

### Who'll Pick Me?

Adventures at Bell Buckle Inn

by

Janice Alonso

Copyright © 2017 Janice Alonso

All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

Good-bye

One Prayer Answered

A New Day

Who'll Pick Me?

Mrs. Lamb's Babies

Wiggle, Wiggle, Nip, Nip

What's in a Name?

The Missing Handkerchief

A Walk to Town

A Second Impression

Oh, No! Not Again!

A Burglar in Our Midst

Let's Investigate

Lost and Found

Retracing Steps

An Unexpected Visitor

Looking at an Old Problem in a New Way

Another Prayer Answered

Hello

# Good-bye

Peri Hardy wandered through her bedroom. The soles of her pink flip-flops slapped softly against her heels, the sound bouncing through the emptiness. Today was moving day. Peri's eyes moved from corner to corner. The scene seemed to play out in slow motion, like the pan of a movie camera at the climax of a story. Her mama had painted the walls a soft blue and sewn the white, fluffy curtains. Each tiny thread had been stitched with care and love for the arrival of their baby girl. She'd heard the story a hundred times, no a _thousand_ times. Her eyes brimmed. She would never hear her mama tell the story again. Her mama was gone. Peri's vision blurred. If God could answer one prayer, it would be to have her mama with her everyday just like before. She wrapped her arms around her chest, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply. If she tried really hard she could still smell her mama's scent that seemed to reach out and embrace her from all sides.

Peri entered the bathroom, the one next to her bedroom. Her mama had decorated it with periwinkle-patterned wallpaper. She ran her hand along a seam that was pulling apart, her finger coming to rest on a torn piece that she'd loosened when she was a toddler. Peri wiped away a tear with the back of her other hand. She hooked a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear and gazed at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. The white areas around her dark brown eyes were red, red from crying herself to sleep knowing this was to be her last time in this room. When she joined her daddy downstairs, she didn't want him to know how hard she'd been crying. He was sad too, after all, that they had to leave their home, the only house Peri had known in her nine years.

"You ready, Peri?" Joseph Hardy called from the bottom of the stairs.

Everyone called her Peri, but her real name was Periwinkle: Periwinkle Claire Hardy. Periwinkles had been her mama's favorite flower and that's how she'd gotten her name. Only her mama had called her "Winkie." That had been her special name for their only child.

Peri cleared her throat, walked out to the banister on the landing, and leaned over. She forced a smile and said, "Just a minute, Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom."

"We need to get a move on," urged Mr. Hardy. He tapped the face of his watch with his finger and then adjusted his glasses where they had slid to the tip of his nose. A thin smiled tugged downward on his trembling lips. "It's getting late." He turned to leave but then stopped mid-step. He looked back over his shoulder and upward to Peri. "Don't forget to turn off all the lights in your bedroom."

She nodded and then returned to the bathroom, turning the handle of the faucet to "on." A spindly stream flowed into the basin, little droplets splattering onto her T-shirt as she leaned over the sink. Cupping her hands, she scooped up some water and splashed her face. Then she looked in the mirror again. If her daddy questioned the red in her eyes, she'd just tell him it was the cold water. It would only be a part-lie, and she felt God would forgive her for not telling the whole truth. She didn't want to make her daddy sadder than he already was by knowing how unhappy she was about the move.

Ever since they'd gotten the contract on their house, Peri's heart hung heavy in her chest. Leaving her familiar room was one reason, and leaving her friends was another. But the worst reason would be leaving a house filled with the memories of her mama. What if she forgot? What if her mind couldn't recall their special garden, their special cup of cocoa by the fireplace, their special... _God, please don't let me forget, ever,_ she prayed.

Peri braced herself in the doorway that led to the hall. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the wood casing. Twisting her body around, she looked one last time. She shut her eyes, squeezing them tightly and praying that God would etch this picture of her bedroom, like a photograph, in her mind forever.

As she trudged down the stairs, Peri could hear the rumble of the car engine. She eased the front door closed behind her, the familiar squeaking of the hinge calling to her one last time. As she slid into the car, her daddy looked at her.

"All set?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Did you remember to turn off the lights?"

Peri thunked her forehead with the heel of her hand. "I forgot!"

Mr. Hardy sighed. "Peri, you've got to keep your mind on what you've been told."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are, but this has gone on too long." Her daddy placed a hand on her knee. "And I know you're not forgetting things on purpose. Still," he paused as a weak smile formed. "You simply have to get your mind back on track."

"I will," promised Peri.

* * * * *

"Want to pull over at the next exit and grab a bite to eat before we get to Aunt Susan's?" asked Mr. Hardy.

"Sure," said Peri.

Because they'd left Knoxville late, they had a ways to travel before they reached Bell Buckle, a town at the foot of the Smoky Mountains in northeast Georgia. That's where her Aunt Susan lived. Susan Hardy was her daddy's only living relative and she'd never married. She had worked for a large corporation, but last year it went out of business, leaving her aunt without a job. Peri wasn't sure what her Aunt Susan did at the company, but she thought it had something to do with computers. When she lost the job, her aunt had sold everything she owned in Atlanta and bought an old Victorian house in desperate need of repair two blocks off the town square in the heart of the small town.

"Time for a change," she'd told her brother Joseph the night she bought the ramshackle place. "I've always had a dream of owning a bed and breakfast when I retired. Guess I just get to start my dream early!"

One thing about Aunt Susan, she always looked on the bright side.

Aunt Susan wasn't like Peri's mama, Anne. Not that her Aunt Susan wasn't nice, she was just more of a business woman, more practical. She'd owned a condo in Atlanta and traveled most of the time. She'd been all around the world. Anne had been a stay-at-home mom, taking care of Peri and her daddy, who was a handyman in Knoxville. Her mom had thought nothing of going on a picnic on a rainy afternoon or forgetting the housework to spend a day working in her flower garden.

Anne had also been an artist. She sold most of her paintings to make extra money for the family, but she said she'd never sell the one of the field of periwinkles that hung over the fireplace in their house, their old house. That one was Peri's picture. The thought of the painting made Peri want to cry all over again.

The painting had been the first thing to go when they'd had their garage sale. When they moved in with Aunt Susan, there wouldn't be enough room for all their things. The old Victorian house she bought to start a bed and breakfast had been filled with furniture. Peri and her daddy didn't even know who'd bought the painting. That morning a man had showed up about thirty minutes before the sale was to start. When he asked Mr. Hardy how much he wanted for the picture, her daddy had said it wasn't for sale.

The man kept raising his offer until it was so high her daddy couldn't possibly say no. After all, they needed all the money they could get. While her daddy was helping Aunt Susan fix up the bed and breakfast so people would want to stay there, they would have to make do with the money they made from the garage sale and the sale of their house.

The man had given them cash, took the painting off the wall, and then left. As she watched him load the painting into the trunk of his car, Peri knew she'd never see the periwinkle picture again.

"How about Taco Bell?" Mr. Hardy asked, interrupting Peri's musings. The corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled at his daughter.

Peri nodded. "How much longer before we get to Aunt Susan's?"

Mr. Hardy looked at the clock on the dash of their SUV. "About three hours."

Her daddy turned on the blinker, the click-click-clicking filling the lull in their conversation, and drove the car to a busy street that looked like it had every fast-food chain in the world on it. Sure enough, they saw a sign for Taco Bell.

Peri liked fast-food because she didn't get to eat it often. Her mama had cooked most of their meals. She said eating out was expensive, and besides, the food she made at home was healthier for them. While Peri liked her mama's cooking, she _loved_ French fries smothered in catsup, greasy hamburgers oozing with cheese, and cokes from the soda fountains. Her favorite place to eat was Taco Bell. She always ordered the Mexican Pizza and the largest cola she was allowed to have. If she were lucky, she'd get a bag of Cinnamon Twists for dessert. Peri's stomach growled just thinking about the double layer of cheese on the pizza.

* * * * *

Once they were back on the interstate, Mr. Hardy rolled down his window because he liked the fresh air. He said it would also help to keep him alert in the late-hour stillness. Peri tugged the afghan she'd brought for the ride up to her chin, the soft fringe tickling her skin. Even though it was the middle of June, the night temperatures could still be cool. She rested her head against the back of the seat. The breeze brushed across her face as she listened to the droning of a talk show from the radio and the occasional whoosh of a passing big-rig truck. Her mind played around with an image of what it would be like to live in another town, in another house, in another room.

She'd have to make all new friends. That would be the most difficult part of the move. Just that morning she'd told Abby good-bye. Peri had many friends from school and church, but Abby was her second-best friend of all time. They knew they could email and Skype all they wanted, but in their hearts they knew it wouldn't be the same as living next door to each other and spending time after school together. Peri knew she'd eventually make new friends, but in the meantime she was afraid of being all alone. She'd be all alone because she wouldn't have her _best_ friend with her: Gigi.

Gigi had been her cocker spaniel. Gigi had been with her since she was four years old, and since Peri didn't have any brothers or sisters, Gigi was her constant companion. She slept with Gigi, watched television with Gigi, and told her deepest secrets to Gigi. Gigi understood everything. The night that Anne Hardy had died in the car wreck, she'd just picked up Gigi from the veterinarian. So Peri not only lost her mama in the accident, she lost her best friend as well. There wasn't a dog alive who could take the place of Gigi.

Through a blur of tears, Peri read the sign that said, "Now Leaving Tennessee."

"Good-bye," whispered Peri and then she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep to the rhythmic rocking of the road.

# One Prayer Answered

"Peri," said Mr. Hardy, shaking his daughter's shoulder lightly. "It's time to wake up."

Peri blinked away the grogginess and rubbed her eyes. "Are we there?"

"Finally," her daddy said. "It's after midnight."

Peri peeled away the afghan, opened the car door, and stepped outside into the inky blackness. A dim light came from the glow of two small lanterns on either side of the front door. Stretching her arms over her head, she turned to face the house across the street. Peri's eyes traveled upward, above the silhouette formed by a row of trees, and stared at the crescent moon arcing just over the ragged outline. A peppering of stars dotted the sky while a chorus of chirruping crickets and croaking frogs provided the only sounds of the night. Peri's attention was jarred back to where she stood when a couple of gnats buzzed and nipped at her ear. She swatted at them with one hand while slapping a mosquito that landed on her cheek with the other.

"Peri!" exclaimed Aunt Susan as she came running from the house, the screen door banging behind her.

Peri turned to the direction of her aunt's voice. Aunt Susan's mop of thick gray hair bounced as she raced toward her brother and niece, her sneakers crunching and grinding through the gravel driveway. She threw a hand over her chest.

"I'd just about given up on the two of you!" she exclaimed. "I've been so worried."

"Took the wrong exit about forty miles north of here and lost a lot of time trying to find my way back to the right road," explained Mr. Hardy. "But we're finally here." He sighed and bent over to kiss his sister.

"Why didn't you call?" she asked. "I left several messages on your cell phone."

"The battery's dead," Peri said softly and lowered her head. "I forgot to charge the phone today like Daddy asked me to."

Aunt Susan smiled. "Oh, no harm done. You're safely here now." She grabbed her brother with both hands and hugged him fiercely, and then she held him out at arm's length. "Looks like you've lost some weight."

"Guess I don't care too much for my own cooking." He chuckled and pulled up his belt to show how loose his pants had become.

"Well, I'll get you fattened up in no time." Then Aunt Susan focused her attention on Peri. "I've been taking cooking lessons." A broad smile crossed her face. "I'm also trying to create some breakfast recipes of my own. Now that the two of you are here, I'll have my own personal panel of tasters." She held her arms open wide.

Peri crumpled into her Aunt Susan's outstretched hold. It felt good to be folded into her bosom and feel her soft plumpness and comforting hug. Then Peri lifted her nose and sniffed.

"It smells like you've been making something with peanut butter," said Peri.

Her aunt nodded. "I just finished with some cookies. The dough has to sit overnight in the refrigerator." She winked. "So, you'll have to wait until tomorrow before you try them."

Peri hadn't seen Aunt Susan since her mama's funeral and neither had smiled much then. Nobody had felt like smiling for that matter. Her aunt had been all business, begging her brother to please move them to Bell Buckle and live with her. She felt that with his skills as a handyman and her knowledge of business, they could have a secure future. The change would do them good. They could make new memories. And more important, she was the only family they had.

Aunt Susan placed a hand under Peri's chin, tilting it upward. "Welcome to your new home, sweetheart." She whirled Peri around, facing her toward the house. Placing her hands on Peri's shoulders, she leaned over and whispered into her niece's ear, "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but I think it's going to be magnificent when we finish."

Peri gazed at the biggest house she'd ever seen in her entire life. The darkness made it difficult to make out very much, but what she could see was nothing short of a disaster. The house could have been used as the model for a haunted mansion in a horror movie. Rattling chains were all that was needed to complete the picture.

A wide porch spanned the front of the house. At one end was a swing attached by rusty chains to the porch's ceiling. One set of the chains was lying in a heap on the floor, causing the swing to teeter at an angle. Even the blackness of the night couldn't hide the peeling paint and the boards jutting out at odd angles around the windows. Someone had taken large pieces of cardboard to cover the broken panes, but shards of glass lay scattered across the roof.

Peri looked at the picket fence running around the perimeter of the yard. Several large sections had fallen down; some were missing altogether. The gate had been torn off its hinges and was now propped against a nearby tree trunk. The shrubbery had grown into thick hedges that stood taller than Peri, and wide, ropy roots lay bare atop the red clay. Bunches of weeds crowded in areas that looked like they might have once been flower beds.

"I've got your room ready for you." Aunt Susan smiled down. "It's late. You can explore tomorrow."

Peri managed a small smile. This was much worse than she could have ever imagined. The family who bought their old house was getting a house that had been kept like new by her daddy, and her mother had designed a yard with colorful beds of flowers, bird baths, and bird feeders. Peri cringed. If this was what had happened to the outside of the house over the years, she couldn't bare to think about what her bedroom would look like. She forced a bigger smile. She knew Aunt Susan would have gone to a lot of trouble to make her like her new room, but it would never be the same, _never_.

Putting her hand into her Aunt Susan's, she forced a wider smile and said, "I can't wait!"

Peri walked beside her aunt. They entered a large foyer. Ugly faded, floral wallpaper hung in tumbling sheets revealing an even uglier, more faded wallpaper. A stairway soared up three flights.

"Your room is on the top floor," said Aunt Susan. "From up there you can see out over the whole neighborhood."

Peri trailed behind her aunt as they climbed the stairs; boards squeaked and the handrail wobbled. When they arrived at the last floor, Aunt Susan stopped beside an opened door. She motioned for Peri to enter.

Peri stepped slowly into the room. The lights were off. Peri could feel her aunt's hand in the small of her back nudging her forward. When they were inside, Aunt Susan turned on the switch.

Peri couldn't believe her eyes. All her bedroom furniture had been set up just like it was in her old house. Aunt Susan had painted the walls a soft blue and put up white, fluffy curtains. In the bathroom, she'd put up the exact same wallpaper. But the biggest surprise was across from her bed. The painting of the field of periwinkles hung where it would be the last thing she saw each night before she went to sleep and the first thing she saw each morning when she opened her eyes.

"You sent that man to buy the painting?" whispered Peri.

Aunt Susan nodded. "And your daddy sent your furniture ahead of time."

"I thought we'd sold everything." Peri looked up at her aunt, but she couldn't find the words she wanted. Tears rolled down her cheeks. When she looked up to Aunt Susan, she was crying, too, but they both had smiles on their faces, _real_ smiles.

# A New Day

The sun beamed through the window, warming Peri's shoulders and scattering patches of morning light across the bedcovers. At first, when she squinted into the brightness, she couldn't remember where she was. Then her gaze came to rest on the painting, and memories of yesterday bubbled up like hundreds of helium-inflated balloons released on a breezy day. She remembered their Knoxville home and the move. She remembered last night how the old Victorian loomed in the midnight shadows. And, she remembered the loving care Aunt Susan had given to this room, _her_ new room. Peri was happy and sad at the same time. Rolling to her back, she kicked both feet out from under the quilt and looked up. The ceiling was painted the same soft blue as the walls, but billowy white clouds swirled from one end to the other. They looked as if they were in motion, as if a gentle wind were puffing them along. Maybe her new home and town would eventually puff away the sad thoughts like these clouds, thought Peri.

Outside the distant droning of a lawn mower and the closer singing of a bird filled the gaps between the tick-tocking of her beside clock. She didn't know much about birds or which kinds made what sounds. This little fellow's melody was a high-pitched, cheerful lilt with tuneful lyrics that seemed to say, "Wake up you sleepyhead!"

