The Mystery of the Emeralds Read Online Free PDF

lady answered briskly.
    Trixie and Honey glanced at each other swiftly with shining eyes. Then, struggling not to show her excitement, Trixie introduced Honey and herself.
    “We are from Sleepyside,” she added. “It was such a nice day, we decided to picnic by the dam and—Revolutionary Road is beautiful. Does it really date back that far?”
    “Oh, my, yes!” Miss Sunderland answered with a smile. “You let the bucket down while I get some glasses and then I’ll tell you all about it—and about this house, too.”
    “Isn’t she adorable?” Honey whispered as the old lady left them. “Are you going to tell her about the letter?”
    “I don’t know yet.” Trixie was almost breathless. “Let’s wait and see what she has to say. Maybe we should just try to get some leads today and wait until later to tell her—shh! Here she comes!”
    “I thought you might like some fruit, too,” Miss Sunderland said as she returned. She was carrying a basket of beautifully ripe fruits and two glasses. She filled them with water from the mossy bucket and invited the girls to sit down and relax.
    “Now, you were asking about this road,” Miss Sunderland said. She sat down in a comfortable wicker chair alongside the well, smoothed her neat print dress, and folded her hands in her lap. “Did you notice that it isn’t even paved? Well, it never has been. There aren’t many cars come through this way. It’s much too winding. It’s just the way it was years and years ago and most of the houses go way back, too.”
    “Have you lived here long?” Trixie asked.
    “Oh, yes, my dear, I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ll be—let me see, how old will I be?” Miss Sunderland paused, her brows wrinkling as she tried to recall her age. “I guess I’ll be eighty-nine my next birthday, or is it ninety? My memory isn’t as good as it used to be.” She laughed. “Why, I even forgot where I put my gloves yesterday, but I finally found them, and do you know where? In the refrigerator, of all places!” She chuckled softly as she thought about it.
    “Do you live here all alone?” Honey’s question was solicitous. She couldn’t help feeling that Miss Sunderland’s advanced years and absentmindedness made it a bit dangerous for her to be by herself.
    “Well, yes and no,” Miss Sunderland answered ambiguously. “You see, I have Neil to run errands for me and look after the place. He’s a nice boy, too,” she added,nodding her head to emphasize the point. “He just happened along one day wanting work and I took him in. He has a couple of rooms over the barn where the hired man used to live, and he helps out on a farm down the road a piece. He just went down there to get some milk and eggs for me. He should be back pretty soon. And my neighbor stops by every day to check on me. As though I needed checking at my age.” She chuckled. “And the first of the month, I get the money from the bank. I am, as you might say, comfortably off.” Her blue eyes twinkled.
    “And you have no relatives?” Trixie pursued.
    “No, not a single one that I know of. My parents died when I was just a young thing. I wasn’t born until quite a while after my father came back from the Civil War. My only relatives were my father’s sisters, Helen, who never married, and an aunt whom I never saw. Seems to me she went south. Yes, I’m sure she did. Ruth went south and got married. Never did come back home.”

Chapter 4
“Here It Is!”
    Trixie and Honey were spellbound. This must be the aunt who had written the letter from Virginia! Would Miss Julie have any more information about what happened to Ruth, whom she had never seen, and who, so long ago, had gone away from home? Was this the end of the trail or just the beginning? The next few minutes would probably give the answer.
    With bated breath, Trixie asked, “Why do you think Ruth left such a lovely place as this, Miss Sunderland?”
    There was a long pause. The old lady twirled her