Blossoms on the Roof Read Online Free

away this afternoon. I want to talk with some men over in La Grange County. Since I’ll be riding Jasper, it will take meat least four hours to get there. I’ll be staying overnight, and I won’t come back till tomorrow afternoon.”
    Ben blinked. “You’ll be gone for twenty-four hours?”
    â€œThat’s right.” Father smiled. “Hurry home from school so Mother won’t be lonely.”
    Ben waited for Father to explain why he needed to talk with these men in La Grange, but Father just put on his coat and went outdoors. “Is it a secret?” Ben asked Mother.
    â€œYou mean the reason for his trip? Well, I think he’d rather explain when he gets home.” She smiled at Ben. “Remember what we heard about Isaac yesterday? He was satisfied with Abraham’s answer even though he didn’t understand.”
    Ben looked down at his boots. He didn’t like secrets. He would feel better once he knew why Father needed to go on such a long trip.
    â€œLet’s go,” chirped Polly, grabbing the tin lard pail that contained their lunch—good brown bread with apple butter and salt pork and one slice of Mother’s delicious crumb pie for each of them.
    â€œI wonder,” said Ben as they marched down the lane together, “if Father’s trip has anything to do with Paddy Lang’s visit on Saturday.”
    â€œHow could that be?” asked Polly.
    â€œWell, maybe he will find a way to make some money to pay the rent.”
    Polly frowned. “How do people ‘make’ money, anyway?”
    Ben laughed and said, “You thought Father would go and manufacture some coins? No, no. I meant that he might find work to earn money.”
    â€œOh,” said Polly, feeling just a little bit hurt. After all, she was only eight years old and couldn’t be expected to understand everything. Then she brightened up and exclaimed, “There come Susan and John!”
    As always Ben and John strode on ahead while the girls kept their own leisurely pace. The school was not far away. They were sure to be on time, so they felt no need to hurry.
    Turning a bend in the road, they saw a little schoolhouse at the crossroads, half hidden by a grove of oak trees. “Oak Grove School” said the sign on the neat split-rail fence. More children were coming from every direction. Happily they milled about the yard until the big brass bell on the roof gave three loud clangs.
    In streamed the children—all thirty-eight of them. They left their wraps and lunches in the cloakroom before entering the classroom. There, at the far end and behind her scarred, black desk, stood Miss Mulligan, looking as stern as ever.
    Though she was called Miss, she was old—at least fifty—and had been teaching for many years. Her iron-gray hair was drawn back into a prim bun. Her eyes were a strange greenish-brown color. She had a thin nose that twisted tothe left as if it had been broken sometime long ago. Miss Mulligan always wore the same style of dress, which was made from iron-gray wool, the same color as her hair.
    Promptly and efficiently the classes began. Miss Mulligan was strict, yes, but the children liked school. They liked the steady, dependable routine. They liked their teacher’s crisp, no-nonsense ways.
    Polly was so absorbed with her lessons that she forgot about Father’s trip, but Ben thought of it often. In fact, right after lunch when he was supposed to be studying history, he grew a little sleepy and began daydreaming. He saw Father plodding along toward La Grange on a donkey. On the donkey’s back was a pack of split wood…
    Bang! Miss Mulligan’s ruler came down on Ben’s desk. “You are not studying your lesson!”
    Ben jumped. The picture of Father and the donkey disappeared. Obediently he bowed his head to read the history book again.

    â€œYou looked so funny,” Polly said as she giggled later that