Adams College. Henry goes

  there. They have a teacher who could help Larry on this very work. He

  will work with Larry, I am sure."

  Larry sat up straight. Watch went over and put his paws on the bed and

  wagged his tail.

  "That settles it," shouted Benny. "Now Larry is one of the family!"

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  CHAPTER 13

  A Final Surprise

  Grandfather sat forward in his chair.

  "Another thing," he said. "We ought to go home soon."

  "Oh, why?" asked Benny.

  Mr. Alden laughed. "I have to work, for one thing."

  Jessie said, "Oh, I suppose you do."

  Henry said, "I must get ready for college, too."

  "I shall miss you all," said Larry.

  "You won't miss Henry," said Benny. "You'll see him every day at

  college."

  "I can go back to my house this morning," said Larry. "I feel all

  right-only weak."

  "I'll take you in the station wagon," said Henry, "and Mr. and Mrs.

  Cook, too."

  Suddenly Mrs. Cook said, "Wait! I have an idea. You must all come to our

  house for supper."

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  Mr. Alden shook his head. "Better not, Mrs. Cook," he said. "You'll have

  enough to do taking care of Larry without cooking a supper for eight.

  But we'd enjoy it all right."

  "I won't need a thing," said Larry. "I'll just lie down once in a

  while."

  Mrs. Cook smiled. She said, "Larry isn't the only one in the family who

  can cook. I do it, too. And I like it."

  The four young Aldens were looking at Grandfather, hoping he would

  change his mind.

  "Very well," he said. "We'd love to come if you really feel that way."

  "Good!" said Mrs. Cook. "Come about five and see our yard. We'll eat at

  six."

  Benny said, "I won't eat much lunch, Mrs. Cook, so I can eat a lot of

  supper. I bet you are just as good a cooker as Larry."

  They all laughed at Benny. "Really," he said, "I mean it. I'll eat

  hardly any lunch at all."

  "I can't imagine it," said Henry.

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  "I'll get dressed," said Larry, "and go along home."

  "You'll have to wear some of my clothes," said Henry. "Yours aren't dry

  yet."

  After the Cook family had gone, Benny said, "Now I wonder what Mrs. Cook

  will have for supper. It won't be frankfurters, I'm sure."

  "It won't be chowder," said Henry, smiling.

  "It won't be hamburgers," Benny went on.

  "Now, Benny," said Violet, "don't be talking about things to eat all the

  morning. You make me hungry already."

  "What shall I do, then?"

  "You might put up the clothes line. Tie it between the houses. We can

  get Larry's things dry in the sun."

  "Shoes and all?" asked Benny.

  "Yes. Tie the strings together and hang them over the line."

  When the job was done, Benny came in again. "What shall I do now?" he

  asked.

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  "Oh, Benny," cried Jessie. "Go down to the beach and sit and watch the

  water. We're very busy."

  Benny went slowly down to the beach. In a minute he shouted, "Oh, come

  quick! Millions of shells! Heaps and piles of shells! Bushels of

  shells!"

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  Everyone ran. They swept the shells and shoveled the shells into

  anything that would hold them. They set them on the rock table. As Mr.

  Alden worked he said, "I think we're going to make it. These shells were

  washed up by the storm. They came from far away."

  The water came in steadily. At last almost every shell was saved.

  "We won!" cried Benny. "Now the tide can come in."

  "And now we'll have fun," said Mr. Alden. "See if you can find an empty

  pan."

  "Here's a kettle," said Violet.

  "Just the thing, child," said Mr. Alden. "I think it will be full."
/>   "What are you going to do?" asked Henry.

  "I am going to pick over the shells and save the interesting ones," said

  his grandfather.

  The children sat down to watch. At once Mr. Alden cried, "Here's a

  beautiful red scallop shell, and this black and white one came from far

  away.

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  These shells never grow around here. That is why some of them are

  broken."

  Quickly Mr. Alden picked over the shells. He never stopped once.

  "My!" said Benny. "You know a lot about shells."

  "I ought to," said Mr. Alden. "I have studied them all my life. Isn't

  this shell beautiful?"

