Table of Contents
COPYRIGHT INFO
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
THE MEGAPACK SERIES
DORIS FORCE AT LOCKED GATES, by Julia K. Duncan
DORIS FORCE AT CLOUDY COVE, by Julia K. Duncan
DORIS FORCE AT RAVEN ROCK, by Julia K. Duncan
FINDING THE LOST TREASURE, by Helen M. Persons
THE MYSTERY OF ARNOLD HALL, by Helen M. Persons
THE MYSTERY OF CARLITOS, by Helen Randolph
THE SECRET OF CASA GRANDE, by Helen Randolph
CROSSED TRAILS IN MEXICO, by Helen Randolph
GREEN EYES, by Roy J. Snell
THE PHANTOM VIOLIN, by Roy J. Snell
THE CRYSTAL BALL, by Roy J. Snell
DOROTHY DIXON AND THE DOUBLE COUSIN, by Dorothy Wayne
DOROTHY DIXON WINS HER WINGS, by Dorothy Wayne
DOROTHY DIXON AND THE MYSTERY PLANE, by Dorothy Wayne
BETTY GORDON AT BRAMBLE FARM, by Alice B. Emerson
BETTY GORDON IN WASHINGTON, by Alice B. Emerson and Josephine Lawrence
BETTY GORDON IN THE LAND OF OIL, by Alice B. Emerson
BETTY GORDON AT BOARDING SCHOOL, by Alice B. Emerson and Josephine Lawrence
BETTY GORDON AT MOUNTAIN CAMP, by Alice B. Emerson
THE ADVENTURE GIRLS AT THE K BAR O, by Clair Blank
THE ADVENTURE GIRLS IN THE AIR, by Clair Blank
THE ADVENTURE GIRLS AT HAPPINESS HOUSE, by Clair Blank
THE SECRET OF STEEPLE ROCKS, by Harriet Pyne Grove
COPYRIGHT INFO
The Second Girl Detective Megapack is copyright © 2013 by Wildside Press LLC. All rights reserved. For more information, contact the publisher.
* * * *
Doris Force at Locked Gates, by Julia K. Duncan, originally appeared in 1931.
Doris Force at Cloudy Cove, by Julia K. Duncan, originally appeared in 1931.
Doris Force at Raven Rock, by Julia K. Duncan, originally appeared in 1931.
Finding the Lost Treasure, by Helen M. Persons, originally appeared in 1933.
The Mystery of Arnold Hall, by Helen M. Persons, originally appeared in 1934.
The Mystery of Carlitos, by Helen Randolph, originally appeared in 1936.
The Secret of Casa Grande, by Helen Randolph, originally appeared in 1936.
Crossed Trails in Mexico, by Helen Randolph, originally appeared in 1936.
Green Eyes, by Roy J. Snell, originally appeared in 1930.
The Phantom Violin, by Roy J. Snell, originally appeared in 1934.
The Crystal Ball, by Roy J. Snell, originally appeared in 1936.
Dorothy Dixon and the Double Cousin, by Dorothy Wayne, originally appeared in 1933.
Dorothy Dixon Wins Her Wings, by Dorothy Wayne, originally appeared in 1933.
Dorothy Dixon and the Mystery Plane, by Dorothy Wayne, originally appeared in 1933.
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O
Betty Gordon at Bramble Farm, by Alice B. Emerson, originally appeared in 1920.
Betty Gordon in Washington, by Alice B. Emerson and Josephine Lawrence, originally appeared in 1920.
Betty Gordon in the Land Of Oil, by Alice B. Emerson, originally appeared in 1920.
Betty Gordon at Boarding School, by Alice B. Emerson, and Josephine Lawrence originally appeared in 1921.
Betty Gordon at Mountain Camp, by Alice B. Emerson, originally appeared in 1922.
The Adventure Girls in the Air, by Claire Blank, originally appeared in 1936.
The Adventure Girls at the K Bar O, by Clair Blank, originally appeared in 1936.
The Adventure Girls at Happiness House, by Clair Blank, originally appeared in 1936.
