Looking at so many pictures began to give Kate a stiff neck.
There were a few interesting possibilities—portrait-type pictures of young women. But none of them were named Addie. Kate knew they weren’t because all the pictures were carefully labeled. There were Marys and Ediths and Bridgets and Augustas and lots of others, but not a single Addie among them.
In between looking at all the pictures, Kate watched Aurora because she was sure Aurora would know if something important turned up. But, for a long time, Aurora didn’t say or do anything special. She did look at one photograph for a long time, but it was just a picture of a little girl about ten or twelve years old sitting on a big horse. And her name was Liza. “Liza on Champion” it said under the picture.
“Who is Liza?” Aurora said.
“Who was Liza?” Mrs. A. asked. “Oh yes. I believe she would have been my husband’s aunt, but I don’t think he even remembers her. She died quite young, as I recall.”
“But she loved horses?” Aurora asked.
“Loved horses?” Mrs. A. looked at the picture of the little girl on the big horse. “Why, yes, I suppose she did. If I remember correctly she had a serious illness as a young child and lost her hearing completely. And after that, since she wasn’t able to talk to people, she spent all her time with animals. Particularly with the horses.”
“Liza,” Aurora said. She stared at the picture for quite a while, but at last she let Mrs. A. turn the page, and they went on looking at other boring pictures.
Kate was feeling more frustrated all the time. Here they were sitting indoors on Halloween night looking at old pictures because they were hoping to find one of Addie before she was a ghost. But there didn’t seem to be an Addie in the whole book. As Mrs. A. turned the pages more and more slowly and went on talking and talking, Kate tried to get Aurora’s attention. If Aurora would just look up she could make a bored face and nod toward the door. But Aurora wouldn’t lift her eyes from the pages of the album. At last Kate decided to take charge on her own, just to get things moving.
“Isn’t there a picture of Addie anywhere in there?” she asked.
Mrs. A. looked puzzled. “Of me?” she asked. “My given name is Adelaide, you know.”
Kate ignored Aurora’s warning frown. “Yes, I know that,” she said. “But I didn’t mean you. I meant another Addie who lived a long time ago.” Kate gave Aurora a “try and stop me” look. “I mean, the one who had a boyfriend who was a bandit.”
Mrs. A. looked puzzled. “I don’t know of any other Addie,” she said. “Or anyone who had a …” She paused for a minute and then went on. “Who told you about this Addie and her boyfriend, Kate? It wasn’t … it wasn’t our Bettina, was it?”
Kate looked at Aurora, asking for her help, but Aurora’s face said something like “You got yourself into this mess. It’s your problem.” That made Kate even angrier. All right. If Aurora wouldn’t help out, she would decide what to tell all by herself, and she’d tell everything—if she wanted to. Everything they knew about Addie and the bandit.
So she did. All about what Bettina had said about the two ghosts and how they were the ghosts of Addie and her boyfriend. And how the boyfriend had been shot, and perhaps Addie had too. When she finished, Mrs. A. was smiling. A strange, sad-looking smile.
She sighed. “Bettina,” she said and sighed again. “I’m afraid Bettina is a great storyteller.”
Kate stared at Mrs. A. and then at Aurora and then back at Mrs. A. “You mean,” she said finally, “that Bettina just made up all that stuff—about the ghosts and everything?”
Mrs. A. nodded. “I’m afraid so. I think she just wanted to upset you. I’m afraid Bettina likes to be upsetting.”
Kate didn’t know what to say. What she wanted to say was “But there is a ghost in the old barn. Aurora knew there was one before we even met
There were a few interesting possibilities—portrait-type pictures of young women. But none of them were named Addie. Kate knew they weren’t because all the pictures were carefully labeled. There were Marys and Ediths and Bridgets and Augustas and lots of others, but not a single Addie among them.
In between looking at all the pictures, Kate watched Aurora because she was sure Aurora would know if something important turned up. But, for a long time, Aurora didn’t say or do anything special. She did look at one photograph for a long time, but it was just a picture of a little girl about ten or twelve years old sitting on a big horse. And her name was Liza. “Liza on Champion” it said under the picture.
“Who is Liza?” Aurora said.
“Who was Liza?” Mrs. A. asked. “Oh yes. I believe she would have been my husband’s aunt, but I don’t think he even remembers her. She died quite young, as I recall.”
“But she loved horses?” Aurora asked.
“Loved horses?” Mrs. A. looked at the picture of the little girl on the big horse. “Why, yes, I suppose she did. If I remember correctly she had a serious illness as a young child and lost her hearing completely. And after that, since she wasn’t able to talk to people, she spent all her time with animals. Particularly with the horses.”
“Liza,” Aurora said. She stared at the picture for quite a while, but at last she let Mrs. A. turn the page, and they went on looking at other boring pictures.
Kate was feeling more frustrated all the time. Here they were sitting indoors on Halloween night looking at old pictures because they were hoping to find one of Addie before she was a ghost. But there didn’t seem to be an Addie in the whole book. As Mrs. A. turned the pages more and more slowly and went on talking and talking, Kate tried to get Aurora’s attention. If Aurora would just look up she could make a bored face and nod toward the door. But Aurora wouldn’t lift her eyes from the pages of the album. At last Kate decided to take charge on her own, just to get things moving.
“Isn’t there a picture of Addie anywhere in there?” she asked.
Mrs. A. looked puzzled. “Of me?” she asked. “My given name is Adelaide, you know.”
Kate ignored Aurora’s warning frown. “Yes, I know that,” she said. “But I didn’t mean you. I meant another Addie who lived a long time ago.” Kate gave Aurora a “try and stop me” look. “I mean, the one who had a boyfriend who was a bandit.”
Mrs. A. looked puzzled. “I don’t know of any other Addie,” she said. “Or anyone who had a …” She paused for a minute and then went on. “Who told you about this Addie and her boyfriend, Kate? It wasn’t … it wasn’t our Bettina, was it?”
Kate looked at Aurora, asking for her help, but Aurora’s face said something like “You got yourself into this mess. It’s your problem.” That made Kate even angrier. All right. If Aurora wouldn’t help out, she would decide what to tell all by herself, and she’d tell everything—if she wanted to. Everything they knew about Addie and the bandit.
So she did. All about what Bettina had said about the two ghosts and how they were the ghosts of Addie and her boyfriend. And how the boyfriend had been shot, and perhaps Addie had too. When she finished, Mrs. A. was smiling. A strange, sad-looking smile.
She sighed. “Bettina,” she said and sighed again. “I’m afraid Bettina is a great storyteller.”
Kate stared at Mrs. A. and then at Aurora and then back at Mrs. A. “You mean,” she said finally, “that Bettina just made up all that stuff—about the ghosts and everything?”
Mrs. A. nodded. “I’m afraid so. I think she just wanted to upset you. I’m afraid Bettina likes to be upsetting.”
Kate didn’t know what to say. What she wanted to say was “But there is a ghost in the old barn. Aurora knew there was one before we even met
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