Research Holp

Notes for #30 The Mystery of the Midnight Marauder © 1980
Page #	Quote
14	Trixie was a sturdy fourteen-year-old whose temper sometimes had a short fuse.
15	Honey Wheeler, who was the same age as Trixie.
16	Mart, eleven months older than Trixie.
17	March morning
18	But Mart, who loved to use big words but could never spell them, said nothing. He merely continued to poke at his scrambled eggs.
20	Brian: "We volunteered to work on the (school) grounds this morning as part of the cleanup crew." Trixie: "The custodian's sick, and what with the spring dance coming up next week, there's a lot of work to do."
22	Trixie: "Mart doesn't seem to be starving anymore. You know, Brian, I don't think Mart's been eating much for the last two days."
24	Trixie ran forward and plucked the red scrap of material from its resting place. Brian: "That piece of material looks just as if it came from a man's red flannel shirt."
28	Brian: "I think the only thing wrong with Mart is that he's tired. He's got a history test coming up at school, he's worried about that journalism class he's taking this semester, and he was out late last night."
31	Jim: "That's strange. I wasn't able to find Patch this morning, either." Di: "That's because both dogs are over at my place."
32	The Lynches' big house, which stood on the highest hill beside the river.
36	Jim: "Di means that Mart forgot and left the gate to the chicken run open."
38	Trixie: "What is the surprise?" Di: "Here it is." In the next moment, she was handing Trixie a small neatly folded newspaper. Trixie: "I'd never have believed it'd be so hard to find a copy of a dumb old school newspaper. But they were all gone when I tried to get one yesterday. And even Mart forgot to bring one home."
39	Trixie: "The Campus Clarion sure is popular lately. Is the article Mart wrote for his journalism class in there?" They all knew Mart was taking a semester of journalism. They also knew he had been strangely silent about his new experiences as a student reporter for the school newspaper. But he had told them how hard he'd worked on an article for this week's issue. Mart: "I wrote about all of us."
41	Honey: "Maybe they simply didn't have room for it this week." Di: "And maybe that's what's been bothering Mart all along. Perhaps he's as disappointed as we are." Mart: "The journalism teacher turned it down flat."
43	Trixie stared at the broken window that gaped blackly against the school's dim interior. She gazed at the face of the building. Scrawled across it, in huge spray-painted black letters: THE MIDNIGHT MARAUDER WAS HERE! Student: "Mr. Stratton says this Midnight Marauder broke into the office and stole a load of cash!"
46	Mr. Stratton: "If anyone can shed any light on what's happened, I'll be in my office." To Trixie's astonishment, she felt Mart move from her side. He took a step forward, and half raised his hand, almost as if he were going to say something.
48	Mart hurried away. A moment later, Trixie saw him talking to a tall, dark-haired boy who didn't seem to like what Mart was saying. Dan: "His name is Lester Mundy. I think the kid's in Mart's math class." Brian: "He's the class clown. He's also a renowned practical joker."
49	Honey: "Maybe Lester does silly things to try and get attention. Maybe he's lonely."
50	Honey: "Don't you see? We Bob-Whites are never lonely. We've all got each other. But some of the kids at school always seem to be left out of everything. Take Ruthie Kettner for instance." Di: "Who's Ruthie Kettner?" A stockily built, fair-haired girl was standing alone. Honey: "I've never seen Ruthie talk to anyone. I think the poor kid's very shy."
51	Honey: "Maybe Ruthie's been reading the advice to the lovelorn in the school newspaper. Last week Miss Lonelyheart told someone that to have a friend, you must be a friend."
52	Honey: "Does anyone know which teacher is writing it?" Di: "I think it's one of the counselors." Trixie: "He (Mart) told me once that Mr. Zimmerman, the journalism teacher, is the only one who knows for sure."
54	Lester: "The police arrested him not half an hour ago. The Midnight Marauder is none other than Mart Belden!"
58	Brian: "Mart has been taken downtown for questioning, but then so have several other students. Mart hasn't been arrested." Trixie: "But why do they want to question him?" Brian: "It seems that someone saw him on the school grounds last night."
59	Brian: "The school wasn't the only place that was robbed and vandalized last night. Wimpy's was too. He stole over a hundred dollars in cash and a whole load of hamburger patties from Wimpy's freezer. The Midnight Marauder wrote letters both to the school and to Wimpy's. For some reason, the post office didn't deliver them till today. The Marauder's letters were warnings. He told them beforehand what he was going to do!"
