Miss Dimple and the Slightly Bewildered Angel Read Online Free PDF Page A

other than a stub from a bus ticket that was in the pocket of her skirt. It seems she bought the ticket a couple of days ago in some little place in south Georgia.…” He paused to consult a small notebook. “Fieldcroft. That’s not too far from Savannah, I believe.” He glanced at Velma. “Know anybody there?”
    Velma Anderson looked as if she was ready to paw the floor and snort. She had not taught Bobby Tinsley in any of her secretarial science classes at Elderberry High, but she had supervised him in study hall and remembered how, on several occasions, he’d tied Franny Sue Boulware’s dress sash to the desk behind her.
    â€œDon’t you get smart with me, Bobby Tinsley. The only thing I know about Dora, other than her first name, is that she was hungry and needed a warm coat.”
    â€œPerhaps I had better explain,” Miss Dimple said, and told the men how she and Virginia had found the woman on the porch of the library the day before. “She had no place to stay and we were arranging for her to spend the night at Warren and Opal Nelson’s place, but she left without saying a word. We had no idea where she might’ve gone.”
    â€œI wish you ladies would have a seat, because I’m going to,” Doc Morrison said, and plopped into the wing-back chair by the fireplace. “I think I know where she went,” he continued. “She walked a few blocks over to the Presbyterian church. They never lock their doors, and I expect she curled up to sleep in one of those pews until, for some reason or other, she took a notion to climb that ladder to the steeple.”
    â€œBut that was last night,” Annie said. “You mean she fell … she’s been lying there all this time?”
    Chief Tinsley nodded. “Sure looks that way. Bob Robert found her there when he went to ring the bell for the evening service. Poor fellow was so shaken up over it, Doc had to give him something to steady his nerves.”
    â€œDid you not find any kind of identification in that bag she had with her?” Velma asked.
    The chief frowned. “What bag?”
    â€œA brown paper bag, like the kind they use for groceries,” Phoebe told them.
    The two men exchanged glances. “I don’t suppose you know what was in there?” Bobby said.
    Miss Dimple shook her head. “We assumed she might have a change of clothing and perhaps a small change purse with whatever money she had—if she had any. She told us she’d only eaten a banana and a few cheese crackers all day, and she didn’t carry a pocketbook.”
    Annie’s eyes filled with tears. “Poor Dora! If only she’d stayed with the Nelsons last night, this wouldn’t have happened. I wonder what made her leave here like she did.”
    â€œAnd why would she climb that ladder to the steeple in the middle of the night,” Miss Dimple asked, “unless she was running from someone?”

 
    C HAPTER F OUR
    â€œWould you mind some company?”
    Dimple paused in the doorway the next morning as she started on her usual walk, umbrella in hand, only to find Augusta—cape, tam, and all, beside her.
    â€œOf course not,” she said, although to be honest, she’d rather have had this time alone, especially today, as she had a lot on her mind. But she’d found it almost impossible to be discourteous to someone who made her smile in spite of herself— and was keeping them all extremely well fed, apparently with little effort. Earlier, she had peeked into the pot of oatmeal, smelling delightfully of apples and cinnamon, keeping warm on the back of the stove, and noticed the pan of biscuits ready to pop into the oven. Perhaps, just this once, she might cut her walk a little short and forgo the Victory Muffins.
    â€œI hope our visitors didn’t disturb you last night,” Dimple said after they had walked a while in silence. Augusta’s room