The Mysterious Visitor

worry about taking up my time?" "Why, Regan," Honey said innocently, "we always try to be considerate. You’ve often said so yourself. Why, only yesterday you told Daddy you’d quit if it weren’t for the fact that we keep the horses so well exercised and groomed. Why, you’re forever complaining about how overworked you are, especially in the mornings when there’s so much to do. Why, I wouldn’t think of letting Mr. Wilson disrupt your routine. Why—" "That’s five why’ s," Regan interrupted. "Four too many for my money. So I’m always complaining, am I? When I do quit, and you try somebody else, see how long he lasts with five crazy kids always getting involved in mysteries, especially Trixie.’’ He gave them all, especially Trixie, a glare and said to Mr. Wilson, "Come on inside, sir. It isn’t often I get a chance to talk with an expert about horses."
    As soon as the two men were out of sight, Trixie grabbed Honey’s arm. "Say, what’s wrong with you? You’re supposed to be the tactful one. Why on earth did you have to tell Regan he’s always complaining?"
    "Oh, I don’t know," Honey groaned. "I’m just so nervous." They moved slowly back to the porch. "Regan is always complaining, but he doesn t really mean it, and he’s mad now because he knows I know he’s the only groom we’d ever get to stay here and do all the things he does.
    Since school started we haven’t exercised the horses every day, and half the time we’re in such a hurry, we don’t groom them properly. And—" "Never mind; never mind," Jim said dolefully. "We know. But Regan won’t quit on account of what you said, Honey."
    "But he will quit," Di said in a voice that was even more doleful than Jim’s, "on account of what Uncle Monty’s saying right now. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come out here in the first place. All I’ve done is cause everyone a lot of trouble. You’d better forget about me. I’m going to pack up my things right now and go back home with Uncle Monty."
    "You’ll do nothing of the kind," Honey cried, giving Di an affectionate hug. "We’re all worrying about something that may never happen. I’m not an expert, but I know Starlight and Susie are fine horses. They were real bargains. Weren’t they, Jim?"
    Jim nodded. "Mr. Wilson and Regan are probably getting along fine. As thick as two hoss thieves," he added with a chuckle.
    Jim’s young springer spaniel, Patch, and the Beldens’ harum-scarum Irish setter, Reddy, came bounding up the porch steps.
    Trixie greeted both dogs affectionately and said to Jim, "How are you getting on with Patch’s training? When do you have time for it, anyway?" "Early in the morning and late in the evening," Jim said. "And Patch has learned a lot." Demonstrating, he said, "See? He obeys the commands ‘sit,’ ‘lie,’ and "heel,’ and he’s pretty good about retrieving. But Tom says he’ll never point, although some springers can be taught to. The very word ‘springer’ means ‘one that springs, as a dog flushing game.’ They used to be called springing spaniels, in case you didn’t know."
    "I didn’t know," Trixie said. "I thought all spaniels and setters pointed. Reddy does, but not because anybody wants him to. Just before he dashes across Moms’s flower garden after a rabbit, he sometimes lifts one paw and points his nose at it." She chuckled. "The idea is, I guess, to give Moms and the rabbit fair warning. Reddy is completely hopeless. When we tell him to sit, he lies down. When Brian and Mart tell him to heel, he goes home to his bed on the terrace. When they tell him to go home, he heels. When they tell him to he down, he runs around in circles."
    Jim chuckled. "It’s not Reddy’s fault. The trouble with him is that all of you, including Bobby, tried to train him at the same time. I’m being very stuffy about Patch. I won’t let anybody except myself give him a command—not even Honey."
    "You are being stuffy," Honey said, smiling. "But I can see why. When the duck season opens next month, you boys will want Patch to retrieve ducks, not just any old thing he finds lying around." She turned to Trixie. "Tom’s going to take them shooting in the marshes up the river, you know."
    Tom Delanoy, the Wheelers’ young chauffeur, was very popular with both the boys and girls. He had taught Brian and Mart everything they knew about hunting and fishing. The Beldens had recommended him for the job because, unlike many chauffeurs, Tom did