"I knew she wasn't really a princess," said Jimmy.
The others were silent.
"Can we do anything for you, Mabel?" Gerald asked kindly.
"If not, we should be going."
"Yes, I want my tea," said Jimmy.
"Tea?" Mabel snapped.
"You'd leave me after getting me into this mess?"
"That's unfair!" Gerald began. "We—"
"Leave Mabel alone," interrupted Kathleen.
"It must be horrid to be invisible."
"It is. And it's horrid to have an aunt who doesn't like me.
She wouldn't let me go to the fair today because I disobeyed her."
"You'll have to tell her about the ring," said Kathleen.
"No! Take me with you."
"I suppose you could come home for tea," said Gerald.
"Then we'll decide what to do."
The children agreed that Mabel should leave her aunt a note.
Gerald took out his notebook and pencil.
They watched the pencil move by itself as Mabel wrote:
Dear Aunt, You won't see me again for a while.
A rich lady in an automobile adopted me.
We are going away on a ship.
Don't try to follow me. Mabel
"But that's all lies," said Jimmy.
"If I said I was invisible, she'd think that was a lie too."
By the time they arrived home, they were very late for tea.
"Are you all right?" asked Mademoiselle. "I was worried."
"We're sorry," said Gerald.
"Come in," said Mademoiselle. "You'll have supper now."
There were only three plates at the table, so Jimmy let Mabel have his.
He shared with Kathleen.
It was strange to see Mabel's food floating in the air and then disappearing.
Everyone was hungry.
The cook grumbled when she had to bring more food.
"It'll be hard to give Mabel breakfast," said Gerald.
"Mademoiselle will be here then."
"We'll have to buy things and feed her in secret," said Kathleen.
"Our money won't last long," said Jimmy.
"Mabel, do you have any money?"
"No," said Mabel, "but I've got lots of ideas."
That night Kathleen lent Mabel one of her nightgowns.
As Mabel pulled off her princess clothes, they became visible.
As she put on the nightgown, it disappeared.
She and Kathleen soon fell asleep.
The next morning Kathleen woke to find Eliza, the maid, staring at Mabel's princess clothes.
They were piled on a chair.
"Where on earth did you get those?" asked Eliza.
"Oh . . . oh . . . someone lent them to me for a play we're doing," said Kathleen.
She was saved from saying more by the doorbell.
Eliza hurried away to answer it.
Mabel got up and began to wash her invisible face in the basin.
"I wish you hadn't written such lies to your aunt," said Kathleen.
"What's the use of telling the truth if no one believes you?"
"You should always tell the truth.
Now I'm going to breakfast.
Stay quiet up here, and I'll bring you something to eat."
When Eliza came to make the bed, Mabel untucked the corners of the sheets.
"Drat these sheets!" Eliza exclaimed.
Then Eliza swept the floor.
"Don't forget to sweep under the rugs!"
Mabel whispered in her ear.
Eliza turned white and ran from the room.
Meanwhile Kathleen and Gerald had decided they must tell Mabel's aunt the truth.
So after Mabel's breakfast, the children started walking to the castle.
"Mabel, get behind me," said Kathleen.
"Then our two shadows will look like one."
But as they walked through town, a woman noticed a large, black shape on Kathleen's back.
"Hey, missy!" the woman shouted.
"What have you been leaning against?"
Everyone walked a little faster.