Notes for #13 The Mystery Cobbett's Island © 1964, 2005
| Page # |
Quote |
| 5 |
Mrs. Belden carefully put the pie (lemon
meringue) out of the way in the pantry. "Calm down and tell me
what has you so excited that you would risk ruining your favorite
dessert." Trixie: "Mrs. Wheeler
has invited all the Bob-Whites to the beach for ten days!" |
| 6 |
Trixie: "The
Wheelers rented a house on Cobbett's Island for weekends this summer
so Mr. Wheeler could go deep-sea fishing. He found out he has to go
to Brazil and he wants Mrs. Wheeler to go with him." Mrs.
Belden: "She told me yesterday she hoped she'd be able
to go because she's never been to South America." |
| 7 |
- Mart, Trixie's brother, was fifteen, eleven months older than
her.
- Only yesterday her cooky crock had been emptied when all seven
of the B.W.G.'s had stopped at Crabapple Farm on their way home
from the last day at school.
|
| 8 |
Trixie: "Brian's
out in the barn working on an old rattletrap car that he towed home
yesterday. All we need is another jalopy around here!" |
| 9 |
- Trixie: "Cobbett's Island isn't
more than three or four hours' drive from here. … and maybe
a new bathing suit?" Mrs. Belden:
"Why, Trixie, don't tell me you're interested in getting
something new for a change. Is my girl growing up?" Trixie:
"Could be."
- The family station wagon had been christened the Buggy three
years ago when a queen bee had chosen its interior as a perfect
place to swarm. It had taken Mr. Lawlor, the local bee authority,
all day to capture her and put her in a new hive.
|
| 10 |
Trixie thought of her college fund of
fifty-nine dollars and seventy-two cents lying safe and sound in the
bank. |
| 14 |
Honey: "He
(Dan) wanted to come badly enough, but last month, without anyone
knowing, he applied to several camps for a summer job, and yesterday
he heard from one of them saying they would take him. I guess Dan
knew that job (Maypenny) was just part of the experiment to see if
he would straighten out and that Mr. Maypenny doesn't really
need a full-time helper." |
| 15 |
Regan had lost touch with his sister,
Dan's mother, years before, and the first he knew of Dan was when
a judge in New York wrote him for help after Dan had been taken into
Children's Court. Dan's father had been killed in Korea, and later,
after his mother died, the boy had felt there was no one who really
cared about what happened to him, and he had become involved with
a city gang. |
| 16 |
Mr. Belden:
(reading letter from Uncle Andrew) "He says he may drive out
to see us this summer, but in the meantime, he wanted to get Trixie
a present for her graduation from Junior High. He didn't know what
you wanted, Trix, so he sent me a check for ten dollars. I was stumped
to know what you wanted, too, so I decided just to give you the money." |
| 17 |
Mr. Belden:
"Well, I guess our princess wants to look her best at Cobbett's
Island. I just hope she gets a blue suit. It's, my favorite color." |
| 19 |
Although Di was somewhat quieter than
Trixie or Honey, she had fitted easily into the club. She had twin
brothers and twin sisters, but since they were much younger, she had
welcomed a chance to be with a group her own age. |
| 20 |
- Honey: "Well, I never though
I'd live to see the day when you (Trixie) cared what
you hand on."
- Miss Trask had originally come to the Wheelers as a governess.
She had been a teacher in a private school Honey had attended.
Miss Trask had been asked to come to live with them. She stayed
on to manage the estate during Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler's frequent
absences.
- Tom Delanoy, was the chauffeur. Celia, the maid, had married
Tom a few months before and they had moved into the Robin
which Mr. Lynch had given as a wedding present. They, with the
cook, Regan, and Mr. Maypenny, made up the household.
|
| 21 |
Bobby: "I
wanna go to the iling, too." |
| 22 |
Jim jumped out to help Trixie with her
bag, and he managed by some unobtrusive maneuvering, to seat himself
next to her on the back seat. |
| 23 |
After crossing the Whitestone Bridge
and reaching the end of the parkway, they stopped at a roadside stand.
They had only fifty miles to go. |
| 24 |
They reached Greenpoint, the town from
which the ferry left. Miss Trask drove up the ramp and onto the large
white ferry which bore the name Island Queen. |
| 28 |
Mart: "The
secret of my highly successful life is that I always think ahead." |
| 29 |
- Ahead they saw a big white house with wide wings on either side
of the main part of the building. Miss Trask drove under an old-fashioned
porte-cochere.
- The girls were in a suite of two large rooms with a pink-tiled
bath between.
|
| 30 |
- Each of the rooms had twin beds covered with candy-striped spreads,
thick cream-colored rugs, and attractively painted desks and dressers.
