The Black Jacket Mystery

then brightened. “I’ll give you my teddy bear if you’d like.” He said it bravely but Trixie knew he hoped she would say no.
    “Goodness, no!” she said brightly. “He wouldn’t be happy at all with me! He’s always slept with you, and just think how he’d feel if I rolled on him some night and squashed him!”
    “Yeah!” Bobby nodded vigorously. “Okay, then. I’ll keep him myself, an’ I’ll find another kitty for you somewheres.” He looked determined.
    “Good! Maybe one of these days we’ll find a live one that looks just like Spotty, and Moms will let us keep him. How would that be?” She smiled. “A live one?”
    Bobby nodded solemnly. “Without claws.” And having settled that, he demanded, “How soon is supper?”
    “Jeepers! I forgot. Moms said for us to hustle out to the kale patch and dig up some greens for Dad’s supper. He’s been talking about wanting some for the last three days, and she wants to surprise him tonight!”
    She hurried Bobby into his outdoor clothes, and, as he ran down to put his overshoes on in the front hall, she swept up the remains of Spotty. Dad’s sister, Aunt Alicia, would have a fit when she found out that Spotty was among the missing. It was a family antique that she had sent Moms and Dad as a wedding present years ago.
    The vegetable garden was still blanketed with the two-day-old snow, but underneath, the kale was good as ever. They gathered a small basketful and then threw snowballs at each other and romped till they were both red-cheeked.
    When they came into the warm kitchen, they were still laughing and rosy. “Here, Moms! We got ’um all. Now we won t have to eat that stuff anymore till next year, will we?” Bobby asked very hopefully.
    Moms glanced at the store of vegetables in the basket. Then she said, keeping a straight face, “No, dear. We can start on the canned spinach instead.”
    Bobby’s look of distress made them both laugh. “Better wash your hands and face now, Son,” his mother told him quickly. “We’re having a very special guest to dinner and to spend the weekend with US.”
    Bobby was delighted to obey. He didn’t care who the company was, just so it was company. And he dashed out to get ready without even asking.
    “Who is it, Moms?” Trixie asked at once.
    Moms laughed as she told her. “One of Bobby’s special friends. A young lady who doesn’t mind reading him his favorite stories over and over, even if they bore her!”
    "Moms!” Trixie was delighted. “Honeys coming to stay here! Golly! What happened? What did she say?”
    “Miss Trask phoned just now to see if it would be all right for Honey to spend the weekend with you. Her dad had an unexpected business conference called on the Coast and he and Mrs. Wheeler must leave tonight. And Jim had already arranged to be gone on a field trip with his biology group to study the Catskill wildlife. Honey would have been alone. Naturally, I said we’d love to have her!”
    “Super!” Trixie hugged herself with delight. Then she had a disquieting thought. “Did Miss Trask say if Honey got a chance to ask them about the ice carnival?”
    “No, dear. You’ll find out as soon as Honey gets here.”
    “Maybe I ought to phone and tell her how glad I am she’s coming.” Trixie couldn’t wait.
    “I don’t think you need to, dear. But unless I get a little help, we’re going to have a very late dinner, and I’m sure Dad won’t like that.”
    “Gosh, I’m sorry, Moms!” Trixie flung off her heavy jacket and scarf. “I’ve been in such a dither all day.”
    “A perfectly understandable condition,” Mart’s voice said dryly from the doorway, “brought on by a complete lack of mental coordination.”
    Moms held back a smile as Trixie faced her almost-twin with a stormy glare. She was used to their duels.
    But this time Trixie didn’t merely sniff at her teasing brother, as usual. Instead, the glare faded into a cool stare as she said very deliberately, “The use of too many polysyllabic words is definitely a symptom of immaturity.” Brian had spent half an hour at lunchtime drilling her in that answer in preparation for just such a moment. She wasn’t entirely sure what all the words meant, but Brian had assured her it would stop Mart in his tracks if she didn’t bungle it.
    It certainly had that effect. Mart’s jaw dropped, and he stared at his sister with a bewildered expression. Then, as a delighted grin lit up her face, he turned and