The Haunted Showboat Read Online Free PDF

announced.
    Five minutes later the car turned into a long driveway edged with live-oak trees. At the end of it stood a square Colonial mansion. It was painted yellow, and white columns reached from the ground to the roof. Two stories of porches ran around the entire building.
    As the girls reached the house, George leaned over and blew the horn. Donna Mae, wearing a low-necked bouffant dress, rushed out to greet the visitors.
    “You’re really here!” she cried joyously. “You all had me so worried when I kept hearing of your delays.”
    Behind her was Mrs. Haver, an older yet charming version of Donna Mae. She wore an attractive blue linen dress.
    “Welcome to Sunnymead!” Mrs. Haver exclaimed with a gracious smile.
    In back of her walked Colonel Haver, a tall, erect man of fifty with twinkling blue eyes and black hair slightly gray at the temples.
    Nancy was introduced to the family. Then she said, getting out of the car, “I’m afraid I shall have to take all the blame for our being late in arriving. A little unsolved mystery overtook us.”
    “Yes,” Bess added, “Nancy’s beautiful car was stolen and we were playing hide-and-seek with the thief.” She quickly told all that had happened.
    “Oh, how perfectly ghastly!” Donna Mae exclaimed. “Didn’t you almost die?”
    “Well, it wasn’t any fun,” George agreed.
    A moment later an elderly colored couple, wearing a maid’s and a butler’s uniforms, came from the house. They were introduced as Mammy Matilda and Pappy Cole. The two smiled pleasantly. Then, as Pappy Cole started to unload the car, Mammy Matilda said to the visitors:
    “I sure hopes you all have a fine time durin’ your visit here.”
    “Thank you,” said Nancy. “I’m looking forward to it.” Turning to Colonel and Mrs. Haver, she added, “It’s certainly most kind of you to invite me.”
    Mrs. Haver smiled. “The pleasure is ours. We’re always delighted to have friends of Bess and George visit us.”
    A young man came from the house and joined the group. He was proudly introduced by Donna Mae as Alex Upgrove.
    “I’m charmed,” he said to the visitors in a clipped, well-modulated voice.
    The River Heights girls shook hands with the slim, brown-haired young man. Nancy instantly decided that he might be termed handsome, but Alex had an air of superiority which spoiled the first impression.
    A few minutes later Mammy Matilda served tea in a patio at the rear of the house. It overlooked one of the most exquisitely beautiful gardens Nancy had ever seen. Flowering cherry and plum trees served as a colorful background for beds of various colored roses, azaleas, and camellias.
    In choosing seats on the patio Alex found one next to Nancy and at once engaged her in conversation. Bess brought up the subject of the car thief and said that in her opinion the man had been trying to keep the girls from coming to New Orleans.
    “Oh, I don’t see how that could possibly have any bearing on your trip here,” Alex declared. “And surely you have no idea there is any connection between this thief and the mystery at Sunnymead, have you?”
    George replied. “Yes, we do. But I hope we’re wrong.”
    Alex laughed, then as the conversation became more general he leaned toward Nancy and whispered :
    “You and I are going to have a wonderful time together solving the plantation mystery!”
    Nancy was startled. She thought the remark most inappropriate, in view of the fact that Alex’s engagement to Donna Mae was to be announced soon.
    Pretending that she had misunderstood Alex, she said, “Yes, I want you and Donna Mae to tell me all the details when you have a chance.”
    A look of annoyance came over Alex’s face. “Of course,” he muttered. “Any time.”
    When the tea hour was over, the four girls went upstairs. As Mammy Matilda helped the visitors unpack, Donna Mae talked incessantly about her fiancé.
    “Isn’t he a darling?” she asked, “And smart, too. You know, Alex is a