Mystery of the Runaway Ghost Read Free

Fran answered. Then she quickly changed the subject. “But now it’s time for you to see the rest of the house.”
    As the Aldens followed Fran out of the room, Violet turned to look over her shoulder. She didn’t really believe in ghosts, but she couldn’t help wondering about that painting above the fireplace.

CHAPTER 3
Elephants and a Riddle
    “Do you think it’s true?” Benny asked his brother and sisters. He was standing at the window in the lace-and-lavender room that Violet and Jessie were sharing. The children had finished unpacking and were waiting for Violet to put more film in her camera.
    Jessie, who was brushing her long brown hair, looked over at her younger brother. “What do you mean, Benny?”
    Benny plopped down on Jessie’s bed. “Do you think Buttercup really is trying to tell Fran something?”

    “No.” Henry shook his head firmly. “Ghosts don’t exist, Benny.” But the youngest Alden didn’t look convinced.
    Violet looked up. “You must admit, Henry it’s awfully strange about that painting.”
    Benny was quick to agree. “How could the artist paint Buttercup’s picture seven years after she disappeared?”
    Henry shrugged. “That’s a good question.”
    “I don’t understand it, either,” put in Jessie, as the four of them made their way downstairs. “But there must be a logical explanation for it.”
    “Like what?” demanded Benny.
    None of them had an answer to that question.
    “Something sure smells good!” Henry said, as they trooped into the kitchen.
    Fran was humming to herself as she took the biscuits out of the oven. “I made my special meatballs in mushroom sauce.” The table was already set for dinner, and she gestured for the children to sit down. “I’m hoping it’ll hit the spot.”
    “Grandfather told us you’re a great cook, Fran,” Jessie said, taking a seat next to Benny.
    “Oh, I just follow the old family recipes, Jessie,” Fran said. “Selden’s wife, Anne, brought most of them with her from St. Ives.”
    “St. Ives?” said Henry.
    “That was the name of Anne’s hometown in England.” Fran set a dish of mashed potatoes on the table.
    “It must’ve been hard for Anne to leave her hometown,” Violet said. Violet was shy, and meeting new people often made her nervous.
    Fran pulled up a chair. “I imagine Anne was homesick at first, but she loved Selden, and she never regretted her new life in Wisconsin.”
    Just then, a voice behind them made the children turn around quickly in surprise.
    “Sorry I’m late.” A slim young woman came rushing into the room. She was dressed in a sleeveless blouse and a brightly flowered skirt. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
    Fran smiled warmly. “We only just sat down, Lottie.” She quickly introduced the Aldens to her boarder, Lottie Brighton.
    “A newlywed couple came into the gallery just as I was leaving,” Lottie explained, after saying hello to everyone. “They were eager for a sketch.” She slipped into the empty seat beside Henry. “What could I do? I needed the extra money.”
    Seeing the children’s slightly puzzled faces, Fran said, “Lottie has a job at one of the local galleries in Cedarburg. She draws sketches of the tourists who come to town.”
    That sounded like fun to Violet. “Oh, you must love going to work every day, Lottie!” Violet liked to sketch and draw, and she was good at it, too.
    Lottie placed a napkin over her lap. “Yes, I do enjoy it, and it’s good practice,” she said. “I just wish it paid more.”
    “Lottie’s putting herself through art school,” Fran explained.
    “At the rate I’m going, I’ll never have enough money for the fall term.” Lottie frowned as she put green beans on her plate.
    “I know what it’s like to be on a tight budget, Lottie.” Fran placed a comforting hand on the young woman’s arm. “It isn’t easy, but you’ll find a way.”
    “Grandfather always says, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a