64	The Bob-Whites saw someone standing on the sidewalks edge, convulsed with laughter. Trixie's eyes widened as she noticed his bicycle parked at the curb behind him. Strapped to its rear rack was a can of black spray paint, obviously just purchased. Mart: "And that is who I think is causing all the trouble." He pointed straight at Lester Mundy.
66	Mart: "I can't prove anything. It could just as well be Shrimpy Davis - or Marvin Easton - or Ruthie Kettner."
78	Her (Trixie) mother had once told her that Crimper's hadn't changed much since she herself was a little girl. Heavy wooden counters, some with glass tops, offered such things as pins and needles, embroidery silks and knitting yarns, towels and tablecloths, underclothes and nightgowns, beauty preparations and costume jewelry. Around the store's dark-paneled walls, shelves were stacked with mysterious boxes that were found to contain nothing more exciting than scarves or stockings, gloves or handkerchiefs. It was here that Trixie's grandmother had searched for bargains. And it was here, in the clothing department, that Trixie could still remember choosing clothes for her first exciting day in kindergarten. Trixie couldn't resist avoiding the wide wooden staircase at the back of the store. It led to the housewares and home furnishings departments, as well as to the restaurant, on the second floor.
69	She led the way to the ornate and creaking elevator beside it. Mart had once said that it wheezed like an asthmatic dowager. She (Trixie) was fascinated by its glass-fronted entrance doors and by its heart-stopping, jolting ride.
71	A sharp-faced woman in her early thirties, appeared to be asking occasional questions and taking notes. Mart: "Her name's Vera Parker, and she's a reporter for the Sleepyside Sun. She's been snooping around all morning. I think she's planning to write an article about juvenile delinquents." Honey: "Who's the other lady?" Diana: "That's Margo Birch."
72	Diana: "She's a well-known New York antique dealer. I think she lives around here."
76	Mart: "Haven't you guessed? Miss Lonelyheart is me."
80	Honey: "And did you write up one of our adventures?" Mart: "I wrote about them all."
81	Mart: "D'you know what old Zimmerman said? He said I had a good imagination, but the whole article was unbelievable."
82	Mart: "Soon I began getting other kinds of letters. Some of the kids had real problems. Some kids felt that no one liked them. They were unpopular at school - and often at home, too."
84	Mart: "I couldn't handle it. How could I tell people what to do with problems like those? I told them to see their counselors." Brian: "And so we come to the Midnight Marauder business." Mart: "Whoever had written the letters hated school, hated the teachers, and ranted on about how one day he was going to do something desperate."
85	Mart: "The letters weren't signed, so I didn't know who it was. I used to leave the answers taped to the outside of old Zimmerman's office door."
86	Mart: "Yesterday there were so many people around the journalism department, all looking to see who was going to pick up Miss Lonelyheart's mail, that I had to leave it there. I sneaked back last night on my bike to get it."
88	Jim: "When one Bob-White's in trouble -" Di: "It's up to the rest of us to help." Dan: "I still think Mart should tell Sgt. Molinson." In the end, they took a vote on it. The final vote was six to one in favor of the Bob-Whites trying to find out the identity of the Midnight Marauder themselves.
89	Trixie: "Where did Harrison see Reddy?" Di: "He saw Reddy in the woods. It was about a mile from Mr. Lytell's store, and just off Glen Road."
93	Regan: "I've heard of a couple of super horses for sale over in White Plains."
95	Honey: "See that the tack is hung the way it should be." Brian: "Stirrups on leathers." Mart: "Girth thrown over the saddle, and the bridle on the hook right under the saddle peg."
96	Mart, who was seated as usual, on his favorite mount, Strawberry.
98	Jim: "I've learned never to ignore her (Trixie's) hunches."
99	Her (Trixie) whole attention was centered on the long, chestnut brown tufts of hair that were tangled in the thorns. Mart: "How on earth did you manage to spot it from a moving car?" Trixie: "I don't know how I saw it. In fact, I didn't even realize I had."
101	Soon they (Trixie and Honey) were in a part of the Wheeler's game preserve that Trixie had never seen before. Honey stared at something to the right of the trail. A dilapidated old shack, its door standing half open, stood off to one side.
102	It looked as if it had been abandoned long ago.
105	Patch, Jim's little black & white cocker spaniel, disciplined too late to be the hunting dog his master had wanted him to be. That's funny, that's not what the earlier books said. Jim trained Patch to listen only to his commands. I would think he would have had time to train him to hunt also.
