The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell

Author:Julie Campbell
Language: eng
Format: epub

A Precious Piece of Paper

"Oh, oh," Honey shrieked. "His back's broken. I know it is!"

Trixie felt a scream rising in her own throat as she stared dazedly at the crumpled form of the boy. Every freckle stood out in the whiteness of his face, and his hair was a bright splotch of red against his pale forehead. Then, as he let out an involuntary moan, she began tugging at the heavy ladder. Between them, the girls finally lifted and pushed the ladder away, and Jim looked up with a sickly grin.

"Golly, I know now what a drowning man goes through," he said. "Everything that ever happened to me flashed through my mind while that ladder was deciding what it was going to do." He stretched his arms and legs tentatively, slowly flexing his wrists and ankles. "No bones broken, thank goodness." He sat up. "I made myself go limp as soon as I realized I was going to fall."

"I was pretty limp myself," Trixie said, and grinned.

Jim scrambled to his feet, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll have a lump the size of yours," he told Trixie. "It was lucky I didn't crack my skull." He laughed ruefully. "Jonesy always said I was hardheaded, and I guess he's right."

"That makes three of us," Honey declared. "First I cut my knee, then Trixie hit her head on a rock, and now you topple off a ladder. What's going to happen next?"

"Nothing," Trixie said. "Bad things always go in threes, so the jinx is over."

"I'm not so sure of that." Honey was counting on her fingers. "Jupiter ran away with you. I almost got run over by the laundry truck, and the dog chased us down the lake."

"Well, that's just another set of threes," Jim said cheerfully.

"How about the dog running after me a little while ago?" Honey demanded. "Doesn't that start off still another set?"

Trixie shrugged. "Have it your way. Two more awful things are going to happen to us."

Honey looked hurt and said quietly, "What I'm trying to say is that I don't think Jim ought to climb up that ladder again today. He might get dizzy after such a bad fall."

"You're right." Jim shook his head vigorously. "I can still hear bells ringing in my ears. Anyway, the light's fading. It'll be pitch black up there with the windows as coated with dirt as they are. We wouldn't be able to see a thing."

"That's right." Trixie was sorry she had made fun of Honey. "I really ought to go home and help Mother with supper. I'll bring up a couple of flashlights, and we can explore tomorrow morning."

As the girls strolled down the path to the hollow, Honey said, "I know you think I'm silly to be so superstitious, but-"

"I don't," Trixie interrupted hastily. "I'm pretty superstitious myself. I wouldn't walk under a ladder for anything, and as for black cats!" She laughed. "One ran across the road in front of our car once, and Dad went into a ditch trying to avoid it.

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