Read Online Betsy and Billy by Carolyn Haywood - Free Book Online
Authors: Carolyn Haywood
Ads: Link
about that.
Mr. Jackson stood waiting for Betsy to answer.
After thinking a few moments longer, Betsy said, "Do you think I could do it?"
"Why, of course you could do it," said Mr. Jackson.
"All right," said Betsy. "I'll do it. When do you want me to begin?"
"Tomorrow," said Mr. Jackson. "The workmen leave at five o'clock. You try the doors about quarter past five. And thank you very much indeed. I'll be back next week to pay you."
"You're welcome," said Betsy, as Mr. Jackson walked away.
Betsy scrambled down off the wall and rushed into the house to find Mother.
"Mother! Mother!" she cried. "What do you think! Somebody has bought the old house! His name is Mr. Jackson and there are going to be workmen fixing the house and Mr. Jackson is going to pay me five cents a day for seeing that the workmen leave the front door and the back door locked." Betsy ran out of breath when she got this far.
"Well, that is good news," said Mother.
"And maybe I'll earn enough money to buy Miss Grey's wedding present," said Betsy.
The next day Betsy could hear the hammers
and saws of the workmen. She could see men on the roof and a man fixing the chimney. Betsy thought the house looked more cheerful now that the workmen were in it. But at five o'clock, when the workmen left, it looked just as gloomy as ever. Betsy felt that her courage was running right out of her fingers and toes. By quarter past five she wondered how she could ever have enough courage to go over and try the doors.
The thought came to her to ask Mother to do it.
But that wouldn't be earning the five cents,
thought Betsy.
And I don't want Mother to think that I'm a fraidie-cat....
----
C AROLYN H AYWOOD (1898-1990) was born in Philadelphia and began her career as an artist. She hoped to become a children's book illustrator, but at an editor's suggestion, she began writing stories about the everyday lives of children. The first of those,
"B" Is for Betsy,
was published in 1939, and more than fifty other books followed. One of America's most popular authors for children, Ms. Haywood used many of her own childhood experiences in her novels. "I write for children," she once explained, "because I feel that they need to know what is going on in their world and they can best understand it through stories."
----
Mr. Jackson stood waiting for Betsy to answer.
After thinking a few moments longer, Betsy said, "Do you think I could do it?"
"Why, of course you could do it," said Mr. Jackson.
"All right," said Betsy. "I'll do it. When do you want me to begin?"
"Tomorrow," said Mr. Jackson. "The workmen leave at five o'clock. You try the doors about quarter past five. And thank you very much indeed. I'll be back next week to pay you."
"You're welcome," said Betsy, as Mr. Jackson walked away.
Betsy scrambled down off the wall and rushed into the house to find Mother.
"Mother! Mother!" she cried. "What do you think! Somebody has bought the old house! His name is Mr. Jackson and there are going to be workmen fixing the house and Mr. Jackson is going to pay me five cents a day for seeing that the workmen leave the front door and the back door locked." Betsy ran out of breath when she got this far.
"Well, that is good news," said Mother.
"And maybe I'll earn enough money to buy Miss Grey's wedding present," said Betsy.
The next day Betsy could hear the hammers
and saws of the workmen. She could see men on the roof and a man fixing the chimney. Betsy thought the house looked more cheerful now that the workmen were in it. But at five o'clock, when the workmen left, it looked just as gloomy as ever. Betsy felt that her courage was running right out of her fingers and toes. By quarter past five she wondered how she could ever have enough courage to go over and try the doors.
The thought came to her to ask Mother to do it.
But that wouldn't be earning the five cents,
thought Betsy.
And I don't want Mother to think that I'm a fraidie-cat....
----
C AROLYN H AYWOOD (1898-1990) was born in Philadelphia and began her career as an artist. She hoped to become a children's book illustrator, but at an editor's suggestion, she began writing stories about the everyday lives of children. The first of those,
"B" Is for Betsy,
was published in 1939, and more than fifty other books followed. One of America's most popular authors for children, Ms. Haywood used many of her own childhood experiences in her novels. "I write for children," she once explained, "because I feel that they need to know what is going on in their world and they can best understand it through stories."
----
Similar Books
