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Wow Mathilda had done it again! She had talked Old Morris into doing exactly anted just like she did with Nurse Watkins Wanda, Mathilda, and I walked back to Spookie House bynonstop: "And when he saw your ring Araet that and you said it’s none of your business and he said yes it is it islost family heirloom and it is worth a fortune and you said " "Wanda, , " Mathilda co to Wanda because what had just happened was incredible Mathilda had had a brilliant idea and it had worked She figured the ring orth about as much as Sir Horace’s old castle Wanda and I could hardly believe it, but Mathilda knows stuff about rings and she was right So when Old Morris saw his long lost faer I told him that I would swap it for his horrible Water Wonderland and he agreed at once! He rushed off and found the auctioneer as hiding in the old gatehouse and we signed all the papers
Well,actually, Mathilda signed She had to sign for Sir Horace because Sir Horace is officially dead and I a, which is stupid but that is how it is But it was ive the papers to Sir Horace and tell hi to him once more! That was the bestto fall to pieces from shock but he didn’t He just said, "Thank you, Miss Spookie, " in a husky voice and sat down very suddenly I felt really happy But now, as we turned the bend in Spookie Lane and saw dark Spookie House silhouetted against thehohosts
We didn’t even have Ned and Jed because they were staying with Sir Horace at the castle to keep the nasty FitzMaurice ghosts away forever I was also sad because I had not even had tihosts because Mathilda had sud denly becohosts had disappeared really fast And now, as alked past the gate stuck on top of the hedge and up the garden path to a dark Spookie House, I felt as gloo thata huge, squishy slug because in the end we had lost all our ghosts Spookie House was dark and quiet e pushed open the front door
As soon as we got in Mathilda lit the big candle by the door and started whispering soled and looked very excited But I felt really miserable It is not funny when your cousin and your so called best friend whisper things and do not let you in on the secret especially if it is your birthday Wanda and Mathilda an to sing "Happy Birthday to You" very loudly so that I would not say anything, while Wanda kept looking around with big excited eyes like a goldfish with toohappened Halfway through "Happy Birthday to You, " Sir Horace walked out of the cellar door under the stairs with a huge bunch of bal loons and Ed happened all the castle ghosts followed them!
It onderful Mathilda banged the gong and yelled, "Surprise, surprise! Happy Birthday, Araminta!" and she and Wanda threhole storreat! Wanda told hosts except for Ned and Jed, ere on guard at the castle to rush over to Spookie House before we got hohosts had to wait until they heard Wanda and Mathilda singing "Happy Birthday to You!" and then coht that was such a wonderful idea And there was even party food That hat Wanda and Mathilda had been hiding in the first kitchen-on the right just before the laundry rooether
We had a ton of cheese and onion chips, candies, Coke, ice cream, popcorn, Jell-O, nuts and crackers, a birthday cake with a ghost on it and Mathilda had even ht that I liked them I felt a bit sad when I saw theot when Mathilda gave me my birthday pres ent It was squashy like Uncle Drac’s present butbirthday presents I tore off the black and red wrapping paper and pulled out the most fan tastic hat I have ever seen It was just like Mathilda’s only better! It was soft and black with tiny red spots all over the bri from it like little curtains
The whole hat was drizzled with silvery spiderwebs and it was covered in weird things There were silver char, a minute lizard, and a baby bat Mathilda said they were from her special collection and that she had decorated the hat h e r s e l f t h at hat she had been doing in her rooht away and I did not take ht
It was such a great birthday party I didn’t miss Uncle Drac and Aunt Tabby one tiny bit well, maybe Ianother gahost bumps you close your eyes and run around the roohosts as possible the phone rang The phone in Spookie House has a weird, ghostly ring to it, like a bell underwater All the castle ghosts gathered around the phone and looked at it like it was soe aniiggling at soes had said
I could hear Aunt Tabby’s voice from the other side of the hall "Who’s that?" squawked the phone "Mathilda Spookie " "Oh, hello, Mathilda I would like to speak to Emilene, please, dear, " said the phone "Um, she’s not here at the moment " "Where is she?" The voice on the phone sounded suspicious Well, as soon as Aunt Tabby realized that Great aunt E after us, the squawks got so loud I reckon you could have heard them at the top of the house Eventually Mathilda put the phone down She looked flustered "Aunt Tabby’s coasped
"Well, in about an hour They are at the air port " "At the airport?" "Yes They flew back this ic to the bats and has developed a horrible rash Drac got sunburned on the way to the caves and Barry was bitten on the nose by a giant bat " I laughed, but Wanda said angrily, "That’s not funny, Araht?" I asked "Oh, she’s fine, " said Mathilda "I don’t think anything attacked her " It wouldn’t dare, I thought Mathilda looked around in a panic So did I Spookie House looked a little different from when Aunt Tabby had left
In fact, it looked very different--it was a terrible mess And the party had not helped; there were party food and streamers and burst balloons everywhere I added "House trashed by sur prise ghost party" to s that Aunt Tabby Will Not Like When She Coot to clean up, " I said "Fast!" But before we had ti, there was a loud ring on the doorbell We all ju "They’re back!" gulped Wanda "It can’t be theot a key " "What?" "They’ve got a--oh, drat!" The doorbell would not stop I thought things could not get any worse, but when I opened the door to unstick the bell I realized they could