A Good Summer - Part 5

Good morning FFFs,

It's the first of September! Can you believe it? Already summer has come and is now waving goodbye. Soon we'll have trees dressed in their fall leaves, the nights will grow chillier and the days shorter. . .

Here I sit dreaming. I'd better get on with this or I won't get it posted. :)

This week has been busy and good. I've gotten things done, and that always feels good. :) The planning for Kate's and my Five Fall Favorite party is coming right along! Yes, we are doing another one of those really fun blog parties. And we have new bloggers to join us, an incredible Grand Prize, and more! So, mark your calendars for the first week of October!

I still haven't written at all. Writing seems to have slipped away into some hidden corner of my mind and is sleeping. What will it take to rouse it again? I do need to do a little writing and add a new ending to one of the Christmas stories before I publish it. But after that, I don't know. I'd like to get back to writing, but I feel that I need to get some books finished and published first. Would you like that?

And now, here's the last part of your summer mystery. :) Enjoy!

A Good Summer

Part 5

    It was mid afternoon when Patrick, Kathleen and Angelina, armed with cookies and cool water from the well and feeling very brave, set off for the barn. At the foot of the ladder they hesitated and looked about. No one was to be seen and all was quiet in the loft. Without a word, Patrick started up, followed closely by his twin and a little more slowly by Angelina.
    “If you are up here,” Patrick spoke bravely though his knees were shaking, “we wish you’d come out just, for we brought you more cookies and—”
    “We’d like to be your friends if you aren’t a bad person entirely,” Kathleen finished.
    “Kath!” Patrick hissed reprovingly.
    A sudden noise arrested their attention. It was coming from a shadowy corner.
    Angelina, still on the ladder, froze, clinging to the sides and staring, not sure if she wanted to stay, and yet not quite daring to move. The twins, without realizing that they had done so, clasped the other’s hand and fairly held their breath.
    “No I ain’t a bad person entirely,” a voice said, followed by a slight groan. “Mama brought me up better’n that.” A slight figure crawled from behind a pile of hay and stood up. The boy wasn’t much larger than the three children and he moved towards them with a decided limp.
    On seeing that, Patrick let go of Kathleen’s hand and moved over to help him while Angelina climbed up into the loft and Kathleen made a place to sit.
    It wasn’t until the boy, who wasn’t much older than eleven, had eaten three cookies and drunk two glasses of water that anyone spoke.
    “What is your name? Where did you come from and why are you hiding in the barn loft?” It was irrepressible Kathleen who broke the silence.
    The boy gave a slight laugh. “Name’s Harry. Came from New York originally, but my folks died an’ I was sent out to live with some cousin who didn’t want me. He died an’ I’ve been on my own ever since.”
    “But why were you hiding in the barn?” persisted Kathleen.
    “‘Cause I hurt my leg an’ didn’t figure nobody’d give me work if I was hurt. Thought I could stay here for a day or two . . .” his voice trailed off and he looked down with such a look of discouragement that Angelina said,
    “There is no need to stay up here.”
    “Not at all,” Patrick agreed quickly. “Uncle Dan and Aunt Nancy would be for taking you in.”
    “I ain’t goin’ back to no orphanage,” Harry declared fiercely.
    “Tis not likely they’d be sending you neither,” Kathleen put in.
    It took some persuading by all three children before their new friend, for so they considered him, would come with them to the house.

    Mr. and Mrs. Cutlass were both sitting on the porch when they saw the children approaching.
    “Now who is that with them?” Mrs. Cutlass asked.
    “I’m not sure, but I suspect it is the same one who has been using our pump and sleeping in our barn loft. I’m glad the children have convinced him to come up to the house. I’m sure he could use a good meal tonight, Nancy.”
    “I’d be happy to fix him one. But he’s hurt,” she added, noticing that the young stranger limped and was helped along by Patrick.
    Mr. Cutlass only nodded.
    Uncle Dan and Aunt Nancy welcomed the new young guest with smiles and kindness. Uncle Dan attended to the injured leg while the girls helped Aunt Nancy prepare supper, though Angelina was of more help than Kathleen who kept running back to say something to Harry or Patrick.

    It was while everyone was still eating that a sudden rumble startled them all.
    “Look at them clouds!” Harry exclaimed.
    “And feel that breeze!” Aunt Nancy added as the wind tossed the curtains about and ruffled the tablecloth. It wasn’t dry and hot as it had been but pleasant with a hint of moisture.
    Uncle Dan had stood up and moved out to the porch. “The rain’s coming!”
    A few minutes later the rain did come, gently but steadily and everyone gathered on the porch to watch it, breathing in the fresh scent and listening to the drops pattering on the roof.
    Mr. and Mrs. Cutlass looked about them and exchanged smiles. Kathleen was sitting on the porch rail alternately sticking a foot out in the rain and bringing it back dripping wet, laughing and chattering. Angelina on the floor, her arms clasped about her legs, was sitting silently with her chin resting on her knees, watching the rain. Patrick was roving about the porch, commenting now and then about the effects of the rain on different parts of the yard, while Harry sat on the porch swing, his injured leg resting on a chair, a look of contentment on his face.
    “Well, Nan,” Mr. Cutlass remarked quietly, “We’ve got rain and four young ones. It should be a good rest of the summer.”

Do you think Harry stayed with the Cutlasses?

Did you enjoy the ending of this story?

What do you want to read next?