The Mandie Collection (18 page)

The two walked along the beach, picking up numerous sand dollars and shells of various shapes and sizes. They put them all in a cloth bag Tommy had brought. Stepping over piles of debris which had washed up with the tide, they found a small fish, live and wiggling in the sand. Tommy picked it up and tossed it back into the water so it wouldn't die.

As the first streaks of dawn finally appeared in the sky, Tommy suggested that they go out on the pier to watch the sunrise. “Come on. We'll have to hurry because the sun doesn't waste any time when it comes up,” Tommy said, taking her hand.

Hurrying out to the end of the pier, they stood against the railing to watch. Instantly, the sun began peeping up over the water's edge. Then it splashed its golden rays out over the ocean like a huge spotlight, illuminating everything between them and the sun.

Mandie caught her breath as the sun moved upward. “Oh, how beautiful!” she cried in delight. “God created some wonderful things, didn't He?”

“Yes, and I never get tired of watching. When we're at the beach house, I come down here every morning and wait for the sun,” Tommy told her.

“I just can't believe such a glorious thing is happening. The water looks like it's on fire,” Mandie cried. “Do you mind if I come with you to watch the sun every morning while we're here?”

“I was hoping you'd want to,” Tommy said, smiling. “I love to watch you enjoy things. You make it all seem new to me.”

Mandie blushed. She was beginning to realize how much she liked Tommy. The things he said to her made her feel special. Yet even while she was with him, the memory of Joe's hurt face stayed with her.

As she watched the sun rise, she felt closer to God and silently asked Him to forgive her for arguing with Joe.

“Hey, you haven't gone back to sleep, have you?” Tommy jostled her out of her reverie.

Mandie turned. “I'm sorry. I was just doing some thinking,” she told him.

“Thinking? This early in the morning?” Tommy teased. “I can't think until I've had breakfast. Let's go get some. Tizzy ought to have it ready by now.”

“Great idea!” Mandie agreed.

They hurried back across the beach, not taking time to look for any more sand dollars or shells. They had the whole day ahead of them to search the sand.

Mandie enjoyed the lazy pace of the day. The only things scheduled were mealtimes. While the adults sat around talking, Mandie and Tommy spent most of their time on the beach. Mandie was never quite sure what Josephine was doing.

After supper that night Tommy and Mandie went for another walk out to the pier. Mandie liked this time of day. Because the sun was
almost out of sight, she could take off her bonnet without worrying about getting freckles. The constant cool breeze felt good on her face. And since her mother found out what bad shape Mandie's shoes were in from the wet sand, she allowed Mandie to go barefooted for a while.

After sitting out on the pier, talking until after dark, Mandie and Tommy strolled back toward the house. Suddenly an eerie scream pierced the air. They whirled. The ghostly apparition floated in the moonlight for a few seconds and then disappeared into the water near the pier again.

Mandie moved closer to Tommy.

“There has to be an explanation for that thing, whatever it is,” Tommy declared calmly.

“It must be a ghost!” Mandie's voice trembled.

“I don't think ghosts can swim, Mandie,” Tommy said, “and evidently that thing must know how to swim because it lands in the water.”

For several minutes they stood there, staring at the pier.

“I think I'd like to go back to the house,” Mandie said.

“Let's go then,” Tommy agreed.

Taking a short cut under the house, Tommy almost tripped on Josephine, who was huddling there in the dark.

“What are you doing here?” Tommy asked.

Josephine jumped up, brushing the sand from her skirt. “What are y'all doing under here?” Josephine tossed back at him.

“What does it look like we're doing?” Tommy asked. “We've been on the beach, and now we're coming back to the house. What are you up to?”

“I don't have to account for anything to you,” Josephine told him.

“Maybe not, but you'll have to explain it to Mother if I tell her,” Tommy reminded.

“Go ahead. I'll just tell on you and Mandie going off in the dark on the beach. I know for a fact that Mandie didn't ask permission,” Josephine retorted.

“Come on, Tommy. Let's go inside,” Mandie urged. “I don't want to get mixed up in a quarrel.”

“I'm sorry, Mandie. Of course we'll go inside,” Tommy said.

Josephine sneered at them and plopped back in the sand as Mandie and Tommy climbed the steps to the house.

