The Pumpkin Principle

by Cynthia Blair

  “No, Chris. I’m getting up. I’m going to turn on a light. I want to get a good look at the ghost of Jonathan Spring, once and for all!”

  With that, she jumped up and pulled the chain on the ornate lamp that she remembered was right next to the couch. She blinked a few times as her eyes straggled to adjust to the bright light that suddenly flooded the room.

  And then she burst out laughing.

  “There are our ghosts, Chris! And they don’t look anything at all like Civil War soldiers!”

  Chris, who had had the blankets pulled up over her head, peeked out, still not quite ready to see what had been “haunting” the house on Crabtree Hill.

  “Cats!” she cried. “They’re not ghosts; they’re cats!”

  Sure enough, when the twins checked around the living room, they found a small opening in the wall near the front door. Five stray cats who probably spent their days prowling around the cemetery were sneaking into the house at night, probably to get warm. And as they ran around in the dark, they were bound to knock things over.

  “Oh, Chris, I can’t wait to tell Mrs. Carpenter! She’ll be so relieved to find out that it’s nothing more than cats who are haunting her house. This means she can stay here after all!”

  “All she has to do is cover up that hole. So much for the ghost of Jonathan Spring! I feel like waking her up right now and telling her who the real culprits are.”

  “I have a better idea,” said Susan. “Let’s tell her first thing in the morning-—over breakfast in bed.

  “But, for now, let’s get these ghost-cats out of here. You and I deserve a good-night’s sleep!”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Oh, girls, how can I ever thank you enough?”

  It was early the next morning. Mrs. Carpenter was propped up in her bed, enjoying the breakfast of French toast that Chris and Susan had prepared for her and delivered to her bed—along with a report on what they’d discovered about her “ghosts.” And she couldn’t have been more delighted.

  “Are you still planning to move out?” Chris teased. “Because if you are, I know a bunch of cats who may be interested in buying your house.”

  Mrs. Carpenter laughed. “Sorry, but this house is not for sale! But, seriously, I would like to do something for you girls. To thank you for your bravery, your perseverance ... and your creativity in coming up with that story about Sigma Delta Alpha!”

  “I have an idea,” said Susan. “It may be too much to ask, but ...”

  “Anything. Anything at all.”

  “Well, I’ve been thinking. Last night, after we’d discovered what was making all those mysterious sounds and went back to bed, I couldn’t fall asleep for the longest time. I kept thinking about those poor cats. They don’t have a real home. That’s why they have to scavenge around and sneak into people’s houses at night for warmth. And it occurred to me that since they’re already used to living up here on Crabtree Hill—”

  “Susan Pratt!” her twin exclaimed. “Are you asking Mrs. Carpenter to adopt five stray cats?”

  “Why, I think that’s a lovely idea,” said the older woman, pouring a hefty serving of maple syrup over her French toast.

  “You do?” both twins cried.

  “Well, except for one small detail. I can see keeping four cats, but five! That would make things a bit crowded, don’t you think?”

  “But what would you do with the fifth cat?” asked Susan.

  Mrs. Carpenter just smiled.

  “Oooh, I’d love to have a cat!” Susan broke into a huge grin.

  “We’ll have to convince Mom and Dad that it’s a good idea,” Chris reminded her. “But I’m willing to help you do that on two conditions. One is that we can share him. And the other is that you let me name him.”

  “All right,” Susan agreed. “Do you already have a name picked out?”

  “You bet,” Chris said seriously. “I’m going to name him Jonathan!”

  * * * *

  For the next two weeks, Susan and Chris put all their energy into getting ready for Halloween. They carved their pumpkins from the Atkinses’ farm into jack-o’-lanterns, came up with almost two hundred famous duos for the Masquerade for Two, and planned every last detail of the dance. And they spent every spare moment they had working on their costumes, drawing upon Mrs. Pratt’s creativity as well as her sewing expertise.

