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Authors: Julie Campbell
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remembered what Di had told her about a possible vacation in the Midwest. She relayed the information to Honey, and as the girls rubbed down the horses and cleaned the tack, they talked about when and how they could manage to arrange a vacation for the Bob-Whites.
When Trixie got home, her older brothers were nowhere to be seen. Bobby, however, was very much present, and he kept her busy until dinner time.
At the table, talk turned, as it always seemed to, to the International Pine controversy. Brian had been practicing for the next day’s debate, and he asked the family if they would listen to him practice later that evening.
“I’d consider it a privilege to be permitted to preview the—uh—” Mart paused, stumped for another word beginning with p.
“We’d love to listen to the debate,” Trixie interrupted. “Have you been working on it ever since you got home from school?”
Brian nodded.
“Then you weren’t in the preserve today?” she asked.
Brian shook his head. “One of the ancient Greek orators used to practice speaking by shouting over the noise of the waves at the seashore, but I hadn’t thought about yelling my arguments into the trees. Is that what you’re getting at?”
Trixie giggled at the mental image of Brian standing in the preserve reciting his speech. “Honey and I found a dead duck by the path when we were riding out to Mr. Maypenny’s today. We went back with him to bury it, but it was gone. I'was just wondering whether you or Mart had been out there.”
“As I said, I was practicing in my room all afternoon,” Brian said.
“The materfamilias inundated me with domestic endeavors,” Mart added.
“Hmmm,” Trixie mused.
Mart looked at his sister. “Quick,” he said, abandoning his big vocabulary. “Let’s clear the table and listen to Brian’s debate. Fill our sibling’s head with other thoughts before it fills
with thoughts of mystery!”
Sighing, Trixie stood up. “All right, all right. Jim or Dan must have taken the duck. I’ll give up the Mystery of the Disappearing Duck and devote myself to the Disappearing Dishes instead.”
Uproar in the Auditorium ● 7
AT ONE O’CLOCK the next afternoon, Trixie waited for Honey outside the school auditorium. When her friend finally appeared, Trixie waved excitedly, grabbed her arm, and tugged her toward the open door.
“Hurry up!” Trixie urged. “I want to be sure we get good seats for the debate. I hope Brian isn’t as nervous about it as I am. If he is, he won’t be able to say a word!”
“You don’t seem to be speechless, exactly,” Honey said, giggling, “but I know what you mean. I could no more stand up in front of the school and make a speech than I could fly.”
Trixie spotted two seats on the aisle and led Honey to them. When they were settled, Trixie said, “The thing that makes this superscary is the fact that the International Pine controversy is so—well, so controversial. No matter what anybody says here today, there are going to be some people in the audience who won’t like it.” Honey’s hazel eyes widened. “Oh, Trix, I hadn’t thought of that!” she exclaimed. “You and I know that Brian took the affirmative side of the argument just because he thought it should be given a fair hearing. The other students won’t know that. He really could be getting himself in trouble! Has Brian thought of that?”
Trixie nodded. “You know Brian. He thinks of everything. Daddy asked him last night, after we’d listened to his speech, if he realized how many enemies he might have before this afternoon is over. Brian just nodded in that solemn way of his and said it was a chance he had to take.”
Honey shuddered. “Couldn’t he just say at the beginning of the debate that he hasn’t really taken sides?” she asked.
Trixie shook her head. “I asked him about that last night, too. He says that the point of a debate is to be as convincing as possible. That means you have to sound as
When Trixie got home, her older brothers were nowhere to be seen. Bobby, however, was very much present, and he kept her busy until dinner time.
At the table, talk turned, as it always seemed to, to the International Pine controversy. Brian had been practicing for the next day’s debate, and he asked the family if they would listen to him practice later that evening.
“I’d consider it a privilege to be permitted to preview the—uh—” Mart paused, stumped for another word beginning with p.
“We’d love to listen to the debate,” Trixie interrupted. “Have you been working on it ever since you got home from school?”
Brian nodded.
“Then you weren’t in the preserve today?” she asked.
Brian shook his head. “One of the ancient Greek orators used to practice speaking by shouting over the noise of the waves at the seashore, but I hadn’t thought about yelling my arguments into the trees. Is that what you’re getting at?”
Trixie giggled at the mental image of Brian standing in the preserve reciting his speech. “Honey and I found a dead duck by the path when we were riding out to Mr. Maypenny’s today. We went back with him to bury it, but it was gone. I'was just wondering whether you or Mart had been out there.”
“As I said, I was practicing in my room all afternoon,” Brian said.
“The materfamilias inundated me with domestic endeavors,” Mart added.
“Hmmm,” Trixie mused.
Mart looked at his sister. “Quick,” he said, abandoning his big vocabulary. “Let’s clear the table and listen to Brian’s debate. Fill our sibling’s head with other thoughts before it fills
with thoughts of mystery!”
Sighing, Trixie stood up. “All right, all right. Jim or Dan must have taken the duck. I’ll give up the Mystery of the Disappearing Duck and devote myself to the Disappearing Dishes instead.”
Uproar in the Auditorium ● 7
AT ONE O’CLOCK the next afternoon, Trixie waited for Honey outside the school auditorium. When her friend finally appeared, Trixie waved excitedly, grabbed her arm, and tugged her toward the open door.
“Hurry up!” Trixie urged. “I want to be sure we get good seats for the debate. I hope Brian isn’t as nervous about it as I am. If he is, he won’t be able to say a word!”
“You don’t seem to be speechless, exactly,” Honey said, giggling, “but I know what you mean. I could no more stand up in front of the school and make a speech than I could fly.”
Trixie spotted two seats on the aisle and led Honey to them. When they were settled, Trixie said, “The thing that makes this superscary is the fact that the International Pine controversy is so—well, so controversial. No matter what anybody says here today, there are going to be some people in the audience who won’t like it.” Honey’s hazel eyes widened. “Oh, Trix, I hadn’t thought of that!” she exclaimed. “You and I know that Brian took the affirmative side of the argument just because he thought it should be given a fair hearing. The other students won’t know that. He really could be getting himself in trouble! Has Brian thought of that?”
Trixie nodded. “You know Brian. He thinks of everything. Daddy asked him last night, after we’d listened to his speech, if he realized how many enemies he might have before this afternoon is over. Brian just nodded in that solemn way of his and said it was a chance he had to take.”
Honey shuddered. “Couldn’t he just say at the beginning of the debate that he hasn’t really taken sides?” she asked.
Trixie shook her head. “I asked him about that last night, too. He says that the point of a debate is to be as convincing as possible. That means you have to sound as
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