Danny Orlis and the Mysterious Neighbor

By Bernard Palmer

Danny has just moved with Ginger and her family to a farm outside of Wolf Creek. Coming home from school one day, Danny is sure he spotted someone in the win-dow of the neighboring abandoned farmhouse. He enlists the help of his friends to solve the mystery of the stranger in the creepy, old house. Will the love and care of Ginger, Danny, and all their friends change the stranger’s life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aneko Press
• Release date: Sep 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781622459599

Book preview

Danny-Orlis-and-the-Mysterious-Neighbor-Front-Web.jpg

Danny Orlis

and the

Mysterious Neighbor

Bernard Palmer

Contents

Ch: 1 The New Home

Ch: 2 The Face in the Window

Ch: 3 Is Danny There?

Ch: 4 The Stranger

Ch: 5 Vindicated

Ch: 6 Trouble

Ch: 7 Promise You Won’t Tell Anyone

Ch: 8 Of Course We’ll Help

Ch: 9 Drudge Days

Ch: 10 For Sale to the Highest Bidder

Ch: 11 We’ll Help

Ch: 12 Lost

Ch: 13 Found

Chapter 1

The New Home

Danny Orlis sat across the breakfast table from Ginger Stark and her mother that blustery March morning. Mr. Stark had already finished breakfast and was on his way to the office for an early appointment. Danny glanced up at the clock. Things hadn’t been the same since the Starks had moved to a new home a short distance from Wolf Creek. When they lived in town, about all he had to do in the morning before school was to take out the trash and shovel the walks if it had snowed. Now, in addition to those chores, he had to feed and water the horses and cows.

He looked beyond the smiling, red-haired Ginger at the mist-fogged kitchen window. It was one of those ugly March days that threatened to turn the fine rain to sleet or a late winter snow. He hated the cold that time of year. For some reason it seemed worse than the snows in January. The disagreeable morning put lead in his shoes and caused him to linger over a cup of hot chocolate. When he finished, he had to go out and do his chores. That was enough to keep him at the table.

I talked to somebody yesterday who likes you, Ginger said, her eyes dancing.

Color tinged his cheeks and he frowned darkly. Big deal.

It’s the truth. One of the girls in our class told me she thinks you’re the coolest guy in the whole school.

She must be weird. He finished the hot chocolate in one gulp and got to his feet. I’ve got to go out and feed the horses, he blurted, starting for the hall where he kept his coat and boots.

She’s cute, she called after him.

Pretending not to hear her giggling, he pulled on his boots and took his parka from the hanger.

That Ginger could be a real pain!

Most of the time he liked having her around. It was fun to have someone to talk to about things that happened at school, and he liked being able to study with her. More than once since coming down to Wolf Creek to school, he had wished he had a sister like her. But not when she got into one of those stupid, silly streaks – like now. Then he was glad he didn’t have a sister to pester him.

Danny! Ginger said, changing the subject abruptly. I’ll be out in a few minutes to take care of Blaze.

I can do it.

I want him to learn that I’m his new master, she explained. I don’t want anyone else to feed or water him.

Danny shook his head. There was no figuring her out. She could be as feminine and dainty as any girl her age he had ever seen, but ever since they moved to their new place and her dad bought Blaze for her, she had practically lived in the barn.

She fussed constantly over the little roan mare with the splash of white on her nose that gave her the name she carried. If Ginger wasn’t currying or brushing Blaze, she was cleaning out the stall or standing with her arm about the horse’s neck, talking softly to her. Danny had never seen anyone spend so much time with an animal – except maybe himself and Laddie. But that was different. Laddie was a dog and followed him wherever he went.

He went out to the barn, snapped lead ropes into the halter rings on two of Mr. Stark’s riding horses, and took them out to the tank for water. Before they had finished drinking, Ginger came out with Blaze. She didn’t have a lead rope on the halter but led the horse with a couple of fingers in the ring. Actually, she didn’t need even that. Blaze walked obediently beside her.

Danny, Ginger began suddenly, as though the realization had just come to her. You don’t know how happy I am that Dad and Mom finally decided to get a place in the country. I’ve prayed for it ever so long. And now it’s happened. I can hardly believe it’s true.

He nodded, knowing exactly how she felt. He knew how much he loved his home on the Angle and how terrible he felt about leaving it to come down to Wolf Creek for school.

The real reason I wanted to be out here, she continued, was so I could have a horse of my own. I’ve been going out to Susan Clayton’s for years and years. She lives in the country, you know. I helped her take care of Princess and went riding with her. She sighed deeply. It’s been fun, but it’s nothing like having a horse of my very own.

I’ve never had much to do with horses, Danny said, but I do like being in the country.

Pity crept into Ginger’s eyes as she stared at him. "Is that why you’ve always had an excuse when I wanted you to go riding with me?"

One of the reasons, he acknowledged. We’ve got a little tractor on the Angle for plowing the garden and moving snow, but we’ve never had a horse around, so I haven’t learned to ride very well. Not like you do, anyway.

We’re going to take care of that! she retorted. Dad has already said you can use Feisty anytime you want to.

That sounds like a winner.

In spite of his effort to sound excited about having her teach him to ride, she caught the reluctance in his manner.

What’s the matter? she asked. "Don’t you want to?"

I want to all right. Only–

Only what?

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. If you must know, he blurted, I feel funny about having you teach me.

That’s a stupid thing to say. Why wouldn’t you want me to help you learn to ride?

Danny hesitated. He didn’t want to tell her why he didn’t want her to teach him, but she had asked a direct question, and he was not going to lie to her.

If you must know, he went on irritably, it’s because you’re a girl!

Her eyes blazed. "That’s even more stupid!"

I suppose it is. He hesitated. But I’ve changed my mind now. I’ve decided to let you teach me as soon as the weather turns nice.

Maybe I will and maybe I won’t, she said testily.

What’s that supposed to mean?

"If you’re so stupid you think I can’t teach you to ride because I’m a girl, I don’t know whether I even want to help you."

I’ve already told you I’ve changed my mind. Exasperation crept into his voice. What more do you want?

For a moment she did not answer. Then she spun to face him, hostility darkening her face.

Danny Orlis! she exploded. "I get so mad at you I–I could spit!"

With that she stormed off, leaving him to finish the chores in the barn alone.

* * * *

By the time he had the horses in their stalls and had fed the cows, Ginger had gone to the house, picked up her books, and was half the distance to the road where they would have to wait for the school bus. Danny got his books and followed her.

He didn’t know whether she would speak to him or not, but when he got to the road where the school bus would pick them up, she seemed to have forgotten all about their conversation. She was as friendly as ever. He couldn’t understand her.

As