The Mystery of the Headless Horseman

been thinking that we’ve done something awful to offend you.”
    Di gasped and hid her face in her hands. Her voice was muffled as she moaned, “Oh, no! It’s just— There’s something I’ve got to tell you, and when you hear what it is, you’ll never want to speak to me again.”
    Brian said quietly over her shoulder, “You ought to know us better than that by now, Di. Remember, it’s all for one and one for all.”
    “Just like the jolly old musketeers,” cried irrepressible Mart, leaping to his feet and brandishing an imaginary sword. “The only thing is, of course, that there were only four of them, and there are seven of us.”
    The bus started with a jerk that nearly toppled Mart headfirst into the girls’ laps. Trixie pushed him back into his seat and said between her teeth, “There are only going to be six of us if you don’t sit down and keep quiet, brother dear. But Brian’s right, Di. We’re here to help each other. Won’t you tell us what’s wrong?”
    Di raised her head and looked at her friends. Her violet eyes were wet with tears. “You were right, Trixie,” she said with a break in her voice. “It is about tomorrow. The way things are now, there isn’t going to be a bazaar. I phoned my parents this morning, and they said we’ll have to cancel all our plans for tomorrow. You see, Harrison has disappeared!”

The Search ● 2

    MART STARED. “What do you mean, Harrison’s disappeared? Did he vanish in a puff of red smoke, or what?”
    Trixie groaned. “Oh, woe! I’ve got an idiot for a brother! Of course Di didn’t mean that. What she meant was—that is—what did you mean, Di?”
    “I mean that no one knows where he is,” Di said, her voice shaking. “Cook says that Harrison received a phone call last night about eight o’clock. After he hung up, he told her he had to go out. He said he’d only be gone an hour, but no one’s seen him since. His bed hasn’t been slept in and his hat and coat are gone.”
    Brian frowned. “Did you call the police?”
    “Cook talked to Sergeant Molinson this morning,” Di answered, “but it didn’t do any good. He said his hands are tied until a person’s been missing for twenty-four hours. In any case, he seemed to think we were making a big fuss about nothing. He said Harrison probably just wanted an extra day off and took it.”
    “That doesn’t sound like Harrison, though,” Trixie said, thinking hard.
    “Oh, Trixie, you’re right!” Di cried. “That’s exactly what I thought. But what could have happened to him? Where could he have gone? What are we going to do? Dad won’t allow us to hold the bazaar without him.”
    Trixie glanced at the others. She could tell from the looks on their faces that they, too, were remembering the daring robbery that had taken place at the Lynch mansion not so very long ago. Since that time, Harrison had seen to it that his employer’s security arrangements were strictly enforced. Mr. Lynch knew he could rely on him.
    Trixie sighed. She felt sure that Harrison knew how much they were counting on him. It didn’t seem likely that he would deliberately let them down. On the other hand, Trixie had thought often, just lately, that Harrison had something on his mind—something that was worrying him a great deal.
    “Isn’t there anything at all that would give us a clue to where he might have gone?” she asked at last.
    “I suppose I could ask the rest of the staff when I get home,” Di said, sounding eager. “I think Cook’s already done that, but when I left for school this morning, I was so upset I didn’t ask to make sure. Oh, Trixie, have you thought of anything? Do you have an idea of where he might be?”
    Her face fell as Trixie answered, “I really haven’t, Di. But there is one thing. He only meant to be gone an hour, so perhaps he’s not too far away even now.”
    “By George, I think she’s got something there,” Mart said. “So what are you suggesting, Miss Sherlock? Do we break out the bloodhounds, or what?”
    Trixie answered slowly, “If the rest of you agree, I think we should take the horses this afternoon and see what we can discover. How about it, everyone?”
    Dan sighed. “I can’t come, I’m afraid. I have to work this afternoon. I sure wish I could help you, though.”
    “We wish you could help us, too,” Trixie said, but she understood why he couldn’t.
    Some time ago Dan had lived in the city and had gotten in with the wrong crowd. His