The Mystery at Maypenny's

by Campbell, Julie

  “Would you like some stew?” Mr. Maypenny asked, as if he, too, had been struck by how thin the young man was.

  “Yes, thank you,” Score said.

  “I’ll get it.” It was the first time Dan had spoken since they’d begun to eat. He got up quickly and went outside, as if he were eager for an excuse to get away.

  “Well, now,” Mr. Maypenny said, “I guess we should introduce you around. These young folks over here are the Beldens—Trixie, Brian, and Mart.”

  “We live at Crabapple Farm, right near here,” Trixie volunteered. “You stopped by last week and talked to our mother.”

  “And this is Honey Wheeler and her brother, Jim,” Mr. Maypenny said.

  “Wheeler?” John Score repeated, sounding startled.

  “That’s right,” Jim said quietly. “Matthew Wheeler is our father.”

  Mr. Maypenny laughed at John Score’s confused look. “Matt Wheeler is a mite pigheaded sometimes, but he has two fine young children. I’m proud to call them my friends.”

  “There seems to be something going on here that I’m not quite following,” David Maypenny said, puzzled.

  Mr. Maypenny turned to his nephew. “That’s right. I suppose you would be getting a little lost. You remember that International Pine company I told you about—the one that wanted to buy part of my land here?” Mr. Maypenny waited until his nephew nodded. “Well, this young man belongs to a group that’s trying to stop them from expanding. And more power to him, I say.“

  “Thank you,” John Score said, as much to Mr. Maypenny as to Dan, who had just handed him a bowl of stew. “I’m glad you support what we’re doing. One of the reasons I came to see you tonight is to tell you that we support you, too. We’re willing to give you any sort of help you need.”

  “What kind of help might that be?” Mr. Maypenny asked.

  John Score shrugged. “Sometimes these big companies can get pretty tough when there’s a piece of land they want but can’t get their hands on. If you need a lawyer, we’ll help you pay for one. If you want to start looking at some ways to protect your land for future generations, we can help with that, too.”

  “You mean there’s a way to see to it that International Pine can’t get my land, even after I’m gone?” Mr. Maypenny asked.

  “There might be,” John Score said. “We’d have to check into it, as I said. But under certain conditions, you can leave your land to the state with the understanding that it be kept as a game refuge or nature center or whatever. That will protect it.”

  “That sounds very interesting, Mr. Score,” David Maypenny said. “Are you a lawyer?”

  “No, I’m not. I’ve just picked up a little information about the law here and there,” Score said.

  “It seems to me that somebody once said, ‘A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.’ ” David Maypenny’s voice was mild, but John Score reacted as though he’d been slapped.

  “The dangerous thing is letting our environment be destroyed by large companies,” Score retorted.

  David Maypenny held his hands up in front of him in a peacemaking gesture. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t support International Pine. I do care about my uncle. I don’t want his land taken away—by big business or the state.”

  “What have you been doing since you came to Sleepyside, Mr. Score?” tactful Honey interjected quickly.

  John Score put down his bowl of stew, which Trixie noticed he’d scarcely touched, before he replied. “Mostly I’ve been talking to the people in the community, trying to decide if there’s enough grass roots support to stop the expansion through the force of public opinion. I’ve also been discussing the issue with one or two members of the town council, to try to find out what our legal recourse is.”

  “Oh,” Honey said. She looked at Trixie, wide-eyed.

  “I didn’t understand him, either,” Trixie said helplessly.

  “Let me translate,” Brian said, laughing. “If he can prove that most of the people around here really don’t want the factory to expand, then International Pine will probably just drop the whole idea. They need community goodwill in order to succeed.

  “If the town is split, or if most of the people actually want the expansion, then they’ll try to stop it through legal means, changing the laws or using laws that are already on the books to protect the environment.”

  “You seem to know quite a bit about the issue,” John Score observed.

