Your TRIXIE BELDEN Library
1
The Secret of the Mansion
2
The Red Trailer Mystery
3
The Gatehouse Mystery
4
The Mysterious Visitor
5
The Mystery Off Glen Road
6
Mystery in Arizona
7
The Mysterious Code
8
The Black Jacket Mystery
9
The Happy Valley Mystery
10
The Marshland Mystery
11
The Mysterv at Bob-White Cave
12
The Mystery of the Blinking Eye
13
The Mystery on Cobbett’s Island
14
The Mystery of the Emeralds
15
Mystery on the Mississippi
16
The Mystery of the Missing Heiress
17
The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest
18
The Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper
19
The Secret of the Unseen Treasure
20
The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road
21
The Mystery of the Castaway Children
22
Mysteryat Mead’s Mountain
23
The Mystery of the Queen’s Necklace (new)
24
Mysteryat Saratoga (new)
25
The Sasquateh Mystery (new)
26
The Mystery of the Headless Horseman (new)
27
The Mystery of the Ghostly Galleon (new)
28
The Hudson River Mystery (new)
© 1979 by Western Publishing Company, Inc.
All rights reserved. Produced in U.S.A.
GOLDEN®, GOLDEN PRESS®, and TRIXIE BELDEN® are registered trademarks of Western Publishing Company, Inc.
No part of this book may be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from the publisher.
0-307-21598-9
All names, characters, and events in this story are entirely fictitious.
The Vanishing Pirate • 1
TRIXIE BELDEN GASPED as she collapsed into a chair. “Jeepers, Honey!” she exclaimed breathlessly. “Your news had better be important. You sounded so mysterious on the phone that I dropped everything and ran all the way. I didn’t even stop to dry the dinner dishes.” She ran an impatient hand through her unruly blond curls.
Her best friend, Honey Wheeler, couldn’t help smiling. “I meant for you to hurry over,” she said, “but I didn’t mean for you to break the Olympic track record, Trix.”
Trixie’s merry blue eyes twinkled. “I did get here in double-quick time at that, didn’t I? You should have seen me, Honey. My feet were flying so fast that dust now covers the entire town of Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson.”
In spite of her secret worry, Honey laughed as she sat on the edge of her neat bed.
She was taller and slimmer than Trixie, though both girls were fourteen years old. Honey had long golden hair and wide hazel eyes.
She once had been very lonely, but then one day, her wealthy father had bought the luxurious Manor House in the Hudson Valley, with its stables and lake and acres of rolling green lawns. Almost at once, Honey had met Trixie, who lived with her parents and her three brothers at Crab-apple Farm, an attractive white frame house nestled in the hollow below.
Today, thanks to Trixie, Honey had many friends. Besides Trixie’s two older brothers, seventeen-year-old Brian and fifteen-year-old Mart, there were wealthy Di Lynch, who was in the same grade as Trixie and Honey, and Dan Mangan. Dan was the nephew of Bill Regan, who looked after the stables and helped run the Wheeler’s huge estate.
Honey’s parents had also adopted seventeen-year-old Jim Frayne, whom Trixie and Honey had befriended when he ran away from his cruel stepfather.
The seven friends had formed a club known as the Bob-Whites of the Glen, or B.W.G.’s, for short. They tried always to help each other, as well as other people.
Trixie and Honey had solved many exciting mysteries and hoped someday to go into business together as detectives. They were planning to form the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency.
Now Trixie announced, “If you don’t tell me why you asked me to get here in such a hurry, Honey, I’ll simply die of curiosity!”
“The thing is,” Honey began, “I’ve got some bad news. Our trip to the Finger Lakes this weekend is off.”
Trixie stared. “Off? You mean—we’re not going there with your parents after all?”
Miserably, Honey nodded. “I’m afraid that’s exactly what I do mean,” she said. “My dad’s been called out of town on business, and Mom’s gone with him. Besides me and Jim, you’re the first to know. Oh, Trixie, I’m so sorry! I know you’re disappointed. The others will be, too. The Bob-Whites have talked of nothing else all week at school.”
Trixie swallowed hard as she gazed around her friend’s dainty bedroom with its white ruffled organdy curtains.
“Don’t worry about it, Honey,” Trixie said at last. “The Bob-Whites will understand. Anyway, there’ll be other weekends....” Her voice trailed off into silence as she thought of the plans they’d made.
Every afternoon after school that week, Trixie and the other club members had met in their neat little clubhouse, with its wisteria winding around the door. There they had pored over maps and had looked forward to a weekend of long walks, lazy talks, and tall stories told around a crackling fire.
It was October, a perfect time for flying to the Finger Lakes in northern New York State. The Wheelers owned a cottage on beautiful Owasco Lake, not far from the city of Auburn—but now the Bob-Whites wouldn’t get to see it.
Honey rose to her feet and walked to the window. She stared out through the dusk at the tall trees, and at the leaves that were turning bright red and gold.
“There is something else we could do this weekend,” she said slowly over her shoulder. “Daddy suggested that we could go to the Catskills instead. We’d have to go tomorrow instead of Saturday, though, and leave right after school.”
