Holly Cusumano

Chapter One Barbara was wearing such a lovely hat! As she walked through town, she spied her own reflection in the large storefront windows. A sign said, “Hand Painted Portraits – Capture Your Image.” And wanting to remember her lovely mood on this lovely day, Barbara stepped inside The Franklin Artist Studio . Before she knew what happened, she agreed with Mr. Franklin that he should paint her portrait. After drawing her silhouette on the canvas, the artist jumped up and went out the front door. He quickly returned with a flowering branch, cut from a crape myrtle shrub. He told his sitter, “Hold this leafy-green branch in both hands. It will add balance to the painting.” Barbara smiled, “I’ve always loved crape myrtle. It reminds me of my childhood home in the South.” Mr. Franklin checked a notebook on his desk. “Ok, let’s see. Come back every Saturday morning for the next three weeks.” Barbara was shocked. “Really? That many times?” Chapter Two The next day, Barbara was sho

  Rebecca Jane and Willie Smith Chapter One Brother and sister Willie and Rebecca Jane Smith carefully walked down the rocky path to the bottom of the ravine. To catch his breath, Willie sat down in the tattered old wicker chair under a Vitex tree. It was a cool, shady spot where a wide, deep, pond formed at the base of a small waterfall. Rebecca Jane said, “Whew! I love to take a walk but that was a longer hike than I expected. They paused for a few minutes listening to the sound of rushing water and feeling the mist on their faces. They rested there. Willie tilted his head to one side. He said, “I’m not sure but I think I hear the sound of a banjo playing in the distance.” Rebecca said, “That’s funny, brother. I was just thinking that I smell food cooking. Get up! Let’s investigate!” They hiked down the mountainside to a dirt road. No cars were driving by but they stayed along the edge and safely walked single-file. Rebecca was in the lead. Chapter Two As they walked