Flowered chintz curtains hung at the big bay windows which looked
out over the water.
- They boys went on to explore the large room on the third floor
where they were to sleep. It had a distinctly nautical atmosphere,
for the windows were round like portholes. At the foot of each
cot was an old sea chest with rope handles at each end, and the
name of the original owner painted on the front. The beds were
covered with practical gray spreads decorated with large blue
anchors, and instead of rugs, there were mats of woven rope. On
the white walls were pictures of sailboats.
|
| 32 |
The Moorings was set in the middle of
a large piece of land, fronting on the bay which was just across the
road. |
| 33 |
El: "Elmer
Thomas, but everyone around here calls me El. I'm the caretaker." |
| 35 |
El: "How
come you know so much, young fella?" Honey:
"He's going to be a doctor. And he knows all about first aid
and everything about medicine." Brian:
"Well, not everything. But I do read a lot, and last winter I
got hold of a book about fractures and how to treat them." |
| 36 |
Honey was off like a flash, proud to
be able to help out in an emergency. There was a time when she might
have fainted dead away when faced with an accident, but she had learned
many things, including fortitude. |
| 36 |
- Celia had built a cherry fire, and although it was June, the
warmth was very welcome.
- Dr. Holmes was a big man with graying bushy hair and shaggy
brows.
|
| 38 |
He scowled over the top of the horn-rimmed
glasses which he wore halfway down his nose. |
| 40 |
The Fire Company ambulance was at the
door, and two men, whom the doctor introduced and said were volunteer
drivers, put the patient inside and drove off to Dr. Holmes's office
where an X ray could be taken. The doctor followed in a car which
Brian estimated to be at least ten years old. |
| 41 |
Trixie: "You're
marvelous, Ali Ben Bolt!" (Mart) |
| 44 |
Jim: "Here'
a possibility (book to read). It's Dana's Two Years Before the
Mast." |
| 46 |
From the letter: If
anything ever happens to me and I shouldn't come back, I've taken
some precautions to hold on to that $1000 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
will show where the money is. You'll know how to read it even if no
one else can because of all the practice we've had the last couple
of years. If anything should happen to me, "start sailing,"
and when you find the money, please see that young Ed gets it. |
| 48 |
Menhaden-On the Atlantic coast it is
by far the most abundant of fishes. |
| 51 |
Brian: "For
gosh sakes, Mart, do you always have to talk like a walking encyclopedia?"
Mart: "Not really. I just like to flex
my literary muscles. Who knows, I may write 'The Great American Novel'
some day." |
| 52 |
They came downstairs and headed for
the dining-room. The furniture was painted white, the chairs had a
bright coral cushions, and there was a coral and gray rug on the black
painted floor. Over the sideboard hung a beautiful old Chinese painting
of a heron standing on one leg among tall reeds. In the center of
the table was an arrangement of seashells on a straw mat. |
| 54 |
Honey: "We've
found just about everything else we needed in there (barn). I'll go
see." Brian: "Good idea. I'll
come with you." He grabbed Honey's hand and they headed for the
barn. |
| 55 |
He (Peter) was as tall as Jim, with
broad shoulders and a strong build. His hair was so blond it looked
almost white, and his deep-set eyes were dark blue. "I'm Peter
Kimball from next door." |
| 58 |
Peter: "I
was in a club called the Owls before we moved down here. Not that
we were wise or anything. We just like to stay up late at night, and
spent most of our time thinking up reasons for not going to bed."
Di: "What do you do around here for
excitement." said with just a suggestion of a flutter of her
long lashes. |
| 60 |
Di: "Did
you notice what gorgeous eyes he has?" Mart:
"I wouldn't say there was anything so special about his eyes.
You squaws always flip for someone just because he has broad shoulders
or gorgeous eyes or something. Don't you ever think about brains or
character or anything?" Trixie: "When
it comes to brains and character, we always have you, dear brother.
So allow us our little pleasures." |
| 61 |
The (power) saw made short work of the
tree. They boys took turns using it, but manfully insisted it was
too heavy for the girls to manipulate. Trixie:
"Boys think they know everything!" Di:
"Well, it doesn't hurt to let them think they do sometimes." |
| 62 |
Peter: "How
about all of you coming over to my house? It's sort of interesting
because it's the oldest house on the island." |
| 63 |
Peter told them a bit about the history
of the Oldest House. It dated from 1713 when Peter's ancestors first
settled on the island, and it had been in his family ever since. |
| 64 |
It was a two-story house with an enormous
central chimney. The main doorway was dark red and flanked on each
side by narrow leaded windows. Overhead was an arched panel bearing
a beautifully carved eagle. |
| 66 |
Peter lead them into the sitting room.