“Why, Honey Wheeler!” Trixie exclaimed, bounding out of her chair. “But that’s perfect! Tomorrow’s Friday, and that would work out just fine.”
“I know,” Honey said. “That’s what I thought at first. But now I’m not sure we should go.” Trixie looked perplexed. “Not go? Oh, Honey, why not?”
“Because the person who’s going there didn’t invite us herself,” Honey said in a rush. “I’ve been worrying about it ever since Daddy left. You see, he knew we’d be disappointed about the canceled trip. So Jim and I think he suggested the first thing that came into his head. He’s insisted on paying everyone’s expenses, of course.”
Trixie stared at her friend. “I still don’t understand, Honey. We can’t go to the Finger Lakes, but we can go to the Catskills, except you’re not sure we’ll be welcome. Is that it?”
Honey turned toward her with a sigh of relief. “That’s it, exactly,” she said. “I knew you’d understand! Jim’s not sure we should go, either. So he suggested that I invite you here and—”
She broke off as a light tap sounded on the door. Jim poked his red head into the room. “Have you told her about it?” he asked his sister. “What does Trixie think? Should we foist ourselves on Miss Trask this weekend or not?”
Suddenly Trixie did understand what Honey had been trying to tell her. Kind, middle-aged Miss Trask was one of their favorite people. She had once been Honey’s governess, but now that
Honey no longer needed her in that capacity, Miss Trask managed the huge Wheeler estate for Honey’s father. She also took charge of everything while he was away on his frequent business trips.
This time, when Miss Trask had learned about the canceled plans, Trixie guessed that she had offered to take the Bob-Whites somewhere else instead. Or had she?
When Trixie asked, it was Jim who said, “No, she didn’t offer, Trix. It was all Dad’s idea. He did ask her about it, of course, and she told him it was fine. But what else could she say?”
“What’s more,” Honey said, “we think that she was planning something pretty special for herself this weekend. She thought we’d all be away, you see. So she’d planned a trip of her own.”
“Where in the Catskills is she going?” Trixie asked.
“That’s just it,” Honey answered. “She’s going home.”
Trixie’s mouth dropped open in a silent O of surprise. Before this evening, she hadn’t really given any thought to the fact that their Miss Trask had any home but the Manor House. But of course she must have come from somewhere.
Trixie knew that she had taught in a girls’ school before she worked for the Wheelers. In fact, that was where she had met Honey. Trixie also knew that Miss Trask had an invalid sister whom she helped to support, and who was at that time convalescing in a New York hospital. Miss Trask liked the Bob-Whites and willingly helped when they needed her. She had patiently arranged a wedding while the Bob-Whites were in the middle of searching for a missing heiress and solving mysteries around Glen Road. She had even supervised a charity bazaar while Trixie and Honey were chasing a headless horseman.
Trixie felt guilty as she looked at her friends. “I didn’t even know Miss Trask had a home,” she said softly.
“We didn’t know, either,” Honey answered, “until she told Dad about it this afternoon. Oh, Trix, it sounds so nice. She was raised in a place called Pirate’s Point, and her childhood home is an old inn.”
“It’s called Pirate’s Inn,” Jim added. “It got its name from the original owner, who—are you ready for this?—really was a pirate. He was one of Miss Trask’s long-ago relatives, who used the inn as a storage place for his ill-gotten gains.” Honey gasped. “I didn’t know that!”
“But it’s true,” Jim told her, chuckling. “I’ve just come back from the stables, and Regan told me all about it.”
Trixie sighed. “It sounds wonderful.”
“Better than a cottage on Owasco Lake?” Jim asked her, grinning.
“Better even than that,” Trixie agreed slowly. “But of course you two are right. We can’t go. It wouldn’t be fair to Miss Trask.”
There was silence as the three friends stared glumly at each other.
“Then someone’s going to have to tell her,” Jim pointed out at last. “We’ve got to convince her that we’ve got something better to do right here at home.”
“Or else, knowing her, she won’t leave us,” Honey added quickly. “She’s worked so hard for us. Now it’s our turn to give her a weekend to herself.”
“You two could come and stay with us at Crabapple Farm,” Trixie suggested. “Moms and Dad won’t mind at all. We can spend the weekend cleaning up the clubhouse and exercising the horses.”
There was silence once more as the three tried hard to ignore their intense disappointment.
“I think your idea is a fine one, Trix,” Jim said, trying to sound cheerful. “So now there’s nothing left to do except find Miss Trask and tell her how we feel.”
“She’ll probably try to be polite and urge us to go with her,” Honey warned, leading the way down the stairs.
“You’re right,” Jim answered, following close on her heels. “So we mustn’t listen. Eight, Trix?”
“Right, Jim,” Trixie answered. “Nothing she tells us must change our minds.”
But when they found Miss Trask, they were surprised when she didn’t try to change their minds at all. As usual, she was neatly dressed in a smart tweed suit, and she stood in the living room and quietly listened to everything they had to say. Once Trixie thought she saw a twinkle in her bright blue eyes, but it disappeared so quickly that Trixie thought she must have been mistaken.
