Wide awake in Aunt Bet's Southern house, Annie Van Lew shivered at the sounds of distant guns. It was bad enough that America was at war, but the young Virginia girl was not used to battles being fought this close. _ .Annie sat up in bed and listened.Had a stranger broken in? Earlier, the family had heard that captured officers recently escaped from a prison nearby. 

Quietly opening her bedroom door, Annie walked out. A figure in a black gown was walking down the hall. It was Aunt Bet, carrying a candle in one hand and a plate of fried chicken in the other. 

Annie followed her aunt to a stairway at the far end of the house. Aunt Bet climbed to the top, and opened a door leading to the attic . Annie followed closely behind. 

In the attic, Aunt Bet stopped at a chest of drawers, moved it aside, and felt along the wall behind it. Slowly a door sprang open, revealing a hidden room. A thin man stepped out of the opening. As Aunt Bet handed him the plate of food, the young man saw Annie in the doorway and froze. 

Desperately shaking her head "no", the girl raised one finger to her lips. The officer understood and shifted his look. Quickly Annie went back downstairs and hid, waiting until after Aunt Bet left to return. Back inside the attic,Annie called softly to the man inside, who told her where to find the hidden spring. 

Soon the young officer stood in the open doorway. A small candle burned on a table behind him and, in its soft light, Annie studied his face. Clear eyes reflected the calm of one who faced death bravely. 

Smiling, he said,"What trouble you should have gotten into if your aunt had turned around!" That night, Annie learned Aunt Bet was one of many daring Southerners whose hatred of slavery drove them to risk their lives by spying for the North. The girl chatted as she dared, wishing her new friend luck when he said he would leave at dawn. 

Back in her room, Annie felt proud and was determined to guard her family's secret to the end. QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. Why did Annie shiver?
2. What caused Annie Van Lew to shiver?
3. Why did Annie begin to shiver?
Q2:
1. Where was Annie Van Lew located?
2. In what place was Annie Van Lew staying?
3. What was the location of Annie Van Lew?
Q3:
1. What rumor was going around?
2. What rumor had Annie Van Lew and her aunt heard?
3. What news had the Van Lew family recently heard?
Q4:
1. Where did the prisoners escape from?
2. Where had the captured officers allegedly escaped from?
3. What did the captured officers flee from?
Q5:
1. Who did Annie Van Lew see in the hall?
2. Who did Annie Van Lew notice in the hall?
3. Who was standing in the hall when Annie Van Lew looked out?
Q6:
1. What was the first thing Annie noticed in Aunt Bet's hand?
2. What was in Aunt Bet's hand, besides the fried chicken?
3. What did Aunt Bet hold in her first hand?
Q7:
1. What else did Aunt Bet have in her hand, besides the candle?
2. What did Aunt Bet carry with her, apart from the candle?
3. Along with her candle, what did Aunt Bet hold?
Q8:
1. Where was Aunt Bet going?
2. What room was Aunt Bet walking towards?
3. In what direction was Aunt Bet walking?
Q9:
1. What could be found in the attic?
2. Who did Annie Van Lew notice in the attic?
3. Who did Aunt Bet go see in the attic?
Q10:
1. Where in the attic was the thin man?
2. What part of the attic was the thin man hiding in?
3. Where could the thin man be found?
Q11:
1. What covered the entrance to the hidden room in the attic?
2. How was the secret room in the attic kept hidden?
3. What object was being used to cover up the hidden room?
Q12:
1. How did the thin man react when he saw Annie Van Lew?
2. What was the thin man's reaction when he noticed Annie Van Lew?
3. What expression did the thin man make when he saw Annie Van Lew?
Q13:
1. When did Annie return to the hidden room?
2. At what point did Annie Van Lew go back to the hidden room?
3. When did Annie go back up to visit the thin man?
Q14:
1. How was Annie able to find the latch that opened the door?
2. How did Annie locate the hidden spring on the door?
3. How did Annie manage to find the hidden spring?
Q15:
1. Was the thin man frightened of Annie?
2. Did Annie detect fear in the eyes of the thin man?
3. Was the thin man anxious upon meeting Annie?
Q16:
1. What was Aunt Bet doing for the North?
2. What service was Aunt Bet performing for the North?
3. What did Annie learn that Aunt Bet was doing for the North?
Q17:
1. Who was Aunt Bet acting as a spy for?
2. What region was Aunt Bet spying for?
3. For whom was Aunt Bet serving as a spy?
Q18:
1. When was the thin man going to leave Aunt Bet's house?
2. When was the thin man set to depart from Aunt Bet's home?
3. When would the thin man set out from Aunt Bet's?
Q19:
1. What did Annie think about Aunt Bet's spying?
2. How did Annie feel about Aunt Bet helping the North?
3. What were Annie's feelings towars her family's secret?
Q20:
1. Why had Aunt Bet chosen to spy for the North?
2. Why was Aunt Bet, a Southerner, helping out the North?
3. Why did Aunt Bet choose to act as a spy for the North, despite being a Southerner?
