The Mystery of the Whispering Witch

apprehensive. Under Dr. Ferris’s supervision, they transferred Mrs. Franklin from floor to stretcher, while Fay hovered anxiously behind them.
    “All right, boys, easy now,” Dr. Ferris ordered as, with the stretcher, they made their way carefully to the kitchen door. “You get along to the hospital as quickly as you can. I’ll meet you there.”
    “Whew!” Trixie heard one of the attendants say as they left the room. “I’ll sure be glad to get out of this place. It gives me the creeps. How about you, Harry?”
    Trixie was never to learn what Harry’s reaction was, for Dr. Ferris was already giving Fay brisk instructions.
    “No, young lady,” he was telling her, “you don’t need to come with me. There’s nothing you can do tonight, and you’ll only be in the way. It’s a broken hip all right, and the next item on the agenda is to set it. Take my word for it, your mother is going to be just fine. She won’t feel a thing. We’ll put her to sleep to do this job, and she’ll snooze like a baby when we’re through. You just concentrate on looking after yourself. If I need you, I know where to find you. Don’t worry about a thing. You going to stay here?”
    Trixie took a step forward. “Fay’s coming with us to Crabapple Farm,” she said. “At least, she can if she wants to. Honey’s invited her to Manor House, too.”
    Fay smiled faintly but shook her curly head. “Thank you—all of you—but I think I’d better stay here.”
    Honey shivered and glanced around her. “Stay here? Oh, Fay, why would anyone want to stay in this spooky place—?” She broke off, realizing that she’d been guilty of tactlessness again.
    “I know Mr. Gregory—my mother’s employer —wouldn’t want the house left empty,” Fay explained, “and now there’s no one but me to look after it. There’re a lot of valuable antiques here, you see.”
    Dr. Ferris reached for his bag. “Ah, well, I’ll let you youngsters argue this out among yourselves.” He turned and strode toward the door. “In the meantime, young lady,” he said to Fay, “I’ll leave word at the hospital that you can visit your mother tomorrow morning—not before, understand?”
    He waved a cheerful hand and was gone. A moment later, they heard the sound of his car’s engine as it followed the wailing ambulance out of the grounds.
    “Don’t worry,” Brian told Fay. “Your mother will be fine. We’ve known Dr. Ferris for years, and he’s the best there is.”
    Trixie set her jaw. “Now, about staying here alone tonight—”
    Fay turned away from the door where she’d been standing. “It’s very kind of you,” she said, “but I’ve made up my mind. This job means a lot to my mother and me, and we—we don’t want to lose it. I appreciate your offer, honestly, but I’d better stay.”
    There was silence. Trixie knew only too well what she had to do next, and she could tell that Honey did, too. Honey was already looking as nervous and as apprehensive as those ambulance attendants had.
    Trixie took a deep breath. “Honey and I feel that you shouldn’t stay here alone,” she said at last. “So we’ll be glad to stay here with you—if you’d like us to, that is.”
    Fay jumped at their offer with such alacrity that Trixie realized that their new friend really hadn’t wanted to stay alone, any more than they themselves would have wanted to.
    “Then that’s settled,” Trixie said, glancing at Honey out of the corner of her eye.
    “Of course,” Honey said faintly. “I know my parents won’t mind. They think I’m spending the night at Trixie’s, anyway.”
    “I really appreciate this.” Fay sounded grateful. “I’d better see to the sleeping arrangements. My mother and I usually share a small room over there—off the kitchen. It does have twin beds, and there’s also a very comfortable armchair. I could make that up for one of us.” She hurried away.
    Brian picked up the pillow from the floor and placed it, unthinkingly, on a kitchen counter. “Are you two sure you’re going to be okay?” he asked, his forehead wrinkled.
    “Of course we’ll be okay,” Trixie answered, sounding more sure than she felt. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
    Honey moved toward the door. “I’d better go and help Fay,” she said nervously. “If I stand here doing nothing, I’m going to change my mind and come home with you, Brian. Jeepers! Imagine spending a night in a haunted house voluntarily. I must be crazy!”
    Trixie