The Mystery of the Antique Doll

finalist in the spelling contest, and getting sent to the Eastern Regional—oh, this is so exciting I can barely talk.”
    “Come on, Honey,” Trixie begged. “Now you’ve got me all excited too!”
    “Wait till you hear! You’ll never guess. They want me to go with them, and you too!”
    “I don’t believe it!” Trixie yelped. “Whoopee! Are you sure they really want me to come too?”
    “Of course, silly,” Honey said. “After all, you’re the person who made it all possible. I mean, you’re the one who helped me get over my shyness and everything!”
    “Oh, Honey,” Trixie murmured. “I don’t know what to say!”
    “Of course you know what to say!” Honey giggled. “You’re supposed to say yes!”
    “Yes! I mean, I guess so. I have to ask Moms, though.”
    “Well, then, go ask her!” said Honey. “Oh, I’m so excited. Hurry!”
    Trixie let the phone receiver drop to the floor with a clunk as she raced into the kitchen to speak to her mother.
    Helen Belden listened quietly to the rush of words that spilled out of her excited daughter.
    “Well, dear, I don’t know what to say,” she began. “It’s rather embarrassing, you know, such a large gift. There would be no way on earth we could ever do something similar for Honey.”
    “Mo-o-ms!” Trixie groaned. “Please, pretty please with honey and sugar and tons of extra chores on top. Please?”
    Mrs. Belden smiled as she watched her daughter writhe with anxiety. “I guess so, dear. You tell Honey I said it was fine, but I would like to speak with her mother this evening. Is that all right?”
    Trixie raced back to the telephone and gave Honey the good news.
    “We can still study this weekend, too. After all, we’ll be together, won’t we?” Trixie reminded her friend.
    “That’s right,” Honey answered. “What else is there to do in Paris besides study for a spelling test?”
    Trixie’s peal of laughter could be heard all the way to Glen Road, but suddenly she stopped.
    “Oh, my goodness,” she gasped. “I forgot all about Mrs. De Keyser!”
    “I didn’t,” Honey said calmly. “Jim isn’t coming with us because of the big basketball game this weekend. He promised me that he and Mart and Brian will go over Sunday morning and help Mrs. De Keyser.”
    “Will they be able to cook for her?” Trixie asked, wondering if Mrs. De Keyser would have enough food to hold her over the long weekend.
    “Why not?” Honey answered. “Jim is actually a pretty good cook. There’s no reason why Brian and Mart can’t learn something useful, too.”
    “You’re absolutely right, Honey. I think this will be a broadening experience for them!”
    “Now here’s my plan,” began Honey, getting more serious. “We’ll stop at Mrs. De Keyser’s house after school tomorrow and do a few quick things. Then you go home and pack. Friday night, you’ll come here for dinner. Afterwards Tom will take us in the limousine to Westchester Airport. We’re taking off at about 11 o’clock, and we’ll be in Paris by morning.”
    “We’re flying at night?” Trixie marveled. “When will we sleep?”
    “We’ll sleep on the plane, silly,” Honey said with a laugh. “It takes six hours to fly across the Atlantic, but Europe is six hours ahead of the United States. We’ll arrive in Paris at 5 o’clock in the morning, New York time. But it will be 11 o’clock in the morning, Paris time.”
    “That’s too confusing for me, Honey,” Trixie said. “I only hope the seats in the plane are comfortable.”
    “Don’t worry,” Honey said. “They lean way back and turn into beds. We’ll sleep like babies.”
    Visions of the Eiffel Tower and famous painters in Left Bank cafes whirled through Trixie’s head that night. When she finally fell asleep, her dreams were filled with exotic-looking tourists and a hundred varieties of French pastries. She woke up feeling as if she’d already been to Paris and back—all in one night.
    The next day at school passed in a blur, as Trixie moved from class to class like a wooden statue. More than once, she was scolded by her teachers for not paying attention.
    After school, she and Honey did some quick housework for Mrs. De Keyser, but their minds weren’t on their jobs. Mrs. De Keyser noticed, and was infected by their excitement.
    “Oh, how wonderful it is to be young,” Mrs. De Keyser said. “I remember the first time I went to Paris, as if it were yesterday. You girls are going to have a