The Banner Boy Scouts Mystery

o

mstrong! Din

r," he called from

g for the children to take their places. Mrs. Armstrong in the meanwhile was adding the finishing touches in setting the table.

, Mo

as five years old. It was a day in the latter part of August, war

of the car and amused herself playing with her doll. But she was not there either. Ken walked across the s

1

"She was playing with my little Helen

all the places where she might be. Ken walked further down the street and stop

ty here playing with

been at the park all day

range," mu

's st

seem to f

his friend. "She may be playing with

didn't think of i

on't forget the

oss the street to the Karliner home and rang the doorbell

ty and Karl had a childish quarrel this

ow," remarked

1

rel the children always come toget

d thing they do,

, grown ups would do well

dged away from the doorway. "You will

orrisons, the Smiths or the Karliners. But today she wasn't at any one of those places. As he entered his own yard, Ken thought of one other place where she might be. Around the corner was a small park where Mrs. Armstrong very often took the child to play. Perhaps she

elessly, he hesitated to enter the house. If he told his mother he could not find Betty, she might become frightened. He conceived another idea. Walking around to the side of the house, he peeked through the wi

k anxious. "Dad, I can't seem

at his close cropped mustache and muttered, "You ca

d

e Morr

Karliners and at the park, Dad. She

st be somewhere around, Ken. Let us

ot there. Finally they stopped their search. "You say that you[13] were to

s,

might be? Do you know of any other

led, "Ken, John, what are you doing out here when you ar

ecome upset. It seems that Betty is nowhere where she usually plays. Do you kn

le. "Were you to the Karliner

, mo

somewhere around. But she may have walked off alon

. Ken shook his head. "Then run over and see. An

the street. Junior himself opened[14] the door and Ken be

er the same question. "Why, no," she replied. "She never comes. I would like very much for her

es, I guess so," he answered.

awaiting him, their faces drawn and worried. At the news that the child was neither at the Johnsons nor the McKinlys, Mrs. Armstrong clenc

" cried Ken. "Perhap

ey could hear him calling the police and giving a detailed description of the child. She was five years old, blonde hair and blue eyes, weighed between[15] forty-five and fifty pounds and was about twenty-six or twenty-seven inches tall. H

rison home and called Paul. Drawing his friend aside, he whispered, "Paul, call

l. "I'm sure no harm has come

f them knew Betty by sight, but just to make sure a description of her was passed around. Within ten minutes the entire Stanhope Troop No. 1 was out on the streets and searching

the word no. Suddenly the news spread that the search was off and that the child was safely home. Ken, who was with Paul, sprinted home. The two boys burst into the house and found Betty sit

e, couldn't resist laughing at the innocent hum

he sighed with relief. Mrs. Armstrong came in from the kitchen and sai

"I will wait for you upst

ned Mrs. Armstrong. "He found t

Armstrong turned to his wife an

onard

Ken. "Leonard Street is

1

es

ing there?" aske

?" his wif

er. "What were you doing so fa

mother. "Let us eat now. You can ask her al

, Mo

d for the present tried to forget the an

e, Ken did so and raced upstairs. Dashing

ear Betty gave y

not have searching for her were the marines,

o ask you about, Jack. How did y

ting Bud Menninger. You

ow who wants to join

. I was[18] so surprised, I wouldn't believe my eyes at first. I couldn't imagine what she would be doing so far away from home. At

stick!" exclaimed Ken.

asked her and she replied

man

en," he said. "Listen to the rest of

I won't inte

e from the Smiths when a man stopped her and asked if she wanted some candy. Like a child, she co

?" Ken ask

on walking. I looked her over closely and saw that she was not all frightened or hurt i

of the[19] town all by herself. A man

up Paul. "An ordinary man wo

rised. "What sort of clue?

d she just shrugged her shoulders. I looked and I saw that she was clutching a card in her little fist. I asked where she g

hes. The boys huddled together, examining it. "Why,

what is the meaning

e card made it all the more perplexing. "From all the evidence at hand," remarked Paul, "I

h the man, he must be found out and put away into an asylum. He can'

ed Jack, "God knows what other tricks he mig

d logically," said Paul. "First did

ll she would say was that he

men in town. That i

ave to look into the matte

ow there are no crazy people in Stanhope and

ing," suggested Jack. "Suppose we go d

rong came in. "Hell

Mr. Ar

rge of leaving and he said, "I hope I am no

paring to leave, b

ask Jack about h

2

a while there was silence. Mr. Armstrong mused. Finally he said, "It m

at the end of the town to w

myself," he said. "But the fact remains that the child was not harmed.

so they left it at that. In the street, Ken asked, "Why

uld get into the newspapers and then everybody would know about it. And the guilty man, even if he is crazy, would know better than to do

did right," s

seen," added

of the town. Of course, there was nothing to be found in the way of clues. They walked all around the neighborhood and noticed the various shacks and empty lots but di

obolink, Bluff-were already there when the three arrived. Pressed for