Billie Bradley and the School Mystery; Or, The Girl From Oklahoma Read online

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  BILLIE WAS HELPLESS. ALTHOUGH SHE FLUNG AN ARM ABOUTEDINA. “Billie Bradley and the School Mystery.” (See page 168)]

  BILLIE BRADLEY AND THE SCHOOL MYSTERY OR The Girl from Oklahoma

  BY JANET D. WHEELER

  AUTHOR OF “BILLIE BRADLEY AND HER INHERITANCE,” “BILLIE BRADLEY AT SUN DIAL LODGE,” ETC.

  _ILLUSTRATED_

  NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY PUBLISHERS

  BILLIE BRADLEY SERIES

  _By_ JANET D. WHEELER _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated._

  BILLIE BRADLEY AND HER INHERITANCE OR THE QUEER HOMESTEAD AT CHERRY CORNERS

  BILLIE BRADLEY AT THREE TOWERS HALL OR LEADING A NEEDED REBELLION

  BILLIE BRADLEY ON LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND OR THE MYSTERY OF THE WRECK

  BILLIE BRADLEY AND HER CLASSMATES OR THE SECRET OF THE LOCKED TOWER

  BILLIE BRADLEY AT TWIN LAKES OR JOLLY SCHOOLGIRLS AFLOAT AND ASHORE

  BILLIE BRADLEY AT TREASURE COVE OR THE OLD SAILOR’S SECRET

  BILLIE BRADLEY AT SUN DIAL LODGE OR SCHOOL CHUMS SOLVING A MYSTERY

  BILLIE BRADLEY AND THE SCHOOL MYSTERY OR THE GIRL FROM OKLAHOMA

  CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK

  COPYRIGHT, 1930, BY CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

  BILLIE BRADLEY AND THE SCHOOL MYSTERY Printed in the U. S. A.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I. AT LAKE MOLATA 1

  II. A DESPERATE FIX 10

  III. EDINA TO THE RESCUE 17

  IV. BATTLE 24

  V. A PUBLIC REBUKE 31

  VI. BILLIE IS LOYAL 39

  VII. A TALE OF RICHES 49

  VIII. BILLIE AGAINST HER WORLD 55

  IX. THE EXPERIMENT 62

  X. A TRIP TO TOWN 69

  XI. EDINA GETS HER HAIR CUT 77

  XII. A PERFECT DAY 88

  XIII. EDINA SCORES 94

  XIV. AN OLD ENEMY 101

  XV. AN UNEXPECTED DUCKING 111

  XVI. FIGHTING FOR LIFE 120

  XVII. THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER 129

  XVIII. THE GIFT CLUB 134

  XIX. A DREADFUL DISCOVERY 141

  XX. THE ACCUSATION 150

  XXI. EVIDENCE PILES UP 158

  XXII. A RIOT 164

  XXIII. DAN LARKIN REMEMBERS 175

  XXIV. A SMASHING SET 183

  XXV. CAUGHT--CONCLUSION 192

  BILLIE BRADLEY AND THE SCHOOL MYSTERY

  CHAPTER I

  AT LAKE MOLATA

  “My, but it’s good to get back!”

  The statement came from Billie Bradley. She gazed upon the ivy-coveredtowers of the boarding school with genuine affection.

  Three Towers Hall was an impressive building, set amidst gracious,well-tended lawns on the borders of one of the prettiest and mostpicturesque lakes in that part of the country. From its gates studentsflocked in gay anticipation of vacation and good times at the end ofthe spring term, to return, more soberly, but with a refreshed andbrightened outlook, to take up their studies at the beginning of thefall semester.

  Such a time had come again to Billie Bradley and her two close chums,Violet Farrington and Laura Jordon. After a particularly interestingand adventure-filled summer, they had returned to their beloved seatof learning, eager for work and with renewed and heightened ideals.

  Now they stood on the borders of the lake, looking toward Three TowersHall through a lane of trees that made flickering shadows on the lawn.Idly, they speculated on the future.

  “I’d feel better,” observed Vi, “if I hadn’t that condition in math tomake up. It worries me.”

