Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson

Author:Kirby Larson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780307979681
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2013-02-11T22:00:00+00:00

Above all the people noise, gulls and other seabirds made it clear that this was their domain and we humans mere trespassers.

I chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Ned asked.

“Oh, I was just thinking back on my first day in town. I felt like such a country mouse.” I waved with my ice cream cone. “All these people! The noise! The commotion! It gave me the jitters. And now, after a couple of months, it seems normal.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Ned said. “Because I have a secret plan for keeping you here.” He waggled his eyebrows like a mad scientist.

“Oh, dear!” I pressed the back of my hand to my forehead like the women always did in melodramas. “Whatever shall I do?”

He pretended to twist a long moustache. “Say yes.” Beneath the silliness, I sensed something else going on. I wasn’t sure what it was though.

“To what?” I concentrated on my ice cream cone.

“Being my partner.”

“In what?” I asked in a teasing tone. “Crime?”

“In news.”

That stopped me in my tracks. “What do you mean?”

He led me over to a bench and we sat. “President Wilson’s going to pay a visit to our fair city next month. Trying to get backing for the League of Nations.”

“I’d heard that.” What I knew about the League of Nations would fit in that thimble I’d bought Perilee.

“So that gives us about two weeks to earn the assignment. There’s a lot of background to fill in, to understand.”

“You want me to help with the research?” I’d gotten pretty good at that, if I did say so myself.

“That’s the ticket.” He sat back on the bench. “But I’d pay you myself. Monson doesn’t need to know about it. It’d be our little project.”

I thought it over. It was flattering that Ned wanted my help. But I knew he aspired to being more than a cub reporter. And something like this could boost his standing. Considerably. I sensed this was the time for some horse-trading. “I’ll do it. And you don’t have to pay me.” I held up my hand to stop his protest. “At least, not in cold hard cash. What I want is the chance to do some of the writing. If it’s not up to snuff, you don’t have to use it. But if it’s newsworthy, you do.”

“I’ve no complaints about your writing.” He chewed on my suggestion for a moment. “Seems fair.”

“I’m not finished.” This might be the chance to hang up my navy blue work smock for good. “We share a byline.”

“What?” Ned nearly jumped off the bench. “That’s just not done, Hattie.”

I shrugged. “Fine.” I stuck out my hand. “Good luck, then.”

He frowned. “And here I thought you were a sweet young thing. This is something Marjorie D’Lacorte might cook up.”

“I will take that as a compliment.” I stood. “Shall we keep walking? I see Maude and Orson up there.”

He snatched my hand and shook it. Firmly. “All right. All right. It’s a deal.”

“You won’t regret it!” I could have done a little jig right there on the boardwalk.

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