Peri touched her big toe to the hardwood floor, the surface cool and smooth against her skin. Her eyes absorbed what was around her. Aunt Susan had placed a few small rugs in the room. Each rug was a different color, the bright colors adding a carefree spirit to the blueness of the walls. Against one wall, she'd placed the bookcase Peri and her daddy built last summer. Familiar books lined each shelf: Nancy Drew, Anastasia Krupnik, and the Boxcar Kids. Peri loved to read everything, but mysteries were her favorite. On the top of the bookcase her aunt had placed a bamboo picture frame with a snapshot of Peri, her mama, and Gigi when they'd visited Bell Buckle last Thanksgiving. Beside the photograph lay a book Peri didn't recognize. She walked over to the bookcase and picked the book up, stroking its soft leather cover with her fingertips.

The cover was a light brown. On the side a lock clasped the book closed, and a gold key was attached by a delicate chain. A burgundy velveteen ribbon peeked out from the bottom. Peri pinched the catch between her thumb and finger and opened the book. A musty smell tickled her nose. The blank pages had turned from a white to a yellowed ivory, and the edges were jagged like someone had cut them with pinking shears. Slowly, she eased back the book's spine to the inside cover. Written in flowing black script was a note from her aunt.

Dearest Peri,

I found this book in the attic and thought you might want it. I hope you will come to love your new room and your new life here, but don't ever forget your old one. Use this journal to record all your memories. Create a new life on the foundation of the past.

Love,

Aunt Susan

* * * * *

Smells of sizzling maple bacon and warm cinnamon rolls greeted Peri and teased her taste buds as she descended the stairs and walked toward the kitchen. Aunt Susan had spent the first few months after she moved into the house remodeling the kitchen and its eating area. Since the house had been built over a century ago as a place for boarders, the kitchen was large and had lots of counters. These spaces gave her aunt room for food preparation. Aunt Susan said the previous owners had updated the kitchen and bathrooms during the nineties, but no other work had been done since then.

Her aunt had painted the walls a bright yellow and the cabinets an off-white. White and yellow curtains hung from small brass rods on windows that overlooked an area where a flower garden had once been planted. Now all that remained were weeds and large areas where no grass grew, exposing the red Georgia clay. Statues of flower fairies, their wings broken, sat forlorn in the neglected garden.

Off from the kitchen was the eating area. Aunt Susan had found an old round table with four chairs in the attic and asked Mr. Lamb, the man who lived down the street, to help her bring the set down to the kitchen. Then she'd spent the winter months stripping and staining the furniture. The eating area had French doors that led outside to the garden area as well. Spidery cracks webbed across many of the panes, but the glass wasn't broken. Peri looked around and let out a mental sigh. Her aunt was right; they had a lot of work ahead of them.

"Good morning, Peri," greeted Aunt Susan. She wore a white bib apron over a red checked shirt and a pair of blue jeans. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept great," said Peri. "The kitchen is beautiful."

Aunt Susan's face beamed. "I did most of it myself." She brought Peri a glass of orange juice and set it down on the place mat. Running her hand along the table, she continued. "This table was scratched and had cigarette burns in it. I sanded it down and made it look like new."

Peri's daddy looked up from his newspaper. "I didn't know you knew how to restore furniture."

Aunt Susan frowned. "You do what you have to do, Joseph. I got a decent amount of money when I lost my job, but I can't be spending it on things I can do myself." She walked back to the stove. She turned to look back at her brother. "I didn't know I could cook either until I took some lessons."

Peri sat down in a chair opposite her daddy at the dark oak table. She lifted her nose and sniffed. "What smells so yummy?"

"Simply Scrumptious Eggs," said Aunt Susan. "It's a recipe from one of my classes." She added, "But I made some changes so it'll be special for the people who stay at our inn."

Aunt Susan trotted back over to Peri and set down a plate with a mound of... of... of, well, Peri couldn't really say exactly. It _did_ smell good, but it looked, well, rather _odd_. She could identify the scrambled egg part and something gooey that she thought might be cheese except that it had a reddish tint to it. But it was the brown and grey parts she was having trouble identifying.

"Thank you," said Peri. She picked up her fork and moved the egg mixture around.

Her aunt flushed with pride. "I only used the recipe as a guide." She leaned over and winked at Peri. "I added my own special ingredients." She straightened. "After all, I want our bed and breakfast to be unique." She turned around and hurried back to the oven where she had something baking.

Using her fork, Peri scooped up a portion of the conglomeration. She brought the fork to her mouth and paused midair. She looked over to her daddy for guidance.

Mr. Hardy picked up the salt shaker and leaned toward Peri. "Use a lot of salt," he whispered.

Peri took the shaker and sprinkled her Simply Scrumptious Eggs with a generous layer of salt. Then she added some to the bite that waited on the fork. If the look of the casserole had been indescribable, then its taste was like nothing she'd ever known. While Peri chewed, her daddy buried his head in the morning newspaper and avoided her stare.

"Well?" asked Aunt Susan as she closed the oven door and reset the timer. She took off her hot mitts and faced Peri. "What do you think?"

Peri swallowed the mouthful and then gulped her orange juice. "Aunt Susan, I can honestly say it's the most unique thing I've ever tasted!"

Once again, Aunt Susan flushed with pride. "I'll tell you my secret if you promise you won't give it away."

Peri made a cross over her heart. "I promise."

"Just as the eggs were finishing cooking, I threw in some dry oatmeal and pecan chips."

"But, it tastes kind of, well, sweet," said Peri.

Aunt Susan leaned in closer. "When I added the shredded cheddar cheese, I mixed it with strawberry jam first."

Peri smiled. "I don't think there'll be another bed and breakfast around that'll have breakfasts like ours!"

Mr. Hardy looked over his paper and focused his stare on his sister. "Are you planning to adjust _all_ the recipes?" he asked.

"Goodness gracious, no!" Aunt Susan waved her hand. "I'm just going to create special breakfast menus." She turned and walked back to her oven.

Mr. Hardy frowned at Peri. "Thank goodness there's a diner on the square that serves breakfast," he whispered.

# Who'll Pick Me?

Peri brushed her teeth really well after breakfast. Flossed, too. As much as she didn't want to hurt Aunt Susan's feelings, she didn't want a Simply Scrumptious Eggs bit wiggling loose in her mouth and revisiting her taste buds!

Peri pulled on a pair of denim cut-offs and a loose T-shirt. Her skinny arms and beanpole legs stuck out like twigs from the shorts and baggy top. Using her fingers, she raked her long hair into a pony tail and secured it with a rubber band. Then she stuffed her hair under a baseball cap. Tugging on her sneakers, she stood in front of the full-length mirror and studied her reflection. Her mama had said she was small for her age, but Peri knew the truth. She was what some adults referred to as "scrawny." She could easily pass for a girl of six, instead of her age of nine.

The aroma of freshly cut grass met Peri's nose as she descended the front porch steps and maneuvered her way through their mangled yard. She wandered into the garage where her daddy was on his knees rifling through boxes. Most of the boxes were unopened and contained their things from Knoxville.

"Where's my bicycle?" asked Peri. She wiggled between the stacks of tightly-packed boxes, peeking inside those with opened tops.

Mr. Hardy's head rose over the edge of a tall box. He looked over to Peri. A few of the Styrofoam peanuts used as packing had worked their way into the curls of his hair. His eyeglasses dangled lopsided and balanced over his left ear.

He lifted his head, repositioned his glasses, and then sighed. "Looks like some of our stuff didn't make it. Your bicycle was in one of those crates." He stood and brushed the dirt from his knees.

Peri's shoulders slumped. "That's okay," she said, trying to hide her disappointment. "I can explore by foot."

Mr. Hardy's eyes widened as he snapped his fingers. "Wait just a minute. I think I saw a bicycle over there." He pointed to the opposite corner. "The old owners must have left it behind with the other things."

Mr. Hardy disappeared behind a mountain of odds and ends and soon reappeared riding a small two-wheeler. Peri felt a large tickle form in the bottom of her stomach and threaten to make her explode into gales of giggles. With the Styrofoam peanuts still in his hair and his large, grownup body atop the child's bicycle, her daddy resembled a clown who'd escaped from the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The handlebars had a horn that he tooted as he rode past her. All he needed was a bright red rubber nose and a crown of carrot-orange hair to look like Bozo himself!

Mr. Hardy stopped in front of his daughter and climbed off. "I know it's kind of small, and it's for a boy," he apologized. "But if I take off the horn maybe it'll do until yours gets here."

With a couple of twists of his screwdriver, Mr. Hardy removed the horn and rolled the bike toward Peri.

"Thanks, Daddy," said Peri. Throwing her right leg over the bar, she sat down and tested her balance by making a couple of laps around the garage. She waved good-bye, gave herself a push and pedaled into the street that lead toward the town square in Bell Buckle.

Bell Buckle had a large square in the middle of town. There were businesses on the four streets lining the square. Houses filled the streets that encircled this business area. Their bed and breakfast was two blocks away on a street named Blueberry Lane. The town was over a hundred and fifty years old, but most of the houses were built at the end of the nineteenth century and were closer to a hundred years old.

The house her aunt bought was one of the oldest. It was built in 1875 and had been a boarding house for people to live in while they mined for gold in Dahlonega and other towns close by during the 1800's. It had remained a boarding house until after the depression in the 1930's. Over the next few decades Bell Buckle's population got smaller and smaller until the owners of many of the houses lost interest in the dwindling town and moved to Atlanta, a city that was growing by leaps and bounds. A few years ago people, once again enchanted by the life style offered by a small town, decided Bell Buckle was a great place to live. Bell Buckle lay at the foothills of the Smokey Mountains and was close to many hiking trails, waterfalls, and lakes. It was also only two hours from Atlanta.

Some of the old houses had been torn down and replaced with brand new houses, but Aunt Susan wanted to keep their bed and breakfast as close to the original house as possible, preserving the history of the house and Bell Buckle. Many residents felt the same way her aunt felt. These people had formed a group known as the Bell Buckle Historical Society. While they wanted Bell Buckle to grow and keep up with modern times, they felt strongly that a sense of the past should be maintained as well.

Within minutes Peri arrived on the main square, known as Pioneer Square in honor of the twelve original families who'd settled there. Peri rode around the downtown area. The street was called Main Street, no matter which of the four sides she was on. She noticed that Main Street became Main Street, north, east, south, and west. Each street corresponded to the appropriate direction. She studied the names of the businesses as she circled Pioneer Square. Myna's Confections, The Book Nook, Nash's Real Estate Office, and First Bank of Bell Buckle were a few of the businesses on West Main Street. The Sheriff's Department, the Courthouse, several government offices, and Tucker's Coffee Den were on South Main. North and East Main were also filled with an assortment of restaurants, gift and clothing boutiques, the Public Library, a cleaners, and a couple of hair salons.

Peri left the town area and rode over one block until she came to a sign. She put on the breaks, peered up, and read: "Pioneer Park." Peri pushed off and peddled slowly, her bottom feeling every bump and hole on the mulch-covered trail. Soccer and baseball fields, tennis courts, and an oversized pavilion filled the recreation areas. Picnic tables stood under magnificent oak trees and in areas off of a large lake.

In another area was a playground with swings, slides, and see-saws. She spotted a group of girls who looked about her age. She took a deep breath and cruised toward them. She stopped her bicycle, straddling the bar, and smiled.

"Hi, my name's Peri Hardy," she said in her cheeriest voice. "I just moved here from Knoxville."

The group of girls studied her from head to toe. One girl had on a pair of Capri pants and a matching raspberry colored top. She lowered her sunglasses and peered at Peri over the top of the lens.

"Hi, Peri," she said. Then she pointed across to the other side of the field. "The first grade boys are playing over there."

* * * * *

Peri sat in the porch swing enveloped in her aunt's reassuring arms; hot, angry tears streamed down her face. Through chest-wrenching sobs, Peri buried her face deeper into Aunt Susan's bosom and smelled the scent of roses, her aunt's favorite fragrance.

"Now, now," her aunt said, patting Peri's back. "You do _not_ look like a first grade boy."

"Yes, I do!" wailed Parry. Using both hands, she dug her knuckles into her eyes and cried harder. "Those girls pointed me over to the side of the playground where the boys were playing!"

Aunt Susan sighed and didn't say a word for a few minutes. Then she placed her hand under Peri's chin and tilted her face upward toward her. Peri had her aunt's dark brown eyes, and right now they were red-rimmed and filled with tears. Her long dark eyelashes clumped together from the crying.

"With that gorgeous long blond hair, there's no way you could be taken for a boy." Aunt Susan pursed her lips and shook her head.

"I had my hair under a baseball cap," sniffled Peri.

"Hmmm," said Aunt Susan. "You are a beautiful child and one day you're going to be an even more beautiful woman." A small smile tugged at her lips. "But I won't lie to you, sweetheart. You _are_ small for your age, and, I suppose..." Aunt Susan paused and her eyes softened. "With the cut-offs and shirt and your hair hidden beneath a baseball cap..." She stopped and sighed. " _And_ riding a boy's bicycle, I could see how the girls might have mistaken you for a boy."

"And Peri isn't exactly a girl's name either," Peri added. "No girl wants a friend who looks like a boy." Peri gulped. "I wish I could move back to Knoxville and have Abby as a friend again."

Peri dissolved into a fresh wave of sobs. Her whole body shook from the unhappy thoughts rushing through her head. Her life was ruined. She'd be laughed at for being mistaken for a boy.

"Nobody will pick me for a friend." Looking at her aunt through bleary eyes, she said, "And besides, by third grade everyone has already made friends."

Aunt Susan ran her fingers through her hair as her mind raced. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Kleenex.

"Dry your eyes, sweetheart, and listen to me."

Peri took the Kleenex and dabbed it against her cheeks and eyes. She looked once more at her aunt.

"You had friends in Knoxville, didn't you?" asked Aunt Susan.

Peri nodded. "I had lots of friends."

"Then you'll have friends here, too. Friendly people always have friends." Aunt Susan's smile grew bigger. "And you're the friendliest person I know."

Only now did Peri smile. "Do you really think I'm friendly?"

"I promise." Then Aunt Susan added. "We'll pray for God to send you a friend. Lots of friends for that matter."

"I'll do better than that," said Peri, the tears ceasing. "I'll pray for God to send me a best friend!"

# Mrs. Lamb's Babies

That night after a supper of farm-grown vegetables from Farmer Dan's Fresh Market, Peri, Aunt Susan, and Mr. Hardy relaxed on the front porch of their house. Her aunt and daddy sat side-by-side in the swing, rocking to and fro. Her daddy had spent all afternoon at the hardware store selecting new chains to replace the rusted ones. Peri sprawled on the wood-slatted floor, her legs resting on the step below, and flipped through an old magazine she'd found in the garage. Pictures of movie stars from the seventies filled the pages with images that tickled Peri's funny bone. She laughed at the leisure suits, platform shoes, and long shaggy hair worn by many of the men. The women wore short, short skirts and were much too thin for her tastes.

A spiral-top notebook lay in Mr. Hardy's lap. Adjusting his glasses and tapping his chin with a pencil, he glanced over the list he and his sister had prepared earlier in the day. "We need to replace those loose boards and the wobbly handrail on the stairs before we do anything else. They could be dangerous if one slipped out of its place."

Aunt Susan nodded and peered over the top of her spectacles. "While you're working on that, I'll choose the colors for the dining room and living room, and also for the bedrooms." She leaned in closer and looked over her brother's shoulder, studying what he had written. "After we've decided on the colors, I can get a better idea of what fabrics I want to use."

Mr. Hardy nodded his head and then added, "We're lucky the plumbing and electricity were in good order."

"We sure are," she agreed. "It would have cost a small fortune to replace all the pipes and wiring."

Humidity hung heavy in the early evening air. Perspiration beaded on Peri's upper lip and glistened on her forehead as she listened to them discussing the work list and how much money would be needed for the renovation. She reached for her glass of tea. It was what people in the South called sweet tea, tea made with sugar added while the tea was still hot. Then ice and lots of lemons were added when you were ready to drink it.

_Aunt Susan might not be the best breakfast maker,_ thought Peri as she turned up the glass and swigged, _but she sure makes great tea._

A plump piece of lemon pulp caught on Peri's tongue. She bit down and a sour taste spread through her mouth.

"Hey there!" came a voice from the end of the sidewalk leading up to the porch. "Looks like your family has arrived."

