The Betty Gordon Series Summaries

#1 Betty Gordon at Bramble Farm
       Or, The Mystery of a Nobody
Betty Gordon, a recently-orphaned girl, becomes the ward of her uncle, Dick Gordon.  Betty loves Uncle Dick from the moment that she meets him, but he must travel on business.  Uncle Dick arranges for Betty to spend the summer at Bramble Farm, where his old school friend, Agatha Peabody, lives with her husband.  While Betty hates to be separated from her uncle, she fantasizes about the good times she will have at Bramble Farm.

Betty finds that Bramble Farm is a very miserable place.  Mr. Peabody is a mean old miser, and Mrs. Peabody is crushed in spirit and unable to speak up for herself.  Mr. Peabody forces his wife and employees to eat skimpy meals.  He refuses to allow his wife to make any decisions, and Mrs. Peabody is treated almost like a slave.  The one bright spot is Betty's new friend, Bob Henderson, who is a poorhouse boy who lives on the farm.

Betty Gordon at Bramble Farm
"Take your old butter!" she stormed at the astonished Mr. Peabody.
Both Betty and Bob wish they could escape from Bramble Farm.  Betty writes to her uncle and explains how miserable life at Bramble Farm is.  While Betty awaits a response, she becomes acquainted with Dr. Guerin and his family.  Betty considers running away, but the Guerin family convinces her that it would be best to wait for her uncle to reply to her letter.
#2 Betty Gordon in Washington
       Or, Strange Adventures in a Great City
Betty Gordon continues her stay at Bramble Farm, awaiting word from her uncle.  Betty's friend, Bob Henderson, one day learns that a bookstore owner from Washington has looked over his records from the poorhouse.  The man has information about Bob's mother, and Bob decides to leave for Washington after Mr. Peabody cruelly beats him.  Shortly after Bob departs, Mr. Peabody accuses Bob of stealing an unrecorded deed.

Betty leaves for Washington after she receives a letter from her uncle.  Upon her arrival, three girls are waiting for her at the station and take her to their home, where Betty expects to find Uncle Dick.  Betty is shocked to discover that there has been a bad mix-up, and the girls have mistaken her for someone else.  The Littell family graciously accepts Betty as their houseguest and makes her feel welcome.  However, Betty continues to worry about her uncle.  She discovers that he is no longer in Washington and has journeyed to Oklahoma.

Betty Gordon in Washington
"You're not Uncle Dick!" she gasped accusingly.
Betty worries when her telegram to Uncle Dick goes unanswered.  The Littells show her around Washington, and Betty runs into Bob, who has learned that his mother had a share in an oil well in Oklahoma.  After Betty and Bob endure one last unpleasant encounter with Mr. Peabody, Betty receives word from Uncle Dick, urging her to come to Oklahoma.
#3 Betty Gordon in the Land of Oil
       Or, The Farm That Was Worth a Fortune
Betty Gordon and Bob Henderson depart for Oklahoma—Betty, to see her Uncle Dick, and Bob, in hope of finding his aunts, the Saunders sisters.  During the train journey, Bob overhears two sharpers discussing how they can cheat old women out of their farms in Oklahoma and make a killing in oil.  To Bob's surprise, he hears the men mention the Saunders sisters.  Bob wonders whether the men could be speaking of his aunts.

In Oklahoma, Betty and Bob take a great interest in the oil industry and visit the oil fields with Uncle Dick.  One day, Betty's horse runs away with her, and Betty stumbles onto the Saunders farm!  Betty discovers that Bob's aunts are ill and in dire need of medical attention.  Betty summons a doctor, and Betty and Bob stay with the women while they recover.  Soon, the two sharpers arrive at the Saunders farm and ask to speak to the old ladies.

Betty Gordon in the Land of Oil
Clover took the bit between her teeth and began to run.
Betty and Bob tell the men that the Saunders sisters are ill and unable to have visitors.  The men leave, but later, Bob disappears!  Betty is certain that the men are responsible for Bob's disappearance, and she hopes that she can find Bob before the men force Bob's aunts to sell their farm.
#4 Betty Gordon at Boarding School
       Or, The Treasure of Indian Chasm
Betty Gordon and Bob Henderson leave Oklahoma to return east to Washington.  Betty is to attend Shadyside School, and Bob is to attend Salsette Military Academy, which is just across the lake from Shadyside.  Betty's friends, Bobby, Louise, and Libbie Littell, and Betty's friends, Norma and Alice Guerin, are also to attend Betty's school.

Betty and her friends quickly become settled into their new routine, but Norma and Alice Guerin sadly reveal that they may have to leave at Christmas.  Their family has run out of money, in part because their grandmother's treasure is lost.  It just so happens that the treasure was lost at the bottom of Indian Chasm, which is near Shadyside School.  Over the years, various people have searched for the treasure, but no trace has ever been found.

