The Well-Wishers Read Online Free Page B

The Well-Wishers
Book: The Well-Wishers Read Online Free
Author: Edward Eager
Pages:
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"I'll try."
    I felt solemn as we went up the drive and I looked at Hopeful Hill's big main building, and remembered all the troubled people inside, behind all those curtained windows. And I guess the old lady could tell I was feeling nervous, because she patted my arm.
    "Cheer up, Diogenes," she said. "By the way, isn't it time we introduced ourselves?" So I told her my name. When she heard it, she grinned her crocodile grin. "Very well, Gordon'T. Witherspoon III," she said. "Will you walk into my parlor?"
    And we went inside.
    ***
    This is Laura writing now. Gordy said I should do this bit, because the first adventure ought to have been mine by rights. But I am glad he got it.
    When we saw Gordy go off down the hill with that old witch, I could have died. I was sure the magic had gone wrong, and something awful was going to happen to him, and just when I had been so mean to him, too.
    But we had promised to be in the adventure; so the only thing to do was follow. We could see Gordy's flashlight ahead and we kept it in sight, lurking and hanging back so the old witch wouldn't see us.
    When we got to the bottom of the hill, it was spooky going along the road in the dark, though we've walked that same road at night hundreds of times and never turned a hair. Once I thought I heard Gordy calling for help, but when we stopped and held our breaths and listened, it didn't seem as if that were it.
    "I think he's making birdcalls," James said.
    "He couldn't be," I said. But that was exactly what it sounded like.
    "She's bewitched him. He thinks he's a twitch-nosed wheedler," said Kip. But I think it was nerves that made him and Lydia giggle.
    After that we didn't hear anything more; so we went on.
    But when we saw where they were turning in, it didn't seem as if the magic could ever be going to come right again. Because we have always been a little scared of Hopeful Hill. If Deborah weren't so fond of Gordy, I don't think we'd ever have got her up the driveway to where the fateful asylum ominously loomed. We got there just in time to see the dread doors close behind Gordy and the witchlike old lady, with a sound that was awfully final, somehow. We turned to look at each other.
    "I swear I'll never pick on Gordy again," I said.
    "That's if we ever see him again," Lydia said.
    Kip was reconnoitering. "Look!" he said, and we all looked where he pointed.
    Behind an uncurtained window on the ground floor a light had gone on, and now we saw Gordy and the old witch come into a room. Another black, witchlike figure came in after them. They talked together for a minute and then the door of the room opened, and we saw the prettiest golden-haired little girl I had ever seen in my life. There was something strange about the way she came into the room, almost as if she were walking in her sleep.
    "It's Sleeping Beauty!" Kip said. "The two old witches have brought Gordy to kiss her and wake her up!"
    "Some Prince Charming!" said Lydia.
    I knew they were only laughing to keep their courage up, but Deborah sputtered indignantly. "I don't know what you mean! I think Gordy'd make a
wonderful
prince!"
    "I think he's been acting like one," said James. And we all agreed in our hearts. After that we just watched. And the rest of the story is Gordy's.
     
    This is Gordy again.
    When I followed the old lady into the hall of Hopeful Hill, I didn't know what I'd see. But it wasn't scary a bit, just a big hall with potted plants around and tables, like some dumb old lobby of a hotel.
    The old lady led the way into a room at one side,

 
    and another lady followed us in. This second lady had on a black velvet dress, and pearls and a permanent wave, but her face was all frowns and worry lines, and I didn't like her much. I could tell right away she must be the aunt. She didn't look as if she had time for anything. Her eyes moved over all the trailing pieces of vines and plants, and over me, and she sniffed.
    "What is all
this,
Doctor Lovely?" she said. That is my
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