The Gatehouse Mystery

regulations except the one that says finders are keepers, for a few days more, anyway."
    "You've got a point there," Brian said. "The person who left the diamond in the cottage, accidentally or on purpose, was trespassing. Isn't there some law which says finders are keepers if you find something on your own property, Jim?"
    "I think so," Jim said thoughtfully. "Suppose we struck oil. It would belong to us, not to the descendants of the family that originally purchased this land from the State of New York after the Revolution."
    "Now I feel better," Honey said, "although I wouldn't have the thing as a gift. Besides, we're really trying to help the police, and we actually have helped them, in a way. That is, if Trixie's theory is correct."
    "Let's hear Trixie's theory again," Mart said. "But let's get cooled off. Can you lend Brian and. me trunks, Jim?"
    "Sine," Jim said. "Let's see, where are my swimming trunks, Honey?"
    "I don't know where anything is anymore," Honey complained. "I moved some of my things to your old room, but not all of them."
    "Me, too," Jim said, grinning. He pulled a long mirror away from the wall, revealing several rows of shelves. "Yours, all yours, Honey. I guess my extra trunks are in the other room."
    "Well, hurry up and change," Honey said. "I'll lend Trixie a swimsuit, and we'll meet you down at the boathouse in five minutes."
    "Wait a minute," Trixie said, holding her hands behind her back. "Diamond, diamond, who's got the diamond?"
    "You have," Brian said, smiling. "Run home and put it in the toe of my riding boot like a good girl."
    "I'll do nothing of the kind," Trixie retorted. "If I so much as darken our door, Moms will think up seventy million chores for me to do. I slaved all morning. You go."
    "I tell you what," Mart said cheerfully. "I'll try to guess which of your dirty little paws is clutching the joo-well. If I guess wrong, I'll take it home."
    "Okay," Trixie agreed. "Right or left?"
    "Right," Mart said.
    "Wrong," Trixie said and gave him the diamond. "Run along, Mart, dear, and don't forget to feed the chickens and gather the eggs."
    "Oh, brother," Mart groaned. "I forgot that item."
    "They need fresh water, too," Trixie said gaily. "Lucky for you, Jim filled the mash hoppers this morning. If I were you, I'd hurry like anything. Dad will be home any minute, and if he sees you, he may suggest that the coop needs cleaning out and fresh litter put in." Mart raced off with a faint moan, and Trixie turned to Jim. "For your information, smarty, shovels are also used for cleaning out chicken coops, not spades."
    Jim chortled. "My, how you hate to be made fun of, Miss Belden. For your own information, I know more about the care and feeding of poultry than you ever will know."
    "Keep it to yourself," Trixie said tartly. "What I've been through this summer has turned me against chickens and eggs in any form."
    "Oh, dear," Honey wailed. "Miss Trask wants all of you to have dinner with us tonight and spend the night, too. Sort of a welcome-home house party for your brothers, Trixie, but we're going to have fried chicken."
    "That's different," Trixie said quickly. "As long as they're not our chickens."
    Jim gave Honey a surprised look. "How clever you are, little stepsister. When you did arrange to have all hands on deck for the springing of the trap tonight?" Honey patted herself on the shoulder. "I am smart. I thought it was a good idea to have, as you say, all hands on deck. That prowler can't possibly get away from all of us." She giggled. "To be honest, it was Miss Trask's idea, not mine—the house party. It's to last the whole weekend."
    Trixie collapsed on Honey's big bed. "I can't stand it. It's too good to be true. Did Moms agree?"
    "She certainly did," Honey informed her with a gay smile. "She said you deserved a vacation. And guess what?"
    "One thing at a time, puh-leeze," Brian begged. "Does Miss Trask really want all three of us Beldens eating you out of house and home for forty-eight hours? And have you enough room?"
    "Of course," Honey said. "Miss Trask is very thrilled about the whole thing. There are twin beds in Jim's old room for Trixie and me. It's across the hall. And right next to it is another room with twin beds for you and Mart."
    Trixie hugged her impulsively. "Oh, Honey, it's the nicest thing that ever happened to us."
    "It was supposed to be a surprise," Honey said, "until the last minute. But when Mart looked so depressed about cleaning the chicken coop, I