Book Description

Shirley Temple's chauffeur is uneasy. Shirley is catching a train in the wee hours of the morning to pick up her friend, Betha Kaylor, so they can spend a weekend visiting Betha's relatives and celebrating Betha's grandmother's birthday. Shirley casts about for various reasons to explain her chauffeur's unease, including the fact that it's clear that Betha is worried about being teased by her cousin and harassed by her uncle, and finally concludes that the chauffeur's real issue is like that they're going to be arriving on Friday the 13th! The girls arrive in the village below the grand house they're visiting in the dark hours of the 13th, and no one is there to meet them at the station. Using the chauffeur's prescient gift of a flashlight, they make their way up the hill to the grand old house, only to discover that they are unexpected and, worse, Betha's grandmother is missing! Shirley soon determines that her job is to strengthen and support Betha, come what may, but as mystery piles on mystery this job proves to be a challenge.