The Secret Promise

Chapter One

Allie stood at the road, staring at the school house. She recognized most of the children as they milled about in the yard, and her brother had already gone inside with a few of them. She began calculating in her head how much trouble she might end up in, if she just waited outside until class let out for the day. It didn't take her long to realize that her father would probably walk her to school himself if she didn't do as she'd been told.

"Allie, is that you?" someone called from behind her and she turned just in time for her best friend to hurry over. "I didn't know you were going to start coming to school,"

"Pa says I have to," Allie sighed. "I told him I could do my studies myself, but he says that with Ma gone, it just won't work for me to stay home."

"Well, maybe Mr. Anderson will let us sit together so it won't be a total waste," Susan smiled. She knew that the loss of her mother was still fresh and Allie didn't like to talk about it much. "I'll ask him when we get inside."

Allie nodded and the two girls walked towards the school house arm in arm. As they walked up the steps, Mr. Anderson stepped outside to ring the bell and Susan introduced them. Knowing what she was going to ask before she asked, he cleared his throat. "You may sit together, so long as you don't get distracted from your lessons,"

"Thank you, Mr. Anderson!" Susan exclaimed. She grabbed Allie by the arm and practically dragged her inside. She showed her where to leave her lunch pail before leading her over to the desk they were going to share. Susan plunked herself down on the bench while Allie sat down carefully, setting her reader and slate board neatly on the desk in front of her.

Mr. Anderson began ringing the bell outside and the rest of the children filed in through the door. Just as Mr. Anderson closed the door and headed for his own desk, the door was slammed open again and an older boy burst into the room, nearly out of breath as he hurried to the back of the room to take his seat.

"So nice of you to join us, Mr. Dillan," Mr. Anderson said, taking a seat and reaching into the drawer of his desk to take out his list for roll call.

"You're so lucky you live so close to Lucas," Susan whispered. "He's so handsome. You must see him all the time!"

"Not really," Allie shook her head. He was her family's nearest neighbor, living slightly closer to town, but across the road. "We don't really talk to each other."

"I think this might be his last year, but he's older than the other boys," Susan glanced up to see that Mr. Anderson was still occupied. "What do you suppose happened?"

"Oh, that's because when his mother died, his pa had to pull him out of school for a couple years to help with the farm and it put him behind. I think he still has one more year after this one."

Before Susan could ask any more questions, Mr. Anderson stood up from his chair and began roll call. When he'd marked everyone on the list as present, he walked over to the desk Susan and Allie were sitting at, asking her name and writing it on his list. "And what grade are you in,  Miss Warner?"

"I'm in fifth grade, sir." Allie said.

"And you're current in all your studies?"

"Yes sir."

"Very good. I suppose the new boy in back is your brother?"

She nodded and he walked to the back to speak with Seth. After a few minutes, he returned to his desk and instructed them to read that days' chapter in their reading book before calling the youngest class up front to recite their lesson from the previous day.

When it was Susan and Allie's turn, she proved that she was indeed current with her work and Mr. Anderson gave her a very slight smile before telling them they could be seated to work on their math lesson. While they worked, he called the oldest students up.