Horror at the Haunted House (15 page)

Nothing. There was no cold air, no breeze, no hint that anyone other than Ellen was in the dining room. Ellen looked over her shoulder, toward the mirror. She saw only her own reflection.

“Lydia?” She said it louder this time, even though she knew that if the ghost were present, she would hear Ellen’s voice at any sound level.

Silence.

Ellen waited a moment before she spoke again. “I want to
thank you, Lydia. You saved my life and I will always remember you.”

Nothing. No hands, no face in the mirror, no chill.

Ellen stood quietly for a few more minutes. As she gazed at the shelves of Wedgwood, she realized that all the feelings of apprehension that she’d had about the house initially were gone. There was no more tension in the air, no coldness. The sinister vibrations which had disturbed her on her first visit were no longer here. Clayton House felt serene.

Ellen laid her fingers on the old black urn. Lightly, she caressed the piece which contained the last remains of Lydia Clayton’s baby. As her hands moved slowly across the surface, she knew Mr. Clayton was right. She would not see Lydia’s ghost again. She could only hope that her words of thanks, or her thoughts, were somehow perceived by the ghost.

Ellen smiled at the old Wedgwood urn.

“Rest in peace,” she said softly. “Rest in peace, my friend.”

Peg Kehret’s
books for young readers are regularly recommended by the American Library Association and the International Reading Association. She has won numerous state awards, as well as the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the PEN Award for Children’s Literature.

Ms. Kehret and her husband live in a log house near Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. From her home office she watches deer, elk, hummingbirds, and hawks. The couple have two grown children, four grandchildren, a dog, and two cats. When she is not writing, Ms. Kehret likes to read, watch baseball, and pump her old player piano.