The Giggling Ghost Girl Scout Mystery

The Giggling Ghost

Girl Scout Mystery

Copyright ©2012 Carole Marsh/Gallopade International/Peachtree City, GA All rights reserved.

First Edition Ebook edition Copyright ©2012 Carole Marsh Mysteries™ and its skull colophon are the property of Carole Marsh and Gallopade International. Published by Gallopade International/Carole Marsh Books.

Printed in the United States of America.

This book is not authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by Girl Scouts of the USA. The GIRL SCOUT name, mark, and all associated trademarks and logotypes are owned

by Girl Scouts of the USA. Editor: Janice Baker Assistant Editor: Sherri Smith Brown Cover Design: Vicki DeJoy Content Design: Randolyn Friedlander Thank you to Sage Martin, Madeline Hervey, Avery Longmeyer, Ella Longmeyer (all real Girl Scouts!) for agreeing to let us photograph them.

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This book is a complete work of fiction. All events are fictionalized, and although the names of real people are used, their characterization in this book is fiction. All attractions, product names, or other works mentioned in this book are trademarks of their respective owners and the names and images used in this book are strictly for editorial purposes; no commercial claims to their use is claimed by the author or publisher.

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Dear Readers, I'm so excited about The Giggling Ghost Girl Scout Mystery!

I have often had granddaughter Christina's troop camped out in wall-to-wall sleeping bags in the downstairs of my home in Savannah, just a few blocks from the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. They always have so much fun getting up early and gallivanting all around town to see the many beautiful squares in the Historic District, the fountain in Forsyth Park, eating ice cream at Leopold’s, and many other fun “Girl Scout things!” Most of all— they like to giggle!

Many of the places you read about in this story are real—you can actually visit them, and use the Scavenger Hunt in the back of the book, if you wish—to “check-off” places as you see or visit them!

It’s an exciting time in Girl Scouting— the 100th anniversary! But you know, to me,

the really exciting time was way back when “Daisy” had her amazing brainstorm that produced the Girl Scouts! What a great gal!

What a great idea!! Scouting is a wonderful opportunity for girls, and I am so proud that my daughter, and now granddaughters, have been troop leaders or members through the years.

And now, grab a box of your favorite cookies—Girl Scout cookies, of course—and join the girl characters in this book as they encounter history, mystery, legend, lore, and so much more...in search of the Giggling Ghost!

Giggling allowed!

Happy reading and happy Girl Scouting, Carole Marsh from my Writing Gazebo in “The Most Haunted City in America”...

Savannah, Georgia

Table of Contents 1 Savannah Bound!..........................................................................11 2 Boom Chicka Boom! ....................................................................17 3 Waving Goodbye to Barges! ........................................................23 4 Dead Indians and Shrieks! ..........................................................33 5 The Bloody Gallows!....................................................................37 6 Is It a Mystery or Just Creepy?...................................................41 7 Get Low!........................................................................................45 8 Giggles in the Garden!.................................................................51 9 F-F-F-Forsyth F-F-F-Fountain!......................................................55 10 Do Ghosts Eat Cupcakes? ...........................................................59 11 Brownies, Anyone?.......................................................................65 12 Carriages and Toothless Grins!...................................................71 13 Hornswoggled by a Pirate! ..........................................................77 14 S’More Ghosts, Please!................................................................85 15 Rocking Chairs and Goosebumps!..............................................93 16 A Ghost in Coattails?....................................................................97 17 Dueling Deaths and Yellow Fever!............................................103 18 There Goes the Giggling Ghost!...............................................109 19 Thunder Mansion!......................................................................115 20 What Have We Done?! ...............................................................119 21 A Daisy for Your Giggle! ............................................................123 22 A Circle of Friendship................................................................127 About the Author..............................................................................132 Girl Scout Glossary ..........................................................................134 Talk About It!.....................................................................................140 Bring It To Life! ................................................................................142 Scavenger Hunt.................................................................................144 Girl Scouts By Grade Level .............................................................145 Famous Girl Scouts ..........................................................................146 Mimi’s Favorite Savannah Places to Visit ......................................148 Other Gallopade Books Set in Georgia ..........................................149 Other Books to Read........................................................................150 Excerpt from Mary America...........................................................151

