The Mysterious Visitor

The moment she gave it a yank, something sprang out at her, and she saw, to her horror, that it was a giant octopus that slapped her in the face before it fell at her feet.
    Again Trixie managed to suppress a scream, and she gazed thoughtfully down at the hideous papier-mâché creature. Had Uncle Monty purposely planted it behind the drapery?
    And then Uncle Monty himself was in the room, calling to her as he hurried to her side: "Well, well, podner, what are you doing in here all by your lonesome?" He spoke in a cheerful voice, but when he came closer, Trixie could see that he was angry.
    For answer she picked up the octopus and handed it to him. "Don’t you want to fix this so it’ll spring out on somebody else?" she asked sweetly. If he put it back behind the drapery, she might be able to catch a quick glimpse of the portraits.
    "Scared you, huh?" he asked, chuckling, but with the same angry expression in his narrow, brown eyes.
    Trixie laughed. "Not much. I don’t scare easily."
    "Oh, you don’t, don’t you?" he demanded. It was more of a threat than a question, and Trixie would have felt a little frightened if the other guests hadn’t come trooping back just then.
    She didn’t have another chance that evening to look at the portraits, but several times she caught him looking at her with narrowed eyes.
    Shortly after midnight Tom Delanoy called for them in the Wheelers’ station wagon. "How was the party, kids?" he asked.
    "Simply wonderful," Honey told him. "I think everyone at the party had a marvelous time. Don’t you think so, too, Trixie?"
    Trixie nodded. "I don’t usually like parties, but this one was extra special, in spite of Uncle Monty."
    "In spite of him?" Brian demanded. "Why, he was the life of the party. It wouldn’t have been anything without him. He’s a grand guy. I like him a lot."
    "I do, too," Jim agreed. "I wasn’t crazy about those queer things that kept jumping out at people, but once all his silly little traps were sprung, the rest of the evening went very smoothly."
    "I suppose you’re crazy about him, too, Mart?" Trixie demanded sourly.
    "Well, yes and no," Mart replied evasively. "I gather from the piqued expression on your pretty face that you were frustrated in your attempt to ascertain whether or not our esteemed hostess’s late lamented relatives had orbs the color of yours and mine."
    Trixie sighed impatiently. "If you mean I didn’t get a chance to glance at the portraits, the answer is yes. But one thing is sure: Uncle Monty knows I suspect him, and he was very careful to keep me from looking at the portraits, so that proves he’s guilty."
    Tom groaned and asked Jim, who was sitting on the front seat beside him, "Is she off sleuthing again? If so, I’m going to quit my job."
    "Once a sleuth always a sleuth," Jim said and turned around to face Trixie. "Lay off Uncle Monty, Trix. If he’s what you think he is, you’ll get into trouble, and if he isn’t, you’ll cause a lot of trouble. And unhappiness."
    "That’s right." Honey agreed. "Di likes him now. She was very proud of him this evening. He was so popular with all of her guests and so much fun." She shuddered reminiscently. "I didn’t like those things that kept jumping out, either, Jim. I wish I hadn’t screamed when that snake slid across my arm. If he hadn’t planted all those horrible things all over the place, the party would have been perfect. I wonder why he did it."
    "I can guess," Trixie said. "He wanted the party to be a flop. He’d planned to make us all dance when nobody wanted to. Then he tried to make us play silly kindergarten games, but Honey talked him out of it. If it hadn’t been for Honey and the games she suggested, the party would have been a flop."
    "I don’t get it," Brian said. "It’s all too complicated and devious for me."
    "It is devious," Trixie said. "And Di put her finger on his scheme earlier when she said she hoped her father would give him a lot of money so he’d go away. That’s what Uncle Monty hopes, too."
    "I don’t get it," Brian said again.
    "Neither do I," Jim and Honey chorused.
    "Oh, don’t you see?" Trixie asked impatiently. "He pretends to be very nice to Di, but he’s really very mean to her. If he keeps on making her life miserable in that sly way of his, pretty soon Mr. Lynch will give him what he wants so he’ll go away."
    "What does he want?" Honey asked.
    "Money, of course," Trixie said. "What other reason could he have for coming here and