  “I’ve been giving it some study,” Brian said. “He’s going to be in a debate next week,” Trixie added. “The whole school is invited to watch.“

  “If you need more information, I’d be happy to give it to you,” Score said.

  “I don’t think you would be,” Brian replied. “I’m debating in favor of the expansion.”

  As Score looked at Brian in surprise, David Maypenny spoke again. “Are you from Sleepyside?”

  “No,” Score replied. “I’m from Ohio. Why?“

  “Just wondering,” David said innocently. “I thought your accent sounded quite a bit different from the ones I’ve been hearing around here. Why would you want to come all the way from Ohio to get involved in something that really doesn’t concern you?”

  “Any threat to the environment concerns me,” John Score said, “whether it’s in Ohio or New York or—or Timbuktu.”

  “Don’t you think the people in this area are smart enough to decide for themselves whether or not they want the factory to expand?” David’s tone of voice remained casual, but now Trixie was beginning to feel uncomfortable for John Score. For some reason, David Maypenny was trying to back him into a corner.

  “The people are smart enough,” John Score said, his voice quiet but firm. “They’re plenty smart enough to know their own minds. What they don’t know is how they can fight for their rights. That’s what CAUSE helps them do. We show them how to fight—-legally, if possible; outside the law, if we have to resort to that. We do anything we have to, to protect the environment—anything. ’ ’

  Abruptly, John Score stood up. “I shouldn’t have interrupted your party, Mr. Maypenny. I’d like to talk to you again sometime. Good night.” The room seemed very quiet and very empty after John Score left. Until then, Trixie hadn’t realized how strong his presence had been. She heard the car door open and slam shut and the engine start up. I wouldn’t ever want to have him mad at me, she thought.

  A Sudden Departure ● 6

  AFTER JOHN SCORE’S departure, the silence he had left behind lengthened. Even Honey’s diplomatic attempts at getting the conversation started up again did not work. Everyone felt uncomfortable, and everyone was relieved when Jim stood up and said, “I think it’s time for us to go. I have a lot of studying to do this weekend, and I’d like to get some of it done before Sunday night, for a change.”

  Trixie and her brothers got to their feet immediately. “That sagacious concept is one that I aspire to emulate,” Mart said.

  “I won’t get much homework done,” Trixie added, “but I do have to get Bobby ready for bed. Thanks for the party, Mr. Maypenny.”

  “Thank you for coming.” It was David Maypenny who replied. “I’m glad I got the chance to meet all of you. I hope to see you again real soon.”

  As the other Bob-Whites said their thank-you’s and good-byes, Trixie caught Dan’s eye. He was looking forlornly around the group, as if he did not want to be left behind when his friends went home. Thinking about the subtle way in which David Maypenny had cornered John Score, Trixie wondered if Mr. Maypenny’s nephew was doing the same thing to Dan when nobody else was around.

  As they walked down the path, Brian took a deep breath of the fresh September air and exhaled slowly. “It feels good to be out here,” he said. “It was getting a little bit too warm for comfort in there.”

  “It heated up pretty fast toward the end,” Jim said.

  “Why did David Maypenny attack John Score that way?” Honey asked.

  “I think ‘attack’ is a pretty strong word,
” Jim told her. “He was just asking some questions about John Score’s presence here in Sleepyside. I think they were questions worth asking.”

  Brian shook his head. “I disagree. I don’t want to start another heated discussion, Jim, so don’t take this personally. But I think David Maypenny was way too harsh with John Score—especially considering that he himself just came to Sleepyside a couple of days ago.”

  “He said he was just concerned with protecting his uncle’s interests,” Jim reminded him.

  “Then why would he start grilling Score, who claimed to be interested in helping Mr. Maypenny, too?” Brian asked.

  “Maybe it was because John Score doesn’t look as though he can take care of himself, let alone anybody else,” Trixie said.

  “That’s right,” Honey agreed. “He’s so thin and so sort of grubby-looking. He looks as if someone had just turned him out of his home. I can see how David might not trust him to save Mr. Maypenny’s.”

