The Mystery of the Headless Horseman Read Online Free PDF Page B

the hospital. The Bob-Whites could still hear the wail of its siren long after it had disappeared around the bend in the road.
    “Well, that’s that,” Jim said, staring after it. “Now I suppose we’d better get back in the house, put everything to rights, and then get on home.”
    Brian dug his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. “You may as well know,” he said, “there’s no chance that Harrison will be well enough to look after that bazaar tomorrow. I had guessed as much, and Dr. Ferris just confirmed it.”
    “Will they keep him in the hospital a long time?” Honey asked.
    “I don’t think so,” Brian answered cautiously, “but I can’t be sure. They’ll have to take X rays, and he may have a concussion, as you know. In that case, there’s simply no telling when he’ll be released. I’m sorry, gang, but that’s the way it is.”
    The Bob-Whites had been expecting this news, of course. It had been obvious from the moment Trixie and Honey had found the injured man.
    Di looked as if she were about to cry. “I—I’m sorry,” she faltered. “I f-feel as if somehow it’s all my fault. Oh, if only Harrison hadn’t come here last night!”
    Trixie hurried to put her arm around Di’s shoulders, her earlier irritation with her friend now completely forgotten. “Of course it isn’t your fault, Di. You mustn’t take everything so seriously. You don’t need to feel responsible for what happened. Don’t worry.” She appealed to the others. “We’ll think of some way we can go ahead with our plans for the bazaar, won’t we?”
    “Sure we will,” Jim muttered, but he didn’t sound convinced.
    “Absolutely!” Mart tried to grin.
    Brian said nothing. He scuffed at the dirt with the toe of his boot.
    Di wasn’t comforted. “I wanted everything to be so perfect tomorrow,” she whispered. “With Dad away, I felt I was sort of in charge of everything. I wanted my parents to see that I could handle the responsibility. And now this has to happen—”
    “Miss Trask!” Honey said suddenly.
    Trixie was puzzled. “What about her?”
    “Don’t you see?” Honey’s hazel eyes sparkled with excitement. “We could ask Miss Trask if she’d take over in Harrison’s place at the bazaar tomorrow.”
    “Hey!” Mart yelled. “That’s a superbly splendiferous notion!”
    “Oh, Di,” Trixie breathed, “do you think your father would agree to it?”
    All at once, Di was as excited as the others. “I think he might,” she said. “In fact, I’m almost sure he would. I’d have to call him and find out, but Dad knows how very reliable Miss Trask is. Oh, how perfect! My goodness, she’s been in charge of parties—”
    “And weddings,” Trixie added. “Don’t forget the weddings. Remember when the Wheelers’ maid Celia married Tom Delanoy?”
    “How could we possibly forget it?” Jim asked, laughing. He thought also of the time when his cousin, Juliana, had married her Dutch fiancé.
    On both occasions, Miss Trask had handled all the arrangements very efficiently indeed. It hadn’t been her fault that Trixie and the rest of the Bob-Whites had been busy solving mysteries then,too.
    “The question is,” Brian said, “will she do it?”
    “I’ll ask her as soon as we get home,” Honey promised. “In fact, we’ll all ask her. If we look sorrowful enough, how can she refuse?”
    Their hopes high once more, the Bob-Whites reentered the house.
    “We have to put everything back where we found it,” Brian ordered. “Honey, will you refold that blanket? It belongs over there in that closet. Mart, if you could just empty this bowl of water and put this towel somewhere. Trixie, Harrison was concerned about his hat. It’s still in the cellar, I guess. I promised him we wouldn’t forget it.”
    Trixie left him organizing his willing workers. She was glad of the chance to take a look at that cellar.
    Mart walked into the kitchen with the bowl of water just as she was poised at the top