The Mystery on Cobbett's Island
notice it particularly, but in a few weeks it will be filled with yellow blossoms that hang in panicles, or chains. It’s a very old tree, and I think it’s the loveliest one on Cobbett’s Island. I wish we had more of them, but that’s the only one.”
The Bob-Whites listened to Mrs. Kimball with suppressed excitement. Here was another clue to the information in the letter. As she thought about the letter, Trixie instinctively put her hand in her pocket and realized she had left it on the terrace. She dashed back to get it and was surprised to find the envelope on the table where she had left it but the letter lying in the grass some distance away.
“Probably the wind blew it over here,” Trixie said thoughtfully as she retrieved it, “but there doesn’t seem to be a wind. That’s queer.”
The incident slipped from her mind, however, as she and the others went to work. Yesterday their work had been mainly picking up fallen branches and raking leaves, but today it was quite a different story. They found that the honeysuckle vines clung to the trees like demons, and the roots seemed to extend for miles under the soft earth. Together with the wild grapes, they formed a veritable jungle. But the Bob-Whites soon evolved a system for coping with the stubborn vines. Peter and Jim cut the main stems at ground level. Then Mart and Brian pulled the vines away from the trees, and the girls dragged them off to be burned when they had dried out.
Mystery in the Toolshed • 6
BY NOON THEY had made good progress, but they were still not up to the gazebo itself. They decided to have hamburgers at Bascom’s so as not to waste any more time than was necessary. After cleaning up, they piled into the Icebox and headed for the center of the island.
As they drove through the village, Peter pointed out the school, firehouse, and municipal hall, all of colonial architecture. “What’s that ramshackle building over there near the school?” asked Diana, pointing to a dilapidated structure that looked completely out of place in the otherwise attractive center.
“That, my friends, is our library,” replied Peter. “Do you see why we’re so anxious for a new building? That one is over ninety years old, and while it was probably the pride and joy of the island in its day, it sure is an eyesore now. There are a lot of good books in there, even some rare ones, I guess, but who wants to go into a gloomy place like that?”
Bascom’s was across from the school, and during the winter it was a favorite gathering place for Peter and his schoolmates. Today it was deserted, but Mrs. Bas-com came bustling out of the back room and said she would be glad to make hamburgers for all of them. “I miss Peter and all the young folks after school closes,” she said as she put buns on to toast.
As the meat was sizzling on the grill, Abe came in and, seeing Peter, called out, “Hi, Pete. What’s new?”
“Draw up a stool, and I’ll tell you,” answered Peter. He introduced the Bob-Whites to Abe and, after Mrs. Bascom had served them and was busy in another part of the store, told him about the letter.
Abe listened patiently; then, shaking his head, he smiled and said, “Personally, I think you kids are wasting your time. I’m fairly new on the so-called force around here, but I’d be bound to hear something about this if there were anything to it. Chances are it’s just some directions for a treasure hunt. The summer folks used to have an annual hunt and went all over the island. My advice to you is to forget it. Don’t waste your time.”
“But don’t you think—” began Trixie earnestly, but a nudge from Jim made her stop.
Abe finished his sandwich and coffee. Then, swinging off the stool, he adjusted the heavy leather belt that held his revolver, said good-bye to them, and left.
“I thought you’d better not say anything more to him,” Jim explained, “because he obviously doesn’t take any stock in the letter at all. If we talked about it too much, he might get the idea that we’re prying into something that isn’t any of our business and upset our applecart. As it is, he’ll probably forget all about it.”
“You’re right, as usual, Jim,” said Trixie. “We’ll just keep quiet from now on. If there’s anything to all this, we’ll find out sooner or later.”
“I’m glad we told him about it, anyway,” said Diana. “Now we won’t feel we’re doing anything illegal.”
“Well, let’s
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