No Small Victory Read Online Free

barnyard. She was returning from helping her father send the cows out to pasture, but she didn’t want her mother to notice her. After all, she still had lots of exploring to do. Bonnie looked toward the lane and there was the boy again, carrying another aspen branch. This time he was coming down the steep hill to the edge of their barnyard. And behind him, there were two other figures.
    Bonnie ran helter-skelter across the barnyard and pulled open the heavy gate at the foot of the lane. The boy must have spotted her, for he seemed to be coming on—and Bonnie could see two older girls behind the branch.
    â€œHi,” said the boy, as they drew up close. “What’s your name?” He brushed back his white-gold hair and smiled at Bonnie.
    â€œI’m Bonnie Brown. We just moved in.”
    â€œI know,” said the boy.
    â€œThat’s Archie, and I’m his sister, Angela. We’re the Johnsons,” said the taller, dark-haired girl. Her eyes were kind. “How old are you?”
    â€œNine,” answered Bonnie, suddenly shy.
    â€œI’m eleven,” answered Angela, “like Marianne Hubbs, here.”
    The second girl bounced up and down as though she were jumping over an invisible skipping rope. Marianne looked like someone who could get into lots of mischief. But her big, friendly smile made Bonnie think she might make a good friend.
    â€œWe live on the two farms on the other side of your place,” said Angela, sweeping her arm to the west.
    â€œYup!” said Marianne. “So, why did your folks—”
    â€œMarianne!” said Angela. She shot her friend a warning look. Marianne snapped her mouth shut.
    There was an awkward silence.
    â€œI can guess what you’re talking about,” said Bonnie.
    â€œYeah,” said Archie, wrinkling his nose and squishing up his freckled cheeks. Bonnie figured he must be at least a year younger than she was. “Aren’t you afraid to live in that house? Jeepers! Two people died in there!”
    â€œWell, my mother’s disinfecting the house with Lysol right this very minute. That’s supposed to take care of all the germs. Mind you, she always keeps her house spotless.” Bonnie rolled her eyes up to the cloudless sky in disgust. “My uncles always say you can eat off her floors, they’re so clean. I won’t be so spotless when I grow up.”
    â€œMe, neither.” Archie nodded sympathetically.
    â€œDo you want to come up to the house and see inside?” Bonnie invited.
    The three children looked at each other cautiously.
    Archie grinned. “Hey, that’s why we’re here!”
    â€œWe’d have come sooner,” said Marianne. “But yesterday was my piano lesson. Mother teaches me. Golly! What I have to put up with! That practicing goes on forever.”
    â€œShe’s the youngest in the family and so her older sisters do most of the chores,” said Archie. “But in my family, I’m the only boy. So I have to do lots of work for Dad.”
    â€œWell, I’m an only child,” said Bonnie. “So I do chores for both my parents.” That was partly true—but Mum kept her busy indoors, mostly.
    â€œWell, maybe we should visit another day,” said Angela. “Your mother might not want visitors this soon.”
    â€œMaybe you’re right,” Bonnie said casually.
    â€œI guess we’d best skedaddle, then,” said Archie.
    Bonnie was sad, but a little relieved, too. She would have loved to invite her new friends to come inside the house. But Mum was definitely too busy for visitors.

THREE: THE LAW
    â€œWhat’s for breakfast today?” Bonnie asked. Of course, it would be the same porridge, but then there might be a spoonful of Grandma O’Carr’s strawberry preserves. She plunked herself down on a chair in the dining room. That was what Mum had named this room, but really, it was the only downstairs