“It has something to do with Miss Reade. It’s all about her.”
“Well, I don’t see how that can be when the Awkward Man never saw or heard of Miss Reade until she came to Carlisle in the spring,” said Felicity incredulously, “and he’s had that locked room for years.”
“I can’t explain it to you—but it’s just as I’ve said,” responded the Story Girl.
“Well, it’s a very queer thing,” retorted Felicity.
“The name in the books in the room was Alice—and Miss Reade’s name is Alice,” marvelled Cecily. “Did he know her before she came here?”
“Mrs. Griggs says that room has been locked for ten years. Ten years ago Miss Reade was just a little girl of ten. SHE couldn’t be the Alice of the books,” argued Felicity.
“I wonder if she’ll wear the blue silk dress,” said Sara Ray.
“And what will she do about the picture, if it isn’t hers?” added Cecily.
“The picture couldn’t be hers, or Mrs. Griggs would have known her for the same when she came to Carlisle,” said Felix.
“I’m going to stop wondering about it,” exclaimed Felicity crossly, aggravated by the amused smile with which the Story Girl was listening to the various speculations. “I think Sara is just as mean as mean when she won’t tell us.”