The Secret of Steeple Rocks, by Harriet Pyne Grove, originally appeared in 1928.
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
One of the great things about mystery stories is that there are a lot of them. No matter what type you like, from locked room puzzlers to noir crime thrillers to, yes, even girl detectives…you’ll always find more when you look.
We are pleased to present another fine assortment of girl detectives in this volume. Some continue series we covered in The Girl Detective Megapack, some are one-off mysteries, and some are new series to the Megapacks, like the The Dorothy Dixon Air Mystery Series. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed working on them.
—John Betancourt
Publisher, Wildside Press LLC
www.wildsidepress.com
ABOUT THE MEGAPACKS
Over the last few years, our “Megapack” series of ebook anthologies has proved to be one of our most popular endeavors. (Maybe it helps that we sometimes offer them as premiums to our mailing list!) One question we keep getting asked is, “Who’s the editor?”
The Megapacks (except where specifically credited) are a group effort. Everyone at Wildside works on them. This includes John Betancourt, Mary Wickizer Burgess, Sam Cooper, Carla Coupe, Steve Coupe, Bonner Menking, Colin Azariah-Kribbs, Robert Reginald. A. E. Warren, and many of Wildside’s authors…who often suggest stories to include (and not just their own!).
—John Betancourt
Publisher, Wildside Press LLC
www.wildsidepress.com
A NOTE FOR KINDLE READERS
The Kindle versions of our Megapacks employ active tables of contents for easy navigation…please look for one before writing reviews on Amazon that complain about the lack! (They are sometimes at the ends of ebooks, depending on your reader.)
RECOMMEND A FAVORITE STORY?
Do you know a great classic science fiction story, or have a favorite author whom you believe is perfect for the Megapack series? We’d love your suggestions! You can post them on our message board at http://movies.ning.com/forum (there is an area for Wildside Press comments).
Note: we only consider stories that have already been professionally published. This is not a market for new works.
TYPOS
Unfortunately, as hard as we try, a few typos do slip through. We update our ebooks periodically, so make sure you have the current version (or download a fresh copy if it’s been sitting in your ebook reader for months.) It may have already been updated.
If you spot a new typo, please let us know. We’ll fix it for everyone. You can email the publisher at wildsidepress@yahoo.com or use the message boards above.
THE MEGAPACK SERIES
MYSTERY
The Achmed Abdullah Megapack
The Bulldog Drummond Megapack*
The Charlie Chan Megapack*
The Craig Kennedy Scientific Detective Megapack
The Detective Megapack
The Father Brown Megapack
The Girl Detective Megapack
The First R. Austin Freeman Megapack
The Second R. Austin Freeman Megapack*
The Third R. Austin Freeman Megapack*
The Jacques Futrelle Megapack
The Anna Katharine Green Mystery Megapack
The First Mystery Megapack
The Second Mystery Megapack
The Penny Parker Megapack
The Philo Vance Megapack*
The Pulp Fiction Megapack
The Raffles Megapack
The Sherlock Holmes Megapack
The Victorian Mystery Megapack
The Wilkie Collins Megapack
GENERAL INTEREST
The Adventure Megapack
The Baseball Megapack
The Cat Story Megapack
The Second Cat Story Megapack
The Third Cat Sto
ry Megapack
The Third Cat Story Megapack
The Christmas Megapack
The Second Christmas Megapack
The Classic American Short Stories Megapack, Vol. 1.
