Beverly Gray
The Beverly Gray Mystery Stories, comprising 26 novels published between 1934 and 1955, were written by Clair Blank, pen name of Clarissa Mabel Blank Moyer.[1] The series began as a series of school stories, and followed Beverly's progress through college, her various romances, and a career as a reporter before becoming strictly a mystery series.
Beverly is portrayed as an extraordinarily determined individual: "There was a driving ambition in her heart that would not let her idle her life away." [2]
Clair Blank
Clarissa Mabel Blank was born on August 5, 1915, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the only surviving child of Bessie Hickman and Edgar Henry Blank.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8] Her father worked as a loom fixer at a silk mill, before finding employment at a clothing plant in Germantown;[1] in 1920, 1930 and 1940, his occupation was listed as a "knitter."[4][9][10] Clair attended Herbst Elementary School until she was about ten, when her family moved to the Olney section of Philadelphia.[1] In contrast to her parents, who each completed nine years of schooling,[10] at the age of 18 Clair had graduated from Olney High School with honors and seen the first four books in the Beverly Gray series published.[1]
Blank attended the Peirce School of Business Administration and took a job in Philadelphia as a typist for the Keystone Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of the Atlantic Refining Company.[1][11][12] By 1940 she had become a secretary there, and, still living with her parents, earned about $1,500 a year.[10] She joined the American Women's Voluntary Services during World War II, driving Army officers around when they came to town.[1] In 1941 George Elmer Moyer,[13] whom Clair had known growing up in Allentown, moved to Philadelphia;[1] the two married in 1943.[14][15] Moyer attained the rank of sergeant while serving in the Army for two years, from February 1944 to February 1946, with a year in foreign service bookended by two six-month periods in domestic service.[16] A "skilled welder,"[17] he was employed at the Budd Company after his military service, working on automobiles, tank construction, Chevrolet fenders, and plastics until his retirement.[1] He also studied mechanical engineering, taking night classes at Drexel University.[1][18] Blank gave birth to two sons, Robert G. and John C. Moyer, who were born in 1947 and 1953. She died on August 15, 1965; her husband died on February 27, 1998.[18]
Family Tree
| William Wood D. April 26, 1903 | Henry L. T. Blank B. August 30, 1846 D. April 9, 1931 | Maria S. Blank (Diehl) B. December 16, 1850 D. August 21, 1920 | Rebecca Metzger (Muthard) B. August 23, 1839 D. March 20, 1920 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Wood, Jr. B. June 8, 1867 D. March 13, 1952 | Jennie Wood (Chew) B. January 29, 1869 D. March 5, 1913 | Harry Edgar Blank B. May 1, 1872 D. July 15, 1943 | Emma R. Blank (Metzger) B. July 9, 1872 D. May 21, 1931 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bessie Hickman Blank (Wood) B. May 16, 1891 D. September 27, 1959 | Edgar Henry Blank B. August 10, 1893 D. February 1967 | Mabel Adelia Blank B. October 22, 1895 D. October 24, 1959 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clarissa Mabel Blank B. August 5, 1915 D. August 15, 1965 | Mildred B. Blank B. February 11, 1920 D. June 20, 1920 | George H. Blank B. June 15, 1925 D. July 10, 1925 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other works
Blank wrote four published novels in addition to the Beverly Gray books. The first three, comprising the Adventure Girls Series, were published in 1936 by A. L. Burt, Blank's then publisher for the Beverly Gray series. Though later reprinted by Saalfield, no new Adventure Girls works were ever published. In 1940, Gramercy published Blank's one and only adult novel, Lover Come Back.
At least two manuscripts written by Blank went unpublished. In December 1941 she sent an unsolicited manuscript, Linda Ross at Hamilton, to Grosset & Dunlap. It was rejected for publication four months later, for "there seems to be a strong prejudice against starting a new mystery series with a school background."[19] Blank also wrote an unpublished Beverly Gray novel to follow the final volume, Beverly Gray's Surprise.[19] This work was never printed, as the series was cancelled in 1955. It is possible that a fourth Adventure Girls book was also written, to be titled The Adventure Girls on Vacation. This book was advertised at the end of the third and final book in the series; it is unclear whether Blank actually wrote it, or merely intended it, before the series was cancelled.
The Adventure Girls
A trilogy by default, The Adventure Girls series was published by A. L. Burt in 1936 and never continued. All works were copyrighted on April 27, 1936, the same day as Beverly Gray on a World Cruise.[20] Although a fourth work was advertised at the end of the third, it was never published; where the Beverly Gray series survived and prospered following the publication of its four part "breeder set,"[21] The Adventure Girls series was unable to catch on. Purchased by Saalfield in 1937, the series was entirely shelved until being reissued in the fall of 1942.[19] None of the books had their copyright renewed, and all have thus passed into the public domain.
| # | Title | Copyright |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Adventure Girls at K Bar O* | 1936 |
| 2 | The Adventure Girls in the Air | 1936 |
| 3 | The Adventure Girls at Happiness House | 1936 |
| 4† | (The Adventure Girls on Vacation) | N/A |
* Errantly referred to as "K-Bar-O" on the dust jacket
† Advertised by name at the end of the third book, but never published
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O introduces the six titular heroines, to wit, Gale Howard, Carol Carter, Janet Gordon, Phyllis Elton, Madge Reynolds, and Valerie Wallace. Rising seniors at Marchton High School, the girls arrive at the K Bar O Ranch in northern Arizona at the invitation of Gale's cousin, Virginia Wilson. Virginia's father owns the ranch, "one of the biggest in the state," with "large" cattle herds "of the finest stock."[22] A weeks-long camping trip on horseback pits the girls, along with Virginia's older brother Tom and ranch hand Jim, against a band of rustlers that has driven Mr. Wilson close to the point of "ruin."[23] Seen as a product of its time, K Bar O reflects a depression-era focus on domestic tourism. Americans "spent nearly half a billion dollars abroad" in 1932, and it was feared that "America was failing to exploit its touristic potential."[24] Stimulus programs targeted "a variety of road-building programs and highway improvements," while "a series of promotions" such as the "See America" campaign was launched "to encourage travel within the United States."[25] By the time K Bar O was published in 1936, domestic tourism had become "the second biggest industry" in the United States.[24] Blank certainly understood how western tourism fit into the zeitgeist of 1930s America. Looking out at the desert, Carol declares "I'm overwhelmed! . . . From now on I shall be a strong advocate of See America First!"[26][note 1]
Scenery combines with adventure in K Bar O, but usually takes a back seat. Chapter nine sees the girls tour the Colorado River and Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert, Monument Valley (and "El Capitan" therein), and the ruins of the Betatakin cliff dwellings. Throughout the rest of the book, various assemblages of girls foil a bank robbery (chapter 1); get uncomfortably close to a rattlesnake (chapter 3); get lost in a cave with the (recently escaped) bandits (chapter 5);[note 2] narrowly avoid being turned into "pancakes"[43] by a boulder (chapter 7); get kidnapped (chapters 7–8); get shot at, and shoot a bandit, during escape from said kidnapping (chapter 8); rope and kill an attacking cougar (chapter 9); get kidnapped again (chapter 11); survive a ride on a runaway horse (chapter 16); get kidnapped for a third time after the bandits escape for a second time (chapter 17); and avoid another bullet (chapter 18). Tom is not quite as lucky, with chapter 19 seeing him get shot in the arm as he and the cook, Loo Wong, capture the bandits for the third and final time. For their efforts the Adventure Girls are awarded $1,000 by the sheriff. This is promptly bestowed upon Bobby, a destitute boy of "about eight,"[44] such that he can pursue a formal education. Adventures and good deeds concluded, the girls depart back East.[note 3]
For their part, the six cattle rustlers are barely distinguishable. Three are originally introduced as bank robbers (one "short" and "dark haired," a second "tall,"[46] the third an unseen getaway driver), before later being shown to be rustlers also. Three other bandits are later introduced; of the five that are white, one is named "Mike"[47] and another "Shorty,"[48] but all remain almost entirely interchangeable. It is never made clear whether "Mike" and "Shorty" are the "short" and "tall" bank robbers, two of the other three bandits, or some combination thereof. The only bandit who is clearly differentiated is the sixth, Pedro. Referred to by name 25 times, as "the Mexican" or "a Mexican" 36 times, and as a "half-breed" or "the breed" 3 times, he is presented in exceptionally stereotyped fashion. Vicious and with a "slurring accent"[49] (e.g., "I weel fin' you and wit' my knife I weel slash"[50]), a "long scar ran down his cheek, making his profile even more repulsive than it would ordinarily have been."[51]
The only other minority character in the book is similarly stereotyped. Loo Wong, "a very fine Chinese cook"[52] employed by the ranch, is as simple as Pedro is vicious. Instructed by Gale and Valerie on how to make fudge (despite being a cook, "when it came to candy he wasn't so artful"), he "bowed low" to the girls with "hands hidden in voluptuous sleeves" and "the grin of a delighted child on his face."[53] More overtly, Loo Wong has a "yellow face"[54] with "oriental pride,"[55] and a locution marked by the addition of unnecessary 'l's.[note 4] "'Missy alle same fline cook,'" he proclaims before the fudge-making lesson. "'You teach Loo Wong?'"[54] Although generally referred to by his proper name ("Loo Wong" 45 times, and "Wong" 6 times), in five instances he is instead "the Chinaman." As with the term "half-breed," in 1936 "Chinaman," while still seeing contemporary usage, was declining in popularity as it became more commonly thought of as a slur.[60]
The Adventure Girls in the Air
The Adventure Girls in the Air picks up with the six girls in their senior year at Marchton High School. The book involves two distinct narrative arcs. The first nine chapters involve the attempt by Brent Stockton, a pilot and inventor, to perfect a new airplane motor, and the attempts by enemies to steal his designs. Chapters ten through sixteen detail a plane crash resulting in Gale's disappearance, amnesia, and rediscovery. The book then concludes with five chapters narrating the end of the school year and preparations for college.
The novel opens on the beach, where the girls and three male companions—Bruce Latimer, David Kimball, and Peter Arnold—watch a "shining red monoplane" doing aerobatics above the Atlantic Ocean. After it crashes on nearby Cloudy Island (chapter 1), Gale, Phyllis and Bruce rush over, discovering a pilot with a sprained ankle and desire to remain for some weeks, anonymously, in a log cabin on the island. Brent Stockton, as it turns out, is a pilot and inventor of about "twenty-three" who is developing a "more or less foolproof" airplane motor that will be more fuel efficient and "most economical." An unknown competitor has attempted three times to steal Brent's plans, including "a bold attempt on [his] life." The following chapters involve more such attempts, leading to Bruce being punched (chapter 4) and the airplane hangar being subject to a bomb attempt (chapter 6) and an armed break-in by two men (chapter 7). These attempts are to no avail. Brent's plane wins a race, setting him up to "sell his patent to the [United States] government" and accept a job in Washington, D.C. with the Transcontinental Air Line Company. His enemies, meanwhile, "after that one last attempt, seemed to fade into obscurity." Except for one glancing reference at the end of the ninth chapter ("The plane had come through and defeated all Brent's enemies"), they are inexplicably never mentioned again.
The disappearance of Brent's enemies, and their complete lack of mention thereafter, brings about a dramatic plot shift. Brent flies Gale and her father, a "successful" lawyer, to visit a client in Quebec. Gale and Brent return the next day while Mr. Howard stays behind for another night. Despite being "one of the best pilots there is," Brent forgets to fill up on gas before leaving Quebec and crashes in the woods (chapter 10).[note 5] He leaves to get help for a trapped and unconscious Gale, who, it develops, now suffers from amnesia. She is discovered and taken in by François and Antoinette Bouchard, French Canadian siblings living in a small "farmhouse" in the woods. While Gale's friends search frantically for her, the Bouchards are unable to alert the world to her presence. As François explains it, "I injured my foot [splitting logs], and I have not been able to go to the village to notify the authorities. My sister knows very little about such things." This does not prevent Antoinette from taking Gale into the village; rather, she simply avoids telling anyone about Gale's background, and apparently nobody thinks to ask who the stranger is. Gale is eventually discovered (chapter 13), but this still leaves time for her to spend a night lost in the woods (chapter 15) and have her memory restored by a fall off a 20-foot cliff (chapter 16). Once back in Marchton, Gale accepts Brent's proposal at Senior Prom (chapter 19), and the girls trick Phyllis's "positive tyrant" of an aunt into allowing Phyllis to attend college at Briarhurst with the other five (chapter 20). The next and final chapter sees Gale and Bruce trapped on Cloudy Island during a storm, and the book ends on an anti-climactic note as they await rescuers from the mainland.
The Adventure Girls in the Air was written extremely quickly, possibly in less than three weeks. A January 17, 1936 letter from A. L. Burt acknowledges receipt of the manuscript for The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, and asks "how soon could we have two additional stories . . . ?"[1] 25 days later, on February 11, another letter declared The Adventure Girls in the Air "an absolutely interesting story, and especially delightful [is] the description of life in the Canadian woods."[1] This breakneck pace perhaps explains some of the plot holes and oversights in the story. The book features a series of narrative arcs, which are concluded and forgotten in succession; Brent's enemies disappear halfway through the book, and, after Gale's amnestic saga, the book turns to the more mundane aspects of high school life. Lines are repeated, and sometimes contradict each other. "The wheels were sticking grotesquely up into the air" is used twice, verbatim, to describe the plane crash in the first chapter and that in the tenth; incidentally, this line is itself taken almost verbatim from Blank's 1934 work Beverly Gray, Senior, where a car crash leaves "the four wheels sticking grotesquely up into the air."[65] A contradiction arises when Gale attests to Brent's prodigious aviation skills in the eighth chapter, asking "[d]idn't he fly that anti-toxin up to Alaska to those Eskimos last year and save hundreds of lives?" Three chapters later, Peter suggests the pilot was someone else: “Airplanes have saved hundreds of lives. Look at the time that aviator flew that serum to those Eskimos up north.”[note 6] Meanwhile, Gale spends much of chapter 18, "Studies," attempting to learn poetry, which previously "awoke no interest in her whatever." Yet despite the fact that before this point "[s]he had not liked any of the poets," when talking about love with Brent in chapter six she quotes the poem How Do I Love Thee?. "'[D]id you ever read Elizabeth Browning?'" Gale asks Brent. "'She says—"I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life!" I always thought—maybe—I should love someone like that some day.'" Blank's trilogy was slated "for early spring publication," and it was written on a tight schedule.[1] After The Adventure Girls in the Air was reviewed on February 11, A. L. Burt asked for the third volume to be ready "a little sooner" than the first week of March.[1] The trilogy was evidently ready by the end of April; it seems that editing, by both author and publisher, was de-emphasized to make this happen.
The Adventure Girls at Happiness House
The Adventure Girls at Happiness House is the third and final published work in this series. The book finds the six girls at Briarhurst College, where they have just arrived to begin their first year. The college has an unpopular new dean, and the main plot revolves around the efforts of an unknown individual to hurt or possibly kill her. A subplot center on Phyllis, who breaks her leg and needs an operation to be able to walk again, and on her unknown father, who is discovered to be a famous surgeon. The book's title refers to the name of the Omega Chi sorority house where Gale and Phyllis live.
After arriving at Briarhurst College, the girls soon learn that newly instated Dean Travis is an unpopular force on campus. Opposition to her plans, which include "new laboratories for the Chemistry classes, a new organ for the chapel, stables and horses to teach the girls riding and a few other such things," seems to be highest among the girls who enjoyed "special privileges" under the old dean, but at least one person is particularly violent. Gale's introduction to the new dean comes when she saves her canoe, rope cut and set adrift, from going over a waterfall (chapter 2). Suspicious events continue. Chapter 4 alone sees the dean sent poisoned candy, have her curtains set on fire, and, with Gale, narrowly avoid a vial of acid tossed from a window. Two chapters later, college funds are reported stolen from the safe and a typewritten note warning the girls "Do not interfere in affairs that are none of your concern" is slipped under Gale's door.
A number of characters are initially suggested as suspicious. "I heard that one of the Chemistry teachers is sending the Dean candy and flowers," says Janet, and Phyllis tries to draw a link between a professor and the poisoned candy: “Chemistry Professor, acid, poisoned candy—they all fit together.” Gale exerts her efforts by turning "all the girls into Sherlock Holmeses" to find the typewriter used to create the warning note. Coming back to her room one day, she discovers her room to have been ransacked. “Someone was hunting for that note, I’ll wager," she opines. The mystery deepens when Gale tests the dean's own typewriter and finds it to produce type identical to that on the warning note. Meanwhile, while walking on campus at night she is surprised by a "man’s figure" with "hat pulled low . . . and a long overcoat with collar turned up completely." Seeing Gale, the man flees.
As the mystery continues, Phyllis breaks her leg during the Freshman-Junior field hockey game and spends weeks convalescing in the college infirmary. Her healing is interrupted and her leg "crushed" some five weeks later when she saves Gale and the dean from a pile of falling lumber. (Although this incident is initially described as suspicious, Gale later declares that "I believe that really was an accident.") At first this is cast as a minor setback. "I am afraid your friend is right where she was five weeks ago," the doctor tells Gale. Phyllis's leg was "[n]ot too badly crushed but enough to undo the healing of these past weeks." Yet this prognosis is suddenly and inexplicably reversed in the very next chapter, entitled "Bad News." The doctor's new diagnosis is that Phyllis "will never walk again," at least "not as other girls," without an operation by "the best [surgeon] in the East." Gale accepts this news at face value and "seeks funds from Phyllis's aunt to pay for the operation. Described most kindly as "aloof" and "stern," and most damningly as "a female Simon Legree," she initially refuses to help without explanation. Christmas break brings more opportunities for Gale's overtures, however, and eventually Mrs. Fields divulges that she is not truly Phyllis's aunt. Her tale is, fittingly, "a story as incredible and fantastic as any fiction":
"Years ago I was secretary to a Doctor. He had a wife and a little girl. One day his wife was killed in a bad railroad accident. Before she died she made me promise to stay with Phyllis. The Doctor was heart-broken and partly to forget, partly to further his ambition, he decided to go to Europe to study surgery. He left his little girl with me and enough money to keep her until he should return and longer. . . . I lived in his house with Phyllis for two years. Then one day I received a wire that he was returning. I thought of all sorts of things—that I might be discharged—I might never see Phyllis again. I was lonely—I had no family, and I had grown to love the little girl like my own daughter. . . . I brought Phyllis here. I've hidden her all these years . . . He[r father] returned to Europe after a few years—when he didn't find us. I've always been afraid someone would discover who she was—that is why I didn't want Phyllis to make friends—I was afraid."
So begins the effort to find Phyllis's father, revealed to be the celebrated surgeon Doctor Philip Elton. Brent Stockton, Gale's fiancé, resolves to lead this search, for, famous as the surgeon is, his location remains unknown.
Before the search for Doctor Elton can get far, Dean Travis's enemy is unmasked by Gale. Visiting the chemistry department "to see Professor Lukens about our Chemistry assignment," she observes the dean's secretary, Miss Horton, taking a vial from a locked cabinet. Gale follows her back to the dean's office and catches her mixing the substance into a glass of water and telling someone over the phone that "Sarah—you will be Dean of Briarhurst someday." Confronted, the secretary confesses. "Yes, I meant to poison [the dean]," she says. "'If it hadn't been for her my sister would be Dean of Briarhurst. She worked years to have the position, she studied in Europe, everything to fit herself for this. Then [Dean Travis] came along . . . and [was] appointed. It nearly broke my sister's heart.'" She then adds as an aside that she was also the one who stole money from the safe. "I meant to put it back," she says, "but I couldn't right away. Now you will probably send me to prison." The dean, despite nearly having been murdered, is forgiving. She "smiled in sympathetic understanding. 'No, but if you return the money, pack your things and leave tonight, we will forget the whole incident.'" The mystery is thus solved, and indeed forgotten. Left unresolved is both the question of whether (and if so, why) Miss Horton really was earlier poisoned by candy intended for the dean, and also the identity of the mysterious man in "a long overcoat." As to the latter, "we will probably never know," Gale declares. Miss Horton "must have had someone with her."
With the discovery of Miss Horton acting in flagrante, the plot turns once again to Phyllis, her need for an operation, and the search for her father. His location is partly determined as soon as the girls leave Dean Travis's office for their sorority house. Passing a radio, they happen to hear a relevant bulletin: “Flash! An unconfirmed report has just been received that Doctor Philip Elton, the world renowned surgeon, is lost in the jungles of Brazil.[note 7] Doctor Elton sailed from Liverpool, England, a month ago for a vacation cruise on his yacht, the Tornado." Brent calls to say that he and David Kimball, a friend from Marchton, are flying to Brazil to join "a searching party" sent by the "South American government" (whatever that is). A few pages later Gale receives "a thick letter from Brent" declaring the doctor found. As with Miss Horton and her mysterious accomplice, Doctor Elton's Brazilian adventure quickly passes from all mention with no details ever related of his time lost in the wilderness.
Doctor Elton is flown to Briarhurst once he is found. The necessary operation is performed, Phyllis is informed of the "fantastic fairy story" of her upbringing, and familial harmony is restored. The final chapters relate the more day to day aspects of life at Briarhurst College. Janet is thrown from a horse (chapter 16), Gale pretends to drown to coax Phyllis from her wheelchair (chapter 17), and Phyllis rescues horses from a burning stable, collapses, and is rescued in turn by Gale (chapter 19). The final chapter sees the girls after their final classes discussing summer plans, for which Doctor Elton has offered the use of his yacht. No fourth book was ever published, but The Adventure Girls at Happiness House closes with a promise for more adventure:
"Suppose we leave the Adventure Girls here, discussing their plans for the summer. We shall join them again for more excitement in The Adventure Girls on Vacation."
Characters in The Adventure Girls
| The Adventure Girls at K Bar O | The Adventure Girls in the Air | The Adventure Girls at Happiness House | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gale Howard | Adventure Girls | ||||||
| Carol Carter | |||||||
| Janet Gordon | |||||||
| Phyllis Elton | |||||||
| Madge Reynolds | |||||||
| Valerie Wallace | |||||||
| Virginia Wilson | Gale's cousin | Brent Stockton | Pilot/inventor | Brent Stockton | |||
| Henry Wilson | K Bar O owner | Bruce Latimer | Friend of girls | Bruce Latimer† | |||
| Mrs. Wilson* | Virginia's mother | David Kimball | Friend of girls | David Kimball | |||
| Tom | Virginia's brother | Peter Arnold | Friend of girls | Doctor Philip Elton | Phyllis's father | ||
| Jim | K Bar O cowboy | Stubby | Brent's mechanic | (Unnamed)* | Nurse at operation | ||
| Loo Wong | K Bar O cook | Melba Fields | Phyllis's aunt | Melba Fields | |||
| Lem | Lazy K cowboy | Minnie* | Mrs. Fields's maid | Minnie† | |||
| Lem's partner | Lazy K cowboy | (Unnamed) | Enemy 1 | Mrs. Grayson* | Sorority house mother | ||
| Sheriff Colman | Sheriff | (Unnamed)* | Enemy 2 | Adele Stevens | Sorority president | ||
| Bert | "Special deputy" | Janet's sister* | (Younger) | (Unnamed) | Sorority senior | ||
| Hank Cordy† | In sheriff's posse | David's father† | (Unnamed) (2)* | Sorority juniors | |||
| (Unnamed) (3+)* | Deputies | Mr. Howard | Gale's father | Marcia Marlette | Sorority junior | ||
| Bobby | Poor boy | Mrs. Howard | Gale's mother | Ulrich 'Ricky' Allen | Sorority freshman | ||
| Bobby's mother† | Dr. Miller* | Howard family doctor | Gloria Manson | Sorority freshman | |||
| Pedro | Bandit | Miss Relso | Gale's English teacher | Miss Relso† | |||
| Mike | Bandit | Coach Garis† | Football coach | Professor Harris† | Former dean | ||
| "Shorty" | Bandit | Mark Sherwin* | Football player | Dean Travis | New dean | ||
| (Unnamed) | Bandit | Antoinette Bouchard | Québécois woman | (Unnamed)* | Dean's maid | ||
| (Unnamed) | Bandit | François Bouchard | Antoinette's brother | Miss Horton | Dean's secretary | ||
| (Unnamed) | Bandit | Toto | Bouchards' dog | Sarah† | Miss Horton's sister | ||
| Bank teller* | Shot in robbery | Brent's chauffeur* | In Quebec | Doctor Norcot | School physician | ||
| 2 unnamed men* | Detain robbers | "Frenchman" | In Québécois village | Professor Lukens | Chemistry teacher | ||
| The Johnsons† | Family in Coxton | Professor Powell* | Asst. chem teacher | ||||
| "Liza" | Girls' car | (Unnamed)†[note 8] | Chemistry teacher | ||||
| (Unnamed)† | Chemistry teacher | ||||||
| (Unnamed) | Gymnastics teacher | ||||||
| (Unnamed)* | Equestrian instructor | ||||||
| (Unnamed)* | School janitor | ||||||
| (Unnamed)† | School caretaker | ||||||
| (Unnamed) | Stable attendant 1 | ||||||
| (Unnamed)† | Stable attendant 2 | ||||||
| (Unnamed)* | School nurse | ||||||
| (Unnamed) | Briarhurst bus driver | ||||||
| White Star | Briarhurst horse | ||||||
| "Lizzie" | Briarhurst College bus | ||||||
* No speaking lines in book
† Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak
Lover Come Back
Representing Blank's short lived foray into adult literature, Lover Come Back was published in 1940 by Gramercy. It does not appear to have ever been reprinted in novel form, although notifications in The Pittsburgh Press suggest that it was printed in a "Complete Novel Section" therein on April 13, 1941.[86][87] As a result of this limited print run, Lover Come Back is Blank's scarcest published novel.
Lover Come Back echoes the Beverly Gray series in both plot and writing style. Just as Beverly Gray is a successful screenwriter, playwright, novelist and reporter for the Herald Tribune, Beverly Norcot shares the same vocations (and success) and reports for "the Times" (likely The New York Times). Lover Come Back features a plot driven by events and coincidence. "In its series of mini-climaxes strung together, the book is a soap opera." The book's "major ingredients" consist of:
Gordon Norcot had been so generous during his life that when he died his sole assets consisted of two lovely daughters. Phyllis continued her schooling via the scholarship route, and Beverly took a position on the Times. Tony Andrews sent the young reporter orchids and gave her a taste of the life she had left behind. But young David Garrett offered romance, and she gladly prepared to give up the orchids for it.
Then David misunderstood Beverly's feeling for Tony and left for South America. She knew fame and fortune thereafter, but she continued to keep her heart free for the man who had sailed away.
Clair Blank, Lover Come Back
- "3 auto accidents (2 human, 1 canine)
2 shootings
1 emergency appendectomy
3 witnessing[s] by jealous suitor of girlfriend embracing another man
3 reversals of fortune (1 downward, 2 upward)
2 sudden disappearances of boyfriends out of the country
4 unexpected reunions of same with girls
numerous reversals of feeling between lovers
frequent dashing around by characters in cars, ships, and a plane
multiple rendezvous at society parties [and] swanky nightclubs"[88]
Beverly Gray, too, leads "such a life of adventure as would tax the resources of any soap opera heroine." Across the series, Beverly is "kidnapped no less than twenty-six times, attacked by wild animals seven times, trapped in three violent storms, imperiled by three earthquakes, shot at twice (wounded once)." She also suffers "a car crash, flowing lava, a flood, a drugging, a rampaging fire, a plane crash and other assorted tribulations."[89]
Books
| # | Title | Copyright |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beverly Gray, Freshman | 1934 |
| 2 | Beverly Gray, Sophomore | 1934 |
| 3 | Beverly Gray, Junior | 1934 |
| 4 | Beverly Gray, Senior | 1934 |
| 5 | Beverly Gray's Career | 1935 |
| (6)* | Beverly Gray at the World's Fair | 1935 |
| 6/7 | Beverly Gray on a World Cruise | 1936 |
| 7/8 | Beverly Gray in the Orient | 1937 |
| 8 | Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt | 1938 |
| 9 | Beverly Gray's Return | 1939 |
| 10 | Beverly Gray, reporter | 1940 |
| 11 | Beverly Gray's Romance | 1941 |
| 12 | Beverly Gray's Quest | 1942 |
| 13 | Beverly Gray's Problem | 1943 |
| 14 | Beverly Gray's Adventure | 1944 |
| 15 | Beverly Gray's Challenge | 1945 |
| 16 | Beverly Gray's Journey | 1946 |
| 17 | Beverly Gray's Assignment | 1947 |
| 18 | Beverly Gray's Mystery | 1948 |
| 19 | Beverly Gray's Vacation | 1949 |
| 20 | Beverly Gray's Fortune | 1950 |
| 21 | Beverly Gray's Secret | 1951 |
| 22 | Beverly Gray's Island Mystery | 1952 |
| 23 | Beverly Gray's Discovery | 1953 |
| 24 | Beverly Gray's Scoop | 1954 |
| 25 | Beverly Gray's Surprise | 1955 |
*This title was dropped from the series in 1938
Beverly Gray, Freshman
Beverly Gray, Freshman, is the first book in the Beverly Gray series. Published concurrently in 1934 with Sophomore, Junior, and Senior, it introduces Beverly as a freshman at Vernon College. College life and excitement fills up the majority of the work, but leaves time for a winter break interlude in which Beverly becomes lost in a snowstorm and is kidnapped by a "hermit women."
