The Ghost of Tillie Jean Cassaway (10 page)

“Then if you want me, I'll come back,” said the girl. “I think it's my home.”

“Ann, I want you to come back. Yes, that's right, it is your home,” said the man.

“Well, that's just fine,” said Granny. “Morton, will you help me get this boy to my truck, parked up the lane? He's hurt his ankle, somehow.”

“What about my bike and paints and stuff?” asked Willy, as they helped him to the truck. “Hil, could you … would you.…”

“Yes, I'll go get them,” said Hilary. “I'll ride your bike to the Holmans Hollow cutoff, and wait for you there, or you wait for me. Okay?”

“That's a good idea. Then we can put the bike in the back and all ride home,” said Granny.

“I have to see Babe,” said Ann. “I have to ask him to keep Robert.”

“Well, we'll have to make it quick,” said Granny. They drove over the muddy road to the Larson place, while Hilary went to get the bike.

“Well, who's this?” asked Mrs. Larson as Granny and Ann came to the door.

“It's Tillie!” shouted Babe, who was right behind his mother.

“No, it's Ann Turner,” said Granny.

“Tillie!” said Babe.

“No, Ann!” said the girl, holding out her hands to the child-man. “Ann.”

“Ann?” he said softly. “Ann … Ann my friend.”

Granny said, “You have that dog Robert here?”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Larson. “Babe just loves that dog. I don't know what we're going to do when it gets well enough to leave.”

“It's his dog now,” said Ann, pointing to Babe.

“He was Tillie Jean Cassaway's dog,” said Granny. “He needs a good home.”

“Well, for goodness sake, Babe's so good with him, we'll keep him, I guess,” said Mrs. Larson.

“This is the girl Babe and Hilary saw in the woods,” said Granny. “She is Ann Turner and she lives with Morton Craig. She's an orphan from Couger Mountain and he took her in.”

“Mercy sakes,” said Mrs. Larson. “Is that a fact?”

“Yes, it's so,” said Granny. “But she's going to come visit with us awhile before going back there. We've got to go. Poor Willy's hurt his ankle and is waiting in the truck and Hilary's going to meet us at the road by the river.”

“Well I hope Willy's not hurt bad … you all come back.”

“Ann stay!” said Babe.

“She has to go now but she can come back,” said Granny. “You come see me, Miz Larson.”

“Will when I can. Good-bye.”

When they got to the river, Hilary was sitting on a rock looking at Willy's pictures. She and Granny got the bike into the back of the truck and Hilary climbed in the back too, letting Ann ride beside Granny.

The brother and sister rode without talking for awhile, then Hilary said, “Willy, I was wrong about your painting.”

“What do you mean?”

“You
can
paint things that are moving. Look at this.” She held a picture he had done while fishing.

“Let me see.”

“You got a fish jumping out of the water.”

Willy studied his picture and began smiling.

“I think you paint better when you're by yourself,” said Hilary.

“But you can't see a fish in this,” said Willy.

“No, but it looks like water breaking, a silvery flash. Dad will love it.”

Willy grinned. “But I got no fish for Mom!”

“Well, we got Ann. She'll be surprised.”

“Yeah.” He was quiet for awhile, then said, “Would you believe me if I said there really was a ghost?”

“Would you be telling the truth?”

“What is the truth?”

“What you believe.”

“Well, the other day I was standing on a hill and saw a little ravine with nothing in it but trees, and I believed nothing else was there. But I looked again and saw a house.”

“You have to keep looking, I guess.”

“I will,” thought Willy. “And listening and wondering. I never will stop wondering.”

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Originally published by Four Winds Press.

Copyright © 1978, 2000 by Ellen Harvey Showell

ISBN: 978-1-5040-2919-3

Distributed in 2016 by Open Road Distribution

180 Maiden Lane

New York, NY 10038

www.openroadmedia.com