“Josephine was outside,” Mandie said softly. “I wonder if she saw the ghost.”

“I don't imagine she did or she'd be talking about it,” he replied.

“Let's keep it our secret and not tell anyone else. Maybe we can find out what it was,” Mandie whispered.

“I don't think we have much to tell anyone, anyway,” he whispered back. “No one would believe us.”

As they approached the door, Elizabeth came out onto the porch. “Oh, there you are, Amanda,” she said. “I didn't know where you had gone.”

“I'm sorry, Mother. I should have asked. Tommy and I have been walking on the beach,” Mandie explained.

“You should let me know where you are when it gets dark, Amanda,” Elizabeth said.

“I'm sorry, too, Mrs. Shaw,” Tommy apologized. “I asked Mandie to walk on the beach but forgot to ask your permission. We will next time,” he promised.

“All right, Tommy. And you remember that, too, Amanda,” Elizabeth said. “By the way, we just got word that Uncle Ned will be here tomorrow.”

Mandie clasped her hands in excitement. “I'm so glad he's coming. I was hoping he could make it.”

Elizabeth looked amused. “Amanda, you know he goes everywhere you go. He promised your father he would watch over you, and he keeps that promise,” she said. “I appreciate his loyalty.”

“I'd sure like to meet him,” Tommy said. “I've heard so much about Mandie's great protector, but I've never seen him.”

“You'll love Uncle Ned. He's a dear old man,” Mandie said.

“Yes, he is,” Elizabeth agreed, starting back into the house. “And he has helped me out of a lot of trouble,” Mandie added.

“I'm going back inside,” Elizabeth called over her shoulder. “You won't go wandering off down the beach anymore tonight, will you, Amanda?”

“No, Mother,” Mandie replied, plopping down on a soft-cushioned bench on the veranda. She looked up at Tommy. “Let's just sit here for a while and smell the water and listen to its roar.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Tommy said, sitting beside her.

Just then Snowball wandered out onto the porch. Mandie picked him up and put him on her lap, stroking his soft, white fur. “Maybe Uncle Ned can help us solve the mystery about that thing we saw,” Mandie said. “He always helps out when I get involved in something.”

“But we're not really involved in anything,” Tommy reminded her.

“Not yet, but I'd like to find out what it was that we saw,” Mandie insisted.

“I'd like to know, too,” Tommy said. “I just hope Josephine doesn't find out about it. She's bad enough already with all her ghost stories.”

They didn't know it, but Josephine had crept under the porch and had heard every word they said.

CHAPTER NINE

TROUBLE ON THE PIER

The next morning Mandie and Tommy stood at the railing of the pier again. As they watched, the sun burst over the far horizon like a great fiery red ball. And as it rose, the red color faded into gold. The sky lightened to a bright blue, and all that stretched out before them was water and sky.

“It's such a beautiful sight. I just won't be able to describe it to my friends back home,” Mandie said in awe.

“Bring them all with you next time,” Tommy invited.

Mandie looked at him to see if he were joking. “You don't mean that, do you?”

“I certainly do,” Tommy replied, hopping up on the top rail of the pier. “As you can tell, my mother loves company, and we have plenty of room. Maybe that's why my parents are thinking about helping your friend, Hilda.” Tommy paused as if trying to adjust to the idea.

“Oh, that would be wonderful for Hilda,” Mandie said. “I think I might even be a little jealous.” Instantly she regretted using that word.

Fortunately, Tommy didn't seem to notice.

Mandie hurriedly continued. “How do you feel about Hilda coming to live with your family?”

“I don't know exactly,” Tommy replied. “I wouldn't really mind, I guess. It just takes some getting used to. But I guess, to be honest, if we're going to add another member to the family, I'd rather have a brother than another sister.” He swung his legs freely from the railing where he sat. “I think having your friend Hilda around would be very good for my mother, though,” he said. “She has a kind heart and loves to do things for other people. But when I'm away at school in Asheville, Mother is often alone here. My father is away on business a lot, and my sister isn't much company. Josephine likes to be by herself. She's been known to disappear for hours at a time, and no one knows where she goes.”

Tommy jumped down from the railing. “Are you hungry?” He changed the subject abruptly. “I imagine Tizzy has breakfast ready for us.”

