pupils either stared openly or took furtive glances at the newcomer. Mart saw it, and his face reddened, but he continued to lead the new boy toward the table where his friends were sitting.
Now that Trixie could get a full look at the newcomer, she was less impressed by him than before. He was wearing the black leather jacket and had his cap tucked under his arm, but the thing that made her gasp was the style of shoes he was wearing. She hadn’t noticed them on the bus. They were cowboy boots.
She craned her neck to be sure she was seeing right There was no mistake. They were pointedtoed boots with a high heel, and they were black and highly polished.
Mart and the dark boy were at the table now. “Hi, family and such! This is Dan Mangan. Dan, here are some of the characters you’ll have to put up with in Sleepyside High.”
Brian was cordial. He rose and shook hands soberly with Dan Mangan, and the solemn-faced Dan managed a smile and a brief “Hi,” in return.
But in spite of Honey’s quick smile and Di’s admiring look, Dan only nodded stiffly to the girls. “As if it hurt him to be polite,” Trixie whispered as Mart and Dan went to the counter to get trays and serve themselves. Trixie was disappointed.
“He’s just bashful, I guess,” Di said and fluffed her soft black curls around her neck.
“Huh!” Trixie noticed the curl-fluffing with a critical eye. “You can call it that, but it looks more like just plain old rude, to me.”
“Trixie Belden, you’re not being fair,” Honey told her quietly. “You don’t know a thing about the poor fellow, and you’re deciding not to like him.”
“Oh, it’s just that black leather jacket, I guess,” Trixie answered truthfully. “And those cowboy boots. Why would anybody wear cowboy boots?”
“Maybe it’s a club outfit, like our red jackets,” Honey suggested. “When he walked away just now, the sun hit the back of his jacket through that window. And I’m almost sure I saw where something had been painted over, right in the middle of the back.”
“Really? What did it say?” Trixie was interested now.
“I couldn’t tell. But I bet it was the name of some club he belongs to,” Honey told them.
Di’s eyes were wide. “I saw a movie about a street gang that wore black leather jackets. They were awful. Always fighting. Do you think he’s like that?” She was ready to be alarmed as she stared at Dan and Mart coming across the cafeteria with loaded trays.
Trixie saw Di’s expression and was suddenly ashamed of herself. She told Di hastily, “He’s probably a very nice boy. And either Mr. Maypenny has hired him to help on the preserve, as Honey suggested, or else he’s Mr. Maypenny’s grandson.”
“Grandson, I bet!” Honey guessed enthusiastically. “He’s probably been living in the city all his life. That’s why he’s so thin, maybe. And Mr. Maypenny’s hoping to fatten him up with country air and some of his wonderful cooking.”
“Got it all figured out, haven’t you?” Brian laughed. “Now, how about eating lunch before the assembly bell rings?” But even he stopped eating and looked surprised as Mart came on alone after introducing Dan Mangan to three ninth-graders at the next table. After putting down his tray, Dan seated himself.
Mart met their inquiring looks a little sheepishly as he emptied his tray and sat down with them. “Dan’s getting acquainted with the guys in our homeroom,” he explained. “It’s better.”
Di pouted and glanced at the empty chair next to her own. “Who needs him?” she asked. “Would have crowded us, anyway.”
But Trixie, holding back an impish grin, kicked Honey’s ankle under the table and winked knowingly. Di was miffed, and Trixie knew it. That came of being so pretty that everybody swooned over her. When they didn’t, it was a blow.
It was getting crowded in the lunchroom, and everyone was talking louder and louder. Over at the next table, Dan had an audience of
Now that Trixie could get a full look at the newcomer, she was less impressed by him than before. He was wearing the black leather jacket and had his cap tucked under his arm, but the thing that made her gasp was the style of shoes he was wearing. She hadn’t noticed them on the bus. They were cowboy boots.
She craned her neck to be sure she was seeing right There was no mistake. They were pointedtoed boots with a high heel, and they were black and highly polished.
Mart and the dark boy were at the table now. “Hi, family and such! This is Dan Mangan. Dan, here are some of the characters you’ll have to put up with in Sleepyside High.”
Brian was cordial. He rose and shook hands soberly with Dan Mangan, and the solemn-faced Dan managed a smile and a brief “Hi,” in return.
But in spite of Honey’s quick smile and Di’s admiring look, Dan only nodded stiffly to the girls. “As if it hurt him to be polite,” Trixie whispered as Mart and Dan went to the counter to get trays and serve themselves. Trixie was disappointed.
“He’s just bashful, I guess,” Di said and fluffed her soft black curls around her neck.
“Huh!” Trixie noticed the curl-fluffing with a critical eye. “You can call it that, but it looks more like just plain old rude, to me.”
“Trixie Belden, you’re not being fair,” Honey told her quietly. “You don’t know a thing about the poor fellow, and you’re deciding not to like him.”
“Oh, it’s just that black leather jacket, I guess,” Trixie answered truthfully. “And those cowboy boots. Why would anybody wear cowboy boots?”
“Maybe it’s a club outfit, like our red jackets,” Honey suggested. “When he walked away just now, the sun hit the back of his jacket through that window. And I’m almost sure I saw where something had been painted over, right in the middle of the back.”
“Really? What did it say?” Trixie was interested now.
“I couldn’t tell. But I bet it was the name of some club he belongs to,” Honey told them.
Di’s eyes were wide. “I saw a movie about a street gang that wore black leather jackets. They were awful. Always fighting. Do you think he’s like that?” She was ready to be alarmed as she stared at Dan and Mart coming across the cafeteria with loaded trays.
Trixie saw Di’s expression and was suddenly ashamed of herself. She told Di hastily, “He’s probably a very nice boy. And either Mr. Maypenny has hired him to help on the preserve, as Honey suggested, or else he’s Mr. Maypenny’s grandson.”
“Grandson, I bet!” Honey guessed enthusiastically. “He’s probably been living in the city all his life. That’s why he’s so thin, maybe. And Mr. Maypenny’s hoping to fatten him up with country air and some of his wonderful cooking.”
“Got it all figured out, haven’t you?” Brian laughed. “Now, how about eating lunch before the assembly bell rings?” But even he stopped eating and looked surprised as Mart came on alone after introducing Dan Mangan to three ninth-graders at the next table. After putting down his tray, Dan seated himself.
Mart met their inquiring looks a little sheepishly as he emptied his tray and sat down with them. “Dan’s getting acquainted with the guys in our homeroom,” he explained. “It’s better.”
Di pouted and glanced at the empty chair next to her own. “Who needs him?” she asked. “Would have crowded us, anyway.”
But Trixie, holding back an impish grin, kicked Honey’s ankle under the table and winked knowingly. Di was miffed, and Trixie knew it. That came of being so pretty that everybody swooned over her. When they didn’t, it was a blow.
It was getting crowded in the lunchroom, and everyone was talking louder and louder. Over at the next table, Dan had an audience of
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