Read Online The Mystery of the Missing Heiress by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Campbell
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even longer.
As they rushed inside, breathless, the girls found Miss Trask and the boys, with Juliana, at the luncheon table. Juliana’s voice sounded high and complaining.
“Those men in the courthouse couldn’t give me the slightest idea of when my claim could be settled. They didn’t seem to care when I get away from Sleepyside. It may be weeks!”
“It won’t be,” Jim told her soothingly, then went on to explain to Honey and Trixie. “They have to write to The Hague for some affidavits.”
“It’ll take forever,” Juliana moaned.
“It only took one week for Trixie to have an answer to her letter. Cheer up, Juliana,” Jim said. “We can do lots of things to have fun. Before you know it, the papers will be here.”
Juliana shrugged her shoulders. “I have to get finished and go on to meet my friends.”
“I only went to the Poconos once,” Mart said. “I’ll tell you, I’d a lot rather be right here in Sleepyside.”
“Me, too,” Brian agreed.
Juliana, seemingly aware that she had sounded ungracious, said quickly, “I didn’t mean to be unappreciative. I like to be here, but....” She changed the subject. “What did you and Trixie do at the hospital today, Honey?”
“We found everyone in an uproar,” Trixie began dramatically, taking quick advantage of the chance to tell their exciting story. “Yesterday the police found a girl unconscious on Glen Road!”
She looked around at the shocked faces and went on. “She’s about your age, Juliana, I think, though she does look younger. Oh, I don t mean that you look old.... I’m so mixed up I don’t know what I mean. I saw the girl. So did Honey. Someone must have hit her with a car and just kept going.”
“How shameful!” Miss Trask said. “Was she badly injured?”
Honey shook her head. “I don’t think so; do you, Trixie?”
“No. Otherwise they wouldn’t have let us see her at all. She was in a coma for several hours. It was a concussion, the doctor said. She’ll be all right physically in a few days. That isn’t the worst problem. The worst is that she doesn’t even know her own name or where she came from— Oh, Juliana, I’m sorry. I’ve frightened you. It is a terrible thing to think about.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Juliana said faintly. She did look pale. “It’s warm in here. May I open the door?”
“The house is air-conditioned,” Miss Trask told Juliana. “Maybe you’d better turn down the thermostat, Jim.”
“I’ll be all right,” Juliana insisted. “Go on, please, Trixie. This girl—doesn’t anyone know who she is?” Trixie shook her head. “The police have reported it to the Bureau of Missing Persons.”
“And they found that she isn’t listed there,” Honey added. “The accident happened right near Ten Acres, Jim, where your great-uncle’s house used to be. It’s a lonely place since Ten Acres burned.”
“I’ve thought for a long time that there should be extra lights there,” Miss Trask said. “There’s no sidewalk on Glen Road, either—not even a footpath.”
“The police said she might have been injured someplace else and dropped off near Ten Acres,” Honey said. “It’ll be in die paper this evening, I suppose. That’s the trouble when a newspaper doesn’t come out every day. News is usually a day old before it’s published in the Sun.”
“The girl seemed so nervous and looked so white,” Trixie said. “Imagine not remembering your own name.”
“Did she remember other things?” Juliana asked. “Like what?” Trixie asked.
“Who her friends were. How the accident happened. Anything.”
“She doesn’t remember a thing about any accident, and she hasn’t the slightest idea what she was doing in Sleepyside. She doesn’t remember ever having heard of our town before. She seems well educated, and the nurse said the clothes she wore were pretty.”
“Leave it to Detective Belden to find out all the details,” Mart teased.
“Detective?”
As they rushed inside, breathless, the girls found Miss Trask and the boys, with Juliana, at the luncheon table. Juliana’s voice sounded high and complaining.
“Those men in the courthouse couldn’t give me the slightest idea of when my claim could be settled. They didn’t seem to care when I get away from Sleepyside. It may be weeks!”
“It won’t be,” Jim told her soothingly, then went on to explain to Honey and Trixie. “They have to write to The Hague for some affidavits.”
“It’ll take forever,” Juliana moaned.
“It only took one week for Trixie to have an answer to her letter. Cheer up, Juliana,” Jim said. “We can do lots of things to have fun. Before you know it, the papers will be here.”
Juliana shrugged her shoulders. “I have to get finished and go on to meet my friends.”
“I only went to the Poconos once,” Mart said. “I’ll tell you, I’d a lot rather be right here in Sleepyside.”
“Me, too,” Brian agreed.
Juliana, seemingly aware that she had sounded ungracious, said quickly, “I didn’t mean to be unappreciative. I like to be here, but....” She changed the subject. “What did you and Trixie do at the hospital today, Honey?”
“We found everyone in an uproar,” Trixie began dramatically, taking quick advantage of the chance to tell their exciting story. “Yesterday the police found a girl unconscious on Glen Road!”
She looked around at the shocked faces and went on. “She’s about your age, Juliana, I think, though she does look younger. Oh, I don t mean that you look old.... I’m so mixed up I don’t know what I mean. I saw the girl. So did Honey. Someone must have hit her with a car and just kept going.”
“How shameful!” Miss Trask said. “Was she badly injured?”
Honey shook her head. “I don’t think so; do you, Trixie?”
“No. Otherwise they wouldn’t have let us see her at all. She was in a coma for several hours. It was a concussion, the doctor said. She’ll be all right physically in a few days. That isn’t the worst problem. The worst is that she doesn’t even know her own name or where she came from— Oh, Juliana, I’m sorry. I’ve frightened you. It is a terrible thing to think about.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Juliana said faintly. She did look pale. “It’s warm in here. May I open the door?”
“The house is air-conditioned,” Miss Trask told Juliana. “Maybe you’d better turn down the thermostat, Jim.”
“I’ll be all right,” Juliana insisted. “Go on, please, Trixie. This girl—doesn’t anyone know who she is?” Trixie shook her head. “The police have reported it to the Bureau of Missing Persons.”
“And they found that she isn’t listed there,” Honey added. “The accident happened right near Ten Acres, Jim, where your great-uncle’s house used to be. It’s a lonely place since Ten Acres burned.”
“I’ve thought for a long time that there should be extra lights there,” Miss Trask said. “There’s no sidewalk on Glen Road, either—not even a footpath.”
“The police said she might have been injured someplace else and dropped off near Ten Acres,” Honey said. “It’ll be in die paper this evening, I suppose. That’s the trouble when a newspaper doesn’t come out every day. News is usually a day old before it’s published in the Sun.”
“The girl seemed so nervous and looked so white,” Trixie said. “Imagine not remembering your own name.”
“Did she remember other things?” Juliana asked. “Like what?” Trixie asked.
“Who her friends were. How the accident happened. Anything.”
“She doesn’t remember a thing about any accident, and she hasn’t the slightest idea what she was doing in Sleepyside. She doesn’t remember ever having heard of our town before. She seems well educated, and the nurse said the clothes she wore were pretty.”
“Leave it to Detective Belden to find out all the details,” Mart teased.
“Detective?”
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