  “It would,” agreed Laura. “I mean, it would have worried me so muchthat if it had been my condition, I’d have made it up during the summerinstead of waiting until fall, when goodness knows the work is hardenough, anyway.”

  “It’s easy enough for you to criticize,” said Vi, a shade resentfully.“You take all your studies at a run, while all I can do is to hobble.”

  “Of course, not everyone can have a brain like mine,” murmured Laura,with a mischievous grin.

  “Besides, what time have I had this summer for study?” Vi persisted.“Between treasure hunts and mysteries and such things, I’ve had myhands full.”

  “You should have found time,” returned Laura, pursing her mouth primlyin mischievous imitation of Miss Phelps, their new mathematics teacher.“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

  Vi shrugged her shoulders petulantly.

  “Well, if you are going to be so disagreeable--” She left the sentenceunfinished and turned toward the Hall.

  Billie awoke from the reverie that had been occupying her secretthoughts; awoke in time to seize a fold of Vi’s abbreviated skirt andhold it firmly between thumb and forefinger.

  “Laura’s insulting me,” said Vi, with a wavering smile. “I’ll not stay.”

  “Don’t be foolish,” laughed Billie. “Laura insults everybody. It’s justher way. But she never means anything by it.”

  “I’m going up to the house to study math,” persisted Vi.

  “No you’re not,” said Billie. “You are going for a walk with Laura andme back of the lake and pick goldenrod. Miss Walters likes it in heroffice and it would be nice in the dorm. Come along.”

  “But I must study math!” wailed Vi, beginning to weaken. “Honestly,Billie, you don’t know how it worries me. It has me scared stiff.”

  “Well, we’ll go and pick goldenrod first and then I’ll help you withyour math. How will that do?”

  “Excellently, thanks,” said Vi, with a sigh of relief. When Billiehelped with “math,” or anything else, she really helped, explainingeach step and making everything as clear as day. Vi had wished, many atime, that she had Billie’s head for “math.”

  The three girls took the footpath to the right of the lake, the paththat climbed steadily until it came out on a high ridge of groundoverlooking both Three Towers Hall and Boxton Military Academy, theboys’ school directly across the lake from the Hall.

  Billie Bradley and her chums knew that on this ridge grew goldenrod,flaming, golden patches of it. The sight of it always fascinated them.As Billie once had said, it seemed as though the sun had touched theearth and become entangled in the weeds.

  “It was some time before it could untangle itself and get back in theheavens where it belonged,” Billie had concluded her whimsical fancy.“The result was--goldenrod!”

  Now, as they made their way toward this higher ground, the girlscontinued to discuss the events of the past few days, the renewal ofacquaintanceship with old school friends, the excitement and interestof meeting and “looking over” the newcomers to Three Towers Hall.

  “The new girls seem a rather commonplace lot,” observed Laura. Shepaused by the wayside to pick a lace flower and stuck it jauntily overone ear revealed by a very short bob. “Just the usual smattering; someshy, some bold, all somewhat excited by finding themselves at boardingschool.”

  “Can you blam
e them? ’Member how we felt when we first came?” chuckledVi.

  “Sort of exalted and plumb scared to death,” interpreted Billie. “Thosewere the days of big fun, though.”

  “And the big fights,” giggled Laura. “Remember how Amanda Peabody andthat shadow of hers, Eliza Dilks, used to ride us to death?”

  “Where do you get that stuff--used to?” demanded Vi slangily. “Why,I’ll tell you something. Just this morning Amanda tried to pick aquarrel with me.”

  “Over what?” Billie was interested. Amanda Peabody was one of themost unpleasant girls at Three Towers Hall. She had money and haddeveloped a sort of dashing good looks. Because of this some of thestudents--that smattering of toadies found among the girls of everyboarding school--had rallied round her, forming a small, exclusiveclique. Among the most conspicuous and faithful of Amanda’s followingwas a girl named Eliza Dilks, otherwise known as “The Shadow.”

  “What did you and Amanda quarrel about?” Billie asked again.

  “I didn’t quarrel about anything,” returned Vi virtuously. “It wasAmanda who did the quarreling, and it was all about some silly littlething like a pencil that she accused me of taking from her desk in thestudy hall. Of course it was all nonsense. Why should I want her pencilwhen I have that beautiful silver one Uncle Dan gave me for Christmas?”

