The Stratemeyer Syndicate produced and sold millions of mystery books for children between the 1920’s and the 1960’s. They are best known for creating and distributing classics like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Bobbsey Twins and The Happy Hollisters, but not every one of their creations achieved commercial success. Mary Lou arrived on the scene in the mid-60’s, long after the Girl-Detective trend had lost stream. Criticized for being too dated and too modern at the same time, the series was discontinued after the first three volumes sold less than four hundred copies combined. Due to its rarity, the books are highly valued by the modern collector. I was fortunate enough to come across a tattered copy of Revelations at the Schoolhouse while cleaning out my grandparents’ vacation home. Although its possible that I am missing parts, I have transcribed what I found to the best of my ability and uploaded it to the Internet for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

-Danielle Gold

 

“Revelation at the Schoolhouse”

A Mary Lou Mystery

By Jean Ceene

 

It was a dark and stormy night. Mary Lou sat at the desk in her bedroom, flipping through her papers, while balls of hail ambushed her hometown of Naperville Heights. Between the pitter-patter of the outside world and her interest in her reading material, Mary almost missed a knock at her door. It was only due to her finely tuned sense of hearing, which had never been damaged by listening to loud music, that she heard it.

Instinctively, she knew who it was. Her father, Mr. Drew Lou, a lawyer, was away on business. “Hello Anna,” she said to her trusty housekeeper, who was balancing a warm pot of hot cocoa and a cozy blanket in her arms.

“I thought ye might be wanting these,” said the servant.  Anna had lived with the Lou family since Mary’s mother died when Mary was a baby.

“Oh Anna! You always know what I need.,” said Mary Lou.

“What are you reading?” asked Anna. “Is it a coded message from a mystery you’re working on?”
“Actually,” replied Mary, “it’s a review sheet for the Latin final I have tomorrow.”

“You go to school?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I am, of course, your average, everyday teenage girl with a knack for problem solving.”

While it did seem like she was often on holiday solving cases with her best friends Steve and Tess and her boyfriend, Dick Dickinson, Mary was a senior at Naperville Heights High. In fact, attractive blonde-haired Mary loved school. She looked forward to saying the Pledge of Allegiance, baking in the home economics lab and playing dodgeball in gym class. School was safe, predictable and just the sort of place where someone with natural talents and a strong work ethic, like Mary, might succeed. Yet little did Mary know, at that very moment, an event was happening that could change her school forever.

The next morning, Mary, Steve and Tess walked to school.  The three girls felt very fortunate to have such a good school so close to their homes. They also enjoyed being in Ms. Jones’ homeroom. Ms. Jones was a very pretty, well-spoken young woman who was not much older than her students. She kept her classroom in immaculate condition and was always early and eager to field questions from her young pupils.  That’s why Mary was stunned to see the crowd around the door 10 minutes before homeroom. It was pure chaos. Instead of the quiet whispers and note passing that would normally occur before class started, multiple conversations were going on in outside voices. “What should we do?” asked one boy.
Mary didn’t know. “Maybe Ms. Jones is sick,” she replied.
“But what if something bad is happening”

Never one to patiently wait for others, Steve kicked the classroom door.

“Has anyone ever hear of knocking,” muttered her cousin Tess. Tess and Steve, Mary’s dearest friends, were cousins and occasionally at odds with one another because they, like Mary Lou, were only children and had no brothers or sisters to bicker with. In this case, the answer to Tess’ question was no, because not 20 seconds after Steve kicked the door, she got a response from their beloved teacher.

“I’m here,” said Ms. Jones before walking outside her classroom. “But something horrible has happened.”
“What ever could it be?” asked Mary Lou.
“I’d like to wait for Principal Churchill to arrive before I explain. It is possible that my issues can be soon resolved.”

So the students waited calmly and made mellow small talk amongst themselves while awaiting further supervision. The principal arrived after five more minutes, let himself inside the classroom, and walked outside looking every bit as unnerved as the kids’ teacher. He motioned for Ms. Jones to join him for a private conversation. After a few more minutes, the two adults opened the door to room 666. They had prepared a speech for the class.

However, every student that walked into the room instantly knew the exact nature of their schoolteachers’ troubles. While the classroom was as tidy as it could be, the desks were missing.
“When I got here this morning, I noticed that the desks appeared to be misplaced. I don’t know what could have possibly happened to them. Class is dismissed. I expect that you will attend the rest of today’s’ classes.”
Students filed out, eager to frolic in the cold or cram some extra study time for their exams.
Mary looked at the stress lines on her teachers’ face and thought to herself ‘This looks like a case for Mary Lou!.’ She knew that she was Naperville Heights’ High’s star sleuth and best shot at justice.
Soon only Ms. Jones, Mr. Churchill and Mary were left in the classroom. Mary had turned to her teacher, when an announcement from the Assistant Principal came in on the loud speaker.
“ATTENTION. THIS IS A DUCK AND COVER DRILL. ALL STUDENTS SHOULD BE UNDER THEIR DESKS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.”
Mary Lou had no desk, but she followed the adults’ lead as they moved to the center of the room. As the three crouched, she readied herself to begin investigation.
“Those poor dears,” said Mr. Churchill. “What would they do if the Soviets really were attacking?,” he wonder.
Ms. Jones said “I have no idea. That would be horrible.”
Mary added, “This is why we need to figure out what   happened to those desks and restore them to their rightful place, before school lets out on December 23rd.”
Ms. Jones said “You’re the detective. Where should we begin?”

