The Mystery Girl by Gertrude Chandler Warner

shopping bag in Nancy’s cabin, I started to wonder if Mrs. Edwards and Nancy both might have something to do with the Elmford Shopping Center.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Henry asked.
    â€œI don’t know exactly,” Jessie admitted. “Maybe they both work for the center in some way. Maybe they’re spying on Mr. Taylor’s store to see if he’s losing business or something.”
    â€œIf they are, that could be why Mrs. Edwards went to Nancy’s cabin during our picnic,” Henry said. “And why we saw them leaving together last night.”
    Violet looked upset. “I don’t believe Nancy would do anything to hurt Mr. Taylor,” she said.
    â€œI have trouble thinking that, too, Violet,” Jessie said. “In fact, I really don’t believe it. But something funny’s going on.”
    â€œIt sure is,” Henry said. “I hope we have a lot of work today. It will take our minds off of Nancy.”
    There was a lot of work to do. No one had a chance to talk about Nancy.
    At ten-thirty, a young man came into the store. Jessie was measuring some material for a customer. Henry and Benny were in the storeroom with Mr. Taylor. Violet was putting bunches of carrots on the vegetable table.
    â€œGood morning,” said the young man.

    Violet smiled shyly. “Good morning,” she said. She was a little nervous about waiting on someone by herself. “May I help you?”
    â€œNo, thank you. I just came in to look around,” the man said. He walked over to the building tools.
    Violet finished with the carrots and went to the counter. The young man was still walking around. He had light brown hair and a friendly face. He looked familiar to Violet, but she couldn’t remember where she had seen him.
    After a few minutes, the man came to the counter. “Is Nancy here?” he asked. “Nancy Baldwin?”
    â€œThis is her morning off,” Violet told him. “She’ll be back after lunch.”
    â€œThen she does work here!” the man said. He seemed happy. “I’ll come back later,” he said to Violet.
    â€œWhat’s your name?” Violet asked. “I’ll tell Nancy you were here.”
    The man suddenly looked concerned. “No, please don’t do that!”
    â€œBut . . .” Violet started to say.
    â€œIt’s a . . . a surprise visit,” the man said, smiling again. “It would spoil it if you told her.”
    Before Violet could say anything, the young man walked to the door. “Remember,” he called as he left, “don’t spoil the surprise!”
    Violet waited until Jessie’s customer was gone. Then she told Jessie about the young man.
    â€œI heard you talking,” Jessie said. She looked worried. “He sounded afraid that Nancy might not want to see him.”
    â€œThat’s what I thought,” Violet said. “But I wonder why she wouldn’t. He was nice.”
    â€œI think we should tell Nancy about him,” Jessie said. “She can decide if she wants to see him or not.”
    When Henry came out of the storeroom, they told him about the man. He agreed that they should tell Nancy about her “surprise” visitor.
    A few minutes later, Violet stepped outside to shake out the dust cloth she’d been using. As she shook it over the side of the porch, she glanced down the path toward the cabins. There were two people standing in front of Nancy’s cabin. One of them was Mrs. Edwards. The other was the young man who had been in the store earlier.
    As Violet watched, Mrs. Edwards gestured toward Nancy’s cabin. Then the young man walked up on the porch and turned the door handle. Violet gasped. The door opened, and the young man walked right inside!
    Violet wanted to tell Henry and Jessie, but she didn’t want to leave until she saw what happened. Before she could decide what to do, the young man came back out and