Beverly makes her first appearance as she steps off the train carrying her to Vernon College from her hometown, Renville. Anne White, "a dainty blonde girl" and childhood friend, accompanies her.[92] Both are "young, intelligent, and actively modern"[93] girls of "nineteen"[94] who "had wanted a more modern college, co-ed preferred,"[93] but were made to follow in their mothers' footsteps instead. For Anne, this burden is never suggested to be more than simple matriculation and graduation; for Beverly, whose mother is described as "the patron saint of Vernon College," the legacy is more burdensome.[95] Helen Chadwick Gray is "the symbol of all that is good and beautiful,"[95] a "wonderful"[96] and "fine, noble woman"[97] who is not only "the college heroine"[98] and the "glorious ideal of womanhood"[99] "love[d] and respect[ed]" by "everyone connected in any way with Vernon College,"[98] but also "the personification of graciousness, loyalty, and courage."[100] To the extent that any tangible qualities or achievements are mentioned, "her father construct[ed] Chadwick Hall for Vernon."[95]
The two girls settle into life at Vernon College, where Beverly's paternal surname affords her relative anonymity as she attempts to make good "on her own merits, not under another's colors."[98] Three of the other four freshmen in Chadwick Hall—Lenora Whitehill, Rosalie Arnold, and Anne's roommate Lois Mason—prove friendly, while Beverly's roommate Shirley Parker is "aloof" and "patronizing."[101] These girls variously join Beverly in the seven chapters preceding winter break, where they break curfew to view a movie (chapter 2: "She was going to break a rule!"[102]); are caught (chapter 3); are "initiated"[103] on Halloween when the sophomores and juniors put them "though various antics such as picking pennies out of a dish of flour with their teeth, rescuing a knife submerged in a tub of water, also with their teeth, and equally difficult tasks,"[104] then compel them though a haunted house (chapter 4); gain "revenge"[105] by crashing the junior and sophomore "masquerade dance"[106] and winning the costume contest (chapter 5); scrape through an "important"[107] geometry examination administered by "Professor Adams, old Eagle-eye, as she was fondly (?) called by her students"[108] (Chapter 6); and come back from a 17–22 halftime deficit to beat the juniors 27–22 in basketball (chapter 7).[note 9] Beverly, "the star player"[101] in high school, is equal to the task at college, where in games she "was over the floor like streaked lightning [to appear] at the right spot just at the crucial moment to wrest victory from defeat."[107]
Winter break sees Beverly and Anne reunite the "Lucky Circle," a collection of eight childhood friends:[111] the two Vernon girls, Jim Stanton and Tommy Chandler, both "in their third year at Yale," Gordon Brewster and Boyd Marshall, both "freshmen at Harvard," and Joan Roberts and Barbara West, who both "had gone to Smith."[112] These halcyon days are cut short when Beverly is kidnapped while returning from Cedarbook, "a camping spot about seven miles north of Renville."[113] As the group returns home, they become disoriented by a "raging blizzard"[114] and take "the wrong road."[115] The boys head in search of "familiar landmarks"[116] and Beverly heads in search of the boys. She sprains her ankle, catapults "headlong"[117] down a hill, and awakes to the sight of a "woman, easily over six feet in height, clad in tattered clothing and with wild, disordered hair."[118] The "hermit woman of Dunnsville,"[118] as she is generally known, or "Big Bertha,"[119] as she calls herself, is an "insane"[118] woman with a homicidal bent. "Once, when the authorities had sent guards to take her to an institution, she had killed one of the guards. That had been years ago, and since then the authorities had tried time and time again to catch her, but every time, with a vicious cunning, she had eluded them."[120] Bertha believes Beverly to be her dead daughter, whose death ("from what Beverly did not know") "had strengthened the woman's insanity and caused her to look with suspicion and hate on every other living person."[121] Bertha thus sets about "treating Beverly's ankle"[122] while muttering "incoherent phrases": "Couldn't take you away—kill 'em—hurts, does it, dearie?—Big Bertha'll fix it—my girl—crazy, am I? . . . Never be like your mother—big and strong, I am—strong as an ox, the village folks say—I'll kill 'em—take my girl away—but you've come back—Bertha won't let 'em hurt you—nobody'll find us—hid away here for a year—nobody comes up here in the hills."[119]
Beverly's eventual rescue is delayed by a bear attack. During the second night of her captivity she sneaks out while Bertha sleeps, attempting to use "the Star of Bethlehem"[note 10] to navigate her way home.[125] She falls through snow and earth into a bear trap while crossing a clearing in the woods, and, following a prolonged struggle to pull herself free, sinks into "a half doze"[126] on the surface and emerges to the "hot breath on her cheek" of a "big black bear."[127] "Would these terrible adventures never cease? First had been the blizzard, then the hermit woman, then the bear pit, and now—the bear!"[127] Curious at first, "Mr. Bruin"[128] becomes threatening when Beverly tries to get away and swats her with "an unexpected blow from his paw."[129] Before any more harm can be done, Bertha arrives with hunting knife in hand. So ensues a "battle between two wild primitive creatures." "Over and over in the snow they rolled. The strong arm of the hermit woman shot in and out, the knife dancing against the black shaggy coat as she tried to keep the bear's teeth from sinking into her throat."[130] Bertha emerges unscathed from the "long and bloody struggle";[131] a "scowl of malevolence" on her face, she escorts Beverly back to the cabin.[132] Beverly is held little longer, however, waking waking from a nap to the sight of her father and Jim through the window. They hurry towards the cabin as Beverly "leap[s] for the door," this time bolting it behind her.[133] Beverly is taken home, and when Bertha is next heard from, it is to say that she has "escaped the authorities again."[134] Alerted by John Gray, "the sheriff and his men arrived at the little hut [to find] the door hanging ajar and the woman gone."[135]
Beverly leads a "pampered" existence for the remainder of winter break, which soon yields to the spring term at Vernon College. There Shirley remains as incorrigible as before, rebuffing all attempts at and repeatedly "sneaking out late at night."[136] Following her one night, Beverly discovers that she is meeting with a man named Tom. "So Shirley had come out to meet a man! Beverly half turned to go back to Chadwick Hall. It was no business of hers if Shirley wanted to meet a man. But she didn't turn back."[137] Shirley laments her life at Vernon to Tom, who exhorts her to run away with him. "I'm sick of everything—sick of college, sick of studies, of seeing the same people every day," Shirley declares. "I have everything money can buy. Yet I've never been truly happy in my life. [My parents] were too busy to bother with their little girl."[138] Tom, who admits that he "was born on the wrong side of the railroad tracks,"[138] proposes they "go to New York. I'll take you to theaters, dances. . . . Travel to far countries, see gay lights, hear music. . . . I can show you how to live—really live, not merely exist, as you are doing here."[139] Tom overcomes her objections, and Shirley "miserably" agrees to go the next night.[140] Beverly gets together the next afternoon with Anne, Lenora, Lois and Rosalie to decide the best way to change Shirley's mind, eventually settling on direct confrontation. The resulting struggle, over the key to the room which Beverly has pocketed, causes Beverly to slip on the "polished hardwood" floors, "striking her head against the desk" and falling unconscious.[141] Hesitating for a moment, Shirley "pick[s] up her coat and her suitcase," and lets "herself out into the night."[142] Six pages later Shirley returns, "relief" and "the longing for sympathy" in her "gray eyes," and slips into bed.[143]
Shirley is a new woman upon her return. She starts "being friendly with the other girls," accompanying them to on trips to town and trying out for the part of Juliet in the freshman play.[144] Yet if no longer cold towards Beverly, she "remain[s] aloof."[145] Her aloofness dissipates only when a fire in Chadwick Hall, deus ex machina, allows Beverly to come to her rescue and claim her friendship. "A dull red haze"[146] hangs above the hall as Beverly returns from a late dinner, and she soon realizes that Shirley, "a very heavy sleeper,"[147] has slept through the attendant pandemonium. Beverly rushes inside—"Would this girl who had gone so gallantly and bravely to rescue her comrade succeed, or would she too be trapped? She was almost certainly doomed to failure."[148]—and spends a chapter battling heat, smoke and fire before ultimately carrying Shirley's unconscious form outside, illustrated on the dust jacket, and collapsing. For the third time in the book, Beverly wakes up from misadventure to someone tending to her wounds. This time she is in the college infirmary, where her mother, eyes "wet with proud and thankful tears," watches over her.[149] Shirley visits to make amends ("'Oh Beverly!' the other sobbed. 'Can you ever forgive me?'"[150]), and the two resolve to be friends.
The remainder of Beverly's first year passes quickly. Shirley, playing Juliet, shows herself to be "a born actress," giving "the rôle a sweetness and dignity that were wistfully appealing. No one could have played the part with greater perfection;"[151] "some day she might be as famous as Katharine Cornell or even Ethel Barrymore."[152] Her performance attracts the attention of Andrew T. Crandall, "president of the Forest Theater Guild,"[153] who asks her to join the company over the summer. Shirley declines, with a promise to be in touch after graduation. Tom was also in the audience, but is coldly rebuffed when he again attempts to woo Shirley away. He returns as Beverly and Shirley walk back to their dormitory, confronting them with a revolver and demanding "ten thousand dollars" from Shirley's father, "the great Parker of Riverside Drive and Park Avenue,"[154][note 11] lest he sell newspapers the "story of the rich Shirley Parker who was going to run away with a thief."[158] Shirley calls his bluff, Beverly whacks his wrist with "a heavy stick,"[159] Tom leaves, and Shirley keeps the revolver "as a memento of how foolish I once was."[160] All that remains is a going-away party at "Weller's, the favorite ice-cream salon of the college students."[161] Beverly's "closest friends"[162] and "Miss Wilder, the dean of the college,"[161] join together for a fête in Beverly's honor. The dean leads the toast:
"At the beginning of this term a young lady came to our college. Her mother had been here before her and everyone connected in any way with Vernon College loves and respects Helen Chadwick. Her daughter came to me and asked that her identity as the daughter of my friend be kept secret. Not that she was in any way ashamed of the fact, but in fear that she might not prove worthy of her mother's name. She knew with what awe and expectancy the daughter of the college heroine would be met. She desired to be known only as Beverly Gray, another of the many students. If she made many friends, as she has done, she wanted it to be on her own merits, not under another's colors. I need not tell you that Beverly Gray has proven herself more than the daughter of Helen Chadwick.In sports and in studies Beverly ranks among the finest. But more than that, in a crucial moment she proved to the world that she has the great courage given only to a few. Courage to risk her life for another, and so avert what might have been the saddest of tragedies. Utterly regardless of what the consequences to herself might be, she dared all she had to save the life of her friend. Surely, as the Great Teacher said, 'Greater love hath no man.'[note 12] What she did will long remain glorious in the eyes of we who saw it. We have no adequate way of expressing how we felt toward this brave girl, but I am sure she understands."[163]
Beverly is presented with "a dainty, sparkling wrist watch" as "a small token" of "gratitude and friendship," engraved "To Beverly Gray, for extraordinary heroism."[164] Thank yous and good byes follow, and Freshman is concluded.
Beverly Gray, Sophomore
Beverly Gray, Sophomore is the second work in the Beverly Gray series, and parallels the trajectory of college life and excitement set out in the first. The book further explores the mystery that the series would become known for. Beverly spends most of her year investigating a seemingly haunted mansion used by drug smugglers. She also manages to foil a jewel theft over winter break, survive a plane crash, and solve the theft of a set of history examination questions.
Sophomore picks up where Freshman left off; now in their second year at Vernon College, the six main girls reunite in Beverly's room. The first order of business for Beverly, Shirley, Anne, Lenora, Lois, and Rosalie is to bond themselves into an ad hoc sorority. This they term the "Alpha Delta Sorority," choosing a Greek name as a "suitable" appellation for a society meant "to last years from now";[169] "Sunshine Club," "Mischief Makers," "Vernon Girls," and "Rainbow Girls" are first shot down in search of "something more dignified."[170] The "aim" of the society is "[a]nything that is fun . . . or entertaining," although it practice it serves more as a lasting reference point for the girls' continuing friendship.[171]
Beverly soon joins "the staff of the Comet," the college paper.[172] "Her position as a reporter on the Comet was the first step in the literary career she planned for herself. After college she had dreams of being a reporter on a large newspaper; perhaps eventually she might be a foreign correspondent, reporting stories from Europe, Asia, the South Seas—who knew?"[173] The Comet's editor, Alison Cox, assigns Beverly an investigation into "strange lights and figures moving about" in the abandoned Horler Mansion.[172] Built by Andrew Horler in 1870 and auctioned after his son died without heir, the mansion was "put up for auction" and sold to "an old man" and "figure of mystery" who "lived the secluded life of a hermit."[174] Rumors spread that he had "a large chest of gold and precious loot that had been taken off a pirate ship," until "one dark and stormy night, a marauder broke in"; the next day, "an inquisitive neighbor found the front door swinging open" and "the body of the old man . . . with a knife sticking right through his heart."[174] The mansion faded into legend and ruin, until the observation of strange activities at night resurrects rumors of its haunting.
Ghosts prove elusive at the Horler Mansion, but sinister figures are easier to find. In her first trip to the house Beverly encounters a man, hair "straggling and unkempt," shirt "dirty" and "trousers creaseless," with a "long, evil-looking scar [running] from the point of his chin to the tip of his left ear."[175] The man warns Beverly of "ghosts," introduces himself as "the head ghost"[175] and escorts her "roughly" to the door.[176] A back window gives Beverly reentry, during which she find "pink packets filled with a finely ground powder" in the attic.[177] Beverly abandons her find—without taking a sample—to make it back in time for dinner, and when she returns three days later "all the boxes [are] gone."[178] The mystery deepens when various Alpha Delta girls observe "a skeleton dance"[179] on successive nights, where ten skeletons move in "queer jerky steps" about two lanterns in the mansion while "making chill-provoking groans and murmurs."[180] Beverly's next trip inside the house finds her face to face with a "handsome"[181] "younger man" with "laughing blue eyes,"[182] "dazzling smile,"[183] and "a tanned face beneath a mop of rich chestnut hair," carrying "an aviator's helmet and goggles in his hand."[182] Larry remains mysterious to Beverly, who can't figure out whether he is one of the "ghosts" or not, yet he quickly becomes an interest of her affection. On Halloween he crashes the sophomore dance—the same one that Beverly herself crashed the previous year—in a Robin Hood costume; claiming to be there to "ask questions about the Horler Mansion," he manages to capture two dances with Beverly in the process.[184]
On Beverly's next visit to the Horler Mansion, she encounters another sinister character. Through the window a "face appeared—and such a face! Beverly pressed the back of her hand across her mouth to keep from screaming aloud. Small, slanting, bead-like eyes peered in at her. The thin cruel lips parted in a toothless grimace. The black hair was straggled and matted over the yellow face. A Chinaman!"[185] Beverly continues exploring when the man does not reappear, but upon making her way back to the attic, is locked in by "the head ghost." "We'll let you stay up here and keep the rats company for a while," he warns her. "Maybe it will teach you not to butt into other people's business."[186] Larry arrives to pull her out through the skylight, and the two make their way "slowly, slipping, sliding," across the roof, through a window, and out of the house.[187] Two days later it is Lenora who does not return from the mansion, and Beverly and Shirley who go after her. In the scene theoretically depicted on the dust jacket they run from "Chadwick Hall the Second"[188]—built to replace the Chadwick Hall which burned the previous year[189]—to the mansion, where they find Lenora unconscious in the cellar. They determine that she tripped on a "broken step and fell," while Larry happens on by and aids the girls as they take Lenora back to campus.[190]
Thanksgiving comes, and with it a football game between Yale and Jackson College. Beverly and Anne are at the Yale Bowl to witness Jim Stanton, a childhood friend and member of the Lucky Circle "in love with Beverly ever since he was a boy in the third grade at school and she in first,"[191] score on an 85-yard interception return, and Tommy Chandler, another childhood friend and Lucky Circle member, kick the go-ahead extra point. Yale wins 7–6, and at that night's "big dance in honor of the two football teams,"[192] Jim "quite suddenly [bends] over and kisse[s]" Beverly. "'Why, Jim!'" she exclaims, "taken utterly aback by surprise." Jim defends himself, "'[p]lease Beverly, don't be angry. You looked so sweet and—lovely that—I had to see if you were real!'"[193] The chapter concludes, as does all mention of Jim for the rest of Sophomore. The girls return to Vernon College to hear that an "unidentified man was shot . . . close to the Horler Mansion" while they were away.[194] Although an investigating "policeman insists he saw a Chinaman poking about in the front room," when he entered the room "there was no one there."[195]
Before the mysteries surrounding Horler Mansion can be investigated any further, the six Alpha Delpha girls decamp to Shirley's New York home for the Christmas holidays. The girls are met at Grand Central Station by the Parkers' "liveried chauffeur,"[155] and are awed by the "grandeur"[196] of her home. Shirley's parents prove "too taken up, her father with his business and her mother with society";[197] her father briefly thanks Beverly for saving Shirley the previous year before excusing himself with "important work to do,"[198] while her mother "discharges [the chauffeur] about three times a week"[199] for minor grievances. Time is taken up by sightseeing and a variety of parties thrown by members of "society's four hundred. . . . The girls were overwhelmed by the importance of the famous writers, politicians, and society folk that they met."[200] At one of these events Beverly is approached by Charlie Blaine; she a first year reporter on her college newspaper, and he a reporter for the Herald Tribune, they find themselves on similar footing. "Her own desire to become a newspaper writer provided a basis for their friendship, and they found much to talk about. She told him about her position on the college paper, and he provided interesting experiences he had had as a reporter."[201] The following afternoon he takes the girls sightseeing, first to the Empire State Building and then to Chinatown. "Down crooked streets and past darkened alleyways where crime rears its ugly head, through smoky Chinese restaurants, Charlie Blaine showed them how squalidly the people of the underworld lived."[202] Not only do the girls see a man who "has committed two murders [and] is only twenty-three" resting "indolently in a doorway,"[202] they happen upon the "head ghost" from the Horler Mansion. The man is "Pete," Charlie explains, "commonly known as a smuggler."[203]
Beverly has just enough time to thwart a jewel theft before heading back to Vernon. Charlie Blaine calls two days after his tour of Manhattan, inviting Beverly to a ball in honor of the "Duke of Abernethy"[204] to help "gather the material" for "the society column in the morning paper."[205] The ball features "a couple of counts . . . a lord or two [and] maybe even a prince"[204] in addition to one Mrs. Cathelwaite with "her famous emerald, worth about a quarter of a million dollars" and one Madame deFreigne with "a diamond set in a bracelet that is worth a half million."[206] Beverly dances with "the Comte de Bourgeine, of the French nobility," who seems particularly "fond of jewels,"[207] and soon after Charlie claims the next dance a "woman's scream [rings] out"; Madame deFreigne's bracelet has been stolen "in the center of the dance floor, amid a hundred people or more."[208] Beverly sees the count slip away, and overhears him on the telephone, French accent forgotten, declaring that "I've got it."[208] While Charlie leaves to get the police Beverly confronts the thief, scuffling with him long enough for two officers to arrive and throw "themselves upon the bogus count."[209] In the morning "the story of how Beverly had prevented the thief from escaping and so saved the famous DeFreigne diamond bracelet [is] in prominent print on the front page of the Herald Tribune."[210] Holiday adventures at an end, that afternoon the girls take the train back to Vernon.
The return train ride, shared with "the head ghost," Pete, foreshadows more mystery at the Horler Mansion.[210] On Beverly's next trip to the house she again encounters "that evil-looking Chinaman," who warns her away in broken English. "When the man advanced toward her, his hands, coming from the enveloping sleeves [of his blouse], disclosed a long, sharp knife. Beverly turned and ran."[211] Her next stop is to Inspector Dugan of the Vernon police, who suggests that "the most logical explanation" is that the men are "smuggling drugs into this country" from "the Orient."[212] After she puts in a good word for a handcuffed Larry, who was "arrested yesterday on suspicion" for "poking about the mansion, trying to get in," the inspector leaves to search for the men in the mansion.[213] This they do to no avail, but when Beverly follows later, she conveniently sees "the Chinaman" entering, and leaving, a space hidden behind the front room fireplace.[214] Newly wise to the entry mechanism—a spring triggered by pressing on "the baseboard . . . about ten inches to the left of the fireplace"[215]—she enters the hidden room, discovering a smoky den with an "uneven" dirt floor, a table with a "dirty deck of playing cards,"[216] and boxes presumably filled with drugs. Unfortunately, it does not dawn on Beverly until the door closes that "she did not know the location of the spring" in the hidden room. "She would have to stay here until she found it or until someone found her."[217] Searching for the exit does not seem to occupy her for long. Beverly "searched for a spring that would release the fireplace. She could find none and had to give up."[218] She instead elects to play solitaire while waiting for the return of "the head ghost and the Chinaman";[219] in the resulting confrontation the latter man is introduced as "Wah Fang,"[220] and Pete threatens to put Beverly "on a boat bound for China."[221] Larry and Inspector Dugan arrive to break down the dividing wall, but not before Wah Fang chokes Beverly unconscious with his "yellow fingers."[222] He then turns his knife upon Larry, but is shot by the policeman before inflicting any harm. Back at "the inspector's office" the next day, Beverly's throat "sore and bruised," the final details of the mystery are cleared up.[223] Larry is employed by the Secret Service and has been "chasing smugglers and thieves ever since [he] graduated from college three years ago," including a "new gang of smugglers" importing "illicit drugs . . . from the Orient on a steamer called the Tamara."[224] His partner is revealed to have been the unknown man who was shot, a crime to which Pete confesses. Other smugglers were also involved (although Pete and a recovering Wah Fang "won't tell who they are"), and the dancing skeletons are explained by the men donning "black suits" with "bones in phosphorescent paint" in order "to keep the people hereabouts scared away from the house."[225]
The mysterious goings on at the Horler Mansion may be over, but the same cannot be said for Sophomore. Beverly's adventures continue in a plane crash with Larry, who has promised to take her "sky riding"[226] in his "red monoplane," the "Red Bird."[227] Initial engine trouble is forestalled with an unscheduled stop at an airport, but after "an hour or two"[228] a mechanic, dubbed Sir Galahad "because they could conceive no one who might look less like the famous knight,"[229] clears them for re-flight. This is proven to be a mistake when the Red Bird is "caught in the midst of a terrific storm" and loses power to its engine.[230] "The Red Bird slipped, slid, and circled down. [They] could do nothing but wait for the crash. The earth loomed up dark and mysterious under them. . . . There came the whistle of the wind, the crack of the wings as the Red Bird dove into the trees, a deafening, splintering crash, and then—silence, while the storm raged on."[231] Beverly and Larry are "thrown clear" of the wreckage, sustaining "a broken rib"[63] and "a broken arm"[232] respectively. A hike through the surrounding woods takes them to a "rough wagon road"[233] and the "crude"[234] house of poor farmers. Jake and his wife, Mrs. Thompson, call for the doctor, who in turn calls for Beverly's friends. Shirley, Lenora and Inspector Dugan come calling in the inspector's car, and next Beverly and Larry are heard from, it is to say that they have "completely recovered."[235]
The final excitement in Beverly Gray, Sophomore, comes when a history examination is stolen from the office of Professor Leonard. Beverly and Shirley happen to be looking out their window at the right time to see the movements of the thief, a girl "gliding silently and mysteriously from dark shadow to shadow across the campus."[236] They retrace her steps from Courtney Hall, a dormitory, to Penfield Hall, site of their history class, even going so far as to climb through a window above "a box half hidden in the shrubbery" used by the thief to stand on.[167] That evening Shirley is accused of stealing the test, and it is revealed that her "silver bracelet, with her name engraved on it, was found just inside the window."[168] Professor Leonard, an "old buzzard"[237] and "cold, calculating man,"[238] is especially suspicious of Shirley, for despite being "a wizard at geometry" and knowing "her literature from beginning to end,"[235] she is a "dunce"[239] when it comes to history. As Shirley "pack[s] her trunk, so certain was she that she would be expelled," the remaining Alpha Delta girls look for the true culprit.[240] Their suspicions center on "snobbish May Norris," the professor's assistant and "teacher's pet," conveniently introduced the page before the thief is seen though the window.[241] Not only was she "as low in her marks as Shirley was, if not lower,"[168] but she "lives in Courtney Hall,"[242] and each time she passes the girls keeps "her eyes from meeting theirs"[243] as "color [rises] to her cheeks."[244] Beverly's suspicions are confirmed when Alison Cox, who also lives in Courtney Hall, tells her that May "prowls about awf'ly mysterious at night,"[243] and that on the night of the theft, "I met May in the hall. She looked awf'ly surprised and startled, . . . as thought as though I had caught her in the midst of a crime."[245] Beverly, "determined"[246] to talk to May, knocks on her door and waits outside when there is no answer, declaring to a passing Alison that "I'm waiting for a story, and if I get it there will be a sensation about Vernon."[247] Her persistence is rewarded when May "cautiously" leaves her room with "a roll of papers under her arm," one of which falls to the floor.[240] Beverly grabs "May's arm in a firm grip" even before looking at the paper, which, she declares, "looks like history exam questions."[248] A tête-à-tête in May's room ensues. "No one at Vernon ever knew just what took place inside that room during the fifteen minutes that Beverly was with May," but the end result is that May admits her theft to the dean.[249] Beverly leaves Shirley, next seen "on her knees before her trunk, packing," unawares until the dean personally delivers the news later that day.[250] Shirley, despite her close brush with expulsion, forgives May, appearing "before the faculty and ask[ing] for leniency."[251] Adventure and mystery finally over, the girls depart depart for their summer break.
Beverly Gray, Junior
Opening on the first day of term, Beverly Gray, Junior is the story of Beverly's third year at Vernon College. College life is only thinly featured, with the bulk of the book covering the kidnapping of Beverly by a group of gypsies. Her rescue does come in time, however, for a few parting adventures: Winter break sees Beverly and Shirley suffer skiing and ice skating injuries, while the attempts by May Norris to sabotage Shirley's role as Hamlet in the school play ultimately effect her redemption.
The new term at Vernon brings with it the news that a "band of gypsies" are "camped on the outskirts" of Vernon. In "covered wagons" and "dressed just like you see them in the movies—gold rings in their ears [and] everything,"[254] their disrepute means they must camp "across the train tracks." "The townspeople wouldn't hear of the gypsies' coming any closer. . . . Gypsies are considered taboo by all the respectable citizens of Vernon."[255] The six Alpha Delta girls nonetheless walk over after dinner to have their fortunes told. They are met at the camp by Orlenda, "the oldest one of [the] tribe," who is said to be "look far into the future and see . . . what is hidden in the mysterious veil of the days to come."[256] Lenora is told of "a blond young man" with "much money"[257] in her future, while Rosalie receives "much the same forecast." Shirley is told she will "some day be a great actress." Coming last, Beverly is warned of a forthcoming "dark period" where she "will be in great danger." "There will be a dark young man in your life," Orlenda goes on. "I see two, three men—each one loves you. . . . But the dark clouds will pass. The sun will shine again, and you shall return to your friends."[258] Returning to campus, the girls notice "a slinking figure . . . stealing from Chadwick Hall."[259] Moonlight reveals him to be a "dark and swarthy" gypsy. "Do you suppose he has stolen anything?" asks Anne. "Course he has," says Lenora. "A gypsy wouldn't miss the chance."[260] The man denies the accusation once surrounded by the girls, but then runs away, "completely bowling over" Lenora and Lois.[261] The "sudden rush"[262] knocks money and jewelry from his grasp, revealed to have been stolen from the office safe of Mrs. Dennis, "house mistress"[263][264][265] of Chadwick Hall.