Mary replied “I want to make a list of all the people that could have possibly had access to this classroom.”
“Well, there’s me and Mr. Churchill, Assistant Principal James and Barbara, the secretary. I’ve also seen Henry the janitor comes here to clean. Is there anyone else with a master key to this building?”
The Principal replied. “Its just those people and the newly elected school board.”
“Who is on the school board?”
“There are four people on the school board. There is Constantine Vaughn, Wanda Pierce, Minne Fay and Dean Greene.”
“Thank you, Principal. I’ll be sure to keep you up to date on what I find.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Because Mary felt like she had known, Ms. Jones, Mr. Churchill, Mr. James, and Barbara, who usually went by Babs, a long time and she trusted them, Mary decided to investigate the school board first. Lucky for Mary, a public school board meeting was taking place the very next day.
Mary was surprised to be one of the few people at the board meeting. Surely, the PTA mothers who planned the dances would have been interested in spending their Tuesday evening at such an event. Mary could feel the eyes of the speakers at the podium fixed firmly on her.

Mary was surprised at how much Mr. Vaughn, Mrs. Pierce, Ms. Fay and Mr. Dean reminded her of the principal and his staff. All dressed in the school colors and talked about how happy they were to live in Naperville Heights. Yet, at the same time, something seemed very off about the people seated at the stage. Mary found that they used very long words and seemed rather interested in numbers and the budget and “public funding.” When it was time for questions Mary asked them why they seemed so interested in “free public events for the community to be located in the high school.”

Mr. Vaughn replied  “We want unite the community so that they can learn more and make use of the institutions they support. As you can see now, not very many people know that we’re here to serve them.”

“Why do you have these meetings?”
“Its illegal to change things under the jurisdiction of the school constitution without the support of the public.”

Mary thought, judging by the smug smirks on the council members that they were fine only serving limited members of the community because it made their job easier.  She couldn’t imagine why any good American would want to voluntarily take place in such a boring event like that meeting.  Mary Lou felt like the notes she took would not be very useful. She wished that she had been able to get some clues from the event.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

So she decided to speak to people at school during her study hall.

“Henry, when was the last time you’d been to Ms. Jones’ classroom? My class was moved to another room today.”

“I was there the other day. Mr. James asked me to move the chairs from the classroom to the basement where the heat is.”
Mary Lou was stunned. In all of her experiences, she had never gotten a confession that easily. She wondered whether Henry was telling the truth. “Can you show me where they are?” Mary quickly fabricated a lie about how she heard a rumor that a boy had carved his and Tess’ initials into the seats.

“I wish I could show you, but its not safe. The students’ safety comes first. At least that’s what Mr. James is always saying. He’s a good man.”

‘More like a really good thief’ thought Mary Lou. ‘Henry doesn’t know what he is talking about.’

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary Lou tried to get down to the boiler room, but the door was locked.

So she went to the school office.  Babs was sitting at the front desk, chewing gum and painting her nails.
“Ms. Babs, do you think it would be possible for me to speak to Mr. James? I have a question.”

“Sure, sweetheart.”

Now was the moment of truth. Mary Lou turned on her handy-dandy pocket tape recorder. Fishing for more information, she stated. “I heard about what you did with the chairs in room 666.”
“Isn’t it great? We were looking to buy new ones but cousin agreed to refinish them on his spare time to save money. I wasn’t able to tell Mr. Churchill and Mrs. Jones in advance because Ted’s only in town for a week, but I had Henry move them down stairs so that the chemicals don’t stink up the classroom.”

Was it possible that there was no case?
Eureka! Like a spark of lighting the truth occurred to her.  The time she had spent at the school board meeting would have been best spent in church. The events in the Book of Revelation were coming true.
“Unlikely. You moved those chairs to clear a path so that your wicked communist associates in the School Board, more like the Horseman of the Apocalypse, could attack this high school. This is just like in the Bible. Ms. Jones is a women, my class  mates, her children. Henry is a false prophet. Babs is a whore. I’m here to punish you, the AntiChrist, for your misdeeds.”
“Mary, that’s a ridiculous theory. Who would believe that? I’m doing nothing wrong.”
“Oh, Mr. James, you’re crazy. School policy states that its illegal to change things under the jurisdiction of the school constitution without the support of the public. People don’t have to see the light for me to remove you from power.”

Mary Lou, then walked away and went, tape in tow, to the police station and the local newspaper. Mr. James’ contract was voided by the authorities and Mary Lou doubted that the council members would win their bids for re-election after she publically labeled them socialists. Mary Lou had saved the school, nay, the world. When her father came home from his business trip, Anna made the household a special dinner to celebrate.

Although she was glad it was over, Mary Lou hoped she would be able to save more people with her detective work. Little did she know, she’d get her chance when a curious arson strikes Naperville Forest in, The Case of the Burning Bush.