The Mysterious Visitor

I know I’m being nosy, and I haven’t meant to eavesdrop, but I can’t help hearing you kids talk on the bus. You’re always shouting back and forth to each other across the aisle, and I’ve heard you mention Regan so many times."
    "He’s our groom," Honey said. "We have five horses, you see, but Regan does a lot more than just take care of them. He and Miss Trask run the whole place together. I mean, the other servants take orders from them. We couldn’t get along without Regan. Could we, Jim?"
    Jim shook his head. The boys had been listening quietly, but now Jim said, "Make it snappy, Di. The bus will be leaving in a few minutes. Honey and I sure would like to have you spend the weekend with us. You’ve got just about time to telephone your mother."
    Di hesitated, then she raced off.
    "Oh," Trixie said in relief. "I’m awfully glad she’s going to come. I thought for a minute, there, that she was going to say no."
    Jim nodded. "She seemed pretty doubtful about the whole thing. It looked like you could use a little extra help to convince her."
    "Thanks, Jim," Honey said. "It was very thoughtful of you to invite her, too. You’ve all got to help me see to it that she has a good time this weekend. Di’s awfully unhappy."
    "She sounded pretty grim," Mart agreed. He and Brian climbed into the bus.
    Jim said to Honey, "Di is grim. She looked desperate to me—as though she were at the end of her tether. But, of course, I hardly know her. Do you know what’s wrong with her, Trix?"
    "I don’t know," Trixie said. "She didn’t used to be tense and grim."
    "Well," Jim said, "I think we ought to try to find out what’s making her so miserable—if for no other reason than that the motto of our club is to have a brotherly and sisterly attitude toward other kids who may need help." He climbed into the bus.
    "Jim’s wonderful," Trixie cried. "Most boys wouldn’t have noticed that Di is unhappy. I guess Jim hasn’t forgotten how miserable he was when he had to five with that mean old Jonesy."
    "Jim is a very understanding person," Honey agreed. "That’s why the boys’ outdoor school he plans to start when he gets through college is going to be such a success. His pupils, even though they’re orphans, won’t be unhappy for one minute."
    "I wish all schools were like the one Jim plans," Trixie said. "I mean, sandwiching lessons in between sports and woodcraft. Lessons are always so boring."
    "I wonder what’s keeping Di," Honey said worriedly. "The bus will leave in another minute. I’m afraid she’s going to miss it."
    "Here she comes now," Trixie said. "And she’s smiling for a change. So I guess all is well."
    "I can come," Di said breathlessly as she climbed into the bus to sit between Honey and Trixie.
    "Oh, I’m so glad," Honey cried. "You don’t even have to worry about a toothbrush. Miss Trask buys them by the dozen, so we always have plenty of new ones on hand for guests."
    Di shook her head, the smile fading from her lips. "Mother is sending a suitcase out with our chauffeur. I begged and begged her not to, but—" She stopped, looking as though she was going to burst into tears.
    "Why, what difference does it make," Trixie blurted, "whether she sends it or not?"
    "I can’t talk about it here on the bus," Diana whispered tensely.
    "Why not?" Trixie demanded.
    Di turned her face away to stare out the window. She seemed to be very interested in the scenery.
    Trixie twisted around on her seat to look out the window, too. But there wasn’t anything interesting that she could see. They were passing through the crowded section of the village, and the bus had simply stopped for the light at Main Street.
    Some of the boys and girls in Trixie’s class, who walked to and from school, were standing on the comer. One of them waved to her and shouted, "How about that English homework assignment? Tough, huh?"
    "You said it," Trixie yelled back. "It’s going to ruin the whole weekend."
    The bus lumbered off again. Di continued to stare out of the window.
    Trixie nudged her with her elbow. "What’s the matter with you, Di?"
    Di pretended she hadn’t heard.
    The other kids were making so much noise that there was no reason to whisper any longer.
    "Awful talkative, aren’t you?" Trixie asked Di sarcastically.
    Honey, who was sitting on the other side of Diana, shook her head, put a warning finger to her lips, and frowned at Trixie.
    Trixie knew she wasn’t being very tactful, but she was so curious