By the Light of the Study Lamp facts for kids
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| Author | Carolyn Keene |
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| Language | English |
| Series | The Dana Girls |
| Genre | Children's literature/Young adult literature |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
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Publication date
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1934 |
| Followed by | The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage |
By the Light of the Study Lamp is the very first book in The Dana Girls detective series. It was created by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a company known for creating many popular book series. This book came out in 1934, as one of three books released at the same time to see if readers would like the new series.
Contents
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main people you'll meet in the story:
- Louise Dana - A 17-year-old with dark hair. She's the older sister and usually more serious.
- Jean Dana - Louise's younger sister, with blonde hair. She's more cheerful and light-hearted.
- Captain Ned Dana (Uncle Ned) - The girls' uncle and guardian. He's a sea captain.
- Harriet Dana (Aunt Harriet) - The girls' aunt.
- Cora Appel - The Dana family's maid, who is a bit clumsy. The girls sometimes call her "Applecore" as a joke.
- Ben Harrow - The family's helper around the house.
- Franklin Starr - A mysterious man from a once-rich family.
- Evelyn Starr - Franklin's younger sister. Her family used to own the big house that is now Starhurst School.
- Mrs. Crandall - The main teacher and leader of Starhurst School.
- Mr. Crandall - A teacher at the school and Mrs. Crandall's husband. He can be a bit forgetful.
- Fay Violette - A mysterious woman who keeps showing up in different disguises.
- Jake Garbone - A dealer in old items. His car is seen near where the study lamp was first stolen.
- Lettie Briggs - The richest girl at Starhurst and not very friendly to the Dana girls.
- Ina Mason - Lettie's only friend.
- Doris Harland - A friend from school.
- Margaret Glenn - Another school friend.
- Nell Carson - A school friend who rides the train with the girls.
- Ann Freeman - Another school friend on the train.
- Sarah Gray - A 15-year-old friend from Oak Falls.
- Sam Gray - Sarah's brother, a football player.
The Mystery Begins
Louise and Jean Dana are sisters who don't have parents. They live in a town called Oak Falls. Their Uncle Ned Dana, who is a ship captain, sends them a special gift: an old-fashioned study lamp. This happens just as they are getting ready to go back to their school, Starhurst, for another year.
While the girls are busy helping their clumsy maid, Cora, the lamp is suddenly stolen from their home! The sisters quickly jump into their car to chase after the thief. But their search leads them to a dead end at an old antique shop run by a suspicious man named Jake Garbone.
Jean finds Garbone's car and shop after she and Louise split up to search. She thinks Garbone is the thief, but he denies it. While in his shop, Jean sees a mysterious woman peeking from behind curtains. Jean tells Louise about this. They walk past the shop again and see the same woman. The girls decide that the police can't help without more clues. They realize they must solve the mystery themselves!
A Strange Rescue
On their way home, the girls meet a handsome man. He asks for directions to their uncle's house. Suddenly, a truck hits his dog, knocking it into the nearby Oak River. The man tries to save his dog but falls in himself and gets knocked out! The river is dangerous and leads to a waterfall called Oak Falls.
Quick-thinking Jean saves the dog by reaching out from a rock. Louise is even more prepared. She grabs a rope from their car and ties it around her waist. Then she swims out to rescue the unconscious man. Jean pulls on the rope to help Louise bring him to shore. When the young man wakes up, he can't remember everything.
Unexpected Guests
The girls take the young man home in their car, since that's where he was going. Aunt Harriet and Cora are busy getting ready for the girls' farewell party. They are surprised by the soaking wet stranger. Cora drops a tray of cookies, and Aunt Harriet sends for Ben Harrow, their hired helper. Ben carries the stranger to Uncle Ned's empty bedroom. A doctor is called to check on the young man.
The party goes on as planned with friends. Sarah Gray, a local friend, says she wants to go to Starhurst too. Her brother, Sam Gray, tries to start a debate about public high schools versus private all-girls schools like Starhurst. But everyone is interrupted by a loud noise upstairs!
It turns out Uncle Ned has arrived home early from his latest sea trip. He noticed the party and decided to sneak upstairs to get ready. This woke up the stranger, who was having a nightmare. Not knowing where he was, he tackled Uncle Ned out of fear! Uncle Ned recognizes the stranger as his friend, Franklin Starr. He wants to know how Franklin ended up in his house. After cleaning up, Uncle Ned and Franklin join the party. Everyone learns the exciting story of the river rescue from the Dana girls.
Secrets and Suspicions
After the party guests leave, the girls and Uncle Ned continue talking with Franklin Starr. The girls learn that Uncle Ned and Franklin became friends because Franklin traveled on their uncle's ship many times. They also find out that Franklin's grandfather built the Starhurst estate. The Starr family had to sell it after losing money. The Crandalls bought the property and turned it into Starhurst School for Girls. The girls then tell Franklin and their uncle about the stolen lamp and meeting Jake Garbone.
The next morning, Uncle Ned drives the girls and Franklin into town. He wants to confront Jake Garbone about the stolen lamp. But when they get to Garbone's shop, it's locked up and empty. It looks like he's gone for good. Franklin Starr asks to be dropped off at the train station. He says he has important business and that his headaches make him poor company.
The girls are suspicious of Franklin's behavior. When they first met him, he was walking to their home and had no luggage. Franklin returns from the ticket counter with a ticket for a later train. But then he quickly leaves when he sees a man leaving the waiting room. The girls immediately recognize the man as Jake Garbone! Garbone gets on the departing train before Franklin can catch him. The girls question Franklin. He realizes the man he recognized is the suspected thief, Jake Garbone. So, he pretends he made a mistake and didn't really know the man. Franklin says he must take the next train to meet his lawyer. The Dana girls leave Franklin at the station and go home to pack for school.
Life at Starhurst
Back at Starhurst school, the girls upset Lettie Briggs, a rich girl. This happens when the Dana girls are given the nicest study room in the school. It's the old library from the Starr mansion! Lettie tries to use her father's money to get Mrs. Crandall to give her the room instead, but it doesn't work.
The girls go to antique stores in Penfield, hoping to find a new lamp for their study. By chance, they find another old lamp that looks exactly like the one that was stolen! The girls buy the lamp, not knowing that this makes Lettie Briggs even angrier. They also catch the eye of a mysterious gypsy woman. The girls will soon see her again, and she'll be with Jake Garbone! Garbone and the gypsy woman are determined to get the lamp back. Jake will stop at nothing to get it. Meanwhile, a strange handyman keeps lurking around.
As the girls try to solve the mystery of the lamp, they uncover old secrets about their school's history. They also learn surprising things about their schoolmate, Evelyn Starr. They stay one step ahead of the people chasing them. In the end, they find the key to the missing Starr family jewels and even a missing Starr family member!
