11 A Ghost in the House

CHAPTER 11 A Ghost in the House At last the day came for Grandmamma to leave. It was a sad time for Clara and Heidi. Weeks passed and the only cheer Heidi knew was the book she read in her room each night. Her hopes of seeing Grandfather and the rest of the mountain seemed to fade a little more each day. Meanwhile, something strange and mysterious was going on in the Sesemann house. Every morning when the servants went downstairs, they found the front door

wide open. Nobody in the house knew why. At first they thought there must be a thief sneaking in, but nothing was missing. The servants checked that the door was locked twice a night. Sebastian even put a wooden bar across it for extra safety, but that did no good, either. The next morning, the door was always open again. The servants took turns trying to solve the mystery. But one by one the adults grew more helpless and less brave. Were strangers trying to break in at night? Were ghosts or other spirits roaming the house? Finally Ms. Rottenmeier couldn't take it any more and decided to write a letter to Mr. Sesemann. The letter told of strange things around the house and explained how frightened she and everyone had become. She also told him that Clara was extremely upset over the ghost. In truth, however, Clara and Heidi found the ghost story quite silly.

The letter was successful, and Mr. Sesemann came home two days later. He talked to the girls and to all the servants in the house. Soon after, he called his friend, the doctor. "There is no one sick in the house," he told the man when he arrived. "Much worse than that, my friend. We have a ghost!" The doctor laughed aloud. "I see you feel bad for us," Mr. Sesemann continued. "Really, Sesemann, a ghost?" "I know, I know. I have doubts myself." Mr. Sesemann told him how the front door had been opened each night. Either someone was playing a joke on the servants or there really was a thief. Finally the doctor agreed to help. Near midnight the two men settled down in armchairs and began talking about all sorts of things. They laughed off the talk of ghosts

and chatted happily of old times. Suddenly the doctor lifted his finger. "Hush! Sesemann, do you hear something?" They both listened. They were sure they heard someone lift the wooden bar off the door and put the key into the lock. Mr. Sesemann got up slowly. "Who's there?" the doctor yelled as he stood up. The two men stepped forward with

The small figure they saw turned and gave a low cry. There in her little white nightgown stood Heidi. Her feet were bare and her eyes were wild. She was trembling from head to foot like a leaf in the wind. The two men looked at each other in surprise. "Child, what do you need? Why did you come down here?" Mr. Sesemann asked.

Heidi was white with fear and hardly able to make her voice heard. "I don't know," she said. The doctor stepped up to the child. "This child is sick, my friend. Let me take her to her room." With that, he put down his light, took the child's hand, and led her upstairs. "Don't be frightened. It's all right. Let's go quietly." When he reached Heidi's room, the doctor took Heidi in his arms and laid her on the bed. He carefully covered her up and then sat down beside her to wait until she had stopped trembling. Then he took her hand and said in a kind, soothing voice, "There, there, now you feel better. Tell me where you were trying to go." "I didn't want to go anywhere," said Heidi. "I didn't know I went downstairs, but all at once I was there." "I see. And were you dreaming?"