The Robbing Mystery (ages 9-12)

 By Cecily T.

Eleven year old Andi Carter galloped to her special spot. She was meeting her friend Sadie Hollister there to go fishing. Andi scanned her special spot to see if her friend was already there. Sure enough, Sadie was fishing away. She had at least three fish. When she saw Andi, she jumped up and ran to her.

“What took ya so long?” Sadie asked.

Andi got down from her horse. “Mother wanted me to help with dinner.”

They sat down on the creek bank and started fishing. They told jokes and stories. Finally Andi said to Sadie, “Do you still want to see my place or is it too late?”

Sadie said, “Don’t have anything later this afternoon.”

So the girls packed up their things and got on their horses. They raced all the way to the ranch. Andi sensed something was not right. It was too quiet, and none of her brothers were out doing ranch chores. Then she saw it, a man dressed in black turned the corner of the house. He was sneaking around with no one with him.

“Hurry, get in the tree and hide!” said Andi.

They scurried up the tree in no time and waited.

Andi prayed “Keep us safe Lord!”

All of a sudden a ranch hand walked around the corner of the barn whistling. He looked up in the tree at Andi.

“What are you doing u-”

Andi cut him off, and whispered what she saw. “Go into the house and tell Chad and Mother and the others!” she ordered him.

The ranch hand nodded and took off. 

Sadie whispered to Andi, “I want to go home.”

Andi replied “We have to stay up here till everything has passed.” She sent a sorry glance at Sadie who looked ready to cry. Andi felt like crying too. “No” she told herself.

But it didn’t work. A tear trickled down her cheek, then another. She was scared. Never in her life, that she could remember, had she been somewhere without her brothers in a frightening time. What if the guy came and hid in this tree! A verse popped in her head: “I am your fortress,” then another came in: “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and mind.”

Andi heard galloping hooves. She looked, and saw the man gallop away. God had protected her and Sadie.

She looked at Sadie and said “We can get down now and see what happened in the house.” Sadie nodded.

They crawled down from the tree and hobbled to the house because they were sore from sitting in the tree for half an hour. They creaked the door open and went in.

They saw the lights on in the kitchen and walked toward the door. They heard talking.

“I don’t know what happened.”

“All we know is that he’s gone know.”

“I know but where’s Andi? Is she still at her special spot fishing?”

Andi could tell it was her mother. She burst through the door and ran to her mother. She left Sadie standing at the door.

“I was so scared I didn’t know what to do but get in the tree!” Andi said.

Her mother looked at Andi and said. “You did the right thing Andrea.”

She gave Andi one last hug and got up.

“What about getting supper on the table,” Mother said. So they all helped to get the supper.

            Andi asked her mother if Sadie could stay for supper. But Sadie said. “I want to go home back to my family.” She gave a little smile.

“Would you like company?” Mother said.

“No,” Sadie said. “I can ride home by myself. I’ll see you tomorrow Andi, I want to know who that guy was.” And Sadie was out the door before anyone could answer.

Everyone sat at the table talking about what happened. Andi told her story and the others told theirs. Andi’s mother looked at the time. “Oh dear I didn’t realize how late it was!” The clock chimed eight thirty.

Andi went to bed and had a restless night. In the morning though, she got dressed into her Sunday dress and scratchy stockings, and hurried downstairs.

“Good morning!” Andi’s mother said, looking up from her breakfast.

“Good morning!” Andi cheerfully replied.

“Any word on who the guy was?” Andi said.         

 “Not yet.” Came her mother’s answer. “You better hurry though we have to go to church in half an hour!”

Melinda looked from her plate and giggled! “Your hair is sticking out!”

But her mother looked at Melinda and said. “Your hair is sticking out too!”

Melinda’s face turned pink, and said, “Come on Andi lets go do our hair.”

They both stood up and ran to their rooms.

Justin got the buggy ready and drove the whole family to church. After the long hour ride they finally arrived at their church. Andi jumped out of the buggy and ran to her friend Cory.

            Cory looked at Andi, and said. “Did you hear about the robbery guy?”

Andi nodded. “We were one of the ones that got robbed!”

Cory’s eyes got wide! “You got robbed? What did you do?”

“It’s a long story, plus most of the people are in the church! I’ll tell you after church,” Andi replied.

Andi and Cory scurried across the lawn and into the church. Andi couldn’t wait to get out of the church for two reasons she couldn’t stand sitting in one spot for an hour and also it was so hot!!!

