The Mystery of the Uninvited Ghost by Campbell Julie

Author:Campbell, Julie [Campbell, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Ring • 9

TRIXIE WAS HAVING sudden second thoughts about her own agreement with this idea—she hated to sew. She asked Honey, “What do you mean, make them?” Honey spread the skirt of the white dress. “This isn’t as hard to do as it looks. The skirt is just a long wide strip sewed onto a band. The top is a simple bodice with long sleeves and a throatband instead of a collar. It’s the lace that makes it special. We needn’t use as much of that, and we’d certainly buy factory-made lace. We don’t want to outshine the bride.”

“As if anyone could!” Di said.

Honey’s blue eyes sparkled with interest. “We could use strips of lace for throatbands and put lace from the shoulder to the cuff of each sleeve.”

“That sounds hard,” Trixie declared.

“It isn't!” Hallie contradicted her. “Didn’t you ever make doll clothes, Trixie? You just split the sleeve, insert lace the length of the sleeve, and sew it back together.”

“You don’t sew, Hallie Belden!” Trixie scoffed. “Oh, don’t I!” Hallie said. “Wait till I open my suitcase, and I’ll show you. I made every stitch I brought with me.”

“That you didn’t bring with you!” Trixie corrected. Honey remembered the week’s previous arguments and pretended not to hear the irritation in Trixie’s voice. “We won’t have to worry about what’s easy and what’s hard. Miss Trask will call a fitter to help us.” Trixie sighed with relief. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in anything I made.”

“Neither would anyone else,” Di giggled.

“Ribbon sashes,” Honey planned, “with big flat bows, the ends of the ribbon touching the floor, and matching ribbons on our hats, and—”

“—and daisies,” Di added.

“White gloves,” Mrs. Vanderpoel said, “and white slippers. And even white stockings.”

“Oh, yes,” Juliana agreed happily. “Let’s go tell Hans about our new plans.”

Five excited girls went down the two flights of stairs to Mrs. Vanderpoel’s living room. Trixie ran ahead with the cry, “We found it!” and Juliana danced into the room, waving her hands.

Trixie had grown used to the flash of Juliana’s engagement ring, and now she missed it. “Juliana, let me see your hand.”

Juliana held out both her hands and cried in dismay, “My ring! It’s gone!”

Her cry caught everyone’s attention immediately: “No!”

“It can’t be!”

“Maybe it’s snagged on your skirt.” Juliana stood in the middle of the room and allowed a careful search of her clothing. Hans thought she should undress in Mrs. Vanderpoel’s bedroom, in case the ring had slipped inside her clothes while trying on the gowns.

“No,” Juliana said worriedly, “I didn’t tiy on the dresses. They were too large, all but one. Oh, Hans, what am I to do? Your lovely ring!” She cried, and Hans comforted her.

Hans suggested an inspection of the floors and stairs. Mrs. Vanderpoel handed out flashlights and turned on every lamp from the front door to the attic. Inch by inch, Juliana’s route through the house was retraced, but the ring was not to be found.

“It may have caught on the material of one of the dresses,” Mrs.

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