“I'm starving as usual,” Mandie replied.

As they started back down the long pier, Mandie caught sight of someone hurrying down the beach. She stopped for a moment and then yanked excitedly at Tommy's hand. “Come on. That's Uncle Ned!” she exclaimed, pointing toward the tall, thin figure in the distance.

“At last I get to meet him,” Tommy said, running with her.

Jumping down off the pier onto the beach, Mandie held her skirt high and ran awkwardly through the thick, loose sand. Tommy held her hand to keep her from falling as they ran.

Uncle Ned quickened his pace, and they met halfway up the beach.

Mandie reached out to squeeze the old man's hand. “Uncle Ned!” she called, out of breath from running.

“Papoose must not run in soft dirt. Fall, get hurt,” the old Indian scolded.

Mandie plopped down on the beach. “Sorry . . . but I have to . . . sit down . . . right here,” she said, still trying to catch her breath. “Sit down, Uncle Ned. This is Tommy Patton. He goes to Mr. Chadwick's . . . School for Boys in Asheville. Tommy, this is my dearest friend . . . and my father's friend, Uncle Ned.”

“How do you do, sir.” Tommy was only a little winded as he greeted the old Indian. The two shook hands and crouched down in the sand beside Mandie.

“Papoose tell me about Tommy Boy. I thank Tommy Boy to let Papoose see Big Water.” He waved his old wrinkled hand toward the ocean.

“It's a great pleasure to meet you, sir,” Tommy said. “Mandie has told me so much about you. And you're the first real Indian I've ever met. I'm honored that you have come to visit my family.”

Uncle Ned grinned and nodded.

“Have you been to the house yet, Uncle Ned?” Tommy asked.

“I see mother of Papoose. She tell me go where you are,” he answered.

“Uncle Ned, I'm glad you're here—for more reasons than one,” Mandie told him. “We've got something we need to solve. Tommy and I have been seeing some kind of phantom or ghost or something by the pier.”

“Ghost?” Uncle Ned questioned.

“Well, we don't know exactly what it is, but we'd like to find out,” Mandie explained. “This thing comes floating through the air and then plops into the water. It's all white and wispy-looking, and when it lands in the water, it makes a real spooky sound.”

“Where? We go look.” Uncle Ned rose to his feet.

Mandie and Tommy jumped up, brushing the sand off their clothes.

“Come this way,” Mandie said, leading the way to the pier. The three of them searched all around the tall pilings under the pier and found no clue.

“Let's go up on top,” Mandie suggested. Hurrying ahead of the others, she had almost reached the end of the structure when suddenly a large board in the flooring flipped up.

Instantly she fell through the boards and plunged into the water below. “Help!” she screamed, thrashing around in the deep water. “I can't swim!”

Uncle Ned dove off the pier. “Papoose! Ned coming!” he called, swimming powerfully toward her.

Tommy jumped in after him. When Uncle Ned and Tommy reached Mandie, her body was rigid with fright, and she was choking violently.

Uncle Ned grabbed her in his arms and held her head above the waves as he swam to shore.

Pulling her onto the beach, he motioned for Tommy to help. “Quick!” he said. Together they turned Mandie upside down and shook her hard. She coughed up water and went limp with relief.

Uncle Ned sat down on the sand and held her in his arms like a baby, smoothing her wet hair and crooning in Cherokee.

Tommy sat by his side, drenched as Uncle Ned was, and exhausted. He leaned forward. “Are you all right, Mandie?”

Mandie nodded. “I'll be fine in a minute,” she said shakily, “Thank you, Uncle Ned.

The old Indian smiled at her. “Tommy Boy, he help too.”

“Yes, I know. Thank you, Tommy,” she said. “I can't swim a lick.”

“I can't understand how you fell through,” Tommy said, looking toward the pier. “We were up there before Uncle Ned came, and the board wasn't loose then.”

“I know, Tommy, but I don't think we walked by that exact spot. Remember, we didn't go all the way out on the pier this time,” Mandie reminded him.

“I'm going to take a look.” Tommy stood to his feet and shook his wet clothes. “You stay here and get your breath, Mandie, so we can take you back to the house to change. Are you cold?”