That night, after returning the stolen items and leaving to mail letters from town, Beverly fails to return. Her disappearance is met with increasing alarm, and both her parents and Inspector Dugan are notified. Chapters four through seven narrate from the perspective of Beverly's friends. Her father being "an important something or other in the government," her picture is seemingly "put in every newspaper in the country."[266] The first purported news is that a "girl matching Beverly's description" was in a Vernon art shop the night of her disappearance, when it was robbed by a man "believed to be a gypsy."[267] He had stolen the girls wristwatch, and she had given chase. Although the shop owner offers conflicting descriptions and "doesn't know his own mind,"[268] the girls know Beverly is attached to her watch, which was presented to her at the end of her first year "for extraordinary heroism."[164] The inspector for his part, is "positive" that Beverly has been kidnapped, since "there have been so many kidnapings in the country," and holds the gypsies responsible.[269] Meanwhile, Jim Stanton and Larry Owens, "two straight, clean, strong young men," arrive at approximately the same time to aid in the search.[270] Two days later comes the news that the gypsies "are camped about five miles directly to the south,"[271] causing the boys to take flight in Larry's "red autogiro Red Bird II,"[272] replacement for the Red Bird that crashed in Sophomore. Larry and Jim land on a road near the camp, feigning engine trouble; after giving a curious member of the group "the most thrilling experience in his life" with an airplane ride, they solicit an invitation to the camp.[273] There they observe "one wagon, standing apart from the rest, that [is] shut up tight" with two "most protective" men sitting on its steps.[274] Soon thereafter Inspector Dugan and his men arrive at the camp, having been delayed by "a flat tire."[275] Armed with a warrant, they search every wagon, including the one that is closed off. Protestations that the officers not disturb the "sick grandmother"[276] of one member are only good enough to allow two members to enter beforehand "for a few moments"[277] to "prepare the old woman for the disturbance."[276] The inspector is inside "but a moment" before declaring "[n]othing there," leading the police, Larry and Jim to decamp back to Vernon empty-handed.[278] "Three more days pass" before Gerry Foster, a friend from Freshman who graduated the previous year and is now living with her aunt in Pennsylvania, writes Shirley to tell her of seeing Beverly at the County Fair.[279] "I spied a young man and woman standing across the midway. As sure as I live, I am sure that the girl was Beverly. [She] must have felt me looking at her, for she looked up suddenly and met my gaze. She recognized me, I am sure. Indeed, she even smiled a trifle. Then she gave one glance at the young man with her, and they both turned away. I was across the road in two shakes of a lamb's tail, but when I got to where they had been standing, they had disappeared."[280]
As Larry and Jim make haste to the Red Bird II to fly to the fair, the narration turns back some nine days to tell Beverly's story. On her way to mail letters she passes by an art shop, where her gaze settles on "a pair of book ends, carved into the form of white elephants."[281] She goes to purchase them—they turn out to be the last of 25 pairs—when a "dark and swarthy" man enters with his right hand pushed "insinuatingly" forward "in his coat pocket."[282] He takes the money from the register, then, seeing Beverly's "expensive" watch, tears it from her wrist.[283] Beverly steals after him, but, upon catching up, finds the tables turned; he pins "her arms to her sides"[284] and carries her "through the bushes" by the street and into a "gypsy wagon."[285] There she is met by Orlenda, the "toothless and weather stained"[257] woman who warned Beverly earlier in the day about a coming "great danger."[258] The "horrible old creature"[286] suggests to Dimiti, Beverly's kidnapper, that she might fetch them "much gold,"[287] and on this premise they elect to hold Beverly prisoner as the group leaves town. The wagon "rumble[s] to a halt"[288] in the morning, and Orlenda and Dimiti return to dye Beverly's skin with a "mysterious brown substance."[289] As Dimiti explains it to her, "since you are to be our guest for a time, it is well that we should—disguise you The liquid is to make your skin darker so, if anyone should see you, you could pass for one of us."[289] A dash for the exit yields only seizure by Dimiti and a slap to the face by Orlenda, who then "generously" daubs Beverly with liquid until her skin becomes "as dark now as any of the gypsies'."[290]
Although the gypsies are almost universally described as unpleasant—marked as "ruthless,"[291] with "dusty and wrinkled"[292] clothes, "evil grimace[s],"[257] and, frequently, "swarthy"[260][276][282] skin—there is one that does not fit the mold. Anselo is "refined." He carries "the bearing of a gentleman,"[253] and with it "a touch of Old World gallantry."[293] He is also a violinist extraordinaire, serenading Beverly from outside the wagon where she is held prisoner. "He could get more music from a violin than anyone Beverly had every heard. He should certainly be in a great orchestra, never wasting his talent here in a gypsy camp. . . . He played until the moon was high in the heavens and the gypsy came fire was dying low."[294] Between nocturnes he reunites Beverly with her wristwatch, somehow obtained from Dimiti. The next day Anselo takes Beverly for a walk in the woods, during which he suggests she has "the gypsy heart."[295] Beverly admits that "the roving life fascinates me";[296] indeed, Sophomore saw her quoting Bliss Carman to the effect that "there is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir,"[note 14] awaking "dreams of what she hoped to be some day, dreams of places she hoped to visit and sights she longed to see."[298] She nevertheless rejoins that "Gypsies don't like to work. . . . That is why they are so restless. They roam about, living on what the earth produces."[296] The back and forth abates when they hear an airplane overhead, which Beverly realized is the Red Bird II. Anselo refuses to go see it, admitting that "Dimiti had word that the police would search our camp today,"[299] and that "to avert bloodshed"[300] he had suggested taking Beverly from the camp. "He was her friend, but all the same he was a gypsy, and his loyalty to his tribe came first."[301]
Freedom remains at bay only a little longer for Beverly, who is spotted the next day by Gerry Foster. Anselo proposes to take her to the County Fair where the gypsies have stopped, making her promise not to run away. Though they would object if they knew of the plan, "Orlenda is telling fortunes, and Dimiti is trading horses"[302] (they are apparently operating openly despite the fact that Inspector Dugan "has the police in every state on the lookout for the gypsies"[303]). Past "the fat lady, the sword swallower, the fire eater, [and] the snake charmer" the two wander, but just as Gerry makes eye contact with Beverly from across the road, so too does Dimiti spot her.[304] Anselo takes Beverly back to her wagon, where she is joined that afternoon by an irate Dimiti. He claims to have "slashed"[305] Anselo with a knife, and advances on Beverly ("We could be such good friends") with outstretched hand "to stroke her arm." Beverly grasps his knife; Dimiti makes "a sudden lurch" at her; she thrusts the knife "deep into the flesh of his upper arm"; and he responds by knocking her unconscious.[306]
By the next night the gypsies have moved once again, this time to "a regular camping place in the hills."[307] Beverly, Anselo and Dimiti have all recovered, the latter two with bandaged woulds. Larry and Jim, meanwhile, arrive at the fair and are directed towards the camping grounds. With plans to "sneak up on the tribe under cover of the night,"[308] they are revealed when the camp fire shows them "skulking along in the shadows."[309] In the ensuing scuffle they fight "like tigers, and more than one gypsy disclosed a black eye or a broken tooth where he had come in contact with a flying fist."[310] A gypsy with "a large club" ends the fight; Larry and Jim are bound, and thrown in "a cave on the hillside."[311] Watching from her wagon, Beverly implores Anselo to help them escape, but to tell them "to leave the camp alone. Tell them that I am not here—tell them anything, but make them go before Dimiti kills them!"[293] Anselo enters the cave under cover of darkness to slash their bindings, yet tells them Beverly can be found in "that wagon to one side of the camp."[312] His parting request is that they tell her "Anselo wishes her happiness always."[313] The opening of Beverly's wagon door causes her to tense—"Was it Dimitri? . . . What did her mean, coming to her wagon now when everyone in the camp was asleep?"—but upon recognizing Jim she throws herself on him.[314] Fanfare accompanies the trio's exit when "a misstep on Larry's part"[315] sends a rock crashing down the hills, but, dodging "[t]hrowing knives"[316] and carrying Beverly after she sprains her ankle, they reach the Red Bird II safely.
Beverly's kidnapping may have only lasted some two weeks, but the fall term yields to winter break a mere chapter after her return. The gypsies "disappear,"[317] eluding capture; Larry proposes to Beverly; Jim "smile[s] broadly in relief"[318] when Beverly declines, then leaves to take an engineering job in Wyoming; and Shirley, parents "off to Europe"[319] for the holidays, is invited to Renville. Assuring Beverly that despite being from New York she will not find Renville small, Shirley hints at the premise for The Adventure Girls at K Bar O when she declares that "I spent one summer on a ranch in Arizona."[157] Beverly, Shirley and Anne thus leave shortly before Christmas for home, where the Lucky Circle (sans Jim) is reunited. The usual celebrations and gaiety intersperse themselves among several close calls. "A bad accident" is "narrowly averted" when Shirley and Beverly barely avoid crashing into Anne and Joan's "wrecked sled."[320] Shirley learns to ski over the course of the next three days, only to be knocked unconscious at the bottom of a hill "ending abruptly in a sheer drop of twenty-five feet or more."[321] She is "fit as a fiddle"[322] the next day, and accompanies the Lucky Circle ice skating on "the lake front."[323] When Bucky Harris, "a chubby little fellow"[324] who "lives across the street from"[325] Beverly, falls through thin ice, Shirley inches towards him and herself falls in. Shirley pushes Bucky back on the ice, then is lulled unconscious by the cold; Beverly, "rope securely about her waist,"[326] falls in after Shirley; and the Lucky Circle pulls them to safety. A "heavy cold" for Shirley and "a slight attack of the sniffles" for Beverly, the doctor prescribes cold medicine for both and "several days in bed" for Shirley.[327] The girls nevertheless prove none the worse for wear, and the next afternoon their friends come by to anoint Shirley "an honorary member of the Lucky Circle."[328] Thanks are also bestowed by Bucky "fer rescuin' me,"[329] and, by "the time the day dawned when [Shirley and Beverly] were to start back to Vernon, they were their old healthy selves again."[330]
Christmas holidays "weeks past," when they are next heard from the six Alphas are planning the junior production of Hamlet.[331] Lenora is the director, Lois is cast as Ophelia, Beverly is "in charge of the scenery" with Anne her assistant, and Rosalie has "charge of the costumes."[331] Shirley is to play the leading role, fulfilling a pledge made in Sophomore to pursue an acting career.[332] This assignment comes at the expense of May Norris; "no friend of any of the Alphas" after Shirley was wrongfully accused of stealing examination questions the previous year, she has "her heart set on playing the lead" but must settle for understudy.[333] When Josephine Carter breaks her arm falling down a flight of stairs to the storeroom, claiming afterwards that "[s]omebody pushed me," Lenora suspects May.[334] Shirley had originally been asked to fetch an item from the room, leading to the suggestion that May "waited until she thought Shirley was on her way to the storeroom. May slipped into the basement after her. In the darkness she could not see that the girl she pushed wasn't Shirley, but Josephine." If Shirley "twisted [her] ankle, or broke [her] arm, as Josephine did, [she] couldn't play Hamlet, and that would give May her big chance.[335] Beverly is tapped to replace Josephine as Queen, and "nothing ever [comes] to light about the 'accident.'"[336] In the following weeks May acts friendly towards Shirley, a shift from her previous "violent dislike" of "all the Alpha girls."[333] Her perfidy is revealed on the day of the play, when she convinces Shirley to investigate "[m]ysterious lights and figures that have been seen in the old Horler Mansion again."[337] Shirley relents when May accuses her of being "afraid of the ghosts," and May promptly locks her in the attic where Beverly had been imprisoned the previous year.[338] "'May!' Shirley tugged ineffectively at the trapdoor. 'Let me out of here!' 'Tomorrow, darling, tomorrow. I am going to play Hamlet tonight. . . . Let's see if your dear Alpha friends can find you now.'"[339] Crossing campus in the right place at the right time, Beverly proves equal to this last challenge when she "unabashedly" eavesdrops on May and her roommate. "It wasn't a polite thing to do, she realized, but who thinks of the polite things to do when one is curious?" Once May "laughingly" relates her actions, all Beverly has to do is run to the mansion and open the offending trapdoor.[340] Shirley returns with ten minutes to spare, just in time to wow with her performance. "As Hamlet, Shirley had portrayed a really tragic character. She had brought to the rôle a fine understanding and sympathetic strain that captured the audience completely. Even Lois' fine portrayal of Ophelia was overshadowed by Shirley's really brilliant performance."[341] After the performance, "Mr. Forsythe, manager of the Forsythe Film Company" stops by the dressing room to tell of his intention "to make a motion picture [at Vernon College] next year." The star will come "from Hollywood, but there will be minor rôles to be taken by the girls of the school."[342] He departs, and the girls leave to "report the news to the rest of the Chadwick Hall girls."[343]
As the girls leave the auditorium, they notice "[l]ittle wafts of smoke" emitting from under May's dressing room door.[344] The girls break down the door and extinguish the fire, discovering "a lighted cigarette in the ash tray."[345] Knowing that May was the only one in the room who smokes, the girls confront her at her dormitory and threaten to inform the dean. May blanches. "If the news of May's smoking came up before the faculty board, she would be expelled."[346] (Neither locking Shirley in the Horler Mansion, however, nor pushing Josephine down the stairs, is suggested to be sufficiently severe.) The threat is enough for May. "'I promise I won't [smoke again],' May said beseechingly. 'I know I haven't been the right kind of a student. I've broken a lot of rules and regulations—and I'm sorry, truly I am. I didn't dream that my carelessness might have serious results.'" The girls offer May a chance to "reform," tell the dean of the fire without mentioning May's involvement, and head back to Chadwick Hall to sleep.[347]
By the concluding chapter is it June, "and time to part for the summer vacation."[348] Beverly has been elected class president for the coming year. "She was so typically the American College Girl. Her warm-heartedness and sense of fair play and good sportsmanship had won for her an army of friends. It was no wonder, when everyone loved her, that she should have been chosen as their leader. It would have been more to wonder at if she didn't."[349] Junior thus comes to an end, promising "new and exciting adventures" in Beverly Gray, Senior.[350]
Beverly Gray, Senior
Beverly's final chapter at Vernon College forms the basis for Beverly Gray, Senior, the fourth and final work in Clair Blank's 1934 breeder set. Sports related tribulations, commencement activities, and Shirley's fame-induced snobbishness form an undercurrent to the two main plot pieces. First, a film company's arrival at the college allows Beverly to produce a screenplay and Shirley to star in a movie, even as a second company attempts to sabotage the production. Second, Shirley is kidnapped after the filming and held for ransom; Beverly, although for the first time in the series not kidnapped herself, is briefly held at gunpoint during the rescue. Meanwhile, Anne becomes engaged, and, as the Alpha Delta girls prepare for graduation they induct a group of six Juniors, formerly rivals for campus popularity, providing that the sorority will live another year.
As promised the previous term, Senior opens with the arrival of the Forsythe Film Company at Vernon College to shoot a "college picture,"[353] in return for which the school will receive money to build "a new indoor swimming pool for the students."[354] "Directors, actors, [and] cameramen" all descend upon the town, alongside the star Marcia Lyman, a "dark beauty" and "dazzling figure" fresh from Hollywood.[355] The only thing left behind appears to be a screenplay; rather than using the creation of a professional screenwriter, the crew appears content to sit tight in Vernon for "two weeks" pending "an honorary competition contest" among the girls of the college, to be judged by a panel consisting of the dean, two faculty members, and Mr. Forsythe himself.[356] "The winning story, if worthy, would be the one to be filmed on the campus" (though no contingency plans are mentioned should the entries all be unworthy).[356] Each of the six Alpha Delta girls put pen to paper, with only Beverly and Lenora following through to completion. Beverly's screenplay, Stepping Stone, takes first place, while Lenora's A Senior's Dilemma, or They Shall Not Pass, "deserves honorable mention."[357]
A snag hits Beverly's newfound fame the very next day, when Marcia Lyman leaves "the movie company flat"[358] to take "a new contract with a much higher salary"[359] from Cordial Pictures Company. Mr. Forsythe declares that "I guess there is nothing to do but to load our stuff back into our car and go to Hollywood," and crisis looms.[359] "Then Lenora had a brilliant idea."[353] Lenora suggests to Mr. Forsythe that Shirley "could do it," and he proclaims before even meeting her that she "might be material for a new star."[353] This she is. Overcoming initial nervousness—"Don't be a Calamity Jane," Lenora urges[358]—she takes the "screen test" in "Mr. Forsythe's improvised office in the private railway coach"[360] and finds immediate success. "'My dear, let me congratulate you,' he said finally after the film had ended. 'You have the makings of a great star. You shall play the lead in this film, and we will draw up a contract for you to come to Hollywood.'"[360] Star and story set, film production begins. "The story of the picture was the story of a young writer, played by the leading man, Conway Grant, who came to the little college town looking for material for his next novel. He met a college senior, played by Shirley, and various complications arose from their acquaintance. It was an interesting, adventurous plot, and the characters were vivid and alive. Other Vernon girls had small parts, and among them was Lois, who was to play the part of Shirley's chum."[361]
The succeeding chapters reveal Shirley's success going to her head, and the remaining Alpha girls butting heads with a group of six juniors on campus. The "rush of success" is "a little too much for Shirley."[361] Within two weeks she becomes "reserved, aloof, almost cross"; "[w]hether she considered herself above them they couldn't decide, but she acted as though she did."[362] Hanging out more and more with the leading man, and less and less with her former friends, the newly "high-hat"[363] Shirley threatens to "resign" from the Alpha Delta Sorority.[364] A conciliatory Beverly receives nothing but a threat to "have my room changed."[365] Meanwhile, a second campus sextet—Connie Elwood, Kathleen Ryan, Ada Collins, Evelyn DeLong, Virginia Harris, and Phyllis Tanner—"rival the Alphas in popularity" while creating "mischief" about the college.[366] These "campus enemies"[367] give Beverly a particular "headache,"[366] for in addition to being the senior class president, she is made "second in charge of [Chadwick] Hall"[368] to Mrs. Dennis. Beverly must deal with their "fancied wrong[s]," and serve as enforcer when they threaten to break the rules.[369] A freshman complains of them "playing pranks,"[370] and Beverly must interrupt a "rousing good time"[371] causing an "uproarious racket."[372] Beverly has "no real authority, just enough to make it difficult";[373] between her responsibilities and her strained relationships, she is "working too hard"[374] and left exhausted.
The middle section of Senior is defined by a series of episodic events. A détente emerges between the six seniors and the six juniors, with Connie promising to "do our part" to "keep things peaceful."[375] Shirley, who has apparently supplanted Beverly as the "shining light on the basketball team," refuses to let the senior-junior game interfere with her filming and subsequently watches from the stands as the seniors lose by a single point.[376] Connie's contingent crashes the Halloween "Fiction Dance"[377] dressed as "Robin Hood and five of his merry men,"[378] copying the Alphas' move from Freshman to prove themselves "worthy"[379] of "membership in [the] august body."[380] Jim, last seen leaving for an engineering job in Wyoming, returns to Renville from a job well done only to have his Christmas Eve proposal declined by Beverly. A movie "camera [is] mysteriously smashed";[381] Cordial Pictures Company is suspected of "trying to stop production on the picture";[382] Beverly and Lenora catch one "Mr. Smith" attempting to "climb in the window" of the Forsythe Film Company's railway coach;[383] and the next day finds the door "broken open" and "three rolls of film" missing.[384] Having followed Mr. Smith to the Wildon Hotel the previous night, Beverly and Lenora go back and gain entrance to his room through the fire escape. There they discover "three black boxes piled together . . . far back in one corner" of the closet.[385] "'The film!' cried Lenora. 'We have saved the day!'"[386] A brief detour beneath the bed, followed by a run "through the alley in back of the hotel"[387] saves the girls from the "hotel authorities"[388] and allows the film to be returned to Mr. Forsythe. "He must be Santa Claus in disguise," suggests Lenora, for he awards the school with "five thousand dollars above the amount for the swimming pool" in appreciation.[388]
The "winter turn[s] to spring," and with it comes a new source of trouble: Shirley is kidnapped.[389] Lost in thought while walking back to the college, thinking about how "utterly foolish" she had been and wishing "to be the best of friends with all of the Alphas once more," a car pulls to a stop in front of her.[390] Shirley is no match for the two men who get out, "completely overpower" her, and "push[] her into the automobile,"[391] That night Beverly is in bed when something comes "hurtling through the window";[392] the piece of paper tied to a rock declares that Shirley has been kidnapped, and demands "ten thousand dollars from her parents."[393] Beverly informs Lenora, Rosalie, Miss Wilder, Mrs. Dennis and the Parkers; beyond that they resolve to "circulate the word that Shirley is confined to her room with a cold."[394] In two days time Beverly and Lenora place the ransom money in "a hollow tree stump"[395] located "thirty paces to the east"[396] of the Horler Mansion. They then hide in the house, watching the stump from the upstairs "side bedroom."[397] The kidnappers arrive in a coupé, leaving it long enough for Beverly to depart the mansion and climb in the "large luggage carrier in the rear."[398] "This certainly wasn't a comfortable way to ride."[399] Over bumps and ruts the car travels "for hours," traveling "at least fifty miles from Vernon"; Beverly forces herself to remain "perfectly quiet,"[400] lest she be discovered and forced "to walk back to Vernon."[401] An "old house," "three stories" tall with shades "drawn tight to shut out prying eyes," is the destination.[400] Beverly waits for the men to enter, then follows through the back door. Inside she overhears the men gloating over their money and planning to "deliver another note demanding twenty-five thousand."[400] Climbing the stairs, she encounters a locked room on the second floor. "Who is it? What do you want?" Shirley "tremble[s]" as Beverly unlocks the door.[402] The two run descend the stairs, hiding in "the enveloping folds of a tapestry" when one of the kidnappers goes to check on Shirley.[403] From there they dash to the car, driving off and leaving the men "dancing like wild Indians."[404]
Shirley's kidnappers do not waste much time dancing. Rather, they call the police in a neighboring "little suburban down," telling them to be on the lookout for a "stolen car."[405] Shirley and Beverly are thus soon pulled over and informed that their "father told us you took the car and were running away," and that the police "are to hold you until he gets here."[406] "It was a brilliant play on the kidnaper's part to have thought of having them arrested! It seemed like a chapter of a detective story. The villains of the play had gotten the police, unwittingly, it was true, to aid them in their plot."[407] At the police station they decline to call Miss Wilder; despite her knowing of Shirley's situation, it is somehow figured that "if we call the school, it will mean a lot of publicity for it, and the Dean wouldn't like that."[408] Some dallying ensues until Shirley convinces the policemen to call her father, now in Vernon. He is unable to arrive before the kidnappers "swagger"[409] in, however, claiming to be "friends" of the girls "running away from [their] parents."[410] One man talks to the police chief while the other walks to the girls, "a revolver in his hand," and threatens them to back up the story.[411] Beverly instead says the truth to the chief—"'They want to kidnap us again,' Beverly said recklessly. 'The story we told you when the policeman brought us here is true. Every word of it! Right now this man is threatening me with a gun!'"—and jumps "violently to one side," narrowly escaping the bullet that goes "speeding harmlessly past her."[412] Shirley's father arrives unseen but is overpowered. Beverly, Shirley, Mr. Parker and the police chief are thus held at gunpoint, until Beverly edges around the men, takes a flashlight from her pocket, and thrusts "it against the back of the man before her with a stern command to put up his hands."[413] Mr. Parker and the chief use this distraction to throw themselves upon the kidnappers: one is handcuffed, and the other bolts for the exit.
The ensuing car chase is memorialized on the dust jacket. The kidnapper jumps into his car, most recently driven by Shirley and Beverly, while those girls, along with Mr. Parker, pile into the police chief's car. "Through the streets of the little town they raced, leaving pedestrians staring after them in bewilderment."[413] Around corners and through intersections they follow; the chase only comes to an end when a truck looms "up out of the night," broadsiding the kidnapper's car and flipping it over.[414] Behind it, the pursuing car crashes into a tree. The kidnapper is pulled out of the wreckage, and, "totally subdued," placed in the police car.[415] "After several futile attempts the engine spluttered into action," and the car is guided back to the station.[415] There the police chief departs with the kidnapper, leaving Mr. Parker to drive the girls back to Vernon. Shirley and Beverly regale with stories of "their exciting adventures"[416] before going to "bed, tired but still a little thrilled at the thought of their evening's excitement."[417]
Apologies, tennis, and commencement activities fill up the remainder of the spring term. Shirley gradually makes amends with the girls she had previously "snubbed" and "treated shamefully,"[418] apologizing for having been "the most conceited snob on campus."[419] Beverly "resign[s] from the tennis team,"[420] ostensibly because she does not have "the time to devote to practice."[421] The resignation is also for "other reasons," she admits;[422] they remain unsaid, but are probably intended either to make Shirley feel better about having quit basketball the previous semester, or to get Shirley to acknowledge her mistake. Indeed, soon after Shirley entreats her not to "make the mistake I made," Beverly changes her tune and her resignation is forgotten.[422] "'Yyppee!' Lenora tossed the pillows into the air. 'Make way for the champions!'"[423] The "championship tennis match between Vernon College and Wayne Seminary" is thus won on "the first of June," two matches to one.[424] Anne and Kathleen Ryan drop "the first preliminary match"[425] 6–4, 6–5, 6–4, and after the next two Vernon girls win the second match, Beverly and Connie play a "final and deciding match."[426] They drop their first two sets, then rally back in the third despite Beverly twisting her ankle. During the "seven-minute rest"[427] between sets Shirley comes into the locker room to apologize for having "behaved like a tyrant,"[428] then leaves Beverly and Connie to finish up their match. The Wayne girls "had played hard and fast, never meaning the match to run the full five sets";[429] after dropping the fourth set it is Beverly's "slow net ball that barely skim[s] the net"[430] that gives Vernon the championship "silver loving cup."[431] The exertion is too much for Beverly, who briefly collapses afterwards, but "a few minutes' rest" and she is back on court to receive the trophy.[432]
The six seniors and six juniors have all mended their ties by the end of the year, allowing the latter to join the Alphas as "full-fledged members."[433] From there the chapter titles tell the story: The Senior Prom, Senior Dinner, Commencement, and Auld Lang Syne. Jim and Tommy join in for the former festivities, held in the "ballroom of the Vernon country club," where Beverly again rebuffs Jim's advances.[434] "'Have—have you thought at all about what I told you on Christmas Eve?' he asked slowly. 'No,' she said promptly. 'I don't want to. Please Jim, I thought you promised not to mention it again.'"[435] The senior dinner at Weller's features a speech by Shirley, reformed valedictorian, and a paean by Beverly to "the ideals and traditions" of Vernon College.[436] Commencement ensues the following week, marking "the end of Senior Road."[437] Beverly resolves to "devote my time to stories," perhaps "even try to write a play."[438] Shirley's aim is to forsake the "endless teas and . . . boresome people" of society, seek out Andrew T. Crandall from Freshman, and see if he will offer "a part in his show."[438] "Lois wants to sketch,"[438] while Rosalie "would like to go to a conservatory and continue her music."[439]
The final chapter, Auld Lang Syne, opens back in Renville. Jim has "unenthusiastically" accepted "a job in South America" to construct a "canal of some sort," a commitment of up to a year that will prevent him from wooing Beverly.[440] The department of love is more gracious to Tommy, who announces to the group that "Anne has promised to marry me."[441] "Three weeks later the little church on the hill was the scene of the simple but impressive ceremony that joined the two young people together for all time."[442] The newly expanded Alpha Delta Sorority, along with the Lucky Circle, all join in the festivities before Anne and Tommy depart on honeymoon to "the Golden west."[443] "'I wonder who will be next?' Connie Elwood murmured, smiling on them. 'Not me!' declared Lenora with such vigor that the rest laughed. 'Me for the life of a sailor . . . you know, a girl in every port. My motto is a boy in every town.'"[444]
Beverly Gray at the World's Fair
Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, the sixth work by Blank, was issued for a short window from 1935 to 1938 before being dropped from the series. Because of fears that the book's setting would seem dated, publication of World's Fair was ceased after Grosset & Dunlap acquired the rights to the Beverly Gray books in 1938. Due to this limited printing run it is the scarcest of the 26 books.
