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Authors: Julie Campbell
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find it.”
“Why bum down a building where the money might be hidden?” Dan countered.
Trixie had no answer for that.
, Gravel crunched in the drive as the Elliots’ pickup pulled in. Max Elliot got out of the cab and walked around to the back to open the tailgate.
“Do you think Max has something to do with it?” Trixie asked Dan quietly.
Dan squinted. “Bad things didn’t start happening around here until Max came back from the city,” he said. “I’ll help him unload the new pump. Don’t say anything about this.”
Trixie pointed to the suction pipe. "What about the hole? If the new pump is hooked up, it’ll be ruined, too.”
“Not for several hours,” said Dan. “Max will want to make sure that it’s drawing water. Let’s let him discover the sabotage. Maybe we’ll learn something.”
Mart and Honey were approaching from the garden. Mrs. Elliot and Bobby came out onto the porch, carrying trays of lemonade and cookies.
Max frowned and asked, “What is this, a party? What are we celebrating?”
“We came to take some pictures,” Trixie explained. “Pictures of your flowers to enter in a contest in the White Plains newspaper.”
“I’m just their driver,” Dan said good-naturedly. “I figured as long as I was here, I could help you install the new pump.”
Max eyed the four Bob-Whites for a moment and then shrugged. “Okay. So help, already.”
While Max and Dan unloaded the pump, the others helped set out refreshments on the picnic table behind the cottage.
Bobby snatched a cookie and said, “I’ll help ’stall the new pump, too.”
“You keep out of the way,” Trixie advised, but Bobby was already running toward the well.
Max and Dan were carrying the pump between them on a length of board. Bobby dashed between them, ducking under it.
“Hey! Watch it!” Dan shouted.
Bobby tripped on the horizontal suction pipe and sprawled on the soft ground beyond the well. Max and Dan set the pump down and hurried to see if Bobby was hurt. Trixie and Honey rushed up behind.
“Im not hurt,” Bobby assured them, wiping dirt from his face. “But my cookie is broken!”
“Your cookie is dirty, too,” Trixie said, brushing him off and giving him a hug. “And so are you. We’ll get you another cookie and get you cleaned up a bit. You did manage to stay clean for quite a while.”
“I hope he didn’t damage that pipe,” Dan said, noting that the suction pipe had been moved slightly by the impact of Bobby’s foot.
“No, it swivels back and forth on its mounting,” Max said, kneeling. “See? I’ll just pull it—” He stopped suddenly, and his face reddened. He fingered the bottom of the pipe for a moment, then hunched down low to examine it. Max turned and looked from person to person, stopping at Dan. “There’s a hole in the pipe,” he said flatly.
“I didn’t mean to break it!” Bobby wailed. “I’m sorry!”
“You didn’t break it,” Max said, not taking his eyes off Dan. “It looks like somebody cut a hole in it.” The two young men stared at one another for a moment. “You knew about this, didn’t you?” Max asked Dan. “Why didn’t you say something? The new pump would have been ruined, too.”
“I discovered it just before you got here,” Dan admitted. “I thought maybe it would be better if you found it yourself.”
“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Elliot said in a worried tone. “More vandalism. Will the whole pipe have to be replaced?”
“No,” Dan assured her. “Just that horizontal length. In the meantime, we should be able to patch that up.” He kneeled beside Max. “Have you got an old piece of inner tube and a couple of hose clamps?” he asked.
Max nodded. “In the shed. I’ll be right back.” When Max was out of sight, Mrs. Elliot sighed. “I’m sorry for the way Max has been acting,” she said. “Things haven’t gone too well since he came back from the city, and he can’t help but feel that somehow he’s to
“Why bum down a building where the money might be hidden?” Dan countered.
Trixie had no answer for that.
, Gravel crunched in the drive as the Elliots’ pickup pulled in. Max Elliot got out of the cab and walked around to the back to open the tailgate.
“Do you think Max has something to do with it?” Trixie asked Dan quietly.
Dan squinted. “Bad things didn’t start happening around here until Max came back from the city,” he said. “I’ll help him unload the new pump. Don’t say anything about this.”
Trixie pointed to the suction pipe. "What about the hole? If the new pump is hooked up, it’ll be ruined, too.”
“Not for several hours,” said Dan. “Max will want to make sure that it’s drawing water. Let’s let him discover the sabotage. Maybe we’ll learn something.”
Mart and Honey were approaching from the garden. Mrs. Elliot and Bobby came out onto the porch, carrying trays of lemonade and cookies.
Max frowned and asked, “What is this, a party? What are we celebrating?”
“We came to take some pictures,” Trixie explained. “Pictures of your flowers to enter in a contest in the White Plains newspaper.”
“I’m just their driver,” Dan said good-naturedly. “I figured as long as I was here, I could help you install the new pump.”
Max eyed the four Bob-Whites for a moment and then shrugged. “Okay. So help, already.”
While Max and Dan unloaded the pump, the others helped set out refreshments on the picnic table behind the cottage.
Bobby snatched a cookie and said, “I’ll help ’stall the new pump, too.”
“You keep out of the way,” Trixie advised, but Bobby was already running toward the well.
Max and Dan were carrying the pump between them on a length of board. Bobby dashed between them, ducking under it.
“Hey! Watch it!” Dan shouted.
Bobby tripped on the horizontal suction pipe and sprawled on the soft ground beyond the well. Max and Dan set the pump down and hurried to see if Bobby was hurt. Trixie and Honey rushed up behind.
“Im not hurt,” Bobby assured them, wiping dirt from his face. “But my cookie is broken!”
“Your cookie is dirty, too,” Trixie said, brushing him off and giving him a hug. “And so are you. We’ll get you another cookie and get you cleaned up a bit. You did manage to stay clean for quite a while.”
“I hope he didn’t damage that pipe,” Dan said, noting that the suction pipe had been moved slightly by the impact of Bobby’s foot.
“No, it swivels back and forth on its mounting,” Max said, kneeling. “See? I’ll just pull it—” He stopped suddenly, and his face reddened. He fingered the bottom of the pipe for a moment, then hunched down low to examine it. Max turned and looked from person to person, stopping at Dan. “There’s a hole in the pipe,” he said flatly.
“I didn’t mean to break it!” Bobby wailed. “I’m sorry!”
“You didn’t break it,” Max said, not taking his eyes off Dan. “It looks like somebody cut a hole in it.” The two young men stared at one another for a moment. “You knew about this, didn’t you?” Max asked Dan. “Why didn’t you say something? The new pump would have been ruined, too.”
“I discovered it just before you got here,” Dan admitted. “I thought maybe it would be better if you found it yourself.”
“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Elliot said in a worried tone. “More vandalism. Will the whole pipe have to be replaced?”
“No,” Dan assured her. “Just that horizontal length. In the meantime, we should be able to patch that up.” He kneeled beside Max. “Have you got an old piece of inner tube and a couple of hose clamps?” he asked.
Max nodded. “In the shed. I’ll be right back.” When Max was out of sight, Mrs. Elliot sighed. “I’m sorry for the way Max has been acting,” she said. “Things haven’t gone too well since he came back from the city, and he can’t help but feel that somehow he’s to
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