Betty Gordon at Boarding School
"This is Betty Gordon," said the loyal Bobby, indicating her chum.
A spoiled, snobbish girl, Ada Nansen, learns of the financial problems of the Guerin family and belittles the girls at every opportunity.  Betty gets into trouble as she valiantly defends the Guerins, and in the back of her mind is the thought that she might somehow locate the treasure of Indian Chasm and help her friends.
#5 Betty Gordon at Mountain Camp
       Or, The Mystery of Ida Bellethorne
Betty Gordon and her friends enjoy Christmas vacation with the Littell family in Washington.  While Betty is shopping one day, she meets a girl named Ida Bellethorne, who works in a store.  Betty immediately likes the girl, who seems to be unhappy.  Betty loses a locket while in the store, and Ida gives it to the owner of the store.  When Betty goes to the store again to ask about the locket, the store owner pretends that nothing was found and tells Betty that Ida Bellethorne has gone away.  Much troubled, Betty wonders whether Ida could have found her locket and kept it for herself.

The time comes for Betty and her friends to return to school—but everyone at Shadyside has the measles!  School is postponed for two weeks, and the young people travel with Uncle Dick to Mountain Camp.  Although Betty enjoys the vacation, she continues to worry about her locket and Ida Bellethorne.

Betty Gordon at Mountain Camp
The whole party turned out gaily.
Betty unexpectedly encounters Ida Bellethorne at Mountain Camp, and the mystery of the locket is solved.  Betty and her friends help Ida Bellethorne become reunited with her aunt just before they return to school.
#6 Betty Gordon at Ocean Park
       Or, School Chums on the Boardwalk
As school closes for the summer, Betty Gordon and her friends prepare to depart for Ocean Park.  Shortly before they leave, they meet a strange girl named Sally Cutler, who is riding on a wagon that is pulled by a zebra.  Betty and her friends learn that Sally is chasing after two men who stole her father's car.  After asking about the zebra, Betty and her friends learn that Sally's father has taken in several members of a failed circus, including the fat lady, bearded lady, skeleton man, and tattooed boy.  Betty helps Sally search for the men who stole her father's car, but the men get away.

Soon after Betty and her friends arrive at Ocean Park, they once again encounter Sally.  Sally's father has opened a carnival, and the young people promise to attend.  Betty is shocked to see an airman who looks just like one of the car thieves, but since she has no proof, nothing can be done.

Betty Gordon at Ocean Park
Out of the machine fell an object.
Betty and Bob keep an eye on the airman and his companion, convinced that they are the car thieves.  In time, Betty and Bob get the proof they need, and the men are brought to justice.
#7 Betty Gordon and Her School Chums
       Or, Bringing the Rebels to Terms
Betty Gordon returns for her second year at Shadyside School to find that the school has two new teachers.  Miss Harriet and Miss Martha Nevins have been hired to replace two teachers who have departed.  The more snobbish girls, led by Ada Nansen, begin a campaign against the Nevins sisters.  The sisters wear plain clothing that is out of style, and one of the sisters has a scarred face.

When the headmaster, Mrs. Eustace, leaves for a few weeks, she puts the Nevins sisters in charge of the school.  Ada and her followers openly revolt, disobeying all of the school rules, and threaten to walk out of the school.  Betty tries to talk sense into Ada's followers with very little result.  After a burglar steals some of the girls' belongings, Ada accuses the Nevins sisters of stealing from them.  Miss Harriet and Miss Martha are too mild-mannered to defend themselves or to discipline the girls, so the school descends into anarchy.

Betty Gordon and Her School Chums
"If you send that petition, Ada," Betty declared, "You'll regret it."
Mrs. Eustace returns to find the school in chaos and sharply reprimands the students who are responsible.  Mrs. Eustace calls an assembly to explain the past history of Miss Harriet and Miss Martha, and the students gain a new understanding of the two teachers.
#8 Betty Gordon at Rainbow Ranch
       Or, Cowboy Joe's Secret
During Betty Gordon and Bob Henderson's visit with Uncle Dick in New York City, the two young people enjoy exploring the city.  One day they witness a young woman, Millie Henderson, thrown out of her apartment onto the street because she has failed to pay her rent.  Betty is appalled to learn that Millie has not eaten in days.  Betty and Bob take Millie home to Uncle Dick where they learn more about her story.

Millie lost everything when her husband, Bud, was accused of a hold-up.  Bud disappeared, leaving Millie alone, and Millie came to New York City soon after the disappearance of her husband.  Millie desperately hopes that she can someday find Bud again.  Uncle Dick helps Millie get a job, and Betty and Bob return to school.