“And so, dear Miss Trask,” Honey finished at last, “we want you to take your trip the way you’d planned. The Bob-Whites really do have a lot to do right here at home. Isn’t that right?” She appealed to the others, who nodded solemnly.
“Very well,” Miss Trask declared briskly. “I wouldn’t want to talk you into doing anything you didn’t want to. So, naturally, it’s quite all right if you wish to spend the weekend at Crabapple Farm.”
Trixie, Honey, and Jim slowly turned to leave. “I must admit,” Miss Trask remarked to their backs, “I was hoping you’d all help me solve a mystery this weekend. But then, I guess you wouldn’t be interested.”
“A mystery?” echoed Trixie, swinging around. “What kind of mystery?”
Miss Trask smiled and tucked a stray strand of crisp gray hair behind her ear. “Oh, it happened so long ago that it would probably be a waste of time trying to solve it.”
Trixie glanced anxiously at Jim and Honey. “It couldn’t do any harm if we just listened to the story for a few minutes, could it?”
Miss Trask didn’t give them a chance to answer. “The mystery,” she began, “involved a rascally ancestor of mine who was a pirate. I understand that Regan has already told you a little bit about him.”
Jim nodded.
“But did you know,” Miss Trask continued, “that Captain Trask once disappeared completely in front of a roomful of people?”
Trixie and Honey were by her side instantly. “What happened?” Trixie asked breathlessly. “Did the pirate really disappear?”
“He really did,” Miss Trask replied, smiling. “You see, Captain Trask knew that the soldiers were coming to arrest him. But he refused to let that worry him at all. He sat in the inn’s dining room, casually eating lunch. He was even in his shirt sleeves at the time. The soldiers rushed in and surrounded the captain’s table and—”
“And did they arrest him?” Jim interrupted, interested in spite of himself.
“No, they never did,” Miss Trask answered. “In the next moment, the soldiers had backed away in astonishment. The old captain had completely disappeared! He just wasn’t there anymore. To this day, no one has ever discovered how he did it.”
“Jeepers!” Trixie breathed. “What a mystery!“
“And did the family ever hear from Captain Trask again?” Honey asked.
“Oh, yes,” Miss Trask answered. “That same day, the captain’s ship was sighted sailing down the Hudson River. And soon after that, the captain himself arrived in Jamaica. The old rascal had made good his escape, and he lived for many years after that.”
“I’ll bet there’s a secret passage somewhere in that dining room,” Trixie said thoughtfully.
“Or a trapdoor under the captain’s table,” Jim remarked. “It probably leads to the cellar.”
“Ah, yes,” Miss Trask said, sighing. “There could indeed be either or both of those things somewhere around. When I was a girl, I looked for them, of course. But I never did figure out the answer. Naturally, I hadn’t had as much experience as any of you—”
“And were you really hoping we could solve the mystery for you?” Honey asked eagerly.
Miss Trask smiled. “I really was. In fact, I was so sure you’d want to see that old dining room for yourselves that I’ve already telephoned to say you’re all coming.”
Trixie took a deep breath. “It sounds so marvelous,” she said, fighting temptation, “but we really couldn’t—”
Miss Trask looked down at her hands. “I can guess why you have refused to come with me to visit my brother,” she said, her voice low. “But your concern is quite unnecessary. I really do hope you’ll come with me.”
The three friends exchanged startled glances. For one thing, they hadn’t realized until now that Miss Tr
ask even had a brother. For another, there was a note of appeal in her voice that they’d never heard before.
To Trixie, she sounded worried at the thought of going alone to her childhood home.
I’m imagining things, Trixie thought. I must be.
But she had a sudden hunch that she wasn’t.
A Family Quarrel ● 2
IT WAS EXACTLY one hour later when Trixie raced home to talk to her parents. Soon afterward, her cheeks still rosy from the crisp night air, she hurried away to find her two older brothers.
She discovered them in the warm and fragrant kitchen of the old farmhouse. Maps lay scattered across the polished surface of the familiar maple table. Trixie guessed they had been busy discussing plans for the coming weekend.
Six-year-old Bobby, Trixie’s youngest brother, had long been in bed. Even Reddy, the Beldens’ lovable Irish setter, was fast asleep. He lay on the braided rug at Brian’s feet and snored softly.
As always, the kitchen looked cozy in the lamplight. Its walls were hung with gleaming copper utensils, and treasured china was proudly displayed on plate racks and cup hooks.
Thinking of china, Trixie glanced guiltily toward the sink. It was now clean and free from the clutter of wet dishes that she had left there earlier. Someone had dried them and put them away. Judging from the exasperated look on Mart’s face, Trixie guessed that he was the someone who’d had to do it.
Brian grunted. “So you’re home.”
“I’m home,” Trixie agreed, hastily deciding not to mention the tender subject of chores. “Brian, Mart, guess what?”
Mart, who was only eleven months older than Trixie, and who looked enough like her to be her twin, immediately closed his eyes. He clapped one hand to his forehead. “Wait!” he droned. “Don’t tell us! The One and Only Mart Belden, the All-Knowing, will read it in your cerebral cortex!”
The Mystery of the Ghostly Galeon Page 1