He pressed one of the little rosettes on the mantle and one of the
panels above the fireplace slid slowly back revealing a hiding place
behind. Beyond was the dining-room which was papered
with some scenes from the days when whaling had been an important
occupation. The kitchen was in an ell at the rear of the house and
one whole side of it was filled with a wide fireplace and brick ovens.
After looking into the library with its big mahogany desk, comfortable
leather chairs, and shelf upon shelf of books, Peter took them upstairs
to see a curious four-poster bed covered with a tester and with a
trundle bed underneath. Each post was elaborately carved, and the
bed was so high that to get into it, one had to use a high stool. |
| 67 |
Fruit trees lined a path leading to
a shallow pool where Mrs. Kimball had started water lilies. Behind
the pool was an ancient statue of a woman holding an urn on her shoulder,
and on either side were gracefully carved stone benches. |
| 68 |
Di: "You
know, I was wondering what a gazebo was. I always get that word and
carousel mixed up." |
| 70 |
Jim (looking
intently at Trixie): "Isn't that a new suit, Trix? Nice
color." |
| 73 |
Peter: "Dad
isn't here. He's gone up to Vermont this week to look over some properties
for a ski lodge." Mart: "We aren't
too far from Fahnestock, so we drive up there when we can." |
| 74 |
Mart: "Trixie
would turn up a mystery even if she were marooned at the North Pole." |
| 75 |
- Peter: "It might help if we had
a talk with Abe White. He's Cobbett's Island's one and only cop.
- Jim: "There she goes again. My
co-president is frequently at the point of death, and it's only
through the combined efforts of her loyal members that she is
persuaded to face life again."
- Peter: "We can catch Abe at Bascom's
store where he usually eats lunch. I've just got my junior license,
so we can drive down in the Ice-Box. That's what Dad calls my
jalopy."
|
| 78 |
Bascom's was across from the school,
and during the winter was a favorite gathering place for Peter and
his schoolmates. |
| 82 |
Brian: "Football
was never like this." Trixie: "Honey,
you're wonderful. You can always see what's making us out of sorts
and come up with a solution." |
| 83 |
The tool shed had originally been a
summer kitchen. |
| 84 |
Trixie: "Look,
Peter. I've never seen you smoke, but does your father?" Peter:
"No, Dad doesn't smoke and I hate the things." |
| 86 |
Trixie: "There
are only two brands here. Whoever smoked this filter kind smoked his
right down to the tip, but the regular brand butts are crushed out
before they're half gone." |
| 87 |
Peter: "The
only way to get off the island is by ferry, so it doesn't make a very
good place for burglars to operate." |
| 88 |
Peter: "That's
Cap trying out his new Lightning." |
| 89 |
- Peter: "He's a top-notch sailor
and a great guy."
- Honey: "I've never been in a
sailboat in my whole life."
|
| 90 |
Despite her best efforts, Honey, who
had been ahead at the turning point was outdistanced by Peter on the
return lap. Peter: "It's a tricky little
kick I learned last summer. I'll show you." |
| 91 |
They uncovered a weather vane on top
of the pointed roof, a copper boat under full sail. |
| 93 |
Mart: "Are
you prepared to handle an emergency appendectomy?" Brian:
"Don't think I haven't imagined such a situation." |
| 96 |
Jim: "Here,
Honey, see if you can make out the tune." |
| 97 |
Jim: "You're
our musical authority." |
| 99 |
Honey: "Brian
can make any car run, no matter how old it is." |
| 104 |
It fell to Trixie, Mart, and Di to go
in Star Fire and the others with Cap. In contrast to Peter, Cap was
short and dark. He was solidly built like a football player. His hair
was dark brown and would have been curly had it not been cut so short. |
| 105 |
Trixie: "What
do you call your boat, Cap?" Cap: "Blitzen
- that's German for lightning." |
| 117 |
Cap: "It
(lighthouse) was built about 1890. In those days, they got the light
from oil lanterns with huge reflectors back of them. The keeper had
to stay year round to keep them going." Di:
"I'd love to live way out here with a dog and cat for company.
Think of all the books I could read." |
| 123 |
A small yellow speedboat was plowing
toward them. Trixie: "All I saw was
a dragon painted on the front." The others agreed that they hadn't
seen a number, only a green dragon with a long forked red tongue. |
| 125 |
Trixie: "Say,
Di, do you remember that Christmas when we decided to go out to sing
carols to the shut-ins, and we each carried a flashlight covered with
red crepe paper to shine up into our faces?" |
| 126 |
Trixie: "I
thought that if we could use the red protest flag to cover the flashlight,
it might take the place of the buoy light." |
| 130 |
Captain Price:
"There's a pretty rough group who hang out around Jimmy's place."