  The Bob-Whites had arrived at the Manor House, and they paused at the front walk. There was silence for a moment as each of them reviewed the scene between John Score and David May-penny.

  Finally Mart shrugged. “I question the efficacy of attempting to determine their motivations at present,” he said.

  Jim grinned and nodded. “Right. ‘Time alone will tell,’ as they used to say in the melodramas. We’ll see you later.”

  The Beldens said good-bye and turned toward Crabapple Farm. “ ‘Time alone will tell,’ ” Trixie repeated in a whisper. Then, in spite of the warmth of the September evening, she shivered.

  The next day, Trixie was too caught up in the usual Sunday activity at the Belden household, including taking care of rambunctious Bobby, to give much thought to Mr. Maypenny, his nephew, or the young environmentalist.

  Then, in the evening, Di Lynch called to tell Trixie that she was back from her vacation and would be at school in the morning.

  “How was your vacation?” Trixie asked.

  “Wonderful,” Di replied. “We went all through Wisconsin and Minnesota. I’d never seen that part of the Midwest before. It’s really beautiful, Trix.”

  “I’d love to see it,” Trixie told her. The Bob-Whites had done quite a bit of traveling, going to New York City, Williamsburg, and St. Louis, as well as to a farm in Iowa, a dude ranch in Arizona, and a national forest in Idaho. They’d even visited England. But those experiences had only whetted Trixie’s appetite for travel.

  “Maybe we will see it sometime,” Di said.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Renfer, who are friends of my parents, live in Minneapolis and have a summer cottage in northern Minnesota. They love young people, and they asked me about my friends in Sleepyside. I talked and talked about the Bob-Whites, and they said they’d love to meet all of you. They said we could come to visit whenever we liked.”

  “Yippee!” Trixie shouted. “When do we leave?” Di Lynch giggled at Trixie’s enthusiasm. “Not for a while, I’m afraid,” she said. “I just missed three weeks of school, remember? Even though I got some of the assignments before I left, I’ll have a lot of catching up to do now that I’m back. I can’t afford to go ‘gallivanting,’ as my Uncle Monty would say, for some time.”

  Trixie sighed. “Moms would never let me leave while school was in session, anyway. She knows I’d never catch up. But someday we’ll see Minnesota,” she concluded resolutely.

  “We will, for sure,” Di agreed. “But speaking of catching up, I called to find out what I’ve missed out on in Sleepyside, as well as to tell you about my vacation. What’s been happening here? Have I missed any good mysteries?”

  “Not one,” Trixie assured her, “unless you want to count the mysteries of algebra, which I’m trying to solve again this year. Although there is a controversy going on—the International Pine controversy, as everyone’s calling it.” Briefly, Trixie filled Di in on the furniture company’s offer to buy the parcel of land from Mr. Maypen-ny and Mr. Wheeler, the resulting argument between Dan and Jim, the appearance of David Maypenny, and the confrontation between John Score and David the previous evening.

  “Goodness,” Di breathed when Trixie had finished. “You may not have solved any mysteries, but you haven’t been lacking for excitement, either.”

  “I guess that’s true,” Trixie said, a little surprised. “It does sound like a lot, now that I tell it. But there’s really nothing mysterious about any of it—except we’ve been wondering why Dan doesn’t like David Maypenny, and why David took such a quick dislike to John Score, and whether—”

  Trixie was interrupted by Di Lynch’s gales of laughter. “Oh, Trixie,” she gasped, “it’s so good to know that nothing has changed since I’ve been gone. Yoxrre as mystery crazy as ever.”

  Trixie started to giggle, too. “I guess I am, Di,” she admitted.

  “Anyway,” Di said, drawing the conversation to a close, “I’m glad you got me all caught up. I have to go study some more. My mother is driving me in to school early tomorrow so I can meet with a couple of my teachers. I’ll see you at lunch, though. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Trixie agreed. “Welcome back, Di.” As she hung up the phone, she thought about what Di had said. “There has been a lot going on,” she said aloud. “I just hadn’t realized it because none of it has involved solving any mysteries, except the mystery of why people act the way they do. That one I never can figure out.”

