Read Online The Black Jacket Mystery by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Campbell
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mine, and quit saying so!” He was brushing the
snow from his clothes as he spoke, but they both noticed that when he felt the tear in his jacket sleeve he looked worried and fingered it uncertainly, pulling the two edges of the tear together.
Honey spoke hurriedly and with a friendly smile. “If you’d like, I can mend that for you so it won't even show. ÏÏ1 get a needle and black thread from Mr. Maypenny.”
For a moment Dan looked as if he intended to accept Honey’s friendly offer. Then he glanced at Trixie and saw her staring critically at him. He flushed and told Honey with a frown, “Don’t bother. I don’t need anybody’s help.”
Honey drew back as if she had been slapped. It made Trixie furious. “You could at least say thanks!” she told him bitingly. “You’re just lucky if Honey doesn’t tell Mr. Maypenny that you tried to ride one of her horses and you didn’t know how and it was a wonder you didn’t break its neck!” She had to stop for breath.
“Go on, tell him!” Dan turned to Honey. "And you can tell your rich pa, too, while you’re at it! I won’t be stuck in this hick town long enough for it to make any difference to me!” And with that, Dan Mangan picked up his books and strode off up the bridle path.
The two girls stared after him. He slipped and slid a bit on the snowy ground, but he stayed on his feet till he went out of sight among the trees.
“He makes me want to chew nails!” Trixie stormed.
But Honey looked troubled. “Did you notice how sad he looked when he saw that tear in his jacket?”
“No, I didn’t,” Trixie snapped. “He looks just plain mean to me, all the time!”
“Or scared, maybe,” Honey guessed.
Trixie’s eyes widened. “Hey, maybe it’s horses he’s afraid of. He doesn’t want anybody to know it, and that’s why he pretended he knew how to ride!”
“That’s it, of course!” Honey agreed quickly. “And he got angry with you because you guessed it!”
Trixie nodded gravely. “It’s too bad he has to leave soon. We could get Regan to teach him. I bet he’d get over being afraid of horses once he learned to ride.”
“And if we don’t start riding again pretty soon,” Honey reminded her, “we never will get to Mr. Maypenny’s to look at his almanac.”
“Come on, then.” Trixie laughed. “But don’t go offering Mr. Dan Mangan a lift when we catch up with him. We’ll just ride right along without him.” But they never did catch up with Dan Mangan that day. For a half mile or so they rode abreast along the bridle path and then went single file as it narrowed. Trixie, riding ahead, studied the imprints of Dan’s boots in the snow, until suddenly they disappeared on a rocky stretch in the shelter of an ancient evergreen. She knew that he had struck out from the trail, probably on a shortcut or to look at the rabbit snares Mr. Maypenny always set at the boundaries of his property to keep “varmints” out of his winter vegetable patch.
There was no sign of the boy at Mr. Maypenny’s, and they decided not to say anything about the accident. Mr. Maypenny seemed glad to see them and offered them hot chocolate if they wanted it.
“No, thanks, Mr. Maypenny.” Honey smiled at him. “Were late, and we’ll have to start right back.”
“That’s too bad, youngsters. I was hoping you could stay a little and visit with the boy Danny. He says he’s met you all at school.”
“That’s right.” Trixie nodded. “Will he be here long?”
“Rest of the term, I hope. The boy’s a help already, even though he’s innocent as a babe about farm life.” He interrupted himself abruptly. “But here I am gabbing, when you’re wanting to look at the almanac. Here it is, hanging right by the stove, where I can look at it every morning and know what to expect outdoors!”
“We thought the twenty-seventh would be about right, on a Saturday—” Trixie was thumbing over the pages. “ ‘Clear and cold.’ That’s elegant!
snow from his clothes as he spoke, but they both noticed that when he felt the tear in his jacket sleeve he looked worried and fingered it uncertainly, pulling the two edges of the tear together.
Honey spoke hurriedly and with a friendly smile. “If you’d like, I can mend that for you so it won't even show. ÏÏ1 get a needle and black thread from Mr. Maypenny.”
For a moment Dan looked as if he intended to accept Honey’s friendly offer. Then he glanced at Trixie and saw her staring critically at him. He flushed and told Honey with a frown, “Don’t bother. I don’t need anybody’s help.”
Honey drew back as if she had been slapped. It made Trixie furious. “You could at least say thanks!” she told him bitingly. “You’re just lucky if Honey doesn’t tell Mr. Maypenny that you tried to ride one of her horses and you didn’t know how and it was a wonder you didn’t break its neck!” She had to stop for breath.
“Go on, tell him!” Dan turned to Honey. "And you can tell your rich pa, too, while you’re at it! I won’t be stuck in this hick town long enough for it to make any difference to me!” And with that, Dan Mangan picked up his books and strode off up the bridle path.
The two girls stared after him. He slipped and slid a bit on the snowy ground, but he stayed on his feet till he went out of sight among the trees.
“He makes me want to chew nails!” Trixie stormed.
But Honey looked troubled. “Did you notice how sad he looked when he saw that tear in his jacket?”
“No, I didn’t,” Trixie snapped. “He looks just plain mean to me, all the time!”
“Or scared, maybe,” Honey guessed.
Trixie’s eyes widened. “Hey, maybe it’s horses he’s afraid of. He doesn’t want anybody to know it, and that’s why he pretended he knew how to ride!”
“That’s it, of course!” Honey agreed quickly. “And he got angry with you because you guessed it!”
Trixie nodded gravely. “It’s too bad he has to leave soon. We could get Regan to teach him. I bet he’d get over being afraid of horses once he learned to ride.”
“And if we don’t start riding again pretty soon,” Honey reminded her, “we never will get to Mr. Maypenny’s to look at his almanac.”
“Come on, then.” Trixie laughed. “But don’t go offering Mr. Dan Mangan a lift when we catch up with him. We’ll just ride right along without him.” But they never did catch up with Dan Mangan that day. For a half mile or so they rode abreast along the bridle path and then went single file as it narrowed. Trixie, riding ahead, studied the imprints of Dan’s boots in the snow, until suddenly they disappeared on a rocky stretch in the shelter of an ancient evergreen. She knew that he had struck out from the trail, probably on a shortcut or to look at the rabbit snares Mr. Maypenny always set at the boundaries of his property to keep “varmints” out of his winter vegetable patch.
There was no sign of the boy at Mr. Maypenny’s, and they decided not to say anything about the accident. Mr. Maypenny seemed glad to see them and offered them hot chocolate if they wanted it.
“No, thanks, Mr. Maypenny.” Honey smiled at him. “Were late, and we’ll have to start right back.”
“That’s too bad, youngsters. I was hoping you could stay a little and visit with the boy Danny. He says he’s met you all at school.”
“That’s right.” Trixie nodded. “Will he be here long?”
“Rest of the term, I hope. The boy’s a help already, even though he’s innocent as a babe about farm life.” He interrupted himself abruptly. “But here I am gabbing, when you’re wanting to look at the almanac. Here it is, hanging right by the stove, where I can look at it every morning and know what to expect outdoors!”
“We thought the twenty-seventh would be about right, on a Saturday—” Trixie was thumbing over the pages. “ ‘Clear and cold.’ That’s elegant!
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