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morning coffee, found Bobby in the kitchen packing Reddy’s toys and dog food in a small suitcase.
    “What are you doing?” Peter Belden asked sleepily.
    “I’m getting ready to visit Reddy in the hopsital. He needs his food and his ball and his....”
    “Hold on there, young man!” Mr. Belden laughed. “Reddy’s in the hospital to rest, and Dr. Samet has food there for him. Besides, you have to go to school first. Then your mother will take you to visit Reddy.”
    “But, Daddy…”
    “No buts, ands, or anything. Now go get ready for school,” Mr. Belden said, smiling at his youngest son.
    “Aw, shucks,” Bobby mumbled to himself and slowly started up the stairs. “What if Reddy forgets all about me?” he called over his shoulder.
    “Who could forget you, half-pint?” Mart called down the stairs. “Especially when you’re making such a racket so early in the morning!” Soon all the Beldens were up and seated at the breakfast table. “I’m going to call Dr. Samet before we leave for school, to check on Reddy,” Trixie said.
    “Can I talk to Reddy,” Bobby asked, “so I can tell him I’m coming to visit?”
    “I don’t think Reddy will be able to come to the phone,” Trixie chuckled, “but I’ll ask Dr. Samet to tell him.”
    “You’d better hurry up. You’re running behind this morning, and the bus will be here soon,” Mrs. Belden told her three eldest children. “In fact, soon is the wrong word —now is more appropriate,” she said, glancing out the window.
    Trixie, Brian, and Mart raced for their hats, coats, and gloves.
    “All these arctic accoutrements are so burdensome,” Mart complained, pulling on his boots.
    “Phone the vet from school, if you want to,” Mrs. Belden called after the trio as they raced to meet their bus. “And have a nice day!”
    Trixie collapsed on the seat across from Honey and Di, who both immediately asked about Reddy.
    “I told Di the whole story, of course,” Honey said.
    “I didn’t have time to call Dr. Samet this morning, but I’ll call him from school.” Trixie sat up straight suddenly. “Honey, I thought you and Jim would be riding to school with Miss Darcy. Didn’t she stay over last night?”
    “She got up very early this morning and drove back into town,” Honey answered. “Maybe she had to get some things ready for our first rehearsal.”
    “Don’t remind me,” Di groaned. “After I talked to you last night, Trixie, all I did was practice, practice, practice! I think I’m going to be saying ‘O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?’ in my sleep!”
    “I’m excited about the costumes,” Honey said. “I wonder if we’ll be renting some or making all of them.”
    “You know,” Trixie admitted, “I’m a stagehand, but I’m afraid I don’t even know what a stagehand does!”
    Mart groaned from the seat behind her, then snorted rudely. Turning to Brian and Jim, he spouted pompously, “I ask you, members of the jury, is this not a misrepresentation on the part of Beatrix Belden—to feign knowledge of a special skill of which she is totally ignorant? It’s villainous! This young woman is completely incorrigible!”
    “Fortunately for you, Mart Belden, I have better things to do than to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations. Obviously, you do not,” Trixie retorted smartly as the bus pulled up in front of Sleepyside Junior-Senior High. She gathered up her books and stalked off the bus, followed by Honey and Di.
    “You can’t win ’em all.” Mart shrugged and filed out behind them.

    In between two of her morning classes, Trixie called Dr. Samet’s office and learned that Reddy was doing fine.
    Drama class was held just before lunch hour. The group of anxious freshmen gathered in the school auditorium for their first rehearsal. Eileen Darcy arrived looking tense and tired, but she smiled as she faced the class from the stage.
    “We are very fortunate,” Miss Darcy announced, “in that we will not have