Peri looked up and saw a woman with long brown hair pulled back into a pony tail walking toward her. As the woman got closer, Peri could see big brown eyes sparkling behind the lens of a pair of black glasses. She wore a red sun dress and white sandals. A grin spread from ear-to-ear as she wiped sweat from the back of her neck with a damp paper towel. She stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs.

"This must be your niece," the woman said as she looked up at Peri.

Aunt Susan stood and walked down the steps beside the woman. "Hi, Julie," said Aunt Susan, giving her friend a big hug. Then she nodded and answered, "This is Peri." She pointed to Mr. Hardy. "And this is my brother, Joseph."

"I'm Julie," the woman said. She mounted the stairs and approached Peri's daddy. Holding out her hand, she said, "Julie Lamb, Susan's neighbor from down the street."

Mr. Hardy stood to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Have a seat and I'll get you a glass of tea," said Aunt Susan as she motioned to the empty space next to her brother on the swing.

The woman shook her head no. "Wish I could, but Heather just called." The woman paused and shifted her attention to Mr. Hardy. "Heather is my daughter-in-law. She and my son are going to have twins."

"Julie's first grandchildren," added Aunt Susan.

"Yes, two little boys." Mrs. Lamb's face beamed. "But they've decided to make an early appearance."

Aunt Susan's face became serious. "Is everything okay?"

Mrs. Lamb held up her hands. "Everything's fine, Susan, but I need to leave tomorrow so I can help Heather and David with the babies for a few days."

"Is there anything I can do?' asked Aunt Susan.

"As a matter of fact, there is." Mrs. Lamb folded her arms across her chest. "The puppies."

Aunt Susan threw up her hands. "Oh, my goodness... the puppies!" Aunt Susan looked at Peri. "Julie's yellow Labrador, Molly, has eight puppies."

"Fred is coming with me." Then Mrs. Lamb looked at Peri's daddy once more. "Fred is my husband," she explained. "So I need someone to take care of Molly and her litter. The puppies won't be ready for the owners to pick up until next week when they turn eight weeks old."

"The Lambs are breeders," explained Aunt Susan. "All their puppies are sold before they're even born,"

"But I don't release them until I feel they're old enough to be away from their mother," said Mrs. Lamb.

Peri leaped up, her magazine tumbling to the ground. "I can do it! I love puppies!"

Mrs. Lamb looked at Aunt Susan and lifted her eyebrows.

Aunt Susan nodded and placed her arm around her niece. "I think Peri would be perfect for the job. She had a dog before and knows exactly what to do." She continued, "And if she needs help I can always add an extra set of hands."

A look of relief flooded Mrs. Lamb's face. "What a blessing! My mind would be at ease if I knew someone I can trust was looking after them while we are away."

"Then it's settled." Aunt Susan placed a hand on Mrs. Lamb's shoulder. "When do you want Peri to come over and get instructions?"

Mrs. Lamb looked at Peri. "Why don't you come over tomorrow morning after breakfast? Say, around eight-thirty? That's not too early, is it?"

Peri shook her head no. "I can be there earlier if you want."

"Eight-thirty is fine," assured her neighbor.

"Are you sure you won't stay for a few minutes?" Aunt Susan asked.

"Thank you, but no," said Mrs. Lamb. "I need to get home and think about what we need to pack." Mrs. Lamb's face flushed. "I'm so excited! I can barely wait to get my hands on those twins!"

Aunt Susan hugged her friend good-bye and wished her a safe trip.

"Do you think you can handle those puppies?" asked Mr. Hardy. "You're going to have to remember to do everything Mrs. Lamb asks you to do." He gazed intently into his daughter's eyes. "It's a big responsibility."

"Oh, she'll be fine, Joseph," said Aunt Susan. "I have all the faith in the world in Peri."

Peri nodded enthusiastically. "I'll give the puppies the best care in the world."

"You can't go forgetting," warned Mr. Hardy.

"I won't," promised Peri.

And Peri meant it. She was excited, too. She had missed Gigi terribly after she died. Now she was going to get to take care of seven puppies and the mother, as well. She'd be able to prove to her daddy that she was trustworthy again. That she could be depended on to remember things. Even better, she'd be helping someone. Maybe Mrs. Lamb would turn out to be one of her new friends.

# Wiggle, Wiggle, Nip, Nip

The following day Peri leaped from her bed and pulled on her clothes. She gobbled down her breakfast so quickly she barely noticed that Aunt Susan had mixed diced chicken and broccoli into the pancake batter that morning. Peri's mind was aflutter with thoughts of taking care of the puppies. Mrs. Lamb lived two houses down in a one-story brick home. A chain link fence ran around the perimeter of the backyard, making it the perfect playground for a litter of Labrador puppies. Peri left her house and walked through the space where the gate to the fence would be once her daddy replaced the hinges. The scent of the honeysuckle vine that wrapped around the picket fence tickled her nose. Bees dipped and hovered over the tiny trumpet-shaped flowers, sucking out the sweet nectar. Her sandals crunched on top of chinaberries that lay scattered across the sidewalk as she practically ran to see Mrs. Lamb and meet Molly and her eight puppies.

When Peri arrived at the Lambs' driveway, Mr. Lamb was loading baby toys and suitcases into the back of their station wagon. She couldn't see his face because he was hunkered over, trying to jam a huge bag into a small space. She walked up to him and tapped him on his arm.

"Hi, I'm Peri Hardy," she announced. "I'm here to take care of Molly and her puppies." She smiled and squinted into the hot brightness of the sun.

"Good morning, Peri." He turned around and patted her back with a rough, freckled hand. "You sure are a lifesaver! Julie and I were worried to death what to do about Molly and her babies." Mr. Lamb had gray hair that was thinning on the top and blue eyes that seemed to sparkle when he smiled.

"Well, you don't have to worry anymore, Mr. Lamb. I'll take good care of all of them." Then for good measure, she added, "And I'll get your mail and water your plants, too."

Mr. Lamb bent over and laughed. He slapped his thighs with his hands. "We're very blessed that you moved in when you did." He looked at his watch. "Run on into the house now. Julie's waiting for you."

Peri didn't have to be told twice. She raced down a path of pine straw that led to a set of brick stairs. She skipped up the steps to a small landing. The front door was ajar, halfway open, so that she could see the living room. Peri craned her neck just inside the doorway and knocked.

"Hello!" she called.

"Good morning, Peri!" came a voice from somewhere inside the house. "Meet me in the back yard."

"Okay," Peri shouted back.

She leaped down the steps and ran around the side of the house, passing a bush that she recognized as hydrangeas. The flowers looked like big purple balls. Next to them was a bed of fuchsia petunias. Peri recognized a lot of flowers by sight, and their names as well, because she'd helped her mama when she worked in the garden. When she reached the backyard, she came to the chain-link fence. The gate was closed with a bar that held the lock securely. Peri lifted the latch and let herself inside, careful to immediately close the gate behind her in case any of the puppies were loose.

A squeak of the door from the screened porch caught Peri's attention. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mrs. Lamb walking out. She was wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes.

"Well, Peri, are you ready to meet Molly and her puppies?" asked Mrs. Lamb. She had her hair pulled off her neck and held in place with a large plastic brown clip.

Peri's head bobbed up and down.

"Come with me," said Mrs. Lamb and she crooked her finger for Peri to follow.

Peri trailed behind Mrs. Lamb to the far end of the yard where there was a wooden dog house and a shallow trough filled with water. Pine needles from the surrounding trees floated atop the water. As they got closer to the house, Mrs. Lamb puckered her lips and let out three short whistles. Immediately, eight little black noses poked out of the doorway of the dog house. High-pitched yips filled the air as a tangle of feet and fat bellies rolled toward Mrs. Lamb.

One little straggler came after the others, running so fast in an effort to catch up with her littermates that she tumbled head-over-heels and into the water trough. She quickly righted herself and shook off the excess water. Then she raced right up to Peri's feet and began chewing the buckle on her sandal.

"Oh, I should have warned you to wear long pants and tennis shoes. They're still little nibblers and scratchers." As if on cue eight sets of paws began clawing at the hem of Mrs. Lamb's blue jeans.

Peri laughed at the squirming bodies and wagging tails.

"Ouch!" yelled Peri. When she looked down, a puppy had her foot in its mouth, snacking on Peri's big toe. "Stop it!" She yelled again, but she couldn't stop laughing. In between the nibbles a soft tongue slid in and out between her other toes, tickling the bottom of her foot.

Peri leaned over and picked up the puppy. Now the puppy chewed on a strand of Peri's hair.

"That's Squirt," said Mrs. Lamb. "She was the last one born and she's the runt of the litter."

Peri held Squirt out at arm's length. The puppy continued to nip at her hand, the bottom half of her body wiggling and struggling to get free of Peri's tight grasp. Peri folded the puppy into her chest. She rubbed the top of her head in an effort to calm her down.

"Come with me so I can show you what to do," said Mrs. Lamb. Then she headed toward the lower end of the yard and bent over, slapping her thigh with the flat of her hand. "Come here, Molly."

A huge beige dog emerged from the door of the dog house. Molly opened her mouth and a set of large strong teeth appeared. When she yawned, an even larger tongue curled out and then inward as she let out a muffled groan. Molly ambled up to Peri, sniffed her feet, and then wagged her tail.

Mrs. Lamb laughed and bent over, bringing her eyes level with the Lab's. "Good girl, Molly. This is Peri and she's your new friend. She's going to take care of you and the little ones while we're away." Molly barked like she'd understood every word Mrs. Lamb had said and wagged her tail faster.

Peri put Squirt down and leaned over to pat Molly's massive, boxy head. Molly tilted her head upward and closed her eyes. Peri moved her hand to behind Molly's ears and rubbed.

"You'll need to come over several times a day and make sure the trough is filled. In this hot weather, they drink a lot of water," said Mrs. Lamb. Then she walked over to the fence and pointed to a shovel propped against it. "You'll need to pick up the poop and place it behind those bushes over there."

Peri nodded and kept rubbing Molly's ears while the puppies yapped and snapped and lapped and leaped. Squirt wasn't interested in the water trough or her puppy friends. She stayed at Peri's side and licked her toes.

"Come up to the porch," said Mrs. Lamb.

Peri followed behind Mrs. Lamb and behind Peri trailed Squirt.

When they got to the screened-in porch, Mrs. Lamb turned around. "The puppies aren't allowed in here." She opened the door and went in.

Peri looked down. "You have to stay outside, Squirt."

Peri used her foot to block the open space of the door and then quickly shut it behind her. The puppy struggled up the steps and whimpered as she watched Peri through the mesh screen.

In one corner of the porch sat an aluminum garbage can with a tight-fitting lid. Mrs. Lamb pulled off the top, reached inside, and pulled out a scoop. "This is the tricky part. Each puppy needs to get about one to two cups of this food twice a day. Molly gets two and a half cups a day from that plastic trash can over there." Mrs. Lamb extended her arm. "The puppies eat a different kind of food because they're growing and have different needs from an adult dog."

"I understand," said Peri.

Squirt clawed at the bottom of the door that led into the porch. When Peri turned around to look at her, the puppy arched back her head and barked. Then she looked back at Peri and whimpered.

"Not now," Mrs. Lamb scolded Squirt. "Anyway, I usually let Molly in the kitchen and feed her there so she can eat and have a little peace and quiet while I attend to the puppies outside on the patio. I feed them in the morning and again in the late afternoon." She pointed to a small bowl. "I bring the puppies up one at a time and feed them, and then I play with each one for a few minutes after they eat. They usually gobble up their food in a minute or two and are eager to go back and play with the other puppies."

Mrs. Lamb put the lid back on the trash can and pushed down hard, snapping the top securely.

"It sounds like more work than it actually is," Mrs. Lamb reassured Peri.

"When do you want me to start?" asked Peri.

"They've been fed this morning, so they won't eat again until this evening," said Mrs. Lamb. "But you'll need to check in on them to make sure their water trough is full throughout the day."

Peri stood straight, squared her shoulders, and jutted out her chin. "You can count on me!"

Mrs. Lamb smiled and peered down. "There's no doubt in my mind. I'm positive I can depend on you." She placed a hand on Peri's shoulder. "Your Aunt Susan has only the best things to say about you."

# What's in a Name?

After lunch, Peri sat on the front porch, shelling peas and enjoying the cool breeze stroking her forehead. One thing she'd learned from her few days in Bell Buckle, the weather could change quickly. One day it could be so hot you didn't want to stick your nose out in the broiling afternoon sun. Then on a cloudy day, the temperature would drop and winds would blow down from the mountains and give an appreciated break to the humidity and heat.

Peri reached into the basket and picked up the remaining snap peas. Breaking off the small stem at one end, she pulled back a thin string and peeled it from the edge of the pod. She threw the spindly curl into the pile on the newspaper that lay spread out by her feet, and the edible part she tossed into the bowl in her lap. Aunt Susan was making fresh vegetables to go with the meatloaf they were having for dinner. Along with the snap peas, her aunt was cooking creamed corn, steamed okra, and fried green tomatoes.

When she finished with the last of the peas, Peri stood and carried the bowl into the kitchen where her aunt was preparing a cobbler from the blackberries they'd picked the day before. A heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream would be placed on top of the cobbler while it was still warm from the oven.

"All done?" asked Aunt Susan as she craned her head around to face Peri. Flour sprinkled down the front of Aunt Susan's bib apron as her hands continued to break the stick of butter into small pieces. Then she scattered the butter bits over the brown sugar and flour topping.

"All done," echoed Peri, setting the bowl on the counter beside the sink. "What should I do next?"

"Get the colander from under the counter and wash the peas for me." Aunt Susan smiled and added, "Please."

Peri squatted by the floor cabinet. She moved things around, clanging pots and pans together until she found the colander. She stood and placed it in the sink. She rinsed off the colander, dumping the bowl of peas inside and running cold water over them to remove any grit or stray strings.

"Thank you," said Aunt Susan. She reached inside a bowl filled with chopped pecans and grabbed a handful, adding them to the butter and sugar topping. "Ta-da!" she said as she stepped back to admire her creation. "Our dessert for tonight!"

When Peri finished rinsing the peas, she asked, "Do you have anything else for me to do?"

"No, sweetheart," answered her aunt. "Why don't you go out and see if you can make some friends."

Peri's heart felt like an electric charge had zoomed through it and jolted her down to the very tips of her toes. Just the thought of yesterday's experience made her stomach flip-flop. Before she could come up with a reasonable explanation not to go, her aunt dried her hands on a dishtowel and came up beside her.

She placed a hand on the top of Peri's head. "Before you say anything, I think we should have a talk." She brushed the hair from Peri's face. "I want to discuss an idea I had last night after I went to bed."

Aunt Susan went back to the counter and molded some tin foil over the cobbler. She placed the dish in the refrigerator; then she and Peri walked into the den. Aunt Susan settled into the sofa and patted the seat cushion next to her for her niece to sit beside her.

Peri sat down, her eyes moving upward and then stopping so that she gazed into her aunt's face. "I don't want to see those girls again," she whispered. Her voice trembled as a mounting of tears filled her eyes. She dropped her eyes. "I'm too embarrassed," she mumbled.

"Heavens to Betsy, child, what do you have to be embarrassed about?" Aunt Susan asked.

"Because they took me for a boy," Peri answered. She couldn't bring herself to look at her aunt.

Aunt Susan cupped Peri's chin in her hands and raised her face. "Well, I admit that wasn't the best of beginnings, but it doesn't mean you're doomed for life!" Aunt Susan laughed softly.

"It's not funny," mumbled Peri. "Everyone is going to tease me." A tear rolled down her cheek. "When school starts, I'll be known as Peri Hardy, the new first grade boy."

"Maybe not," said her aunt. Then she proceeded slowly, knowing in her heart what her niece's reaction would be. "Have you ever thought about changing your name?"

"Change my name!" exclaimed Peri. She pulled her head from her aunt's hold. "I'd never do that! Periwinkle is... _was_ Mama's favorite flower." Her heart pounded; she couldn't believe what her aunt was saying.

Aunt Susan held up both hands. "I know, I know. I'm not suggesting you need to get a whole new name."

Peri tilted her head and waited for her aunt to explain.

"I'm suggesting that instead of going by 'Peri,' why not let everyone call you 'Winkie?'"

"But that was Mama's special name for me!" How could she let everybody call her that? If everyone called her "Winkie," then it wouldn't be special any more. A fresh flood of tears streamed down Peri's red-hot cheeks.

Aunt Susan reached inside the pocket of her apron and withdrew a small, white handkerchief. She slipped it into Peri's clenched fist.

"And that's the _very_ reason you should let that be your new name. If everyone calls you 'Winkie,' then your mama's special name will live on." Aunt Susan's smile softened. "Each time someone says your name, it will be like your mama is still with you. It will be her special gift to you, a gift that can live on forever."