  Throughout all their preparations, the twins never lost sight of their goal: to play a Halloween “trick” on B.J.— and to have as much fun as they could doing it. They were relieved that neither of them ran into him very often in the meantime. Somehow, that just made the prospect of fooling him on the night of the Halloween Dance that much more delicious.

  And then, finally, the day they had been waiting for so anxiously arrived. All that Friday, neither twin could think about anything else. Listening to a lecture on the human body or participating in a class discussion on Hamlet was simply impossible. After all, that would have required concentrating on something other than the look they both expected to see on B.J. Wilkins’s face once he realized that the girls had switched identities—and, as a result, he couldn’t be sure which Pratt twin he was dancing with!

  Their excitement on the evening of the dance did not go unnoticed by their father.

  “My goodness!” Mr. Pratt exclaimed, holding a forkful of mashed potatoes suspended in midair. “Did they just announce on the radio that food is going out of style? Or is there some kind of contest going on here that I haven’t heard about? Something like a pie-eating contest, maybe, where whoever eats dinner fastest wins a trip to Paris?”

  “Oh, Daddy!” Susan laughed. “Chris and I are just in kind of a hurry tonight.”

  “That’s the understatement of the century! Do you mind telling me why? Or would I have to be a twin in order to be privy to such a secret?”

  “It’s no secret,” said Chris. “Tonight’s our school’s Halloween Dance, that’s all. And we’re anxious to start getting ready for it.”

  “Oh, I see. So that explains why you two have been running around with pincushions and petticoats for the last two weeks. See, I do have some sense of what goes on around here! Even so, I think I’d better put seconds on my plate right now while I still have the chance. I have a feeling that, before you know it, we’ll have moved on to dessert!”

  But tonight, neither Susan nor Chris had the patience to waste time with dessert.

  They dashed upstairs the moment they’d finished dinner. Immediately, they began to fix their hair, put on their makeup, and finally, just before it was time to leave for the dance, don their costumes.

  “Well, Sooz, what do you think?”

  The two girls were standing in front of the full-length mirror In Chris’s bedroom looking over the two literary characters they had just transformed themselves into,

  Susan examined both their reflections for a few seconds before answering her twin’s question. Just as they’d agreed two weeks earlier, Chris was dressed as Scarlett O’Hara and Susan was Juliet. Then, with an approving nod, she said, “I think we both look pretty fantastic!”

  And she was right. Chris was convincing as a beautiful Southern belle, and with her coloring, she did indeed look very much the way that Scarlett O’Hara was described in Gone with the Wind, Her chestnut-brown hair was pulled back on both sides with lavender satin ribbons tied into tiny bows. Her earrings were tiny pearls that dangled ever so slightly from a fine gold chain. And her makeup, while not unusual, was much more dramatic than she ever would have worn it. Ruby-red lipstick, a generous dusting of pink blush, and four thick coats of mascara.

  The most outstanding feature of her costume, however, was undoubtedly her ball gown. It was the same shade of lavender as the ribbons she wore in her hair, and the fabric had the same satin sheen to it. It had full puffed sleeves and a round neckline, and it fit snugly from the waist up.

  As for the floor-length skirt, it billowed out so far that Chris couldn’t even put her arms down at her side.
It had required yards and yards of fabric, as well-as the construction of two hoops, one at the hips and one at the hem, to support it.

  Both the girls and their mother had spent hours wondering how the women who had really worn that type of dress ever managed to get around, much less do something as simple as sit in a chair! Even though Chris expected that it would be great fun to wear a dress like this one for an evening, she had to admit that she preferred the simplicity, comfort, and ease of mobility that jeans and knee-length skirts allowed.

  Making the costume was a lot of work, but all three agreed that it was worth it. Chris looked lovely, just the way the twins had always imagined that Scarlett would look. She even had a sparkle in her eyes that was similar to the one that the feisty heroine was surely meant to have.