World's Fair sees Beverly travel with a coterie of friends to the 1933–34 Chicago World's Fair. After Lois departs to Paris, where she has won "an art contest" with "a year's free study" as the prize, Lenora and Connie travel by train to visit Virginia, who lives in Chicago with her aunt and uncle.[447] Although Beverly initially has to stay behind and work, the very next day her editor assigns her to write "a series of feature articles" on the fair for "the Sunday magazine section."[448] She flies out that day with Larry, who is coincidentally headed to Chicago, "and then points West," for his work with the Secret Service.[449]
Some days after joining forces in Chicago, the four girls witness the murder of a high diver, Paul Graham, during a show at the lagoon theater. Paul fails to surface following his "famous three somersault dive,"[450] and it emerges that he was "shot with a high powered air rifle."[451] Suspicion falls on John Cummings, described as the "best friend" of the Grahams and their late uncle, and for whom Beverly harbors immediate misgivings.[452] "There is something about him that makes me mistrust him," she tells Lenora. "He reminds me of a snake."[453] Lenora resolves to "follow him like his shadow"[454] with her "Cine-Kodak eight,"[455] and soon thereafter films him loosening the wires on a trapeze about to be used by Paul's sister, June. Before the girls can take the footage to the police, Paul's brother George is attacked by lion and suffers a "few scratches"[456] after somebody "file[s] the lock"[457] on a lion cage where he works as a trainer. (This is not the last lion attack in the book, for towards the end of the book another one manages to slip out and sink its claws "deep into [Beverly's] shoulder" before it can be subdued.[458]) Despite the footage Cummings remains free,[note 15] leading Beverly and Lenora to sneak into his hotel room in search of evidence. Hidden inside his chimney they discover a violin case, empty except for a single bullet. Cummings sees them as they depart, however, and that night warns Beverly that "[i]f you play with fire you must expect to get burned."[463] These words prove prescient the next day when, relaxing at Lake Geneva, the girls have their motorboat "rammed" by another and are forced to swim an unconscious Beverly back to shore.[464] Before impact Beverly catches "a clear, distinct glimpse of the face of the man at the wheel of the boat," and believes it to be Cummings.[465] He is finally caught in the next chapter, after Beverly observes him leaving a pawn ticket in June's dressing room trunk. This appears to be an effort to frame her, for upon redemption of the ticket Beverly and Virginia are handed the murder weapon, "a gun, not small enough to be a revolver and not quite long enough for a rifle. . . . It looked like a sawed off shotgun."[466] They take the gun to the police, where "[e]verything was carefully considered and they all agreed that Cummings was the murderer."[467] He was left out of the will of the Grahams' uncle, it turns out, but stood to gain the share willed to Paul, June and George should anything have happened to all three. Officers are sent to arrest Cummings, who "confesse[s] when confronted with the evidences of his guilt,"[468] and Beverly "break[s] the news"[469] for her paper.
Several subplots share space with the murder of Paul Graham in World's Fair. Significant ink is expended on the many wonders and exhibits at the fair,[note 16] some of it copied word for word from the fair's official guidebook, and Shirley's acting career encounters both downfall and revival. Beverly runs into Shirley on her first day in Chicago, discovering her to be "out of a job," with "scarcely any money and no friends."[491] She can ill afford to eat and is about to be evicted, yet refuses to take any money from Beverly and moves out when she discovers Beverly has spoken to her landlord and paid the rent. Shirley's luck seems to change for the better, however, for later on Beverly receives the money in the mail with a note saying only "Thanks so much,"[492] and Virginia spots Shirley in "a big limousine."[493] Shirley turns out to be "Dale Arden," a former understudy who "stepped up and did the performance ten times better than the star" when "the star was suddenly taken ill on opening night."[494] Later on Shirley herself is taken ill during a performance, collapsing due to exhaustion and overwork. Beverly prescribes her a trip to "get away" and "lounge lazily about in the sun,"[495] and Roger proposes "a trip around the world"[496] on his yacht the Susabella. So is born the inspiration for Beverly Gray on a World Cruise, promising a "journey into alien lands" with "strange adventures amid new scenes and faces."[497]
Originally published only a year after the fair ended, World's Fair brought to bear recent memories when released. By the time Grosset & Dunlap acquired the Beverly Gray series in 1938, however, the Chicago World's Fair was receding further into the past and preparations had begun for the 1939–40 New York World's Fair. "Because [Beverly Gray at the World's Fair] specifically referred to the Chicago Fair and work on the New York Fair was underway," Blank's editor wrote to her in a 1941 letter, "we felt that readers might be disappointed to discover that Beverly had been to the old fair – not the New York one." As a general policy, her editor went on, when Grosset foresaw "a long and steady sale," it sought to "avoid having anything in the stories that might date them."[19] This policy would not prove to withstand the entry by the United States into World War II, but was sufficient to end publication of the original sixth work in the Beverly Gray series. The original seventh and eighth works, Beverly Gray on a World Cruise and Beverly Gray in the Orient, were renumbered 6 and 7. Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt, the first work published by Grosset, became book number 8.
For collectors of the Beverly Gray series, World's Fair is generally the most challenging and expensive book to acquire. Its expense, however, somewhat belies its true scarcity. World's Fair went through multiple printings by A. L. Burt from 1935 to 1937, and was thereafter reprinted by Blue Ribbon Books from 1937 to 1938. It is thus theoretically no scarcer than any other Beverly Gray A. L Burt or Blue Ribbon edition, (excepting the first four works, which began printing one year earlier), and considerably more common than certain other series published by A. L. Burt.
Plagiarism
It is no coincidence that parts of Beverly Gray at the World's Fair read like a brochure, for several sections describing the sights and exhibits are copied from the fair's official 1933 guidebook. Blank undoubtedly used the guidebook as a general reference, and in some places reproduced its words similarly or exactly. Parts of World's Fair, such as the description of the Lama Temple, reproduce whole passages almost verbatim from the guidebook. Other parts repeat words and phrases without appropriating the entire relevant text.
Some of the sights described in World's Fair are not described in the guidebook (or if they are, are done so in considerably less detail), and it is likely that Blank used additional sources to craft her depictions of the fair. For instance, World's Fair lists five names of the Sky Ride's "rocket cars"—"Amos," "Andy," "Madame Queen," "the Kingfish, and "Lightnin'"—that appear nowhere in the guidebook.[470] Another example occurs when Blank rhapsodizes about "a sculpturing of the famous, human painting 'The Doctor' by Luke Fildes. To the girls "the figures of the mother, father, little child, and the kindly doctor seemed to live before their eyes. It seemed impossible that the figures were not real. The very heartrending anxiety of the scene seemed to reach out and grasp the spectators. The work of art was a very sincere, very touching tribute to the family doctor. It was mute evidence of his understanding love, compassion, and tenderness."[498] This passage immediately precedes Blank's plagiarized description of the Transparent Man, yet the guidebook only mentions the sculpture in passing, noting that a "[l]ife-size reproduction of Fildes' 'The Doctor.'" was exhibited by Petrolagar Laboratories, Inc.[499] Be they newspaper articles, books, or other materials entirely, Blank would have needed sources other than the guidebook for some of the information contained in World's Fair.
Examples of plagiarism include the passages in the following table, listed by order of appearance in World's Fair. Instances of identical language are highlighted in yellow.
| Beverly Gray at the World's Fair | 1933 A Century of Progress guidebook |
|---|---|
| "Lenora, oriental minded, got a big thrill out of the Lama Temple, or Golden Pavilion of Jehol. The windows in the latter were enclosed in carved grills in red, blue, yellow, and gold. The Chinese guide, speaking excellent English, described for everyone the treasures contained in this reproduction of a bit of old China. One of the things which delighted the girls was the 'prayer wheel' which the devotees turned instead of repeating their prayers. One turn of the wheel is the equivalent of so many million prayers. Bronze and gilded wooden Buddhas, images of numerous other gods and goddesses, altar pieces, trumpets so long that the player required an assistant to hold them up, incense burners, masks used in sacred dances, silver lamps, and rare oriental carpets all further intrigued the girls."[476] | "Carved grills, in red, blue, yellow and gold, enclose the glass window panes. The cornice beams are gilded and carved with images of dragons, cats, and dogs. Hundreds of pieces of carved wood form the ceiling.
A Chinese guide, speaking excellent English, describes for you the treasures contained in the Temple. One of the interesting objects he points out is the 'prayer wheel,' which the devotees turn instead of repeating prayers. One turn of the wheel is the equivalent of many million prayers. There is an interesting temple drum, trumpets so long that the player requires the services of an assistant to hold them up, bronze and gilded wooden Buddhas, images of numerous other gods and goddesses, altar pieces, incense burners, trumpets, masks used in sacred dances, silver lamps, temple bells, and rare carpets."[500] |
| "They descended to the ground floor and at the north end they came upon a giant man. Six feet tall he was, standing upon a pedestal three and one half feet high. . . . As if the girls were suddenly endowed with X-Ray eyes they could see what the human body looked like. The attendant explained the parts of the human body, pointing them out as they were electrically illuminated in the glass statue. The Transparent Man was brought to the Century of Progress from Dresden, Germany, one of only two in the world, and he had required eighteen months to make."[487] | "At the east end of the ground floor there stands a giant man. He is six feet tall, and rises from a pedestal three and one-half feet high. He is transparent. As though you were suddenly endowed with X-Ray eyes you may view the inside of the human body. This transparent man, composed of cellon, and brought to A Century of Progress from Dresden, Germany, is one of only two in the world, and required 18 months to make. He cost $10,000. He properly begins the story of the science of medicine in this theater of the sciences."[501] |
| "The girls entered the spherical building on the hillside by the lagoon to see The World A Million Years Ago. There they beheld examples of prehistoric creatures which, if they had been in the flesh, would have terrified the bravest man. . . . They saw a series of six dioramas displaying the animals of the ice age and 'man' before the dawn of history. In the main area the gigantic prehistoric beasts were endowed with 'electric life' and they saw them moving, breathing, uttering cries, just as they did in their natural habitat.
'A platybelodon, glyptodon, triceratops, pterodactyl, and a brontosaurus,' Lenora read. 'Spell those words!' Beverly suggested. Lenora frowned on her. 'Spell them! It is all I can do to say them.'"[488] |
"The World a Million Years Ago
It is hard for us to conceive of a world inhabited by monsters other than those of industry. But, when we cross the broad plaza at Twenty-third street to a spherical building on the hillside by the lagoon, we see examples of prehistoric creatures that would, in the flesh, terrify the bravest man. Step onto a platform, in motion, and you will be transported through 'The World a Million Years Ago.' You are carried past a series of six dioramas displaying the animals of the ice age and 'man' before the dawn of history. Then you enter the main arena. Here, gigantic, prehistoric beasts are brought to life—a platybelodon, a huge hairy mammoth, a giant gorilla, saber-tooth tiger, and ground sloth are seen in conflict. Also, the glyptodon, triceratops, pterodactyl, the massive brontosaurus, and the vernops and dimetrodon in a death struggle are represented in their natural habitats—seem to be alive, breathing, uttering cries, and moving."[502] |
| "'Think what that all means,' Connie said, waving a hand to the lights below. 'Thousands of years ago this was all vast stretches of ice, with glaciers moving sluggishly along and now—it really gives one something to think about.'
'Indeed it does,' Beverly agreed. 'First man had to discover fire, then oils from animals and then kerosene. Look what we have today!' 'A Century of Progress!' Virginia exclaimed. 'And what progress!'"[503] |
"Nobody knows how many thousands of years ago, this spot that now blazes with light, was a part of vast stretches of ice. Glaciers moved sluggishly against the cold sky, and sun and moon and stars were the only illumination. Centuries rolled by and man discovered fire and used it to warm his wigwams, caves, and huts. Oils from animals came into use for lighting, then came kerosene; today we have electricity."[504] |
Characters
Characters in Beverly Gray, Freshman
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Beverly Gray | |
| Anne White | |
| Shirley Parker | |
| Lenora Whitehill | |
| Lois Mason | |
| Rosalie Arnold | |
| Helen Chadwick Gray | Beverly's mother |
| John Gray | Beverly's father |
| (Unnamed)† | Helen Chadwick's father |
| Grace Conister† | Anne's mother[505] |
| Philip White† | Anne's father[505] |
| Mr. Parker‡ | Shirley's father |
| Mrs. Parker‡ | Shirley's mother |
| (Unnamed)† | Shirley's governess |
| Geraldine "Gerry" Foster | |
| Margaret "Mickey" Mowre | |
| Georgia Lane* | Sophomore friend of Gerry & Mickey[506][507][508] |
| Marian Warren | Junior, tennis captain[509] |
| Caroline Johnson | |
| Tom | |
| (Unnamed) | Masquerade dance ticket taker[510] |
| (Unnamed) | Masquerade dance judge[511] |
| (Unnamed) (1+) | Calls out in darkness at dance[511] |
| (Unnamed)* | Junior who finds lights[511] |
| (Unnamed) | Calls from inside Chadwick Hall[512] |
| (Unnamed) (2)* | Romeo & Juliet stage hands[513] |
| (Unnamed) (2)† | Sophomore roommates of Beverly & Shirley after fire[514] |
| Miss Wilder | Vernon College dean |
| Mrs. Dennis | Chadwick Hall house mistress |
| Miss Tommasin | |
| Professor Emma Martin | |
| Theodore Brown | |
| Professor Jackson† | Biology professor[515] |
| Professor Adams | |
| (Unnamed) | Basketball referee |
| Andrew T. Crandall | |
| (Unnamed)† | Firemen |
| (Unnamed)† | Chadwick Hall maids[516] |
| (Unnamed)† | Chadwick Hall cook[516] |
| (Unnamed)† | Chadwick Hall janitor[516] |
| (Unnamed) | Vernon College nurse |
| (Unnamed)* | Train conductor[517] |
| (Unnamed)* | Vernon taxi driver[518] |
| Jim Stanton | |
| Tommy Chandler | |
| Barbara West | |
| Gordon Brewster | |
| Joan Roberts | |
| Boyd Marshall | |
| (Unnamed)† | Boyd's father[519] |
| Big Bertha | |
| (Unnamed)† | Bertha's dead daughter |
| (Unnamed)† | Sheriff[135][519] |
| (Unnamed)† | Sheriff's men[135][519] |
| (Unnamed)† | Guards sent to arrest Bertha; one killed[120] |
| (Unnamed) (3)† | Bear hunters[520] |
| Old man Gorner† | Owns wagon in Renville[521] |
| Beyer† | Owns stable in Renville[521] |
| "Terry" | Beverly's "wire-haired fox terrier" in Renville[522] |
| "Mr. Bruin" |
* No speaking lines in book
† Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak
‡ Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak, and name is sourced from another work
Characters in Beverly Gray, Sophomore
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Beverly Gray | |
| Anne White | |
| Shirley Parker | |
| Lenora Whitehill | |
| Lois Mason | |
| Rosalie Arnold | |
| Helen Chadwick Gray‡ | Beverly's mother[523] |
| Mr. Parker | |
| Mrs. Parker | |
| Geraldine "Gerry" Foster* | Friend made in Freshman; now a senior[524] |
| Alison Cox | Editor of the Comet, newspaper of Vernon College |
| May Norris | |
| (Unnamed)† | Vernon College student; daughter of Mr. Maxwell[525] |
| Mr. Maxwell | Father of a Vernon College student[525] |
| Mrs. Dennis | Chadwick Hall house mistress |
| Miss Wilder | Vernon College dean |
| Professor Leonard | |
| (Unnamed)† | Chadwick Hall maids[526] |
| Larry Owen[note 17] | |
| (Unnamed)† | Larry's Secret Service partner[224][527][528][529][530] |
| Inspector Dugan | |
| (Unnamed) (2)* | Policemen[213][218][531] |
| (Unnamed) | Weller's soda clerk[224][532] |
| Pete | Head smuggler |
| Wah Fang | |
| (Unnamed) | Smuggler[533] |
| (Unnamed) | Smuggler[212][534] |
| (Unnamed) (6) | Smugglers[180][535] |
| Andrew Horler† | Original owner of Horler Mansion[174] |
| (Unnamed)† | Andrew Horler's wife[174] |
| (Unnamed)† | Andrew Horler's son[174] |
| (Unnamed)† | Andrew Horler's son's wife[174] |
| (Unnamed)† | Old man; purchased Horler Mansion[174] |
| (Unnamed)† | Killed old man[174] |
| (Unnamed)† | Neighbor; discovered old man's body[174] |
| (Unnamed)† | Sees men moving boxes at Horler Mansion[174] |
| (Unnamed)* | Vernon airport mechanic[536] |
| "Sir Galahad"* | Chief mechanic; does emergency repairs[229][537][538][539] |
| (Unnamed)* | Second mechanic; does emergency repairs[537] |
| Mrs. Thompson | |
| Jake Thompson* | |
| Dr. Grimm* | |
| Jim Stanton | |
| Tommy Chandler* | |
| Freddy Blakewell | |
| (Unnamed)* | Football coach[540][541] |
| (Unnamed)* | Football doctor[542] |
| Carl | Parkers' chauffeur[155][543][544] |
| Chalmers | Parkers' butler[155] |
| Marie | Parkers' maid[155][545] |
| The Abberlys† | Family in New York[155][543] |
| (Unnamed)* | Married friend of Shirley in New York[544] |
| (Unnamed) | Red headed boat steward who plays saxophone[544] |
| (Unnamed)* | Taxi driver with nine children[544] |
| Charlie Blaine | Reporter for the Herald Tribune |
| (Unnamed)* | Murderer in Chinatown[202] |
| Duke of Abernethy | Guest of honor at a ball in New York[205][546][547] |
| Mrs. Cathelwaite | Guest at a New York ball; owns $250,000 emerald[547][548] |
| Madame deFreigne | |
| Comte Paul le Follette* | Guest at a New York ball[547] |
| Comte Raoul le Follette* | Guest at a New York ball[547] |
| "Comte de Bourgeine" | Jewel thief posing as a French count |
| (Unnamed) (2)* | Policemen[209] |
* No speaking lines in book
† Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak
‡ Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak, and name is sourced from another work
Characters in Beverly Gray, Junior
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Beverly Gray | |
| Anne White | |
| Shirley Parker | |
| Lenora Whitehill | |
| Lois Mason | |
| Rosalie Arnold | |
| Helen Chadwick Gray | |
| John Gray | |
| Grace Conister‡ | Anne's mother[549] |
| Philip White‡ | Anne's father[549] |
| Mr. Parker† | Shirley's father[319][550] |
| Mrs. Parker† | Shirley's mother[319][550] |
| Geraldine "Gerry" Foster | |
| (Unnamed)† | Gerry's aunt |
| Margaret "Mickey" Mowre† | Friend made in Freshman; graduated last term[551] |
| May Norris | |
| (Unnamed) | May's roommate |
| Josephine Carter | |
| (Unnamed) | Vernon girl, alerts Shirley to Jim's arrival[266] |
| (Unnamed)† | Sophomore, saw Shirley with May[552] |
| Miss Wilder | Vernon College dean |
| Mrs. Dennis* | Chadwick Hall house mistress |
| (Unnamed)* | Literature teacher[319] |
| (Unnamed)* | Choral instructor[553] |
| (Unnamed)† | Courtney Hall house mistress[554] |
| (Unnamed)† | Vernon College doctor[555] |
| Mr. Forsythe | Manager of the Forsythe Film Company |
| Andrew T. Crandall‡ | President of the Forest Theater Guild[153][556] |
| Karl† | Weller's soda clerk[255][557][558] |
| (Unnamed)* | Hotel Wildon bell boy[559] |
| Orlenda | |
| Dimiti | |
| Anselo | |
| "Cheeko" | Anselo's pet monkey |
| (Unnamed) | Gypsy; robs safe in office of Mrs. Dennis |
| (Unnamed) | Gypsy; introduces girls to Orlenda |
| (Unnamed) | Gypsy; woman who brings Beverly food |
| (Unnamed) | Gypsy; takes ride in Red Bird II |
| (Unnamed) | Gypsy; grandmother of above man |
| (Unnamed) (2) | Gypsies; sit outside the grandmother's wagon |
| (Unnamed) (2) | Gypsies; prepare the grandmother for police search |
| (Unnamed) | Gypsy; introduces self as leader (may be Dimiti) |
| (Unnamed) (2) | Gypsies; fight with Jim and Larry |
| (Unnamed) | Gypsy; clubs Jim & Larry unconscious |
| Inspector Dugan | |
| (Unnamed) | Art shop owner |
| (Unnamed) | Workman at County Fair |
| Larry Owens[note 17] | |
| Jim Stanton | |
| Boyd Marshall | |
| Tommy Chandler | |
| Gordon Brewster | |
| Joan Roberts | |
| Barbara West | |
| Bucky Harris | |
| (Unnamed)* | Male figure skater[560] |
| (Unnamed)* | Female figure skater[560] |
| (Unnamed)* | Renville doctor[327] |
| (Unnamed)* | Renville minister[123] |
* No speaking lines in book
† Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak
‡ Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak, and name is sourced from another work
Characters in Beverly Gray, Senior
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Beverly Gray | |
| Anne White | |
| Shirley Parker | |
| Lenora Whitehill | |
| Lois Mason | |
| Rosalie Arnold | |
| Helen Chadwick Gray | Beverly's mother |
| John Gray* | Beverly's father |
| Mr. Parker | Shirley's father |
| Mrs. Parker† | Shirley's mother |
| (Unnamed)† | Lois's father[561] |
| (Unnamed)† | Lois's mother[561] |
| (Unnamed)† | Lois's younger sister[561] |
| Connie Elwood | |
| Kathleen Ryan | |
| Ada Collins | |
| Evelyn DeLong | |
| Virginia Harris | |
| Phyllis Tanner | |
| Caroline Johnson | |
| (Unnamed) | Announces arrival of film company[562] |
| (Unnamed) (2) | Sophomores; in awe of Beverly & Lenora[563] |
| (Unnamed) | Freshman; complains of Connie & co. |
| (Unnamed) (2) | Sophomores; complain of Connie & co. |
| (Unnamed)† | Freshman Lenora's senior "crush"[563] |
| Mrs. Dennis | |
| Miss Wilder | |
| (Unnamed)† | French professor[564] |
| (Unnamed)* | Basketball referee[565] |
| (Unnamed) | Senior; basketball center[566] |
| (Unnamed)* | Junior; basketball guard[566] |
| (Unnamed)* | Wayne Seminary dean[425] |
| (Unnamed)* | Tennis referee[425] |
| (Unnamed) (2)* | Vernon College tennis players: 2nd match[425] |
| (Unnamed) (2)* | Wayne Seminary tennis players: 1st match[425] |
| (Unnamed) (2)* | Wayne Seminary tennis players: 2nd match[425] |
| (Unnamed) (2)* | Wayne Seminary tennis players: 3rd match |
| Mr. Forsythe | |
| Marcia Lyman | |
| Conway Grant* | |
| (Unnamed) (2)† | Mr. Forsythe's assistants[388] |
| Mr. Smith | |
| (Unnamed) | Hotel Wildon bellboy[567] |
| (Unnamed) | Hotel Wildon clerk[567] |
| (Unnamed) (2) | Hotel Wildon authorities |
| Andrew T. Crandall† | |
| Jim Stanton | |
| Joan Roberts | |
| Tommy Chandler | |
| Gordon Brewster | |
| Boyd Marshall | |
| Barbara West | |
| Larry Owens† | Secret Service agent and suitor of Beverly[568] |
| (Unnamed) (2) | Kidnap Shirley |
| (Unnamed) | Policeman; arrests Beverly & Shirley |
| (Unnamed) | Chief of police |
| (Unnamed)* | Policeman[413] |
| (Unnamed)* | Truck driver[569] |
| Cat | In kidnappers' house[400] |
* No speaking lines in book
† Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak
‡ Mentioned in book, but does not appear or speak, and name is sourced from another work
Characters in Beverly Gray at the World's Fair
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Beverly Gray | |
| Lenora Whitehill | |
| Shirley Parker | |
| Lois Mason* | |
| Constance "Connie" Elwood | |
| Kathleen Ryan | |
| Ada Collins | |
| Virginia Harris | |
Publication history
The Beverly Gray series was published in the United States from 1934 to 1955. Four publishers were responsible for the series output during this time: A. L. Burt (1934–1937), Blue Ribbon Books (1937–1938), Grosset & Dunlap (1938–1954) and McLoughlin Bros. (1955).
A. L. Burt (1934–1937)
A. L. Burt was responsible for publishing the first eight titles in the series, from Beverly Gray, Freshman through Beverly Gray in the Orient. The first four titles were copyrighted on June 1, 1934[570] and issued concurrently as a "breeder set," a common practice at the time.[21] Books five and six (Career and World's Fair) followed in similar fashion, both copyrighted on June 14, 1934,[571] while the next two works followed in yearly intervals. Although A. L. Burt's president retired and sold the company to Blue Ribbon Books in early March 1937,[572] the copyright for the final book published by A. L. Burt, Beverly Gray in the Orient, was actually issued on April 15 of that year.[573]
The A. L. Burt editions had a uniform appearance. Approximately 8 inches tall and 1.5 inches thick, they were composed of gray cloth boards with black lettering, and supplied with light blue endpapers with an etching of village buildings. The publisher was denoted on the lower spine as "A. L. BURT/COMPANY."
Blue Ribbon Books (1937–1938)
Blue Ribbon Books announced the purchase of A. L. Burt on March 4, 1937. Robert de Graff, president of Blue Ribbon from May 28 of the previous year[574] until February of the next,[575][576] described the purchase as "supplementary," bringing together "the fiction list of the A. L. Burt Company and the non-fiction books issued under the Blue Ribbon imprint."[572] Taking over approximately 2,000 titles from A. L. Burt, Blue Ribbon indicated its intention to continue "the Burt name" on "fiction and juvenile titles";[576] each Beverly Gray book was thus referred to as "A Burt Book" on the title page. The company had to that point been a reprint specialist, and, at least vis-à-vis the Beverly Gray series, its specialty did not change. No new titles were commissioned for the series by Blue Ribbon, although from 1937 to 1938 they reprinted the eight works already issued by A. L. Burt. From April 15, 1937 (Orient, A. L. Burt) until October 15, 1938[577] (Treasure Hunt, Grosset & Dunlap) it would be seventeen months until another Beverly Gray book was copyrighted.
The initial Beverly Gray books issued by Blue Ribbon used the same stock as the A. L. Burt editions. The books were bound in cloth boards of the same color and size, while the copyright remained under the name of A. L. Burt. The only changes were to the spine, where "B U R T" replaced "A. L. BURT/COMPANY," and to the title page, where "A Burt Book/BLUE RIBBON BOOKS, Inc./New York" replaced "A. L. BURT COMPANY, publishers/New York Chicago."
Blue Ribbon began using colored boards after the initial printing runs with gray boards, perhaps reflecting the exhaustion of binding materials acquired from A. L. Burt. The size and composition of the books remained the same. The first printings without gray boards were probably those with boards of a light pinkish-purple color and light blue endpapers. At least three titles—Sophomore, Senior and Orient—were printed in this format, and others may exist. Subsequent printings used a variety of different colors, and switched to dark blue endpapers. Blue boards were used for Freshman, green (black lettering) for Sophomore, green (purple lettering) for Junior, and red for Career. As a general (but not necessarily absolute) rule, each format was unique to one title. If not intentional, this may have reflected a practice of printing each book individually whenever stocks ran low, and using whatever binding materials were on hand at the time.
