Miss Dolphin And The New Neighbor

Miss Dolphin lived on a beach in a treehouse made of porcelain. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover succotash, when she heard a knock at the door.

She sallied forth to the door, wondering who would be stopping for a visit at this time of day.

She was surprised to see Mister Ghost standing there, his hands on his jaw. "How nice to see you, Mister Ghost," Miss Dolphin amended, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," blustered Mister Ghost. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" purred Miss Dolphin intensely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of Sanka?"

"I can't stay," shuddered Mister Ghost. I just want to ask you what you think of the dormouse that's come to the beach.

"I really don't know," interpreted Miss Dolphin. "I didn't know about any dormouse. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," responded Mister Ghost lickety-split. "I heard that this dormouse likes to silence Egyptian mummies."

"Um, I don't know what to say," whined Miss Dolphin, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mister Ghost, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the beach when we get a lot of dormice silencing Egyptian mummies?"

"I can't imagine," chortled Miss Dolphin.

"What are we going to do about it?" swore Mister Ghost.

"Appoint a committee?" screeched Miss Dolphin, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Ghost had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mister Ghost excitedly. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," drawled Miss Dolphin primly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding herself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mister Ghost speedily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," asserted Miss Dolphin tensely, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the washstand on her front porch, looking out over the beach and getting dizzy. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Ghost. Do come again."

"Just a minute," contended Mister Ghost languidly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Dolphin thought she had answered, and was beginning to get bellicose. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mrs. Ghost doing these days?"

Mister Ghost would have none of it. "So, let's meet at your house, say tomorrow at two?"

Miss Dolphin sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sorrowfully.