One of the reason's Dawn's room looked so cluttered is that it is very small. All the rooms

in Dawn's house are small, because that was the style back then. I should explain that when Dawn's mother moved to Stoneybrook fromCalifornia after her divorce last year, she bought a house for herself, Dawn, and Jeff. (Jeff is Dawn's younger brother.) But not just any house — a farmhouse that is so old it's practically an historic landmark. It was built in 1795, and has an outhouse, a barn, and an old smokehouse. It looks like a large, creepy dollhouse, the kind of place that a ghost would love to call home. (And probably does!) Dawn and her mom are crazy over it. Jeff, her brother, wasn't crazy over anything in Stoneybrook, though, so he eventually moved back toCalifornia to be with his dad.

But back to Dawn, who was sitting on her suitcase to close it. "I think that about does it," she said, looking a little flushed with the effort. Dawn was dressed for traveling, which meant she was wearing a beautiful Laura Ash-ley dress and had swept her long blonde hair back in pearl barrettes.

"Then let's have a quick dinner and be off to the airport,"Sharon said. "I made something special for your last meal here, Dawn," she added, heading for the door.

Dad and I exchanged a look. Neither one of

us likes health food as much as Sharon and Dawn do.

"Something special?" I ventured. I was starving and hoped she hadn't made one of her famous tofu casseroles.

"Something you both like,"Sharon said, stopping to put an arm around me. "Spinach lasagna, tossed salad, and Italian bread."

"That sounds great!" I breathed a sigh of relief.

"And for dessert," she went on, "Tofu Delight!"

It was nearlyseven o'clock when we got to the airport, and I could tell Dawn was feeling a little nervous about her flight toCalifornia . She checked her purse three times to make sure she had her ticket, while the four of us strolled up and down the long concourse.