The secret of the Mansion

to me, ‘It’s that Belden child that’s done it,’ and added, ‘All right, Honey, you have my permission to spend the night with Trixie. As a matter of fact, there’s a movie in the village I want very much to see. Regan will be here if you need him. I’ll tell him to stay up till I get back.’ "
    "It’s perfect," Trixie cried. "Now she’ll be away from the house when we go for our ride."
    Jim was asleep on the living-room sofa when they got back, but he awoke with a start when Trixie yelled, "Jim, look what we found! A diamond ring!" He rubbed his eyes dazedly as he stared at the huge stone, and then he carefully examined the inside of the gold band. "It belonged to my great-aunt, all right," he said. "See, here are the initials and what was probably the date of their wedding. I hate the thought of selling it, but it’ll keep me for a long time, in case I don’t get a job right away." He grinned up at Trixie. "Well, you win. You did find some hidden treasure, after all."
    "It was really Honey who found it," Trixie said generously. "It was her idea that there might be a wall safe behind that old painting."
    Honey flushed with pleasure as Jim smiled his thanks. "This is one thing Jonesy won’t get his greedy hands on," he said determinedly. "He can do what he likes with the money he gets from the sale of the property, but this belongs to me."
    "I don’t think he’ll be allowed to touch that money," Trixie objected. "Not unless he can prove that he’s supporting you."
    Jim shook his head. "He’ll get around that somehow. You don’t know Jonesy."
    Trixie and Honey fixed a delicious supper of frankfurters, rolls, salad, and chocolate milk shakes. It was almost nine o’clock when they finished talking, eating, and washing the dishes.
    "You stay here, Reddy," Trixie said as she held the screen door open for the others. "Take good care of the house."
    Reddy looked depressed but obediently lay down on the kitchen floor with his nose between his paws.
    Trixie laughed as she let the screen door slam behind her. "That dog’s so friendly he’d probably lead a burglar right to Mother’s silver chest and help him cart it away."
    "He certainly made friends with that photographer quickly," Honey said and then bit her lip as Jim asked, "What photographer?"
    "Oh, nothing," Trixie said, trying to make her voice sound casual. "There was one up at the Mansion this afternoon, but he didn’t stay long."
    They were halfway across the lawn when Reddy, having pushed open the catch on the screen door with his nose, came bounding after them.
    "Oh, look at this!" Trixie grabbed at Reddy’s collar, but he leaped away and began running around them in circles, pretending that he’d known all along they were just playing a game and had no intention of leaving him behind. "He’s a nuisance," she said when Jim finally caught him. "I’ll have to lock him up. We can’t take him with us. He’d chase everything in the woods and wake the dead with his silly barking."
    Jim helped her drag the resisting Reddy back to the house. This time, Trixie locked the door and slipped the key into the pocket of her blue jeans. "I hope he doesn’t tear up the place out of spite while we re gone," she said. "He’s never been left alone before. Mother always takes him with her in the station wagon when she goes shopping." They hurried across the lawn in the bright moonlight and started up the path to the stable. "He’s nothing but a big overgrown puppy," Trixie went on. "We all spoil him, and Bobby—" She stopped, rooted to the spot with horror, for the stillness was suddenly broken by the cry of an animal in pain.

The Moonlight Ride • 18
     
    OH, OH," Honey gasped, "somebody’s broken into your house and hurt Reddy."
    At first Trixie thought that something like that must certainly have happened, and then as she turned she saw with relief that Reddy was bounding swiftly across the lawn.
    "He must have gone right through a window," she said. "The only ones that aren’t screened are the ones in Dad’s study overlooking the terrace. He must have gone up there to watch us and then decided to jump out, even though the window was closed." Reddy dashed past them into the woods. "He’s probably cut to ribbons."
    "Not necessarily," Jim said. "I saw a policeman break through a window once without getting a scratch. Reddy might have broken a leg, but from the way he’s running, I’d say he was okay."
    Trixie whistled and called, and finally