The Eighth Bob-White

The Bob-Whites of the Glen made many new friends throughout the Trixie Belden series, but only two people were ever invited to join the group after the founding members. Diana Lynch, a lonely rich girl who used to be friends with Trixie, was invited in the fourth book, The Mysterious Visitor. Dan Mangan, a former New York City gang member and orphaned nephew of the Wheelers' groom, Regan, was invited in book eight, The Black Jacket Mystery. Two intrepid Jixers, Ryl and Dianafan, wondered if any of the other characters introduced during the series might be a good fit as an eighth Bob-White. Here are the results of their deliberations. Please feel free to discuss your reactions on the Jixemitri Message Board!

Joeanne Darnell

Biography:Joeanne is introduced in The Red Trailer Mystery. She is eleven years old and the eldest of four children. She is thin, and has black hair. Trixie and Honey meet her while searching for Jim after he has run away to escape Jonesey, his abusive step-father.
Pros: Joeanne is highly principled, and strong enough to act on those principles. When her father acts outside the letter of the law, she stands up to him. She is practical and hard-working. Her values are consistent with the Bob-Whites of the Glen.
Cons: Joeanne is younger than the other Bob-Whites; presumably two years younger than Trixie, Honey, and Diana, and considerably younger than the boys. The age gap may be too much for the group to interact comfortably. Even more serious, Joeanne has a younger sister, Sally, who appears to be just as irritating as Bobby. In combination, Sally and Bobby could well be a threat to the sanity of everyone on Glen Road.

Ben Riker

Biography: Ben is a cousin to Honey Wheeler. He is first introduced in The Red Trailer Mystery, and figures more prominently in The Mystery Off Glen Road and The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road. He is tall and blond, and drives a lemon yellow convertible. He is infamous for pranks, both minor and more serious.
Pros: Ben is roughly the same age as the other Bob-Whites, and is related to Honey. He would definitely benefit from friends such as the Bob-Whites, who would assist him in channelling his sense of humour into more productive outlets.
Cons: Trixie and Ben's personalities tend to clash and could lead to tension among the Bob-Whites. It's unlikely that either Trixie or Jim ever recovered from Trixie's "yen for Ben".

Hallie Belden

Biography: Hallie is a cousin to Trixie, Mart, and Brian, and is one year younger than Trixie. She is tall, thin, and has black hair and dark complexion. She is described as an "Indian princess". She has two older brothers, Cap and Knut. She first appears in The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest and figures prominently in The Sasquatch Mystery.
Pros: Hallie is related to three of the Bob-Whites and fits in well. She is looking for a place to belong. She has a strong work ethic and a love for the outdoors that make her a good match with the Bob-Whites. She shares similarities with Honey in that her parents are often absent from her life. Hallie is intelligent, brave, and interested in mysteries. She has also expressed a personal interest in Dan.
Cons: Hallie has a strong personality and would most likely clash with Trixie frequently, leading to tension in the group. Also, Hallie's persistent drawl could cause potentially permanent shudders of irritation in the other Bob-Whites.

Linnie Moore

Biography: Linnie is introduced in The Mystery at Bob-White Cave. Her mother (and later her father) are employed by Uncle Andrew at his lodge in the Ozarks. Linnie's dream is to attend the School of the Ozarks at Point Lookout and become a teacher.
Pros: Linnie fit in well with the Bob-Whites during their visit to the Ozarks. She is more cautious than Trixie. She is helpful, hard-working, and loves the outdoors. She shares similar values with the Bob-Whites.
Cons: With only the Lisgard House as a hotbed of supernatural activity, Linnie may feel that Sleepyside doesn't offer enough scope for the paranormal. Besides, there may not be room in the stables for both the Wheelers' horses and Shem and Japheth.

Nick Roberts

Biography: Nick is a student at Sleepyside Junior Senior High. He is an art major, and his father owns an engraving business in Sleepyside. Nick has dark eyes and hair. He figures prominently in The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road and in The Memorial Day Fire.
Pros: Nick would benefit from belonging to a close group of friends. His artistic skills would be useful in many Bob-White projects. He is helpful, loyal, and hard-working with a well-developed sense of right and wrong. He is close to the same age as the rest of the boys. Also, he and Diana share in interest in art.
Cons: As the sensitive, artistic type, Nick may or may not fare well in a group including "supple" boys.

Tenny

Biography: Tenny is a "cowboy" at Uncle Monty's ranch in Arizona. He is also a doctoral candidate working his way through university. He appears in The Mystery in Arizona.
Pros: Tenny's interest and skill in riding would make him a good match with the Bob-Whites. Also, he bears the distinction of being the only person on record to ever effectively explain math to Trixie. If he were to join the Bob-Whites, Trixie would potentially have more time for mysteries because her math homework wouldn't take her so long to finish.
Cons: Tenny's cowboy lingo and use of the word "pard'ner" could potentially lead to a disastrous rift with Regan, resulting in the horror of the Bob-Whites of the Glen being without mounts.