SAVANNAH

The City of Savannah

River Street City Hall

W. Bay Street City Market

W. Broughton Street

GA Railroad Museum

W. Oglethorpe Avenue Birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low W. Liberty Street

W. Gaston Street

Whitaker St.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Ships of the Sea Museum

Forsyth Park

RIVER River Street E. Bay Street

The Pirates’ House

E. Broughton Street

Owens-Thomas House E. Oglethorpe Avenue

Colonial Cemetery

E. Gaston Street

E. Broad St.

Massie Heritage Center

Price St.

Abercorn St.

E. Liberty Street

1 Savannah Bound!

BLAM!! SPLAT!! Grant burst into Christina’s bedroom like a mini-tornado and nosedived straight onto her bed, scattering neatly piled clothes. He sprang up and started bouncing; his unruly blond hair swooshed up and down.

“I’m going on a shrimp boat! I’m going on a shrimp boat!” he sang.

THUMP! Christina’s backpack fell off the bed. Her khaki Girl Scout sash, covered with brightly colored metal pins, slid to the floor.

“GRANT!” yelled Christina. “What are you doing?” Her stick-straight brown hair flipped into her eyes as she spun around to stare at him. “I’m packing for Savannah! Now you’ve messed up everything!”

11

Grant back-flipped from the bed into the middle of the room. His cousins, Ella and Avery, giggled uncontrollably. Christina’s two friends, Grace and Amber, tried to hold back their laughter. Christina’s brown eyes glared at her little brother.

Avery tugged Christina’s arm. “Come on, Christina. I’ll help you pick up things.”

“Do a good turn daily!” said Ella, jumping up to help. “What’s a shrimp boat, Grant?” she asked.

“Papa says it’s a boat that goes out and catches shrimp!” replied Grant. “We’re going to Tie-Bee Island.” He looked puzzled. “I wonder how you tie a bee—do you use thread?”

Christina giggled. “You mean Tybee Island, Grant,” she corrected. “It’s an island just east of Savannah.”

“That sounds like fun!” said Grace. She plucked Christina’s sash from the floor. “Look at all these badges and pins you have!” Grace began to jive around the room. “I’m so happy to be going to Savannah!” she sang. “I can’t wait for the Girl Scout Camporee! And we have three whole days to see Savannah before it even begins!”

12

The girls were headed to the National Girl Scout Camporee at Fort Stewart, just a few miles from Savannah. It was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts, and the Camporee was going to be a spectacular event this year. Girls from all over the United States were coming to Savannah.

Christina, Grant, Ella, and Avery’s grandparents, Mimi and Papa, had a home in the lovely old historic district of Savannah.

Mimi had invited everyone to stay there for a few days. They could explore Savannah before the big event began later in the week.

“I love Savannah!” said Amber, her brown eyes twinkling. “I went there with my troop when I was younger. It was in the spring, and flowers were blooming everywhere. It was beautiful!”

Each of the girls was at a different level of scouting. Tiny, blond, blue-eyed Ella was a Daisy. Her cheerleader sister, Avery, was a Brownie. Grace was a Junior Girl Scout, and Amber was a Cadette. Christina, the oldest of the group, was a Senior Girl Scout.

“I have to finish my summer honors history project on General James Oglethorpe 13

while we are there,” Christina told the girls.

“He was the founder of Savannah. I have a lot of research to do, but I can show you around the town. And you can do some things on your own! There will be tons of girls there. I’m happy Mimi can take some time away from her writing and take us to Savannah. She says she needs a vacation!”

Mimi was the well-known children’s mystery writer, Carole Marsh. Since Christina and Grant were older than their cousins, they often traveled with Mimi and Papa when Mimi researched her mystery books.

“Every time you go somewhere with Mimi, there’s some kind of spooky mystery!” exclaimed Avery. “Isn’t that how she gets all her ideas for the mystery books she writes?”