  The next morning, as she got ready for school, Trixie remembered what Di had said about going to visit her parents’ friends in Minnesota. “That will be something interesting to talk about on the bus this morning,” she said into the mirror as she combed her sandy curls.

  But when the Bob-Whites were settled on the bus, it was again Dan who had news to report. “David Maypenny left last night,” he said.

  There was a shocked silence, followed by a barrage of questions. When had he left? Why? Had he been called back to New York?

  Dan shook his head to answer the last question and held up his hand to silence the others so he could explain. “Mr. Maypenny ordered him to leave,” Dan said. He plunged ahead before the second shocked silence could give way to still more questions.

  “After dinner, David started telling Mr. Maypenny that he was worried about him living alone in the woods. He said he didn’t think it was safe' for Mr. Maypenny to be living ‘such a primitive existence’ at his age.

  “At first, Mr. Maypenny tried to talk to him about it. He reminded his nephew that he doesn’t live alone; I’m there with him. He also said that the cabin probably seems more primitive than it is because David is used to city life.”

  “Didn’t David accept that?” Brian asked.

  Dan shook his head. “He certainly didn’t. He kept right on. He said that I couldn’t be expected to keep living there forever, because I’d probably want to go on to school or get a ‘real job’ when I finished high school. He said the cabin would be considered primitive by anybody’s standards.” Dan paused and took a deep breath. “Then he said that he thought Mr. Maypenny should sell the land and move to town immediately. Or, barring that, he should give David power of attorney so that if anything happened to Mr. Maypenny, David would be able to act to see that he was taken care of.”

  Brian whistled softly, Jim frowned, and Mart put his hands over his head as if he expected the roof of the school bus to cave in any minute.

  Trixie and Honey just looked at the boys in confusion. “What’s power of attorney?” Trixie asked.

  “It’s a legal agreement,” Jim said. “If Mr. Maypenny gave David power of attorney, then David would be able to write checks for him, sign contracts, things like that. What David meant was that if Mr. Maypenny suddenly became ill or something, David, with power of attorney, would be able to get at Mr. Maypenny’s money in order to make sure he was taken care of.”

  Now it was Trixie’s turn to whistle. “I don t think Mr. Maypenny would like that idea,” she said.

  “He didn’t,” Dan said. “He said he could take
care of himself without help from anybody. David still didn’t give up. He tried to keep talking. Then Mr. Maypenny really blew his stack. He ordered David to get his things together and leave—immediately.”

  “And David left,” Jim concluded.

  Dan chuckled. “When Mr. Maypenny got angry, I think David finally saw that this was no feeble old man. David actually looked a little frightened. He packed up his stuff and left on the double.”

  The bus pulled up in front of the school just as Dan finished speaking, so there was no time for further questions as the Bob-Whites piled out and hurried to their first classes.

  Throughout the morning, Trixie thought about Mr. Maypenny and how upset and disappointed he must be. He had been so excited about meeting his only nephew, and now the nephew was gone again.

  At lunch, she suggested that they ride to Mr. Maypenny’s that afternoon and see if there was anything they could do to cheer him up.

  The boys all had chores to do, and Di had more teachers to meet with. So in the end, it was Honey and Trixie who saddled Strawberry and Susie and rode to Mr. Maypenny’s.

  Halfway to the cabin, Trixie spotted something lying alongside the road. Pulling Susie to a halt alongside it, she saw that it was a dead duck. “I wonder if somebody’s been hunting out of season,” she said, starting to dismount.

  “Don’t touch it, Trixie!” Honey said sharply. “It could be diseased,” she added more gently.

  Trixie settled back into the saddle. “You’re right,” she said. “I know better than to handle something like that. At least, I should know better. Brian and Jim have warned me about it enough times. Still, I hate to just leave it there.”