To
Alice Thorne
Understanding Editor
and Real Friend
Contents
CHAPTER PAGE I [The Empty Chair] 1 II [Clarissa Valentine] 8 III [Tour Thirteen] 15 IV [Strange Questions] 22 V [Impossible Answers] 30 VI [An Unfortunate Gift] 37 VII [A Hidden Danger] 43 VIII [The Witch’s Curse] 51 IX [Into the Mist] 59 X [The Wrong Direction] 66 XI [On the Train] 73 XII [A Night of Terror] 80 XIII [Before Daylight] 88 XIV [Serious Trouble] 94 XV [The Wrong Girl] 101 XVI [The Name on the Calendar] 107 XVII [A Wanted Thief] 113 XVIII [Thieves of the Mind] 118 XIX [Uncovering the Facts] 125 XX [Identified] 130 XXI [Explained] 136 XXII [Real Phantoms] 143 XXIII [A Curious Letter] 149 XXIV [Trapped!] 155 XXV [Real Friends] 161 XXVI [Talking Pillows] 169
The Phantom Friend
CHAPTER I
The Empty Chair
“I’ve had enough,” exclaimed Irene Meredith, ducking to protect her face from a biting wind that was blowing across the skating area at Radio City. “Wouldn’t you like to go inside now, Judy? It’s really too cold to enjoy ice skating.”
“It is cold,” Judy agreed. “What a difference from the way it was in the summer! They had chairs out here then, and there were flowered umbrellas over the tables. But with the big Christmas tree up, Radio City is still beautiful in spite of the cold. Don’t you wish—”
Judy did not finish the sentence.