The Black Jacket Mystery

in the bathroom,” Dan said sullenly. “I’ll bring it.” And he stalked across the room.
    The old gamekeeper was groaning now. The trip had been almost too much for him, in spite of his boasting. The blow had made him lose considerable blood, and he had lain out in the cold too long for safety.
    “Just take it as easy as you can, sir,” Jim advised him as the old man tossed in his bunk. “We’ll have this fixed up in a minute or so.”
    Honey had been standing around looking sorry but still helpless. She whispered hurriedly to the two boys, “What can I do to help?”
    It was Brian who answered promptly. “Sterilize a needle and heavy thread in the water as soon as Trixie gets it boiling. Wash your hands well first.” He turned back to the injured man without noticing that Honey looked more helpless than ever.
    She wanted to ask how long it had to be in the water and how she should carry it, but she didn’t want the boys to know how ignorant she was. Then and there she made up her mind to start first-aid instruction when the new class started at school. “Dope!” she called herself as she hurried to the kitchen to ask Trixie what to do.
    She was in such a hurry that, as she went past a small side table beside Mr. Maypenny’s favorite rocker, she brushed against it and tipped it over. A quick swoop saved it from falling to the floor, but she couldn’t manage to catch the small Staffordshire pottery bowl that had been sitting on it. The bowl fell to the floor and smashed, and a collection of cigarette butts scattered out of it “Bother!” Honey surveyed the mess and looked around for a whisk broom and dustpan. A newspaper was handy and served as both broom and pan to gather up the smelly debris. And she was all the more upset to notice that the boys were staring disapprovingly at her.
    As quickly as possible she fled to the kitchen with the newspaper wadded up. “What’s that?” Trixie asked as Honey marched over to the trash basket and emptied the newspaper into it.
    The water was beginning to get hot in the little kettle, and Trixie was looking for a basin to carry it in.
    “Cigarette stubs! Smelly!” Honey shuddered with distaste.
    “Where on earth did you find those here?” Trixie’s blue eyes opened wide in amazement. “Mr. Maypenny doesn’t smoke and neither does Dan Mangan. And Mr. Maypenny has fits if anybody else smokes in his house.”
    “I guess he’s changed his mind since Dan’s been here. Or else Dan hasn’t been telling the truth and is a smoker,” Honey said. “They were in the little bowl that sat on the table by his chair. I broke it a minute ago, and these icky things fell out.” She wrinkled her nose.
    Trixie looked thoughtful a moment, then darted to the trash basket, reached in, and brought out one of the cigarette stubs. She held it gingerly in her fingers as she read out the brand name on it. Her face was grave as she turned to Honey. “It’s the same brand we found in the clubhouse. I guess this pins the blame for that right back on Dan.”
    Honey sighed. “I hate to admit it, but it does look bad for him. The worst is stealing our poor little three dollars and forty cents! It’s so small and petty.”
    “Not if he needed money for cigarettes and only had enough allowance or wages to pay for his school lunch and the bus.” Trixie knitted her brows over it.
    “He certainly is acting awfully strange about letting the boys help Mr. Maypenny!” Honey said thoughtfully. “Do you suppose—oh, I shouldn’t even think such things about the poor boy, but—do you suppose he has stolen things from us that we haven’t missed yet, and he didn’t want us to see them here? Like skates or some of our summer stuff?”
    “Wouldn’t be surprised,” Trixie answered soberly. “I’m going to keep my eyes open, and if I see anything which belongs to one of us—” She broke off, suddenly aware that the door to the living room was open and Dan was standing in the doorway scowling at her. There was no doubt he had heard I her words. For a moment he just glared, while both girls looked guilty, then he said sharply, “What about the hot water? You dames going to take all day getting it?”
    “Tell Brian we’ll bring it right now!” Trixie managed to find her tongue.
    Dan gave them a sour look, then turned on his heel and left.
    They scurried about, found a needle and thread, and sterilized them in the boiling water from the kettle. But even before they had