The Mandie Collection (24 page)

“Yes,” Celia said, reading over her friend's shoulder. “Let's read all the details. This will probably be part of our history lesson today.”

Later that day, when their teacher brought up the subject, Mandie and Celia were the only ones who knew anything about it. Most of the other students never bothered to read the newspaper.

On Friday the girls again went to Mrs. Taft's house for the weekend. And on Saturday Uncle Ned, Mandie's old Cherokee friend, arrived. Ella, the maid, ushered him into the parlor where Mrs. Taft and the girls were sitting.

“Come on in by the fire, Uncle Ned,” Mrs. Taft invited.

Mandie ran to greet him and held his old wrinkled hand, leading him over to the warm fireplace. “Oh, Uncle Ned, I'm so glad to see you,” she said. “How did you know I was here?”

“Not come to see Papoose,” Uncle Ned replied. “Come to see grandmother of Papoose.” Pulling a large sealed envelope out of his deerskin jacket, he handed it to Mrs. Taft.

Mandie pouted. When Uncle Ned showed up anywhere, it was usually Mandie he was coming to visit. But before she had time to think much about it, her grandmother had ripped open the large envelope and found three smaller envelopes inside.

“Here is a letter from your mother, Amanda,” Mrs. Taft said, handing her one of the envelopes. “This one is for me, and the other is addressed to Miss Prudence. Evidently your mother took care of everything.”

Mrs. Taft and Mandie hurriedly opened their letters.

Mandie frowned as she read hers silently. “Grandmother,” she said, holding up the single sheet of paper, “my letter only says that Mother is sending a letter to Miss Prudence asking that she reconsider her decision.”

Mrs. Taft refolded her letter and put it back into the envelope. “I wonder exactly what she has written to Miss Prudence,” she said. “It's sealed, but how about going right now to deliver it and find out what she has to say?”

Mandie grinned. “I'm ready,” she agreed. “They should be all through with dinner when we get back to the school.”

Mrs. Taft stood. “Uncle Ned, you're spending the night, of course,” she said. “Have you had supper yet?”

“Eat before sun disappear,” Uncle Ned told her, still warming his hands by the fire.

“That was a long time ago,” Mrs. Taft replied. “I'll have Ella fix you something while we're gone. We should be back in a few minutes.” Excusing herself, she went to find the maid.

Mandie turned to her old Indian friend. “Uncle Ned, you know what's going on, don't you?” she asked.

“Me know.” The old man nodded. “Where there's will, there's way. Must not give up, Papoose. All things be happy again.”

Mandie managed a weak smile. “Thank you, Uncle Ned. I hope so.”

Celia jumped up from the footstool where she had been sitting. “I'll get our coats and hats, Mandie.” Disappearing into the hallway, she returned a few minutes later with their wraps.

Just then Mrs. Taft came back into the room with her hat and coat on. “Uncle Ned, go on back to the breakfast room,” she said. “I told Ella to set you a place in there. It's smaller and will be warmer than that big, drafty dining room.”

Uncle Ned rose. “Thank you,” he said.

Mandie gave her Indian friend a hug. “We'll be right back, Uncle Ned,” she told him. “Pray for everything to be all right.”

Uncle Ned nodded. “Big God make things happy,” he replied.

CHAPTER SIX

GRANDMOTHER CONFRONTS MISS PRUDENCE

When Mrs. Taft and the girls arrived at the school, they found Miss Prudence and Miss Hope sitting in the office doing paperwork.

Mandie's grandmother marched right in and handed the letter to the headmistress. “Here is a letter to you from Amanda's mother,” she said, clipping her words short.

Miss Prudence reluctantly took the letter and turned it over. “Thank you,” she replied hesitantly.

“We'll wait until you read it,” Mrs. Taft responded. Taking a chair nearby, she motioned for the girls to sit down, too.

Miss Prudence looked at her silently, then ripped open the envelope. Her disciplined face showed no emotion as she read the single sheet of paper, then dropped it on the desk in front of her. She looked up. “My answer is the same,” she announced. “If Amanda takes leave to go to Washington, she will fail the grade. Even though your daughter was my student, Mrs. Taft, and I know she is an agreeable person, I will not let her plea change my decision.”