The Classic Humor Megapack
The Dog Story Megapack
The Doll Story Megapack
The Horse Story Megapack
The Military Megapack
The Pirate Story Megapack
The Sea-Story Megapack
SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
The Edward Bellamy Megapack
The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack
The Fredric Brown Megapack
The Ray Cummings Megapack
The Philip K. Dick Megapack
The Dragon Megapack
The Randall Garrett Megapack
The Second Randall Garrett Megapack
The Edmond Hamilton Megapack
The C.J. Henderson Megapack
The Murray Leinster Megapack
The Second Murray Leinster Megapack
The Jack London Science Fiction Megapack
The Martian Megapack
The A. Merritt Megapack*
The E. Nesbit Megapack
The Andre Norton Megapack
The H. Beam Piper Megapack
The Pulp Fiction Megapack
The Mack Reynolds Megapack
The Darrell Schweitzer Megapack
The Science-Fantasy Megapack
The First Science Fiction Megapack
The Second Science Fiction Megapack
The Third Science Fiction Megapack
The Fourth Science Fiction Megapack
The Fifth Science Fiction Megapack
The Sixth Science Fiction Megapack
The Seventh Science Fiction Megapack
The Eighth Science Fiction Megapack
The Robert Sheckley Megapack
The Space Opera Megapack
The Steampunk Megapack
The Time Travel Megapack
The William Hope Hodgson Megapack
The Wizard of Oz Megapack
THE GOLDEN AGE OF SCIENCE FICTION
#1 Winston K. Marks
#2 Theodore Cogswell
HORROR
The Achmed Abdullah Megapack
The Second Achmed Abdullah Megapack
The E.F. Benson Megapack
The Second E.F. Benson Megapack
The Algernon Blackwood Megapack
The Second Algernon Blackwood Megapack
The Cthulhu Mythos Megapack
The Erckmann-Chatrian Megapack
The Ghost Story Megapack
The Second Ghost Story Megapack
The Third Ghost Story Megapack
The Haunts & Horrors Megapack
The Horror Megapack
The Lon Williams Weird Western Megapack
The M.R. James Megapack
The Macabre Megapack
The Second Macabre Megapack
The Third Macabre Megapack
The Arthur Machen Megapack**
The Mummy Megapack
The Occult Detective Megapack
The Darrell Schweitzer Megapack
The Vampire Megapack
The Weird Fiction Megapack
The Werewolf Megapack
The William Hope Hodgson Megapack
WESTERNS
The B.M. Bower Megapack
The Max Brand Megapack
The Buffalo Bill Megapack
The Cowboy Megapack
The Zane Grey Megapack
The Lon Williams Weird Western Megapack
The Western Megapack
The Second Western Megapack
YOUNG ADULT
The Boys’ Adventure Megapack
The Dan Carter, Cub Scout Megapack
The Dare Boys Megapack
The Doll Story Megapack
The G.A. Henty Megapack
The Girl Detectives Megapack
The E. Nesbit Megapack
The Penny Parker Megapack
The Pinocchio Megapack
The Rover Boys Megapack
The Tom Corbett, Space Cadet Megapack
The Tom Swift Megapack
The Wizard of Oz Megapack
AUTHOR MEGAPACKS
The Achmed Abdullah Megapack
The H. Bedford-Jones Pulp Fiction Megapack
The Edward Bellamy Megapack
The B.M. Bower Megapack
The E.F. Benson Megapack
The Second E.F. Benson Megapack
The Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Megapack
The Algernon Blackwood Megapack
The Second Algernon Blackwood Megapack
The Max Brand Megapack
The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack
The Fredric Brown Megapack
The Second Fredric Brown Megapack
The Wilkie Collins Megapack
The Stephen Crane Megapack
The Ray Cummings Megapack
The Guy de Maupassant Megapack
The Philip K. Dick Megapack
The Erckmann-Chatrian Megapack
The F. Scott Fitzgerald Megapack
The First R. Austin Freeman Megapack
The Second R. Austin Freeman Megapack*
The Third R. Austin Freeman Megapack*
The Jacques Futrelle Megapack
The Randall Garrett Megapack
The Second Randall Garrett Megapack
The Anna Katharine Green Megapack
The Zane Grey Megapack
The Edmond Hamilton Megapack
The Dashiell Hammett Megapack
The C.J. Henderson Megapack
The M.R. James Megapack
The Selma Lagerlof Megapack
The Harold Lamb Megapack
The Murray Leinster Megapack***
The Second Murray Leinster Megapack***
The Jonas Lie Megapack
The Arthur Machen Megapack**
The Katherine Mansfield Megapack
The George Barr McCutcheon Megapack
The A. Merritt Megapack*
The Talbot Mundy Megapack
The E. Nesbit Megapack
The Andre Norton Megapack
The H. Beam Piper Megapack
The Mack Reynolds Megapack
