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"Do not trust your memory; it is a new full of holes; the most beautiful prizes slip through it." –Georges Duhamel, The Heart's Domain
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Chapter 5
In Which Our Heroine and the House are joined
"Gran! I'm here!" Cappi shouted as she flung open the front door to The Pasture.
"I'm in the kitchen, sweetheart," her grandmother called.
Cappi was standing in the foyer, surveying her surroundings. From where she stood, she could see the living room, the doors to her grandmother's bedroom and office, and the grand flight of steps leading to the upstairs.
She dropped her bags at the foot of the stairs and headed for the kitchen.
"Hi, Gran," she said upon entering the large kitchen at the back of the house.
"Hi, honey," her grandmother replied, wiping her hands on her apron and shuffling over to Cappi to give her a hug.
"What are you baking?" Cappi asked, hugging her grandmother.
"Chocolate chip cookies. How are your parents?"
"They're good. Mom's redecorating the house...again. And dad's busy at work like always."
"Well, why don't you go put your things in your room? Then you can come tell me how your school year was."
Cappi sighed as she heard the resounding thump of her bags hitting the floor of "her bedroom." She stood in the doorway taking everything in. Her eyes flickered past the crème colored walls and powder blue bed. They traveled over the oak dresser and towering armoire. They descended upon the light blue rug and hard-wood floor.
As her eyes scanned the floor, she noticed something odd. There was a spot in the corner of the room in which the floor panels did not line up. Cappi made her way across the room to the oddity and tapped her foot gingerly on the uneven tiles. Her ears were met with a slight hollow sound. She bent over the spot and knocked twice on the tiles. Definitely hollow, she thought to herself. Cappi ran her hands over the floorboards until she found a small spot where one board rose above the others. She pressed her fingers at the side of the board and pried. In a matter of moments, she had pulled the board away from the others. Her hands moved on to the next board.
Soon there were three panels missing, creating a small hole in the floor. Cappi reached her hand into the hole and felt around. Her fingers wrapped around a smooth object at the bottom of the opening. She pulled her hand out cautiously, bringing with it a small, leather-bound book.
She reached her hand into the hole once more and discovered another item. Upon pulling it out, she realized that it was a slightly decayed, severely worn, red bandana. She looked at the ragged piece of cloth with mild disgust before tossing it back into the abyss.
As soon as the bandana was disposed of, Cappi turned her attention to the book. There was no title on the cover, but upon opening it, her eyes were greeted with the words "Diary of Elizabeth Marie Bowen, 1901."
Cappi turned to the next page.
May 8, 1901
Dear Diary,
A boy came into town today. He was looking for work so Papa hired him to help with the building of the house. His name is Jack Kelly. He's a very interesting character. He's from New York City. Can you imagine that? He says he wanted to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico, but settled for Arkansas. Funny, I would've thought a Yankee would've passed up Arkansas in a heart beat. I guess you can never tell.
He's a nice looking boy, Jack is. He has light brown hair and he wears a red bandana around his neck and a cowboy hat. Papa said he's eighteen—just a year older than me.
Well, Mama's calling me to help her with dinner. Jack is going to be dining with the family. I must find out more about him. I'll let you know when I do.
Yours Truly,
Bess
Cappi was intrigued with her new discovery. She read the entry again and again. He wears a red bandana around his neck.
"This must be Jack's bandana," she whispered, picking up the discarded piece of fabric, "And Elizabeth Marie Bowen...why does that name sound so familiar?"
"Cappi, honey, what's taking you so long?" the girl's grandmother called up the stairs.
"Nothing, Gran, I'm coming."
With that, she placed the bandana and journal on her bed, closed the hole in the floor, and headed down the stairs.
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A/N: Please review.