The Marshland Mystery

the rear seat and rushed to his adopted sister.
    “Gosh, I’m sorry, Honey!” Brian exclaimed. “My moron brother, here, thought he was being funny!”
    “I—I didn’t mean to—” Mart’s face was crimson as he climbed out of the car and came to them. “I was just—”
    “Just being a clown, which comes naturally!” Trixie snapped angrily. “Don’t bother apologizing. We know that little children must play!”
    “Aw, Trix!” Mart mumbled.
    “Oh, stop making a fuss,” Honey said, laughing. “I didn’t take a tumble, did I? That’s pretty good for a gal who didn’t know one end of a bicycle from the other at one time!”
    “It wasn’t his fault you didn’t fall!” Trixie cast a withering glance at Mart.
    Jim decided it was time to change the subject. He nodded toward the specimen basket on the front of Trixie’s bike. “I see you girls were a bit more successful in your expedition than we were in ours. We were rained out before we had half the corn planted.”
    “We have some beautiful specimens,” Honey told him proudly. “Miss Bennett will be delighted.”
    But Trixie was still frowning in Mart’s direction. All she said was “Hmph.”
    Brian caught Jim’s eye and shrugged. Jim tried again. “By the way, Trix, I didn’t notice till you were out of sight this morning that I’d forgotten to give you back the map. I suppose you came back and found it where I pinned it on the door of the clubhouse.”
    “Why, no,” Trixie said, surprised. “We didn’t miss it till we were almost halfway to the swamp and had to decide which way to turn. But we muddled along somehow and finally found the swamp without it.”
    “Then the map’s still hanging there, I guess.” Brian laughed. “And here I flattered myself that you two just couldn’t get along without my artistic help!”
    “It was a lovely map, and it did help!” Honey smiled warmly at Brian. “We remembered things you had on it, and they helped a lot.”
    “Good!” Brian was pleased. “And now, Miss Trixie, Til load your bike on the back of my car, and you can ride the rest of the way home with us. Then, if you like, I’ll help you prepare those specimens the way Miss Bennett likes them for class.”
    “Thanks!” Trixie said, with a sigh of relief. “At least I have one male relative who’s not a complete idiot!”
    “Only half a one, I suppose!” Brian laughed.
    “I didn’t mean any such—” Trixie began, but she stopped abruptly as they all heard the low warning whine of a police car siren coming along Glen Road from the direction of town.
    A moment later, a Sleepyside Police Department car came speeding into view, its red light busily blinking.
    Everyone jumped back, to be well out of the way when it passed, but, to their amazement, it slowed down at the foot of the driveway, then swung in and went up the drive to the front of the mansion.
    Trixie was the quickest to react. “Something’s wrong!” she exclaimed.
    Honey turned white and looked as if she might be going to faint. “Mother—Dad—oh!” she whispered, clutching Jim’s arm.
    “Whoa!” Jim started to laugh, and his arm went across his sister’s shoulders. “Somebody probably telephoned headquarters that there was going to be a party for our small celebrity tonight, and they’re here to find out if we need a detective to guard the guests’ jewels.”
    “A party? Oh!” Trixie’s blue eyes brightened.
    “For the Arts Club ladies to meet Gaye and her aunt.” Jim grinned. “Which means I stay in my room and study!”
    “I couldn’t have attended the party, anyhow,” Trixie said, putting on a society-matron air. “I’ll be much too busy. I do hope poor Gaye won’t pine away when I don’t arrive.”
    Jim chuckled. “Small chance! Not after she came back looking for you two and I had to explain that you had decided to go on without her. I told her you were sorry, but it didn’t help.”
    “She did have to practice, didn’t she?” Honey asked uneasily. “I’d feel awful if I thought my mistake made us hurt her feelings.”
    “I’ll say she had to practice!” Jim assured her. “Her loving aunt marched down to the clubhouse personally and dragged her, weeping, to the practice dungeon.”
    Mart leaned against the car and snickered. “Weeping? Yowling like a banshee, you told me, friend. As I recollect, you said she yelled louder than Bobby with soap in both eyes!”
    Even Trixie had to laugh, to Mart’s relief. It meant