  As for Susan’s costume, it was equally romantic, although in an entirely different way. Her dress was made of rich purple velveteen. It had long sleeves, a high neckline, and a tight-fitting bodice. The skirt, also floor-length, swirled down gently, the velveteen falling into soft folds. At the hem, neck, and cuffs was gold brocade trim, which gave the entire dress a very medieval look,

  Susan’s makeup was similar to Chris’s. And her hair was left to flow freely. On her head, however, she wore a tiny cap made from the same purple velveteen and gold trim, and styled after one that was typical of that period, according to a photograph they found in the encyclopedia.

  All in all, Susan’s assessment was one hundred percent correct. The girls did look fantastic.

  As the twins were admiring their costumes in the mirror, they were startled to hear a knock at the door. They assumed it would be their mother, coming to catch one final glimpse of her miraculous handiwork before the girls left for the dance.

  Instead, it was Mr. Pratt.

  “You know,” he said, looking a bit sheepish, “I was only teasing before when I acted as if I didn’t know that you girls were going to a costume party tonight. As a matter of fact, on my way home from work tonight, I stopped off and got you these. As sort of a finishing touch.”

  From behind his back, Mr. Pratt pulled out two long-stemmed roses. Bowing before his daughters, he presented each one with a flower.

  “Oh, Daddy, they’re gorgeous!” Susan cried.

  “And they’re perfect for our costumes!”

  “Well, I knew tonight was special, and I thought I’d try to make it just a little bit more special.” He kissed each girl on the cheek, then said, “You both look beautiful. And I think there’s even a lesson to be learned here.”

  “What?” the girls asked in unison.

  “That you two can have a good time without playing tricks on anyone. Pretending to be each other, trying to fool people ... all those mischievous little pranks you’ve both played in the past.”

  The twins just looked at each other and smiled.

  * * * *

  By the time they reached the school gym where the Halloween Dance was being held, the festivities were already well underway. Even Chris, who had had a hand in planning the decorations and the other details, was surprised—and impressed.

  The gym had been entirely transformed. It was now a dungeon, with black walls, eerie lighting, and frightening touches in the least-expected places: a low-flying bat hanging from a basketball hoop, a ghost behind the coatrack, green-faced goblins jumping out of nowhere. There were black and orange balloons and streamers, but there were also jack-o’-lanterns with glowing faces, real haystacks, and even a skeleton swaying next to the refreshment table.

  “Oooh, this is better than I ever imagined!” Susan squealed. “Why, even though I must have been in this gym a thousand times, I’m actually scared!”

  Fortunately, the loud rock music, performed by a band whose members were all Whittington High School students, reminded them that they were there to dance and have fun—not to cower in fear.

  “Notice anything else unusual?” Chris yelled over the music.

  “Well ...” Susan surveyed the room. It didn’t take her long to realize exactly what her sister was talking about.

  “Wow! This is quite a turnout! And I’ve never seen so many people dancing together before at any of our school dances!”

  It was true; the dance floor was packed. The only students who were standing on the sidelines were doing so because they were talking to their friends or gulping down cider, powdered doughnuts, and pumpkin-shaped cookies. The usual groups of boys, and corresponding groups of girls, who stood together, watching without actually taking part, simply were not a part of this school dance.

  Chris nodded. She looked a bit smug—and Susan couldn’t blame her one bit.

  “And what else do you notice, Sooz?”

  Susan looked more closely at the people who were dancing. Every couple was dressed as a famous duo! She immediately spotted Napoleon and Josephine, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, Popeye and Olive Oyl.

  One particular couple, however, had Susan entirely mystified.

  “All these famous couples! But there’s one I just can’t figure out,” Susan said. “Look at those two, Chris. What—or who—are they supposed to be?”

  Chris looked over in the direction in which Susan was pointing. She saw a girl dressed entirely in purple: purple tights, purple sneakers, a purple sweatshirt with a purple hood. Even her face was painted purple. And her dancing partner was dressed similarly except that he was entirely in tan. He wore tan pants, a tan shirt, and a tan hat.

  “That’s easy,” Chris replied with a chuckle. “I know exactly what they are.”

  “What?”

  “Peanut butter and jelly!”