Mart: "Where's Jimmy's Place?"
Captain Price: "It's a dive near Pebble Beach on Cobbett's
Island. It used to be a good place to go for ice cream or a hamburger,
but it was sold last year to some off-island people, and the whole
character of the place has changed." |
| 131 |
Mart: "We
know the type. They all wear the same kind of clothes as though they
were afraid to be individual." |
| 137 |
Mart: "I
suggest that our capable president and co-president be assigned to
this dangerous mission. I know my darling sibling is secretly dying
to go, and who could offer her protection better than our stalwart
Jim." |
| 138 |
Trixie: "Jim
really ought to be wearing jeans that are two sizes too small and
a leather jacket, but none of us has one." |
| 139 |
Tom: "I
have a very old black jacket to wear when I work on the car."
Di: "I'll bet if Jim tries, he can
wiggle into a pair of Mart's jeans." Mart:
"Just be careful not to stretch them. I'm very particular about
sartorial details." |
| 140 |
Trixie was wearing Jim's biggest sweater
which came way down below her hips. Her curly hair was hidden under
a black scarf, and she was wearing a tight black skirt Celia had lent
her. Her eyes, made up with eyebrow pencil and mascara. Jim:
"Trixie Belden, where did you get that rig?" not knowing
at first whether to be mad or amused by her outlandish getup. |
| 141 |
Trixie: "Gee,
Jim, I'm awfully glad it was you they picked to come tonight." |
| 147 |
Diana, realizing how restless Trixie
was, got out of bed and went into the bathroom, returning with a washcloth
which she had wrung out with cold water. She sat on the edge of Trixie's
bed and put the folded cloth on her forehead, patting her arm gently
until she felt the tension ease. |
| 148 |
- Peter: "It's the yacht club's
opening party. It's really supervised by old Captain Clark. He's
the island clambake expert."
- Pirate's Cove was on the other side of the island. It was approached
by a dirt road that twisted and turned through woods of scrub
oak, locust, and wild cherry trees.
|
| 149 |
Peter told them the whole area was a
game sanctuary. Jim: "What a wonderful
place this would be for my camp." Peter said Pirate's Cove got its name from
the legend that a pirate had once been forced to take refuge there
and may have buried his treasure on shore. |
| 151 |
Captain Clark was a huge man with thick
hair which was almost white, and a heavy bear. He was wearing faded
blue denim pants held up by an intricately woven rope belt, and a
red and white striped shirt. His arms were tattooed from elbow to
wrist with assorted mermaids, ships, and anchors. Very bright blue
eyes shone out from under shaggy brows. |
| 162 |
Captain Clark: "Two days after
we got back to port, Mr. Condon was gone, and no one to live in his
house. He willed it to a distant niece out in California, and she's
rented it out ever since." |
| 168 |
Honey carefully unfolded a moss-green
skirt. |
| 169 |
Di lifted out a lovely ashes-of-roses
dress. Trixie: "I know I couldn't get
into any of these. I'm sure I've gained five pounds since I came down
here." |
| 170 |
Honey: "Don't
be silly. Your figure's perfect and your waist is inches smaller than
it was last summer." Di pulled out a challis dress (for Trixie)
that was just the color of a ripe pumpkin. |
| 181 |
Trixie: "Two
hundred and fifteen dollars!" (for the library fund) |
| 183 |
Peter: "I
got a phone call just now from Brad Cummings. He and his brother are
my regular crew." |
| 184 |
Jim: "Don't
worry, Trix, you can do anything you put your mind to. You know I
think you're super!" |
| 192 |
Trixie was tingling all over with the
excitement of it all. She knew one day she would have to have a boat
of her own. There was nothing quite like sailing. |
| 196 |
Elmer lived in a neat little cottage
near the center of the island. |
| 200 |
Trixie: "What
did El mean by the South-side?" |
| 201 |
Peter: "That's
the way the islanders speak of the southern point of Long Island.
