The Gatehouse Mystery

tools right now, Honey."
    "We certainly had," Honey agreed. "We're going to get an awful scolding from Miss Trask if Gallagher really quit. He was the only gardener she could find who had a car of his own, so he could drive himself back and forth." She smiled sweetly at Regan. "Now that we're going to have a chauffeur, I suppose that's not important anymore. He'll have plenty of time to drive the help back and forth."
    Regan guffawed. "He won't have time for much else. What with a cook, a laundress, and three maids. The cook and Celia sleep in, but they've got to be toted in and out on their days off. And it seems to me that no sooner do the others arrive than it's time to take 'em back."
    I know," Honey cried sympathetically. "It's been awfully hard for you and Miss Trask, Regan, with all the other things you have to do. But everything will be fine now that we're going to have a chauffeur."
    They said good night and hurried away toward the cottage. "I'm glad we're poor," Trixie said. "The servant problem would drive me mad. Miss Trask is going to be cross as anything if Gallagher quit, and I'm going to get the dickens for coming home after nine. All because of servants."
    "You don't have to help me bring the stuff back to the toolhouse," Honey cried. "I can manage."
    Trixie shook her head. "It's beginning to get dark, and I don't think you should go down there by yourself."
    Honey stopped short in amazement. "Why on earth not? Since when did you get so cautious, Trixie?"
    "I don't want to scare you, Honey," Trixie said thoughtfully. "But someone heard us talking this morning. Whoever was eavesdropping in the thicket knows that you have a valuable diamond in the secret compartment of your jewel case." She hesitated. "He might —well, he might be lurking around, and he might get nasty. Especially if he was the one who dropped it in the cottage."
    "Well, for heaven's sake," Honey exploded. "That's exactly what I said to you this morning when you dashed off through the poison ivy after him. You weren't afraid then."
    "As usual," Trixie said ruefully, "I didn't stop to think. But I have been thinking about it lots since. I'm not afraid for myself, because I haven't got the diamond. But I am afraid for you, Honey. You've just got to be awfully careful until we solve this mystery."

Telltale Footprints • 4

    HONEY SHUDDERED. "We're not even going to try to solve this mystery, Trixie Belden," she said firmly. "If you, of all people, are scared, I'm going right back to the house and tell Jim everything."
    "I'm not scared," Trixie said, frowning. "And you have no reason to worry unless you go wandering off at dusk by yourself. You're perfectly safe if you stay near the house. It's filled with people going in and out all day and most of the evening. Come on, Honey. Let's get the tools."
    For answer, Honey turned around and started back up the lawn toward her house. "Neither of us is going down there," she said, squaring her shoulders. "That cottage is too near the woods, and it's getting dark and shadowy now."
    "But how about the pruning saws and shovels?" Trixie asked. "I'll dash down and get them so Miss Trask won't be too angry at us."
    "Take one step and I'll scream," Honey said. "I mean it, Trixie. You may think I'm in danger, but so are you. Oh, I wish we'd never gone inside that horrid place and found that horrid diamond."
    "Oh, all right," Trixie said reluctantly. "We can get the stuff early tomorrow morning and bring it back to the toolhouse before Gallagher drives out from the village."
    "If he shows up," Honey said. "Oh, dear, if he's really quit, Miss Trask will want to know why, and then I'll have to tell her everything."
    "You won't have to tell her every thing," Trixie argued. "Please, please, Honey, let's keep the diamond a secret for a little while longer. If we search the cottage carefully tomorrow morning, we might find some clues."
    "I'm never going to put my foot inside it again, and neither are you," Honey said stubbornly.
    Trixie laughed. "Let's be sensible, Honey. Let's say a tramp stole the diamond and spent last night in the cottage. The diamond slipped out of a hole in his pocket, and he didn't discover it was gone until he had traveled up the river for a few miles. When he came back to look for it, we were there, and he heard us talking about it. So now he knows that we have it. He certainly isn't going to keep on looking for it in here.
    "I guess not," Honey admitted. "What will he do?"
    "My