The Mysterious Visitor

of us had any idea that he did. If he had tried to get rough with me, lacking a gun, I would have knocked him cold. He’s nothing but a flabby-muscled little shrimp, and I guess that’s why he does—or did—carry a gun."
    "One thing I haven’t yet figured out," Trixie said. "Did you plan to leave that machine running until he came back to the Robin at eleven? Those spools don’t last more than half an hour, do they?" Mart nodded. "That was luck—sheer luck. I started it in order to test it, and never did turn it off. When the spool runs out, the machine goes off automatically."
    Trixie sighed. "That wasn’t the luckiest part of it all. I hate to think about what might have happened to me if you hadn’t been hiding in the shower, Mart. Who knows where I’d be now!" She shivered.
    Honey gave her an affectionate hug. "It must have been simply awful, Trixie. I would have died of fright."
    Jim cleared his throat. "Well, let’s call the meeting to order. We can’t wait any longer for Di. We must decide today what we’re going to do about a clubhouse. Does anyone have any brilliant ideas?"
    At that moment Di burst into the cottage. "Oh, it’s all so wonderful," she cried, her pretty face flushed with excitement. "Mother realizes now that none of the strange things that have been happening at our place lately would have happened if she had been running the house the way she used to do. So she’s fired Harrison and the nurses, and I’m going to get paid for helping her take care of the twins."
    Mart chuckled. "That makes you a full-fledged Bob-White, or should I say fledgling?"
    "Speaking of birds," Honey said to Di, "does anyone know what happened to the valuable china ones that disappeared from your father’s study?"
    Di nodded. "Monty confessed to everything, you know. He stole them and gave them to Olyfant. When the police raided his hotel this morning, they found them in his safe. So this time he will go to jail."
    "Well," Brian said, "I guess that pretty much ties everything up neatly. Except for the Beldens’ winter sports equipment." He pointed to the sleds and skis and snowshoes. "There’s no room for them in our garage, and we can’t keep them here any longer. This cottage belongs to Tom and Celia now."
    Di laughed. "I forgot to tell you about the reward Dad is giving Trixie and Mart."
    "Reward?" Trixie was very wide awake now. "What reward, and why?"
    "The Robin," Di said. "Because you kept Monty from getting away with it, not to mention fifty thousand dollars!"
    "The Robin?" Trixie stared at Mart. "Do you understand what she’s talking about?"
    "Birds," Mart said. "Bob-Whites and robins and valuable china ones. Not that any of this talk is making much sense to me."
    Di giggled. "In words of one syllable, Mart, Dad is giving you and Trixie the red trailer, otherwise known as the Robin. And won’t it make a wonderful clubhouse for the Bob-Whites?"
    Trixie collapsed in a heap on the dirt floor. "I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. We can’t accept it, either, can we, Mart?"
    "No," he said thoughtfully. "Not for a clubhouse. But we can give it to Tom. After all, he played a big part in helping us prove that Monty was an impostor. I, for one, would never have suspected the guy if Tom hadn’t told us what he did."
    "That’s right," Trixie yelled excitedly. "And if you hadn’t suspected him, I wouldn’t be here today. And Monty wouldn’t be in jail."
    "I guess Tom does deserve a reward, too," Di said. "But do you have to give him the trailer?" "Heavens, no!" Mart said airily. "We simply make a deal. We keep our clubhouse, and he parks the Robin on that plot of land Honey was telling us about."
    "It’s perfect!" Honey clapped her hands. "The ideal spot for the Robin is that clearing in the woods on the hill behind the stable. It’s got a beautiful view of the Hudson. I’m sure Celia and Tom will be happy about the whole thing, aren’t you, Jim?"
    "More than happy," Jim agreed. "Boy! Am I ever glad we don’t have to give up this place."
    Di sighed contentedly. "I’ve got more news. In that little black notebook which Trixie found in Monty’s pocket, the police discovered the name and address of my real uncle, my mother’s real brother."
    "Somehow," Trixie said dreamily, "I always felt sure he was alive."
    "He’s very much alive," Di said. "Mother telephoned him this morning long-distance. He has a huge dude ranch out in Arizona, and he’s going to fly east as soon as he