109	Against the far wall, a large cardboard carton had been tipped on its side. Around its edge were the marks of teeth - dogs' teeth. Inside the carton, a large, clear plastic bag had been eagerly ripped open. Di: "How did the meat get here?" Trixie turned the carton around and pointed to the large letters printed on its side. WIMPY'S. Trixie: "I think it was dumped in this shack by the Midnight Marauder.
111	Trixie was hoping that Jim wouldn't know the exact location of the old shack in the woods any more than she did.
112	Jim: "If you follow that trail, it'll lead us to the Albany Post Road. Behind us is Sleepyside Hollow. If we go back the way we came, we'll come to Harrison's Trail and eventually home."
118	Jim: (staring at envelope) "It's not addressed to anybody in particular. It says. MANOR HOUSE, GLEN ROAD, SLEEPYSIDE-ON-THE-HUDSON. And it's written in block capital letters. It says: BEWARE! TONIGHT I'M GOING TO VISIT YOU!"
123	Several times, Trixie had run to the front door and opened it just a little way. She had gazed across the verandah of the big house.
124	Thus far, the three friends had instinctively kept their worries to themselves for fear of frightening the staff. Finally, they decided to keep the news to themselves.
134	Brian: "The Midnight Marauder has struck again. He's broken into the Delanoy's trailer!"
135	Reddy, mindful of his duty at last, circled around in front of him and stood, legs spread, growling.
136	Trixie: "Look, everyone! It's Lester Mundy!"
139	Lester: "It was late. I was out jogging. I guess you already know I'm not the most popular kid at school. Somehow I always seem to say the wrong thing at the wrong time." Trixie: "You aren't always very tactful." Pot. Kettle. Lester: "Someone at school told me that in order to have a friend you have to be a friend."
140	Lester: "Friday - I joined the track team. Coach said I should get in shape. I thought if I went out late at night, no one would see me a know what I was doing. In case I'm no good." Brian: "In the past, you've been only too happy playing the part of the class clown."
141	Lester had been running along Glen Road. He heard a small truck coming along behind him. Lester: "He swerved to avoid me and something fell off the back of the truck. It was a big cardboard carton. Inside, I found a big plastic bag. It was filled with -" Trixie: "Hamburger patties!"
143	Trixie: "Why, Lester, I believe you came here to do some investigating of your own. Did you feel that Mart wasn't guilty of anything? Did you want to help him?" Lester: "The person was wearing jeans, a red flannel shirt, and a ski mask."
144	Trixie: "Why were you buying black paint this morning?" Lester: "I thought I'd help out with some of the signs that need painting. I guess you could say I'm about to turn over a new leaf. I'm going to try to make more friends. Ruthie Kettner is, too."
145	Lester: "This afternoon we sort of formed a club. We're calling ourselves the Third Hand Gang. We thought if anyone was in need of an extra hand for anything, we'd provide it. There's me, Ruthie, Marvin Easton, and Shrimpy Davis."
152	Trixie could see she (Honey) was holding the Sunday edition of the Sleepyside Sun. TEEN-AGE VANDAL SOUGHT BY POLICE Dr. Anton Sibolsky, noted child psychologist, stated, when telephoned this morning, "There is no question but that this is the work of a seriously disturbed teenage. He feels himself unloved by his parents." Trixie: "Did you see who wrote this?" Honey: "It was the same reporter we saw in Crimper's yesterday - Vera Parker."
160	Behind her (Honey) stood an elderly man, dressed in walking shorts and wearing a torn red flannel shirt. His thin white hair stood out from his head.
161	She (Trixie) guessed that her friend didn't like being called "girlie" any more than Trixie did. But Trixie knew that it was useless to argue about it. Trixie: "Honey, I'd like you to meet Grandpa Crimper. He used to own Crimper's department store you know."
162	Grandpa: "Still do, except they won't let me run it anymore."
163	Grandpa: "When they weren't looking, I took the truck - and I threw Sonny's bike into the back of it, too." Honey: "Sonny?" Trixie: "That's the young Mr. Crimper. He's the one who's running the department store now." Grandpa: "He says I'm not to be trusted with anything on wheels." Trixie: "Why were you riding the bike?" Grandpa: "I wanted to see if I could still do it."
