Cr-ea-ea-ea-k! Amy jerked her foot off the stair and froze, breathless . If her parents discovered her now, she would never get to Kentucky . She listened, but she heard nothing except the pound-pound-pound of her own heart . Fortunately, the creaking step hadn’t woken anyone . Mama, Papa, and the boys were still sound asleep . Slowly, Amy let out her breath and tentatively tested the next step . One more surprise sound like that could ruin everything .

Amy finally reached the bottom stair and silently slid back the bolt on the front door . In another few seconds, she was safely outside and she made her way down the lane in front of her house . At the main road, she turned toward town with only the moon and stars illuminating her path, but she knew the way well . After all, she had been to Thurman’s shop almost every day for the last two years .

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Amy’s Secret PlanBy Susan Martins Miller • Illustrated by Tom McNeely

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Two years! It seemed like forever since Amy’s family had left their home in Kentucky and moved north to Ohio . She missed her cousin Cassie . In Kentucky, she and Cassie saw each other every day . They had played together, gone to school together, and even helped one another with their chores . They were as close as sisters, and leaving Cassie when her family moved had broken Amy’s heart .

Mama and Papa had grown up in Kentucky, and Amy and her brothers had been born there . They had never owned slaves, but some of their wealthy neighbors did . Then one day, Papa had declared, “Sometimes you have to do the right thing, even if it’s a hard thing .” He and Mama had decided they wanted to raise their children in a free state, so they had packed up all of their belongings and moved the family to Ohio . Now it took a whole day riding in a wagon to get to Cassie’s house .

Last summer, after Cassie had visited Ohio for two months, the girls had convinced Amy’s parents to let her spend the coming summer in Kentucky with Cassie . Both girls had been marking off the days until the end of the school year .

But then Papa had spoiled everything: over supper one evening last week he announced that Amy wouldn’t be going to Kentucky after all . “There’s going to be a war,” he had said solemnly . “Now that Abraham Lincoln is president, the Southern states have rebelled . Some have already seceded from the United States . I hear that fighting just broke out in South Carolina .

“The fighting will spread,” Papa had predicted, “so you must stay here in Ohio .”

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“But, Papa!” Amy had protested . “You know how much it means to me to go see Cassie!”

“Amy, you’re old enough to understand how important this is . Slavery is a moral wrong, and this war is unavoidable . You will not go to Kentucky this summer . End of discussion .”

So Amy had decided that if Papa wouldn’t take her to Kentucky, she would find someone who would . Thurman was a good friend of the family, and Amy was sure he would help her . Now, walking in the dark, Amy kicked at the dirt . She thought about what her father had said, that slavery was a “moral wrong .” She knew that people should never be bought and sold like property . But Cassie’s family didn’t own slaves, so they weren’t wrong, were they?

Amy quickened her pace . Even though it was past midnight, she knew Thurman would be awake and working in his furniture shop . During the day, he built functional furniture that his customers needed, but at night, he carved beautiful works of art . Amy knew that Thurman sometimes took a wagonload of furniture to Kentucky to sell, so the next time he went, she would simply go with him .

Amy turned one last corner and saw the light burning in Thurman’s workshop, just as she had expected . She knocked gently at the door, and then nudged it open .

“Amy Stevens, what are you doing here at this hour of the night?” Thurman set his chisel on the workbench and wiped his palms on his trousers .

“I had to talk to you,” Amy said .“What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until after school

tomorrow?” Thurman raised one gray eyebrow .

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“I wanted to be sure no one overheard,” Amy explained as she latched the door behind her . “I need a ride to Kentucky and no one can know I’m going .”

Thurman tilted his head . “You want me to take you to Kentucky without your parents’ permission? Is that what you’re saying?”

Amy nodded and looked at Thurman expectantly . “I have a good reason,” Amy assured him . “Cassie and I have been planning all year for me to visit her in Kentucky this summer, but now Papa has forbidden me to go .”

Thurman picked up a small knife and a block of wood; he rubbed a calloused thumb along the edge of the wood . “I’m sure your pa has a good reason, too—the war, I imagine .”

“But the war doesn’t necessarily mean there will be fighting in Kentucky,” Amy insisted .

“I don’t think we should speculate where the fighting will be, Amy . If I were fourteen years old, I would not want to be separated from my family during a time of war .”

Amy felt a sudden chill as the thought dawned on her that the war was real . She stepped over to the crackling fire on the other side of the room and opened her cloak to soak up its warmth .

“Well, I think the slave owners are wrong, and besides, war is terrible . People are going to die .” Amy caught her breath and crossed her arms . And what of Cassie and her family, she thought . What if there was fighting in Kentucky? Amy sank into a wooden chair next to the fire .

Thurman sighed . “The debate over slavery has been going on for some time now, and Southerners don’t like to be bossed around,” Thurman explained . “They think they should be able to make their own laws in their own states .”

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“If everyone is arguing so much about slavery, we should just be rid of it . We’re one country, so everyone who lives here should be free .”

“I agree,” Thurman said .“And there’s no question about the proper thing to do,”

Amy added . “Papa says that sometimes you have to do the right thing, even if it’s a hard thing .”

“Your father is right .” Thurman turned on his stool and looked Amy in the eye . “He’s also right that you shouldn’t go to Kentucky .”

“I just want to see Cassie,” Amy said, looking at her feet . “And now I’m worried about her safety .”

“I know,” Thurman said softly .

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They sat silently for a few minutes until, finally, Thurman spoke . “We’d better get you home, young lady .”

Amy nodded . “Maybe Cassie can come here again .”“It wouldn’t hurt to ask .” Thurman set down the knife and

wood and brushed his hands together . “Let’s get the wagon out .”A few minutes later, they were on the road listening to the

rhythmic clip-clop of Flossie’s trot and the protesting groans of Thurman’s old wagon .

“Please let me off at the end of the lane,” Amy pleaded . “If you go to the house, Mama and Papa will be sure to hear the wagon .”

Thurman pulled on the reins and Flossie slowed to a stop . “I’ll just make sure you get in the house safely .”

Amy hopped down . “Thanks, Thurman .”Anxiously watching for a sign of anyone awake inside, Amy

scurried toward the house . Soon she was back upstairs and in bed . As Amy nestled under her quilt, she struggled to stop thinking about the coming war . Papa and Mama were right, slavery was evil, and now she realized that not everyone could see that . She suddenly felt proud of her parents for moving to a free state, and at the same time, she felt scared about the idea of a war . She no longer wanted to go to Kentucky, but she sure wanted Cassie to come to Ohio . Amy knew she wouldn’t sleep . As soon as the sun came up, Mama would rise as well, and Amy couldn’t wait to ask her if Cassie could visit .

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