Don't You Know There's a War On? by Avi Read Free Book Online

Down the block was a house with two blue stars in the window. It was always worth asking at those places. I went up the stoop and rang the bell.
    A window on the first floor slid open. This gray-haired lady stuck her head out.
    â€œMa’am,” I called, “we’re collecting scrap for the war effort.”
    She gave us a smile. “Good boys. Just a moment. I’ll check.”
    Couple of minutes later she came back. She had an old dented kettle and a bundle of newspapers tied with lots of string. She said, “I have two boys in the service.”
    â€œYes, ma’am.”
    By the time we got to Mrs. Wolch’s place, we had three piles of newspapers, a ball of string, two old sweaters, a paper bag full of squashed tin cans, and that kettle. A better haul than most days. But it was getting late.
    All of a sudden Denny said, “Cheese it!”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œLook.” He pointed. Coming up the street was Miss Gossim. She was wearing a brown coat and a hat on her head with a feather. She was walking fast too, head bent, like she was thinking hard about something. Every once in a while she looked at a piece of paper she had in her hand, then up at the houses, like she was checking for an address.
    I was thinking, I bet I know what she’s doing.
    I didn’t have to say it out loud. Denny whispered, “Bet you anything she’s going to the same place we were going.”
    I knew she was. Because I gave her the address.
    We ducked behind a car to watch. Sure enough, Miss Gossim went up the stoop of 172 and rang the bell. She stood there fidgeting, but never turned around to look our way either.
    After maybe ten minutes—and no one coming to the door—she left the stoop and went off the way she came.
    Denny started to follow.
    â€œHold it,” I said, grabbing his arm.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?”
    â€œWe can’t follow someone and drag a wagon full of junk too.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œJunk ain’t private. She’ll see us. Or hear us.”
    â€œHowie, I can’t leave it.”
    â€œI’ll go alone. Anyway, you said you had to be home by five.”
    Denny looked at me suspicious. “You promise to tell me everything what happens?”
    â€œSure.”
    â€œI mean it. Everything . No secrets, right?”
    â€œNo secrets,” I said back.
    â€œAnd no fins,” he said, holding out his pinky.
    â€œNo fins.”
    We linked and chopped fast. “See you tomorrow on the way to school,” I said, racing off. “And don’t worry. I’ll tell you everything.”
    â€œYou better!” he said, but by then I was running to catch up with Miss Gossim. I looked back once. Denny was pulling on his ear.
    I didn’t. Truth is, I hadn’t been fair to Denny. I wasn’tworried about the wagon. I wanted to be the only one saving Miss Gossim.

19
    OKAY . I followed Miss Gossim as she went along Hicks Street, then made a turn onto Orange Street. I was about half a block behind. She didn’t turn around. Not once.
    After a while she got to this street called Columbia Heights. It was sort of a cliff that overlooks New York Harbor. There were tons of houses there, but between some of them you could see the harbor. All these boats. Navy ships, cargo boats, tugs, and ferries. Plenty of them.
    Behind them was Manhattan with its tall buildings, including the Empire State Building. It was huge, but people said it was mostly empty. Go figure.
    Anyway, Miss Gossim was leaning on a fence facing the harbor. Like she was staring at something.
    I suddenly got this thought: Maybe she’s gonna kill herself.You know, leap off the cliff. Holy smoker-eeno! Suicide! Which, see, I happened to know—’cause Denny once told me—was against the law.
    I just stood there, heart beating like crazy, not knowing what to do. Except, after a while, Miss Gossim turned. Anyway, she began to walk back along