The Mystery on Cobbett's Island

Mr. Kimball asked, smiling indulgently at Trixie.
    “Well, when we were in the bakery yesterday talking to Mrs. Hall, she showed us a picture of her husband. Down on the bottom it said, ‘To my dear Ethel, with love from Ed.’ The writing was exactly the same neat backhand as the letter, and I’m sure there was the same little squiggle under both signatures.”
    “That’s good enough proof in any court, I should think,” Mr. Kimball said.
    “You know, young Ed is coming home tomorrow,” Trixie continued, her mind racing ahead. “Wouldn’t it be fun to take the money over when he’s there and surprise them?”
    “We’ve got a perfect excuse for going,” Brian put in. “You know, she asked me over to talk with Ed about medical school, and she invited all of you, too.”
    “Hey, wait a minute,” Mart interrupted. “Have you perchance forgotten that we leave for home tomorrow?”
    “Oh, we can fix that,” Honey said. “I'll ask Miss Trask if we can’t start back tomorrow afternoon instead, and
    I know that when she hears about the money she’ll say yes.”
    “Gleeps, Honey, that would be perfect,” Trixie said. “We’ll get packed this evening so we’ll be all ready to take off.”
    “We’d better call Ethel and see if it’s all right for us to go over tomorrow,” Jim suggested. “Ed may not want a bunch of strangers descending on him, his first day home.”
    “Brian, you go call her while we’re putting the box in the closet,” Peter said as they went into the house. “There’s a telephone in the library.”
    “And don’t say a thing about the money,” Trixie warned. “We want it to be a complete surprise.”
    Brian soon joined them in the sitting room to report that Mrs. Hall was delighted to hear they were coming over. “As a matter of fact, she insisted on our coming for lunch,” he added. “When I started to protest that it would be lots of trouble for her, she said she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She’s going to pack a picnic lunch to take to the beach so we’ll have a chance to swim in the surf. Ed would love it, she knew. You know how she chatters!”
    “I hope Ed will love it.” Diana giggled. “He may have plans of his own, you know, and not want to be bothered with us.”
    “Only time will tell,” Mart said philosophically. “I only hope Mrs. Hall doesn’t forget my penchant for
    jelly doughnuts when she’s packing the lunch.”
    “How could she forget,” cried Trixie, “when your ‘penchant,’ as you call your unnatural craving, led you to buy two dozen of the things?”
    “Only a dozen, dear sister. Don’t exaggerate,” Mart flung back.
    Their friendly bickering was cut short by Jim’s suggestion that they go down to see Abe and then have the rest of the day free to pack for the trip home.

Trixie’s Tops! • 18

    AFTER THANKING Mr. Kimball for his help and advice, the Bob-Whites drove with Peter to the town hall. They found Abe in the little office he dignified with the name “Police Headquarters.” He was sitting with his feet up on an old rolltop desk, but as they came in, he sprang up and made a rather futile attempt to provide seats in the cramped room. It ended with Trixie and Honey sitting on the desk, Di in the one extra chair, and the boys squeezing on top of a filing cabinet and a small iron safe.
    At Abe’s request, Trixie repeated the story of Slim and the search for the money. She spoke slowly and thoughtfully to be sure she got the details right. Her deposition was taken on a tape recorder, and after listening to the playback, Trixie signed an affidavit that, to the best of her knowledge, it was a true statement.
    ”I‘m glad that’s over,” she sighed. “I hope nothing I said will make it hard on Slim.”
    “He isn’t such a bad kid,” Abe remarked as he turned off the machine. “I’ve had quite a long talk with him, and I think he was scared to death and just trying to put on a big front.”
    “We all ended up being sorry for him,” Trixie said, “especially when we heard what bad breaks he’s had.”
    “Well, I’ve talked to the Greenpoint police and the Coast Guard, and just a little while ago I got in touch with the authorities in New Jersey where his mother lived,” Abe continued. “This is the first time he’s been in any kind of trouble, so the chances are ten to one he’ll be sent to a training school or maybe to a foster home, where he’ll have some real family life.”
    “That would be