Miss Hope moved closer and picked up the letter. After reading it, she turned to the headmistress. “But, sister, think what this trip would do for our school,” she argued. “It's not very often a school can boast
that one of its students was personally invited by the President of the United States to visit the White House.”

Miss Prudence turned quickly. “You, sister, are forgetting something.” Her voice sounded angry. “That man in the White House is from the wrong political party.” She spat out the words.

“I know, but we didn't put him there,” Miss Hope protested. “We women can't vote. The men are the ones who elected him. And now that he is there, he
is
President of the United States, whether we like it or not. This would be such good publicity for our school.”

Knowing that Miss Hope was on her side, Mandie grabbed Celia's hand hopefully, hardly daring to breathe.

“No.” Miss Prudence remained firm. “I don't see what kind of publicity you think we would benefit from. Most people will never know—or care, for that matter—that Amanda was invited to the White House.”

“But we could see that the newspaper wrote about it,” Miss Hope said. “Not only that, the other girls here live in various parts of the country, and word would spread that way.”

Miss Prudence did not answer right away. Mrs. Taft bristled in her chair and Mandie's heart beat faster as they all waited to hear what the headmistress would say.

During the lull in the conversation, Mandie happened to catch sight of Aunt Phoebe at the doorway. She was so excited that she jumped up and ran to hug the old woman. “Oh, Aunt Phoebe, we're so glad you're back!” she cried, holding on to the old black woman's sleeve. “We've missed you so much.”

“Why, I'se glad to be back, Missy,” Aunt Phoebe said tenderly. Then quickly turning to the headmistress, she said, “I'se sorry, Miz Prudence. I didn't knows you had comp'ny in here.” She turned to go.

Miss Prudence looked up. “What did you want, Aunt Phoebe?” she asked.

Aunt Phoebe looked back. “I jes' wanted to make my 'port on de latest 'velopments out at de farm,” she replied. “I comes back later.” Again she turned to leave.

So
, Mandie said to herself,
this whole disappearance mystery has something to do with the farm
. . . . Mandie knew Aunt Phoebe was talking about the farm where some of Uncle Cal's relatives lived and raised food for the school. If the disappearances had something to do
with the farm, that would explain why Uncle Cal and Aunt Phoebe were involved.
But what could have happened
? she wondered.

Miss Prudence's voice interrupted her thoughts. “Fine, Aunt Phoebe. Please come back in a few minutes,” she said. As the old Negro woman left, Miss Prudence looked directly at Mandie's grandmother. “I believe we have finished our conversation, Mrs. Taft. Now, if you don't mind, my sister and I have work to do.” She stood up, indicating there was nothing more to discuss.

Everyone else stood as well.

Mandie's grandmother straightened her shoulders. “Very well, then, Miss Prudence. I will take up the matter with my daughter again, and we will let you know what we decide to do. But we just may not be able to support your school any longer.”

Miss Hope looked pleadingly at her sister, but Miss Prudence ignored her.

“If you no longer choose to be a patron of our school, that is certainly your right,” Miss Prudence remarked haughtily. “We have a great many others. Good night.”

Mandie gave Miss Hope a wishful glance. The headmistress's sister was never aggressive, but when she believed in something, she was relentless. Mandie was counting on that.

Mrs. Taft pulled her fur coat about her. “Good night, Miss Prudence,” she said, turning to leave. “Come, girls. Let's go home.”

Miss Prudence stepped around to the front of the desk. “Amanda and Celia, you will be expected back here tomorrow night before curfew.” She looked at them sternly as she spoke.

“Yes, Miss Prudence,” the girls replied together.

Miss Hope followed them out into the hallway. Bending slightly, she squeezed Mandie's hand and whispered, “I'll keep trying.”

Mandie's heart was thumping wildly. “Thank you, Miss Hope,” she said.

As Mrs. Taft took the girls back home with her in the buggy, she fussed all the way. “I don't know who that woman thinks she is, refusing to allow
my
granddaughter to take a few days off from school,” she mumbled as Ben drove the buggy through the cobblestone streets of Asheville.

Mandie laid her hand on her grandmother's. “I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble, Grandmother,” she said.

“You didn't cause any trouble, dear,” Mrs. Taft replied, patting Mandie's hand. “It's that obstinate woman who runs your school. But I promise you we'll do something about it.”

Hearing her grandmother say that didn't make Mandie feel any better. She was worried.