Peri didn't say anything for a few minutes; she sat with her hands folded in her lap and picked at a cuticle. She lifted her head. "Maybe," she said. "Let me think about it."

Peri wiped her eyes once more with the handkerchief and then extended it toward her aunt.

"You hold on to this until you've made your decision. It won't be an easy choice and you may need the hankie as you think about what you want to do." Aunt Susan folded the handkerchief and tucked it into the front pocket of Peri's jeans. "But I do want it back. It was a gift from a close friend I used to work with."

* * * * *

Peri decided to walk to the Lambs' house, check on the puppies, and then venture into town. She'd earned ten dollars from the things she sold at their garage sale, but she hadn't decided what she wanted to spend her money on. When she arrived at the Lambs' fence entrance, she carefully eased opened the gate. Walking down to the far corner of the yard, she could see the puppies in a heap in the curve of Molly's fat tummy, all taking a midafternoon siesta in the cool shade of the thicket of pine trees.

Molly raised her head and all the puppies leaped up. They raced toward Peri and jumped around her legs. Molly lumbered up beside her and dragged a wet tongue across Peri's hand. Peri patted her plump side.

"Good girl," said Peri. Then she looked at the trough. "I see you need some water."

Molly's tail wagged.

Peri lifted the aluminum pail and took it over to the spigot. She placed the bucket under the faucet and turned it on. When the bucket was full, Peri grabbed the handle with both hands and lugged it toward the trough. Water sloshed around her thighs and dripped into her shoes. Instantly, eight squirming bodies appeared and eight little tongues lapped at her legs. Peri's shoes squished with each step as she made her way toward the trough, but soon her legs became entangled with those of the puppies, sending her tumbling to the ground. Water pooled around her head, soaking her shirt and blue jeans. Now thirsty tongues dragged across her face and neck, and sharp teeth nipped at her chin and cheeks.

Between laughing and trying to push away the exuberant puppies, Peri couldn't get up. Squirt ran on top of her and licked her exposed stomach. Finally, Peri rolled to her hands and knees and picked up the empty bucket. This time she only filled the bucket halfway. When she poured the water into the trough, the puppies lost interest in her as they gulped greedily, all except Squirt. Squirt nipped at Peri's heels until they reached the gate. Peri left a whimpering Squirt pawing at the gate.

Instead of walking into town, Peri needed to go back to her house to get cleaned up and change into dry clothes. When she arrived at the back door, Peri removed her shoes. Using the garden hose coiled by the steps, she rinsed the dirt from her feet and legs.

By the time she finished cleaning up, it was getting close to dinner, so Peri spent the remainder of the afternoon in her room reading a mystery, absorbed in another adventure of Nancy Drew and her friends.

* * * * *

That night Peri knelt by the side of her bed. She folded her hands into prayer position and lifted her eyes upward.

"Dear God," she said aloud. "I still don't understand why Mama and Gigi had to leave, but Daddy says that it's not important that we understand. He says we just need to trust in You and believe that one day we'll all be together again. I'm trying really hard, but I can't help but miss Mama. I hope that's not a bad thing and if it is, that You'll forgive me. Thank you for Aunt Susan and Daddy." Peri paused before continuing, "And please, send me a best friend. Amen."

Peri switched off the light beside her bed and then wiggled under the quilt. Her eyes traveled out the window and stared into the blackness of the night. She wondered where Heaven was, and if her mama could see her now. Did her mama know what she was thinking; could she see what Peri was doing? One thing Peri knew for sure, her mama would want her to be happy. She wouldn't want for her or her daddy to be sad in their new home.

She'd been taught to trust in God's plan even when things didn't turn out like she wanted. God had already answered one prayer. Her eyes moved around the room, studying all the special care Aunt Susan had given it. She had done everything she could to make it look just like the one her mama had decorated for her. Now she wouldn't have to depend on her memory... all she had to was look around and see it right before her eyes.

Peri tossed in her bed trying to find a comfortable spot, but her mind whirled around the conversation she'd had that afternoon with Aunt Susan. How could Aunt Susan suggest such a thing? Her mind tumbled faster as she thought about not being Peri any more. _Should she change her name?_ A new name for a new home? A new town? Maybe Aunt Susan was right. If Peri let everyone call her "Winkie," it would be just like her mama was still alive.

Maybe this was God's way of answering another prayer... if everyone called her "Winkie," it would be like her mama was still with her in a way. Her new name would be a constant reminder to Peri and she would never forget.

As she thought about this, her heart felt lighter. She knew what her choice would be. She closed her eyes and for the last time Peri Hardy fell asleep... when she woke up tomorrow, she would be Winkie Hardy.

# The Missing Handkerchief

"You're up and at 'em early, Peri... er, I mean Winkie," mumbled Mr. Hardy through a mouthful of shredded wheat. The _Bell Buckle Gazette_ lay spread out on the table.

Winkie smiled. She liked the sound of her new name. "I want to make sure Molly and the puppies have enough water. I saw on the Weather Channel last night it's supposed to be a record high today."

"The whole country's having a heat wave," said Mr. Hardy, turning to the Sports Page. "I'm glad I'm working inside the house today." He scooped up another spoonful of cereal before he said, "The banister in the foyer has to be fixed now."

Outside, the sun hovered above the towering pines, its warming rays inching their way through the gaps between the branches and creating puddles of morning light across the ground. A couple of mockingbirds flitted along a narrow pathway between a hedge of shrubs, trying to wet their tongues in the dewy grass.

Aunt Susan sat at the kitchen table, crouched over the crossword puzzle, and sipped her second cup of coffee. She looked up, her pencil poised midair. "What's a four-letter word for 'a curved window?'" She focused her attention on her brother.

"'Ogee,'" he replied. Mr. Hardy knew all the answers that had to do with building things and baseball trivia.

Aunt Susan nodded. "That works." Her pencil filled in the appropriate letters.

Winkie walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a bowl for her cereal.

"I have a feeling it's going to be a great day!" said Aunt Susan without glancing up from the puzzle. "There's a big sale over at Brandon's Hardware Store. I'm going over there to pick out a shade of paint for the dining room and living room." She looked to Winkie. "Would you like to go with me to help pick out a color?"

"Sure," Winkie readily agreed. Anything to avoid going to the park again.

"Oh, and Winkie," said Aunt Susan as she continued to write. "Before you go to the Lambs' house, I need the handkerchief to put in the wash with the other dirty clothes."

Winkie added some milk to the corn flakes in her bowl. "I forgot to take it out of the pocket of the jeans. I'm sorry, Aunt Susan." She set the bowl on the table next to her aunt. "I'll run upstairs and get it."

"Huh-uh." Her aunt shook her head no. "It wasn't there. I went through all the pockets of the jeans _and_ the shirt you wore yesterday."

"Are you sure you didn't put it somewhere else?" asked her daddy. "Sometimes you forget things."

"No, I'm _positive_ I didn't take it out of the pocket." A pink flush rose to Winkie's cheeks. "I was so tired and soaked from the bucket of water falling on me that I just threw everything into the basket without emptying any of the pockets."

"Well, it wasn't in there." Aunt Susan pursed her lips. "Maybe it could have fallen out somewhere along the way between here and the Lambs' house."

"I'll look when I go take care of Molly and the puppies," said Winkie.

* * * * *

As Winkie walked to the Lambs' house, she kept her eyes glued to the ground, looking to see if the handkerchief may have slipped out beside the sidewalk when she'd made her way home the day before. She'd been so upset she could have easily not noticed if it had wiggled loose from her pocket. She hoped it wasn't gone for good. She'd feel just awful if she lost the handkerchief the close friend had given her aunt.

By the time she arrived at the Lambs', she still hadn't found the handkerchief. Winkie thought hard, grabbing the end of her long ponytail and twisting it around her fingers. _Could_ she be mistaken about removing it from her pockets? She didn't think so, but since her mama had died she did tend to forget things. Before they went to the hardware store, she'd go through her room from top to bottom.

Once inside the fence with the gate locked firmly behind her, Winkie whistled like Mrs. Lamb had done. On cue the puppies came tumbling from the dog house. She fed Molly first and let her enjoy the solitude while her babies yipped eagerly in anticipation of their breakfast. Winkie fed the puppies and tried to play for a few minutes with each one, but they only wanted to scarf down their food and romp with one another, except for Squirt. When Winkie had tried to give Squirt her food, she just pawed Winkie's legs and whimpered.

Winkie plopped down in the grass and sat cross-legged. Squirt nestled into her lap, her tongue saturating Winkie's face with licks.

"Stop it." Winkie laughed. "That tickles!"

Squirt placed both paws on Winkie's shoulders; hot doggy breath puffed into her face.

"Now look what you've done!" exclaimed Winkie.

Winkie pushed the puppy away and looked down. Her heart sank. Four puppy paws had left a trail of muddy prints up the front of her shirt.

"Bad dog!" scolded Winkie.

Squirt wiggled her backside into a spot on the grass and lowered her head. Her eyes peeked up and she whimpered a mournful apology.

Winkie drew her mouth into a tight line. "Now I'm going to get into _more_ trouble with Aunt Susan."

Squirt lifted her paw and rested it on Winkie's thigh. In spite of herself, Winkie's anger left and her heart softened.

Squirt raised her head high and barked a shrill yip.

Winkie pulled the puppy into her lap once more, studying the bottoms of her feet. Red clay caked between the pads, her toenails stained a rusty hue.

"How did you get so dirty?" asked Winkie.

Squirt rolled onto her back, begging for a belly rub. Winkie ran her fingers down Squirt's velvety ears. The puppy's ears flopped backward. Winkie noticed something green inside her left ear.

"What's this?" asked Winkie. She removed a small leaf from Squirt's ear. "You silly!" laughed Winkie. "It's a leaf from the laurel bush." Mrs. Lamb had a row of laurel bushes against the fence.

Squirt snapped for the leaf.

"No," said Winkie.

Squirt cocked her head to one side and yelped again. Winkie hopped up and ran to the far end of the yard, grabbed a stick, and brought it back to Squirt. They played tug-of-war for a few minutes. Winkie threw the stick one time before she filled the water trough and headed back to the bed and breakfast to change yet again from dirty clothes.

Squirt sat by the gate wagging her tail and whining as she watched Winkie disappear from sight.

All the way home Winkie searched for the handkerchief, but it was nowhere to be found.

* * * * *

"I don't know..." Aunt Susan took the paint chip to the window and held it next to the needlepoint seat cover in the light of the sun. "It says it's 'buttery dawn,' but it looks more green than yellow to me." She sighed. "What do you think, Winkie?"

Winkie gazed at the small square and shrugged. She couldn't tell. Her aunt had found eight seat covers at an estate sale, stitched by the great-grandmother of the woman who was having the sale. She was trying to match the yellow in one of the flowers in the seat cover pattern.

Mr. Brandon folded his arms across his chest. "Why don't you take it home, Susan? Colors have a way of changing once they are in different lights and surrounded by other fabrics and carpets. Take the color chart and match it with anything else that is going to be in the room."

While her aunt and the hardware store owner discussed the paint, Winkie wandered up and down the aisles. They were filled mostly with tools, gardening supplies, and various household maintenance necessities. At the end of one aisle, she came to a table piled with an assortment of items. A big sign read: "Clearance: Everything $1.00."

On top was a furry, green frog with a black nose. She picked him up and squeezed his stomach. A little "croak-squeak" sounded. The frog was made of soft fuzzy material. He had two black button eyes and a big floppy mouth. Winkie felt in her pocket for the dollar she'd put there before she and Aunt Susan had left the house. She was hoping they'd stop by the ice cream parlor on their way home. Winkie looked at the frog and thought about how much fun Squirt would have with it.

"Thank goodness I didn't lose the dollar, too," thought Winkie.

# A Walk to Town

Winkie adjusted the brim on her Braves baseball cap. Well, it wasn't _her_ hat. It belonged to her daddy. Friends from their old neighborhood in Knoxville had given him the Atlanta baseball team's hat and a T-shirt as going-away gifts. This afternoon, he'd let her wear the hat while she was working with him in the dining room. She'd helped replace baseboards. Several of the boards were rotten. Winkie had ripped out the old ones and hauled in the new lumber. Then she'd held the boards steady and in place while her daddy had nailed. Afterwards she'd carried the old pieces to the junk pile in the alley at the far end of the yard behind their house.

Winkie walked into the dining room and looked at her daddy.

"Do you need any more help?" she asked.

Mr. Hardy stood and placed his fists in the small of his back, shifting his shoulders side to side. He looked at their work and then at his watch. "It's getting late. I think I'll tape the ceiling so Susan can begin painting first thing in the morning."

He pulled out his wallet and removed two dollars. He handed them to his daughter.

"Here, you've been a big help," he said.

"Thank you." Winkie took the money and tucked it into her pocket. She knew just what she was going to spend the money on.

Earlier, on their way home from Brandon's Hardware Store, she and Aunt Susan passed Myna's Confections Shop. Aunt Susan explained that "confections" was another word for sweet things to eat. As they'd walked by the store, Winkie breathed in the aroma of cookies and cakes as their smells drifted from the bakery. She'd decided then and there that she'd come back later for one of Myna's sweet treats. She was going to spend some of her garage sale money, but now she could save that for something really special and use the money she'd earned helping her daddy.

Winkie brought her hand to the brim of the cap and lifted it from her head. She extended it toward her daddy.

"No, no. Keep it on so your cheeks don't get more burned," her daddy said and then he smiled. "Just don't lose it."

Winkie's face flamed to a bright red, but it wasn't from the sunburn she'd gotten hauling wood to the alley. She was mad that her daddy thought she couldn't be trusted with his hat.

"I won't," she grumbled.

As Winkie adjusted the cap, she made sure her ponytail was in plain view in case she ran in to any of the girls from the park on her way to town. She had about an hour to roam the downtown of Bell Buckle before she needed to return home.

Their bed and breakfast was on Blueberry Lane, just two blocks away from Pioneer Square. While shops and businesses lined the four streets around the town square, houses were on all the other streets. An alley cut through the backyards of the houses. People put their garbage in these alleys so trash collectors could pick it up. Back home, their trash was collected from the fronts of the houses, at the end of driveways. Bell Buckle was a lot different from the area Winkie had lived in Knoxville.

Her old neighborhood was in one of the tiny suburbs outside the big city and in one of the countless subdivisions that made up the many suburbs. While Winkie missed her friends and her old house, she had to admit that in some ways she liked Bell Buckle better. A lot better. For one thing, she had more freedom and was able to go more places by herself. Everything was so close, you could walk. In her old neighborhood, her mama or daddy had to drive everywhere they went, even to the park.

When Winkie arrived at North Main Street, she decided she would visit Pioneer Square first. It was divided into four areas. Each section had a garden that the Bell Buckle Garden Club had planted and maintained year-round. There were also a couple of statues and an area with play equipment for toddlers to climb on. Winkie looked across the square and saw the sign for Myna's.

She crossed the street and walked to Myna's. A brick sidewalk lined with small spidery plants led to the porch. A honeysuckle vine wound around one of the trees, its sweet smell riding on a soft breeze that brushed by Winkie's nose. Blue morning glories twined in and out of the honeysuckle. She mounted the stairs leading up to the house. Aunt Susan told her that the shop was on the first floor, and Myna and her daughter lived on the second floor.

A small bell tinkled as Winkie opened the door to the shop. Cakes and cookies lined one side of the room while the other side was filled to brimming with loaves of freshly baked breads.

"I'll be there in a minute!" a small voice called from a room behind the area where Winkie had entered.

Within a couple of minutes a short stout woman with a round face and a big smile appeared. Her skin was the color of gingerbread, and her hair was in tight gray curls.

"You must be Susan Hardy's niece," said the woman as she wiped her hands on the dishtowel she was carrying. "That's all she's talked about for the last month... that you and your daddy were moving to Bell Buckle. She's so proud of both of you."

Winkie nodded and introduced herself. She held up her money. "How many cookies can I buy with two dollars?"

"Three for a dollar, but since you're new, Winkie, I'll give you my Friday Special... two for one. That means you can get a dozen."

Winkie walked over to the glass case and studied the selection. "I'll take chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and lemon iced, three of each," she said after much thought.

While Myna put the cookies into a bag, a woman walked in from the back room.

"Hi. I'm Marianne," she said. Marianne's body was that of a woman's, but her mind was that of a child's. Little crinkles radiated from almond-shaped eyes as a wide grin spread across her face.

Winkie smiled. "I'm Winkie."

