The Mystery on Cobbett's Island Read Online Free PDF

said Honey, enjoying her role as cook. “That’s what your father said when we had that cookout at your house, Trixie.”
    â€œDon’t ask
me
, Honey,” said Trixie, giggling. “You know how much I don’t know about cooking.”
    â€œYou can say that again,” chimed in Mart, always ready to needle his sister whom he really admired. “Her recipe for toast is to let it cook until it smokes and then scrape off the black!”
    â€œMaybe she’s not the best cook in the world, but you can’t say she’s not tops when it comes to solving really tough cases,” said Jim, looking fondly at Trixie who, for her part, was awfully glad the heat of the fire gave an excuse for what she knew was a very red face.
    â€œCan we trust you to take a piece of steak out for Miss Trask and the others?” Honey laughed as she divided the meat and handed a plate to Mart.
    â€œAre you, perchance, casting aspersions on my honesty?” asked Mart, sniffing the steak and rolling his eyes in anticipation.
    â€œNo, we’re just testing your willpower,” Di answered.
    â€œOn my honor as a Bob-White, I won’t touch it, but you’ve got to promise not to start partaking of this sumptuous repast until I get back.”
    â€œIt’s a deal,” they chorused, “but hurry, we’re all starved!”
    After eating her fill of steak, rolls, salad, and cookies, and drinking glass after glass of milk, Trixie, who had resumed her position in front of the fire, said, “I’ll tell you what might be fun. Let’s see if we can find a good book, and we’ll take turns reading it aloud. There must be something here that will be interesting, although I must say most of those tomes look awfully dull, if you can judge by their bindings.” She got up and started to browse through the shelves, pulling out first one book and then another. “How would you like to have me regale you with
A History of English Criticism?
Or maybe you’d prefer this fascinating volume on how to grow wine grapes.”
    â€œHere’s a possibility,” said Jim who had joined her. “It’s Dana’s
Two Years Before the Mast
. I know it’s a true sea story and it might be just the thing for a night likethis,” he added as he took the book over to the table to get better light.
    As he riffled through the pages, an envelope dropped out. Trixie picked it up. “Jeepers,” she said, “it looks like a letter, Jim.” As the other Bob-Whites quickly gathered around the table, Trixie added, “Do you think we should read it? It’s really not right.”
    â€œOh, this is so old it won’t matter,” said Brian. “Look how yellow the envelope is. Go on, Trixie, start reading it, and if it turns out to be a gooshy love letter or something like that, we can put it back.”
    â€œAll right, but I feel kind of funny about it,” she said.
    She pulled the letter out of the envelope and started to read it aloud.

Chapter 4
The Neighbor
    Dear Mr. C
,
    Tomorrow I leave again on the Bunker boat. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone this time, but it really doesn’t matter. The more menhaden, the more money, you know. As I told you, I’m worried! I know you said, when we talked last week, that I was being foolish, but I can’t seem to help it. You’ve known me all my life, and you know the two big fears I’ve always fought against. I never could get the hang of swimming—guess I started too late—and the other thing is, I just can’t bring myself to trust banks since Dad lost his savings back in ’29. So if anything ever happens to me and I shouldn’t come back, I’ve taken some precautions to hold on to that $1,000 Grandma left me. I want my boy to have it. You know where we always sit and talk? Well, halfway from there to the Golden Chain tree is where I’ve hidden a chart that