After school ends for the summer, Uncle Dick, Betty, and Bob head west with Alice and Norma Guerin to Rainbow Ranch.

Betty Gordon at Rainbow Ranch
Joe Kirby flung himself from his mount and seized the bridle of the struggling horse.
Once at Rainbow Ranch, the young people enjoy many fantastic adventures.  Betty is drawn to Cowboy Joe, who is a lonely man who seems to have a secret.  Betty wishes she could help him, and with Bob's help finally learns his secret.  Through Betty's efforts, several people achieve happiness.
#9 Betty Gordon in Mexican Wilds
       Or, The Secret of the Mountains
As summer vacation nears, Betty unwittingly makes an enemy of Paula Rimo, a rich, selfish girl who has become friends with Ada Nansen.  Paula taunts Betty during class one day, and Betty slaps her.  Paula fingers a small switchblade that she keeps on a necklace.  Betty forgets about the incident, little realizing that Paula has vowed revenge.

During summer vacation, Betty and Bob visit the Guerin family and Bramble Farm.  In a brief confrontation with Mr. Peabody, Betty forces Mr. Peabody to do something that will help make Mrs. Peabody's life easier.  Betty and Bob go to Washington while Uncle Dick travels to Mexico on oil business.

While in Washington, Betty receives a telegram from Uncle Dick requesting that she leave immediately for Mexico.  Bob feels that there is something strange about the telegram, but Betty won't listen.  Bob has no choice but to accompany Betty to Mexico.

Betty Gordon in Mexican Wilds
They rode in single file, Betty ahead of Bob.
Once in Mexico, Betty and Bob are met by a Mexican and are led on horseback through rural terrain.  Too late, Betty and Bob realize that the telegram from Uncle Dick was a ruse, and Betty regrets not listening to Bob's advice.  Unexpectedly, Betty comes face to face with Paula Rimo and must use all of her wits to outsmart her vicious school rival.
#10 Betty Gordon and the Lost Pearls
         Or, A Mystery of the Seaside
While journeying to Orchard Cove for a seaside vacation, Betty Gordon unwittingly acquires an enemy in Mrs. Pryde Calott.  Mrs. Calott's handbag becomes entangled with Betty's luggage after a railway accident, and the haughty Mrs. Calott accuses Betty of trying to steal her bag.  After Mrs. Calott discovers her handbag intact, she leaves, complaining all the while.

To Betty's chagrin, Mrs. Calott is a fellow visitor at Raymond House in Orchard Cove.  Betty is forced to endure additional unpleasant confrontations with Mrs. Calott, but she is drawn to Mrs. Calott's traveling companion, Mrs. Hiller.  Mrs. Hiller confides in Betty that she is penniless and that her late husband was Mr. Calott's business partner.  Mrs. Hiller thought her husband had money until after his death, when the Calotts revealed that he had lost his money.

Betty Gordon and the Lost Pearls
"I shall prosecute you," said Mrs. Calott haughtily.
Betty has a new friend, an attorney, investigate what happened to Mrs. Hiller's inheritance.  Meanwhile, Mrs. Calott's valuable pearl necklace disappears, and Betty finds it.  When Betty returns the necklace, Mrs. Calott accuses Betty of theft and tries to have her arrested.  Betty works to clear her name, and at the same time, tries to free Mrs. Hiller from Mrs. Calott's vicious clutches.
#11 Betty Gordon on the Campus
         Or, The Secret of the Trunk Room
Betty Gordon returns to Shadyside School for her junior year.  Bobby's sister, Esther, is a freshmen and soon makes friends with Anne Warner.  Nina Trull, another new girl, joins up with Ada Nansen and Ruth Gladys Royal.  Betty feels depressed as she realizes that her enemies have increased by one.  The snobs make new student Anne Warner their primary target after they learn that she must wait on tables for her tuition.

The school has a new teacher of music, famed singer Frau Zitterman, who gushes over Betty as a gifted vocalist, much to Betty's surprise.  Frau Zitterman offers Betty the leading role in the fall musical.  Betty wants to accept, but she knows that Ada Nansen will cause trouble—Ada has always been the school's best singer and expects to be cast as the star.  Betty decides to decline Frau Zitterman's offer, but she secretly learns Ada's role as an understudy just in case something goes wrong later.

