Read Online The Mystery of the Vanishing Victim by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online Page B

we should pick our districts right now,” she said. She leaned over the map, scanning it for a minute. “There,” she said, tapping her forefinger on the map. “That’s the district Honey and I choose.” She turned and hurried upstairs before any of the others could quiz her about her choice. With any luck at all, nobody would notice that her district contained most of Glenwood Avenue.

    Honey, Di, and Dan had been just as enthusiastic as their friends when they were told about the contest to see which team raised the most donations. Honey was excited, too, about the chance to do some sleuthing while they made their rounds.
    None of the others said anything about the fact that Trixie and Honey’s district included Glenwood Avenue—until the girls climbed out of the station wagon to begin canvassing.
    “Good luck,” Jim said then. “And remember, there’re five hours of hard labor at stake here. Don’t get so caught up in trying to figure out where the stranger was going last night that you forget our primary reason for being here.”
    Trixie stamped her feet impatiently. “You knew all along,” she said.
    “I figured it out even before you pointed at this district on the map. I could tell from the way your eyes lit up that you were on the trail of a mystery. But I know better than to try to keep Belden and Wheeler from ‘detective-izing.’ So, as I said, good luck. But don’t lose sight of our real reason for being out here today.”
    “We won’t,” Honey assured him. “We won’t forget that the hospital is counting on us to raise lots of money with our rummage sale. And we sure won’t forget the consequences if our team loses!”
    “I can’t ask for anything more,” Jim said with a grin, “except that you be waiting here when I come back for you at five o’clock.”
    The girls nodded their agreement and waved goodbye to Jim and Dan, who were the last two Bob-Whites to head for their district.
    “Time’s a-wasting,” Trixie said as she headed for the nearest house. “Brian left in the Model A at the same time we started out in the station wagon, so he’s probably already got the attention of half the people in his district. And since Mart and Di were dropped off before we were, they’ve probably finished at least one house already.”
    Honey giggled at Trixie’s worried calculations. “We have six whole days to make collections, Trix,” she said. “I don’t think we’re in too much danger of losing the contest in the first six minutes!”
    Trixie grinned sheepishly, but she put a resolute finger to the doorbell without saying anything more.
    The girls heard the bell reverberating through the house, and a few seconds later they heard footsteps approaching on the other side of the door.
    “Yes?” A middle-aged woman with neatly combed gray hair spoke to them through the screen door.
    “Hi,” Trixie said. “My name is Trixie Belden, and this is my friend Honey Wheeler. We’re two of the sponsors of the rummage sale that’s being held to raise money for Sleepyside Hospital. We were wondering if you have any secondhand items you’d like to contribute.”
    To the girls’ surprise, the woman threw back her head and laughed. “I’d say you’ve come to the right place,” she told them, opening the screen door. “Come right in.
    “My name is Mrs. Manning, by the way,” the woman said as she led the way to her basement.
    “You see?” the woman asked, standing on the bottom step and gesturing at the most crowded jumble the girls had ever seen. “I’m something of a collector. I’ve been meaning to get rid of some of this junk —excuse me, secondhand merchandise—for quite a while. This is just the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, obviously.
    “Now, this box,” she said, “contains baby clothes. They’re all in quite good condition, as I recall. But would you believe it, my youngest child is now in college?” She shook her head, smiling at the joke she’d just told