“Not this time,” insisted Christina, patting her younger cousin’s arm. “We have other things to do—and this trip is purely for fun! No mysteries allowed!”

As Christina closed her suitcase, her grandmother breezed into the room.

“Is everyone ready?” she asked, her shiny gold earrings swinging around her short, sassy, blond hair. “Papa’s in the van and is 14

ready to hit the road! Does anyone know where Grant is?”

“He was just here, Mimi,” said Ella, throwing her little arms around Mimi.

Everyone looked around the bedroom.

“Yes, he was!” said Christina. “He just tornadoed my bed!”

Suddenly, Grant popped up from behind a chair. He clutched a box of mint cookies.

His mouth was stuffed full, and chocolate cookie crumbs clung to his chin.

“Where did you get those?” cried Christina.

“Beshide urr bd,” mumbled Grant, chewing. He gulped. “Beside your bed!”

Christina grabbed the empty cookie box and peered inside. “Empty!”

“Don’t worry!” said Mimi. “There are plenty more where those came from. Let’s go to Savannah!”

15

2 Boom Chicka Boom!

“I said a Boom Chicka Boom I said a Boom Chicka Boom I said a Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom!”

The girls sang merrily in the back seats of the big black van as Papa drove down the highway, closer and closer to Savannah.

Grant’s chocolate-streaked chin flopped on his chest as he snored.

“Uh huh, Oh yeah, One more time ‘Valley Girl’ style!”

Grace sang loudly and pointed to Ella.

Shy Ella sang softly.

“I said like Boom Chicka Boom, I said a totally Boom Chicka Boom, 17

I said like Boom Chicka like Rocka Chicka like gag me with a spoon!”

Mimi laughed from the front seat. “I love it!” she exclaimed, turning around and clapping. “Now, how about a little Savannah history? We’re nearly there!”

“I can tell them about James Oglethorpe, Mimi,” said Christina. “He sailed from England with a group of settlers and founded Savannah in 1733. He had received a charter from the King of England to establish the Colony of Georgia. He built the colony on a bluff along the Savannah River. England wanted the town to act as a buffer between the Carolina colony to the north and Spanish Florida to the south. The settlers were supposed to produce silk, wine, and other things for the British Empire, too.”

“You mean Georgia wasn’t a state then?” asked Avery.

“No,” said Christina. “That was before the Revolutionary War. There wasn’t a United States yet.”

“James Oglethorpe laid out the town in a pattern of wide streets, alleys, and squares,” added Mimi. “Rectangular-shaped lots were 18

marked off along the streets. He gave that property to the settlers to build their homes.

Back then, they built small, wood houses.

Much later, people built huge stone, stucco, and marble houses. Most of those houses still stand in the old part of Savannah.”

“I love the squares,” said Christina.

“People call them ‘Savannah’s jewels.’”

“You’ll see a lot of real characters walking around the streets of Savannah, too,” added Mimi and laughed. “I’m sure you will see what I mean once we get there!”

“I think Savannah can be a little spooky,” said Christina. “Mimi and I have been on a couple of ghost tours. People say most of the houses in Savannah are haunted.

Except Mimi’s, of course!”

“Whew! I’m glad of that,” said Amber.

“I can’t wait to see the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace again.”

“What’s a birthplace?” asked Ella.

“That’s the place where someone is born,” replied Mimi. “Juliette Gordon Low is the lady who started the Girl Scouts. She was born in a house in Savannah. It’s now a National Historic Landmark! Hundreds of scouts and volunteers visit it every day. I see 19

them getting their pictures taken in front of the house all the time.”

“In fact, we have a surprise for you,” said Christina. “Mimi and Papa’s house is just a few blocks away from the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. We can walk over there tomorrow!”

“YEA!!” the girls cheered.

“Here we are!” said Papa. He turned the van to the right and exited off the highway into the historic district of Savannah. “There’s the new Talmadge Memorial Bridge to the left. It crosses the Savannah River to South Carolina.”

The girls sat forward in their seats and peered through the windows to see the gleaming white bridge in the distance. It looked like a large sailboat.

