The Mandie Collection (43 page)

As the young people gathered in the front hall, preparing to leave, Mandie stood in front of the mirror on the hall tree, tying her bonnet.

Suddenly Polly burst through the front door. “I made it!” she exclaimed, out of breath. “And I tied my pony out in front with the others.”

Mandie silently looked the girl over. At least she had changed into a gingham dress and was carrying a bonnet and a shawl.

“Mandie, Sallie, take these.” Elizabeth handed them the shawls from the pegs on the hall tree. “It's cool outside. And remember, Polly, you must obey Uncle Ned the same as the others have promised.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Polly agreed. She looked at Mandie. “Who's got the map?”

“I have it,” Joe called to her from the doorway as he buttoned his jacket. He held up the rolled-up piece of paper for her to see.

Uncle Ned came into the hallway wearing his buckskin jacket and headed for the front door. “Go!” he said.

Amid reminders from Elizabeth and John Shaw to behave, the young people rushed down the walkway to their ponies.

When Mandie got to the gate, Liza was standing there, waiting for her. Taking Mandie by the arm, she whispered, “Hurry, Missy, git on yo' pony and git 'side dat doctuh son. Dis heah Missy Polly, she got eyes fo' him.”

Mandie mounted her pony. “I know,” she said with a sigh.

As the group headed out, Mandie tried to ride beside Joe, but Polly kept crowding the road with her pony, and Mandie would be forced to hurry forward toward Sallie and Uncle Ned.

Sallie dropped back to ride beside Mandie. “If the Hadleys did know Hezekiah, what will we do next?” she asked, trying to distract Mandie from watching Polly.

“I hope they remember Hezekiah. Who knows? Maybe we could find him and talk to him. He must have been a friend of Ruby's, don't you think?”

“He probably was,” Sallie agreed.

“If we hurry, maybe we can find the treasure before we have to go back to school. I wish I didn't have to keep going to that silly school in Asheville,” Mandie said.

“But your mother went to the Misses Heathwood's School for Girls, and she wants you to get educated there also,” Sallie reminded her.

“They'll never educate me—not what I call educate. They teach so many silly things that I will never use. I'd like to learn mathematics and finance like the boys do. That would be more useful to me when I grow up,” Mandie said as they rode along behind Uncle Ned.

“I do not know where you can learn those things except at a boys' school, and I do not think they would allow you to attend there.” Sallie giggled. “I agree that you should learn mathematics and finance, because someday you will inherit your uncle's and your mother's fortunes. But then, most girls just get married and let their husbands worry about that kind of thing.”

“Not me,” Mandie said quickly. “I would want to know what goes on in my own business affairs. No man is going to tell me how to spend my money when I grow up.”

“Not even Joe?” Sallie teased.

Mandie hesitated. “Not even Joe,” she said uneasily. “But I don't think Joe would be like that when he grows up. He always treats me like an equal. He encourages me to learn sensible things.”

Mandie turned slightly on her pony to look over her shoulder. Polly was riding close beside Joe and seemed to be doing most of the talking.

Looking back at her friend, Mandie said, “Besides, who knows how the future will turn out. Joe and I may outgrow each other someday.”

“Yes, you are right,” Sallie agreed. She changed the subject. “Are we almost to the Hadleys?”

“It's not much farther,” Mandie said, tightening her grip on the reins. “Let's get ahead of Uncle Ned. I know the way.”

“But my grandfather is supposed to be watching over us,” Sallie objected.

“We'll stay within sight of him. Let's just ride ahead.” Mandie urged her pony past Uncle Ned, and Sallie followed.

The old Indian raised his hand to them. “Do not go far ahead,” he called.

“We won't,” the girls called back.

As they rounded a bend in the road, the Hadleys' huge two-story house came into sight. Everyone hurried forward.

They tied up the animals at the hitching post and rushed to the front porch. Mandie knocked, and a moment later the door was opened by a uniformed maid.

“Are Mr. and Mrs. Hadley at home?” Mandie asked the woman.

The maid looked over the group standing on the porch and asked, “Who is calling?”

