Philip and the Haunted House (9781619500020) Read Online Free Page A

around.”
    “ If we turn around we can’t watch the
house.”
    Philip’s voice rose in exasperation. “Well,
we can’t walk all the way to the corner backwards, can we? We’ll
look stupid. Let’s turn together. We can hide behind the house
across the street and watch what goes on. Ready?”
    The boys turned slowly and walked down the
street, Emery sneaking peeks over his shoulder until Philip told
him to stop. They crossed the street and went a little way down the
block. When they’d gone far enough, they turned and went behind the
house directly across from the haunted house.
    “ Suppose the people who live here see
us,” Emery said in a worried voice.
    “ Be quiet and nobody will
know.”
    “ Peek out. Can you see it from here?”
Emery asked.
    Philip moved back and forth and finally
stepped out from behind the house. “Emery,” Philip said, his voice
rising softly, “it’s not there.”
    “ The house isn’t there! Are you crazy?
What are you talking about?”
    “ No dummy, not the house, the lunch.
How could the house not be there? The lunch isn’t where I threw
it.”
    “ It has to be. I saw you throw it. Look
again.”
    Philip stepped away from the house. “Nope, I
don’t see it. Come on.” The boys walked alongside the house and
onto the sidewalk. They crossed the street and paused at the
beginning of the cement walkway. Shoulder-to-shoulder, they
repeated their march along the walkway.
    “ Where is it?” Emery whispered. “See it
anywhere?”
    Philip’s heart thumped like it was jumping up
and down trying to put out a fire in his chest. Suddenly, a gust of
breeze blew a piece of paper from the porch toward the boys. The
paper landed at Emery’s feet, and he bent to pick it up.
    Emery studied the paper and held it in front
of Philip. “Philip, did you put a Happy Pie in this lunch?”
    “ I put blueberry,” he gulped, staring
at the wrapper in Emery’s hand. “That’s a blueberry Happy Pie
paper.” Philip took a step backward, and Emery stepped back with
him.
    In a rising voice ending in a scream Emery
cried, “Philip, something ate the Happy Pie. Let’s get out of
here!”
    Philip didn’t have to be told twice. Off the
boys ran at top speed, and they didn’t stop until they reached
Philip’s living room.
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
    “ Before we go home today,” Mr. Ware
began, “we have time to check on how some of you are coming with
your community service project.”
    Emery’s hand shot up, and Mr. Ware said,
“Yes, Emery?”
    “ We’re finished. Philip and
me.”
    Mr. Ware raised his eyebrows. “So soon? What
was your project?”
    Emery said proudly, “We beautified the
neighborhood.”
    The class giggled, and Philip slunk down in
his seat.
    “ And how did you beautify the
neighborhood? Give us a preview of your report. We have a little
time now,” Mr. Ware said with a smile.
    Emery told their story, leaving out any
suggestion about the house being haunted and about the disappearing
lunches. He ended, “And we’ll be getting the before and after
pictures tonight. Philip’s dad is bringing them home after his
work.”
    “ Well, very impressive, Emery, Philip.
The rest of you, class, still have time, though. And you two boys
can still try to add to yours, improve it if you can think of a
way, but it sounds very good as it is. Anyone have any
questions?”
    Since the hands of the clock showed three
o’clock, no one was dumb enough to prolong the school day by asking
a question, so Mr. Ware dismissed the class.
    Emery asked his mother’s permission to have
dinner at Philip’s house so he would be there when Philip’s father
got home from work with the photographs. On their way home they
peeked down Pratt Street toward the haunted house, but nothing
unusual met their cautious eyes.
    “ What’s your mom cooking tonight?”
Emery asked as the two boys opened their book bags and got right to
their homework.
    “ I don’t know.”
    “ Aren’t you two going out