Read Online BSC09 The Ghost At Dawn's House by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online
Authors: Ann M. Martin
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about some secret hiding place, and that he stayed there by day and scavenged for food at night.
Decades passed. By the time Enos Cotterling was writing his history, he presumed that Jared was dead. In fact, the story about Jared had become a ghost story. Jared, people said, had died in his secret hiding place, but his spirit remained. Wood Acres (which had been swallowed up by another, larger, farm and was no longer called Wood Acres) was haunted by Jared, who was always on the prowl not only for food, but for trinkets and things that he could sell in order to try to pay back Mr. Bradford.
I put the book down thoughtfully. Wood Acres, a ghost, a secret hiding pi... A secret hiding place! Suddenly my arms broke out in
crawly gooseflesh. I shivered so hard my teeth chattered.
It fit! Everything fit! Enos Cotterling hadn't described where Wood Acres was, but it must be my house and my barn! The house was old enough, it had once been part of a farm, and there certainly was a good hiding place on the property ... a place you could yell from and sound as if you were between the house and the barn, yet not be seen.
There really was a ghost in our secret passage, and that ghost was crazy Jared Mullray!
Chapter 10.
It was eight o'clock when Claudia reached the Newtons'. Her job that night really should have been one of the easiest in baby-sitting history. Lucy was already in her crib and sound asleep. Jamie had already eaten dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Newton were only going to be gone for two hours. All Claudia had to do was put Jamie to bed — and the evening was hers.
That's how the evening should have gone. There was just one problem: Jamie didn't want to go to bed. I mean, he really didn't want to go to bed.
When Claudia rang the Newtons' doorbell that night, Jamie answered it. Right away, Claudia could tell he was wound up.
"Hi-hi! Hi-hi! Hi-hi!" he greeted her.
"Hi-hi, Jamie," said Claud.
Jamie was jumping up and down, up and down, like a yo-yo in blue jeans. "I learned a new song!" he exclaimed. "Listen to this: I'm in love with a big blue frog. A big blue frog loves me. It's not as bad as it may seem. He wears glasses and he's six foot three. Oh — "
Jamie's song was interrupted by his father. Mr. Newton rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry I taught him that," he said. "He's been singing it all day. And there are several more verses."
Claudia laughed. "I think it's funny," she said.
"Only the first seventy-five times," replied Mr. Newton, but he was smiling.
Mrs. Newton came down the stairs as Claudia stepped inside. "Hi, honey," she said. "Well, the baby's asleep, and Jamie has eaten. I don't think he needs a bath tonight — "
"Yea!" interrupted Jamie.
"So just put his p.j.'s on him. He's had a long day and should go to bed — " (she glanced at Jamie, who was listening intently) " — s-o-o-n," she spelled out.
"No fair spelling, Mommy!" Jamie protested.
"Okay," Claudia said to Mrs. Newton. Then she added, "Don't worry, Jamie. We'll have fun tonight before you go to bed."
"Goody."
The Newtons left then, and Jamie began hopping up and down again.
"Okay, Jamie. Time to put your p.j.'s on," said Claudia.
"Already?" he whined.
"Yup. It's almost bedtime. Come on upstairs."
"Just let me show you this one thing first. . . . Okay?"
"Okay," Claudia relented. "Just one thing."
"It's down in the playroom." Jamie took Claudia by the hand and led her down a flight of stairs to the Newtons' rec room. He stood in the middle of the room and looked around.
"What is it?" asked Claudia.
"It's, um ..." Jamie put his finger in his mouth. "It's this!" He darted over to a beat-up dump truck. "Look at it," he said.
"Your old truck?" asked Claudia, puzzled.
Jamie paused. "Oh, no. That wasn't it. I meant..." He picked up a little wooden cow that was lying next to the truck. "I meant my cow."
"Jamie," said Claudia, growing suspicious.
"No, I meant my — my Beary Bear," he said, snatching up a stuffed animal.
"That was three
Decades passed. By the time Enos Cotterling was writing his history, he presumed that Jared was dead. In fact, the story about Jared had become a ghost story. Jared, people said, had died in his secret hiding place, but his spirit remained. Wood Acres (which had been swallowed up by another, larger, farm and was no longer called Wood Acres) was haunted by Jared, who was always on the prowl not only for food, but for trinkets and things that he could sell in order to try to pay back Mr. Bradford.
I put the book down thoughtfully. Wood Acres, a ghost, a secret hiding pi... A secret hiding place! Suddenly my arms broke out in
crawly gooseflesh. I shivered so hard my teeth chattered.
It fit! Everything fit! Enos Cotterling hadn't described where Wood Acres was, but it must be my house and my barn! The house was old enough, it had once been part of a farm, and there certainly was a good hiding place on the property ... a place you could yell from and sound as if you were between the house and the barn, yet not be seen.
There really was a ghost in our secret passage, and that ghost was crazy Jared Mullray!
Chapter 10.
It was eight o'clock when Claudia reached the Newtons'. Her job that night really should have been one of the easiest in baby-sitting history. Lucy was already in her crib and sound asleep. Jamie had already eaten dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Newton were only going to be gone for two hours. All Claudia had to do was put Jamie to bed — and the evening was hers.
That's how the evening should have gone. There was just one problem: Jamie didn't want to go to bed. I mean, he really didn't want to go to bed.
When Claudia rang the Newtons' doorbell that night, Jamie answered it. Right away, Claudia could tell he was wound up.
"Hi-hi! Hi-hi! Hi-hi!" he greeted her.
"Hi-hi, Jamie," said Claud.
Jamie was jumping up and down, up and down, like a yo-yo in blue jeans. "I learned a new song!" he exclaimed. "Listen to this: I'm in love with a big blue frog. A big blue frog loves me. It's not as bad as it may seem. He wears glasses and he's six foot three. Oh — "
Jamie's song was interrupted by his father. Mr. Newton rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry I taught him that," he said. "He's been singing it all day. And there are several more verses."
Claudia laughed. "I think it's funny," she said.
"Only the first seventy-five times," replied Mr. Newton, but he was smiling.
Mrs. Newton came down the stairs as Claudia stepped inside. "Hi, honey," she said. "Well, the baby's asleep, and Jamie has eaten. I don't think he needs a bath tonight — "
"Yea!" interrupted Jamie.
"So just put his p.j.'s on him. He's had a long day and should go to bed — " (she glanced at Jamie, who was listening intently) " — s-o-o-n," she spelled out.
"No fair spelling, Mommy!" Jamie protested.
"Okay," Claudia said to Mrs. Newton. Then she added, "Don't worry, Jamie. We'll have fun tonight before you go to bed."
"Goody."
The Newtons left then, and Jamie began hopping up and down again.
"Okay, Jamie. Time to put your p.j.'s on," said Claudia.
"Already?" he whined.
"Yup. It's almost bedtime. Come on upstairs."
"Just let me show you this one thing first. . . . Okay?"
"Okay," Claudia relented. "Just one thing."
"It's down in the playroom." Jamie took Claudia by the hand and led her down a flight of stairs to the Newtons' rec room. He stood in the middle of the room and looked around.
"What is it?" asked Claudia.
"It's, um ..." Jamie put his finger in his mouth. "It's this!" He darted over to a beat-up dump truck. "Look at it," he said.
"Your old truck?" asked Claudia, puzzled.
Jamie paused. "Oh, no. That wasn't it. I meant..." He picked up a little wooden cow that was lying next to the truck. "I meant my cow."
"Jamie," said Claudia, growing suspicious.
"No, I meant my — my Beary Bear," he said, snatching up a stuffed animal.
"That was three
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