The Mystery on Cobbett's Island

honey-colored hair, which she wore in a long bob, and because of a disposition that, despite ill health when she was younger, had never been anything but sweet. Honey was taller and slimmer than Trixie. Her eyes were hazel and beautifully soft. Since meeting Trixie and becoming a member of the Bob-Whites, Honey had forgotten her illness and was as active and healthy as any of the other members.
    “I’m so glad you can all go,” said Honey when she heard the news. “At least there’ll be six Bob-Whites. Dan just called up to say he can’t make it.”
    “Oh, jeepers!” exclaimed Trixie. “What’s wrong? He’s our newest member, and it’s not fair for him to miss out on the fun again, the way he had to when we all went out west.”
    “Did you notice how quiet he was when we were all talking about the trip?” asked Honey.
    “Come to think of it, he did seem kind of unenthusiastic, didn’t he?” replied Trixie.
    “Oh, he wanted to come badly enough, but last month, without anyone knowing, he applied to several camps for a summer job, and yesterday he heard from one of them saying they’d take him.”
    “But I thought Mr. Maypenny needed him to help on your father’s game preserve,” said Trixie.
    “I guess Dan knew that job was just part of the experiment to see if he would straighten out after the trouble he got into in the city. Mr. Maypenny can get by with a part-time helper,” said Honey thoughtfully.
    “Well, he’s certainly justified Regan’s faith in him, hasn’t he? And to think he got a job all on his own! No one will ever have to worry about Dan again,” Trixie said, and Honey heartily agreed.
    Regan, the Wheelers’ groom, was a likable, redhaired young man, who had, on several occasions, helped out the Bob-Whites. He always welcomed them whenever they came up to the stable, showing his fiery temper only when he felt any of them had been careless in caring for the beautiful thoroughbred horses in his charge.
    Regan had lost touch with his sister, Dan’s mother, years before, and the first he knew of Dan was when a judge in New York wrote him for help after Dan had been taken into Children’s Court. Dan’s father had been killed in an automobile accident, and later, after his mother died, the boy had felt there was no one who really cared what happened to him. He had become involved with a city gang. The judge finally agreed to let him come to live with Mr. Maypenny and work for him so that he would be near Regan, hoping he might get a new point of view and a new start in life. The adjustment hadn’t been easy for Dan, but when he finally proved to everyone that he had as fine a character as his uncle, the Bob-Whites gladly took him into their club.

    The trip was the sole subject of conversation during supper. Trixie was eating her third piece of pie when she again thought about getting a new bathing suit. Of course, there was the money in her bank account, but that was for college and must not be touched. She could ask her mother for extra work, but she already got five dollars a week for taking care of Bobby and doing household chores. Now that she was fourteen, she felt she should no longer depend on her family for extras. She had about given up the whole idea, when she noticed her father pulling a letter out of his coat pocket. He pushed his chair back from the table and announced that he had received a letter from Uncle Andrew that morning.
    “Oh, Dad, hurry up and tell us what it says!” cried Trixie, who always looked forward to hearing from her favorite uncle.
    “Well, he’s fine, and so is everyone at Happy Valley Farm. He says he may drive out to see us this summer, but, in the meantime, he wanted to get Trixie a present for her graduation from junior high. He didn’t know what you would want, Trixie, so he sent me a check. I was stumped, too, so I decided just to give you the money. Here.”
    “Gleeps! Money!” Trixie exclaimed, her eyes shining. “Excuse me, everybody. I’ve got to run right upstairs and write Uncle Andrew. He’s saved the day!”
    “What crisis is my dear sister facing that she should need big bucks so desperately?” inquired Mart in his most sarcastic tone.
    “Oh, you wouldn’t understand, lame-brain,” Trixie called over her shoulder as she dashed up to her room.
    “Now, don’t tease your sister, Mart. She just decided she has to have a new bathing suit,” said Mrs. Belden as she started to clear the table. “That’s