The Black Jacket Mystery

brothers and Jim had exercised this morning, as usual. Regan would have had a ready answer for anything concerning them.
    He was speaking again. “Its something I’m hoping to keep from any of the youngsters. There’s no telling how they’d feel about it if they suspected the truth.”
    Trixie gasped out loud, and then clapped her hand over her mouth. This was getting worse every minute. She had no right to stand here and listen to anything that sounded as serious as this.
    It took a lot of willpower to stifle her curiosity and turn away, but she did it. She hurried around the house to the front door.
    She took pains to close the front door loudly as she went in, and she sang a little as she strode along the hallway toward the kitchen. She hoped they would hear her.
    Regan was still there, but there was a smile on his ruddy face as he stood at the door, cap in hand. Trixie was just in time to hear his parting words. “It sounds like the best idea, Mrs. Belden, and thanks a lot. If it doesn’t work out, I don’t know what more I can do. It could turn out good if I’m lucky, or just make things more mixed up.”
    Mrs. Belden nodded soberly. “It’s worth trying. Good luck on it, anyhow, Regan. I only wish we could do more to help.”
    Regan put on his cap, gave Trixie a nod and a brief smile, and with a quick “Good-bye now,” left.
    “What’s bothering him?” Trixie tried to make her curiosity sound casual as she helped herself to a stalk of celery and munched on it.
    “Something that doesn’t concern you,” her mother told her lightly, but Trixie heard her add under her breath as she turned away, “thank goodness!” It was all very mysterious. And Trixie loved mysteries. Her mind kept flitting back to Regan and his “troubles” all the time that she was telling her mother the plans that were shaping up for the book benefit. It wasn’t just idle curiosity. All the Beldens and their friends liked the broad-shouldered groom a lot, and if Trixie could find out what was bothering him, it was possible that they could do something to help him.
    How could she learn what it was without asking questions? She couldn’t ask her mother again. There must be a way, and Trixie meant to find it!
     

Mysterious Errand • 2
     
    I THINK I’LL PHONE Honey and just tell her that it’s okay with you if we start working on our carnival plans right away,” Trixie said suddenly, setting aside the bowl of potatoes she was about to peel.
    Mrs. Belden sighed. “You have all evening to do that. Right now I hear Bobby running around up in your room. He’s had a long nap since he came from school, and you know how fast he can turn your room into a wreck once he starts romping!”
    “Gleeps! I’d better get him dressed and out of there!”
    As Trixie hurried up the stairs, she could hear the kitchen extension ringing. She was tempted to come back to see if Honey was calling to report what her dad had said about the carnival plans, but a crash from her bedroom quickly changed her mind. She dashed there to see what mischief Bobby had gotten into this time.
    “Oh, Bobby!My china cat!” The antique figure of a spotted, green-eyed cat was smashed into a hundred small pieces that were scattered over the floor around an overturned chair. Small Bobby was still sprawled on his hands and knees in the wreckage, where the toppling chair had dumped him.
    His blue eyes stared up at her with a frightened expression, and the tears started to roll down his fat cheeks. “I hurted myself!” he wailed.
    “Oh, darling! Let me see!” The broken antique was forgotten as Trixie dropped to her knees and helped Bobby up out of the scattered fragments of the ornament. She made a quick examination of knees and elbows, but could find no cuts or bruises. “Thank goodness, you’re all right!”
    Bobby sniffed. “That oF chair!” He kicked at the offending piece of furniture, “It wiggled, and I failed!”
    Trixie looked at the remains of her antique cat and sighed. The head was almost in one piece except for one missing ear; but the body was beyond salvaging.
    Bobby saw her expression and threw his arms around her neck. “I’m sorry. I only meant to pet Spotty. I’ll buy you another one just like him if you won’t cry.”
    Trixie hugged him hard and laughed. “Never mind, hon. I was sort of tired of dusting him, anyhow. And he was awfully old. You can’t buy such funny-looking kitties nowadays.”
    Bobby sniffed doubtfully and