Read Online A Sister's Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wanda E. Brunstetter
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one out,” Martha admitted, “but I’m sure I didn’t leave the door open.”
“Well, someone did.” Dad pushed the door fully open and entered the house, grumbling about all the flies that had probably gotten in.
Grace and her sisters stopped in the hallway, but Mom had already entered the kitchen. “Someone’s been in here,” she shouted. “Ach! They’ve made such a mess!”
The others rushed into the kitchen. Mom stood in the midst of chaos—pots and pans littered the floor, chairs were overturned, and several items of food from the refrigerator lay in the middle of the table.
They stood for several seconds in stunned silence. Then Dad groaned and shook his head. “Weren’t no critter that sneaked into the house and did all this. Had to be done by human hands—that’s for certain sure.” He turned on his heels with a huff.
“Where are you going?” Mom called with a panicked expression.
“To check out the rest of the place, what do you think?”
She rushed to his side. “If whoever did this is still in the house, then what?”
“If he is, then we’ll have ourselves a little heart-to-heart talk.”
Martha bent down and picked up a rolling pin from the floor. “Maybe I’d better go with you.”
Mom moved like she was going to stop Martha, but Grace got to her first. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” She grabbed the rolling pin and placed it on the counter. “I hope you’re not considering using that as a weapon.”
“I—I wasn’t going to hit anyone, just scare ’em a bit is all.”
Dad pointed to the floor. “You’d better stay here and help your mamm clean up while I look through the other rooms.” He rushed out of the kitchen before anyone could argue the point.
Grace’s hand trembled as she bent to retrieve one of her mother’s frying pans. Who could have done this, and why would they do such a thing?
“Never in all the years your daed and I have been married has anything like this ever happened to us,” Mom said in a shaky voice.
“I—I wonder if anything’s been stolen.” Ruth’s dark eyes were huge, and her face had turned chalky white, making her brunette hair appear even darker.
“I hope not,” Mom said, “but we need to remember that nothing we own is really ours. It’s all on loan from God.”
Grace moved closer to the hallway door and craned her neck. She couldn’t see anything, but she could hear her father’s footsteps as he moved through the living room. “Dad, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Just checking things out in here.”
“Has that room been vandalized, too?”
He stepped into the hall and shook his head. “Nothing appears to have been disturbed in the living room. Next, I’m going to check upstairs.”
Grace gripped the edge of the door and clenched her teeth. What if someone’s been in my room? What if they went through my things? What if...
“I hope everything’s okay upstairs,” Mom said, breaking into Grace’s disturbing thoughts. “I wish your daed had let one of us go with him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be down soon.” Ruth managed a weak smile.
It seemed obvious to Grace that they all felt uneasy about this break-in, and she wouldn’t rest easy until she knew if anything had been taken from her room.
“I’ll be right back,” Martha said, scooting toward the back door.
“Where are you going?” Mom called to her.
“To the barn to check on my dogs.” Martha’s shoulders lifted, and her breath came out in little spurts. “I want to be sure they’re okay.”
“Not without your daed, you’re not. Whoever broke into the house could be hiding in the barn.” Mom shook her head firmly.
Martha raised her chin as if she might argue, but Grace knew her determined little sister would not get her way on this matter.
“We must be patient and wait for Dad,” Ruth said, reaching for the jar of dill pickles that had been dumped on the table.
When Grace heard her father’s heavy footsteps
“Well, someone did.” Dad pushed the door fully open and entered the house, grumbling about all the flies that had probably gotten in.
Grace and her sisters stopped in the hallway, but Mom had already entered the kitchen. “Someone’s been in here,” she shouted. “Ach! They’ve made such a mess!”
The others rushed into the kitchen. Mom stood in the midst of chaos—pots and pans littered the floor, chairs were overturned, and several items of food from the refrigerator lay in the middle of the table.
They stood for several seconds in stunned silence. Then Dad groaned and shook his head. “Weren’t no critter that sneaked into the house and did all this. Had to be done by human hands—that’s for certain sure.” He turned on his heels with a huff.
“Where are you going?” Mom called with a panicked expression.
“To check out the rest of the place, what do you think?”
She rushed to his side. “If whoever did this is still in the house, then what?”
“If he is, then we’ll have ourselves a little heart-to-heart talk.”
Martha bent down and picked up a rolling pin from the floor. “Maybe I’d better go with you.”
Mom moved like she was going to stop Martha, but Grace got to her first. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” She grabbed the rolling pin and placed it on the counter. “I hope you’re not considering using that as a weapon.”
“I—I wasn’t going to hit anyone, just scare ’em a bit is all.”
Dad pointed to the floor. “You’d better stay here and help your mamm clean up while I look through the other rooms.” He rushed out of the kitchen before anyone could argue the point.
Grace’s hand trembled as she bent to retrieve one of her mother’s frying pans. Who could have done this, and why would they do such a thing?
“Never in all the years your daed and I have been married has anything like this ever happened to us,” Mom said in a shaky voice.
“I—I wonder if anything’s been stolen.” Ruth’s dark eyes were huge, and her face had turned chalky white, making her brunette hair appear even darker.
“I hope not,” Mom said, “but we need to remember that nothing we own is really ours. It’s all on loan from God.”
Grace moved closer to the hallway door and craned her neck. She couldn’t see anything, but she could hear her father’s footsteps as he moved through the living room. “Dad, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Just checking things out in here.”
“Has that room been vandalized, too?”
He stepped into the hall and shook his head. “Nothing appears to have been disturbed in the living room. Next, I’m going to check upstairs.”
Grace gripped the edge of the door and clenched her teeth. What if someone’s been in my room? What if they went through my things? What if...
“I hope everything’s okay upstairs,” Mom said, breaking into Grace’s disturbing thoughts. “I wish your daed had let one of us go with him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be down soon.” Ruth managed a weak smile.
It seemed obvious to Grace that they all felt uneasy about this break-in, and she wouldn’t rest easy until she knew if anything had been taken from her room.
“I’ll be right back,” Martha said, scooting toward the back door.
“Where are you going?” Mom called to her.
“To the barn to check on my dogs.” Martha’s shoulders lifted, and her breath came out in little spurts. “I want to be sure they’re okay.”
“Not without your daed, you’re not. Whoever broke into the house could be hiding in the barn.” Mom shook her head firmly.
Martha raised her chin as if she might argue, but Grace knew her determined little sister would not get her way on this matter.
“We must be patient and wait for Dad,” Ruth said, reaching for the jar of dill pickles that had been dumped on the table.
When Grace heard her father’s heavy footsteps
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