Grosset and Dunlap (1938–1954)
Grosset & Dunlap purchased the "entire juvenile business" of Blue Ribbon Books in mid-1938.[19] By that point Grosset was publishing such successful series as Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Dana Girls, Tom Swift Sr., and Judy Bolton as part of "one of the largest and most active juvenile lists in the business."[19] Many of these series were produced in partnership with the Stratemeyer Syndicate, but a number of independent series, such as the Beverly Gray and Judy Bolton mysteries, and later such series as Ken Holt and Rick Brant, also enjoyed decades of publication. The Beverly Gray series would last until 1954 with Grosset & Dunlap, then see one final year of publication with its McLoughlin Bros. division.
With the purchase of Blue Ribbon Books came "their stock" of Beverly Gray books.[19] The first Grosset & Dunlap editions were thus actually Blue Ribbon books with Grosset & Dunlap dust jackets. The later Blue Ribbon formats—those printed after the formats using gray or light purple boards—are typically found with Grosset & Dunlap instead of Blue Ribbon Books dust jackets. A number of hybrid printings next emerged as the Blue Ribbon stock was variously exhausted. Multiple copies of Junior were printed with boards and pages acquired from Blue Ribbon; A. L. Burt was named on the copyright pages, Blue Ribbon Books on the title pages, and Grosset & Dunlap on the spines and dust jackets. Orient saw similar treatment, with leftover Blue Ribbon pages bound into green boards produced by Grosset & Dunlap, while some copies of Senior had Blue Ribbon pages bound into orange Grosset & Dunlap boards. Other examples of hybrid printings likely exist, although they are infrequently found; their existence reflects not the production of entire printing runs, but rather the using up of leftover materials.
McLoughlin Bros. (1955)
In June 1954, Grosset & Dunlap purchased "the complete stock and goodwill of McLoughlin Bros," a "publisher of toy books since 1828."[578][579][580][581] McLoughlin thereafter became "a division of Grosset & Dunlap,"[582] with the Clover Books imprint used to publish the Beverly Gray series. Clover Books was primarily used as "a reprint line for juvenile titles that were still profitable enough to merit publication in a cheap format but were no longer selling sufficiently well to continue in their original hardback edition," and the switch to this imprint portended the fate of the Beverly Gray series.[583] Only one more book would be published before the series was cancelled.
McLoughlin printed Beverly Gray's Surprise, the final work in the series, in 1955. It additionally reprinted the previous nine books (Journey through Scoop), which had originally been issued by Grosset & Dunlap. The ten books were numbered from G-16 (Journey) to G-25 (Surprise), with G-1 through G-15, representing the books not reprinted by McLoughlin, left unassigned.
International editions
From 1944 until 1970, translations of several Beverly Gray books were published in Iceland and in Norway.[584][585] Twelve works were initially published by the Icelandic publisher Norðri. The first of these, Beverly Gray nýliði (Freshman), was translated by Gudjon Gudjonsson, with the eleven succeeding titles translated by Kristmundur Bjarnason. The first four translations (Freshman through Senior) were later reprinted by another Icelandic publisher, Iðunn. Either intentionally or mistakenly, both Norðri and Iðunn used the pen name "Clarie Blank" rather than Blank's true first name. Between the publication and republication of these Icelandic translations, seven Norwegian titles were issued by the publisher Forlagshuset.
Icelandic titles
| # | Title | English Title | Pub. by Norðri | Pub. by Iðunn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beverly Gray nýliði | 1 | Freshman | 1944 | 1967 |
| 2 | Beverly Gray í II bekk | 2 | Sophomore | 1945 | 1968 |
| 3 | Beverly Gray í III bekk | 3 | Junior | 1946 | 1969 |
| 4 | Beverly Gray í IV bekk | 4 | Senior | 1946 | 1970 |
| 5 | Beverly Gray fréttaritari | 10 | Reporter | 1947 | N/A |
| 6 | Beverly Gray á ferðalagi | 16 | Journey | 1948 | N/A |
| 7 | Beverly Gray í gullleit | 8 | Treasure Hunt | 1948 | N/A |
| 9* | Ástir Beverly Gray | 11 | Romance | 1949 | N/A |
| 10 | Beverly Gray í New York | 5 | Career | 1949 | N/A |
| 11 | Beverly Gray í Suður-Ameríku | 12 | Quest | 1950 | N/A |
| 12 | Beverly Gray vinnur nýja sigra | 13 | Problem | 1950 | N/A |
| 13 | Beverly Gray og upplýsingaþjónustan | 14 | Adventure | 1951 | N/A |
*Although the books were numbered, no #8 was ever issued for an unknown reason.
Norwegian titles
| Title | English Title | Pub. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly Gray på college | 4 | Senior | 1960 |
| Beverly Grays hemmelighet | 21 | Secret | 1960 |
| Beverly Gray det forsvunne maleriet | 23 | Discovery | 1961 |
| Beverly Gray på egne ben | 5 | Career | 1961 |
| Beverly Gray som journalist | 10 | Reporter | 1961 |
| Beverly Gray og den mystiske rytter | 18 | Mystery | 1962 |
| Beverly Gray og den stjålne medaljongen | 16 | Journey | 1962 |
Notes
- ↑ The "See America First" slogan came into being in the fall of 1905, and was officially launched on January 25, 1906 at the "See America First" conference organized by the Salt Lake City Commercial Club.[25][27] With the motto "See Europe if you will, but see America first," the aim of the conference was "to devise a plan to divert at least a portion of the travel of Americans which now goes to Europe and other foreign countries, to their own country first."[28] The importance of the objective to state industry was underscored by some of the conference's speakers: Governors George Earle Chamberlain of Oregon, Albert E. Mead of Washington, and John Christopher Cutler of Utah, along with former Utah Governor Heber Manning Wells.[27] The movement quickly became widespread; in 1911, at the urging of Governor Austin Lane Crothers of Maryland, President Taft agreed to write a letter in support.[29][30] By the time of Blank's writing, "See America First" was no longer identifiable with any one concentrated campaign. It had become a phrase in the common vernacular[31][32][33][34][35] and used in multiple promotions, such as in a circa 1936–39 series of seven posters created by the Federal Art Project for the United States Travel Bureau, each emblazoned with "See America" and depicting various national parks.[25] Carol's decision to "be a strong advocate of See America First" was likely more an endorsement of the general movement than a response to any one individual promotion.
- ↑ Upon seeing the cave, Phyllis mentions that "I didn't know they had caves in Arizona," to which Gale responds "I know there were a lot of huge subterranean caves discovered in 1909."[36] This may be a reference to a hoax article published in the Arizona Gazette on April 5, 1909. Entitled "Explorations in Grand Canyon: Mysteries of Immense High Cavern Being Brought to Light . . . Remarkable Finds Indicate Ancient People Migrated From Orient," the article claimed the discovery of a massive network of subterranean chambers in the Grand Canyon capable of housing "[u]pwards of 50,000 people . . . comfortably."[37] The entrance was said to be hidden halfway between river and rim. A cave opening purportedly situated "1,486 feet down the sheer canyon wall" and "2,000 feet above the river bed,"[37] was more realistically located "where no one but a person with a great imagination could reach it."[38] A civilization "of oriental origin, possibly from Egypt" was supposedly responsible for hewing out the rock. Among other fantastical discoveries advertised was a "shrine" with an "idol almost resembl[ing] Buddha" and a "crypt" filled with mummies.[37] The article appears to have been understood by readers within the context of its time: "Tall tales were a long American tradition, especially on the frontier. Newspaper hoaxes were also a long tradition . . . Readers didn’t even bother to call such stories a hoax, for their truthfulness was beside the point. One was supposed to admire their talent of imagination." Reprinted by one local newspaper, the Jerome News, and commented on by one more, the Coconino Sun, the story did not receive much publicity.[39] In 1962 the article "was rescued from obscurity" when it appeared with little commentary[40] in Arizona Cavalcade: The Turbulent Times, "one of a series of five books of newspaper articles from early Arizona history."[39][41] The story started a second life, as fodder for government conspiracy theories, after David Hatcher Childress included it in his 1992 book, Lost Cities of North and Central America.[39][42] If the 1909 article was indeed Blank's inspiration for Gale's comment about "a lot of huge subterranean caves discovered in 1909," its apparent lack of circulation leaves unanswered the question of how Blank came to hear of the tale. The year and circumstances do align, however, and as Blank's appropriation of material from the 1933 World's Fair guidebook demonstrates, she did do some amount of research into the settings of her books. If Blank did become aware of the article, the lack of contemporary commentary surrounding its publication may have prevented Blank from being made fully aware that it was a hoax.
- ↑ "East" is undefined in this book, save for Gale's reference to Marchton as "a little town near the Atlantic Ocean."[45] The Adventure Girls in the Air clarifies that Marchton is "a small but busy little town in Maine, bordering the rocky coast."
- ↑ Of Loo Wong's 41 spoken words, 11 are so affected.[54][56][57][58][59]
- ↑ This plot point appears to borrow both plot and language from Beverly Gray, Sophomore, published two years earlier. There Beverly and Larry crash in the middle of the woods in Larry's plane, and seek rescue at a secluded farmhouse. Although they are not as cut off from civilization as Gale finds herself, the "demolished" plane is found "empty" before its former occupants can alert their friends.[61] Just as Gale's friends search frantically for her after she disappears from the scene of the crash, so too do the friends of Beverly and Larry suffer a chapter of suspense. Some of the language of the actual crashes also shares similarities. In In the Air, "Larry was working feverishly to start the motor and so perhaps avert a crash, but it was no use," while in Sophomore, "Brent was working frantically to bring the plane down in a glide, but it was no use."[62] Likewise, Sophomore declares that "[e]ven if they had parachutes they would scarcely be able to open them," while In the Air proclaims that "[p]arachutes, if they had had them, would have been of no avail in the fury of the elements."[62] Both crashes are described as "splintering," and where In the Air sees the wrecked wheels stick up "grotesquely," Larry's prone form in Sophomore lies "grotesquely"[63] by the wreckage. Other similarities exist, such as references in each work to "the whistle of the wind,"[62][64] although whatever borrowing Blank did from her earlier work, the two narrations are for the most part unique.
- ↑ This is probably a reference to the 1925 serum run to Nome, a sled dog relay carrying antitoxin that was responsible for halting a diphtheria epidemic. Nome was home to some 1,430 residents in 1925[66] "and was a service point for another 8,000 transients,"[67] yet the nearest train depot was 674 miles away in Nenana.[68] When a diphtheria outbreak began in January, primarily affecting children and in particular Native Alaskan children, the available supply of medicine was too small, and five years old. The closest supply that could be found was in Anchorage, and was immediately put on a train to Nenana. From there some 20 mushers worked in tandem over 127 hours to relay the serum to Nome.[69] Somewhat ironically, considering the professions of Gale and Peter, airplanes were initially considered to transport the antitoxin before being deemed unworkable. Airplanes were again considered for a second batch of antitoxin, which arrived from Seattle on February 7.[70][71][72]
- ↑ This story line may have been inspired by the disappearance of Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who disappeared in the Brazilian jungle in May 1925 during an exploration for what he termed the Lost City of Z. Fawcett's expedition was largely financed by newspapers,[73] and continued to make headlines even decades later. Among other theories, articles variously speculated that Fawcett had renounced civilization and was living as a hermit,[74] was "living the life of a 'jungle god,' held captive by primitive tribesmen,"[75] or had been "slain and flayed" by "savages."[76] One of the more plausible explanations was initially reported in 1932, but, competing against airwaves full of other theories, it gained little traction until more than 70 years later.[77][78][79][80] Numerous search parties were mounted and reported on over the years,[81][82][83][84] perhaps claiming as many as 100 lives;[85] one search party even came to be known by locals as the "suicide club."[80] Whatever the true cause of Fawcett's disappearance, it is likely that Blank was exposed to some of this reporting.
- ↑ According to Gale, "there are four Chemistry professors."
- ↑ The implication of these scores, that the freshmen outscored the juniors 10–0 in the second half, makes little sense. Not only would that mean that nearly 80% of the total scoring output took place in the first half, but Blank's language seems to suggest a more competitive second half. "After their success in the beginning of the game [the juniors] had failed to put forth their best effort in the second half, and it was telling. The freshmen were leading, and they bade fair to hold that lead. The juniors roused themselves, but it was too late. The end of the game was near. The freshmen won—22–27."[109] If the juniors indeed "roused themselves," it seems unlikely that they scored zero points in the entire second half. Meanwhile, despite a teammate's reminder that "if we beat this team, we shall play the seniors two weeks from now,"[110] such a freshman-senior matchup is never again mentioned.
- ↑ Blank may have meant the North Star, Polaris. The star has traditionally been used as a navigational reference, as its alignment with Earth's axis of rotation at the North Pole means that one heading towards it will always be led northward. The Star of Bethlehem, by contrast, appears in the Gospel of Matthew, where it reveals the birth of Jesus to the Biblical Magi and leads them to his location; it does not appear in the night sky today. Nor does it seem that Blank intended the star's appearance in her work to be an act of divine intervention. While biblical references are dispersed throughout Blank's writing,[123] including one on the preceding page,[124] Blank's language here does nothing to suggest that Beverly's guide star was anything more than a light in the sky. "She remembered that the Star of Bethlehem, when viewed from her bedroom window, seemed directly over the garage. She surveyed the heavens above. Yes, there it was—off to the right. She had been going in the wrong direction! Resolutely she set her course directly toward the star. How far away and remote it seemed tonight. Some nights it seemed near enough for her to reach up and touch it."[125] More to the point, guide star by divine providence would not bode well for Beverly: the star led her her directly into a bear trap.
- ↑ Riverside Drive and Park Avenue are both streets in Manhattan. The streets were, and are, home to many illustrious addresses, presumably influencing Blank's creation of "the great Parker['s]" location. Both run North-South, however, and never intersect; no address at "Riverside Drive and Park Avenue" thus exists. In Beverly Gray, Sophomore, Shirley's home is redefined as "the Parker house on Riverside Drive."[155] Considering that Shirley was "raised in the big city"[156] and is "used to [its] noise and confusion,"[157] it is odd that Tom's proposal to go to New York holds so much allure. Not only would she be presumably be used to the "theaters" and "dances" that Tom speaks so rapturously of, but in running away, she would actually be heading home.[139]
- ↑ A reference to John 15:13, where "the Great Teacher" presented as the chapter's narrator is Jesus. In full: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
- ↑ Although the caption refers to a scene from page 82, the actual event illustrated is more likely from page 221. The caption comes from a scene in chapter 11 where Beverly and Shirley race to the Horler mansion in search of Lenora, who has not returned from an exploration of the house's cellar. In chapter 26, Beverly and Shirley search the outside of Penfield Hall to see how the person responsible for the theft of examination questions might have broken in. A "box half hidden in the shrubbery" is found, the use of which would have allowed the thief to "get up on the window sill" and through the unlocked window. To "demonstrate . . . how the criminal must have acted," Shirley opens the window, "drop[s] to the floor inside," and climbs back out.[167] In doing so her "silver bracelet, with her name engraved on it," slips off her wrist and falls on the floor; bracelet as evidence, she is later accused of the theft.[168] In the illustration a box obscures the foot of the girl in blue, who also appears to wear a bracelet on her left wrist. Such details suggest that Beverly and Shirley are not depicted running to rescue Lenora, but rather searching Penfield Hall for clubes.
- ↑ The line comes from A Vagabond Song, included in Carman's 1896 collection More Songs from Vagabondia. It is the first line to the third and final verse, which reads in full:
There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.[297] - ↑ After being shown the video, Inspector Dugan leaves to question Cummings with Beverly and Lenora in tow. Cummings proclaims that the wires "were loose when he examined them and he was trying to fix them," and claims that "he saw George loosening them" earlier.[459] The inspector apparently accepts this as sufficiently plausible, despite the fact that the film shows Cummings "stoop to loosen the wires on the trapeze fixtures," including "every action of his hands as they pulled and tugged at the wires until they were loose."[460]
Inspector Dugan is known to the girls from their college days at Vernon, having appeared in Sophomore and Junior. He happens to be "on a vacation" to "see the Century of Progress" when the murder occurs.[461] This vacation appears to be an extended affair, for he works the case with one Detective Norcot for the rest of the book. Why the Chicago Police Department, which had some 6,000 personnel in 1933, needed his help is left unsaid.[462] - ↑ Beverly and co. do a considerable amount of sightseeing at the fair. Chapters five and fifteen, "Wonders" and "Last Days" respectively, are dedicated to such activity, which also takes place throughout the rest of the book. The girls take two trips on the Sky Ride,[470][471] and ride on the Goodyear Blimp.[472] They see cobblestone streets "and even cuckoo clocks" at the Black Forest village, "Shakespeare's birthplace at Stratford-on-Avon" at the English village, "the tallest and the smallest man in the world" at the Midget Village, a "reproduction of Independence Hall" at the Colonial Village,[473] and have their photo taken on a fake camel at the Egyptian Village.[474] The "giant Coca Cola fountain" at the Foods and Agricultural Building and the "flower displays in the Horticultural Building" are "marvel[ed] at,"[475][476] the "giant dinosaurs" in the General Exhibits Building photographed,[477] "the old and new means of travel" in the Travel and Transport Building "wonder[ed] at,"[476] the Time and Fortune Building rendezvoused at,[454] the souvenirs at the Czechoslovakia building purchased,[478] the Wonder Bread Building and the B/G Restaurant in the Sears Building dined at,[479][480] the robot "Oscar" in the Radio and Communications building looked at,[481] the "devil drivers testing cars" on "the race track behind the Chrysler Building" cheered,[482] and the U.S. Government, Armour, Ford,[483] and General Motors[484] buildings gazed at. Other sights seen include Enchanted Island,[485] depicted on the dust jacket, the Avenue of Flags,[486] the "medical exhibits"[485] and Transparent Man[487] in the Hall of Science, the "[b]ronze and gilded wooden Buddhas" in the Lama Temple,[476] the Planetarium and "Havoline thermometer,"[483] Northerly Island,[474] "examples of prehistoric creatures" at "The World A Million Years Ago" which "would have terrified the bravest man" had they "been in the flesh,"[488] the "house made entirely of glass," the "House of Tomorrow," the "house where everything was made of wood," the "Design for Living House,"[489] and, at "Ripley's palace of freaks," "the greatest collection of freaks [the girls] had ever known existed."[490]
- 1 2 Larry is introduced as "Larry Owen" in Sophomore, and "Larry Owens" in Junior. His last name is only mentioned once in the former book: "'My name is Larry,' he insisted. 'Larry Owen, late of the New England Owens; graduate of Columbia and personal friend of Miss Beverly Gray!'"[229] It is possible that "Owen" was a typo, or that Blank decided to change his name to "Owens" while writing the third book. Since the first four books were published concurrently, however, an intentional change would reflect an oversight in copy editing Sophomore.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Grossman, Anita Susan (January 1989). "Mystery of Clair Blank". Yellowback Library (55).
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt, p. 157.
- ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6JT-Q84 : accessed February 4, 2016), Edgar Henry Blank, 1917–1918; citing Allentown City no 1, Pennsylvania, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,852,506.
- 1 2 "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFY8-5KL : accessed January 28, 2016), Clare M Blank in household of Edgar H Blank, Allentown Ward 2, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, United States; citing sheet 12A, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,588.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906–1963," database with images, Ancestry.com, (Stillborn Blank : accessed April 25, 2016), entry for Stillborn Blank, January 7, 1918, certificate no. 259; citing records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11, "Death certificates, 1906–1963," series 11.90, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906–1963," database with images, Ancestry.com, (Mildred B. Blank : accessed April 25, 2016), entry for Mildred B. Blank, June 20, 1920, certificate no. 66976; citing records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11, "Death certificates, 1906–1963," series 11.90, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906–1963," database with images, Ancestry.com, (George H. Blank : accessed April 25, 2016), entry for George H. Blank, July 10, 1925, certificate no. 68734; citing records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11, "Death certificates, 1906–1963," series 11.90, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906–1963," database with images, Ancestry.com, (Baby Blank : accessed April 25, 2016), entry for Baby Blank, February 10, 1925, certificate no. 10493; citing records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11, "Death certificates, 1906–1963," series 11.90, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
- ↑ "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH44-V9V : accessed January 28, 2016), Clarissa Blank in entry for Edgar Blank, 1930.
- 1 2 3 "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQXQ-TPJ : accessed January 28, 2016), Claire Blank in household of Edgar Blank, Ward 42, Philadelphia, Philadelphia City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 51-1713, sheet 2B, family 31, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 3740.
- ↑ "Installs Microwave Phones". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 23 – Keystone Pipeline Company, subsidiary of the Atlantic Refining Company, claimed today the distinction of having installed the first microwave telephone communications system ever utilized for industrial purposes. The microwave radio relay link replaces the company's present land lines used for its dispatching system between headquarters in this city and the offices at Montello, Pa. The company said that the new set-up will eliminate extended interruptions of communications over the sixty-mile system.
- ↑ "Reading Eagle – Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
- ↑ "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007," database on-line, Ancestry.com (George Elmer Moyer : accessed April 7, 2016), George Elmer Moyer, 1950.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Indexes, 1885–1951," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JVW1-MMK : accessed January 27, 2016), Moyer and Clarissa M Blank, ; citing license number 766476, Clerk of the Orphan's Court. City Hall.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Indexes, 1885–1951," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JV7F-F5N : accessed January 27, 2016), George E Moyer and Blank, 1943; citing license number 766476, Clerk of the Orphan's Court. City Hall.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania, Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950–1966," database with images, Ancestry.com (George E. Moyer : accessed April 7, 2016), George E. Moyer, 1950; Records of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Record Group 19, Series 19.92 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, n.d.)
- ↑ "NARA – AAD – Display Full Records – Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 – 1946 (Enlistment Records)". aad.archives.gov. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
- 1 2 "George E. Moyer". The Morning Call. March 2, 1998. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Grossman, Anita Susan (December 1989). "Clair Blank and Her Publishers: A Look at the Written Record". Yellowback Library (66).
- ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries. New Series: 1936. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. January 1, 1936.
- 1 2 Large, Brenda (2013). Edward L. Stratemeyer. New York: Infobase Learning. ISBN 978-1-4381-4917-2.
Each new series was introduced with a 'breeder set' of books: the first three books written and published at about the same time were used to build an audience and gauge its reaction. If this trio sold well, then additional books would be planned for that particular series
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 11
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 22
- 1 2 Bold, Christine (1999). The WPA Guides: Mapping America. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 6. ISBN 978-1578061952.
- 1 2 3 Pillen, Cory (March 2008). "See America: WPA Posters and the Mapping of a New Deal Democracy". The Journal of American Culture 31 (1): 49. doi:10.1111/j.1542-734X.2008.00663.x.
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 96
- 1 2 "'See America First' Conference is Opened". Los Angeles Herald. Associated Press. January 26, 1906. Retrieved 2016-03-04 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
- ↑ Wells, Heber Manning (January 25, 1906). See Europe if you will, but See America First (Speech). See America First conference. Salt Lake City, UT. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Taft for 'See America First' plan.". The New York Times. June 16, 1911. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
WASHINGTON, June 15. – President Taft to-day promised a committee appointed by Gov. Crothers of Maryland that he would write a letter indorsing the 'See America First' movement.
- ↑ "General News Section". Railway Age Gazette (53): 213. 1912. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
The temporary committee of the proposed 'See America First Association,' has received a letter from President Taft regarding the convention to be held this fall, in which he says in part: 'I should think that a convention or an exposition for the purpose of educating Americans to the glories of their own country, such as you speak of in your letter to me, would be highly desirable. I am glad to say that, should it be possible for me to be present at the opening of the convention, I shall be glad to do so. Should it be within my legal power to aid the convention by the co-operation of the government departments, I will do what I can.'
- ↑ "Spending Vacations in National Parks Urged By Chief of Service in Letter to the President". The New York Times. June 7, 1931. p. N1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
WASHINGTON, June 6.—A government plea that Americans spend their vacations at home and see America first is made in a letter to President Hoover from Horace M. Albright, director of the National Park Service. 'With the vacation season close at hand, millions of our people are thinking of recreation,' Mr. Albright wrote. 'Many of them will go to the mountains, many to the seashore, and many are planning to go abroad. I would like to emphasize the pleasure which Americans would obtain by spending their vacations within the United States. I believe if they fully realized the attractions we offer, ever increasing numbers of our people would take advantage of them." Picturing the scenery of America's national parks as "unrivaled anywhere in the world,' Mr. Albright described extensive improvements to wilderness playgrounds in recent years. 'New roads have been constructed in many of them, opening up high country that has been viewed heretofore only be pioneers and mountain climbers,' he continued. 'New trails have been laid out, increasing the pleasures offered by horseback riding and hiking. Hotels and lodges have perfected accommodations that meet the demands of every pocketbook. Camp sites have been made generally available for those who bring their own equipment.' Pointing out that visitors to the national system of twenty-two parks and thirty-four monuments had increased from 1,670,908 in 1924 to 3,246,656, a gain of 94 per cent, Mr. Albright added: 'It is quite possible the current year will establish a new record, due not alone to the ever-increasing use of private automobiles by those entering the parks but also to the attractive excursion rates offered by the railroads.'
- ↑ "SEEING AMERICA FIRST.; Some Families Do It From Freight Cars for Nothing.". The New York Times. June 19, 1932. p. E7. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
DODGE CITY, Kan., June 16.—The rod riders have come back. But the difference in 1932 is that the entire family sees the country, in considerably more comfort, whereas in 1920 only men risked traveling by clinging to the precarious perches beneath railroad cars. Nowadays the freight empties, according to trainmen, are helping many to see America first. Non-paying travelers, desirous of getting away from cities, and usually headed West, occupy empty stock and grain cars. Railroad officials are inclined to be lenient, and in many cases mother, father and the children are taking a transcontinental trip in the hope of getting a job on the West Coast.
- ↑ "Topics of The Times". The New York Times. April 30, 1933. p. E4. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
At Home This Summer? American tourists in Europe last Summer showed a big slump in numbers. How will it be this year? Two unfavorable factors suggest themselves. Germany is not likely to tempt many visitors this year. But more important is the Chicago Fair. It seems altogether probably that many American tourists of moderate means—and we have so many in that class today!—will make it a See America First Summer, with Chicago as chief centre of interest. Automobiles may be corroborative on this point. There has been a gratifying rise in motor-car sales at popular prices. Can it be that people are already buying the cars in which they expect to drive out to the Chicago Fair?
- ↑ Harrington, John W. (June 30, 1935). "BIG TRAVEL YEAR IN PROSPECT; If Present Bookings Are an Indication, the Tourist Tide in America Will Be Heavier Than That of Any Since 1929". The New York Times. p. XX1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
The prophecy was made in January that 1935 would be a banner year for 'See America First' tourists. Some rise in unemployment and the long spell of chill Spring weather discouraged the optimists. But a survey made by this writer in the last few days shows that practically all the transportation companies are preparing to handle a large volume of business.
- ↑ "THE TRAVEL RECORD FOR 1935". The New York Times. December 29, 1935. p. XX1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
More than 50,000,000 persons took trips of some sort in 1935, and after the last sheet has been torn from the calendar the figures may reach 60,000,000, according to travel experts. The total travel bill for 1935 is expected to pass $9,000,000,000. Travelers abroad accounted for the largest proportion of the vast sum spent, though they were outnumbered many times by the 'see America first' brigades. The United States Shipping Board Bureau places the number of voyagers to Europe at more than 130,000 and the total sum spent in foreign travel at $5,350,000,000, an increase of $400,000,000 over 1934. At home the greater part of the citizenry did its traveling by private automobile. It is estimated that 9,750,000 cars carried 35,000,000 persons on long or short trips which cost their participants some $3,225,000,000. About $100,000,000 of this was spent in Canada. Railroad officials estimate gains for the year at from 5 to 15 per cent. Motor-bus lines report a country-wise gain for 1935 of about 7 per cent, and estimate gross receipts at $336,000,000. Airlines report the greatest gains of all on a percentage basis. One expect estimates the gain in number of passengers carried at 30 per cent. Air express shipments increased 55 per cent.
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 39
- 1 2 3 "EXPLORATIONS IN GRAND CANYON". Arizona Gazette. April 5, 1909. Retrieved February 25, 2016 – via The 1909 Grand Canyon Hoax.
- ↑ "Looks Like a Mulhatton Story.". The Coconino Sun. April 16, 1909. Retrieved February 25, 2016 – via The Library of Congress.