Pete Kimball

Biography: Pete lives on Cobbett's Island in the Oldest House. He is tall, and has broad shoulders and strong build. He has white-blond hair and dark blue eyes. Pete is introduced in The Mystery on Cobbett's Island. He owns his own sailboat, called "Star Fire".
Pros: Pete is generous, hard-working, and friendly. Like the Bob-Whites, Pete is involved in a local project to improve his home town-raising money for a new library. His values are consistent with the Bob-Whites.
Cons: Sleepyside may not be big enough for both Mart and Pete.

Ned Schultz

Biography: Ned lives on a farm in Polk County, Iowa, and is a neighbour to Uncle Andrew. In Mrs. Gorman's words, he is a "sheik"-tall, dark, and handsome. He appears in The Happy Valley Mystery and The Mystery of the Blinking Eye. He is very interested in sports. He also enjoys dancing. But only for exercise.
Pros: Ned was helpful to Trixie's investigation of the sheep thieves in Iowa, and was interested in the mystery in New York City. He is a good sport and fit in well with the Bob-Whites.
Cons: Sleepyside may not be big enough for both Ned and Jim.

Bob and Barbara Hubbell

Biography: Bob and Barbara are twins who live in Polk County, Iowa, near Uncle Andrew. They perform together, singing and playing guitar. They are also active in the local 4H branch-Barbara in a sewing group and Bob in a group studying the quality and quantity of the milk produced by different types of cows. The Hubbells appear in The Happy Valley Mystery and The Mystery of the Blinking Eye.
Pros: Bob and Barbara share a camaraderie with the Bob-Whites. Barbara was enthralled by the mystery while Bob and Mart bonded over a love of words.
Cons: Barbara's superfluous use of the word "wonderful", Bob's extensive vocabulary combined with Mart's, and Honey's "Honey-speak" could well render the Bob-Whites incomprehensible to anyone outside the group, making both charitable projects and the solving of mysteries much more difficult.

Dot Murray

Biography: Dot lives in Polk County, Iowa. She is a senior in high school and an accomplished figure skater. She is introduced in The Happy Valley Mystery and bears the dubious distinction of being one of the few girls to incur Trixie's jealous wrath.
Pros: Having Dot as a part of the Bob-Whites would force Trixie to grow as a person and overcome her feelings of jealousy and inadequacy. And, since an association with Dot already led Jim to give Trixie an identification bracelet, we can only hope that prolonged exposure could lead to something more substantial than just "fond looks".
Cons: It is doubtful that Dot would be content skating on the Wheeler's outdoor frozen lake.

Jane Morgan

Biography: Jane lives in Sleepyside and is a student at Sleepyside Junior Senior High. She is the niece of local vet, Dr. Samet. She plans to become a veterinarian, and she helps her uncle after school. She has an interest in drama. She appears in The Mystery of the Velvet Gown.
Pros: Jane would benefit from belonging to the Bob-Whites, and would hopefully learn how to resolve conflict in healthy ways. Being a Bob-White should inspire her to act on her better instincts. She shares an interest in the healing arts with Brian.
Cons: According to the general consensus of various K.K.s, the role of Drama Queen has already been filled.

Tad Webster

Biography: Tad is the younger brother of Spider Webster, the Bob-Whites' favourite cop, and has lived with his brother since the death of their parents. He is a talented athlete who made the Pony League when Mart did not. He belonged to a club, the Hawks, which concentrated on athletics. He is introduced in The Mysterious Code.
Pros: Tad is the same age as Mart (and possibly Dan), and would benefit from the positive influence of the Bob-Whites.
Cons: A closer association with Spider Webster could very well lead to Trixie becoming even more involved with dangerous criminals, which would invariably lead to more grey hair for Helen Belden. And Tad wouldn't want that on his conscience.

Neil sans surname

Biography: Neil is tall and rangy, with wide shoulders, slim hips, and light brown hair. He loves horses. His father was injured and confined to a wheel chair when Neil was young. Though Neil professed to hate school, the real reason he dropped out was so that he could make his own way in the world and not be a burden to his parents. He is introduced in The Mystery of the Emeralds.
Pros: Neil has a past similar to both Jim and Dan. Underneath his rough exterior, Neil was anxious to care for and protect the people around him. His values are similar to the Bob-Whites. He also shares a love of horses with the Bob-Whites.
Cons: Neil's somewhat lax attitude towards school could have a negative impact on the other Bob-Whites, potentially causing them all to drop out of school and become grooms.

Authors' Notes

Word count: Ryl - 1636; Mary - 194

Disclaimer: All characters from the Trixie Belden series are the property of Random House, and are used without permission, although with great respect and affection. No profit is being made from their use here.

Happy 8th anniversary to Jixemitri! Cathy, thank you for making a home for so many Trixie friends at Jix.

Ryl wrote most of the text, except for Tad's biographical details. Dianafan (Mary N) made the graphics and designed the page, using images from the Deluxe and Cameo editions of her own Trixie books. Tenny's picture comes from Ryl's Retro edition of The Mystery In Arizona. Page layout accomplished with the much-needed help of a true 8th Bob-White, chromasnake.