The Mysterious Code

eat them. Diana’s father and mother were busy
putting last touches to the room. As they came in, Trixie saw the four faces of
Diana’s little twin brothers and twin sisters peeping at the scene below
through the railing at the head of the stairs.
    “Hi, Cinderella!”
Jim said when he caught sight of Trixie. “Some dress! You smell wonderful,
too.”
    “It’s Moms’s
perfume,” Trixie said, grinning. “The orchid is super, Jim. Thanks!”
    “Trade it for a
dance,” Jim said, and Trixie floated off on tiptoe, heels not even touching the
floor, dancing on cloud nine.
    Diana had asked Tad
to her party. After the burglary at Mrs. Vanderpoel’s house, Spider and Tad had
gone often, at the little Dutch woman’s invitation, to visit her, most of the
time to stay for dinner.
    After Mrs.
Vanderpoel had heard about Spider’s attempt to make a home for Tad, trying to
cook, manage the house, and direct Tad’s activities all by himself, she told
Trixie, “I need a boy around this house. I love to have someone to cook for.
I’m going to ask them if they’d like to come and live with me.”
    So it had been
arranged. For a nominal rental, for Spider would have it no other way, they
moved to Mrs. Vanderpoel’s house.
    Tad now went back
and forth on the bus with the other country boys and girls. They were all good
friends.
    When Tad danced with
Trixie at the Valentine party, he said, “I guess you know that Bull Thompson
was sent to reform school.”
    “Yes,” Trixie said,
“and it wasn’t half what he deserved. Did Sergeant Molinson or your brother
find out anything more about the rest of his gang? Was Bull’s Uncle Snipe mixed
up in it?”
    “I don’t know,” Tad
said soberly. “No matter how they questioned Bull, they couldn’t get a thing
out of him. He said the others had skipped to another part of the country. No
one can take Bull Thompson’s word for anything, though.”
    “Thank goodness
nothing happened to Mrs. Vanderpoel,” Trixie said fervently. “I’m glad you and
Spider live with her now.”
    “That goes more ways
than one,” Tad said. “She’s tops.”
    Jim came up with
Cokes and hamburgers for Trixie and himself. “I should have brought one for
you,” he said to Tad. “Here, take this, and I’ll get another.”
    “No, thanks,” Tad
said, and he jumped up from the chair where he had been talking to Trixie.
“I’ll get it myself.”
    “Why didn’t you tell
me you could dance like a feather?” Jim asked Trixie.
    “Mart didn’t think
so when I was dancing with him,” Trixie said, smiling. “He said I punctured his
toes with my high heels.”
    “I feel so sorry for
him,” Jim said. “I’ll tell you this: I’d lots rather dance with you than I
would with Mart. Say, Trixie, why don’t we take our food over on that divan
that faces the window?”
    Trixie followed Jim
to the seat in front of the window. In front of them, through the window, the
light from the full moon etched shadows of the bare trees on glistening snow.
There were millions of stars in the sky. They could see down the hill toward
the Manor House. Back of them in the big living room, the record player played
soft music.
    Trixie finished her
hamburger, then put her head back against the couch and dreamed. Outside, the
moon seemed to come closer and closer. Watching it, Trixie suddenly jerked her
head to awareness.
    “That light,” she
whispered to Jim. “It’s Regan with a lantern. He’s running toward the
clubhouse.”
    “Shhhh!” Jim warned.
“Get your coat. Quiet! I’ll meet you at the front door, right outside.”
Outside, Jim held tight to Trixie’s hand to keep her from stumbling in her high
heels. Faster and faster they went, trying to catch up with Regan and his
bobbing lantern.
    When they were
within a few yards of Regan, they called out to him softly. He turned around in
surprise. “Regan, did the alarm sound?” Trixie asked worriedly.
    “It sure did,” Regan
said. “I was down in the stable yard and didn’t hear it at first,” he
continued.
    “Blast it! There
they go down Glen Road!” Red-haired Regan swung the lantern angrily in disgust
“Oh, for a good rifle! I left the apartment for about half an hour and this had
to happen!”
    “Forget it Regan,”
Jim said. “Come on, Trixie; let’s see what happened in the clubhouse.”
    “Just look at this!”
Trixie moaned as they went inside and turned on tie light. The beautiful
curtains Honey had made had been jerked from