The Half-a-Moon Inn Read Online Free PDF

certain he’d find her that he hadn’t thought to leave a note in the house. Yet surely she’d be out hunting for him at this very moment. But was she searching the wrong road, or combing the wrong town?
    Anxiously Aaron peered out at the road, following it with his eyes until it vanished among the trees. Somehow he had to get free of Miss Grackle—and suddenly he spotted her, walking out toward a little shed set apart from the house. Aaron saw she was carrying the empty woodbox, to refill it no doubt—and knew that he hadn’t a moment to spare.
    He ripped the covers off his bed, and wrapped each of his feet in a blanket. If only he could get away from the inn, he could climb up a tree out of the snow, and wait for a traveler to come down the road. Quick as he could, Aaron scurried down the stairs, poked his head out from the stairway and saw that the coast was clear. With his heart beating furiously, he dashed to the door, threw it open—and stood face to face with Miss Grackle.
    â€œWell now—what have we here!” She hoisted him up by the shirt collar, walked inside with him and slammed the door shut.
    â€œStill got a mind to run off, have you, me ungrateful scamp?” She dropped him down on the floor and picked up her switch off the mantel. “Aye, I knew what you’d be up to, me minnow. All me boys try it—once.”
    She pinned him to the floor, unwrapped the blankets and brought the willow down on his feet with all her might. Aaron jerked with the pain, desperately trying to get free.
    â€œAye, Sam, I’ll whip some manners into you yet. Believe me I will.” Time after time the switch hummed through the air and stung at his feet. Aaron squirmed like a fish and soon grew too exhausted to struggle against her. At last she was satisfied.
    â€œNow up on your feet, boy, and hop to your room! Quick now!”
    Aaron picked himself up onto his knees, and painfully rose to his feet. They had already begun to swell, and they felt as tender as ripe tomatoes. Slowly, laboriously, he made his way toward the stairs, wincing with every step.
    â€œAnd if you’ve still got a mind to run off down the road, I’ll whip you again till it’ll be all you can do to crawl like a baby. Now begone with you!”
    It seemed like ages to Aaron before he finished climbing the stairs. At last he entered his room, Miss Grackle charging upstairs behind him, slamming the door shut and turning a key in the lock. His feet throbbing, Aaron shuffled weakly across the floor, collapsed on his bed and fell thankfully to sleep.

6
    It was late afternoon when Aaron awoke. Hooves clattered outside, and he pricked up his ears at the sound of voices below. The guests had begun to arrive.
    Immediately, he thought of dashing outside and taking off on a horse—and then he remembered his feet. They were puffy and red and striped from the lashing, and they felt swollen to twice their size. Gently, he placed them on the floor, gradually shifted his weight onto them and slowly hobbled toward the window. All of a sudden there came a booming up the stairs and Miss Grackle burst in through the door.
    â€œBack to your chores now—quick, boy!” She grabbed hold of his wrist and yanked him down the long flight of stairs, Aaron howling inside with pain.
    â€œTo the fire with you, boy, and put some more blood in its veins! Let me hear it spit like a cat and curse like a drunkard—and be brisk about it!”
    She hauled him, stumbling behind her, across the room, threw him down before the hearth and stirred the pot of soup hanging over the grate. “And if you still be having trouble remembering your manners, why I’ll be happy to remind ’em to you,” she said with a smile, and picked up the willow switch off the mantel and put it down once again.
    Slowly, Aaron built up the fire. He listened for the sound of horses and watched the callers stride in through the