Read Online The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Downing Hahn
Tags: Fiction, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Social Issues, Brothers and sisters, Ghost Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Haunted Houses, Siblings, Ghosts, Friendship
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it a little longer? We're halfway through already."
Lissa considered this. "I've read it five times, so I guess I can wait." She looked at me, squinting in the sunlight. "It's my favorite book."
"It's my favorite book, too. I've read it at least five myself." I smiled at her, happy we had something in common. "It wasn't stealing, you know. We borrowed it, like a library book. We were going to bring it back."
Lissa gave me a half smile and said, "What about my bear?"
I pictured Georgie, sleeping happily with Alfie. How could I take the bear away from him? He'd be heartbroken.
"I know the bear's special to you," I said slowly, "but it's special to Georgie, too. He used to have one just like it, but Miss—" I stopped myself just in time. "You have so many toys. Couldn't Georgie keep it for a while?"
"You don't understand. My mother gave it to me." Lissa's eyes filled with tears. "She died when I was only five. I can hardly remember her, but when I holdTedward, it's almost like she's with me again."
I touched her arm, full of sympathy for her and for Georgie as well. "Please, Lissa. Georgie will take good care of your bear."
Lissa folded her arms across her chest and frowned at the woods. I looked at her, wishing I knew what to say or do. Making friends was harder than I remembered. Or maybe I was just out of practice.
"Where's Georgie now?" Lissa asked suddenly.
I shrugged. "He's probably fishing at the pond or holed up in a tree somewhere. Maybe he's catching frogs in the marsh. He often disappears all day."
Lissa looked at me curiously. "You seem to know a lot about the farm. Do you live near here?"
"Yes." I folded my hands in my lap and watched a red leaf spin past my feet. It made a tiny scuttling sound on the terrace. I wished Lissa would stop asking questions. It was tiring.
"In those houses across the highway?"
"Yes." The red leaf settled down in the corner with the other leaves. Two more followed it. Scuttle, scuttle across the terrace, like tiny footsteps.
"Do your parents know you come here after dark?"
I shook my head. "We sneak out."
"You're pretty good at sneaking," Lissa said. "Out of your house. Into my house." She was mad again, I could tell by her voice and the sharp look she gave me.
"I promise I won't borrow anything else," I said. "Unless I ask first."
"How about Georgie?"
"I'll make him promise, too."
"You'd better."
"I'm sorry, honest I am," I told her. "But we've always taken stuff from the caretakers. They were lazy, mean old men, not like you and your father. You're the first girl who's ever come here. Please, Lissa, don't be mad. I haven't had a friend for a long, long time."
Lissa hesitated. "I want my bear," she said in a low voice, close to tears again. "Bring him back and we can be friends."
Before I could answer, we were interrupted by a series of whoops and hollers from the woods. Georgie dashed up the hill toward us, his face and body painted with red and yellow mud from the creek. Crow and hawk feathers jutted from his hair. He wore nothing but a ragged loincloth.
"Go home," he shouted at Lissa, "and don't come near my sister again—or you'll be sorry!"
Lissa gasped and dropped MacDuff's leash. The dog raced across the lawn toward Georgie.
I ran after MacDuff, screaming at Lissa. "Call him off, call him off! That's my brother!"
"MacDuff!" Lissa cried. "MacDuff!"
The dog had already caught Georgie and knocked him down. He stood over him, snarling. While Georgie lay on the ground and hollered, I grabbed MacDuff's leash and tried to pull him away. In a second, Lissa was beside me, yelling at the dog, tugging at his collar.
At last, MacDuff allowed Lissa to haul him away from Georgie. I knelt beside my brother. "Are you all right?"
He sat up, looking more savage than ever. "You liar, I knew you'd sneak off and see her!"
Lissa stared at him, struggling to restrain MacDuff. The dog kept barking. The racket echoed from the house and the woods, setting off a flock of
Lissa considered this. "I've read it five times, so I guess I can wait." She looked at me, squinting in the sunlight. "It's my favorite book."
"It's my favorite book, too. I've read it at least five myself." I smiled at her, happy we had something in common. "It wasn't stealing, you know. We borrowed it, like a library book. We were going to bring it back."
Lissa gave me a half smile and said, "What about my bear?"
I pictured Georgie, sleeping happily with Alfie. How could I take the bear away from him? He'd be heartbroken.
"I know the bear's special to you," I said slowly, "but it's special to Georgie, too. He used to have one just like it, but Miss—" I stopped myself just in time. "You have so many toys. Couldn't Georgie keep it for a while?"
"You don't understand. My mother gave it to me." Lissa's eyes filled with tears. "She died when I was only five. I can hardly remember her, but when I holdTedward, it's almost like she's with me again."
I touched her arm, full of sympathy for her and for Georgie as well. "Please, Lissa. Georgie will take good care of your bear."
Lissa folded her arms across her chest and frowned at the woods. I looked at her, wishing I knew what to say or do. Making friends was harder than I remembered. Or maybe I was just out of practice.
"Where's Georgie now?" Lissa asked suddenly.
I shrugged. "He's probably fishing at the pond or holed up in a tree somewhere. Maybe he's catching frogs in the marsh. He often disappears all day."
Lissa looked at me curiously. "You seem to know a lot about the farm. Do you live near here?"
"Yes." I folded my hands in my lap and watched a red leaf spin past my feet. It made a tiny scuttling sound on the terrace. I wished Lissa would stop asking questions. It was tiring.
"In those houses across the highway?"
"Yes." The red leaf settled down in the corner with the other leaves. Two more followed it. Scuttle, scuttle across the terrace, like tiny footsteps.
"Do your parents know you come here after dark?"
I shook my head. "We sneak out."
"You're pretty good at sneaking," Lissa said. "Out of your house. Into my house." She was mad again, I could tell by her voice and the sharp look she gave me.
"I promise I won't borrow anything else," I said. "Unless I ask first."
"How about Georgie?"
"I'll make him promise, too."
"You'd better."
"I'm sorry, honest I am," I told her. "But we've always taken stuff from the caretakers. They were lazy, mean old men, not like you and your father. You're the first girl who's ever come here. Please, Lissa, don't be mad. I haven't had a friend for a long, long time."
Lissa hesitated. "I want my bear," she said in a low voice, close to tears again. "Bring him back and we can be friends."
Before I could answer, we were interrupted by a series of whoops and hollers from the woods. Georgie dashed up the hill toward us, his face and body painted with red and yellow mud from the creek. Crow and hawk feathers jutted from his hair. He wore nothing but a ragged loincloth.
"Go home," he shouted at Lissa, "and don't come near my sister again—or you'll be sorry!"
Lissa gasped and dropped MacDuff's leash. The dog raced across the lawn toward Georgie.
I ran after MacDuff, screaming at Lissa. "Call him off, call him off! That's my brother!"
"MacDuff!" Lissa cried. "MacDuff!"
The dog had already caught Georgie and knocked him down. He stood over him, snarling. While Georgie lay on the ground and hollered, I grabbed MacDuff's leash and tried to pull him away. In a second, Lissa was beside me, yelling at the dog, tugging at his collar.
At last, MacDuff allowed Lissa to haul him away from Georgie. I knelt beside my brother. "Are you all right?"
He sat up, looking more savage than ever. "You liar, I knew you'd sneak off and see her!"
Lissa stared at him, struggling to restrain MacDuff. The dog kept barking. The racket echoed from the house and the woods, setting off a flock of
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