Marianne smiled back. Winkie could tell that Marianne had Down Syndrome. She and her family had helped with the Special Olympics back in Knoxville. Winkie worked with several of the participants who looked the same as Marianne.

Myna placed her arm around Marianne. "This is my daughter. She helps me out with the baking."

"I put the sprinkles on the cookies," said Marianne.

Myna handed Winkie the bag. "You hurry back."

Winkie waved good-bye and went back outside. She stopped on the sidewalk in front of the bakery and took out a cookie. She bit into the most delicious cookie she'd ever tasted. She knew she'd be back soon, very soon!

* * * * *

After supper Winkie walked to the Lambs' house to make sure the puppies were settled for the night. She'd fed them earlier and given them plenty of water, but she really wanted an excuse to give Squirt the frog she'd bought for her.

The sun dipped lower in the sky, and the first of the crickets sang out their evening tunes.

"Squirt, come here girl," called Winkie as she entered the Lambs' backyard.

Quick as a flash, all the puppies bolted from the dog house. Winkie took Squirt to the lower end of the yard and sat on the grass. She squeaked the frog. Squirt jumped back and tilted her head, her ears at alert. Winkie squeezed the frog's stomach again. Squirt leaped back once more and barked. Winkie laughed and threw the frog for Squirt to fetch. The puppy raced after her new toy, froze, and stared at Winkie. She clutched the frog between her teeth.

"Bring the frog here, Squirt," yelled Winkie.

Squirt just stared at Winkie.

Winkie clapped her hands. "C'mon, Squirt, bring it to me."

Squirt just stared at Winkie.

Winkie walked toward Squirt. Squirt back away and gave a muffled bark.

"Give it to me," urged Winkie as she grabbed for the frog.

Squirt ducked Winkie's grasp and stepped out of her reach.

Winkie leaned over and tried once again for the toy. "Give it to me," Winkie begged in a sweet voice. When she leaned over, Squirt dropped the frog, but leaped up and snatched the hat off Winkie's head.

"No!" screamed Winkie. "Not Daddy's cap!"

Squirt raced around the yard, the Atlanta baseball cap clenched tightly in her jaws. Winkie ran close behind.

"Give me that cap! Now!" screamed Winkie.

Squirt ran faster, but soon she ran into the corner of the fence. Winkie had her trapped. Squirt looked to the left and then to the right behind Winkie, but the puppy knew she'd lost. She dropped the cap, her tail thumping timidly.

Winkie picked up the cap and wiped the wet spot where Squirt's mouth had been. "I can't believe you'd rather have this cap than the nice frog I bought you."

Squirt barked and jumped in the air.

Winkie leaned over, held firmly to the cap with one hand, and patted the top of Squirt's head with her other hand. "I'll see you in the morning."

Winkie closed the gate as she left the Lambs' yard. She turned around for one last look at Squirt. The puppy had retrieved the frog and was running toward the fence. The last image she had of Squirt was her backside as she wiggled under the laurel bushes.

When she got home, Winkie removed the cap and placed in on the bench on the back porch. She went inside and enjoyed cookies and milk with Aunt Susan and her daddy before they went to bed that night.

# A Second Impression

It wasn't that Winkie was afraid of meeting new people. She'd always been the first one to introduce herself to neighbors when they moved in back home. But, _being_ the new person was a whole different feeling entirely. You just weren't sure of... well, how people might react to you. You might say something funny and they wouldn't think it was funny and then you'd feel dumb. On the other hand, you might not risk being funny for fear of being embarrassed, and people might think you were too serious, or even worse, stuck up.

Winkie took a deep breath and proceeded to the other side of the playground where three girls were playing. They were sitting under a tree and talking and laughing like they'd known each other all their lives. Winkie's heart sank. They probably _had_ known each other all their lives. Her heart sank even lower when she realized they were the same girls who'd mistaken her for a boy the last time. Winkie sent up a quick prayer asking God to help her say the right things.

"Hi, I'm Winkie," said Winkie.

A girl with red curls looked at her and cocked her head to one side. "You look familiar."

"Yeah, you look like that boy Peri who was here the other day," said another girl. She brought the straw of a slushy drink to her mouth and sipped.

Winkie thought about saying that Peri was her cousin and that he'd gone back to Alaska, or some place even farther away. But Winkie knew that lying had a way of coming back and bringing a pack of trouble with it. As much as she hated to, she'd have to tell the truth.

Sighing, she giggled softly as she explained, "That was me."

"Then why did you say your name was Peri?" asked the girl with curly red hair. Her face scrunched into a scowl as she waited for an answer to her question.

Before Winkie knew what was happening, she found herself sitting in the middle of the threesome and telling them everything, starting from the car crash and ending with the reason she and her daddy had moved here to live with her aunt.

"You're Miss Hardy's niece?" asked the girl with red curls, whom Winkie now knew was Scarlet. Winkie knew all the girls' names.

"Cool!" said Maria. Maria had short black hair and large brown eyes with long dark eyelashes. "She bought that old Victorian home."

"I heard she and your dad are going to turn it into a bed and breakfast." said Lynn Ann, the third of the girls. Lynn Ann had mocha-colored skin and a wide, friendly smile that revealed shiny silver braces on her teeth.

Winkie nodded. "We're calling it the Bell Buckle Inn. Daddy is doing all the handyman work to get it ready for guests. They're working on the dining room and the living room first, and then they'll work on the second floor where there are four bedrooms. After they've finished with those rooms, we can open for business." She explainer further, "Once we've got some money coming in, we can finish up the rest of the house."

"I've always wanted to go inside that old house, but it's been closed up for as long as I can remember," said Maria. "Mom was afraid since it was so run down, it wasn't safe."

"And David Peterson says it's haunted," added Lynn Ann.

"Aunt Susan had people come in and check out the plumbing and electrical work before she moved in, so it's safe for us to live there. She and my daddy are doing the other work themselves," explained Winkie. Then she turned to Lynn Ann. "You're right; it is run down, but I haven't seen a ghost since we've been there."

"David Peterson's full of prunes," said Maria. She rolled her eyes. " _And_ he thinks he knows everything."

"Where's your bedroom?" asked Scarlet.

"On the top floor. I can see the whole street from up there!" said Winkie.

"Cool!" said Maria.

"Don't you get scared being up there all by yourself?" asked Scarlet.

Winkie shook her head no. "Aunt Susan fixed it up just like my old room." She explained about the painting and the "mysterious man" her aunt had sent to buy the picture as a surprise for her. "Would you like to come over and see the house?" asked Winkie.

"You bet!" the three girls shouted at one time.

"Your aunt won't mind if we all come over without you asking first?" objected Lynn Ann.

Again, Winkie shook her head no. "She loves to show off the house!" Then she added, "But if it's not a good time, she'll let us know and we can do it another day."

* * * * *

"It's never a bad time to share this house!" Aunt Susan had a dab of whipped cream in her hair. "As a matter of fact, I love being able to show off God's generosity with others."

Winkie laughed and touched her aunt's hair.

Her aunt brought her hand up to her head and felt the cream. She laughed. "I was making some Seven-minute frosting to go on the coconut cake I was baking." Her cheeks flushed to a soft pink. "I guess some of it flew off the beaters and landed on the top of my head."

Aunt Susan walked to the mirror hanging over a bureau in the front hallway and studied her reflection. Reaching into her apron pocket, she removed a paper towel and wiped away the white blob.

"There!" Aunt Susan laughed again. "Just a little sticky, but otherwise, I'm as good as new. Winkie, why don't you take the girls on a tour of the house? When you've finished, I'll have some tea and cake ready for you and your friends in the kitchen."

"Your aunt's cool," said Maria. "My mom would freak out if she thought her hair was messed up."

Winkie smiled as she swelled with an inward pride as she listened to the compliment about her aunt. "Where do you want to begin?"

"Let's start on the first floor and end with your room," suggested Scarlet.

Winkie guided her new friends through the downstairs, showing them the kitchen, dining room, and a large living room. Then she took them into a small area that was just off the front hall.

"This is a parlor," said Winkie.

"What's a 'parlor?'" asked Lynn Ann.

"Years ago, it was a room where people would sit when they came to visit. This place was a boarding house during the gold rush in Dahlonega back in the 1800's. So when the people who lived here had visitors, they met them in this room to talk or play games."

"So, it's a game room?" said Lynn Ann.

"In a way I guess it is," agreed Winkie.

Next, they went to the second and third floors and looked at each bedroom. There were four bedrooms on each floor and two bathrooms, one at each end of the hall. The bedrooms on the front of the house faced the street overlooking the thick trees that lined Blueberry Lane. The rooms on the back of the house looked down onto a patio, the flower garden, and the back alley.

"Aunt Susan is going to paint each room a different color and then name the room by its color," explained Winkie.

Maria began counting on her fingers. "So, you'll have a red room, a blue room, a green room, a yellow room, a purple room, an orange room, and..." She paused. "What color will the other two rooms be?"

"There'll be a pink room and a lavender room," answered Winkie.

"Can we see your room now?" begged Scarlet.

"What color is it, Winkie?" asked Lynn Ann and Maria in unison.

"I'll show you."

They mounted the stairway to the fourth floor. When they got to the top, Winkie opened the door for them to go in.

"It's periwinkle blue," said Winkie.

The girls walked around Winkie's room and admired the beautiful color.

"Look," said Lynn Ann as she pointed upward. "There are clouds painted on the ceiling!"

"Cool!" said Maria.

Winkie laughed. "Maria, do you say 'cool' after _everything_?"

"Not _everything_." Maria smiled. "But almost!"

"Cool!" exclaimed Winkie.

All the girls laughed.

Scarlet walked up to the painting of the periwinkles. "And this is the picture your mother painted?"

Winkie's mouth turned downward. She felt tears forming in her eyes as she nodded.

"How lucky you are to have so much to remember your mother by," said Maria as she put her arms around Winkie's shoulders.

"Yeah," said Scarlet. "My grandmother died two years ago and I don't have anything to make me think of her. She lost everything in a hurricane down in South Florida. Even her photographs."

"You have a whole room to make you feel like she's with you all the time," added Lynn Ann.

"And now you have her special name, too," said Scarlet.

"You have a _cool_ name," said Maria. "I don't know anyone else who has that name."

"Cool," said Winkie. Even though she still missed her mama, and would always miss her mama, Winkie thanked God for her new friends.

She watched the girls as they looked through her books and chatted about the bookcase she and her daddy had built. Winkie knew she had more to be thankful for than just her new room, her new friends, and her new house. Winkie had wonderful memories of her mama and her old home back in Knoxville to last her a lifetime, memories that no one could ever take away from her and that she could build a new life on.

# Oh, No! Not Again!

Scarlet and Maria left, but Lynn Ann remained behind to visit more with Winkie. They decided to have a picnic at Pioneer Square the next day. Winkie looked at the clock: it was past time to feed Molly and the puppies. She'd been having so much fun with her new-found friends that the time had slipped away. Winkie took off her shorts and sandals and blouse, and replaced them with an old T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Then she bounded down the stairs to get her old tennis shoes and her daddy's cap.

Winkie found her shoes by the back door where she'd kicked them into a corner after she'd returned from the Lambs' house. Once she secured the laces, she went out the screened door to get the baseball cap from the bench. When she got outside, the cap was gone. Winkie scrunched her face and thought, trying to remember what had happened when she'd gotten home with the cap. She knew she'd left the Atlanta Braves cap on the bench. In fact, she was _positive_ about it. But, the cap wasn't there.

She hopped down from the porch and looked around. Maybe the cap had missed the bench and fallen onto the ground below. Winkie looked and looked. She looked in the bushes and in the overgrown flower beds. She searched the area down at the far end of the yard by the alley. She even got on her hands and knees and looked under the porch. But the cap was nowhere in sight. It was as if it had vanished into thin air.

Winkie stood, brushed the dirt from the knees of her jeans, and scratched her head. Maybe Aunt Susan had brought it in for her. Winkie walked back inside the house and into the dining room where her aunt was perched on a high ladder painting the ceiling.

"Aunt Susan," said Winkie in a timid voice. She lifted her eyes upward; she dreaded having to tell her aunt about the missing hat.

"Yes, dear," replied her aunt as she continued painting.

"Did you take a Braves baseball cap off the bench?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No," answered Aunt Susan. "I haven't seen the cap since you wore it to the Lambs' house yesterday. Maybe you left it there."

"I remember wearing it home and then putting it on the bench on the back porch," said Winkie.

Aunt Susan stopped her work and peered down at her niece. "Are you _sure_?"

"I'm pos-i-tive!" Winkie drew out the last word. Now Aunt Susan thought she was a scatterbrain, too.

"I'm sorry. I don't have a clue where it is. Why don't you ask your dad?" Aunt Susan pursed her lips. "Perhaps he took it."

Winkie left through the screen door once more and walked to the garage where her daddy was working.

Mr. Hardy looked up. "I like your new friends. They seem like nice girls."

"They are. I'm meeting Lynn Ann at Pioneer Park for a picnic tomorrow."

"Great!" exclaimed Mr. Hardy. He went back to sanding a long buffet table he was restoring to put into the dining room.

"Daddy?" Winkie spoke slowly. She dreaded even more asking him about the baseball cap.

"Yes?" he answered without glancing up, his concentration focused on the sanding.

"Did you move the baseball cap I left on the bench on the back porch?" she mumbled softly.

Mr. Hardy sighed and put down the piece of sand paper. He looked up at Winkie, disappointment filling his eyes. "Did you lose something else, Winkie?" He adjusted his glasses and stared straight into her face.

"I didn't _lose_ it." Winkie said defiantly. Then she dropped her voice to barely a whisper. "At least I don't remember it that way. I remember putting the cap on the bench when I got home from the Lambs' house yesterday."

"Winkie," comforted her daddy. "I believe that's the way you remember it, but if the cap isn't there, then you must have put it somewhere else."

Winkie didn't say a word.

"Why don't you look for it at the Lambs' while you are there," suggested Mr. Hardy.

* * * * *

With a heavy heart Winkie trudged her way to the Lambs' house. The sky was beginning to darken as big clouds boiled up and gathered into an angry, gray blanket. The trees rustled in the groaning wind, and the musty scent of rain warned of an approaching storm. She picked up her pace and raced the rest of the way so she'd hopefully get every dog fed and back inside the dog house before the storm began. She didn't relish the idea of chasing eight wet puppies in a howling wind.

On her way to the Lambs', Winkie passed by Lynn Ann's house. She was on her front porch looking at the sky.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" screamed Lynn Ann over the sound of the gusty wind.

"I have to take care of Molly and her puppies before the storm comes!" yelled Winkie, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Lynn Ann skipped down the stairs. "I'll help you."

Lynn Ann ran behind Winkie all the way to the Lambs' house. Once inside the fence, they quickly fed the dogs and secured the screen door to make sure it wouldn't blow open in the violent gusts of wind.

"Let's go," said Lynn Ann, grabbing Winkie by the elbow and giving her a sharp tug. "Before the rain comes."

"I can't," said Winkie. "I need to look for the baseball hat my daddy let me wear yesterday." Winkie explained what had happened with the cap and her aunt's handkerchief. "So, you see, I just _have_ to find the cap to show Daddy I'm not forgetful. Something _really_ did happen to it." Then she added. "And Aunt Susan's handkerchief, too."

"We'll look together," said Lynn Ann. "But when it starts to thunder and lightning, we'll have to leave."

Winkie nodded. "Okay." Her pony tail whipped into her eyes and her T-shirt blew tight against her chest.

"I'll look down at the lower end of the yard and you look up toward the house," said Lynn Ann. "If we don't find it, then we'll switch and double check each other."

Lynn Ann looked under the bushes, behind every tree and amid every flower bed, but she still didn't see a cap or handkerchief. Winkie looked on the screened porch, inside the kitchen, and along the border of the house, but she didn't find the cap or Aunt Susan's handkerchief either.

Then each girl switched places and rechecked the areas. They found nothing except a few chewed-up toys and several gnawed tennis balls.

"Maybe you lost it between here and your house," suggested Lynn Ann.

"Oh, Lynn Ann," cried Winkie. "I've looked and looked and haven't found either the cap or the handkerchief!"

"Maybe you did put them somewhere else," said Lynn Ann.

"Well, I guess the handkerchief could have fallen out of my pocket, but I _remember_ placing the cap on the bench on the back porch." Winkie sat down on the grass. "Nobody believes me and I don't blame them! I wouldn't believe me either."

Lynn Ann sat down next to Winkie and put an arm around her. "I believe you, Winkie. If you say that you put the cap on the bench, then I know that's what you did."

