Read Online Ghost Girl by Delia Ray - Free Book Online

nice on my tongue—hushed, like a secret.
    Miss Vest clapped her hands together. “That’s a wonderful idea! We could—”
    But before she could say anything else, somebody banged on the door.
    â€œNow who’s that?” Aunt Birdy asked, pushing herself to her feet and scurrying over to open it. I half expected to see Mama standing in the doorway waiting to fetch me back home, but it was a marine—the one called Sergeant Jordan.
    â€œSergeant!” Miss Vest cried. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œI’ve been looking for you all afternoon, ma’am,” he told her, taking off his hat. “I’ve got a message for you from Camp Rapidan. The Hoovers are here for the weekend and would like you to join them tonight for dinner.”
    Miss Vest’s face turned pale. “
Dinner?
Tonight?”
    â€œYes, ma’am. I tried to let you know earlier, but I couldn’t find you. Good thing I ran into Mr. Jessup on the road. He told me you might be down this way.”
    Miss Vest’s hands fluttered up to smooth her hair. “I’ve been out calling on my students. I didn’t even know the Hoovers were coming this weekend.”
    Sergeant Jordan sighed. “Neither did we, until yesterday. You should see what it’s like down at the base. We’ve all been reassigned to new posts, and everybody’s tearing around like crazy trying to—” He blushed and pulled himself up straight again. “Anyway, ma’am, we should probably get going. I’m supposed to have you over at Camp Rapidan by five o’clock.”
    Miss Vest looked at her wristwatch and let out a gasp. “But—but it’s quarter to five now!” She stared down at her skirt and sweater. “Can I at least wash up and change my clothes?”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” Sergeant Jordan told her. “I’ve got the truck waiting up by the schoolhouse.”
    Aunt Birdy and I traded looks.
Miss Vest was going to Camp Rapidan.
For months everybody had been gossiping about what was behind those big metal gates down the mountain. Folks said that Mrs. Hoover rode around on her big bay horse wearing a suit of white riding clothes and the president spent all day fishing the trout streams, not even stopping to loosen up his high starched collar and tie. I imagined their summer house probably looked like the biggest one in the Sears, Roebuck catalog, the two-story one with the brick chimneys and the shutters and the porch with the pillars out front.
    And now Miss Vest was heading off to see Camp Rapidan for herself. I watched as she flitted around, gathering up her catalog and the outline of my foot and shoving them in her satchel.
    â€œIt was so good to meet you, Aunt Birdy,” she said, all out of breath. “And April, I’ll see you at school on Monday. . . . I’m sorry I have to run off like this. What in the world am I going to wear?” She laughed a high, nervous laugh and touched the tips of her fingers to the bright red spots on her cheeks.
    Aunt Birdy and I walked out to the front porch to see her off. Mama and Daddy were still working, stacking wood against the shed over in the side yard. “Goodbye!” Miss Vest called to them. “Hope to see you again soon!”
    Daddy waved, but Mama never even looked up from the load of kindling in her arms. I was glad Miss Vest was too riled to notice. As she hurried up the slope behind Sergeant Jordan, she turned around and gave me one last smile. It was all I could do to hold myself back from running up the mountain after her.

Eight

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    The Hoovers must have invited Miss Vest over so they could ask her to work even harder. Because pretty soon after her dinner at Camp Rapidan, she told the class she planned to start holding Sunday prayer meetings at the schoolhouse. Most of the kids broke out clapping. We had never had a real church on our mountain before. The