Read Online The Mystery of the Missing Heiress by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Julie Campbell
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we had.”
At Mrs. Vanderpoel’s home, Jim smoothed back his hair, straightened his jacket, and rang the bell.
When the door opened, they all crowded into the big, comfortable living room. “I’m so glad to see you,” Mrs. Vanderpoel told them. “I thought you’d never get back to Sleepyside. Juliana’s been watching for you.”
A tall, slender blond girl came running down, her hands outstretched. “Oh, what a lot of redbirds!” she exclaimed. They were still wearing their Bob-White jackets. “Are you a singing group?”
“No. It’s our club, the Bob-Whites of the Glen. I’m Jim—”
“Cousin Jim!” Juliana cried and shook his two hands warmly. “I didn’t know I had a Cousin Jim until today. The letter from Mrs. Schimmel didn’t reach me before I left the Bronx.”
“What a letdown for you,” Mart said, laughing. “I'll bet you expected to see a six-footer... and a handsome one!”
“Mrs. Vanderpoel told me how nice he is,” Juliana said.
Poor Jim’s freckled face grew red.
“And what a wonderful group of friends. A club, you say? You must tell me about it.”
“This is Honey, my sister. Her family adopted me,” Jim said. “And the Belden family: Trixie, Brian, and Mart. There are two other club members, Diana Lynch and Dan Mangan.”
“You’ll be seeing enough of us if you’re staying awhile,” Mart told her as he and Brian and Trixie crowded together on an old Dutch settle.
Juliana’s large, bright blue eyes darted from one to another, lingering on Jim’s face and Honey’s.
“I’ll not be here very long,” she explained. “Just until I establish my claim to the strip of land that is in my mother s name. Then I shall be going on.”
“Yes, we expected that,” Jim said. “Mrs. Hendricks said you want to join the De Jong family in the Poconos.”
“Mrs. Hendricks?” Juliana looked inquiringly at Honey.
“The De Jongs’ next-door neighbor, you know.” Juliana nodded.
“I do wish we had reached the Bronx before you left,” Honey went on warmly. “Then maybe you would have stayed at our home. Jim would have liked that.”
“I hope you would have liked it, too, Honey. Mrs. Vanderpoel has been very kind.” Juliana smiled at her hostess. “And I shall see you all often, I hope.”
“I’m glad as can be to have her here with me,” Mrs. Vanderpoel said. “You know how I miss Spider and Tad Webster. Spider was a policeman in Sleepyside,” she explained to Juliana. “Tad is his young brother. I felt so secure when they were here. Then Spider accepted a better position in White Plains. Jim must tell you sometime how Spider helped all of us when the Bob-Whites had their antique show for UNICEF.”
“Yes, I’d like to hear about it. In the morning, Cousin Jim, do you think you could take me to the courthouse? There are papers there to sign. I’m sorry I do not have a car----”
“Did something happen to it?” Trixie asked. “Mrs. Hendricks said you drove your own car.”
“Oh, yes, this Mrs. Hendricks—she forgot, or did not know, that I put my car in storage and came here by bus. I shall also take the bus when I go to join my friends. Then I can drive back with them, see?”
“Sure,” Jim said quickly. “I'll be glad to drive you anywhere you want to go while you’re here. You just say the word.”
They chatted awhile longer, then Jim renewed his offer to drive his cousin, and they left.
“Wowiel” Mart said as they drove home. “ ‘Sure, I’ll be glad to drive you anywhere, Cousin Juliana,’ ” he mimicked Jim. “Who wouldn’t be? Boy, is she ever neat! A dream from Dreamsville.”
“She’s beautiful—and so friendly.” Honey sighed. “I hope she stays a long, long time.”
A Victim of Amnesia • 7
THE NEXT MORNING, as she was dressing, Trixie called to her mother, “Do you know what happened to my white stockings?” She slipped her red and white Candy Striper pinafore over a crisp white blouse.
