“It’s something so small it doesn’t show when she has it in her hand,” Margy reasoned. “And she is showing it to Mattie and Joe, who aren’t exactly crazy about Polly or our club. I do believe it is Polly’s pin, and I intend to find out.”
Margy’s writing lesson may have left something to be desired that day, but by three o’clock she had a clever plan worked out to solve the mystery.
“Wait a minute,” she said to the impatient five, who waited for her in the hall. “Yes, I know you want to get to work on the snowman, but Polly lost her club pin this noon, and I think I’ve found it.”
“Lost her pin?” echoed Jess. “Where?”
“You haven’t found it?” gasped Polly.
“Well, of course I’m not sure,” said Margy, modestly, “but I think I have. I noticed Carrie walked right behind you this noon, as you were going upstairs. I didn’t think anything of that till I saw her passing something around this afternoon. I couldn’t see what it was, but she showed it to Mattie Helms and to Joe Anderson.”
“It might be anything,” said Polly, gloomily.
“If it is the pin, what are you going to do about it?” Fred asked his sister. “You can’t go up and accuse her of taking Polly’s pin.”
“I could, but I don’t intend to,” said Margy. “I might ask her and she would say she ‘found’ it. But I know a better way than that. I’m going back to our room now and you go out in the yard and wait for me. It will take me a little while.”
“Look here, what are you up to?” said Fred, a little quickly.