164	Honey: "He (Grandpa) isn't at all the way I'd pictured him. I thought he'd look - Victorian -"
165	Honey: "Sort of like his department store. Very turn-of-the-century." Trixie: "Dad says that old Mr. Crimper is a very shrewd businessman - at least he was. Many people in Sleepyside like doing business at Crimper's because it looks -" Honey: "Respectable?" Trixie: "Even young Mr. Crimper see the sense in that. he hasn't altered anything ever since he took over."
169	It was the wildest ride Trixie and Honey had ever had. They discovered very shortly that Mr. Crimper didn't bother to obey traffic signals. He made up his own. Twice he came to a stop sign, and twice he merely speeded up, stuck his head out of the window, and yelled, "Coming through!"
170	Tall, three-stored house, looked like a Victorian mansion, quite unlike the neat frame houses that surrounded it. The Crimper house was built of yellow brick and trimmed with curlicue woodwork. Its wide front porch seemed to have been especially made for the two comfortable rocking chairs and its lace-curtained windows appeared warmly inviting.
171	Mrs. Crimper: "Whatever must you think of that old rascal of mine? Lately, if it isn't one thing, it's another. And Sonny - I mean, Earl Junior - gets so worried about his father."
172	Mrs. Crimper: "Now that he's retired its' almost as if he hasn't got enough to keep him busy. I often think he's gone back to being a small boy again."
173	Trixie: "Why don't you show Honey your jewelry boxes? Grandpa's been collecting them for years. Some of them are very old." The jewelry boxes were also in a sad state of disrepair.
174	Grandpa: "Some of these boxes have quite a history. This one, for instance, was once owned by a president's wife. Nellie Murphy. Her husband was once the president of Sleepyside's Businessmen's Club." Made of delicate bone china, the small container was decorated with china rosebuds and tiny bunches of forget-me-nots. On its lid, a small ballerina wearing a white lace dress, with china arms uplifted, held a graceful pose.
175	Trixie heard once more the tinkling tune she remembered from early childhood. Mart said it was called "Greensleeves."
176	Sonny: "Now Dad, Margo Birch is a fine woman. She lives a few doors down from us."
179	Envelope said: Mr. Crimper, Crimper's Department Store, Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson, New York.
186	Mrs. Belden: "We were all ready to come home, when I slipped as I was getting into the car. I seem to have wrenched my back."
188	Trixie: "You can tell Miss Trask you're spending the night with me. I'll tell Brian I'm spending the night with you."
191	Brian was taking his responsibilities seriously. As temporary head of the house, he insisted that all chores had to be done before their parents returned.
194	Honey saw beside the mattresses a small door. Trixie: "It's an unused cupboard. It's not very deep, but it runs the length of the upper story. I found it once - oh, long ago when Moms was shopping and I got bored." She had to bend almost double to get through the small door, but once she was inside, there was plenty of headroom.
200	Sgt. Molinson: "Will you look at this? Here's two more thieves we've caught, right in the act of robbing the place. I should have known the Belden boy had accomplices."
201	Sgt. Molinson: "And you expect me to swallow that yarn? Nothin' doing, kid. Come on, now, you're coming to the police station with me. And if that dog so much as moves -" He made a threatening gesture toward the gun still clenched in his beefy fist.
202	Sonny: "If you don't (take immediate action) I'll make sure the story is given out to all the newspapers." Vera Parker: "And what a fine story it would make."
204	Mart: "Hey, Trix. I guess your brain isn't so pea-sized after all."
205	Vera Parker: "I know I owe you kids an apology. I'm sure now that I was wrong about what I wrote in my article. I think you kids are okay."
207	The prisoner was - the antique dealer, Margo Birch! Trixie: "Margo Birch was after those jewelry boxes all along. Most of them were junk - but one wasn't." Honey: "The ballerina." Trixie: "Margo Birch told the police it's worth ten thousand dollars. It once belonged to a Russian empress."
208	Mart: "I had a long talk with my journalism teacher. He let me off the hook. In the future, he's going to teach me how to write articles for the school paper - articles that will be published. And Miss Lonelyheart is going to retire. The counselors at school got together and decided the column itself should continue to offer help to anyone at school who needs it."
210	Di: "I didn't get invited to the Spring Dance. Mart: "Consider yourself invited now. By me!" Brian: "How about it? Will you (Honey) be my date on Friday night?" Jim: "In that case, Dan, that leaves only one female between the two of us." Dan: "I'm already booked. I'm taking Ruthie Kettner." Jim: "Will you come to the school dance with me?" Trixie: "I'll be glad to go with you, Jim - unless another mystery comes along that I have to solve first."