It could be that Ethel lives anywhere from Montauk to Southampton." |
| 202 |
Mrs. Ethel Hall, proprietor. J-U-nine-one
thousand. Locust Lane, Easthampton. |
| 203 |
Even though he often teased his almost-twin
to the point of distraction he was always secretly concerned when
he felt she was worried or discouraged. |
| 206 |
Celia: "You'll
miss your favorite dish, macaroni and cheese." Mart:
"Mac-a-chee!" |
| 208 |
This time, instead of taking the Greenpoint
ferry, they drove to the south side of the island and boarded a smaller
ferry which carried them over the narrow sound to the mainland. The
trip took only a few minutes, and then they were on their way to Easthampton. |
| 209 |
Peter: "There
might even be time to visit the Whaling Museum in Sag Harbor." |
| 210 |
- Honey: "Wouldn't it be fun to
have a garden like this at home? Down near the weeping willow
by the lake would be a perfect place for one. I think I'll read
up on Japanese gardens and ask Mother to let me plan one."
- Trixie: "Patience isn't my strongest
virtue." Jim: "You sure have
stick-to-itiveness and that's just patience plus positive action,
isn't it?"
|
| 211 |
- Trixie: "That sure sounds impressive,
Jim, but I'm afraid it's just stubborn old bullheadedness."
- Nursery owner: "The tendency
seems to be for visitors in a Japanese garden to look down instead
of up."
|
| 216 |
Mrs. Hall:
"It's never been anything but medicine for him." (Eddie,
her son) |
| 217 |
Mrs. Hall:
"He has one more year and a partial scholarship. His schedule
is so heavy he won't be able to take odd jobs to earn his living expenses.
He's just about decided to take a year off to earn the money and then
go back." |
| 224 |
Trixie: "The
reason why I get mad is probably because sometimes his (Mart) remarks
have a grain of truth in them which I've refused to face up to."
Mart was so surprised at this unaccustomed response that he dropped
his fork. |
| 230 |
Jim: "What
are those buildings way down at the far end of the field near the
woods?" Peter: "The big gray one
is the stable. On the right is the corn crib and that one over there
is the base of the old windmill." |
| 231 |
Honey discovered an old sleigh and climbed
in. Brian jumped in beside her, and pretending to take the reins,
started to sing. |
| 233 |
A sullen-looking boy advanced toward
them. His T-shirt was torn and filthy, his arms and legs were badly
scratched and he was wearing dirty white sneakers. |
| 234 |
Jim took a swaggering half-step forward,
hitched his thumbs in his belt, and in a voice he desperately hoped
sounded as tough as the other boy, "We'll go along with anything
Trix says. She's the boss of this pack." |
| 236 |
"Around here they call me Slim
Novarski." |
| 238 |
Slim: "When
I quit school, I tried to join up with their outfit (Coast Guard). |
| 241 |
As she reached out to take it (money),
Trixie kicked the gun on the floor with all her strength, and with
her left hand caught Slim by the wrist. |
| 242 |
Slim was as quick and lithe as a cat,
but he was outmatched by Jim whose training in boxing now stood him
good stead. |
| 243 |
Trixie: "You
know, I can't help feeling sorry for him. He's had two strikes against
him from the start, because he's not very bright." |
| 244 |
Jim: "He's
the sort I'd like to help in my school some day, but you should get
them when they're young, before the wrong habits set in." |
| 246 |
Mr. Kimball was a tall, well-built man
with graying hair and an easy manner. |
| 247 |
Abe: "How
old are you (Slim)?" |
| 248 |
Slim: "Seventeen,
next fall." Abe: "Your case will
be heard in private at the Children's Court. If they find you guilty,
there's a good chance you'll be sent to school instead of prison."
Slim: "You mean one of them schools
where you go to live and they learn you a trade?" Mr.
Kimball: Does your family live in Greenpoint?" Slim:
"Naw. My father died when I was a kid. Then me and my mother
moved to Jersey. She got jobs waiting on tables, but she took sick
last year, and they sent her to a hospital. I scrammed, figuring if
I stuck around I'd only be a worry to her." |
| 254 |
The Bob-Whites drove with Peter to the
Town Hall. They found Abe in the little office "Police Headquarters."
He was sitting with his feet up on an old rolltop desk. Trixie's deposition
was taken on a tape recorder, and after listening to the playback,
she signed an affidavit that to the best of her knowledge it was a
true statement. |
| 255 |
Abe: "Do
you know what he (Slim) said when I asked him what he'd like to be?
He wants to be a ferry pilot." |
| 256 |
Honey: "You
two are perfectly horrible to disturb my dreams. I had just had an
invitation to a dance by a tall, handsome man when you woke me."
Di: "Was he dark or light?" Honey:
"Dark. He had black hair, and come to think of it, he looked
a lot like Brian." |
| 258 |
None of them (Bob-Whites) had ever seen
the open ocean before. |
| 264 |
Ed shook hands with the Bob-Whites and
elicited from Brian a promise to write him about his future plans. |
