The Mystery at Mead's Mountain

the Bob-Whites.
    “What should we wear?” Di asked immediately. “We’re going to the Purple Turnip,” said Linda. “Wear something casual. Pants are fine.”
    “Whew!” said Jim, pretending to wipe the sweat from his brow.
    “The Purple Turnip—what kind of a place is that?” asked Mart.
    “A vegetarian restaurant,” answered Wanda.
    “Oh, no!” Mart let out an exaggerated groan. “I’m a growing boy, you know. I need food! That’s capital M-E-A-T. Maybe we’d better eat here first.”
    “Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty to eat, Mart,” chuckled Wanda. “I’ll make you a deal—if you’re still hungry after dinner, I, personally, will fix you a giant hamburger with all the trimmings.”
    “I can taste it now!” said Mart appreciatively.
    “It’s a nice family-run restaurant,” Linda told them. “They have a folk singer, too. I think you’ll like it a lot.”
    “Have you told them about Jenny yet?” Wanda asked her twin.
    Linda turned to the Bob-Whites and explained shyly, “Jenny is our little sister. She’s a beautiful, wonderful, and very special person. Physically Jenny is nine, but because of the brain damage she suffered at birth, she has the mentality of a four-year-old.”
    “A very bright four-year-old,” Wanda added. “She looks at the world with such joy—we can’t help being very proud of her.”
    “If you don’t mind,” Linda said, “we’d like to stop in and see her before dinner. We try to see her every time we get into town. She’d enjoy meeting you. She likes company.”
    “Oh, we’d love to meet her!” exclaimed Honey.
    “We have a few chores to do before we leave,” Wanda said. “So we’ll meet you about four if that’s okay.”
    When it came time for the girls to get dressed for the trip into town, Di chanted playfully, “Oh, what to wear, what to wear? I brought two nice after-ski outfits, and I just can’t make up my mind.”
    “I’ll decide for you,” Trixie offered. “Wear the rosy pink sweater and matching plaid pants. You look stunning in bright colors. Honey, why don’t you wear your dark gold sweater and pants? With your hair, you’ll look like the traditional golden girl. As for me, I will just be my average old self,” she finished, pretending to sigh heavily.
    “Jeepers, Trixie, you’re about as un-average as they come,” Honey told her.
    “Sure,” teased Di. “Just because you get average marks in a few subjects at school doesn’t mean you’re an all-around average person.”
    Trixie aimed a pillow in Di’s direction and began changing into her navy blue turtleneck sweater and blue plaid slacks. Then she had an interesting idea. “If Eric’s back, why don’t we ask the twins if we could invite him along?” she suggested. “He’s probably lonely. Maybe he’d enjoy an evening out.”
    Honey snorted, and even Di laughed.
    Trixie became indignant. “What’s your problem? I just thought it was a nice idea.”
    “Oh, Trixie! Of course, it’s a good idea,” said Honey. “But isn’t it possible that maybe—just maybe—you were thinking more about getting another clue than about keeping Eric from being lonely?”
    “Well...”
    Honey looked in the mirror and brushed her hair. “If you two are ready, why don’t you go ask Linda and Wanda if we could invite Eric? I’ll check on the slowpoke boys.”
    After speaking with Linda and Wanda, Di and Trixie stopped at Eric’s door. “Sure you wouldn’t rather invite him, Di? He seems to like you.”
    “Moonshining thieves aren’t my style,” sniffed Di, giving Trixie a push. “This was your idea.”
    Trixie knocked on the door.
    “Who is it and what do you want?” called Eric, sounding weary and irritated.
    “It’s Trixie Belden. Linda, Wanda, and all of us are going into town to visit Linda and Wanda’s sister and then go out to dinner. We wondered if you wanted to join us.”
    She heard some scuffling in the room, and then the door opened. Eric was wearing an undershirt and jeans that were wet from skiing in the rain. His hair was messed up, and there were bags under his eyes. “You’re going to dinner in town? In a restaurant?” he inquired.
    Trixie nodded. “A vegetarian place called the Purple Turnip.”
    Eric paused thoughtfully, then said, “Yeah, I’ll come. Can you wait about ten minutes while I shower and get pulled together?”
    “Sure. We’ll meet you in the lobby.”
    His acceptance took Trixie by surprise. She had hoped he