  "Say!" cried Benny. "Doesn't it look something like an olive? And

  speaking of olives, I wonder if Mrs. Cook will have pickles? If she has

  hamburger she will have to have pickles."

  "Now, Benny," said Henry, "stop talking about food. You know you are not

  hungry yet."

  But all day long Benny was waiting for five o'clock to come. At quarter

  of five he said, "Don't you think we could go now? It will take us

  fifteen minutes to walk to Mrs. Cook's."

  Henry said, "Oh, so we are going to walk, are we?"

  "Henry and I will ride," said Mr. Alden.

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  "Wait five minutes more, Benny," said Henry, "and you can help me wipe

  off the car. Then we will go."

  They reached the Cooks' house at exactly five o'clock. Mrs. Cook came

  around the house from the backyard. "You are just in time," she said.

  "Mr. Cook wants to show you our yard."

  The Aldens were very much surprised when they saw the yard. It was

  beautiful. There were big bushes of flowers and beds filled with

  flowers. The grass was very green. In the middle was an enormous

  fireplace and a long table.

  "She does have pickles," whispered Benny to Jessie. There were chairs

  around the table.

  "We might as well eat," said Mrs. Cook. "We are all here."

  "That's good," said Benny. "I've been hungry all day."

  "We'll fill you up," said Mr. Cook.

  Larry sat in a long chair. He looked weak, but he said he felt fine.

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  "You can help me, Henry," said Mrs. Cook. Henry came back from the house

  with a pan of rolls. They were light and brown. They smelled delicious.

  Benny whispered again to Jessie, "I still wonder what we will have to go

  with the rolls."

  He did not have to wait long. Mrs. Cook gave Henry two holders, and he

  lifted an enormous pan off the fire. The fire was almost out.

  "Oh! Oh! Chicken legs!" yelled Benny. "I can eat a lot of those."

  "How many can you eat?" asked Mrs. Cook.

  "Well, four anyway," said Benny. "My friend Mike can eat eight."

  "You can have eight, too, if you want," said Mrs. Cook, laughing.

  But when Benny saw the watermelon, he ate only four chicken legs. Mr.

  Alden said, "Mrs. Cook, these are delicious. You can certainly cook as

  well as Larry."

  Suddenly Larry looked toward the street. A big

  120

  car drove up quietly and stopped.

  "We have more company, Mother," Larry said, pointing to the car.

  "No," shouted Benny, "it's our company! It's Mr. Carter. He's getting

  out now."

  And it was John Carter, one of the men who worked for Grandfather. He

  had a large black box. He carried it over to where everyone waited.

  With a smile he said, "I felt lonesome, and after I read your letters I

  wanted to see Larry."

  "Well, this is Larry," said Benny. "He is lying down in that long chair

  because he was almost drowned in the storm we had."

  "I know," nodded Mr. Carter. "Your grandfather telephoned me." He shook

  hands and said hello to everybody.

  All this time Larry looked at the box. He knew what was in it, but he

  could not believe it might be for him.

  Mr. Carter was saying, "Here you are, Larry. From what Mr. Alden told

  me, I guess you need

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  a bigger microscope. Mine has just been lying around. I haven't used it

  for years now that I'm not with the F.B.I. You may keep it."

  Benny carried the box over to Larry for him to open.

  Larry's hands shook so that Benny said, "Maybe your hands are shaking

  because you almost drowned."

  "No," said Larry, and his voice shook, too. "It's because I'm so glad to

  have a good microscope. I can never thank you enough, Mr. Carter,

  never!"

  "Don't try," said Mr. Carter. He and the Aldens were glad to see how

  pleased Larry was.

  "Well, Carter," said Grandfather, "you didn't come way up here just to

  give Larry that microscope. You must have had some other reason."

  Mr. Carter laughed and said, "Well, so I did. I thought I might help you

  pack. And I brought you a letter from Adams College. It is from a Dr.

  William Steere."

  Grandfather read the letter at once. "Good," he

  122

  said. "Excellent. Larry, this Dr. Steere wants a boy like you very

  much."

  "Why, sir?" asked Larry.

  "Because he is doing the same work that you are. He is experimenting

  with seaweed and plankton for food."

  "Wonderful!" said Larry. "I'd like to work with him."