Betty Gordon on the Campus
Suddenly there was a slipping, a noise of falling trunks.
As preparations for the musical get underway, a strange man prowls around the campus and is seen searching the trunk room.  Betty sees Anne Warner speaking to the man and wonders how she knows him.  Could Anne have a dark past?  Betty divides her attention between the musical and her concerns about Anne Warner, and in time, Betty solves the mystery of the trunk room.
#12 Betty Gordon and the Hale Twins
         Or, An Exciting Vacation
Betty Gordon and Bob Henderson travel with Uncle Dick on an automobile trip along the National Road.  Uncle Dick must negotiate to buy certain dairy farms for a large corporation, and the trio plans to combine business with pleasure.  During their journey, the travelers are caught in a vicious thunderstorm.  They seek accommodation at a rooming house which is located in a desolate location.

The rooming house is run by two elderly ladies, Tabitha and Persis, who seem fearful of them.  After some hesitation, the two ladies agree to let the travelers stay and remark that they are afraid because of a strange woman who recently stayed with them.  The woman seemed crazy and had two young children with her.  The woman left the house the next morning by sneaking out with the children.

Betty Gordon and the Hale Twins
Before Betty could reply the woman was running toward the clanging train.
Betty gives the matter little thought until days later when a wild-looking woman leaves two young children at a train station and boards the train without them.  Betty concludes that she must have been the same woman, but why did she abandon the children?  Betty and Bob are forced to care for the young children until they can find some clue to their parentage.
#13 Betty Gordon and the Mystery Farm
         Or, Strange Doings at Rocky Ridge
When Bob learns that he has inherited a farm in the mountains of Kentucky, he and the Gordons make plans to travel to Kentucky to inspect the farm.  The lawyer in charge of Bob's inheritance warns Bob away from the farm and acts as though it will be more of a curse than a blessing.  Undaunted, Bob and the Gordons drive to Kentucky.

Upon their arrival, the group finds itself in the middle of a huge mountain feud, and their presence is greatly resented by everyone.  The manager of Bob's farm, Gus Hornbecker, greets them with hostility and offers to buy the farm at a low price.  Mr. Hornbecker acts a lot like Mr. Peabody from Bramble Farm, and his wife is a broken woman because she can no longer speak to her daughter.  Sally has married a man from the other side of the mountain, and Mr. Hornbecker has forbidden his wife to ever see their daughter again.

Betty Gordon and the Mystery Farm
"I'll rock you!" exclaimed the culprit, peeping gleefully out of his hiding place.
The old mountain feuds run deep, and it will take a miracle for Sally to be reunited with her parents.  A couple of tragedies nearly occur, and the result is that the Gordons discover the secret of the mystery farm, and Sally is reunited with her mother.
#14 Betty Gordon on No-Trail Island
         Or, Uncovering a Queer Secret
Uncle Dick's old friend, Harvey Britton, has passed away.  Harvey owned land on No-Trail Island in Florida, but his widow has been unable to find her husband's papers.  Harvey never recorded the deed to the land, so there is no proof that he ever owned it.  Another man has now come forward claiming to own the island.  Uncle Dick travels down to Florida with Betty and Bob to see whether he can help Mrs. Britton find her husband's papers so that she can claim the land.

Upon their arrival, the visitors make themselves comfortable on Mrs. Britton's large houseboat.  The Gordons begin to worry that perhaps Mrs. Britton has no claim to the land after they hear several people comment that the elderly woman is not quite sane.  There is no record that her husband ever owned the land, and someone else has now recorded a deed to the island.

Betty Gordon on No-Trail Island
"Be careful!  Don't upset the boat! warned Betty.
Mrs. Britton's enemies conspire to make life difficult for her and her guests by making threats and cutting off their electricity.  Betty searches for the unrecorded deed but fears that Uncle Dick may decide to return home before the valuable paper can be found.
#15 Betty Gordon and the Mystery Girl
         Or, The Secret at Sundown Hall
When Betty Gordon assists an injured girl, she is surprised to discover that the girl is wearing a wig.  Even more so, Betty is taken aback to observe that the strange girl's hair is cut like a boy's.  The girl's name is Shirley Winship, and Shirley repays Betty's kindness by filling in as her dance partner in a performance at Shadyside School.  Shirley abruptly leaves after the performance without saying goodbye to Betty.

During the Easter holidays, Betty, Bob, and Betty's friend, Bobby, travel with Uncle Dick to Seaside Heights to stay at a fancy hotel.  Upon their arrival, the young people befriend an Alaskan explorer and a young girl who is neglected by her parents.  Her new acquaintances bring Betty into contact with the residents of Sundown Hall—an old man who has no use for girls and his grandson, Billie.

Betty Gordon and the Mystery Girl
"A wig!" gasped Betty in startled surprise.
Various clues lead Betty to surmise that the grandson, Billie, is none other than the mysterious Shirley Winship.  Betty pursues several clues until she solves the mystery of Sundown Hall.
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