Winkie had never felt so helpless, but when she looked into Lynn Ann's face and saw her concern, she knew her new friend was telling the truth.

"Thank you, Lynn Ann. Having a friend like you makes it better that Daddy and Aunt Susan think I'm an airhead."

The sound of thunder rumbled in the distance and huge raindrops began to splat around the two girls.

"We need to get home," said Winkie.

# A Burglar in Our Midst

Winkie scooted under the shelter of her back porch just seconds before the rain crashed down. The wind had risen from sporadic gusts into a wicked, howling blowing monster. For the last half block on her run home, Winkie felt like she'd been battling an unseen force. She stamped her feet to remove the excess mud from her shoes, and then using the toe of one shoe braced against her heel, Winkie pushed off the other shoe. She left her shoes outside on the porch and ran inside in her sock feet.

"Thank goodness you're home," called Aunt Susan from inside the kitchen. She walked into the den wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "I was getting worried about you."

"Lynn Ann helped me feed the puppies before the storm came," said Winkie, her breath coming in ragged puffs. She folded her arms across her chest and shivered. "And she helped me look for the cap and handkerchief."

"Don't worry about those things right now," Aunt Susan scolded as she looked at a soaked Winkie. "Run upstairs and change your clothes before you get chilled and catch your death in cold."

Winkie flew up the four flights of stairs, two steps at a time. When she got to her bedroom, she peeled off her wet clothes and spread them out across the bath tub so they could dry. She shook faster as she stood in her underwear and walked quickly to her dresser, pulling out a pair of gray sweat pants and a matching sweat shirt. While it had been hot and humid for the last couple of days, this burst of a summer storm had lowered the temperatures, making the air feel like a fall day. Her feet were damp and cold as ice, so she pulled on a pair of extra thick socks.

Once she was warm, Winkie moved to the window and looked out over the roof. The tree branches trembled from the wind and their leaves shook from the driving rain. Winkie looked across the street to another Victorian-styled house. Since she and her daddy had only been here less than a week, Winkie didn't know many of their neighbors. She knew Mr. and Mrs. Lamb, Myna and her daughter Marianne, Scarlet, Maria, and Lynn Ann. Well, that wasn't many people, but it was a start.

A jag of lightning zigzagged across the sky. The lights flickered off one...

two... three times and then they blinked out for good.

"There goes the power!" she heard her daddy yell from his bedroom to the kitchen where Aunt Susan had been slicing peaches.

"They go off every time there's a storm!" her aunt screamed back. "They'll be back on shortly, soon as the storm passes."

A patch of low-shining light hovered in a corner of the room, the light coming from the row of nearby windows. Winkie picked up her Nancy Drew book, _The Clue in the Diary,_ and opened it to the page where she'd left off reading last night. She opened to the page where she'd placed the bookmark her friend Abby back in Knoxville had made for her as a going-away gift.

Winkie lifted her eyes and looked out to the dark sky. As much as she liked her new room and the Victorian bed and breakfast, she missed her old room and her old house. And as nice as Lynn Ann was to her, she missed Abby. She and Abby had been friends for as long as she could remember. Their moms had met in a prenatal class and then she and Abby had been born two days apart.

A tear rolled down Winkie's cheek. She closed her eyes. She wished she had her old life back. She wished she had her mama back, too. And she wished for Gigi. It just wasn't fair. She lifted a prayer to God to make her happy in her new life. As Winkie listened to the rain pound harder against the roof, she concentrated on her book. As she read, her eyelids became heavy and soon she drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

When Winkie awoke, she lifted her nose and sniffed. The smell of something sweet and cinnamony drifted up to her room. She rubbed her eyes and inhaled deeper. A smile spread across her face. Another specialty of Aunt Susan's was fried pies. While her aunt's breakfasts had been kooky and crazy, she made perfect desserts, most of which she shared with the elderly and shut-ins. The fried pies were her best. She used whatever fresh fruit they had for the filling. When her family had visited at Thanksgiving last year, they'd feasted on apple pies. The Georgia and South Carolina peaches were in season now, so tonight they'd be enjoying fried peach pies.

As she came to the last stair, Winkie looked out the window. The rain had stopped and the late afternoon sun was struggling to make one more appearance before it retired for the day. Droplets of rain balanced on leaves and reflected a shiny freshness against the white flowers of a Magnolia tree. The gutters gurgled as the last of the downpour washed from the roof.

When Winkie entered the den, Aunt Susan was sitting in her favorite chair, a fat cushioned rocker that sang soft squeaks with each back and forth movement. Her aunt sipped hot tea from a blue and white china cup.

"That noise is going to drive me crazy," said Mr. Hardy. He put down the book he was reading and removed his glasses. "First thing in the morning, I'm fixing that chair."

Aunt Susan smiled. "Suit yourself, but I think it's kind of nice." She looked over to Winkie. "Have a nice nap, dear?"

Winkie nodded. "I smelled your pies."

Aunt Susan looked at her watch. "It's still a while before supper. Would you like to invite Lynn Ann over for an afternoon snack?"

Within minutes Lynn Ann and Winkie were sitting on the front porch in the swing enjoying the pies. An earthy smell tickled the girls' noses and a chorus of robins serenaded them as they ate.

"Did you ever think where you may have left the hat?" asked Lynn Ann.

Winkie shook her head no. "Look, Lynn Ann, you don't know me that well, but after Mama died I had a problem focusing. At school, I couldn't keep my mind on what the teachers were saying. I'd get home and realize I'd left the math book I needed for homework at school. And if I got home with the right book and did my homework, I'd leave the assignment at home."

"Well, I can understand that," consoled Lynn Ann.

"Everyone was sympathetic. Nobody wanted to say anything to make me feel worse than I already did." Winkie stopped her munching and wiped away a smear of peach goo with her napkin. "But the problem was I got a reputation as an airhead." A sad smile tugged on Winkie's lips. "Daddy was patient for a while, but then he started getting tired of it."

Lynn Ann said, "I know how you feel. Two years ago, when Mother had the twins, I wasn't able to concentrate on things either and people got very short-tempered with me. Told me I had to be a big girl now and help out more around the house."

"What did you do?" asked Winkie.

"Well, I had the same problem with bringing my books home, so as soon as I finished with math, I'd put the book in my backpack. And at home when I finished the homework, I put it in my notebook immediately so I wouldn't forget it the next day."

Winkie nodded. "That sounds like a great idea."

"It's worked so far," answered Lynn Ann. "I still forget things, but not as many and not as often."

Winkie took another bite from the pie and chewed, her mind going over what might have happened to the handkerchief or the cap. She swallowed. "But, Lynn Ann, I promise I didn't forget where I put the handkerchief and the cap." She rested her fork on the plate and looked Lynn Ann in the eyes. "It's like someone took them."

Lynn Ann's eyes widened. "You mean like _stole_ them?"

Winkie nodded. "That's exactly what I mean."

# Let's Investigate

Early the next morning Winkie choked down Aunt Susan's homemade granola and chopped egg cereal. She added a lot of milk and then sprinkled extra brown sugar across the top. If Aunt Susan's creations got any stranger, Winkie felt she needed to have a talk with her daddy. No one would want to stay at their bed and breakfast if this was the kind of breakfasts they were going to have.

The reason Winkie was in such a rush was because she and Lynn Ann were meeting at Pioneer Square to make plans to solve the mystery of the missing handkerchief and cap. Winkie brushed her teeth and ran out to the porch to get her shoes. She couldn't believe her eyes! Only one shoe was on the porch. She looked in every corner of the porch and under the bench, but she didn't find the shoe. Winkie searched under all the trees, but she didn't find the shoe. She crawled all the way into the thick hedge of bushes, but she still didn't find the shoe. Luckily, Winkie had another pair of tennis shoes. After she put on the other pair, she went to take care of Molly and her puppies.

When Winkie let herself through the gate and whistled, all the puppies, except Squirt, tumbled out of the dog house and scrambled toward her. Their yips and yaps screamed out how hungry they were. Suddenly Squirt emerged from under the laurel bushes, barking louder than all her buddies. She nipped at Winkie's laces and jumped up on her pants, leaving wet, muddy paw prints.

Winkie laughed and picked her up, holding her out at arm's length. "You're the dirtiest of all the puppies!"

Squirt answered with a sloppy lick across Winkie's chin. She laughed and wiped away the slobber with the back of her hand.

She put the squirming bundle down and then slapped her thigh, "Come on, Squirt, I can't play too long this morning. I have to meet Lynn Ann."

Squirt held up her head and barked and then trotted behind Winkie.

After Winkie had fed Molly and the puppies, she walked toward the gate. Squirt ran beside her and tried to wiggle her way past.

"No," said Winkie. "You have to stay here, Squirt."

Squirt whimpered and scratched at the bottom of the gate. She sat down and peered up. Then she lifted her snout and wailed.

"No, Squirt," said Winkie.

Squirt's wail became a howl and then rose louder and louder.

Winkie sighed. Her heart ached at the sight of the bedraggled little puppy. Mud caked between her toes and a trail of dirt streaked down the back of her head to the end of her tail. Winkie remembered seeing a leash and collar hanging on a hook on the porch. Maybe she'd take Squirt with her to the square. She didn't think Mrs. Lamb would mind as long as she took good care of her.

Winkie walked back to the porch and got the leash. Squirt leaped and bounded with excitement as Winkie placed the collar around her neck and then clipped the leash to the ring of the collar.

As they walked from the gate to the sidewalk, Squirt trotted beside Winkie, looking up expectantly. The puppy's tongue lolled to the side of her mouth and her tail beat in rhythm to their footsteps. Winkie would have sworn that it looked as if Squirt were smiling!

* * * * *

When Winkie and Squirt arrived at Pioneer Square, Lynn Ann was sitting on a redwood bench and nibbling on a sticky bun from Myna's Confections Shop. Her eyes lit up when she saw Squirt.

"How'd she get so dirty?" asked Lynn Ann.

Winkie shrugged her shoulders. "I can't imagine. I guess she played outside after the storm."

"Isn't there a door for you to lock so the puppies can't get out?" Lynn Ann pulled a raisin from the sweet roll and popped it into her mouth.

"The dog house doesn't have a door. But they can't get out of the backyard because there's a fence around the back of their property and the gate has a lock."

A bit of the bun fell to the grass. Squirt ran over and gobbled up the piece. She sniffed around hoping to find another yummy morsel.

Winkie sat down at the picnic table across from her friend. "Well, you're not going to believe this. One of my shoes was missing this morning!"

"You're kidding!" Lynn Ann threw a hand over her mouth.

"I wish I were," moaned Winkie. "And I know I took them off right after the storm and left them on the back porch."

"The same place as the cap?"

Winkie nodded.

Lynn Ann rubbed her chin. "Well, that proves you didn't lose the handkerchief and hat. You had to have worn _two_ shoes home."

"It only proves I didn't lose the shoe," disagreed Winkie. "In my daddy's eyes, I could have still lost the handkerchief and his hat."

"But it might mean there is a burglar." Lynn Ann paused before she continued, "Or maybe there's someone who's playing tricks on you."

"So, how do we begin our investigation?" asked Winkie.

"I thought about it last night after I went to bed. We'll start by recreating the scenes starting from when you remember last having the handkerchief and the cap." She paused and then added, "And now the shoe. Then we'll write down everything that happened until you noticed the things were missing."

"And we should write down anything unusual that could have happened... like the storm," said Winkie.

Lynn Ann nodded. "I brought a notebook for us to write down our investigation." She reached into her tote bag, but instead of grabbing a notebook, she grabbed a handful of damp fur. "Squirt!" yelled Lynn Ann.

Winkie looked down. Squirt had nosed her way into the tote and found the paper sack that held the sticky bun. Squirt looked up, her eyes woeful and her black nose covered with light brown goo.

"Squirt! Shame on you!" Winkie pulled on the puppy's collar. "Bad dog!" She looked at Lynn Ann. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She smiled. "Actually, it was your sticky bun. I bought two, but couldn't wait to eat mine."

Winkie laughed with her friend, but then her face became serious when she returned her attention to Squirt. "That's a bad girl, Squirt."

Squirt squirmed closer to Winkie and whimpered, laying her head on Winkie's foot.

"Oh, don't be mad at her," pleaded Lynn Ann. "She's so cute. And besides, look how sorry she is."

Winkie had to admit that Squirt did look pretty pitiful. So pitiful, in fact, that Winkie couldn't stay mad. Winkie leaned over and stroked Squirt's head. "It's all right, but you can't go around eating other people's food."

Lynn Ann ruffled the fur on Squirt's neck. "You'd make a great detective with your keen sense of smell!"

Winkie barked, wagged her tail, and then settled in between the girls as Lynn Ann recorded everything Winkie said about how the items came to be missing. When they'd finished, they went back over everything one more time.

"So now what do we do?" asked Winkie.

"We're going to retrace your steps."

"But I've already tried that," objected Winkie.

"I know, but we're going to do it one more time," said Lynn Ann.

"And if we don't find them?" asked Winkie.

"We'll think of who might have moved them." Lynn paused. "Maybe we'll make flyers to hand out. Who knows? Maybe the wind blew them away and someone found them and didn't return them because they didn't know who they belonged to."

"Well, I can understand someone wanting to take Aunt Susan's handkerchief and Daddy's Atlanta Braves baseball cap. But a muddy old tennis shoe?" Winkie added. "And was the wind from the storm strong enough to blow away the shoe?"

Lynn Ann pursed her lips and rested her chin on her fist. She had to admit. Those were good questions, _very_ good questions indeed.

# Lost and Found

The girls dropped Squirt off at the Lambs' house, made sure the puppies had fresh water, and then returned to Winkie's house. While Winkie prepared their sandwiches, Lynn Ann packed a brown bag with some apples and granola bars. On the way out the door, they grabbed a couple of bottles of water and they headed back to Pioneer Square.

"While we eat, we'll make a list of what we need to do," said Lynn Ann.

"Do you _really_ think we'll find my missing things?" asked Winkie. In her heart, she doubted any of this would do any good.

"Of course, we will. Things just don't vanish into thin air," reassured Lynn Ann.

"I know." Winkie kicked a pine cone off the sidewalk and into the street. "Maybe I did do something with them and just can't remember... or maybe I'm a sleepwalker!"

Lynn Ann laughed. "I guess that's possible, but I don't think that's the answer."

When they arrived at the square, they found an empty bench under a sprawling oak tree.

"Well, it seems to me," began Lynn Ann as she opened her bag and spread out a napkin. "We should begin by narrowing our attention on the area between your house and the Lambs' house."

"But what if something got blown away," interrupted Winkie. "Or maybe some wild animal carried off these things."

Lynn Ann closed her eyes and shook her head. "I _said_ we should _begin_ there." She opened her eyes and stared at Winkie. "If we don't find anything, then we'll widen our search."

"We should make flyers and hand them out, too." Winkie's words came out in a rush.

"And we'll go door-to-door and talk to people, see if maybe they've seen any of these things lying around." Lynn Ann placed a hand on her friend's knee. "We won't stop until we get to the bottom of this."

Winkie hesitated. "I don't know." She dragged out the last few words. "I mean about going door-to-door. I don't think my daddy would want me talking to people I don't know."

Lynn Ann dismissed Winkie's concern with a wave of her hand. "I've lived in Bell Buckle all my life and I know everybody."

Winkie hesitated. "Then I guess that will make it all right."

"Of course it will."

Winkie opened a brown bag and pulled out the sandwiches. She'd made peanut butter and strawberry preserves. The strawberry jam had been made from strawberries from Mr. Littlejohn's farm. His berry farm was one of the biggest in the area, and his wife made homemade preserves that Farmer Dan's Fresh Market sold. Aunt Susan wouldn't serve any preserves except for Mrs. Littlejohn's.

"Well, hey there, Lynn Ann!" came a male voice.

Winkie looked up to see a man in a sheriff's uniform. He had a head covered with thick gray hair and wore bifocals. He reminded her of Santa Claus without the beard.

"Hey, Sheriff Watson," said Lynn Ann. Pointing to Winkie, she continued, "This is my new friend, Winkie Hardy."

Sheriff Watson smiled down at Winkie, his eyes disappearing into thick wrinkles. "You must be Susan Hardy's niece." he said.

"I am." Winkie grinned. "My daddy and I just moved here from Knoxville."

"I know. Your aunt sure is proud to have y'all here." Sheriff Watson pushed back his hat. "When I talked with Susan last week, she said y'all were coming." Then his face saddened. "Sorry to hear about your mama."

Winkie swallowed hard. "Thank you."