Mandie waved her hands around to her friends and replied, “I'm Mandie Shaw. This is Joe Woodard and that's Uncle Ned and Sallie and Polly.”

“Just a moment,” said the woman and disappeared inside. She returned in a minute and showed them into the parlor where Mr. and Mrs. Hadley were sitting.

Mr. Hadley rose slowly and stepped forward to offer Uncle Ned his hand. “How are you, Uncle Ned?” he said. “I see you have brought us some company.” The two men shook hands.

“Papoose of Jim Shaw want to ask questions,” Uncle Ned said, taking a seat indicated by Mr. Hadley.

Mr. Hadley spoke to Mandie. “So you are Jim Shaw's daughter. He was a good man, my dear. A good man.” He put his arm around Mandie's shoulders.

“Thank you, sir.” Mandie's voice trembled. “I'm so glad to finally get to meet you and Mrs. Hadley.”

“Sit down. Sit down. Make yourselves at home,” Mrs. Hadley told them.

The young people found seats around the room, and Mandie told the Hadleys about her father's sister, Ruby, and the treasure map she had left. She showed them the copy of the map that Joe was carrying.

The Hadleys listened attentively.

“What we would like to know, Mrs. Hadley, and Mr. Hadley, is whether you all were living here back then,” Mandie said.

“Yes, my dear, we were here,” Mrs. Hadley answered. “I was born and raised in this house, and after my parents died, I married Mr. Hadley. And we've continued living here ever since. I have never lived anywhere else.”

“Did you know Ruby Shaw?” Joe asked impatiently.

Mrs. Hadley nodded her head slowly. “Yes, we knew Ruby. We were just a young, newly married couple when that terrible accident happened. Mandie, your grandparents suffered so much, especially your grandfather. He would never allow anyone to mention Ruby's name after she died. He could not bear to talk about it.”

“If you were living here then, did you know someone named Hezekiah who lived in that house on the map?” Mandie asked.

Mr. and Mrs. Hadley looked at the map again. They thought for a moment.

“Hezekiah?” Mr. Hadley mulled over the name.

“I can't figure out where that house would be, dear,” Mrs. Hadley said.

Joe leaned forward. “Did you ever know anyone at all named Hezekiah?” he persisted.

“I don't believe so,” Mr. Hadley answered.

“No, I'm sure I never knew anyone with that name,” Mrs. Hadley said.

The young people sighed in disappointment.

Uncle Ned frowned thoughtfully. “Map say Hezzie—ky not far from house of John Shaw.” He bent forward to point at the place on the map.

“About one mile, according to the back of the original map. This one is a copy that Joe made because the other one is crumbling,” Mandie explained.

“I am sorry, dear,” said Mrs. Hadley, “but I just can't seem to place this house on the map. I didn't know your grandparents well.”

“I have an idea that might help,” Mr. Hadley offered. “I used to own the local newspaper. When I retired a few years ago, I just closed it down. Someone else started the newspaper we have now. But there are hundreds of old newspapers in my old building. They date back to about 1845. Maybe you could find some kind of information in them, at least the story about Ruby's death.”

“Oh, could we look at them?” Mandie said excitedly.

The other young people leaned forward.

“All I ask is that you don't take any papers out of the building, and that you leave them as you found them,” Mr. Hadley said. “I'll go get the key. Uncle Ned, you know where the building is, I'm sure.”

“Yes,” the old Indian agreed.

Mr. Hadley went to get the key, and when he returned, he handed it to Uncle Ned. “I'll trust you to return it to me when they're finished looking.”

“Thanks so much, Mr. Hadley and Mrs. Hadley,” Mandie said, rising to go.

The young people all expressed their thanks.

Mrs. Hadley hobbled to her feet with her cane and raised her hand to them. “Wait!” she called. “There is one promise I'd like from y'all.”

Everyone turned to listen.

“Promise me you'll let me know what the treasure is when you find it. This is something I would like to have done when I was your age,” she told them. “It sounds so exciting.”

“We promise,” the young people said in unison.

The Hadleys followed them to the front door.

“Good luck!” Mrs. Hadley called with a twinkle in her eyes.

The young people excitedly mounted their ponies and waited for Uncle Ned to catch up with them.

