The Pet Show Mystery

visit?”
    Bobby didn’t answer immediately. He stared at Reddy and patted the dog’s neck.
    “Bobby, honey, I want to help if I can. I need to study, though. So please, tell me what you want.”
    Bobby cleared his throat and looked up at his sister. “I want Reddy to be in the pet show next Saturday,” he said simply.
    Trixie sighed. “We can’t let you do that, Bobby,” she said, deciding that a direct approach was best.
    “Why not?” Bobby asked.
    “We decided that, since the Bob-Whites are sponsoring the show, none of us can enter a pet.”
    “But I’m not a Bob-White,” Bobby replied immediately. “You always say that I’m too young to be a Bob-White.”
    “You are,” Trixie said firmly.
    “Then why can’t I enter Reddy in the pet show?” Bobby asked.
    “Because Reddy’s my dog, too, and I’m a Bob-White,” Trixie said.
    “You don’t ever play with Reddy or take him for walks. You don’t even feed him unless Moms tells you to,” Bobby said accusingly.
    “Reddy is really your dog, Bobby. You know that, and I know that. But other people think he belongs to all the Beldens. They’ll see that Reddy is entered, and they’ll think it’s unfair. That’s why we can’t let you enter him in the show. Do you understand?”
    Bobby was staring at the back of his dog’s neck. His lower lip was thrust forward, and his cheeks were flushed.
    Oh, please don’t let him cry, Trixie thought.
    But Bobby didn’t start to cry. “Okay,” he said with a strange firmness. “If I can’t enter Reddy in the pet show because the Bob-Whites can’t enter the pet show, then can I be a Bob-White?”
    “That’s blackmail!” Trixie shrieked.
    “What does that mean?” Bobby asked, looking at his sister owlishly.
    “Never mind,” she said hurriedly. “Listen, this isn’t a decision that I can make all by myself. The Bob-Whites make all of our really important decisions together. At our meeting tomorrow, I’ll see what they think about the idea of your entering the pet show.”
    “Or becoming a Bob-White,” Bobby added.

    There was a predictable chorus of groans the next afternoon when Trixie opened the Bob-Whites’ meeting by explaining Bobby’s request.
    “Well, we can’t let Bobby become a Bob-White. That’s simply out of the question,” Honey said.
    Jim shrugged. “I think we should let him enter the pet show. After all, we’re only sponsoring the contest; we’re not judging it. I don’t see how we can be accused of playing favorites if Reddy wins something.”
    Trixie was convinced. “Okay, but our best protection is still that Reddy is too much of a harebrained hound to win anything.”
    “Oh, he’ll win something,” Jim said. “Remember, all the pets in the show will win awards.”
    “Speaking of winning...” Honey began. Tactfully, she didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, she turned and looked at Mart.
    “I know,” Mart guessed. “You’re wondering about my computer program. Don’t worry. I expect to have the last few snags corrected by the end of class Monday morning.”
    “Hurray!” Honey shouted. “I have to confess, I was getting a little worried.”
    The Bob-Whites ended their meeting on that cheerful note, but the Beldens’ happy mood was shattered when they returned to Crabapple Farm. The moment they entered the house, they could hear Bobby crying at the top of his lungs.
    “What is it?” Trixie shouted. “What’s wrong?” They raced upstairs to Bobby’s room without even stopping to take off their coats.
    Bobby was lying facedown on his bed. Mrs. Belden was sitting next to him, rubbing his back in a vain attempt to quiet his sobs.
    Bobby looked up as his brothers and sister entered the room. “Reddy’s gone,” he wailed. “He’s lost, and he’s not ever going to come back.”
    “W-what?” Trixie looked at her mother, hoping that Helen Belden would have a less frightening explanation.
    “Reddy and Bobby went out to play right after lunch. Beddy strayed off, and Bobby didn’t notice until he was about to come back in. It didn’t concern us at the time, but that was nearly four hours ago. That’s a long time for Reddy to stay out in the cold.”
    “Oh, Bobby,” Trixie said comfortingly, “that really isn’t a very long time. Reddy will come back.”
    “Do you think so, Trixie?” Bobby asked, lifting his tear-streaked face from the pillow.
    Trixie kneeled down beside him. “Sure, Bobby. We tease about how foolish Reddy is, but he’s