The reported discovery of a mammoth underground city of an ancient race in the Grand Canyon, seems to be a splendid piece of imagination sent out by some Mulhattonized individual, at least one in this section of Arizona knows anything of it and it would be just possible that some one at the Grand Canyon would have been informed of it if an actual discovery had been made. The man who wrote up the find certainly had to dig some for the details and was wise in locating the entrance at a point on a sheer wall where no one but a person with a great imagination could reach it.
- 1 2 3 Lago, Don (Summer 2009). ""Looks Like a Mulhatton Story": The Origins of the Grand Canyon Egyptian Cave Myth" (PDF). The Ol' Pioneer. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ Miller, Joseph (1962). "Treasure Hunt". Arizona Cavalcade: The Turbulent Times. New York: Hastings House. p. 222. LCCN 62-16188.
Treasure Hunt: There is an old saying, 'Gold is where you find it.' Stories of lost mines and other hidden treasure are almost limitless, and selcome does one account of any particular lost mine agree in detail or even plot with that of another. For that reason, there may seem to be a repetition, especially of lost mine titles in this volume, with some of those contained in The Arizona Story, the first volume of this trilogy on early-day newspaper accounts. This variation, however, it seems would tend to make the subject even more fascinating, and thereby hangs a tale, or several tales . . .
- ↑ Miller, Joseph (1962). "Treasure Hunt". Arizona Cavalcade: The Turbulent Times. New York: Hastings House. pp. 280–86. LCCN 62-16188.
- ↑ Childress, David Hatcher (1992). Lost Cities of North & Central America. Stelle, IL: Adventures Unlimited Press. ISBN 0-932813-09-7.
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 80
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 232
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 226
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 25
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 82
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 144
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 152
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 159
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 146
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 193
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 197
- 1 2 3 Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 196. "Loo Wong looked from one girl to the other. Slowly he reached out and took a piece of candy. Wonderingly he bit into it and a slow grin spread over his yellow face. 'Missy alle same fline cook,' he declared. 'You teach Loo Wong?' . . . Val instructed the Chinaman. Loo Wong might be adept at making flapjacks and other western specialties, but when it came to candy he wasn't so artful. He insisted 197 on doing things wrong and Val was becoming exasperated. But finally it was done, and set out to cool. Loo Wong, the grin of a delighted child on his face, hands hidden in voluptuous sleeves, bowed low and went out to the bunkhouse to start supper."
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 209
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, pp. 211–12. "Laboriously and in his funny English, Loo Wong proceeded to acquaint the others with the details of how the man had surprised him at work and held him prisoner at the point of a gun. . . . 'When did he come, Loo Wong?' Tom asked. 'Mebbe one, almost one hour,' the Chinaman said with a shrug of his shoulders. 'Time flies.' 'Don't you think we better go up to the house?' Phyllis asked Tom worriedly. 'Yes, come along, Wong!' Tom said turning to the door. 'One moment, please,' the Chinaman said and disappeared into the kitchen."
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 213. "Loo Wong appeared from the kitchen brandishing his meat cleaver. The wide, sharp blade gleamed dully in the lamplight. 'Don't aim that thing at me,' Tom laughed. 'What are you going to do with it?' 'Show blandits tlwo, thlee thing,' Loo Wong said gravely. . . . 'Come along, Wong,' [Tom said.] 'Velly fast!' responded the Chinaman, his cleaver clasped tightly in his hand, ready to smash the first thing that accosted him."
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 219. "'You're hurt, Tom!' Gale said running forward. 'Just a scratch in the arm,' he answered. 'I reckon we got these fellows this time.' 'Alle same velly blad business,' was Loo Wong's opinion."
- ↑ Blank, The Adventure Girls at K Bar O, p. 247. "Once more their departure was halted. Loo Wong had packed a lunch and he proceeded to present it to Janet with a low bow and a wide grin. 'Loo Wong wish many happiness. Bid all tloubles goodbye fo'lever.' 'Same to you, Loo Wong, and many of 'em,' Janet declared. 'Girls, what would we have done without Loo Wong?' 'We couldn't do without him,' Carol declared. 'He makes the best pancakes I've ever eaten.' 'Don't forget how to make fudge, Loo Wong,' Valerie called. The Chinaman bobbed up and down, hands hidden in wide sleeves and his face wreathed in smiles."
- ↑ "Google Ngram Viewer". books.google.com. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 191
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 182
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 194
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 183
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 183–84
- ↑ Salisbury, Gay; Salisbury, Laney (2003). "Gold, Men, and Dogs". The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 26. ISBN 0393019624.
With the end of the All Alaska Sweepstakes and the coming of World War I, Nome settled into a quiet routine. By 1925, the population was significantly lower than in the years after the first of the cold feets had fled. There had been storms and fires, and the war had led to an inflation that tripled the cost of mining. Many operations throughout Alaska went out of business. Since about 60 percent of Alaskan society was dependent upon the industry in one way or another, thousands of people throughout the territory migrated south. Nome was no exception. The town's population was reduced to 975 whites and 455 Eskimos or interracial residents.
- ↑ Scott, Alastair (1990). Tracks Across Alaska: A Dog Sled Journey. New York: The Atlantic Monthly Press. p. 70. ISBN 0871134705.
- ↑ Coppock, Mike (August 1, 2006). "The Race to Save Nome". American History 41 (3). ISSN 1076-8866.
- ↑ Salisbury, Gay; Salisbury, Laney (2003). "Appendix B". The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0393019624.
- ↑ "Diphtheria Rages in Nome; No Antitoxin; Remedy Sought by Plane on 50-Day Dog Trail". The New York Times. Associated Press. January 28, 1925. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
NOME, Alaska, Jan. 27 (Associated Press).—Nome has a diphtheria epidemic and no antitoxin. The nearest known supply of antitoxin is at Anchorage, 600 miles away, and must come by dog team. Several deaths have occurred. There is only one physician here and new cases are appearing daily. The United States Public Health Service, in response to a request relayed by radio, cable and land telegraph, has ordered 1,000,000 antitoxin units dispatched from Seattle. This must come by way of Seward and the Alaskan Railroad to Nenana, 400 miles away, and thence by dog team. This would take fifty days. Dan Sutherland, Delegate in Congress from Alaska, has sent word that he is trying to get an airplane to fly from Fairbanks, Alaska, and pick up the antitoxin at Nenana. By this means it would take about a week to bring the life-saving agent from Seattle. The one physician has already showed signs of overwork, and George Maynard, Mayor of Nome, has appointed a special health board and engaged at public expense all the available nurses. The schools have been closed and Nome has been quarantined. A large percentage of those afflicted are Eskimos, who in previous epidemics here have proved very susceptible to diseases that have scourged the white race.
- ↑ "DOGS RUSH ANTI-TOXIN FOR NOME EPIDEMIC; Two Fliers Volunteer Services.". The New York Times. Associated Press. January 29, 1925. p. 4. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Jan. 28 (Associated Press.—With Leonard Seppala, noted dog musher, on his way from Nome to meet the Nenana team to relay antitoxin to Nome, the trip to the stricken town should be made in fifteen days, it was generally believed here today. Fairbanks, in a reply to Dan Sutherland, Delegate in Congress from Alaska, as to whether an airplane could be used, said that with seventy-two hours' notice the life-saving antitoxin could be delivered to Nome in four hours. The pilots of three airplanes assembled here have left Alaska for the Winter, but two other fliers are available. James O'Brien, a former member of the Royal Flying Corps of Canada in the World War, who is seventy-five miles distant, on his way to Siberia to take pictures, telegraphed he would like to return and fly. Roy S. Darling, special investigator for the Department of Justice and former navy airman, here on business, said he would go at a minute's notice.
- ↑ "NOME RELIEF DOGS SPEED 192 MILES; PLANE READY AT FAIRBANKS Awaits Word to Undertake Trip". The New York Times. January 30, 1925. pp. 1–2. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
Plane at Fairbanks Ready. Although an aviator and volunteer mechanician were available to fly 400 miles to Nome in one of three airplanes stationed here, arrangements were made today to rush by fast dog teams running in relays a supply of 1,000,000 units of diphtheria antitoxin on receipt from Seattle via Seward, Alaska, to the quarantined town of Nome. Roy S. Darling, special investigator for the Department of Justice and a former navy flier, volunteered his services, but Delegate Dan Sutherland sent word from Washington that the dangerous trip must be made by dog teams instead of by airplanes. The antitoxin units are to leave Seattle Saturday on the steamship Alameda. . . . WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.—Possibility that an attempt might be made to send antitoxin to Nome by airplane was revived today, when Delegate Sutherland of Alaska obtained from the Department of Justice permission for Roy S. Darling, a department investigator and a former navy flier, to make the trip from Fairbanks. Before arrangements for such a trip were completed, however, he said the Navy Department would be asked for advice on the plan. Meanwhile, Mr. Sutherland said, arrangements for taking the antitoxin by dog team were being carried out. Conditions at Nome, he said, showed some improvement. The temperature today was about 14 degrees below zero and atmospheric conditions were favorable to flying. A landing, he said, could be made on the sea surface off Nome.
- ↑ Grann, David (2009). The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon. Doubleday. pp. 188–89. ISBN 978-0-385-51353-1.
- ↑ "FAWCETT A HERMIT IN BRAZIL JUNGLE; Brazilian Engineer Tells of Finding the British Explorer Settled in Tropical Paradise. LIVES NEAR RIVER OF DOUBT Renounced Civilized World, It Is Asserted, After Failing in Quest for Lost City.". The New York Times. September 12, 1927. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
- ↑ "FAWCETT A 'GOD' IN JUNGLE, BELIEF". pqasb.pqarchiver.com. The Washington Post. February 19, 1928. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
- ↑ "MATTO GROSSO YIELDS BODY OF A WHITE MAN; Find Revives Speculation on the Fate of Colonel Fawcett, Who Disappeared 10 Years Ago.". The New York Times. November 25, 1935. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
CUYABA, Brazil, Nov. 24 (AP).—Advices from a searching party in the interior of Matto Grosso that they had found the body of a young white adventurer, slain and flayed by the Chavante savages, revived speculation today on the fate of Colon H. P. Fawcett, British explorer who vanished in that region ten years ago. This is the second body found in that area recently, the other being that of a river boatman discovered in the remote reaches of the Araguaya River. The searchers—forty employes of the National Telegraphs at the far north interior post of Paredaosinho, between Tachos and General Carneiro—reported they were unable to ascertain the name or origin of the young victim. In a clearing they came upon a Chavante village, with the insignia of the page (chieftain) aloft in the tallest tree. Fearful of getting too near the hostile savages, they skirted the settlement and came upon the corpse.
- ↑ "The Fate of Colonel Fawcett". The Geographical Journal 80 (2): 151–154. August 1, 1932. doi:10.2307/1784075.
I realized that I had been following Colonel Fawcett's trail when some Kalapalu came to me to tell of the visit and departure of three white men a number of years ago. That having been the second time that outsiders had come into their country the incident was clearly remembered. Briefly, they told of three white men who arrived at their village in the company of some Anahukua Indians who had guided them from their village on the Kuluseu to the Kalapalu, a march of four days. The white men carried packs and arms, but no presents for the Indians, such as I had. The Kalapalu gave them food, biiju and fish, and in the morning, having failed to dissuade the leader, the older man, from his project, they ferried the three men across the Kuluene River. It was explained to the Indians that by going east a large river would be reached where large canoes could be found which would take the party home. The younger men were ill and were suffering from Borachuda sores, and apparently were reluctant to go any farther. Subsequently for five days the Kalapalu saw the smoke of the travellers, who apparently were blazing a trail through the high grass. It is presumed that on the sixth day they reached the forest to the east, for the smoke was not seen any more. Later a party of Kalapalu in search of piki found traces of the camps made but not the white men.
- ↑ "HOLDS FAWCETT IS DEAD.; Petrullo of U. of P. Museum Offers Proof of His Perishing. BOSTON EXPEDITION TO SEEK FAWCETT". The New York Times. April 3, 1932. pp. N1, N5. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., April 2.—Believing that he has established the actual movements of Colonel P. H. Fawcett, British explorer, some forty miles further in Central Brazil than any other living white man, Vincenzo Petrullo, research associate in anthropology of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, today disclosed information which, in his opinion, leaves little doubt that Colonel Fawcett died of starvation and thirst. Mr. Petrullo ridiculed the story told recently by Stephan Rattin, a Swiss 'trapper,' to the effect that he saw a man dressed in animal skins on Oct. 18 whom he felt certain was the missing explorer. Mr. Rattin placed the scene of their meeting about 800 miles west by north of the point where Colonel Fawcett disappeared with his party, including two other white men, one his 21-year-old son, Jack Fawcett. Mr. Petrullo said that he accidentally stumbled upon Colonel Fawcett's trail that Fall while exploring and mapping the great plateau of Matto Grosso Province, in Central Brazil. He talked with Aloike, the Anahukua tribal head, who is charged by Commander George M. Dyott with Colonel Fawcett's murder, and from whom Commander Dyott fled, as related in his book. Mr. Petrullo came upon old Aloike on the Kuluseu River, at an Anahukua camp. The Indian told the Bakairi guides, who translated his dialect into Portuguese, that he had guided three white men, identified positively as Colonel Fawcett, his son and Rimmel, from his own village to that of the Kalapalu, on the Kuluene River. The Kalapalu Indians informed Mr. Petrullo that the younger men with Colonel Fawcett were ill, suffering from borachudo sores, which he believes caused them to succumb later to malaria. His informants said they gave the party food, and, having failed to dissuade the leader from continuing, ferried the three men across the Kuluene River. Colonel Fawcett, according to this information, intended following the Rio des Mortes northward to the Araguaya River, where he would strike settlements and the considerable commerce which passes down to the Amazon. Mr. Petrullo said the Kalapalu saw the smoke of the Fawcett party for five days as the members apparently were blazing a trail through the high grass, the only way progress could be made. On the sixth day they were presumed to have reached the forest fringing the Rio des Mortes, where all trace was lost. The anthropologist said that in the major episodes his information corroborated that of Commander Dyott, who searched for Colonel Fawcett in 1928. 'However, the theory that the Anahukua killed Colonel Fawcett cannot be held,' he added, 'since he reached the Kalapalu safely, and, thus being outside Anahukua territory, could not have fallen victim to that tribe.' Mr. Petrullo said that the men who have related seeing Colonel Fawcett in the jungle, 'without exception, have never been outside of the modern towns in the southern part of the State or some near-by ranch.'
- ↑ "The Monthly Record: The Fate of Colon Fawcett". The Geographical Journal 100 (3): 142–144. September 1, 1942.
The Times Literary Supplement of 1 August 1942 reviewed a book of missionary adventure: 'Pioneering for Christ in Xingu jungles,' by Martha L. Moennich, published this summer by the Zondervan Publishing House of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It corroborates in the main the conclusions of Commander Dyott and Mr. Vincenzo Petrullo, that Colonel Fawcett and his son were killed some five marches east of the Kuluene river, but gives a fuller and different account of the events which preceded the tragedy. We are fortunate therefore in being allowed to examine what is probably the only copy of the book in England, and to compare it in detail with what has been published in the Journal from time to time since 1928.
- 1 2 Grann, David (September 19, 2005). "The Lost City of Z". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ↑ "Ready to Back an Explorer To Seek Man Missing in Brazil". The New York Times. June 21, 1927. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
LONDON, June 20.—The Royal Geographical Society stands ready to aid any competent, well-accredited explorer who will go in search of Colonel P. H. Fawcett, missing since May 30, 1925, in the interior of Brazil. This announcement was made at the annual meeting today by the President, D. G. Hogarth, who said: 'I forecast a mission of inquiry alone, not of relief. The latter is out of the question, as Fawcett himself stated emphatically that he proposed to go where none but a veteran could penetrate. He left civilization on his own motion and his own responsibility, for ends primarily archaeological. But he had represented this society, and we agreed that geographical work of great value and novelty was possible. He insisted that no uneasiness need be felt for two years or even more. His line was to strike north from Cuyaba, in the province of Matto Grosso, to the headwaters of the Xingu on reaching the eleventh degree south latitude and cross more than 1,000 miles of unknown country towards the Atlantic.'
- ↑ "OFFERS TO START HUNT FOR MISSING EXPLORER; Gow-Smith Would Return to Brazil to Seek Fawcett, Gone Since May, 1925.". The New York Times. June 22, 1927. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
Francis Gow-Smith, who returned to New York less than a month ago from an exciting trip through Brazilian jungles in the neighborhood of the River of Doubt, sent a cablegram yesterday to the Royal Geographical Society in London volunteering to start in search of Colonel P. H. Fawcett, British explorer, who has been missing in the interior of Brazil since May 30, 1925. The cablegram was in response to an announcement by D. G. Hogarth, President of the Royal Geographical Society, that the society 'stands ready to aid any competent, well-accredited explorer' who would offer to seek out Colonel Fawcett. 'I have read of offer to back expedition to hunt Colonel Fawcett,' Mr. Gow-Smith's cablegram read. 'As explorer for the Museum of the American Indian I have led four expeditions into territory penetrated by Fawcett and have just returned from exploration west of Xingu, where I worked for Indian Museum and American Geographical Society. Can start back immediately. Please cable details of offer care of Explorers' Club, New York.' In the opinion of Mr. Hogarth, Colonel Fawcett's failure to put in appearance after two years does not necessarily mean he is lost, for before he started on the expedition he stipulated that "no uneasiness need be felt for two years or even more." Mr. Hogarth forecasts 'a mission of inquiry alone, not of relief.' Mr. Gow-Smith said he didn't think Colonel Fawcett had died of disease. 'He may have been killed,' he said, 'or captured by Indians.' The Brazilian wilderness in back of the Araguaya River, according to Mr. Gow-Smith, is a very dangerous part of the world. The Indians are hostile. They often capture white men, hold them and make 'gods or divinities of them,' he said.
- ↑ Hutchison, Percy (January 26, 1930). "Hunting for Lost Explorers in The Jungles of Brazil; G.M. Dyott Writes the Thrilling Story of His Search for the Expedition of the Missing Colonel Fawcett". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
- ↑ "Fawcett Hunt to Be Renewed". The New York Times. February 21, 1955. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
CARLISLE, England, Feb. 20 (AP)—Brian Fawcett said today he would leave for Brazil in April to take up the search for his explorer father and brother, Col. Percy Fawcett and Jack Fawcett, who vanished thirty years ago in the jungle.
- ↑ Grann, David (2009). The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon. Doubleday. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-385-51353-1.
[S]cores of scientists, explorers, and adventurers had plunged into the wilderness, determined to recover the Fawcett party, alive or dead . . . In February 1955, the New York Times claimed that Fawcett's disappearance had set off more searches 'than those launched through the centuries to find the fabulous El Dorado.' Some parties were wiped out by starvation and disease, or retreated in despair; others were murdered by tribesmen. Then there were those adventurers who had gone to find Fawcett and, instead, disappeared along with him in the forests that travelers had long ago christened the 'green hell.' Because so many seekers went without fanfare, there are no reliable statistics on the numbers who died. One recent estimate, however, put the total as high as a hundred.
- ↑ "The Pittsburgh Press – Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- ↑ "The Pittsburgh Press – Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- ↑ Grossman, Anita Susan (1998). "Lover Come Back: A Synopsis of Clair Blank's Forgotten Novel". The Whispered Watchword (98–10): 25.
- ↑ Abreu, John E. (1984). "Beverly Gray: Junior Soap, A Golden Anniversary Retrospective (part 1)". Yellowback Library (21).
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, frontispiece
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 208. "Making another supreme effort, she managed to get Shirley across her shoulder and stumble out into the night."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 7
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 8
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 9
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 56
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 217
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 64
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 252
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 60
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 63–64
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 30
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 21
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 44
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 33
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 49
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 41
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 51
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 54
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 68
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 65
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 70
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 71
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 73
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 87
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 80
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 82
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 88
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 99
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 102
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 99–100
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 100
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 103
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 167. "Everyone in Renville went to church on Christmas morning, and the air was filled with the gay exchange of holiday greetings. The snow still sifted down, covering the earth and people alike with its silvery whiteness. They lifted their strong young contralto voices in Christmas carols in the church sweetly perfumed with frankincense and myrrh. As they listened to the voice of the minister as he told the old, old story of the greatest love the world has ever known, the meaning of Christmas was borne to them with an ever increasing wonder and reverence."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 114. "It was two days after Christmas, and there alone under the stars Beverly felt some of the awe and wonder that must have possessed the shepherds on that night long, long ago, when the angels appeared and sang unto them the joyous news of the King that was born to bring peace and good-will to all men."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 115
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 126
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 127
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 124
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 129
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 131
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 132
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 133
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 136
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 138–39
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 139
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 154
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 161
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 163
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 162–63
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 165
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 181
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 182
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 188
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 190
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 1891
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 199
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 201
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 203–04
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 209
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 213
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 228
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 243–44
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 234
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 246
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 109–10. "They drove to the Parker house on Riverside Drive in a big, shiny, black limousine, driven by a liveried chauffeur. The girls knew Shirley's parents were wealthy, but there were not prepared for such grandeur as met them on every hand. A butler and a maid were at the door. 'Hello, Chalmers,' Shirley said to the butler as he relieved her of her suitcase. 'Are Mother and Father home?' 'Good-afternoon, miss. Your mother is at a tea at the Abberlys'. Your father is in the library,' the man answered respectfully. 'Marie!' Shirley called the maid. 'Are the rooms ready for my guests?' 'Yes, miss. The two front rooms. I understand one of the young ladies was to room with you.' 'Yes. Have Carl' (the chauffeur) 'bring the bags up to the rooms immediately.' Shirley turned back to the girls, who were very much impressed by Shirley's grand manner with servants."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 155
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 154
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 247
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 248
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 249
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 250
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 251
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 252–53
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 253
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, frontispiece
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 82
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 221
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 229
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 11
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 10
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 13
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 14
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 15
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 16–18. Andrew Horler had built the mansion for his bride in 1870. When his son was married, he too brought his bride there to live. In those days it was painted a dazzling white, and laughter and gay voices echoed within its walls. When the son died, he had no heir to succeed him, so the place was put up for auction. The mansion passed into the hands of an old man and was painted a depressing gray. The new owner was a figure of mystery to all the surrounding country. People were very seldom allowed to catch a glimpse of him, for he lived the secluded life of a hermit. Wild takes spread about the country that the old man was rich and was living this secluded life because he had a large treasure concealed somewhere in the house. He was supposed to have a large chest of old and precious loot that had been taken off a pirate ship. Nothing was heard to substantiate these tales, but they persisted, nevertheless. Then, one dark and stormy night, a marauder broke in. Through the shadows he glided up to the old man's bedroom, where, the tales had it, the old man kept his chest of gold. In the morning an inquisitive neighbor found the front door swinging open and a strange stillness upon the place. Curiously, the man entered and went through the empty rooms until he came to a bedroom, where he found the body of the old man. He was dead, with a knife sticking right through his heart. The neighbor fled in terror to the authorities. The police came and viewed the situation, but no clues were found as to the identity of the murderer, nor had the house been ransacked to prove that the marauder had searched for the treasure. From that time to this, legend had it that the place was haunted. The old man was supposed to come back to guard his treasure, although no one had actually seen him. For years nothing had been heard from the old house until recently. Now people began whispering about lights and figures seen at night moving about in the rooms. One man had seen strange men carrying in boxes, yet when he and a policeman went to investigate, no boxes could be found. Too, voices, high and singsongy, were heard coming from the shadows. It was a mystery that had the town of Vernon all a-twitter.
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 22
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 23
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 27
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 46
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 35
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 39–40. "Beverly nodded, and today, like two shadows, the girls stole up the broken steps onto the porch and stood before the windows. Their startled vision beheld a room filled with the most ghastly figures they had ever seen or ever hoped to see. In the center of the room, about three feet apart, stood two lanters lighted and smoking badly. About them were gathered skeletons, ten of them. Some were tall, and some not so tall, but each one's bones gleamed in the flickering light. As the girls watched, the skulls seemed to grin more broadly, and the bones began to sway from side to side. The skeletons seemed to grow in stature and then to shrink into themselves. From somewhere in the room came a low moan that gradually grew into a piercing shriek. The skeletons began to move about the room, taking queer jerky steps and at the same time making chill-provoking groans and murmurs."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 52
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 47
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 60
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 61
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 62–63
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 68
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 72
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 8
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 241. "[Beverly and Shirley] paused momentarily before the uncompleted structure of Chadwick Hall the Second. The new building was being erected on the same site as the old. The iron scaffolding work was up, and the builders promised faithfully to have the new building finished and ready for occupancy when college opened in the fall."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 86
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 99
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 90
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 101
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 103
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 104
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 111
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 112
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 113
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 115
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 117
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 118
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 120
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 121
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 129
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 127. "'Hello, Miss Gray?' a gay voice demanded. 'Yes,' Beverly answered, puzzled. 'This is Charlie Blaine from the Herald Tribune.' 'Oh, how are you, Mr. Blaine?' Beverly said, laughing. 'I didn't recognize your voice.' 'I'm fine, thanks,' he answered. 'I have two invitations for a ball to be given tonight in honor of the Duke of Whatzisname. I thought, since you are interested in becoming a reporter, that you might like to come along and help me gather the material for my story for the society column in the morning paper.' 'I'd love it!' Beverly declared. 'Fine. I'll call for you at eight. Good-bye.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 130
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 131
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 133
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 136–37. "The door was thrown open, and Charlie Blaine and two officers of the law rushed in. The officers threw themselves upon the bogus count, and Beverly fell half-fainting into the arms of the young reporter. 'He didn't get away,' she gasped smilingly. 'Gosh, but you're a game little kid,' he said admiringly. The diamond bracelet was returned to its hysterical owner, and Beverly was the heroine of the affair. Charlie Blaine had had a little trouble in convincing the officers that the count wasn't really a count at all but a thief in disguise, and that was what had delayed him. Of course, when the officers saw how the man and Beverly had been struggling and found the stolen bracelet in his pocket, there wasn't any room for further doubt."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 138
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 143–44
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 146. "Inspector Dugan listened quietly to Beverly's talk. 'You say, when you overheard the conversation between the Chinaman and the other man, that they mentioned a boat named the Tamara?' Beverly nodded. 'I couldn't connect it in any way with the old house, but perhaps you can.' The officer nodded too. 'Yes, I can. The Tamara is a boat that sails from the Orient. Consider, then, the boxes of powder that you saw in the attic room. They must be smuggling drugs into this country—that is the most logical explanation.'"