  After the girls had stopped at the refreshment table for a cup of cider, they decided to split up. That way, B.J. Wilkins—probably dressed as either Rhett Butler or Romeo—would be able to find his “other half,” dance with her ... and then discover that he’d been tricked.

  It wasn’t long before Susan noticed that a boy dressed in striped pantaloons was making a beeline in her direction. He was wearing a mask over his face so that his true identity was concealed. But she knew exactly who he was.

  Uh-oh, thought Susan. Here comes Romeo! Get ready. It’s time for me to turn on my Chris personality.

  “Juliet, may I have this dance?” the boy asked politely once he’d reached her. His voice was muffled by his mask, but she had no doubt that he was B.J. Wilkins.

  Susan quickly became so involved in dancing that she didn’t notice that, across the gym, the same scene was being repeated.

  Chris, standing over by the refreshments, saw a boy heading in her direction. His costume was a gray Civil War uniform, the type worn by the Confederate soldiers. He, too, was wearing a face mask, one with a thick black mustache on it. It was easy to tell that he was none other than Rhett Butler.

  “Miss Scarlett,” he asked with a thick Southern accent, “may I have this dance?”

  Chris just nodded, then whirled onto the dance floor with him.

  During the entire dance, each girl was waiting anxiously for the right moment to pounce—to reveal that she was not the twin that her dancing partner thought she was. But the music was too loud, and the dance floor was just too crowded.

  Once the dance was over, the twins automatically began to look for each other. Now that they had actually danced with B.J., they had both decided, it was time to reveal their prank.

  At almost the same time, Chris and Susan spotted each other and began making their way across the gym, their dancing partners in tow. When Chris saw that her sister had Romeo with her, and Susan saw that her twin was with Rhett Butler, both were astonished.

  Finally, the girls reached each other. The foursome stood together: Chris, Susan, and the two masked boys. And then something entirely unexpected happened.

  “Thanks for the dance, Ms. Pratt,” the boys said at the same time.

  With that, they pulled off their masks.

  The boys grinned.

  Susan and Chris gasped.

  There were two B.
J. Wilkinses!

  “B.J.!” cried Chris. “What ... who ...”

  “Wait a minute,” Susan interrupted. “Which one of you is B.J.?”

  “Would you believe that we’re both B.J. Wilkins?” said Romeo, his blue eyes twinkling with glee.

  Susan and Chris just looked at each other. They were so astounded that they didn’t know what to do. Or say. Or even think!

  “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves,” said Romeo. “My name is Robert Wilkins. Also known as B.J. After all, everyone calls me Bob, and my middle name is James.”

  “And I’m William Wilkins,” said Rhett Butler with a smug smile. “Also known as B.J., since everyone calls me Bill, and my middle name is John!”

  “They’re twins,” Chris and Susan cried in unison.

  “You guessed it.” Bill laughed.

  “I don’t believe it!” Susan exclaimed.

  “We’ve been tricked!” Chris added.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Bob. “Well, I warned Chris, anyway. By the way,” he teased, “you are Chris, aren’t you?”

  “How—how did you know we were going to switch costumes?” Chris demanded, still flabbergasted by the realization that there were not one, but two B.J.’s.

  “Remember who you’re dealing with,” Bob replied. “You know the old expression, ‘It takes one to know one’? Well, you two aren’t the only set of twins in the world! And you’re not the only ones who’ve taken advantage of being identical to play tricks on people!”

  “So I see!” By this point, Susan had gotten over being shocked. She started to laugh, too.

  “Well, Chris,” she said. “It looks as if someone’s finally beaten us at our own game!”

  “I’ll say,” Chris agreed. “Why, I had no idea! It never even occurred to me ...”

  “That’s funny. It didn’t even occur to us to try to fool you until you were both so indignant that the same boy—or who you thought was the same boy—asked you both out,” explained Bill. “You see, it all just started out as a coincidence. I met Susan after school that day when I nearly ran her over with my bicycle. And when I got home, Bob started telling me about this girl he’d met that day named Christine Pratt. For some reason, it never even dawned on us that you’d both think we were the same person!”