Papa maneuvered the van around Savannah’s famous, sun-dappled squares.

Enormous live oak trees spread limbs draped with feathery Spanish moss over the street and squares.

Mimi rolled her window down. “I love the perfumed smell of Savannah,” she said. The fragrance of purple, white, pink, red, and yellow flowers mingled and drifted into the van.

20

Tall homes made from stucco, stone, and brick rose side by side up against the city sidewalks. Scrolled iron railings and fences decorated squares, monuments, fountains, and buildings.

“I feel like I’m at Disney World,” said Grace, pressing her nose against the window.

“And that must be one of the Savannah characters you were talking about, Mimi!”

All eyes turned to a scrawny old man in a shabby, black butler’s uniform shuffling down the street. His longish, white-gray hair stuck out in all directions from under his black bowler hat.

“I’ve seen him around before,” said Christina. “He’s a Savannah regular. You see a lot of strange people on the streets every day.”

“Let’s call him Igor the Butler!” said Avery.

At that moment, the van pulled up to Mimi and Papa’s house.

“Welcome to Savannah, girls!” Mimi announced.

SNORT!! From his seat in the back, Grant snorted and sat straight up. Rubbing his stomach, he blurted out, “Anyone got any cookies?”

21

3 Waving Goodbye to Barges!

Mimi, Papa, and the kids strolled out of the restaurant and onto River Street.

Grant rubbed his tummy and moaned, “I’m so full. I’m too full of shrimp to even eat a cookie crumb!”

“Thank goodness!” said Christina.

“That was delicious wild Georgia shrimp,” said Mimi. “There’s nothing like eating fresh shrimp caught in our coastal waters—it’s just the best!”

River Street bustled with activity.

Mimi, Papa, and the kids strolled down the cobblestone street past throngs of tourists.

Clusters of blue, brown, green, and khaki scouting uniforms flitted from stores to restaurants to the river.

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“Look at all the girls!” said Avery.

Grant was more interested in the uneven walkway beneath his feet. “Papa, it’s like I’m walking on a bunch of big, fat, lumpy, bumpy rocks, but they’re all stuck together,” he said. “What is this stuff?”

“Cobblestones!” Papa replied. “In the old days, ships arrived at ports up and down the East Coast to load and unload cargo,” he explained. “To keep a ship’s weight stable, the crew added cobblestones for ballast. Then when they took on cargo, they would dump the ballast along the shoreline and the local residents used the cobblestones to pave streets.”

“They look cool,” Grant replied. “Wish I could pry a few out for my rock collection!”

“These have been here for hundreds of years, Grant—good luck!” said Papa.

“Just to break my shoe heels—or ankles!” Mimi worried, stumbling wobblylegged over the breadloaf-sized stones.

A light breeze lifted whitecaps in the water. Barges, ships, and boats lined the wharfs along the Savannah River, which sparkled with red and gold light as the sun began to sink lower 24

in the sky. The smell of warm pralines floated from nearby candy stores.

A tall, dapper man strolled past them wearing a blue seersucker suit and a yellow bow tie. He tipped his straw fedora at Mimi and Papa.

“Good evenin’, y’all,” he said with a thick Southern accent and a big smile.

“Good evening, Dan,” said Mimi and Papa in unison.

Avery’s blue eyes grew wide. “Do you know him, Mimi?” she asked after the man walked on.

“Of course,” said Mimi.

“That’s Savannah Dan. He takes people on walking tours of Savannah. He tells lots of good stories about the town and folks who have lived here.” Mimi suddenly stopped in front of a shop. “Ah, ha!” she exclaimed. “Here’s a place you all will love!”

The sign above the door said Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. Soon everyone was biting into sweet, sticky praline patties.

“These are so good!” said Grace, licking her fingers.

25

Grant picked chewy caramel from his teeth. “I like those peanut butter Girl Scout cookies better.”

“I thought you liked the mint ones,” said Christina.

“All cookies are delicious!” said Grant.

“How about the shortbread ones?” asked Amber. “Those are my favorite. A trefoil is the official emblem of the Girl Scouts.”

