The Mysterious Visitor

whisper. But after a while the orchestra stopped, and you kept right on talking at the top of your lungs. At least, that’s the way it sounded to me. I tried to drown out your voices by practically yelling myself, but unless he’s stone deaf, which he isn’t, Mr. Wilson couldn’t help hearing part of what you said. Enough, anyway, to gather that you’re going to look at his parents’ portraits in the gallery, and if they both have blue eyes you’ll tell Di that he’s an impostor."
    Trixie sank into the nearest chair. "Oh, no!" "Oh, yes," Honey said, perching on top of the desk. "He pretended he wasn’t listening, but I could tell that he was, even after he put on his mask. He was mad, too, Trixie, and I don’t blame him. You really ought to stop going around suspecting people all the time. Someday you’re going to get into trouble."
    "What do you mean, someday?" Trixie demanded. "I’m in trouble right now."
    "No, not really," Honey said. "Mr. Wilson was mad, because he does lose his temper very easily. But he doesn’t stay mad long. He’s probably forgotten all about what you said."
    "Then you don’t think Uncle Monty is an impostor?" Trixie asked.
    "Of course not." Honey smiled. "He’s very nice when you get to know him. Come on. We’d better get back to the party, Trixie. It sounds as though the grand march is starting."
    "I wouldn’t miss it for the whole world," Trixie said sarcastically. "I want to be there when Uncle Monty gives himself first prize." She laughed, but inside she was worried. If Mr. Wilson was an impostor, what would he do, now that he knew she suspected him?

A Clue and a Warning • 9

    WHEN TRIXIE left Honey, she slipped across the hall and into the dining room. On the long mahogany sideboard was a massive silver candelabrum. Trixie took an orange candle from one of the ornate branches and looked around for some matches. There weren’t any in sight. While she was hurriedly searching in the semidarkened room, Harrison suddenly appeared and turned on the overhead lights. Because both the hall and the dining room were thickly carpeted from wall to wall, Trixie had not heard a sound until the click of the light switch made her jump. As she whirled around, she slipped the candle into her pocket.
    Blinking as her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the brilliant light, she said guiltily, "Oh, hello, Harrison. I didn’t expect to find you here."
    He gave her a cold, suspicious glance. "Nor did I expect to find you here, miss. The other young people are in the gallery, where the grand march is in progress," he said so pointedly that Trixie hastily turned and fled back to the gallery.
    As she joined the tail end of the grand march, she dismissed the portraits from her mind. The problem now was, for Di’s sake, to make sure that the party was a success. Uncle Monty, as judge, was standing in the center of the long room. Amid loud laughter he gradually eliminated the boys who had come as famous cowboys. Then he eliminated the girls who had come as witches. The Bob-Whites, in their identical jackets, were eliminated next. That left a girl who had come in a ghost’s costume she had made out of an old sheet, with a pillowcase for a mask, and a boy who had stitched some rags all over his shirt and jeans. He had started out as quite a convincing-looking beggar, but because he apparently was no handier with a thread and needle than Trixie was, he had shed a few of his rags at every step.
    He got the booby prize, and the "ghost," having the most original costume, was awarded the first prize. Uncle Monty tried to make a long speech with the presentation of each prize, but the Bob-Whites drowned out his words by whistling, stamping, and clapping their hands. Trixie guessed that their interruptions annoyed him, but she couldn’t be sure, because the domino he was wearing hid most of his face.
    Then they played the games which he and Honey had planned. Even Trixie had to admit that under Honey’s tactful guidance, Uncle Monty made a wonderful master of ceremonies, and the quiz contests were a great success. The orchestra seemed to have as much fun as the guests. Jim won the "sporting songs" group, Brian won the "birds," and Mart quickly got the answers to "famous rivers." In the end every guest won a prize except the three hostesses, Di, Trixie, and Honey, who were not allowed to compete.
    Uncle Monty saw to that, and Trixie couldn’t help wondering if he had included her as one of his