Last Summer in Louisbourg Read Online Free PDF Page A

seagulls. It took Andrea a moment or two to realize that something was missing. Then she got it. There were no power lines or telephone poles cluttering the horizon and no cars or trucks to dominate the scene.
    They entered a labyrinth of orderly streets and stone buildings within the walls. Andrea had begun to imagine that she was sliding back in time, picturing herself as a resident of this place, when Justine stopped in front of a tall wooden fence and pushed open a well-disguised secret door.
    â€œC’mon. Follow me,” she directed.
    â€œWhat is this?”
    â€œIt’s Lartigue House. It’s where we get into our costumes.”
    â€œWhat did you call it again?”
    â€œLartigue. It’s named after the family who built the original house. All the houses here are named after the colonists who lived in them in 1744. That was the last peaceful year. After that the English attacked and things were never the same again.”
    â€œCouldn’t we look around a bit more first?” Andrea asked.
    â€œWe’re not supposed to walk around unless we’re wearing our costumes. Besides, you’ve got the whole summer to see all the stuff. You’ll get bored with it soon enough. Just follow me.”
    They entered an enclosed yard and walked around to the back door of an ancient-looking house. But it only looked old from the outside. Inside they found themselves in a large room lined with lockers—exactly the same kind that lined the halls in the school Andrea attended in Ontario.
    â€œMine’s number ten and Jackie said yours is number thirteen,” stated Justine as she hastily pulled off her T-shirt and jeans and shoved them in her locker. She grabbed a long-sleeved white blouse from a hanger and wriggled it over her head. Then she stepped into an ankle-length, olive-green skirt that fastened with a drawstring at the waist. Finally she tied a cotton apron over the skirt. Andrea sat and watched as her roommate transformed herself into a maiden from another time.
    Jackie Cormier arrived just then, carrying an almost identical costume. The only difference was that the coarse, woollen skirt was a faded shade of dark blue.
    â€œThese ought to fit you, Andrea. But I forgot to ask your shoe size, so I brought three pairs for you to try.”
    â€œSize seven and a half,” said Andrea as she examined the unattractive shoes she would have to wear. They were flat, black slippers with a strap across the instep that fastened with a button, like babies’ shoes. The toes were broad and square.
    â€œHow do you tell left from right?” she asked as she thrust her foot into one of them.
    â€œYou don’t,” laughed Jackie. “They were the same back then. Believe it or not, poor people sometimes bought their shoes one at a time. Shoes used to be an expensive luxury for ordinary folks.”
    â€œThey still are,” Andrea remarked, remembering how much her new winter boots had cost last year.
    â€œThese aren’t as comfy as sneakers, but you’ll get used to them,” said Justine stoically as she buttoned hers. Then she helped Andrea into her costume. Andrea felt slightly ridiculous. There was something about long skirts that always made her feel like a little girl, as if it were Hallowe’en or she were making a game of trying on her mother’s clothes.
    â€œVery nice,” nodded Jackie approvingly. “You suit the role. Now don’t forget your bonnet.”
    Andrea had been fingering the white cotton bonnet. She was not sure which way it was supposed to sit on her head, and anyway she was hoping she could get away without wearing it at all. She didn’t like wearing hats of any kind and this one was downright silly. It looked more like a large handkerchief than a hat.
    â€œI bet you don’t know why we have to wear these bonnets, do you?” teased Justine as she stood in front of the mirror adjusting hers.
    â€œNo,