Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc., 1937. dj. Hardcover - Augusta Huiell Seaman was the first American author to write mystery stories especially for older children and young adults. Mildred Wirt, the author of the original Nancy Drew books, commented that she looked forward to getting the St Nicholas magazine every month, especially because of Seaman's stories. In the 1930s and 1940s, her books topped librarian lists of "best loved" books - yet, it is precisely because so many of her books were borrowed from libraries that copies of some of her titles in collectible condition are quite hard to find. Novel for older girls set on the coast of New Jersey and involving an unsolved mystery from Revolutionary days. Even Seaman's books which had many printings have become very hard to find in recent years, and this title - issued in the midst of the Depression - had, as far as is known, only a first printing of only 5,000 copies (many of which went to libraries) and 2 presumably smaller later printings in 1937 and 1940, making it one of her most uncommon novels. Since it is also one of her best-realized and most satisfying books with a great ending, the fact that it is so hard to find is doubly disappointing. Illustrated by Manning De V. Lee with a 3 color frontispiece, green and white illustrated endpapers, and a portion of a 1765 map. 273 pp.