The Rafael Sabatini Megapack
The Saki Megapack
The Darrell Schweitzer Megapack
The Robert Sheckley Megapack
The Bram Stoker Megapack
The Lon Williams Weird Western Megapack
The Virginia Woolf Megapack
The William Hope Hodgson Megapack
* Not available in the United States
** Not available in the European Union
***Out of print.
OTHER COLLECTIONS YOU MAY ENJOY
The Great Book of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany (it should have been called “The Lord Dunsany Megapack”)
The Wildside Book of Fantasy
The Wildside Book of Science Fiction
Yondering: The First Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories
To the Stars—And Beyond! The Second Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories
Once Upon a Future: The Third Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories
Whodunit?—The First Borgo Press Book of Crime and Mystery Stories
More Whodunits—The Second Borgo Press Book of Crime and Mystery Stories
X is for Xmas: Christmas Mysteries
DORIS FORCE AT LOCKED GATES, by Julia K. Duncan
CHAPTER I
A Queer Invitation
“What are you waiting for, Doris? You’ve been hanging on that gatepost all afternoon.”
“Marshmallow” Mallow, a chubby, pleasant-faced youth flung away the core of an apple and came slowly down the walk toward the girl he had just addressed.
“Oh, I’m waiting for the postman,” Doris Force, an unusually pretty miss of sixteen, tossed carelessly over her shoulder as she continued to gaze down the street. “He just turned the cor
ner.”
“Must be you’re expecting a very important letter,” Marshmallow drawled. “I’ll bet it’s from Dave!”
“Oh, go eat another apple!” Doris retorted goodnaturedly. “I’m looking for a letter from Kitty Norris, my chum at boarding school. I’m anxious to find out what she’s planning to do this vacation.”
“It’s sure going to be dull here at Chilton this summer.”
“I wish something exciting would turn up.”
“So do I, but nothing ever does.” Gloomily, Marshmallow thrust his hand into his coat pocket and brought out two candy bars. “Have one, Doris?”
“No, thanks. I don’t see how you can enjoy eating all the time! Why, if you keep on, you’ll land in the circus!”
Doris knew from past experience that her gibes would be accepted in the bantering spirit in which they were intended. She had known Marshall Mallow for a number of years, and, in fact, they had resided in the same house, for Doris’s uncle, Wardell Force, rented a suite of rooms from Marshall’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Mallow.
Though Doris and Marshall were as unlike as it was possible for two persons to be, they were the best of friends. Marshmallow, who answered to his given name only when his mother called, was liked by nearly everyone in the neighborhood, but he was subjected to a great deal of teasing because he was decidedly fat. He was a year older than Doris but frequently was mistaken as the younger of the two.
If Marshmallow were easy going and perhaps inclined to be a trifle lazy, Doris made up for his lack of energy. She was studious, and tremendously interested in athletics and music, particularly the latter. It was her ambitious dream that some day she would win fame as a singer in grand opera. Doris was utterly without vanity and would never admit that she was talented. As for her appearance, she never could understand why her friends were envious of her dark red curly hair and deep blue eyes.
“Here the mailman comes at last,” she sighed in relief, as she saw the man turn in at the house next door. “Oh, I do hope he has something for me.”
A moment later the postman stopped at the Mallow gate and began to look through a pack of letters.
“Here you are, young lady,” he said with a pleasant smile.
“Two!” Doris gasped in delight. “That’s better than I had hoped for.” Quickly, she scanned the postmarks. “And this one is from Kitty, too!”
Eagerly, she ripped open the envelope. The letter, written in an almost illegible scrawl, was brief, for Kitty Norris had never been a satisfactory correspondent.
“Kitty hasn’t made any plans for the summer yet,” she informed Marshmallow as she replaced the letter in the envelope. “She thinks it would be fun if we could go to some summer camp.”