The Mystery of the Whispering Witch

see to Sunny as soon as I’ve finished helping Honey.”
    “Oh, yes!” Fay’s voice sounded eager. “That would be great, Di.” She hesitated. “That is, if you wouldn’t mind, Trixie.”
    “Of course not!” Trixie sounded more eager than she’d meant to and hoped that Fay hadn’t noticed. But she did want to talk to Honey alone, and this seemed to be the perfect chance. All the same, she couldn’t help feeling some guilt as she added, “Maybe Di would like to show you around her house, too. You’ll love it, Fay. It’s not a bit spooky—” She broke off, aware that the end of her sentence, the way your house is, was already too obvious.
    If Mart had been there, he would have told his sister that once more she’d managed to insert her foot firmly into her oral cavity!
    Trixie was relieved when she heard Miss Trask’s brisk voice call from the stable doorway, “If you’re planning a visit to the Lynch house, girls, don’t be gone for hours. You’re all invited to have supper at Manor House—that is, if you’d like to.” Trixie looked doubtful. “I really think I ought to get home. Moms is going to think I’ve gotten lost, to say nothing of the chores—”
    Miss Trask smiled as she broke in. She was dressed, as usual, in a trim tweed suit, her feet encased in sensible oxfords. “I’m supposed to give you a message, Trixie,” she said. “Your parents have taken Bobby to visit Santa in one of Croton’s department stores.”
    Trixie stared. “Santa’s come to town already?” Miss Trask’s bright blue eyes twinkled. “Would you believe he’s been there since last week? Bobby hadn’t known about it until Di’s twin brothers mentioned it this morning. Now nothing will do but that he has to go and put in his order at once. ”
    Di laughed. “Trust Larry and Terry to tell him about it. I forgot that the nursemaids took them to Ecklund’s last Saturday. They had a great time.” Regan grinned at all of them. “I don’t know what things are coming to,” he said. “It used to be that Santa and his sleigh didn’t arrive until Christmas Eve. First came Thanksgiving, and then—”
    Miss Trask shook her gray head. “Soon he’ll be going out trick-or-treating with the youngsters at Halloween.”
    “Did you talk to the boys?” Honey asked. “Are they going to eat with us?”
    Miss Trask nodded. “They said they wouldn’t miss it.”
    Honey’s face brightened. “Will we have hot dogs, Miss Trask? Dear Miss Trask?”
    Miss Trask laughed aloud as she turned away. “Hot dogs it is, if you really want them.”
    “Then how can we refuse?” Di sang out. “It all sounds delicious. What do you think, Fay?”
    Their new friend had been watching them quietly. Now she smiled and said, “How kind you all are. I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”
    Di flushed. “Come on,” she told her quickly. “Let’s go and see to Sunny. Then afterward I’ll show you around.”
    “And after that,” Fay said happily, “we’ll have hot dogs around a roaring fire!”
    They followed Miss Trask out of the stable, and Trixie could hear Fay’s light voice sounding once more as if she’d been able to forget her troubles.
    Regan hurried away to the back office as Honey stirred and sighed. “I can’t help feeling glad that Fay’s going to be busy for just a little while, Trix,” Honey said. “I’ve been simply dying to talk to you.”
    “Me, too,” Trixie replied, “because you know what, Honey? I’ve figured it all out.”
    Honey stared. “Figured all what out?”
    “I’ve finally figured out what’s going on at Lisgard House,” Trixie answered simply.

Trixie’s Suspicions • 15

    ALL RIGHT, TRIX, now tell me all about it,” Honey demanded, closing her bedroom door.
    Trixie groaned and flung herself into the nearest chair. “Wait up, Honey,” she gasped. “You rushed me up here so fast, I haven’t had a chance to catch my breath.”
    She glanced around at her friend’s neat room with the crisp, white, ruffled organdy curtains at the windows, a matching bedspread on the comfortable double bed, and a big, white, fluffy rug on the polished floor.
    It was such a contrast to the shabby little room they’d shared the previous night, that Trixie realized, once again, what a staunch friend Honey had been to stay there.
    “I don’t know where to begin,” Trixie finally said, uncertainly.
    Honey came and perched on the side of the bed. “You can begin by telling me the real