As soon as they arrived at Mrs. Taft's house, Mandie motioned for Celia to come to the bathroom with her. Quietly closing the door behind them, Mandie began to whisper. “Celia, would you please do me a favor?” she asked.

Celia looked bewildered. “What?”

“Grandmother went into the parlor, and I think Uncle Ned is in there. I'm worried about what my grandmother might do about all this, and I want a chance to talk things over with Uncle Ned,” Mandie explained. “Would you please keep my grandmother talking or something so I can speak to Uncle Ned privately?”

“I'll try,” Celia promised. “Your grandmother is pretty wound up. I'm not sure she'll pay any attention to me.”

“Go ahead into the parlor,” Mandie urged. “Then I'll come to the doorway and ask Uncle Ned if I could talk to him for a few minutes in the sun parlor. When I do this, you start talking to my grandmother about the trip to Washington. She has a one-track mind, and right now Washington, D.C., is all she's thinking about. Besides, I do need to talk to Uncle Ned about the hospital we're building for the Cherokees. Will you do it? Please?”

“All right.” Celia opened the door. “But please don't blame me if this doesn't work,” she warned, heading out to the parlor.

Mandie waited a few minutes, then went and stood at the doorway to the parlor. Uncle Ned sat by the fire while Celia carried on a rapid conversation with Mandie's grandmother. Uncle Ned looked up.

Mandie motioned to him. “May I talk to you a few minutes, Uncle Ned?” she asked softly. Turning, she headed down the hallway, and her Cherokee Indian friend followed.

Inside the sun parlor, Uncle Ned looked at Mandie with concern. “What bother Papoose?” he asked.

Mandie sat on the settee by the fire, and Uncle Ned joined her. “I just wanted to tell you I'm worried about the way my grandmother has been acting,” Mandie began.

“Ned understand, Papoose.” The old Indian took her small white hand in his old wrinkled one. “I see worry in Papoose. I wanted talk, too.” He smiled warmly. “I know grandmother of Papoose many year. Always talk big, but big talk just big blow. Big blow soon blow away. She want big things for Papoose. Not want other people interfere.”

“But, Uncle Ned,” Mandie replied, looking up into his piercing black eyes, “I'd rather not go to Washington at all than have everybody angry.”

“Miss Head Lady, she big blow, too. Two big blows meet and blow go away,” the old Indian explained. “Everything be all right, Papoose. Big God look after Papoose. Trust Big God fix everything.”

“I do trust God, Uncle Ned,” Mandie assured him. “I'll talk to Him about Grandmother tonight when I say my prayers.”

“That right thing,” the Indian replied. “If Big God want Papoose to go, Papoose will see President man in Big City.”

“I hope so very much, Uncle Ned,” Mandie said. She began to relax a little. “Oh,” she said after a moment, “I almost forgot. I need to know what has been done on the hospital so I can tell President McKinley. You know, that's the reason he invited me, because of the hospital.”

“Hospital be ready when air get warm, trees get green,” he told her. “Much work done now. Doctor man tell men hurry.” A smile teased at Uncle Ned's mouth.

Mandie smiled back. “I knew Dr. Woodard would keep after everyone to finish it,” she replied. “I know I can't do anything about the project while I'm here at school. But I will be glad when it's finished, so all the Cherokees who get sick can go there for help. Dr. Woodard said he would spend a lot of time there himself, doctoring them.” Looking up, Mandie saw Celia at the doorway.

Celia shrugged and made a face. “It didn't work too good, Mandie,” she apologized. “Your grandmother sent me to tell you and Uncle Ned to come back into the parlor. She wants to know about the Cherokee hospital, too. And she wants to send a message by Uncle Ned to your mother when he goes back tomorrow.”

Mandie sighed and followed Uncle Ned and Celia back to the parlor.

Mrs. Taft didn't say exactly what kind of a message she was sending back to Mandie's mother with Uncle Ned, but Mandie could imagine
what it was. She was going to suggest that Elizabeth Shaw take Mandie out of Miss Prudence's school.

When Mandie and Celia got ready for bed that night in Mrs. Taft's huge guest room, they both knelt by the high bed and said their prayers. Mandie talked to God about her grandmother and Miss Prudence, and Celia pleaded that Mandie not be taken out of the Heathwoods' School for Girls.