When church was finally out she went and found Cory and went outside. Then she blurted out the whole story.

Andi began, “Sadie and I were fishing, but she wanted to see our place for the first time. So we raced back to the ranch. But when we got there we saw a guy dressed in black so I told Sadie to get into the tree, we scurried up the tree, then we waited. A ranch hand came around the corner of the barn and saw us in the tree. I told him to go inside and tell Mother and Chad   about the guy dressed in black. After he left I prayed and memory verses kept popping in my mind. But then I heard some hooves running down the driveway and looked up and saw the man cantering down the road. We got out of the tree and went inside. Everyone was in the kitchen.”

“What happened next?” Cory wanted to know.

Andi replied, “I’m getting there! We went into the kitchen and we all sat around the table and ate dinner and talked about the things we had seen. Sadie didn’t want to stay so she rode home. We haven’t looked for anything yet to see if anythings missing though.”

“Wow!!” Corry said with eyes wide!

“Andiiiiiii!!!” One of Andi’s brothers was calling for her.

“I have to go now!” Andi told Cory. “Bye!” she called over her shoulder as she was running. She jumped into the buggy and the family drove home.

They had such a great dinner of sausage and noodles, and biscuits, jello and peach cobbler. Then they all gathered in the Library to rest.

Justin sat in the rocking chair and read a magazine. Mother was crocheting on the couch and so was Melinda. Mitch, Chad and Andi were playing a game of pinochle.

“Hey, has anyone found anything missing?” Andi finally said.  

“I noticed that my necklace was missing.”Mother said.

“Does anyone know who stole the things? Because he stole my necklace too!” Melinda added.

“Actually this magazine says who the guy is.” Justin replied.

Andi held her breath. Justin talked on. “It says George Holster!”

Chad shot up. “The guy who robbed the bank? I thought he would be long gone and never come back! After he spent a six month term in jail.”

“Then let’s go tell the police!” Andi said.

“Not so fast little sister,” Justin replied. “They’re probably already looking for him.”

Andi slumped. She didn’t want this scary man to be around any longer to take her things or even Taffy.

Just then a knock came from the door. Before anyone move Andi was out the library room and down the hall. “I’ll get it!”

She ran to the door and opened it. “Come on Sadie! We found out who the guy was!”

They ran down the hall and into the library. “Justin, tell Sadie what you found out.” Andi said.

“All right. We found out the guy was named George Holster,” Justin answered.

“Ain’t that the guy who stole money from the bank?” Sadie asked.

“Yup.” Chad replied.

“I can’t stay long because my Ma’s ill and she needs my help back at home. I just wanted to see who the guy was. It was worth hearing that the persons in jail.”

“All right, Nice to see you.” Andi answered. “Bye!”

“I’m going to go to the police station and I want Chad to come with me.” Justin said.

“Can I come too? I’ll do what you tell me!” Andi asked

“No,” came the answer from Mother.

“But - ” Andi started to say. But her mother cut her off, and said, “No buts.”

Before she could answer her two big brothers were out the door and saddling their horses. Then she heard the galloping hooves pounding down the drive way.

………………

Andi paced impatiently for her brothers return. Finally she heard pounding hooves. Her brothers had been gone for four hours.

She ran to the window and looked out. She saw her brothers give their horses to the cowhands and run inside.

            Andi met them at the door. “What took you so long?” she asked.  

Justin answered, “We were talking to the Sheriff.”

“We have some news too,” added Chad.

“Go get everybody and tell them to go in the living room.” The two brothers said together.

She ran and told everyone and they all met in the room.

            “The police have been tracking him down and finally caught up with him.” Justin said. “He’s in jail now!” Chad told. “And he gave us your necklaces too.”

They gave Melinda and Mother their things.

“Now we don’t have to worry about him now!” Andi said with relief. 

“That’s right!” Mother added her joy.

            “Can I go tell Sadie Mother?” Andi asked.

“Yes you may, but only for a few minutes,” was her Mothers reply.

So Andi got up and galloped all the way to Sadie’s house.

Sadie came out and greeted her. “Howdy!” What brings you up here?” She asked.

            “The police tracked down George Holster and put him in jail!!” Andi blurted out.

“They did?”

“Yup! Well I have to go back home but I thought I would let you know.”

“Thanks for telling me!”

“You want to meet Saturday to fish?”

“Sure.”  

Andi got back home and went to bed with a smile on her face. She didn’t have to worry about it anymore. Everything was back to normal.