The Mystery of the Uninvited Ghost

Trixie would share anything she owned with a friend, but she wasn’t feeling exactly friendly toward Hallie. It took real effort for her to say to the others, “Wait for us. I’ll find an outfit for Hallie.” Even in the dark, Honey sensed her effort. She hugged Trixie and said, “Don’t bother. Come on, Hallie. I’ll find something for you in my closet. You’re not much taller than I am.”
    As Hallie squeezed herself into the car, Mart teased, “Good thing you didn’t take Trixie up on her magnanimous offer. You’d have had to borrow a belt from someone else.” He groaned loudly when Trixie jabbed him with her finger. She was sensitive about weighing more than either Honey or Di, and Mart knew it. He reserved the right to remind her of this fact when he felt like getting even—and he hadn’t forgotten the kick on his ankle, after all.
    On Glen Road Jim caught sight of the Lynch Cadillac in his rearview mirror. He honked the horn and pulled to the side of the road to wait for Diana. No lengthy explanations were necessary as Di switched from roomy Cadillac to crowded station wagon. From the front seat, she twisted around to ask Honey, “May I borrow something comfortable to wear? I can’t spend tonight and tomorrow, too, in these dressy clothes.”
    “You look super,” Mart said. “Where did you eat?”
    “The country club.”
    Mart crowed, “We, too, have indulged our taste buds.”
    “I know, with raspberry pie,” Di said with a mock groan. “Remember me? I helped pick those berries.” She affected a lofty air. “We had live entertainment. There was a stand-up comic.”
    “At the country club?” Jim asked in surprise.
    “Some down-and-out actor was singing for his supper,” Di explained. “He was really funny. He made everybody take part in an icebreaker. The host at each table introduced his group, then this character rushed around shouting introductions of all of us to people we’d known all our lives. And do you know what? He didn’t miss a single name in that big dining room. He even remembered our addresses. And that was after he’d gone out for some reason, so some time had passed. I call that good!”
    “See?” Mart grumbled. “Some people get paid for showing off memory skills! Other people languish for want of appreciation, not that I mention names.”
    “I thought that person languished for berry pie,” Brian said dryly. “Di, we have a guest. Hallie Belden, Diana Lynch.”
    “Belden?” Di repeated. “Oh! Your cousin. Hi!” There, Trixie thought. One more Bob-White to go and Hallie will have met all of us.
    Jim drove past the gatehouse that now served as the Bob-White clubhouse. At the same time, the remaining unmet Bob-White, Dan Mangan, emerged from the woods path.
    The station wagon came to a halt under a yard lamp. Trixie could hear Dan whistling off-key. He didn’t sound happy. For several days, he had been unusually quiet. Trixie had tried to cheer him up, but Brian had told her to mind her own business. She had flared, “Dan’s business is my business. He’s a Bob-White, isn’t he?” Quite pointedly, Brian had reminded her that each person is entitled to handle his own private affairs. Even though Dan now worked on the Wheeler estate, he was originally from the streets of New York City. Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson was situated close enough to the city that confrontations with his past were probably unavoidable. Brian would say nothing more.
    As she led Hallie forward to meet Dan, Trixie studied his face for possible change. There was none. Dan still looked unhappy.
    “Hi, Dan,” Hallie said casually. She had two brothers and her tone said, “Big deal. Another boy.”
    But Dan’s whole manner brightened. He fell into step with Hallie as if they’d walked together often.
    As she had promised, Honey took the girls up to her room once they reached Manor House. There both Di and Hallie changed into comfortable jeans and blouses. “Am I presentable now?” Hallie asked.
    “You’re so pretty, Hallie, you’d look good in a gunnysack,” answered Di. She locked arms with Hallie and guided her into the hall.
    Trixie followed with Honey and Juliana. She watched the two dark-haired girls go down the wide stairs. It was an accepted fact that Di was the prettiest girl in the club. But now? Trixie was not so sure that even an Irish pixie with black hair and violet-colored eyes could compete with a girl who looked and walked like an Indian princess. If