HAMPTON HOUSE by Jenny Dooley
Summary
Chapter 1 - The Helping Hand Club
William was busy as usual in the building that was the office for Helping Hand
Club. He worked there every Saturday morning. The building was full of teenagers,
all waiting for someone to tell them what to do. William assigned various tasks to
the young volunteers, like collecting shopping for Mrs. Smith and walking Mrs.
Jones' dog.
A new girl named Kathy approached William and said she was new and wanted
to help. William welcomed her and asked her to join the group going to the Old
People's Home to deliver library books.
Chapter 2 - The Lady in Room 16
William and Kathy went to the Old People's Home. The matron told Kathy to visit
the residents in their rooms, but to leave the lady in Room 16 for last as she liked
to talk. Kathy met the lady, Miss Emily, who told her about working as a servant
in the grand Hampton House when she was young.
When Kathy rejoined William, she was confused because the matron had said the
lady in Room 16 was named Karen Black, not Miss Emily. Back at the Helping
Hand office, Joan gave the volunteers their pay for the day and invited Kathy to
the weekly dance.
Chapter 3 - The Dance
That evening, Kathy got dressed up for the Helping Hand dance. William took her,
and she met his friends Sue, John, Pam, and Adam. Kathy danced and socialized
with the group. After the dance, William and Kathy walked home together.
Kathy and William worked together every Saturday from that day on. Over the
following weeks, Kathy and William continued their volunteer work and had fun
together, like building a fishpond and learning to ride bikes.
One Saturday, Kathy and William went back to the old people's Home. There was
no woman in Room 16. The matron gave Kathy an envelope and said she found
it on the floor of room 16 with her name written on it. When Kathy opened the
envelope, it said "VISIT HAMPTON".
Chapter 4 - The Accident
Now it was winter. That day, Joan said that the Council was going to pull the
building down and they had a month to find a new place. So they decided to ride
their bikes looking for a new place. Kathy had an old bicycle that needed repairs
before she could join the others on a countryside picnic. The bike shop owner,
George, warned her the bicycle was dangerous without a working back brake. But
Kathy insisted on going, wanting to join the picnic more than anything.
On the way down a hill, Kathy was unable to stop her bike and crashed into a
lorry. Then, for a moment, everything went black.
Chapter 5 - Life or Death
She was badly injured and taken to the hospital by ambulance. William stayed by
her side, praying for her recovery. At the hospital, the doctor told William that
Kathy had a nasty bump on the head but no broken bones. When Kathy woke up,
she told William about the old lady, Miss Emily, mentioning Hampton House. The
doctor said Kathy must stay in town and not travel far.
When she relaxed and closed her eyes she started to think about old lady story.
Chapter 6 - Hampton House
Kathy rested at home for a few days. Her friends from Helping Hand visited and
told her they were still searching for a new meeting place. Kathy suggested using
the abandoned Hampton House.
Two days later, William and Kathy went to Hampton house trying to find a place
for the club. Even, the garden was full of snakes, Kathy broke into the house
anyway. The house was full of dust and dirty.
Once inside, Kathy had a supernatural encounter. She heard a voice telling her to
sit down, and a table with food appeared in front of her so she ate it. She later
thanked him. The voice told her to come again. Kathy came out of the house and
told her friends what had happened, but her friends didn't believe her.
Chapter 7 - The Investigation
The next day, William and some others returned to Hampton House to investigate
further. They found the house in disarray, with no sign of the table and chairs
Kathy had described. William became convinced Kathy had imagined the whole
thing due to her accident.
Undeterred, Kathy went back to the house alone. This time she discovered two
armchairs by the fireplace and heard the voice again. He gave a small diamond
heart on a chain as a gift and then he began to tell her the story of Lord Hampton.
Chapter 8 - Lord Hampton's Story
The voice narrated the tragic tale of Lord Hampton, a once-poor young man who
used to live in a poor village. He worked on a farm where there was a girl who
used to bring him some fresh food for lunch. The girl had a beautiful diamond
heart on her neck. He couldn't help thinking about the jewel.
One day, he stole the diamond heart necklace from the poor girl. That necklace
helped him become wealthy and powerful. Then he started to work with a rich
old man and became very close to him. Later, the old man said that he wanted to
leave the inheritance to him because he had no other relatives. Soon the old man
died, and Lord Hampton became rich.
Years later, the poor girl came to work as a servant in Lord Hampton's house, but
he did not recognize her. Instead of helping her, he made her work long, difficult
hours for little food.
In a dream, the girl appeared and told him he would remain in his house until a
young girl like Kathy came and he could confess his past cruelty to her. Only then
could he find peace.
After the voice told it to Kathy, she felt lonely and sad as she walked home.
Chapter 9 - A Matter of Choice
William went to the office to talk to Joan and said that Kathy was not well. Joan
told William: "Kathy told me her grandmother died when she was little, and she
never saw her. She went to the Old People's Home and found out that Kathy´s
grandmother used to work with Lord Hampton. So, Kathy's grandmother was the
girl with the diamond heart." William didn't believe Joan.
The next Saturday, Kathy arrived at the Helping Hand office, knowing her friends
were angry with her. But Joan called everyone together to announce the election
of a new leader and she chose 3 people for it: William, John and Sally. Everyone
had to vote and go back to work.
After it Kathy listened that Hampton House was being demolished that day so
she quickly went to that house.
Chapter 10 - The Final Moments
When Kathy arrived there the bulldozers were destroying the windows. Just
before the final collapse, Kathy saw a blinding light rise from the house, and a
sudden voice said to Kathy: "Goodbye Kathy, goodbye." Kathy was thrilled. The
workers told Kathy to get away.
Kathy did not return to the Helping Hand office. Later, a newspaper article
reported that the only remains found were an old table and chairs in the garden.
Kathy and William were reunited, having both come to understand and accept
the truth of Hampton House.
