The Marshland Mystery

could have done it, but—”
    “I’m glad you decided not to,” his father said dryly. “The fact is, I’ll need both you and Brian here all day. We’ve got to get the kitchen garden planted for your mother. We’re supposed to have rain by Sunday.”
    “Suits me.” Mart grinned. “Saves a lot of hard labor moving the furniture out to the shopping ladies’ station wagons. Let ’em bring their own muscle guys!”
    “Check!” Brian agreed. “I’ll drop the girls out there and come back.”
    None of them noticed Bobby, in his sleepers, come to the kitchen door, sleepily rubbing his eyes. He stood yawning a moment, then spotted Mart’s package and made a beeline for it. He climbed up on a chair and started tearing off the newspaper wrapping.
    Trixie heard the paper rattle. “Bobby!” she exclaimed and made a dash for him. “Leave my dragon box alone!” Bobby was so startled that he gave a hard pull on the newspaper, and the box slid off onto the floor.
    “My box!My box!” Trixie wailed and fell to her knees to gather it up. “If you’ve broken it—”
    “What’s going on?” Mr. Belden asked sharply. Mart was standing with a baffled expression on his face, and Brian was frowning puzzledly.
    “I guess I should have known that nobody can keep a secret around here,” Mart growled. “Okay, take your silly brass box. It’s a birthday present from Miss Rachel. But, for the love of pete, don’t let her know you’ve got it now, way ahead of time. She’ll be disgusted!”
    “Don’t worry. I won’t!” She hugged the box to her. “It’s going to go right on the highest shelf in my room, and I won’t even think about it till my birthday!”
    “I don’t like the idea of your taking any presents from Miss Rachel,” her father said, with a little frown, “but I suppose it would hurt her feelings if you took it back. And it’s not anything that would bring her more than a couple of dollars at the sale. So....” He shrugged.
    “Dad, you’re just the best!” Trixie beamed at him. “Goodnight, everybody! See you in the morning!” And she fled out into the hall and up to her room before anyone had a chance to have a second thought.
     
    In the morning, she was up at daybreak and lost no time shaking Brian awake. “Up!” she ordered. “I’ll fix breakfast and call Honey and Di to get ready. Hurry!”
    “Why,” he groaned sleepily, “did I ever let myself be talked into playing chauffeur for a bevy of females?”
    “Because one of them has bee-yootiful hazel eyes! And it isn’t me!” And she dashed out into the hall so fast that the pillow Brian hurled missed her.
    By the time they were dressed and had snatched a quick bite of coffee cake and a glass of milk, full daylight had arrived. But it was a gray morning, and over in the east the clouds were dark and threatening.
    “There’s that storm that’s due here tomorrow,” Trixie said as they rode along Glen Road in the jalopy. “It looks kind of close, to me.”
    “I hope it holds off,” Brian said, turning up into Honey’s driveway. Then he stepped on the brake suddenly as two figures came down the drive from the house. “Hey, look! Gaye!”
    “Carrying Mr. Poo like a stuffed doll, poor guy,” Brian chuckled. “And what’s that in her other hand? Looks like a suitcase.”
    Trixie jumped out of the car and ran to meet them. “Good morning, Gaye. Aren’t you up early for a young lady who’s playing a concert tonight?” she asked gaily. Honey said quickly, “She’s going with us.”
    “Uh-oh!” Trixie said doubtfully. “Does Miss Crandall know about it?”
    “Of course she does!” Gaye scowled. “I told her I was going to the sale, and she said—” she seemed to be looking for the right word—“she told me, ‘Go ahead, but be sure to be back early.’ ”
    The two girls and Brian exchanged looks, but Gaye didn’t wait. She climbed into the front seat next to Brian and settled down determinedly.
    “And what’s in there?” Brian asked, nodding toward the small suitcase.
    “Oh, just Mr. Poo’s lunch. He’s on a very special diet— for his nerves, you know.”
    “First time I ever heard of that,” Brian said, laughing softly. He beckoned to the two girls, who were still standing, undecided, beside the car. “Climb in and let’s go.”
    They picked up Di at her gate, and she crowded in with Honey and Trix. Gaye was very silent in the front seat as Trixie told Di about Bobby and the brass box. She