“I’m not that big on eating trees,” replied Grant. “But they’ll do when everything else is gone.”

“A trefoil isn’t a tree, Grant,” Amber explained. “The symbol comes from a leaf having three leaflets. The three trefoil leaves represent the three-fold Girl Scout promise— ‘To serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.’” “Try a little peanut butter on them!” whispered Amber.

“Grant, we better get home and get in bed,” said Papa. “We have to get on the shrimp boat at the break of dawn.”

“Dawn breaks?” asked Grant.

“Every day!” insisted Papa.

26

“I’m tired, too,” said Mimi. “You girls can keep sightseeing. Just get home by dark.”

When the others headed off, the five girls continued along River Street, tripping on cobblestones and acting silly. They gave the scouting sign with their right hand to other scouts they spotted along the way.

“Here’s one of my favorite places,” said Christina, when they reached the end of the walkway. “And it’s one of my favorite Savannah stories.”

She led the way past some hedges and into a small park alongside the river. They followed a brick walkway to the statue of a young woman facing the water. She held her arms up waving a large handkerchief. A dog stood by her side, looking out at the water along with her.

“It’s the Waving Girl,” Christina explained.

“Who is she waving to?” asked Avery.

“Her name is Florence Martus,” replied Christina. “A long time ago, she decided to greet all the ships that entered or left Savannah Harbor. She waved a handkerchief by day and a lantern by night. The legend says that she did not miss a single ship between 27

1887 and 1931. Ship captains always looked for her. She became famous around the world!

After she retired, they erected this statue in her honor.”

“Why did she do it?” asked Grace.

“That’s a lot of waving!”

“Maybe she was lonesome,” guessed Christina. “She lived with her brother on Elba Island, a tiny island in the river near the Atlantic Ocean. He was the lighthouse keeper.

One legend says she greeted ships because she fell in love with a sailor. She wanted to be sure he found her when he returned. But there’s no proof to that.”

“Too bad,” said Amber. “That’s so romantic!”

“And sad,” added Avery.

As they headed toward the river, an ancient, wrinkled old lady popped from behind the hedge and ambled toward them. She was dressed in a long, flowing, gray dress. A tattered, gray fringed shawl covered her hunched back. A gray satin ribbon held back long hair, the same color as Spanish moss.

The bright spot in her drab appearance was the large sweetgrass basket of yellow daisies 28

she carried in the crook of her arm. Ella gave her a sweet, two-front-teeth-missing grin. The lady nodded shyly and slowly shuffled by, saying not a word.

“She was REALLY old!” said Avery.

“I think I’ve seen her before,” Christina mused. She turned back to the riverside. “I think this is a good place for our barges ceremony.”

The sun sank lower as the girls walked to the water’s edge. They each pulled a piece of tree bark, a stick of gum, and a candle from their backpacks. In unison, they chewed the gum for a few seconds. Then, each girl took the gum from her mouth and stuck it on her tree bark. Next, she stuck the candle into the gum.

Christina flicked a lighter and lit their candles one by one. All together, they slid their “barges” into the river and sang. The girls clasped hands as they watched their barges sail away into the setting sun.

“We’re starting a new adventure,” said Christina. She loved working with younger scouts.

“Wow,” said Amber. “That may be the best barges ceremony I’ve ever done!”

29

When they could no longer see their barges, the group solemnly turned and headed toward the steep steps to Bay Street.

When Avery picked her backpack up off the grass, she spotted a small piece of paper with a faded shamrock and scrawled handwriting on it. “Listen to this!” she said.

Barges sail far away.

Enjoy Savannah the scouting way!

Just then, the girls heard a high-pitched giggle.

“Why are you laughing?” Avery asked, turning to Ella.

“I didn’t laugh!” said Ella. “Honest!”

The five girls looked around to see who else heard Avery read the note. But there was no one—no one at all.

That’s creepy, thought Avery, stuffing the note in her backpack. Why would someone giggle at this note? And where did this note come from?

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RL 3-5 007-014

$7.99 US

ISBN: 978-0-635-10230-0