Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story: Chapters 6–10

by Mary Downing Hahn
Named after a long line of men in his family, twelve-year-old Andrew Joseph Tyler visits his ancestral home in Missouri and gets transported back in time.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–24
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. deliberately
    in a careful unhurried manner
    He breathed deeply, slowly, deliberately.
  2. weary
    exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain
    He rested a moment as if talking wearied him.
  3. askew
    turned or twisted to one side
    There was my bed waiting for me, quilt flung back, pillows askew.
  4. imposter
    a person who makes deceitful pretenses
    Even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t have spoken. Suppose I didn’t sound like Andrew? Suppose I said the wrong thing? Surely they’d know I was an imposter.
  5. intelligible
    capable of being apprehended or understood
    Speaking in a low voice, she said, “Andrew hasn’t uttered a single intelligible word. He stares so queerly you’d think he was in a room full of strangers. Quite simply, he isn’t himself.”
  6. respite
    a relief from harm or discomfort
    “For heaven’s sake, Mildred, enjoy the peace and quiet. Andrew will be his old self in no time. Look at this as a brief respite from his mischief.”
  7. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    Their long white dresses billowed in the breeze.
  8. mottle
    mark with spots or blotches of different color
    Over their heads, the leaves stirred and rustled, mottling them with shadows.
  9. buggy
    a small lightweight carriage
    Dr. Fulton flicked a whip. The buggy creaked as the horse began to move.
  10. predicament
    an unpleasant or difficult situation
    While Hannah played with the dog, I pondered the predicament I’d gotten myself into.
  11. bumble
    make a mess of, destroy or ruin
    It would be like acting a part in a play I hadn’t read. I had the right face and the right wardrobe, but I didn’t know my lines. I’d have to make them up as I went along, taking cues from the others, fumbling and bumbling, making stupid mistakes, looking like a fool.
  12. eaves
    the overhang at the lower edge of a roof
    Mice rustled under the eaves.
  13. mollycoddle
    treat with excessive indulgence
    “Don’t mollycoddle him, Mildred. You’ll spoil him.”
  14. wholesome
    characteristic of physical or moral well-being
    “Rest,” he said, “and get plenty of fresh air. Eat wholesome food, drink milk, take your tonic. And behave yourself.”
  15. tonic
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
    “Rest,” he said, “and get plenty of fresh air. Eat wholesome food, drink milk, take your tonic. And behave yourself.”
  16. convalescent
    a person who is recovering from illness
    “Milk and cookies for the convalescent,” she said, “and the latest adventure of Frank Merriwell.”
  17. humble
    marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful
    He taught me that a man can preserve his dignity without compelling every weaker man to bow to him in humbleness.
  18. lofty
    having or displaying great dignity or nobility
    What a gentleman Frank is, what a lofty mind he has.
  19. antithesis
    exact opposite
    “Here comes Edward, the very antithesis of Frank Merriwell.”
  20. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    Ignoring Edward, Theo murmured in Buster’s ear, petted him, coaxed him to be quiet, but the dog continued to growl and then to bark.
  21. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    Exasperated, Hannah told Theo to take Buster away.
  22. ail
    cause physical suffering to and make sick or indisposed
    “I don’t know what ails that stupid dog. You’d think he never saw Andrew before.”
  23. tendril
    slender structure by which some plants attach to an object
    I glanced at Hannah, but she was twisting a tendril of wisteria around one finger, giving it all her attention.
  24. bluff
    deceive someone about your strength or intentions
    Just as I’d feared, I’d have to bluff my way through the entire performance.
  25. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    “Don’t get so riled up, Hannah. I was just teasing.”
  26. lope
    run easily
    We watched him lope across the grass and vanish into the trees at the bottom of the hill.
  27. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    Herding Theo ahead of her and beckoning to Hannah, Mrs. Tyler left me alone to rest.
  28. monotonous
    sounded or spoken in a tone unvarying in pitch
    The heat and the monotonous ticking of the clock dulled my mind, made it hard to remember what Aunt Blythe had told me.
  29. esteemed
    having an illustrious reputation; respected
    “No doubt my esteemed brother sent him to make certain the house is still standing. I hope you sent the rascal packing.”
  30. mystified
    totally perplexed and mixed up
    Mystified by the anger in his voice, I glanced at Mrs. Tyler.
  31. implore
    beg or request earnestly and urgently
    She tapped the white cloth instead and gave him an imploring look. “Henry, please don’t be so uncharitable. Think of the example you’re setting.”
  32. embezzle
    appropriate fraudulently to one's own use
    For the rest of the meal he described his successful prosecution of a man accused of embezzling large sums of money from a bank.
  33. spunk
    the courage or spirit to carry on
    “For heaven’s sake, Theo, this is Andrew’s first day out of bed. Give him time. He’ll get his spunk back soon enough.”
  34. blunder
    an embarrassing mistake
    “Why does Edward hate me so much? What did Andrew—I mean, what did I do to him?”
    Luckily, the words had tumbled out of my mouth so fast nobody noticed my blunder.
  35. asphyxiate
    deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing
    I knew nothing about gaslights either—when I blew one out, Mrs. Tyler was so upset she could hardly speak. I might have asphyxiated all of us, she said.
  36. racket
    a loud and disturbing noise
    “Good grief, Drew,” he said. “How’s a fellow supposed to sleep with the racket you’re making up here?”
  37. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
    Andrew leaned toward me, his face pale and earnest. “It wasn’t fair of you to take what belonged to me. I warned you, I said you’d be sorry. Have you forgotten?”
  38. gibberish
    unintelligible talking
    “Nothing you said made sense. It was all gibberish.”
  39. vexed
    troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
    Hannah gave me one of her vexed looks.
  40. sieve
    a strainer for separating lumps from powdered material
    “Goodness, Andrew, if it weren’t for me you wouldn’t know the first thing about marbles. Your brain is a regular sieve these days.”
Created on Fri May 12 12:45:15 EDT 2023 (updated Sat May 13 12:16:25 EDT 2023)

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