Last summer when I happened upon Long Ago Antiques in Fayetteville, I purchased an old, musty book—On That Night by Elizabeth Yates. I was drawn to it by the well-loved cover and Christmas subject matter. Setting the book aside, I decided to save it for Christmas reading. 

My next trip into the same antique store, I bought the Nancy Drew book that led me to my prior blog post, You Send Me. Based on notations inside The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, it was owned in 1959 by May “Babe” Brightwell when she was a teenager living in Maryland. I wondered what became of her, and decided I would try to contact her after the holidays.

I placed the book on my bookcase. It stared at me each time I walked through my bedroom. Yes.I.Was.Putting.It.Off. But, what if I couldn’t locate her? What if there wasn’t more to this story? 

Sometimes the idea of something is better than reality…

Friday night I received two emails from Brightwell family members who discovered my blog post completely by accident. May Brightwell is alive and well, still living in Maryland. She was thrilled to read my blog and see the pictures of her handwriting.

I was as thrilled as she. 

Yes, she would LOVE her book back! 

Additional emails revealed Ms. Brightwell has always had a love for books and reading and for Nancy Drew in particular. She has no recollection of how she parted ways with this book, nor any idea how it came to be located in Arkansas. (part 3 of the story?)

For a few months, I was merely a caretaker of The Ghost of Blackwell Hall. I considered writing my name and address inside the book underneath hers before returning it, but this didn’t seem appropriate.

On Saturday, my neighborhood post office was crammed, packed with harried people mailing last minute Christmas cards and gifts. The parking lot was filled to capacity. Mailing this book was my priority for the day, more important than holiday baking or present wrapping. And, I was surprised to learn she would receive her book on Christmas Eve. Perfect!

Last night I began reading On That Night, my other antique store treasure. I studied the inside flap, then flipped the book over to see the back cover which revealed the following…

“Among the many legends that have to do with Christmas Eve, there is one that says on that night, lost things are found again.”