  “What did you tell her?” Laura wanted to know.

  “What would I tell her? I merely went by with my nose in the air andrefused to answer her. She looked mad enough to bite nails,” with areminiscent giggle.

  Laura sighed.

  “I suppose that girl will be a thorn in our side----”

  “Flesh,” corrected Billie with a giggle.

  “I said ‘side’ and I meant it,” retorted Laura firmly. “Anyway, Isuppose neither you nor Vi will deny that Amanda Peabody and ElizaDilks are a thorny pair.”

  “Two thorns, without the roses,” remarked Billie.

  Vi began to chant in a soft, singsong:

  “Oh, Amanda and her Shadow, Amanda and her crony, Went out to take the air one day, Aridin’ on a pony.

  They thought they were the bees’ headlight, They thought they looked so tony. But everyone they met called out, ‘Go home! Your style is phony!’”

  Billie and Laura applauded dutifully and Billie demanded to know howlong Vi had been keeping this unsuspected talent a secret from herchums.

  “You look romantic enough, Vi, goodness knows, but we never suspectedyou of being a poetess.”

  “Then don’t now,” urged Vi. “I wouldn’t be guilty of such ‘poetry.’It’s Connie’s.”

  “She should be shot at daybreak,” remarked Laura. “I’ll see to itmyself.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. It’s a pretty good ‘pome,’” chuckled Billie. “I’ve anotion to put it to music and adopt it as the new school song. Where isConnie, anyway? I thought she was coming with us for a hike?”

  “She had to rewrite that composition on hitchhikers. Miss Johnson,”--ateacher of English at Three Towers Hall--“said it was too flippant.”Laura finished with a chuckle, for Connie had read that composition toBillie and her chums the evening before, sitting cross-legged, likea young Chinese idol, on Billie’s bed. It had been flippant--likeConnie--and full of fun. The girls had laughed uproariously.

  “Miss Johnson is dried up and old, a hopeless spinster,” was Vi’smerciless indictment of the English teacher. “She can’t be expected torecognize honest fun when she sees it.”

  “Shouldn’t be surprised but what Connie’s second theme would be moreflippant than her first,” giggled Laura. “Then what will poor MissJohnson do?”

  “In that case, I certainly feel sorry for Connie,” laughed Billie.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe Miss Johnson would fall over in a fit andnever come fully out of it. Then we’d all be freed from her. Me, Iwish she would,” declared Vi a bit vindictively.

  The girls came out on the high promontory overlooking the lake, andhalted in mute appreciation of the lovely view spread out before them.They had seen it many times before, but the fresh sight of it neverfailed to thrill them.

  Boxton Military Academy stood high and proud on the crest of a hill,its parades and drill grounds marked out in patches of green velvet.From where they stood the girls could hear the beating of a drum andthe fanfare of spirited music.

  “No wonder the boys love it there,” murmured Laura. “We should have aband at Three Towers. Might liven things up a bit.”

  “That would be lovely,” laughed Vi. “I speak to play the big drumand you can take the bass horn, Laura. Billie, what’s your choice? Isuggest the trombone.”

  Billie chuckled.

  “I’ll speak to Miss Walters about it as soon as we get back,” shepromised. “Meanwhile, get busy, lazybones, and garner some of thisgoldenrod.”

  The yellow flame of the gorgeous weed covered the top of the promontoryso that the girls were confronted by an embarrassment of riches. In afew moments their arms were filled with the golden blossoms.

  “Aren’t they the loveliest things you ever saw, girls?” cried Billie.

  “Yes, they are. I adore this bright yellow, whether it’s in flowers ordresses or hangings. It always makes me feel more cheerful.”

  “I wonder how anyone can have a favorite flower. It always seemsto me that the flower I’m looking at at the moment is my favorite.Just now, of course, it’s goldenrod. To-morrow it may be roses, forinstance.”

  “Come on, let’s start back,” said Vi.

  Laura and Vi had turned to go back when a sharp cry from Billiestartled them. When they looked in the direction whence the cry hadcome, Billie Bradley was nowhere to be seen!