The Mysterious Code

they had bought them at the
pawnshop and how the man who sold them said he could not remember who brought
them in.
    “We’ll send a man
over to inquire,” the sergeant said. “I doubt if it leads to anything. It’s
hard to get information out of those guys. They seldom ask questions when
anything is pawned. We’ll look into it right away,” he added quickly when he
saw Trixie’s disappointed face. “Is that all?”
    Trixie produced the
tag and told of their attempt to get information about it from the Bureau.
    “They have to obey
the rules,” the sergeant said. “We’ll see now just what they have over at the
Bureau on this license number.”
    He dialed, waited
for the sound of ringing, then repeated the number on the key-ring tag and held
the receiver, waiting.
    “Yes?” he said.
“That’s right. No, that’s the number on the tag. What did you say? Stolen?
When? Yes, that’s the night, all right. Was it recovered? I see. Thanks.”
    “That clue led up a
blind alley,” he told the anxiously waiting B.W.G.’s. “The car was stolen the
night your clubhouse was entered. The White Plains police found it two days
later. No harm done. Just out of gas.”
    “Were there any
clues as to who stole it?” Jim asked hopefully.
    “None at all,”
Sergeant Molinson said. “It probably was the crooks who were trying to
break into your clubhouse. The stolen escape car won’t help us a bit. I’ll hold
on to this tag, Trixie. Might as well forget about the car, kids.”
    “Did he tell you
what the car looked like—the man at the Bureau?” Trixie asked.
    “Yes, Trixie, he
did,” the sergeant said. “It was a blue and white sedan. If you can make
anything out of that, let us know, will you? There are probably a thousand blue
and white sedans that pass here every day. Maybe we should have taken Mrs.
Vanderpoel’s suggestion, after all, and added you to the police squad.”
    “Maybe you do need help,” Trixie said. “Our antique show will be held the day after tomorrow,
you know.”
    “Don’t I know it!”
the sergeant exclaimed.
    “We will have lots
of valuable things in the showroom by tomorrow night;” Trixie added.
    "Shall I detail
the whole squad to watch them?” the sergeant asked sarcastically. “The showroom
is on Main Street in plain sight Your father’s bank, Trixie, is right across
the street Is he going to call off the bank guard to watch your showroom? You
kids are beginning to get on my nerves. We’ll watch the place for you. Scram!”
    The sergeant turned
on his swivel chair to dismiss the B.W.G.’s.

The
Most Fun Ever • 15
    Tom
had the two little
Lynch boys, Larry and Terry, in the car with him when he picked up the
Bob-Whites.
    “This is a
surprise,” Diana said and hugged her little brothers. “Where did you find
them?” she asked Tom.
    “Your mother went to
New York, too, with Mrs. Wheeler, Diana,” Tom explained. “Miss Trask has the
little girls with her, and the boys are going to stay at your house for dinner
and the evening, Trixie.”
    “Oh, good,” Trixie
said, “Bobby will be happy. He’s been so lonesome for someone to play with.
Can’t you and Honey stay, too,” she asked Diana, “and Jim?”
    “Your mother is way
ahead of you,” Tom said. “She told me to dump the whole carload at Crab-apple
Farm. She’ll really have her hands full.”
    “Not with us to help
her,” Trixie said. “You don’t know my mother. This will be fun. Isn’t it
wonderful that we have a holiday tomorrow because of Washington’s birthday? We
can have all day tomorrow to get ready for our antique show, and we don’t have
to think about it tonight. There’s Reddy to welcome us. And your dog is coming,
too, Jim!”
    Reddy and Patch ran
out, wagging their tails. The two dogs were good friends.
    “Down, Patch!” Jim
commanded. “Heel!” Patch obeyed immediately.
    “It won t do to tell
Reddy to get down or to heel.” Mart laughed. “We’ve never trained him. We just
play with him. He minds Bobby now and then when he feels like it.”
    “Reddy doesn’t have
to mind anyone all the rest of his life,” Trixie said, “not after the way he
came home for help for us when we were lost in the blizzard. There’s Bobby
waving from the window,” she said to Terry and Larry. “Run on in, while we
collect our books. Won’t you come in for a cup of coffee?” she asked Tom.
    “Celia would crown
me if I did,” Tom answered. “We have a chance to have dinner all by