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 147–48. "Inspector Dugan rose to his feet. 'I'm glad you told me all this, Miss Gray. I and some of my men will go out to that old hosue right away and try to catch that Chinaman. By the way, we have a young man that we arrested yesterday on suspicion. He was poking about the mansion, trying to get in, so I brought him along to the station house. He insists that he isn't one of the smugglers but that he is a friend of yours. Of course, if you know him and are certain that he isn't mixed up with the men about the mansion, I'll let him go.' 'Who is he?' Beverly asked, puzzled. 'Wait,' the inspector answered. I'll have him brought in.' Larry, a pair of handcuffs on his wrists, was ushered in by two policemen. 'Larry!' Beverly said in surprise. 'Hello, Beverly,' he grinned. 'Didn't I tell you that she knew me?' he demanded of Inspector Dugan. 'You know him, Miss Gray?' the inspector said again. 'You seem to know so much more than I do about the old house that I think we could trust your judgment in deciding whether he is one of the smugglers.' Beverly hesitated. It was a big responsibility the inspector placed on her. If Larry wasn't one of the gang, there was no reason why the police should hold him. But if he was—and she asked the inspector to let him go——? 'I think you should release him,' she said slowly. The inspector nodded and directed the policemen to remove the handcuffs from Larry's wrists. Then he and the policemen departed for the old mansion."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 151
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 153
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 155
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 154
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 156. "She went back to the secret door through which she had entered. With her candle furnishing the light, she searched for a spring that would release the fireplace. She could find none and had to give up. What was she to do? She could not stay here! She would have to, because she could not find a way out. She went back to the room and sat down on a box, placing the candle on the table before her. She had to wait for someone to come here and find her. Would the inspector and his men, when they came to demolish the fireplace, arrive first? Or would the Chinaman return in the meantime? The thought sent shivers through her. Either the Chinaman or the head ghost would be back tonight sometime, of that she felt certain. Perhaps they would bring more men with them. What could she do?"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 158
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 160
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 161
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 162
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 164
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 166–68. "'Perhaps,' Larry said, seating himself on the edge of the inspector's desk, 'I better start off by saying I am in the Secret Service. I've been in the Service chasing smugglers and thieves ever since I graduated from college three years ago. Recently our office received orders to track down and arrest a new gang of smugglers who were bringing illicit drugs into this country. We knew nothing whatsoever about the gang, except the fact that frequently they shipped their stuff from the Orient on a steamer called the Tamara. I and another man were assigned to the case. The clues to the identity of the gang came from various parts of the country, and I found my airplane might useful. Once we were sure we had the leader of the gang cornered down in Florida, but it proved to be a false alarm. From there I went to Maine on another false clue. Finally we traced the gang's activities down to this vicinity,'" Larry said. "'We knew they were located somewhere within a radius of a hundred miles of Vernon, but we could not put our finger on the exact spot. I happened to be in Weller's one day when the talkative soda clerk started telling me about the strange lights and figures that had been seen in the old Horler Mansion. It did not take me long to put two and two together. Since the smugglers were about here somewhere and the old house had suddenly developed spooks, I was almost sure I was on the right trail at last. I began to snoop about the place, picking up bits of evidence. Beverly knows how often she found me there. I even became suspicious of Beverly for a while. Every time I went to the mansion I was sure to find her prowling around. I soon realize,d however, that she was merely out for adventure. Then came the news of the murder of the unknown man. Remember, I said there was another man with me on the case? He was the other man. Pete—you, Beverly, know him as the head ghost—confessed this morning to the murder. He knew the Secret Service agent was hot on his trail. The agent had gained an entrance to the hidden room, and Pete knew the police would soon be there. He did what he did to keep the agent's evidence from reaching the police.' 'Horrible!' Beverly shivered."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 169
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 173
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 174
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 178
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 179. "'My name is Larry,' he insisted. 'Larry Owen, late of the New England Owens; graduate of Columbia and personal friend of Miss Beverly Gray!' 'What a reference!' Beverly smiled. 'Ah, here comes Sir Galahad,' Larry laughed. The two had secretly christened the chief mechanic Sir Galahad because they could conceive no one who might look less like the famous knight. The man informed them that the plane was in good condition once again, so they went out gayly to their chariot of the skies and climbed aboard."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 180
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 182–83
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 199
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 201
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 202
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 206
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 212
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 172
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 232
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 207
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 247
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 210
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 237
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 243
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 240
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 244
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 245
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 246
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 248
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 249
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 250
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 253
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, frontispiece
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 90
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 11
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 14–15. "The girls continued on their way through the little town of Vernon with its stores, large, beautiful homes, and one movie theater, across the railroad tracks to the outskirts of the town. 'I wonder why they camped all the way over here across the train tracks,' grumbled Lenora. 'They might just as easily have moved closer, then we wouldn't have had to walk to far.' 'Lazybones,' chaffed Lois. 'The townspeople wouldn't hear of the gypsies' coming any closer,' Rosalie informed them. 'Gypsies are considered taboo by all the respectable citizens of Vernon.' 'How do you know?' demanded Lenora of her roommate. 'Karl told me.' 'Aha!' Lois and Lenora pounced on her. 'Who is Karl?' they demanded sternly. 'The soda clerk at Weller's,' Rosalie answered innocently. 'Why?' 'So! That is the attraction at Weller's,' Anne laughed. 'And I thought Rosalie went only for the banana splits,' Lenora scoffed. 'Silly,' Rosalie said flushing, 'I don't go to Weller's to see him, if that is what you are hinting at.' 'That is what you tell us,' Lois murmured teasingly. 'I notice you go quite often yourself,' Rosalie retorted. Beverly and Shirley stepped into the breach to avert another argument."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 16
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 17
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 18
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 20–21
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 21
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 22–23
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 22
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 26
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 173
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 60
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 35. "'I'll bet Beverly's picture has been in every newspaper in the country," Lois declared. 'The town of Vernon is overrun with reporters from every place.' 'Yes,' Shirley agreed. 'Her father is an important something or other in the government, and Beverly's disappearance would create a sensation.' 'Hi, Shirley, there is a man downstairs asking for you,' a girl stuck her head in the door to give Shirley the information and promptly disappeared again."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 32
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 40
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 34
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 38
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 43
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 44
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 50
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 52
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 46
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 53
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 53–54
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 54
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 62
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 65
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 70
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 71
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 72
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 74
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 75
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 81
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 76
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 79
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 80
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 82
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 102
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 49
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 129
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 92
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 95
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 96
- ↑ Carman, Bliss; Hovey, Richard (1896). More Songs from Vagabondia. Boston: Copeland & Day. pp. 39–40.
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 51
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 99
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 100
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 101
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 105
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 41
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 106
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 108
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 109
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 112
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 111
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 115
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 117
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 128
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 120
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 121
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 131
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 132
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 133
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 145
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 151
- 1 2 3 4 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 153. Beverly entered her room from her conference with her literature teacher to find Shirley staring out the window, a crumpled letter in her hand. 'What's up?' she asked gayly. 'You look very deep in thought. 'I was,' Shirley laughed. 'I've just received a letter from home. My parents are off to Europe.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 169
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 171
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 173
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 178
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 179
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 180
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 189
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 191–92. "Shirley came to herself as they bore her into the house and put her between warm blankets. She was seized with a fit of shivering that shook her from head to foot. Beverly had changed her into dry clothes, and now she helped her mother do what she could until the doctor arrived. When the doctor had given his orders and they had been followed to the letter, Mrs. Gray fed them both hot drinks and tucked them in warm beds. Long into the night Shirley continued to be attacked by those racking fits of trembling. They had done all they could to ward off any serious effects of her icy bath, and now they could do nothing but wait for the shivering to pass. For hours her teeth chattered, and her hands were as cold as ice to the touch. In the morning when Beverly awoke, Shirley was already awake. As a result of her freezing plunge, she suffered a heavy cold, and it was noticeable the minute she talked. Beverly herself had a slight attack of the sniffles, but not enough to keep her in bed. The doctor came again in the morning and prescribed several days in bed for Shirley, in addition to medicine that was particularly difficult to swallow. 'Oooo, that's awful stuff!' Shirley grimaced as Mrs. Gray gave her a dose of the doctor's prescription. Beverly giggled unfeelingly. 'You shouldn't go swimming in the winter time.' 'You shouldn't laugh,' Mrs. Gray said, smiling. 'You have to take some too.' 'Oh,' Beverly wailed, 'it is Shirley who has the cold.' 'The doctor said to give it to you, too, so you don't get one,' her mother declared. 'Ha, ha!' giggled Shirley at Beverly's wry face. '"He who laughs last——"' she quoted."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 195
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 196
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 197
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 200
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 186. "It was March. Soon her sophomore term would be over. Half of her college life was through and done with. Last term she had become interested in theatricals and had decided to devote herself to them this term. But had she? She had not had the chance. What with the mystery of the old Horler Mansion and the pressing need to study her history, all her time had been taken up. How did she expect to be an actress after college if she didn't get any experience now in amateurs? Firmly she resolved to enter dramatics next term. This time she would keep her resolution."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 202
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 206
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 208–09
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 213
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 218
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 219
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 222
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 229
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 237
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 239
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 240
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 241
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 242
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 243–44
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 249
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 251
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 252
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 254
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, frontispiece
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 181. "The man is driving like a madman!"
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 44
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 16
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 23
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 28
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 39
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 46
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 43
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 47
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 48
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 52
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 69
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 68
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 70
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 11
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 30
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 13
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 19
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 54
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 56
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 58
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 55
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 63
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 64
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 73
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 87
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 90
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 88
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 94
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 112
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 113
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 116
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 120
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 128
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 129
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 133
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 134–36. "'Beverly! We're in the paper!' gleefully shouted Lenora. 'At last the tale of our desperate deeds has broken into print.' 'They don't even mention you,' said Lois drying. 'It is us,' insisted Lenora. 'They couldn't mean anybody else.' 'Is it or isn't it, and what is it?' demanded Beverly laughing. 'Listen,' Lenora said, 'I'll read you what it ways. "Yesterday afternoon two thieves, believed to be young women, broke into a room in the Hotel Wildon by means of the fire escape. They were seen from the ground, but by the time the hotel authorities reached the room in question the two had disappeared. Nothing of great value was stolen." It means us, doesn't it?' Lenora demanded. 'It sounds like us,' Beverly admitted. 'It doesn't say anything of them chasing us down the fire escape.' 'They must have left that part out,' murmured Lois. 'Evidently Mr. Smith didn't tell them what we took,' continued Lenora. 'The article says nothing of great value.' 'Mr. Forsythe sent two of his assistants down to the hotel to see Mr. Smith last night,' Lois contributed, 'but he had already checked out.' 'Maybe he thought we would send the police for him,' said Lenora. 'Another thing,' Lois said. 'In appreciation of your returning the stolen films, Mr. Forsythe has agreed to give Miss Wilder five thousand dollars above the amount for the swimming pool.' 'Sporting of him,' declared Beverly. 'He must be Santa Claus in disguise,' agreed Lenora admiringly."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 138
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 143
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 144
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 148
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 149
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 151
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 154
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 155
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 156
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 157
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 158
- 1 2 3 4 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 160–62. "When at last the car drew to a noisy halt and the men jumped out, Beverly forced herself to remain perfectly quiet. Now that they had reached the end of their journey it would never do for her to be discovered. She heard them walk away and the slamming of what was no doubt the door to a house. She crouched still in the darkness of the luggage carrier, waiting until she could be sure the men were not returning. Cautiously, after several minutes had passed, she lifted the cover of her hiding place and climbed out. She was stiff all over from her cramped position. She rubbed her muscles as she took in her surroundings. The car had been driven into a driveway off the road and could scarcely be seen in the darkness. A house, three stories, loomed up out of the shadows, but no light gleamed from any of the windows. Shades were drawn tight to shut out prying eyes. Across the way a street lamp sent out its sickly yellow glow. Beverly shivered uncomfortably and turned her coat collar up as protection against the rain. This was a perfect scene for a crime—old house, full of thieves and kidnapers, far away from any other habitation—what a setting for a murder! She rebuked herself. What made her think of those things? She knew better than to try to gain entrance to the house through the front and splashed around to the back door. An outside shed was built against the house and, lucky for her, the door was unbolted. As noiselessly as a shadow she stepped in and closed the door behind her. She stood for several minutes holding her breath until her eyes became accustomed to the darkness and she could see into what she had let herself. The kitchen was ahead of her, and she went forward slowly. In the darkness she brushed against an aluminum pan on the table, and it clattered to the floor. It sounded like an explosion and sent Beverly scurrying back to the protection of the shed. A man rushed into the kitchen flashing a light before him. The noise had brought one of the kidnapers to investigate, and Beverly's heart sank. She was bound to be discovered now. A weak, wavering 'Meow' came to both the hidden girl and the man. The latter's flashlight fastened on a cat curled up boldly in the center of the kitchen table. 'Only a cat,' the man grunted and swung about a left the kitchen. Beverly leaned weakly against the wall. What a narrow escape! If it hadn't been for that cat the man would have come into the shed and straight to her. Beverly tiptoed into the kitchen and petted the warm fluffy coat of the kitten. From now on she was the friend of every cat in the world. The kitchen opened onto the hall, and it was to this door that Beverly went. The man who investigated the crash in the kitchen had come from the room on the right of the hall. That explained to her where the men were gathered. The hall was in darkness, and for this Beverly was thankful. It afforded protection for her. She tiptoed to the door of the room in which the men were and pressed her ear against the panel. 'Have you any more movie stars you want us to kidnap?' a voice demanded jovially. 'We've never made ten thousand dollars so easy.' 'This is only the beginnin',' another voice interrupted. 'Tomorrow you will deliver another note demanding twenty-five thousand.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 159
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 164
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 165
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 166
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 168
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 169
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 172
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 170
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 173
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 175
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 174
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 178
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 179–80. "Beverly had slipped from her pocket the flashlight she had found in the old house earlier in the evening. It was a bit large, but it might serve the purpose. She thrust it against the back of the man before her with a stern command to put up his hands. Her ruse might not have worked if the police captain had not seized that moment of surprise to launch himself at the man who held a revolver under his nose. The force of his attack sent the man staggering backward, and in a moment the captain had possessed himself of the man's revolver. Meanwhile, Mr. Parker had thrown himself on the other man and was struggling to make him relinquish his hold on the gun. But the man was stubborn and fought savagely for his freedom. He freed himself from Mr. Parker and bounded for the door. On the threshold he ran straight into a policeman. The officer pulled back in surprise, and the man dashed past. The captain had snapped handcuffs on the other prisoner and now turned him over to the speechless policeman and ran out after the escaped man. Beverly and Shirley were in hot pursuit, and when the captain flung himself into his automobile they entered likewise. Mr. Parker, too, did not propose to be left out of the excitement. The man who had escaped had jumped into the car Beverly and Shirley had used and was already 'way ahead of them. The captain's car leaped after the other like a flash. Through the streets of the little town they raced, leaving pedestrians staring after them in bewilderment. The rain had stopped, but the streets were not dry, and at each corner they turned the cars skidded alarmingly."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 183
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 185
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 186
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 189
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 191
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 193
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 195
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 197
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 198
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 199
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 201
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 202–03. Anne and Kathleen Ryan were to play the first preliminary match, and two other girls the second preliminary. If the Vernon players emerged triumphant from those two matches, the championship was assuredly theirs. But if they were defeated, then the whole responsibility of winning the cup rested on Beverly and Connie. The day of the matches was a splendid June day. The sky was a cloudless blue, and the sun was out in full force. For the fans it was an ideal day, but the players found it uncomfortably hot. The grand stand was crowded with exuberant girls, and the Deans of both colleges were seated in a box to watch their respective teams struggle for a silver loving cup. The referee sat in her high chair, able to command an unobstructed view of the courts. The net was tightened, and Anne and Kathleen and the two Wayne girls took their places for the first game of their set. The spectators were hushed and attentive. The little white ball bounced back and forth between the four players. The score went from deuce to advantage and back again. Anne and Kathleen were good players, but the Wayne girls proved more than a match for them. They went down in defeat to the score of 6–4, 6–5, 6–4. 'Never mind,' consoled Lenora as she and Beverly and Connie greeted the players as they came from the court. 'We haven't lost the cup yet.' 'We've made a wonderful beginning,' grumbled Kathleen. 'Maybe our next match will be better,' Anne said as she instructed the next two Vernon players. The two Vernon girls listened to what their captain had to tell them and went on the court determined to win. The Wayne spectators were jubilant over their first easy victory and confidently expected the next to be as successful. But the Vernon girls were determined that this time the score would be in their favor. The Vernon fans gave their players plenty of enthusiastic support. As the ball bounded back and forth, it became evident that the Vernon players were far superior to the Wayne girls, and when the set was over the Vernon girls were triumphant. So it was with the three sets.
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 204
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 206
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 209
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 211
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 212
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 213
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 214
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 215
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 223
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 225
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 233
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 237
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 239–40. "'And tomorrow we shall leave it all,' Shirley said slowly. 'Are you happy?' 'Yes,' Beverly admitted. 'For all that I hate to leave, and it will be hard, yet I'm glad that at last I'm going to start to really make my own place.' 'How will you do it?' Shirley asked. 'I don't know,' Beverly admitted. 'I have always wanted to be a reporter on a newspaper, but Mother doesn't want me to go to New York, and there is no paper in Renville. That is, none to speak of. I expect I shall devote my time to stories. I might even try to write a play sometime. What shall you do?' 'Mother is still opposed to my becoming an actress,' Shirley sighed. 'But I shall go right ahead with my plans all the same,' she declared with a toss of her head. 'Do you remember the man who came to see me after we gave the freshman production of Romeo and Juliet?' 'Yes. His name was—Crandall, wasn't it?' Beverly said. 'Andrew T. Crandall,' Shirley confirmed. 'Remember, I promised to go and see him after graduation, and he said he might give me a part in his show.' 'I remember,' Beverly said. 'That summer he was putting on Romeo and Juliet, and he wanted you to go with him and play the part of Juliet.' 'Yes. Well, I shall go to him as soon as I land in New York,' Shirley said determinedly. 'I know Mother will be angry, but I'm going anyway. I'm not going in for society like she wants me to do. I don't want to go to endless teas and meet boresome people and have to be nice to them whether I like them or not. I want to be an actress, and I'm going to be one!' 'Three cheers for you,' Beverly applauded. 'I wonder what the rest of the girls will do?' Shirley laughed. Lenora declares it is her sole intention to do nothing but enjoy herself. Lois wants to sketch. She has real talent, too.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 241
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 244
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 246
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 249
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 247
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 251
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, frontispiece
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 63
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 10
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 32
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 33
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 64
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 70
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 72
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 78
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 79
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 61
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 103
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 101
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 194
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 104
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 95
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 69
- ↑ Chicago Police Department Annual Report, 1933 (PDF). Chicago Police Department—Printing Section. 1934. p. 12.
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 126
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 134
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 141
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, pp. 152–53
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 156
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 188
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 157
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 54
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 204
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 174
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, pp. 59–60
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 168
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 57
- 1 2 3 4 Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 60
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 59
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 80
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 83
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 205
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 173
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 187
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 122
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 186
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 58
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 53
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, pp. 147–48
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, pp. 172–73
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 178
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 202
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 43
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 99
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 164
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 162
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 240
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 243
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 250
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, p. 147
- ↑ Official Guide Book of the Fair, 1933. Chicago: A Century of Progress. 1933. p. 177.
- ↑ Official Guide Book of the Fair, 1933. Chicago: A Century of Progress. 1933. p. 66.
- ↑ Official Guide Book of the Fair, 1933. Chicago: A Century of Progress. 1933. p. 39.
- ↑ Official Guide Book of the Fair, 1933. Chicago: A Century of Progress. 1933. p. 125.
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, pp. 204–05
- ↑ Official Guide Book of the Fair, 1933. Chicago: A Century of Progress. 1933. pp. 25–26.
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 8–9. "Anne White, the daughter of Grace Conister and Philip White, too, had been sent to Vernon to follow her mother's path. Both girls were young, intelligent, and actively modern. They had wanted a more modern college, co-ed preferred. However, their parents had firmly resolved on Vernon, and Vernon it was. As Grace Conister and Helen Chadwick had been the firmest of friends, so were their daughters. At nineteen they were starting out in college life together, prepared to face troubled and disappointments bravely and to make new and staunch friendships."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 41. "'The ghost that painted our faces,' Rosalie said eagerly, 'was Gerry Foster.' 'Gerry!' Beverly echoed. 'That means Mickey Mowre was in it too,' Lois contributed. 'Those two are never far apart.' 'Juniors!' 'Yes, juniors and sophomores did it all,' Lenora said. 'I know Georgia Lane, a sophomore, was in it. She was one of the red imps in the last thing. She is always chewing gum, and I noticed that one of the imps was chewing, too.' 'The imp was just her height,' Lois agreed."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 48. "'Did you hear about the dance last night?' Mickey asked. 'You mean about Satan and the four imps?' Rosalie wanted to know. 'Georgia Lane told us about it,' Lois contributed."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 158. "Beverly descended to the third floor again and knocked at Gerry's door. There was a sudden scramble and then silence within. After a moment Gerry looked around the corner of the door. 'What is—' she began and then stopped. She motioned Beverly inside and closed the door again. 'O.K., kids,' she called. 'It's only Beverly.' From the closet came Mickey and Georgia Lane, balancing precariously chocolate cups piled high one on top of the other. From under the beds scrambled more girls, each with some choice choice goody in her hands."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 17. "[A]s they left the court one girl–Beverly knew her to be a Junior–walked over to them with a friendly smile. 'I'm Marian Warren,' she said, shaking hands with them as the girls introduced themselves. 'I was deeply interested in your tennis just now. I'm captain of our tennis team, and I'm always on the lookout for new material. You both play a swift game. I'd like to have you come out for the team in the spring."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 45. "Gerry headed for the ghost who had been acting as ticket taker. 'Did—Satan and the imps present cards?' she demanded. 'Yes, they did,' the ghost answered. 'Striking costumes, aren't they? Bet they win first prize.'"
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 47–48. "Then, as it came time for the judges to award the first prize and for the masqueraders to unmask, everyone present held her breath expectantly. Satan was called forward to the center of the floor and awarded the first prize, a specially packed and designed ten-pound box of chocolates. 'All right, Satan,' the leading judge announced smilingly, 'unmask!' The red-gloved hand of Satan went up to his mask, but before the eager guests could obtain a glimpse of the face beneath, the lights went out. From the rear wall of the gymnasium a shrill scream rang out. Everybody turned in that direction. 'Lights, somebody!' a voice shouted, and others took up the cry. Finally a venturing junior located the light switch, and the darkness was dispelled. But, lo and behold, where Satan and his henchmen had stood, now were only five frightened black cats. Satan and the imps were gone. 'What happened? Who screamed?' But no one present could explain the reason for the lights going out or the chill-provoking scream. 'Where did Satan go?' That too remained a mystery."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 19–20. "'If you get much heavier,' Gerry complained, 'I shall ask Mrs. Dennis for a new roommate. I refuse to live with anyone over two hundred pounds,' she announced. Mickey laughed. She was used to good-humored teasing about her weight. 'Go ahead and ask her,' she said imperturbably. 'Then I shan't have you borrowing my things, either.' 'Stop squabbling, you two, and come in,' a voice called from indoors."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 192–93. "'Hey,' [Lenora] yelled to the two girls who were arranging scenery under her direction, Rosalie being absent, 'the balcony goes on the left of the stage.' . . . 'Be careful how you handle those things!' [she said] to the two stage hands."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 241–42. "The girls who had been made 'homeless' by the fire were doubling up with the girls in the other dormitories. Beverly and Shirley were sharing a room with two sophomores in Courtney Hall."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 37–38. "They looked about them and finally discerned a door over to their right. To pass through the door, they had to step over a staring skull and crossbones. 'Borrowed from the Biology Hall, I'll bet!' Beverly said. 'Wait until they are caught,' Anne laughed. 'I'll bet Professor Jackson, the biology professor, didn't know his prize specimens are being used to haunt a cellar!'"
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 206. "The back stairs [in Chadwick Hall] were used when the maids cleaned, and they opened onto the rooms of the cook and the janitor."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 7. "The voice of the conductor rang harshly in their ears as the train got under way. With hearts full of longing and homesickness [Beverly and Anne] watched until the lights of the last coach had faded in the darkness."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 8. "A taxi was finally procured, and [Beverly and Anne] instructed the driver to take them through the town before going to the college campus house."
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 96. "Boyd departed to summon his father to join the search. Jim went for the sheriff and his men."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 116. "Only two years before, she and the whole Lucky Circle, together with three hunters, had gone on a bear chase. The bear had been raiding farmhouses on the outskirts of the town and terrorizing the farm animals. She had been thrilled then to go on a chase to track the animal down."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 74. "'I'll get a wagon from old man Gorner,' volunteered Tommy. 'And I'll get a couple of horses from Beyer's stable,' seconded Boyd."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 13
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 225–26. "Miss Wilder was a friend to Beverly, as she was a friend to every girl under her charge. She had been a personal friend of Beverly's mother ever since Mrs. Gray's own days at Vernon, and she watched with keen interest the shaping of Beverly's career."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 7–8. "At the imminent risk of falling on her nose, a slim, laughing young lady was hanging out of the window at a perilous angle, gayly waving to someone on the campus below. 'Beverly Gray! Do you want to fall on your head?' the newcomer demanded. The brown head was withdrawn from the window, and the girl stood up laughing. 'Hello, Lenora,' Beverly answered. 'Gerry Foster has just arrived.'"
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 106–07. "Another man was coming down the steps, and Lenora pounced on him eagerly. He was the father of one of the students at the college, and both girls had met him several times. 'Oh, Mr. Maxwell,' she pleaded, 'tell him who we are. He thinks we are in league with the mysterious ghosts!' 'They are girls from the college all right,' Mr. Maxwell assured the officer. 'I've met them both.' 'Well,' Inspector Dugan said, puzzled, 'if you vouch for them, Mr. Maxwell, I guess they are all right. But I don't see what you want climbing through a dusty old place as this.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 79. "The dinner bell rang then, and Rosalie and Shirley descended to the dining room. Beverly dined in style these days, a tray being brought to her by one of the maids. After dinner Shirley returned to her room to be with Beverly."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 103–04. "'There has been a murder!' Lenora informed her dramatically. 'A murder!' Beverly echoed, awe-stricken. 'Who? Where?' 'An unidentified man was shot,' Shirley explained. 'Right close to the Horler Mansion,' Lois added her bit of information. 'Night before last,' Lenora continued. 'The police have been unable to find any clues that might lead to the murderer. They are convinced, however, that the mysterious men who haunt the mansion are responsible.' 'Haven't they any idea who the murdered man is?' Anne asked. 'He has never been seen around these parts before,' Lois answered. 'The police believe he comes from New York.' 'Have they arrested anybody?' Beverly wanted to know. 'No,' Lenora answered. 'I told you, they believe the ghosts of the mansion have done it. The police can't get a-hold of them to arrest anyone.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 105. "The next afternoon, after classes, Beverly and Lenora walked out to the old house. It appeared gloomy and deserted. Lenora, eager to impart gruesome details, pointed out for Beverly's benefit the spot where the body of the slain man had been found."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 145. "She turned her steps toward the town. As she had resolved that night in New York, she would go and tell Inspector Dugan everything that she had seen and heard in the mansion. If the men were smugglers and were responsible for the murder of the unknown man, she would be wrong to keep her experiences to herself."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 148–49. "'It isn't that I don't like you,' Beverly said hastily. 'But for all I know you may be a friend of that Chinaman too. You may even be responsible for the murder of that unknown man.' He swung her about until his blue eyes were gazing straight into hers. His hands were on her shoulders, and his face was strangely white and tense. 'Is that what you think of me? Do you really think I would murder a man in cold blood as that fellow was murdered?' 'You act so strangely,' Beverly said slowly, 'always popping up at the most unexpected times and places, that I don't know what to think.' 'I know,' he admitted. 'It must seem strange to you. But, believe me, I'm not a smuggler, and I don't know who murdered that man. I wish I did,' he added fervently under his breath. 'I'd explain things to you, Beverly, if I could,' he declared honestly. 'But I can't.' 'We won't say any more about it,' she answered, turning away and continuing on toward the mansion. 'Inspector Dugan should capture the smugglers soon now, and then we will see if you are one of them or not.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 150. "The inspector and his men were leaving when she mounted the steps to the porch. 'Well,' the inspector said disappointedly, 'we've searched every nook and cranny of the place from roof to cellar and can't find a thing. Tomorrow we will be back with an ax and a pick and shovel to demolish the fireplace. We'll gain entrance to the hidden room that way. 'Do you mind if I prowl around inside?' Beverly asked. 'I wouldn't stay after dark,' the inspector advised. 'The men might come back, and then you would be in a fine fix. If you like, I'll stay with you,' he added. 'No,' Beverly smiled. 'That isn't necessary. I shan't stay long.' She watched until the policemen were swallowed up in the group of trees."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 141–42. "Instead of taking a table, as they usually did, in the ice-cream salon, the girls lined up on stools at the soda fountain. 'Well, have there been any more murders at the old mansion?' Lenora asked the soda clerk as he served them. 'No,' he smiled. 'Everything has been as quiet as a graveyard.' 'Graveyard!' Lois echoed. 'That reminds me of skeletons. Has anyone seen any more ghosts in the old house?' 'Nope,' the young man answered. 'When the police locked the place, I guess they scared all the ghosts away.'