  "He says something else," said Grandfather. "He says that we ought to

  spend more money getting food from the sea instead of bothering with

  space."

  "I think so, too," said Larry. "I suppose we ought to do both. But I am

  more interested in the sea. Think how deep it is. Miles and miles. And

  all full of food if we can only get it."

  Mr. Cook put his hand on his son's shoulder. He said, "I can see that

  you and Dr. Steere will get along fine."

  John Carter had already eaten, but he had a large piece of watermelon

  just the same.

  When the time came to say good-by to the

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  Cooks, Henry said, "We go back to our real home tomorrow. We're sorry to

  go."

  "And we are sorry to see you leave," Mrs. Cook said.

  "But I'll see you soon," Larry called, "at college."

  The next day Mr. Carter was a great help. He worked with the girls on

  the packing and he took some of the bags in his own car.

  Benny ran to Mr. Hall's store to give him the lighthouse keys. When he

  came back, the family was ready to go.

  "I want to ride with Mr. Carter," said Benny.

  "Very well," said Grandfather. "No reason not to, if Mr. Carter wants

  you."

  Mr. Carter laughed and said he wanted company. The girls and Grandfather

  rode with Henry.

  They drove past Mr. Hall's to wave good-by and then past the Cooks

  before leaving Conley.

  At last home again, they told Mrs. McGregor, the housekeeper, all about

  their adventures.

  Mr. Carter told how well the young people had

  124

  solved the mystery. "I couldn't have done better," he said.

  "Oh, yes, you could," said Jessie. "You used to be an F.B.I, man."

  "No, really, I couldn't," said Mr. Carter. "Larry would trust young

  people more than he would a man. I'm sure of that. You were wonderful

  with Larry."

  "That's right, John," said Grandfather, nodding. "They were."

&nbs
p; The bags were unpacked and Henry took the empty car around to the

  garage.

  But the family did not sit around very long doing nothing. Everyone was

  busy in what was left of the summer.

  One day Grandfather and Henry went to a store to get Henry clothes for

  fall. But Grandfather bought two jackets, not just one. Henry tried them

  on and said they were just right. One was gray and one was brown. The

  brown one went into a special box to be mailed to Larry Cook.

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  Henry wrote a letter saying it was the kind of jacket all the boys wore

  at Adams.

  Then the time came when Henry and Larry went to Adams College.

  Grandfather went, too. He took the boys into the dean's office and told

  him who Larry was.

  Larry sat down near the door. It was half open.

  Suddenly Larry stood up looking very much surprised. A tall man came in.

  He looked at Larry once. Then he looked again. Then he held out his hand

  and said, "Well, well! Clam chowder!"

  Larry cried, "Baked beans!" The two shook hands.

  "What in the world are you two talking about?" asked Mr. Alden. "Do you

  know Larry?"

  "Yes," said the tall stranger. "I know he makes the best clam chowder

  and baked beans that I ever ate!"

  The dean laughed. He said, "That makes my work easier, if you know each

  other. Larry, this is Dr. Steere."

  "Dr. Steere!" cried Larry. "The one I am going

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  to work for?"

  "The very one," said the dean. "Sit down, Dr. Steere. This is Mr. Alden,

  and this is Henry Alden. They brought Larry along to meet you."

  Dr. Steere looked at Larry. He said, "I have seen your papers that you

  did all alone. You are already doing college work. I will be glad to

  help you because our work may be important to the whole world."

  "I hope so," said Larry. "It seems important to me."

  Mr. Alden looked at his watch. "I must go," he said. "You two boys find

  your rooms and Henry's friends, and good luck to you both."

  Mr. Alden shook hands with Larry. He said, "You have a wonderful

  teacher, my boy. I know you will do well."

  Mr. Alden left and then Dr. Steere left. The boys went to find their

  rooms and the dean sat alone.

  "I like a boy like that Larry," he thought. "And he has a fine friend in

  Henry Alden."

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  About a month later, Grandfather got a wonderful letter from Henry.

  "Read it out loud," said Jessie. This is what Mr. Alden read:

  Dear Grandfather and All,

  Larry and I are so excited! Dr. Steere likes Larry's work. He has asked