“Can we go there right now, Uncle Ned?” Mandie asked excitedly.

Uncle Ned untied his horse, smiled, and looked at the sky. “We have time,” he replied.

“Thank you, Uncle Ned, for helping us and everything,” Joe said.

The old Indian smiled again. “Must hurry before doctor son get hungry.”

Everyone laughed as they rode off down the road toward the downtown part of Franklin.

On Main Street Uncle Ned stopped in front of an old two-story building, badly in need of paint. A rotting sign over the doorway with fading letters read: Franklin News.

The young people jumped down and tied their ponies at the edge of the road alongside Uncle Ned's horse. Then they followed him to the front door of the building.

After much turning and shaking, Uncle Ned finally got the door unlocked and pushed it open for the young people to enter. “I wait here,” he told them, sitting down on the front step.

As they went inside, they looked around the dark, dusty hallway. Long-unused printing presses stood in a large room with dirty windows on their right. On the left was a room stacked almost to the ceiling with newspapers. One large window high in the wall dimly lit the room. At the back of the hallway, a long flight of steps led upstairs.

Mandie surveyed the piles of newspapers. “What a mess!” she exclaimed.

Joe walked over to the papers and looked for dates on them. “I don't think these are very old,” he said.

“Let's see what's upstairs,” Mandie suggested, heading up the steps.

Joe followed, the rickety boards creaking at every step.

Polly shrank back. “Are y'all really going up those dark steps?”

“Come on, Polly,” Sallie said, offering her hand.

Polly reluctantly gave Sallie one hand and held up her long skirts with the other. They slowly climbed the dark stairway.

As they came to the landing at the top, Polly shivered. “There may be rats in here,” she said.

“If there are, they will be frightened of us and run away,” Sallie assured her.

The upstairs was one big room, almost completely filled with copies of old newspapers. The only light for the room came from a large skylight covered with grime.

Mandie and Joe looked about and began searching for dates on the papers. Sallie let go of Polly's hand and joined them.

“We are looking for 1850 newspapers,” Mandie said. As she pulled the top paper off one stack, a cloud of dust assailed them, and Polly backed off, sneezing.

Over in one corner, Sallie began reading dates aloud. “This says 1845, these are 1849, and these are 1845 again.”

As they explored the stacks and moved the papers about, the room became clouded with dust. Their hands got black with newspaper print, and dirt settled in their hair and on their clothes. Polly stayed at the top of the stairs, watching the others and holding her handkerchief to her nose.

“Here they are!” Joe called from the far side of the room. As he attempted to pull out a newspaper sticking out of a huge stack, the entire pile came tumbling down on top of him, sliding this way and that.

Rushing to see what Joe had found, Mandie and Sallie got caught in the avalanche of newspapers. As they looked at each other among the mountain of papers, the three suddenly laughed hysterically and then started sneezing from the dust.

“You're all dirty, Mandie,” Joe told her as he worked his way out of the mess.

“So are you, Joe,” Mandie said.

“We are all a mess!” Sallie gasped, trying to help Joe extricate himself from the newspapers.

“Remember, Mr. Hadley said to leave the papers as you found them,” Polly reminded them as she watched from the top of the steps.

The other three looked at each other in exasperation.

“How can we ever get those papers back like we found them?” Mandie asked.

“We don't know what order they were in when they fell,” Joe remarked.

Sallie picked up a few of the papers in front of her. “I think if we just stack them neatly, it will be all right,” she suggested.

“Good idea, Sallie. That's all we can do,” Mandie agreed.

“But we'd better read as we stack,” Joe warned. “Otherwise, we'll have to take the stack apart again.”

“Let's just sit down here and look through them.” Mandie plopped down in the middle of the scattered papers and picked up one issue at a time.

“I can't find the 1850 copies I spotted before the pile fell in,” Joe murmured as he continued shifting papers.

“Here is one dated the week of Monday, March 4, 1850,” Sallie said.

Mandie looked up. “See if you can find one for later. Ruby died May first, remember?”

“We should stack the papers as we look at them, to get them out of our way,” Sallie said.

“Right!” Joe agreed.