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 42. "A heavy laugh that sounded strangely familiar to Beverly smote the air, and the skeletons turned to face one another. Voices came from somewhere in their vicinity, and the girls exchanged startled glances. Were these the voices of the skeletons? 'We sure scared those kids,' the first voice declared between uproarious booms of laughter. 'I'll bet they're running yet,' the second agreed."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 83–85. "As Beverly was about to close the door behind them she stopped and stiffened to attention. From the room behind them came the sound of men's voices. 'I tell you, you don't know what you are talking about,' one declared. The voice sounded so close to them that the girls expected to see the man loom up out of the shadows. 'Velly blad mistlake,' another high, piping voice contributed. 'The Chinaman!' Beverly whispered and drew Shirley back into the room. 'Maybe that's the s-skeletons talking,' Shirley chattered nervously. 'Sh—sh—sh!' Beverly warned. 'A mistake, is it?' the first voice said again. 'When the Tamara docks tomorrow we have to be on hand.' The voices seemed to come from the fireplace, and the two girls placed their ears against the wall and listened breathlessly. This bore out Beverly's theory of a hidden room. The men must be standing close to this wall. If only she might discover some way to enter that hidden room! What would she find? 'No bling it here.' The Chinaman was speaking again. 'Yes,' the other man bellowed, 'we're going to bring it here, and you had better keep those fresh college kids from prowling about in the house. How that one got out of the attic the other day beats me!' he added with a growl. Beverly smiled. So they didn't know Larry had helped her out of that situation. 'Are you ready?' the first man asked. 'Les,' the Chinaman answered. The fireplace began moving outward, and Beverly pulled Shirley back into the corner beside her. Slowly and noiselessly the whole brick frame of the fireplace opened and disclosed a yawning black hole out of which scuffled two men. They passed so close to the two girls that Beverly might have put out a hand and touched them. As the two men crossed the room to the door, the fireplace swung back into its former position, completely hiding its opening. The two girls held their breath until the men's footsteps died away and the slamming of the front door told them that they had departed. Beverly ran to the fireplace and tugged at it, but it stood secure."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 168–69. "'When we reached the house and entered the room we heard you, Beverly, scream. Boy, what a scream! It nearly scared the life out of us! We broke through the wall, which after all was only a thin partition of plaster, and the result—two smugglers are now in jail.' 'But weren't there more than two?' Beverly asked. 'Yes,' Larry admitted. 'And the others are likely to stay free because these two won't tell us who they are. Anyway, Pete was the leader, and we have him.' 'How's Wah Fang?' the inspector asked. 'What's the matter with him?' Beverly wanted to know. 'The inspector put a bullet through him last night,' Larry answered, 'but he is all right. He will live to serve a nice long term in prison.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 175. "A mechanic swung the propeller, and the engine broke into a roar. Slowly the plane lumbered over the ground, ever increasing speed until it glided into the air as smoothly as a bird leaving its nest."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 177–78. "The plane circled round and round before it straightened out over the field. Larry set her down gently in the runway, and two mechanics came running from the hangar at the farther end of the field. Larry hopped out and explained the trouble to the repair men before he turned to help her from the ship."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 181. "Thank goodness the motor was still running. But even as Beverly listened, the motor spluttered, died away, and started again. It was stalling! The Mechanic had not reached the basis of the trouble after all. She felt a surge of anger at his carelessness His mistake might cost them their lives! he should never have let them take off with a plane not in the best of condition. She relented the next moment, however. Perhaps the trouble now was with something totally different. The engine coughed and died away again. This time it did not resume its hum."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 197. "'I'd like to get my hands on the mechanic who "fixed" the engine,' Larry said vindictively. 'I'll wring his neck!'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 93. "'Which one is Jim?' Beverly asked when the tumult had quieted down somewhat. 'From this distance I don't recognize him.' 'He is number seven,' Freddy Blakewell answered. 'See him? There he is, talking to the coach.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 96. "More uproarious cheering greeted the teams when they came on the field for the second half. The ball reverted to Jackson's possession, and the yellow-and-brown boys proceeded to struggle hard for another touchdown. But this time the Yale boys were adamant. The coach had said some harsh things about their playing in the last half, and now they were on the field, determined to show him and the world in general that their team was good."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 98. "'Jim's hurt!' Beverly cried when, after a scrimmage in which all the players piled on top of one another, the boy in the blue sweater bearing the number seven failed to rise immediately. 'Just winded probably,' Freddy consoled her. 'But he is limping!' Beverly insisted. 'The Doc's rubbing his leg,' Freddy contributed. 'He'll be O.K.'"
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 114–15. "A woman, slight and nervous, dressed in the very latest fashion and with expensive furs draped about her, entered, followed by the chauffeur. 'It is inexcusable, Carl. We will say no more about it. You are discharged. See Mr. Parker for your check at once.' 'But, Mrs. Parker—' the young man pleaded. 'Ah, Shirley, my dear!' She kissed Shirley lightly on the cheek. 'When did you arrive, darling? This is one of your guests?' Shirley introduced Beverly, and after one or two murmured phrases Mrs. Parker moved off up the stairs. Shirley turned to the chauffeur. 'What happened, Carl?' The young man looked up with a grin. 'I was five minutes late in calling for Mrs. Parker at the Abberlys'. It wasn't my fault, I was caught in a traffic jam.' 'Mother has discharged you again?' 'Yes,' he admitted. 'Well, explain things to Dad. I'm sure he'll keep you on,' Shirley said, smiling. 'The next time, I would leave in plenty of time to arrive for mother at the time she specifies.' She turned to Beverly as the young man moved away in the direction of the library. 'Mother discharges him about three times a week, and Dad hires him again.'"
- 1 2 3 4 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, pp. 122–25. "A married friend of Shirley's gave the party in her apartment, and it was a much more hilarious affair than the first one had been. There was more dancing and bridge, but this time laughter and jokes were flung back and forth with gay abandon. The high spot of the evening was a treasure hunt. Every guest picked a piece of paper out of a hat. On the slip of paper was written an object. The girl, or the young man, as the case might be, had to go out, find the object, and bring it back to the party. Giggles and groans ensued as the guests unfolded the papers and read the name of the object they must find. 'Gracious,' Shirley said, 'look at this, will you? I have to find a saxophone player—male, who has read hair!' Beverly giggled. 'I have to get a life preserver from an ocean liner.' 'Good heavens!' Lenora gasped as she read what was written on her slip of paper. 'I have to find a taxicab driver who has nine children!' This and similar exclamations escaped them as they compared notes. One by one the guests departed to obtain their 'treasures.' 'You might as well come along with me,' Shirley said to Beverly. 'I have to ride about town until I come upon a saxophone player who has red hair.' 'You can take me down to the docks until I get my life preserver,' Beverly said as she got into the limousine beside Shirley. 'Carl,' Shirley demanded of the chauffeur, 'do you know where we can find a red-headed saxophone player?' 'You've got me there,' he grinned. 'You will have to try every place that has an orchestra. Surely one of them will have a red-headed player.' 'Well,' Shirley signed, 'proceed to the hotels. We'll try them first.' They traveled to one hotel and restaurant after another. Blonds, brunets, even a bald-headed saxophone player, but no red-heads. Shirley gave up in failure. They drove to the docks, and there Beverly did her best to buy a life preserver. 'I can't sell you one, miss,' the steward of a boat insisted. 'Then let me borrow one for an hour,' Beverly pleaded. 'Say,' Shirley remarked irrelevantly, 'you've got red hair. Do you play a saxophone?' 'Sure,' the steward admitted bashfully. 'But——' 'That's all I want to know.' Shirley grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the gangplank. 'See here,' the steward protested, handing back. 'What's the big idea? Am I being kidnaped?' Shirley and Beverly explained over again the situation and why they needed a life preserver. Finally the steward agreed to go along to the party and, for Beverly's benefit, to take along a life preserver. The two girls arrived back jubilant, their prizes in tow. Lois and Rosalie and Anne returned with their objects, but Lenora remained absent for a long while. Finally, breathless but triumphant, she strode in, pulling after her an unwilling taxicab driver. 'There he is,' she announced. 'A taxicab driver who has nine children! Perhaps you can convince him that I'm not altogether insane. He thought I was playing some kind of a joke on him. I expected to be arrested any minute for asking every taxi driver I met such a personal question,' she declared to her friends. 'It is really a miracle that I wasn't.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 126. "'Miss Gray is wanted on the telephone,' the maid announced."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 129. "'Who did you say this ball was given for?' she asked. 'I didn't say,' he answered. 'This morning when I telephoned you the name had completely slipped my memory. However, it is the Duke of Abernethy. There will also be a couple of counts—foreign counts are as plentiful as peanuts at a football game—a lord or two, maybe even a prince.'"
- 1 2 3 4 Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 130. "'Tonight you will see some of the most famous jewels in New York. Mrs. Cathelwaite will no doubt wear her famous emerald, worth about a quarter of a million dollars. Madame deFreigne has a diamond set in a bracelet that is worth a half million.' 'Aren't they afraid they will be robbed? Isn't it dangerous to wear such costly jewelry?' Beverly asked. 'It's their worry,' he said unconcernedly. 'If there is a robbert, it means a break for us reporters. Then, too, there is usually a detective or two present.' The ballroom was crowded when they arrived. Charlie Blaine swung Beverly out onto the floor, and as they danced he kept her amused with chatter about the other guests. 'See that tall fellow with the monocle? That is the Duke of Abernethy. He is dancing with Mrs. Cathelwaite. Note the emerald.' Beverly did and marveled. 'See those two fellows over there with the red ribbons across their chests?' he asked. 'They are the Comtes Paul and Raoul le Follette.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Sophomore, p. 131. "'Ah, mademoiselle,' said the count, his foreign accent very noticeable, 'I would not 'ave meest the plazure of thees dance for anything in the world.' 'You are very flattering, Count,' Beverly smiled, the high color in her cheeks. 'Non, non,' he declared. 'Eet eez you who are ver' beautiful! You are the most beautiful one here.' 'Even more so than Mrs. Cathelwaite with her emerald?' Bevelry teased. 'Mrs. Cathelwaite! Poof!' the count scorred. 'A million times more charming even than Madame deFreigne and her diamond bracelet.'
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 156. "It was late in the afternoon, and the December sun was sinking swiftly when the three disembarked at the station. Beverly descended upon her parents like a young hurricane let loose. She threw rapturous arms about her mother and then her dad, at the same time breathlessly introducing Shirley to her dad and inquiring about all the home folks. Everything was laughs and kisses and confusion until they became conscious of the cold and hurriedly bundled into the Gray automobile to be whirled up the street to the house, all warm and cheerful. Anne, meanwhile, had been set upon and whirled away by her own parents."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 161–63. "'You know,' Shirley said after she had been silent for a long while, 'you are—lucky, Beverly.' 'How do you mean?' Beverly asked, smiling. 'Your parents—they worship you,' Shirley said slowly. 'And I them,' Beverly said promptly. She knew Shirley's parents were not the sort of parents a girl should have. The Parkers were wealthy, they had money, a lot of it, but their money did not bring their daughter the happy loving home she should have had. They were too busy with their business and social affairs to give Shirley the love and companionship that is every girl's sight. 'Their whole world is right in you,' Shirley continued. 'That is why it matters so much that I make good at Vernon,' Beverly said seriously. 'You see, Mother went there, and because of the things she did, the girls made a heroine of her. They expect her daughter to be like her. I can't be other than what my parents expect me to be. They have pinned their hopes on me, and I can't turn out a failure.' 'What do they think of your dreams to be writer?' Shirley asked. 'They want anything that I want,' Beverly answered. 'If my interests are in writing, they will help me to get that which I want. That is what is so dear about them, they understand me. They never try to force their ideas on me, but accept what I think and help me with the things I do.' 'They are two in a hundred,' Shirley said shortly. 'Not many parents treat their children as really people in their own right. I know mine are as domineering as they can be. I could never love them the way you love yours.' 'perhaps you have never really talked to them about yourself,' Beverly said. 'Have you ever given them the chance to——' 'I can't keep them to myself for five minutes,' Shirley laughed. 'I never get the chance to talk seriously to them. You should have heard Mother when I said I wanted to be an actress! "My deah," she said, "really, I don't think you should. Your father has plenty of money, it isn't necessary for you to go on the stage."' Beverly laughed, but the next minute she became serious 'Can't you make them see things your way? Can't you make them understand that dramatics mean more to you than society does? After all, there is nothing shameful in a stage career.' 'Mother thinks there is,' Shirley said miserably. 'But I shall keep right on with it, nevertheless. It is the one thing I am really interested in, and I'm not going to give it up! If Mother doesn't come around to my way of thinking, I'm going ahead anyway. She has prevented me from having a lot of things in my life, but I won't lose this. It is my ambition, and I am going to cling to it.' 'And I wish you all the success in the world,' Beverly declared."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 10. "'Last term two of our good friends, Gerry Foster and Mickey Mowre, graduated,' Lenora said again, 'to fare forth into the cold, cruel world. They left behind them hopes and wishes that we may hold high the banner of Vernon.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 226. "'That is strange,' Anne declared, 'Where could she have gone?' 'One of the sophomore girls said she saw Shirley going down College Avenue with May Norris,' Lois volunteered."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 233. "The people started arriving in the auditorium as early as seven forty-five. The orchestra did not put in its appearance until eight o'clock. They always supplied the musical interlude between eight and eight-fifteen, when the curtain rose. The orchestra was made up of girls from the college under the direction of the choral instructor."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, pp. 244–45. "The left the auditorium building and proceeded across the campus to Courtney Hall. Most of the girls were in bed, and they proceeded into the building and up the stairs on tiptoe, lest they disturb the house mistress."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Freshman, p. 207. "'What's the matter with your arm?' Lenora asked. 'I—I think it is broken,' Josephine answered, her face white with pain. 'Come on, we'll take you to the infirmary and have the doctor look at it,' Shirley said quickly."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 201–02. "'That wasn't so bad,' defended Lois. 'Shirley had the chance of becoming a real stage star because of her acting in that play.' It was true a New York producer of theatrical plays had seen the freshman production of Romeo and Juliet, and after the final curtain he had come around to the dressing room to see Shirley. He had offered her a chance to play Juliet in his production in his theater in New York, but she had declined, much to the astonishment of her friends. She had no desire to go into actual theater work until after her graduation from Vernon."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 20. "'Let's have a banana split before we go to the Hall,' Rosalie suggested. 'So you can talk to Karl?' demanded Lenora mischievously. 'Oh, go away,' Rosalie said with dignity. 'You talk to the clerk just as much as I do.' So the girls picked their way carefully across the railroad tracks, teasing and laughing as they entered Weller's. It was growing late, and they had to hurry. The sun had entirely disappeared from view, and the stars were coming out in countless numbers. The moonlight was irregular, drifting often from behind dark clouds."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 220. "'Where shall we go first?' May asked, trembling. She wished, now, that she hadn't insisted on coming here. 'We might as well look in all the rooms on the first floor [of the Horler Mansion],' Shirley said. 'Are you sure figures and lights were seen last night?' 'Yes,' May nodded. 'The soda clerk in Weller's told me several people had seen them.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, p. 57. "A bell boy approached Jim and handed him a telegram which had just arrived."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Junior, pp. 183–84. "A young man and girl swung out on the ice. They had donned fancy costumes for the occasion, and the colored lanterns overhead shed gay colors over them. Gracefully and artfully they stung through their difficult, intricate steps. Someone had turned on a car radio and the music filtered down to the group on the ice. It was like a story-book scene: two fancy skaters beneath the glowing lights, keeping time with their steps and movements to the music that was wafted to them on the faint breeze. The sweaters and caps of the other skaters were spots of color on the ice and at one side the fire in the open fireplace roared high. When the exhibition came to an end, the audience overwhelmed the skaters with applause."
- 1 2 3 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 252–53. "'If any of you want to, you are welcome to come and spend the summer with me,' offered Beverly. 'I know I shall be lonesome, too.' 'It isn't a case of wanting to,' said Lois. 'It is a case of can we? I have to go home and take charge of my kid sister while my parents go off to the mountain for a week. Then we shall probably go to the seashore.' 'Just the same,' Beverly said, 'if any of you have the chance, come to Renville to see me.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 22. "The girls lingered a little longer over their sodas and then made their way out into the street. They wandered idly along, looking in shop windows and talking about campus news. 'What's up?' Lois demanded. A girl was running from the railway station toward them 'The film company has arrived,' she shouted as she dashed past, eager to spread the news to other Vernon students."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 41–42. "Lois and Anne were playing tennis, Shirley was reading a book, and Rosalie was visiting another senior at Courtney Hall, so Beverly and Lenora were the only two Alphas in the ice-cream saloon. They lingered not very long over their refreshments, and as they made their way out onto the pavement two breathless sophomores ran up to them. 'Oh, Miss Gray, Miss Whitehill, will you play tennis with us on Wednesday?' the two gasped. Beverly and Lenora conceded graciously, and the sophomores were more than thrilled. 'Ah, my public,' Lenora signed. Beverly laughed. 'Poor kids, they have terrible crushes.' 'What do you mean "poor kids"?' Lenora demanded indignantly. 'When one has a crush one is in seventh heaven. They are to be envied. I remember, when I was a freshman, I had the most terrible crush on a senior. Oh, I thought everything she did was the personification of grace, goodness, and all the heavenly virtues. I got over it, though, when she completely ignored me. She didn't even know I was in the same world with her, so I finally became conscious that worshiping an idol from afar isn't at all satisfying and came down to earth with a bang.' 'It wasn't very nice of her to completely ignore you,' Beverly smiled. 'It was rather disappointing at time,' Lenora admitted indifferently. 'Several times I was heartbroken over the injustice of fate, as I called it then. Then she graduated, and I discovered that she really wasn't so great after all.' 'A fallen star,' Beverly laughed. Lenora giggled. 'Something like it.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 36. "'Behold!' Lenora shouted, bursting in upon them. 'A masterpiece!' she waved her manuscript over her head. 'The scenario—she eez feeneshed!' 'Perfect imitation of the French professor,' applauded Shirley. 'What do you call this—work of art?' asked Beverly. 'A Senior's Dilemma, or They Shall Not Pass,' Lenora answered promptly. 'I am on my way to the judges with it now. Come along?'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 83. "'It looked like a May dance last half,' Caroline said dryly. 'The girls were positively asleep on their feet.' 'We've got to wake 'em up,' Lois declared. 'We'll show Miss Shirley Parker that the team can get along without her.' The referee's whistle blew shrilly, and the girls took their places on the floor."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 84. "'Now their smiles are gone,' the center whispered to Beverly with satisfaction as the seniors scored another point. The ball whirled from Beverly's hands over the head of the junior guard to Lois and in another moment was in the basket. The score was evening rapidly. Now the seniors had caught the spirit of their captain and side center and were responding with vigor. They played as they had played when Shirley had been their leading light. They still had no hopes of winning, but at least they could make the score more even and defeat easier to endure."
- 1 2 Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, pp. 124–25. "The two girls almost ran into town to the hotel. It was only when they were within sight of the steps leading into the building that they slowed their pace. 'What do we do now, Sherlock?' demanded Beverly. 'Let's go into the lobby,' Lenora suggested. 'Perhaps we can see the mysterious rival.' Lady Luck must have been in one of her most generous moods, for as the girls entered the lobby, Lenora collided squarely with the man they were looking for. He was in a hurry and rushed from them out onto the street before the girls were aware that it had really been he. Then Lenora hailed a bellboy. 'Who was that man?' she asked. 'He's registered as Mr. Smith,' the boy answered. 'Thanks,' said Lenora. 'That doesn't tell us much,' Beverly smiled. 'There are thousands of "Smiths" in the world.' 'Probably an assumed name,' agreed Lenora. 'We have to do something, but what? Just thinking about his name won't help us.' 'You tell me what to do,' Beverly suggested. 'You are playing Sherlock Holmes.' 'Watch me!' Lenora marched up to the desk and confronted the clerk. 'What is Mr. Smith's room number?' she asked with her most bewitching smile. The clerk proved to have no resistance against such magnetic personality and responded promptly, 'Four hundred and two.' 'Thank you.' 'Now what?' demanded Beverly. 'We are going up to room 402,' announced Lenora, heading for the elevator."
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 107. "'I'll wait, Beverly,' Jim said softly. 'I'll wait forever if need be. Perhaps some day——' 'Perhaps some day,' she agreed reluctantly. 'But now—— I'm not out of school yet. I've so many plans and hopes for the future. I want a career. I want to do something—I don't think I could be content if I settled down now and threw all those dreams aside. They would be bound to creep in and mar the most perfect happiness.' 'Nothing can mar true happiness,' he said gravely. 'Even a career cannot make up for everything.' Beverly thought suddenly of another young man who had said almost the same thing to her many months ago. Larry Owens, the Secret Service agent, had said that some day she would find that love could make up for all the things she thought she wanted now. Here was Jim telling her almost the same thing. Was it true? 'Perhaps not,' she admitted. 'But I'm afraid I'll have to find that out for myself. I don't know whether I love you or not. I've never thought about it,' she said frankly. 'There, I hurt you when I said that. I'm sorry, Jim.' He patted her hand and stood up. 'I'm glad you told me, anyway. I hope you have success in your career, and if I can help you in any way, you know I will.'"
- ↑ Blank, Beverly Gray, Senior, p. 184. "The truck, heavy and cumbersome, was scarcely damaged. The driver was climbing from the seat of the truck when the captain stiffly crawled from his own car. Shirley and Beverly and Mr. Parker, too, clambered from the car to the scene of the wreckage. Everything was confusion, with the truck driver and the police captain in hot argument. 'But where is the man who was driving?' Shirley asked in alarm. 'Did he get away?' 'He must be under the car,' Beverly answered, and she was right. Mr. Parker with the captain and the truck driver succeeded in pulling the man from under the wreck of his car. 'Oooo!' Shirley squealed. 'Is he killed?' 'No,' the captain replied dryly. 'Far from it. He will go back with us to the station house none the worse for wear.' 'If we can get the car started,' Mr. Parker reminded him. 'The way we hit that tree——' 'She'll start,' the captain assured him. 'It isn't the first time I've run into a tree.' 'With the help of the irate driver and his truck the wreckage of the roadster was pulled to one side of the crossing, and the truck went on its way."
- ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries. Part 1. [A] Group 1. Books. New Series. January 1, 1935.
- ↑ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (January 1, 1963). Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1962: January–June. Copyright Office, Library of Congress.
- 1 2 "BOOK PUBLISHERS MERGE; Blue Ribbon Buys Burt Company, Head of Which Is Retiring". The New York Times. March 5, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
Robert de Graff, president of Blue Ribbon Books, Inc., which specializes in non-fiction reprints, announced yesterday the purchase of the stock and good-will of the A. L. Burt Company, a publishing organization founded in 1883. Harry P. Burt, head of the company, is retiring. 'In bringing together the lists and publishing activities of the two companies,' Mr. de Graff said, 'we feel that the lines of both houses will be materially strengthened, since the fiction list of the A. L. Burt Company and the non-fiction books issued under the Blue Ribbon imprint are supplementary rather than competitive.' Blue Ribbon Books, which has offices at 386 Fourth Avenue, was founded in 1930 by four publishing companies and purchased by Mr. de Graff in 1933.
- ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries. Part 1. [A] Group 1. Books. New Series. January 1, 1938.
- ↑ "BOOK NOTES". The New York Times. May 29, 1936. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
Robert de Graff was elected president of Blue Ribbon Books, Inc., yesterday at a special meeting of the board of directors. Eugene Reynal, retiring president, was appointed chairman of the board, while Freeman Lewis, secretary, was named general manager.
- ↑ "BOOK NOTES". The New York Times. February 3, 1938. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
Robert F. de Graff has resigned as president of Blue Ribbon Books Inc., the position which he has occupied since May, 1936. Prior to that time he was vice president and a director of the Garden City Publishing Company. His future plans will be announces after a vacation.
- 1 2 "Books and Authors". The New York Times. March 21, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
The stock and good-will of the A. L. Burt Company, publishers of popular copyright books for more than half a century, have been purchased by Blue Ribbon Books, Inc., 386 Fourth Avenue, New York City. The entire Burt list of some 2,000 titles becomes a part of the Blue Ribbon output, but the Burt name will be continued on fiction and juvenile titles. The A. L. Burt Company was founded in 1883 by Albert L. Burt, who left a Hartford leather goods firm to publish a dictionary for a mail order business. The Burt Home Library was soon added to the list, and in the Eighteen Nineties there was an enormous business in boys' books by such authors as Horatio Alger Jr., Harry Castlemon, James Otis and G. A. henry. On the death of A. L. Burt in 1913, the direction of the business was taken over by Harry P. Burt, who is now retiring from active business. Blue Ribbon Books was founded in 1930 as a reprint outlet by Harper & Brothers, Harcourt, Brace & Co., Little, Brown & Co. and Dodd, Mead & Co., with Eugene Reynal as head of it. Mr. Reynal purchased the firm in 1933 and became chairman last Fall when Robert de Graff, former president of Garden City Publishing Company, entered the business and was elected president.
- ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries. Part 1. [A] Group 1. Books. New Series. January 1, 1938.
- ↑ "Advertising and Marketing News". The New York Times. June 17, 1954. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
Crosset [sic] & Dunlap, one of the largest publishers of children's books, has taken over the complete stock and goodwill of McLoughlin Bros., publisher of toy books since 1828. This marks Crosset's [sic] full-scale entry into the toy field.
- ↑ Wasowicz, Laura. "McLoughlin Bros". American Antiquarian Society. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
- ↑ "de Grummond Children's Literature Collection – About Us". www.lib.usm.edu. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
- ↑ "McLOUGHLIN BROTHERS PAPERS". www.lib.usm.edu. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
- ↑ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (January 1, 1955). Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1954: July–December. Copyright Office, Library of Congress.
- ↑ Grossman, Anita Susan (April 1994). "A Note on McLoughlin Brothers and Clover Books". Yellowback Library (118).
- ↑ "A-E – The European Connection". The European Connection. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Timarit.is". timarit.is. National and University Library of Iceland. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
Bibliography
Works by Clair Blank
Beverly Gray
- Blank, Clair (1934). Beverly Gray, Freshman. A. L. Burt Company.
- Blank, Clair (1934). Beverly Gray, Sophomore. A. L. Burt Company.
- Blank, Clair (1934). Beverly Gray, Junior. A. L. Burt Company.
- Blank, Clair (1934). Beverly Gray, Senior. A. L. Burt Company.
- Blank, Clair (1935). Beverly Gray at the World's Fair. A. L. Burt Company.
- Blank, Clair (1938). Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt. Grosset & Dunlap.
The Adventure Girls
- Blank, Clair (1936). The Adventure Girls at K Bar O. A. L. Burt Company.
- Blank, Clair (1936). The Adventure Girls in the Air. A. L. Burt Company.
- Blank, Clair (1936). The Adventure Girls at Happiness House. A. L. Burt Company
Other
- Blank, Clair (1940). Lover Come Back. Gramercy.
- Blank, Clair (1941). Linda Ross at Hamilton. Unpublished manuscript.
Primary sources
- Official Guide Book of the Fair, 1933. (1933). Chicago: A Century of Progress.
Secondary sources
- Abreu, John E. (May 1984). "Beverly Gray, Juvenile Soap: A Golden Anniversary Retrospective (part 1)". Yellowback Library.
- Abreu, John E. (July 1984). "Beverly Gray, Juvenile Soap: A Golden Anniversary Retrospective (part 2)". Yellowback Library.
- Allcock, Doug (June 2009). "A Peek at Beverly Gray." Yellowback Library.
- Axe, John (July 2000). The Secret of Collecting Girls' Series Books. Hobby House Press. ISBN 978-0875885773.
- Axe, John (July 2002). All About Collecting Girls' Series Books. Hobby House Press. ISBN 978-0875886350.
- Bourke, Sean (July 1995). "American Juvenile Series Books in European Editions". Yellowback Library.
- Chenu, Julius "Bob" (Jan 1982). "Beverly Gray Series, by Clair Blank". Yellowback Library.
- Enright, John M. (Mar 1990). "It's Gray, It Has Two Legs, And It Travels Around the World". Mystery & Adventure Series Review.
- Grossman, Anita Susan (Jan 1989). "Mystery of Clair Blank". Yellowback Library.
- Grossman, Anita Susan (Dec 1989). "Clair Blank and Her Publishers: A Look at the Written Record". Yellowback Library.
- Grossman, Anita Susan (April 1994). "A Note on McLoughlin Brothers and Clover Books". Yellowback Library.
- Grossman, Anita Susan (October 1998). "Lover Come Back: A Synopsis Of Clair Blank's Forgotten Novel". The Whispered Watchword.
External links
- The Adventure Girls at Project Gutenberg
- The Official Guide Book of the Fair, 1933 at the Internet Archive
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