“They’re with the
At Mrs. Vanderpoel’s home, Jim smoothed back his hair, straightened his jacket, and rang the bell.
When the door opened, they all crowded into the big, comfortable living room. “I’m so glad to see you,” Mrs. Vanderpoel told them. “I thought you’d never get back to Sleepyside. Juliana’s been watching for you.”
A tall, slender blond girl came running down, her hands outstretched. “Oh, what a lot of redbirds!” she exclaimed. They were still wearing their Bob-White jackets. “Are you a singing group?”
“No. It’s our club, the Bob-Whites of the Glen. I’m Jim—”
“Cousin Jim!” Juliana cried and shook his two hands warmly. “I didn’t know I had a Cousin Jim until today. The letter from Mrs. Schimmel didn’t reach me before I left the Bronx.”
“What a letdown for you,” Mart said, laughing. “I'll bet you expected to see a six-footer... and a handsome one!”
“Mrs. Vanderpoel told me how nice he is,” Juliana said.
Poor Jim’s freckled face grew red.
“And what a wonderful group of friends. A club, you say? You must tell me about it.”
“This is Honey, my sister. Her family adopted me,” Jim said. “And the Belden family: Trixie, Brian, and Mart. There are two other club members, Diana Lynch and Dan Mangan.”
“You’ll be seeing enough of us if you’re staying awhile,” Mart told her as he and Brian and Trixie crowded together on an old Dutch settle.
Juliana’s large, bright blue eyes darted from one to another, lingering on Jim’s face and Honey’s.
“I’ll not be here very long,” she explained. “Just until I establish my claim to the strip of land that is in my mother s name. Then I shall be going on.”
“Yes, we expected that,” Jim said. “Mrs. Hendricks said you want to join the De Jong family in the Poconos.”
“Mrs. Hendricks?” Juliana looked inquiringly at Honey.
“The De Jongs’ next-door neighbor, you know.” Juliana nodded.
“I do wish we had reached the Bronx before you left,” Honey went on warmly. “Then maybe you would have stayed at our home. Jim would have liked that.”
“I hope you would have liked it, too, Honey. Mrs. Vanderpoel has been very kind.” Juliana smiled at her hostess. “And I shall see you all often, I hope.”
“I’m glad as can be to have her here with me,” Mrs. Vanderpoel said. “You know how I miss Spider and Tad Webster. Spider was a policeman in Sleepyside,” she explained to Juliana. “Tad is his young brother. I felt so secure when they were here. Then Spider accepted a better position in White Plains. Jim must tell you sometime how Spider helped all of us when the Bob-Whites had their antique show for UNICEF.”
“Yes, I’d like to hear about it. In the morning, Cousin Jim, do you think you could take me to the courthouse? There are papers there to sign. I’m sorry I do not have a car----”
“Did something happen to it?” Trixie asked. “Mrs. Hendricks said you drove your own car.”
“Oh, yes, this Mrs. Hendricks—she forgot, or did not know, that I put my car in storage and came here by bus. I shall also take the bus when I go to join my friends. Then I can drive back with them, see?”
“Sure,” Jim said quickly. “I'll be glad to drive you anywhere you want to go while you’re here. You just say the word.”
They chatted awhile longer, then Jim renewed his offer to drive his cousin, and they left.
“Wowiel” Mart said as they drove home. “ ‘Sure, I’ll be glad to drive you anywhere, Cousin Juliana,’ ” he mimicked Jim. “Who wouldn’t be? Boy, is she ever neat! A dream from Dreamsville.”
“She’s beautiful—and so friendly.” Honey sighed. “I hope she stays a long, long time.”
A Victim of Amnesia • 7
THE NEXT MORNING, as she was dressing, Trixie called to her mother, “Do you know what happened to my white stockings?” She slipped her red and white Candy Striper pinafore over a crisp white blouse.
“They’re with the
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