Lynn Ann could see tears beginning to well in Winkie's eyes. "We're working on an investigation."

"An investigation?" asked Sheriff Watson, his eyes widening. "What kind?"

Lynn Ann explained about Winkie's missing things and their plan on how to find them.

"You know," drawled Sheriff Watson, rubbing his chin. "We have a Lost and Found over at the City Courthouse. Y'all might want to check there before beginning this investigation."

"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Winkie as her eyes brightened. "I never thought of that."

"There's a lot of stuff in there. May take a while," said Sheriff Watson.

Lynn Ann and Winkie looked at each other.

"Let's begin there instead," said Winkie.

"Just tell Mrs. Maples over at the courthouse what y'all told me." Sheriff Watson smiled. "I need to get a move on or I'd go with y'all, but you ladies let me know if y'all need anything else." He tipped his hat and walked away.

Lynn Ann took out her notebook and wrote down number one. Beside it she scribbled: Check Lost and Found. Then she wrote down number two, and beside that, she scribbled: Retrace steps.

* * * * *

After they finished with their lunch, the girls walked over to the City Courthouse and explained their situation to Mrs. Maples, the receptionist at the front desk. Mrs. Maples had dark black hair and red, rosy cheeks. She also had long red fingernails that made tap-tap-tapping noises as she typed on her computer keyboard. She led them down a long hall and into a large room that had rows and rows of boxes.

"They're not in any particular order," explained Mrs. Maples. "You'll just have to rummage around and see if what you're looking for is in there."

"Thank you," said Lynn Ann.

"Thank you," said Winkie.

Mrs. Maples nodded. "If you need anything, come get me." Then she turned and left the room, leaving Winkie and Lynn Ann to their search.

Brown corrugated boxes lined the walls from one end of the room to the other. Each box was filled to overflowing with things, just plain-old-ordinary-everyday things. Mrs. Maples was right; the lost things weren't in any order at all!

Winkie's shoulders slumped. "Where do you want to begin," she asked.

"Why don't you start with that box down at that end," said Lynn Ann as she pointed to a carton in one corner of the room. "And I'll start at the other end." Then she stretched her other arm in the opposite direction.

"We can meet in the middle," said Winkie.

Winkie sat down on the hard Linoleum floor and leaned over the first box. At the other corner of the room, Lynn Ann did the same. The girls pulled out sunglasses, keys, sweatshirts, T-shirts, books, and pens. They pulled out caps, _many, many_ caps. A lot of them were Atlanta Braves caps, but not one was her daddy's Atlanta Braves cap. She'd recognize his hat anywhere because Squirt had grabbed it from her head that day and left an imprint of tiny puppy teeth on its brim. They also rummaged through countless shoes... sandals, boots, flip-flops, high heels, and tennis shoes but not one matched Winkie's other shoe. However, they didn't find even one handkerchief. After a couple of hours, the girls met each other in the middle of the row of boxes and searched the last box together. They didn't find any of Winkie's lost things in that box either.

"Well, at least you shouldn't feel bad about losing your things," said Lynn Ann.

"No kidding!" Winkie laughed. "I didn't know there could be so many lost things."

Lynn Ann took out the notebook and a pencil. She drew a line threw through "Check the Lost and Found." She looked at Winkie. "The next thing we'll do is retrace your steps, beginning with the area around your house and then we'll move down the path you took to the Lambs' house.

# Retracing Steps

"Okay," said Lynn Ann as she stood in the family room of the bed and breakfast. "You're sure this is the last place you remember having your Aunt Susan's handkerchief?" She placed a hand on each hip and stared into Winkie's forlorn face.

"I was sitting on that sofa right there when Aunt Susan tucked the handkerchief in my pocket and told me to be sure not to lose it since it was a gift from a special friend." Winkie's heart squeezed. Her aunt would never trust her with anything again since she'd been so irresponsible with the handkerchief.

"She put the handkerchief in your pocket?" questioned Lynn Ann.

Winkie's head bobbed up and down.

"And you're sure it wasn't still in the pocket when you came home?"

"I'm sure!" insisted Winkie. "Aunt Susan looked for it when she did the wash the next day and didn't find it."

"Did you look in the sofa?" asked Lynn Ann.

Winkie's eyes perked. "I never thought to look in the sofa." She smiled. "People are always losing things down between the cushions."

The girls pulled all the cushions from the sofa and stuck their hands into the areas where there were small gaps. They found pencils, pennies, a button, and a partially wrapped chocolate candy left over from last Christmas. They found a paper clip, lots of cookie crumbs, and a sewing needle, but they didn't find the missing handkerchief.

They replaced the cushions.

"Now we look under the sofa," announced Lynn Ann.

They got down on their hands and knees and pulled up the sofa's skirt and looked underneath. They found the mate to one of Aunt Susan's fuzzy pink bedroom slippers, a couple of dust balls, and a screw driver, but they didn't find the missing handkerchief.

"What did you do after your aunt put the handkerchief in your pocket?" asked Lynn Ann.

"I went to take care of Molly and her babies," said Winkie.

"Did you go out the front door or the back?" asked Lynn Ann.

Winkie twisted her mouth as she tried to remember. "I went out the back door because that's where I put on my old tennis shoes." Then Winkie frowned. "Back when I had two of them, that is."

The girls went to the back porch and looked from one end of the porch to the other and then they searched the surrounding area. When they found nothing, the girls retraced Winkie's steps along the sidewalk from her house to the Lambs'.

The afternoon sun had climbed directly overhead, causing the impatiens to wilt and the birds to seek shelter in the branches of trees. Perspiration beaded on Lynn Ann's upper lip.

Winkie raised her shirttail and wiped her forehead. "Boy, it's hot!"

"Just wait until July and August. It gets really hot then," said Lynn Ann. "Most everybody spends the afternoons inside or over at the swimming pool in the park."

The girls walked along the sidewalk, with Winkie searching one side and Lynn Ann searching the other. They pulled back branches in thick hedges, separated flowers in blooming beds, and moved aside pine straw as they scoured each area hoping to find one of the missing items, or at least a trace of one of the items.

When they arrived at the Lambs' house, they searched the front yard and the path that led to the back yard.

As they stood before the gate, Lynn Ann asked, "What did you do next?"

"It was hot like today, so I went to get the bucket and hauled water to the trough."

Winkie lifted the bar on the gate. The puppies were at the far end of the yard playing, rolling, and tumbling in little groups. When Squirt saw Winkie, she ran up to her, her tail wagging back and forth.

"That puppy sure does love you," said Lynn Ann.

Winkie smiled and picked up Squirt. "She's a great puppy and I could really get used to her, too." Winkie cradled the furry ball in her arms. "I miss having a dog." Then Winkie shared what happened to her cocker spaniel, Gigi, with Lynn Ann.

"I'm sorry." Lynn Ann placed a hand on Winkie's shoulder. "Maybe you could talk to your daddy and you could buy Squirt."

Winkie shook her head no. "The Lambs breed Labradors. All their dogs are expensive, and besides, all these puppies already have people who want them." Tears filled her eyes. "And now that all these things are missing, he'll say that I'm not responsible enough to care for a dog."

Winkie placed Squirt back on the ground. The puppy sat, her head tilted upward and panted. "I need to get everybody some water."

"Great," said Lynn Ann. "Do it just like you did the day you lost the handkerchief."

And Winkie did. She filled the bucket with water from the spigot.

"I only fill it halfway now because that day I had the bucket too full and it sloshed all over me." Winkie laughed at the memory. "And that day the puppies knocked me down and licked me all over."

"Maybe that's when you lost it. Maybe it was sticking out of your pocket and one of the dogs got it!"

After they filled the water trough, the girls looked all over the yard for the missing handkerchief. They looked by the tool shed and by the back porch. They combed the area behind the dog house and in front of it. While Lynn Ann looked inside the doghouse and then searched through the flower pots, Winkie walked along the perimeter of the fence.

The girls settled under the shade of a sweet gum tree by the tool shed. Lynn Ann pulled up a dandelion and blew on the feathery flower. White puffs floated into the air.

"I didn't find anything. What about you?" asked Lynn Ann.

"Nothing except some places where the puppies dug holes." Winkie sighed. "Well, I guess that takes care of retracing steps."

Lynn Ann sighed in silent agreement. "What about the hat and the shoe? When's the last time you remember having them?"

"On the back porch. I took them off before I went inside."

"And we've already looked everywhere around the porch." Lynn Ann stood and stretched her arms above her head.

"I know." Winkie stood, her eyes cast downward. "Thank you for helping me." Then she added. "And for believing me."

Lynn Ann placed a hand on Winkie's shoulder. "Don't worry. We're going to find your missing things. I just know it." Lynn Ann smiled. "Tomorrow we'll make flyers to hand out."

# An Unexpected Visitor

The next morning Winkie awoke early. After a quick breakfast of cereal and juice, she made her way over to the Lambs' house. They were coming home this afternoon and she wanted to make sure everything was in perfect order when they arrived. The sky was overcast and the scent of rain hung in the air.

When Winkie finished with feeding and watering the puppies and scooping their poop, she sat down. Before her bottom hit the grass, Squirt bounded into her lap and began licking Winkie's face. Little bits of dog food clung to her soggy tongue and stuck to Winkie's cheek as Squirt lapped. Then she bit the end of her chin.

"Ouch!" screamed Winkie and she pushed the puppy away. "I don't like that!"

Squirt tumbled head-over-heels. She sat up, cocked her head to one side, and thumped her tail. Lowering her head and shoulders, she crept back into Winkie's lap, squirming around until she found a comfortable position. Despite her annoyance, Winkie laughed. She buried her nose into Squirt's velvety fur and sniffed her sweet puppy smell. Squirt nuzzled closer under Winkie's neck.

Tears rolled down Winkie's checks. She was going to miss Squirt when the Lambs came home. After she fed the dogs tonight, she'd probably only have a few more days to play with Squirt before the new owners came to pick her up. Squirt rubbed her cold nose across Winkie's wet cheek, waiting for a scratch behind her ears.

Winkie reached for a nearby stick and threw it. She watched as Squirt's back legs raced to keep up with the rest of her body. She grabbed the stick, but instead of bringing it back to Winkie, she plopped down and began to gnaw on it. Loud crunching noises filled the morning air as Squirt became more interested in destroying the stick than playing with Winkie.

Winkie decided she'd take one more look around the yard before she went back home. She'd promised to help her daddy in the dining room later today, after she and Lynn Ann worked on some flyers to hand out about the missing items. With the promise of rain and the sadness she felt in her heart at the arrival of the Lambs, Winkie felt working with her daddy would help keep her mind off her problems.

* * * * *

That evening, Winkie sat in the dining room and painted the trim on the baseboard. As she worked on the area under the window, she watched streams of water roll down the panes. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by a rumble of thunder a few minutes later. The sky darkened as more clouds rolled in. All was quiet and still as the room dimmed.

The day had progressed worse than she'd envisioned. For one thing, Lynn Ann had called to explain that she had to baby sit for the twins and couldn't work on the flyers. Then the rain had begun earlier than the weatherman had predicted, so the Lambs had called to say they were leaving earlier than they'd planned and would be home in time for the afternoon feeding. Winkie wouldn't need to care for Molly and her puppies anymore.

And as far as the investigation went, in her heart Winkie knew they'd never find the missing things. She didn't mind all that much about her tennis shoe. It was old and some of the rubber was torn from the sole. And while she wasn't glad that her daddy's hat was missing, she'd found so many at the Lost and Found that Mrs. Maples told her she could have one of those. There was one that was brand new; it still had the price tag on it.

What she really felt bad about was Aunt Susan's handkerchief. That could not be replaced. Something else that wouldn't be replaced for a while was the trust that her aunt and daddy had in her. It would take a long time for her to prove to them that she was unlucky, not irresponsible.

As Winkie continued to paint, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, she didn't see anything. She waited a few seconds and then resumed her work. Then she saw it again. The leaves on the bush right in front of the dining room window rustled. It wasn't movement from the wind, and it wasn't movement from the rain beating down. It was a motion like something was there. Winkie put her brush down and stared out the window to the spot where she'd noticed the shaking branches.

She waited and waited, but nothing happened. Winkie picked up the brush, dipped it into the bucket, and then started painting. Winkie was alone. They'd eaten an early supper because Aunt Susan and her daddy were meeting with several of the members from the Bell Buckle Historical Society. They were helping them restore the house to what it was like when it was built.

Winkie didn't mind staying by herself, but sometimes she was a little scared. Like now when the house was dark and the only sounds came from the creaking walls and the —.

Scratch. Scratch.

Winkie sat up straight and listened. Was it just her imagination or had she really heard something?

Scratch. Scratch.

No doubt about it. There _was_ something making a noise, and it didn't sound like walls.

Winkie stood. She had her daddy's cell phone number if she needed to call him. Winkie waited. She listened. When she didn't hear anything, she convinced herself that it was just the wind. She settled in once again at her spot and began painting.

Cre-e-eak.

Winkie threw down the brush and stood. No mistake this time. She had heard something. She'd heard the creaking of the back screened door. Maybe it was the burglar... here to get more things!

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Winkie tip-toed to the phone. Just as she reached out, two black eyes and one black nose peered around the door frame.

"Squirt!" she shouted.

Squirt shook the water from her fur and raced toward Winkie, carrying the little green stuffed frog clutched tightly in her mouth. She was covered in mud from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail. Four muddy paws had tracked red clay down the hall and into the dining room.

Squirt ran to Winkie and barked.

"Just look at you!" Winkie leaned over and picked her up. "I've got to get you dried off!"

As she carried Squirt to the bathroom, she asked, "How in the world did you get here?"

Then Winkie's mind began to churn. _How did Squirt get to her house?_

* * * * *

Winkie wrapped Squirt in an old beach towel and sat down on the floor in the kitchen. Squirt was shivering from the drenching she'd gotten from her walk in the rain. Winkie wrapped her tighter and pulled the puppy closer into her chest. Squirt settled down, and with her boxy head curled in the crook of Winkie's arm, she fell asleep. Soon little snores rumbled in her throat and puffs of air escaped from her nostrils.

Winkie traced her finger along Squirt's neck. She could feel the steady thump of the puppy's heart against her thigh. Her eyes studied Squirt's feet. Mud was caked on her paws and between her toes. Red clay stains covered her back and the top of her head. Winkie looked closer at one area. A patch of fur was missing. As Winkie cherished the moments with a sedate Squirt, she mulled over the events of the last week.

As her thoughts tumbled around in random order, things began to fall into place. The jumble of information about the lost items started taking on new meaning and forming a new picture.

"We're home!" called Aunt Susan from the foyer.

"Boy, it's raining cats and dogs," said Mr. Hardy. Winkie could hear her daddy stamping his feet on the mat.

Aunt Susan walked into the kitchen and looked at Winkie with the puppy curled up asleep in her lap.

"Well, speaking of cats and dogs..." said Aunt Susan. "Come in here, Joseph, and see what the rain brought in."

Mr. Hardy walked into the room and stood next to his sister. His face softened as a sad smile spread. "You know she belongs to someone else," he said.

Winkie nodded through a blur of tears.

"Have you called the Lambs to let them know she's here?" asked Aunt Susan.

"Not yet," answered Winkie. "Can I hold her just a little while longer before I have to take her back?"

Her aunt nodded. "Take your time. I'll call Julie and let her know that Squirt is safe.

# Looking at an Old Problem in a New Way

The sun's gentle rays reached through Winkie's window and coaxed her eyes open. She bounded from under the covers. Long after she'd gone to bed, Winkie's mind had churned, replaying the scenes where she'd lost the handkerchief, hat, and shoe. If her theory was correct, Winkie knew she'd solved the mystery of the vanishing items. No need to hand out flyers; no need for further investigation.

Racing into the kitchen, she grabbed one of Aunt Susan's homemade oatmeal bars from the plate.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" asked her daddy as he looked up from the morning paper.

"I've got something I need to do first thing this morning."

"But you know we don't skip our breakfast time together," admonished Aunt Susan.

Winkie's face drooped. They always ate breakfast together. Unless it was something very important, her aunt insisted that this was the way a family celebrated God's new day.

Winkie cleared her throat. "Well, I think I'm on to something. And if I'm right," she looked at Aunt Susan, "I'll have your handkerchief." Then she focused her eyes on her daddy. "Your hat." Then she thumped her chest with a finger. "And my tennis shoe."

Her daddy arched his eyebrows. "And this can't keep until after we eat?"

"It could..." said Winkie. "But it's important to me that I prove to you and Aunt Susan that I am trustworthy, and it wasn't totally my fault that I've been losing things since we moved here."

