Ann Martin: Kristy And The Haunted Mansion

I was speechless, and so were my friends. I think we must have stood there staring at her for about five minutes. "Wow," I said finally. "That is an awesome story."

"If s not one I've had the chance to tell too often," she said, smiling.

"But what about Will?" asked Karen all of a sudden. I turned to her, and saw that she looked very sad. "I think he misses you a lot."

Dorothy nodded. "I miss him sometimes, too," she said. "As I said, I've had a good life. But it’s been a lonely one, at times."

"Why don't you go see him?" I said, without thinking. "I know he would be happy to know that you're alive. Couldn't you visit him just once?"

Dorothy looked taken aback for a moment. But then she laughed. "Do you know, I think I'll do just that!" she said. "It'll give old Will a turn, but you're right. Now that I know where he is, I think it would be grand to see him."

When my friends and I left the shop that day, we were smiling. Everything had worked out just fine. The Krashers had been marooned, but now we were back. Will Blackburn and Dorothy Sawyer would soon have a happy reunion. And the mystery of the haunted mansion was finally over. "But I still can't help wondering," said

Dawn, as we walked down the street, "about whether there might be a ghost in that mansion. I mean, what about the things people have seen?"

"Dawn!" I said, "You're really something. You never give up on a ghost story, do you?"

She shook her head happily. "Nope! They're just too much fun."

And in a way, I knew what she meant. I thought of that big old creepy mansion I'd spent the night in, and for a moment I almost wished it had been a haunted house. But then I realized that the real tale of the Sawyer mansion was better than any ghost story could ever be.

About the Author

ANN M. MARTIN did a lot of baby-sitting when she was growing up in Princeton, New Jersey. She is a former editor of books for children, and was graduated from Smith College.

Ms. Martin lives in New York City with her cats, Mouse and Rosie. She likes ice cream and J Love Lucy; and she hates to cook.

Ann Martin's Apple Paperbacks include Yours Turly, Shirley; Ten Kids, No Pets; With You and Without You; Bummer Summer; and all the other books in the Baby-sitters Club series.