The Mystery of the Velvet Gown

couldn’t stand it anymore. I heard you tell my uncle when you came to pick up Reddy on Friday that you were going back to school, and I thought....”
    “If you took the dress and blamed it on us, Di would be out of the play,” Trixie finished for her.
    “That’s right.” Jane nodded sadly. “I’m so sorry. I really am ashamed of myself.”
    You should be, Trixie thought, but she held her tongue. “Actually, that isn’t important now. You can apologize to Miss Darcy—and to Di—later. Right now, we’ve got to get that costume.”
    The three girls arrived at the Morgan house and quickly got the velvet gown from Jane’s closet.
    “See—here it is, safe and sound,” Jane sighed. “Now we’ve got to get right back to Miss Darcy’s office,” Trixie urged.
    “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Honey said uncertainly. >
    “Of course I do,” Trixie answered. “Now, let’s hurry.” Trixie carried the dress as they raced back to school.
    “I’m sorry about this whole thing,” Jane apologized again as she knocked on Miss Darcy’s office door. “I guess I got carried away with my own jealousy. I really didn’t mean to hurt anyone or get you in trouble.”
    “We know,” Honey said sympathetically. “Miss Darcy must not be here. See if the door is unlocked,” Trixie said impatiently.
    Jane turned the knob. “It’s open, but I don’t think we should—”
    “Gleeps! You’re as bad as Honey is sometimes!” Trixie wailed. She pushed past Jane into the office. “I think Miss Darcy is in trouble. We’ve got to help her.”
    Trixie laid the costume on a chair, and Jane and Honey glanced nervously around the room.
    “The catalog first,” Trixie said, her eyes searching the office. “Here it is!” she cried excitedly as she pounced on the catalog. She quickly turned the pages until she found the illustration of the velvet gown. “Now, there’s got to be something about this....” she mused.
    “I feel funny being here,” Jane said. “I’m in enough trouble already.”
    “So do I,” Honey shuddered. “It’s as if we’re on the verge of getting caught for something that we’re not supposed to be doing, which we aren’t supposed to be... I mean, we aren’t supposed to be in here!”
    “Honey, puh-leeze!” Trixie begged. “Whenever you start talking like that, I know you’re nervous. Besides, I’m trying to concentrate on— Omigosh! Look at this!” Honey and Jane hurried to her side.
    “See?” Trixie said, almost squealing, and pointing to the illustration of the velvet gown. “This picture is different. All the others are plain black and white, but this one’s colored in. Quick, hand me the dress. So that’s what Miss Darcy was ‘fixing!’ ” Trixie cried as she spread the dress out on the desk and examined it carefully.
    Both Jane and Honey looked puzzled. Trixie continued to explain. “See, some of the costume decorations in the picture are colored in blue pencil. Now, look at the dress. Miss Darcy has removed some of the decorations already, but there are a lot more, according to this picture, that she obviously didn’t have time to cut off before Jane took the dress.”
    Honey gasped. “Those aren’t just paste decorations, then. They’re—”
    “Real jewels,” Trixie affirmed grimly.
    Jane turned pale. “You mean—” Trixie nodded. “I think I’m going to faint,” Jane said.
    “Oh, for goodness sake, don’t do that,” Trixie said impatiently. “We need your help.”
    “Mine?” Jane squeaked.
    “Yes.” Trixie’s tone was firm. “I want you to call Miss Darcy at home right now and admit to taking the costume. Ask her to come here immediately, and then—”
    “But, Trixie,” Jane interrupted, “I don’t know if I can do it!”
    “Of course you can. You were going to have to tell her, anyway,” Trixie said decisively. She picked up the catalog once more, and as she did an envelope slipped out and drifted to the floor.
    Trixie picked it up quickly. It was unsealed, and the contents spilled out.
    “Here’s that safe-deposit receipt and the pictures of the costumes again. But what’s this?” She unfolded a tissue-thin piece of paper, then gasped as she read it. “Listen!” she cried:

“Miss Darcy: Within the next several days, you will be receiving a catalog from the Shakespearean Costume Company of London. A certain costume will be marked with light blue shading, indicating the placement of valuable gems. Several days