Aunt Susan nodded. "We'll give you another chance, dear."

"Where are you looking this time?" asked Mr. Hardy.

"At the Lambs' house," she answered.

"But you've looked there a dozen times. What makes you think this time will be any different?" Doubt clouded her daddy's words.

"Because I'm looking with new eyes!" exclaimed Winkie.

* * * * *

Winkie's feet couldn't carry her fast enough. When she arrived at Mrs. Lamb's front door, she knocked loudly, but no one answered. She knew the Lambs were awake because they always got up early, and when they woke up, Mrs. Lamb opened all the curtains so she and her husband could enjoy the morning light.

Winkie knocked again. When no one opened the door, she ran around the side of the house to the back yard. The rain had ended somewhere in the night, leaving small puddles she had to hop over to reach the back gate. Water droplets clung to the hydrangea leaves. When Winkie arrived at the entrance of the chain-link fence, she saw Mrs. Lamb feeding the puppies while Mr. Lamb walked around the yard collecting branches and debris left from yesterday's storm. Both were busy, their heads bowed low, but Squirt lifted her nose high in the air and sniffed. Her head jerked in Winkie's direction.

The puppy left her food dish and raced toward Winkie.

Mrs. Lamb looked over to see what had captured Squirt's attention. She raised her hand and waved Winkie in.

Winkie opened the gate and was greeted by Squirt's jiggling body and lapping tongue. She leaped into the air, her way of begging Winkie to pick her up.

Mrs. Lamb walked up beside Winkie. "I can't thank you enough, child, for caring for Molly and her babies for us. _And_ for rescuing our little Squirt from that horrible weather last night."

"I loved doing it." Then Winkie remembered her mission and she explained to Mrs. Lamb what had happened during the last week.

"Well, of course... look anywhere you want," said Mrs. Lamb.

First Winkie walked along the fence, scrutinizing every place where dirt had been dug up. Then her eyes found the spot she was looking for.

"Come here," Winkie called to Mr. and Mrs. Lamb.

They came over and looked down to where Winkie was pointing.

"Do you think this hole looks big enough for a puppy to crawl through?" asked Winkie.

Mr. Lamb bent down and examined the hole. He nodded. "As a matter of fact, I'd say for certain that a puppy has crawled under here."

"How do you know that for sure, Fred?" Mrs. Lamb asked her husband.

Mr. Lamb reached down into the hole that was under the fence and pulled up a section of the metal. On it was a patch of white fur.

He removed the hair and held it up to Winkie. "I'd say this belongs to our little night prowler."

Squirt spun around in circles and barked so loudly that Mrs. Lamb put her hands over her ears.

Winkie remembered the section of hair that had been missing from Squirt's back. "I can show you where this came from." She leaned over and grabbed Squirt, holding her still, and then she pointed to the gap in her fur.

"Now the question is," began Mrs. Lamb. "Where _are_ your missing things?"

Winkie looked into Mrs. Lamb's eyes. "Lynn Ann and I have looked over every inch of my porch and the area around it, the path I took between my house and yours, and we've combed every part of your backyard." She paused to catch her breath. A wide smile spread across her face. "But there's one place we never looked."

"Where?" Mr. and Mrs. Lamb asked in unison.

"Under the laurel bushes!"

Winkie ran to the hedge of laurel bushes, got down on her hands and knees, and crawled underneath. Within seconds she reappeared, backside first. When she turned around to face the Lambs, she held all the missing things in her hands.

Squirt barked and ran toward Winkie. She tugged the shoe from Winkie's grasp and raced out of reach.

Winkie stood. "These are all the things that were missing," she announced. "Now I can prove to Daddy and Aunt Susan that I wasn't careless!"

Mrs. Lamb smiled. "I know how responsible you are. You took care of Molly and her babies while we were away." She placed an arm on Winkie's shoulder. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather leave my precious dogs with than you."

Winkie could feel her chest puff with the compliment that Mrs. Lamb had given her. Even though she felt better in her heart about having found the items and proving she wasn't irresponsible, it sure felt better having someone else say so!

* * * * *

"I'm so happy that everything is accounted for," said Aunt Susan. "And after you explained what happened, it all makes perfect sense."

Last night when Squirt had shown up and then she'd discovered the patch of missing fur on the puppy's back, Winkie's mind went into full gear. She'd wanted to tell her aunt and daddy when they arrived home, but decided to wait until she'd had a chance to work out the details and then check them out this morning at the Lambs' house.

The day Winkie had gone to the Lambs' house after Aunt Susan had placed the handkerchief in her pocket, she had fallen while trying to lug water to the trough. The way she figured it, either the handkerchief had fallen out of her pocket or one of the puppies had pulled it out. Either way Squirt had gotten a hold of it and taken it under the laurel bushes. Later, the puppy had escaped from the Lambs' backyard by digging under the fence. She had followed Winkie's scent to their bed and breakfast. There she'd _stolen_ the hat and the shoe, and then she'd taken them back to the laurel bushes. The clues had been there all along; Winkie just hadn't noticed them.

First, Squirt had a great sense of smell. She'd rooted the cookies out of the tote bag the day she and Lynn Ann had met at Pioneer Square. Also, Squirt was always lifting her nose in the air when Winkie came to feed the puppies.

Second, Squirt was always dirtier than all the other puppies. Winkie had thought she'd just played more. In truth, Squirt had been the one digging all the holes.

And third, Winkie had seen Squirt going in and out of the laurel bushes. She just thought Squirt was going underneath to play.

Mr. Hardy laughed. "Once you explained all the facts to us, everything made sense." His face became serious. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

Winkie's mouth softened. "I don't blame you. I wouldn't have believed me either." She smiled. "After all, I have been an airhead for a long time now." She hugged her daddy. "But I _am_ trying to be better."

"I know you are," he whispered into Winkie's ear.

Aunt Susan placed her arms around them both. "It's a new life here. I say we all have a new beginning before us."

Winkie and her daddy nodded.

"And to celebrate," Aunt Susan announced. "I'll create a new recipe for our breakfast menu."

Winkie and her daddy looked at each other.

"Well," Mr. Hardy spoke slowly. He didn't want to hurt his sister's feelings. "If we're going to make new starts..."

Winkie took Aunt Susan's hand in hers. "Maybe you should stay with your delicious desserts..."

"And follow the breakfast recipes exactly as they are," added Mr. Hardy.

Aunt Susan threw a hand over her chest. "What a relief! I was running out of ways to change the recipes."

"Sometimes it's great to make changes," said Mr. Hardy.

"Like my new name," said Winkie. "And sometimes it's better to stay with what is tradition."

"Like my breakfasts?" asked Aunt Susan.

"Like your breakfasts," agreed Winkie and her daddy.

# Another Prayer Answered

Winkie sat in the front porch swing and thought back to two days ago when she'd found the missing things. They'd all been dirty and smelled doggy. She hadn't minded so much about her shoe. It was old and Winkie only wore that pair when she was doing jobs that needed junkie shoes anyway. Her daddy's cap had been chewed and Squirt had pulled out the stitching that said "Atlanta Braves." That turned out not to be a big problem either. Winkie had gone back to Mrs. Maples at the Bell Buckle City Courthouse and gotten the brand new Braves hat for him.

When Winkie had first seen the handkerchief, her heart sank. Squirt hadn't chewed it, but it was covered in dirt and smelled just awful. Aunt Susan had worked magic. She scrubbed and soaked and washed and bleached. When she'd finished, the handkerchief looked and smelled even better than it had the day Aunt Susan had loaned it to her.

Winkie had learned two things. First, it was best not to borrow things. Second, if you did use something that belonged to someone else, it was a big responsibility and you needed to make special efforts to care for it while it was in your possession.

But not everything had ended on a good note. Today Squirt was leaving to go with her new owner. The woman was driving over from North Carolina and would arrive sometime after lunch. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks and her heart squeezed tightly in her chest, making her feel like something had pushed all the air from her lungs.

"Room for one more on that swing?" asked Aunt Susan as she emerged from the front door.

"Sure." Winkie turned her face aside and brushed away the tears so her aunt wouldn't notice she'd been crying.

"You watching for Squirt?"

Winkie nodded. "I just wanted to see her one more time."

"Why don't we walk over to Julie's and you can be with Squirt when she goes to her new owner," suggested Aunt Susan.

Winkie couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "I can't bear to watch her leave with someone else!" She buried her head into her aunt's chest and sobbed harder.

Aunt Susan patted her niece's back. "Now, now. You might feel better if you see first-hand who'll be taking care of Squirt. Besides, maybe Squirt would like to see you." Then Aunt Susan laughed. "Now that all the holes are patched up and she hasn't been able to come and go as she used to."

Winkie gave a half-hearted laugh. She sniffed and gave in to her aunt's suggestion. "I might feel better if I could meet the new owner. Maybe I could give her some tips on what Squirt likes."

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Aunt Susan hugged Winkie. "Now, go wash your face so Mrs. Lamb won't see you've been crying."

Winkie returned a few minutes later.

"What have you got in your hands?" asked Aunt Susan as her eyes looked downward.

Winkie opened her hands; inside lay the green frog she'd bought that day at the hardware store. "I want to give Squirt something to remember me by." A sad smile formed. "It's not easy moving to a new home. You made my room special by putting my old things there so I could remember and feel comfortable. Maybe Squirt won't feel so lonely when she's away from her litter mates and her dog house if she has something familiar to go to sleep with."

"I think Squirt will like that," said Aunt Susan.

Side by side, Winkie and Aunt Susan walked down to the Lambs' house. They walked around to the back yard. The place was empty. Except for Squirt, all the other puppies had gone to their new homes. Fresh tears welled in Winkie's eyes. She missed the yipping and yapping and the clawing of all those little paws.

They walked up to the front door, and Aunt Susan knocked on the paneling next to the screen. "Yoo-hoo, Julie, it's me and Winkie!"

"Come on in, Susan," yelled Mrs. Lamb. "The door's open."

Aunt Susan opened the door for Winkie to enter first. They walked through the living room and into the kitchen. If Winkie had thought her heart was going to break when she was sitting in the porch swing, now she knew for sure it was going to be torn in two.

Mrs. Lamb had bathed Squirt and put a big red bow around her neck. Squirt yelped and yapped and wiggled from Mrs. Lamb's grasp. She raced up to Winkie and pawed her way into her arms. She nuzzled Winkie's hands until the furry frog broke free. Little squeaks filled the silence.

Winkie buried her head into Squirt's neck. She wanted to breathe in enough of her puppy sweetness to last her a lifetime. Her eyes blurred as she gazed down to the floor. Mrs. Lamb had packed a basket with Squirt's food, a collar, and an envelope with her papers showing she was a pedigreed Yellow Labrador. Also in the basket was the Atlanta Braves baseball cap and Winkie's old tennis shoe. Now Winkie's eyes over flowed and tears spilled down her cheeks.

Winkie placed Squirt on the floor. "I've changed my mind, Aunt Susan. I don't want to meet Squirt's new owner." She turned and started to walk from the kitchen, but Aunt Susan grabbed her gently by the elbow.

Mrs. Lamb smiled. "You already have." She returned Squirt to Winkie's arms.

Winkie tilted her head and looked from Mrs. Lamb to Aunt Susan and then back to Mrs. Lamb. "I don't understand," she said.

"You're Squirt's new owner," came a familiar man's voice.

Winkie looked over to see her daddy walking into the kitchen. "She's all yours, sweetheart."

Winkie's sad heart pounded, so quickly in fact, that her hands began to shake. "She's mine?"

"All yours," said Aunt Susan.

"B-but what about the other owner?" Winkie asked Mrs. Lamb.

"I called her and explained your situation. I told her of Squirt's love for you. I promised her she could have first pick of the next litter."

"So, it's all settled. She's yours," said Mr. Hardy.

Winkie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But I thought she was already picked by someone else."

"She _was_." Aunt Susan smiled. "But she wanted you so much she took everything she could get to keep you close to her."

Squirt looked up at Winnie and licked her teary cheek.

Mrs. Lamb's smile grew bigger, but her eyes were serious. "Dear, Squirt picked you. She picked _you_ to be her best friend."

# Hello

Winkie tossed the frog for Squirt to chase. She ran across the floor, her feet sliding in four different directions as she raced after the toy. That afternoon Winkie had found an old basket and a blanket in the garage to make Squirt a bed. She'd washed the blanket until it was fluffy and smelled fresh. Then she placed them next to her bed. Even though she'd proven to Aunt Susan and her daddy that she wasn't an airhead, she wanted to show them she could be responsible for Squirt, as well. She'd walk her, teach her how to ask to go outside when she needed to go to the bathroom, feed her, bathe her, and brush her coat every day. They'd never know that a dog was in the house.

Winkie watched Squirt settle into her bed. She turned around a couple of times, selected a soft spot, and then curled into a ball. Tiny puppy teeth chewed on the toy. Looking around the room, Winkie's eyes came to rest on the painting of the field of periwinkles. Her thoughts returned to that day just a couple of weeks ago when they'd left Knoxville. She'd felt like her life was over, and she would never be the same again. Well, things were different, but she was happy in her new home, and God had answered her three prayers.

First, she'd asked to remember her old room forever. He'd done better than that. She now had her old room in her new home.

Second, she asked God for her mama to be with her every day for the rest of her life, that she would never for a minute forget her. He'd answered that prayer, too, even though in her heart, Winkie had believed He could never make that happen. Now she remembered her mama every time someone called her by her new name.

Third, she asked for friends. Again, God had answered her prayer ten-fold. She had Mr. and Mrs. Lamb, Myna and Marianne, Scarlet, Maria, and Lynn Anne. Even better, God had sent her a best friend, someone who had picked her first.

She watched Squirt bury her head into a fold in the blanket. Her big brown eyes studied Winkie as her tail thumped. Winkie leaned over and kissed the top of her head. As happy as she was with the way that everything had turned out, there was one small detail she wasn't happy with. She planned to talk to Aunt Susan and her daddy about that first thing in the morning.

* * * * *

The next morning Winkie rose early and took Squirt out to eat and play. By the time they returned home, the smell of maple bacon wiggled through the spaces in the front door and welcomed Winkie as she walked up the steps. As they entered the kitchen, Aunt Susan was making hot biscuits and cheddar cheese scrambled eggs.

Winkie unsnapped the hook from Squirt's collar and hung the leash on a knob by the back door. She looked hesitantly to see what her aunt was doing, to see what creation she was concocting at the stove.

Aunt Susan put down her spatula and smiled. "No need to worry, dear. I've decided to stay with the tested and approved recipes."

Winkie sighed softly as she took her place at the table. Squirt settled herself underneath Winkie's chair, curled up so that her tail touched her nose, and waited for some tasty crumbs to hit the floor.

Once everyone was settled at the table, Aunt Susan, Mr. Hardy, and Winkie joined hands to say the blessing.

"Amen," said Winkie. She lifted the platter of eggs and scooped some onto her plate. Then she passed them to her daddy.

"I've been thinking," began Winkie.

"About what?" asked her daddy.

Winkie cleared her throat. "Now that Squirt's my dog, I don't want to call her Squirt anymore."

Aunt Susan nodded. "She may have been the runt of the litter, but if that puppy takes after Molly, she's going to grow into a very big Labrador."

"And Squirt might not really fit her anymore," agreed Mr. Hardy.

Winkie put down her fork. "But I don't want to hurt Mrs. Lamb's feelings," said Winkie. "After all, she gave her that name."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, dear," reassured Aunt Susan. "All the owners rename their puppies once they take them home." She patted her niece's hand. "I don't think for a minute that Julie's feelings would be hurt. Why, I think she always calls the smallest puppy in the litter 'Squirt.'"

"Do you have a new name already picked out?" asked Mr. Hardy.

Winkie nodded. "I thought about it last night, and I have the perfect name for her."

"What is it?" asked Aunt Susan.

"Laurel," answered Winkie. "Because she was always coming from underneath the laurel bushes and that's where she kept all my stuff."

"That sounds like a fine name," said Mr. Hardy.

"I can't think of a better one," added Aunt Susan.

"Then it's settled," announced Winkie.

She plopped down on the floor next to her chair, and looked at the puppy nose-to-nose.

"Hello, Laurel, welcome to your new name, your new home, and your new best friend!" exclaimed Winkie.

Laurel lifted her head and yapped.

The End

Read more Adventures at Bell Buckle Inn: www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/21762

Love God. Love Others. is a series for kindergarten through second grade children: www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/25019

To learn more about Janice Alonso and her work, please visit and like her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JaniceAlonsoauthor/

