The Mandie Collection (48 page)

Her mother broke into her thoughts. “As far as your being allowed to see the work on the hospital, that is out of the question right now, Amanda. Until you settle down and apply yourself to your schoolwork, there will be no extra activities. Is that understood?”

Mandie stared at her mother. Elizabeth had never talked to her like that before.
Have I really been so bad that Mother has to lecture me?
Mandie wondered. She blinked repeatedly to keep her blue eyes from filling with tears. It hurt to have her mother scold her so harshly.

Finally, she nodded. “Yes, Mother. I'm sorry,” she managed.

Then she really burst into tears and flew into her mother's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” she kept repeating.

Celia silently wiped a tear from her own eyes. Mandie was her dearest friend, and it hurt to see her so distressed.

Elizabeth smoothed her daughter's blonde hair and held her tightly. “All right, Amanda, I love you. That's why I had to make you see the wrong you are doing.”

Mandie knew she couldn't make her mother understand how important that noise in the attic had become to her, so she decided not to say any more about it.

Celia finally spoke. “Mrs. Shaw, please don't let my mother know. She's still sick with grief over my father's death. What I have done would hurt her so much. I should have stopped and thought
about the consequences before I got into this. I'm more sorry that I can express.”

“All right, Celia. I will spare your mother under the circumstances, but remember, this reprimand applies to you, too. You need to settle down and get your mind on your schoolwork,” Elizabeth said. “I want you to know I was very sorry to hear about your father. He was a nice man. I knew him years ago.”

“You did?” Celia replied.

Elizabeth stood. “Yes, and you look more like him than you do your mother,” she said. “Now, both of you go wash your faces, and then come back to the library. I'm sure you'd like to spend some time with Joe, Amanda.”

The two girls did as they were told and found a bathroom down the hall. Mandie closed the door behind them. “You know I'd much rather be at home in Franklin than in that silly school. But that's what Mother wants, so I'll try to get through it somehow.”

Celia turned on the crystal-handled faucet. “My mother feels the same way, so I suppose I'll have to endure it as well. But it isn't going to be easy.” She splashed cold water all over her face, then turned to get a towel.

Mandie looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red and her hair was a mess. She washed her face and tried to smooth her hair.

As they opened the door to return to the library, they heard Mrs. Taft greeting Elizabeth down the hallway.

“What brings you here this time of the night, Elizabeth?” she asked.

“You know what brings me here, Mother. Miss Prudence contacted me.”

“You didn't come all the way from Franklin just because Amanda got suspended from school for a few days, did you?”

“Of course, Mother.”

Mrs. Taft smiled. “I thought it sounded exciting, poking around in dark old attics, looking for noises.” She laughed.

“Mother, it might have been exciting, but it was disgraceful to get suspended from school.”

“Oh, come now, Elizabeth. I always wanted you to have that kind of spunk when you were growing up, but you were always meek as a mouse, just like your father.”

“Oh, Mother, really!”

“Now, Honey, settle down. Who came with you?” she asked, changing the subject.

“They're all in the library. John is here, and Dr. Woodard and Joe, and Snowball.”

“That cat? You brought him on the train?” Mrs. Taft's laughter floated down the hallway.

The two girls slowly made their way back to the library. They both knew it would be fun having Mandie's grandmother on their side. Mandie had prayed so often for her grandmother to like her. Now, for the first time, she was beginning to feel like a granddaughter.

CHAPTER TEN

SNOWBALL DISAPPEARS

After breakfast the next morning, Celia decided to let Mandie have some time alone with Joe.

“If you don't mind, Mandie, I think I'd better wash my hair this morning,” she told her friends. “It'll take a while to get dry.”

“Oh, sure, Celia. Go ahead,” Mandie replied. “We'll catch up with you later.”

Mandie led Joe outside. “Let's go to the garden,” she suggested. “I want you to see my grandmother's beautiful flowers. And her gardener, Gabriel, is absolutely unbelievable!”

Clutching Snowball, Mandie walked with Joe down the pathway through the flowers, smelling, touching, and admiring. Then they came to a bench by a water fountain.

“Would you like to sit down a minute, Mandie?” Joe asked.

“Sure, Joe,” Mandie replied. She sat on the bench and Joe joined her. Snowball curled up on her lap. “Isn't it beautiful here?” Mandie asked.

“Yeh, but I'd much rather be back home. I don't like so much finery.”

“Neither do I,” Mandie admitted. “I admire this place, but I wouldn't want to live here. I'll be glad when I get through with that silly school and can go home.” She stroked Snowball thoughtfully. “You know Celia and I got suspended for ten days, don't you?”

“Yeh, I know. That was a dumb thing to do.”

“I suppose it was dumb, but there's something compelling about that noise in the attic. I feel I just have to find out what it is before it's too late.”

“Too late for what?” Joe asked.

“I don't even know,” Mandie answered.

“Well, why can't you do it and get it over with, instead of getting caught every time?”

“That's what I intend to do. As soon as I get back to school I'm going to find out once and for all what that noise is.”

“Didn't you promise your mother you'd behave at school and not go chasing that noise anymore?”

“No, she didn't ask me to promise. She just said if I didn't settle down and study, she'd bring me home where she could watch me. I didn't make any promises.”

“But, Mandie, that was understood. Your mother took it for granted that you had promised.”

“I'll try real hard not to get caught again.”

“Mandie, that's not being honest. I don't understand what's come over you.” He looked closely at her. “You and Celia weren't out just taking a walk last night, either, were you?”

Mandie's cheeks felt suddenly warm. Joe had caught her in a lie.

“We really did take a walk—all the way back to school. We were going to try to get in and search the attic, but Uncle Ned was waiting. It was his night to visit me. And he told us y'all were here.”

“Mandie! You had better straighten up and start telling people the whole truth. And you've got to learn something at that school.”

Mandie frowned at him. Her face flushed at the tone of his voice.

“You've got to learn something at school,” he repeated, “ 'cause I don't want a dumb wife,” he teased, taking her hand in his.

Mandie's heart beat a little faster. She would never forget the first time he told her he wanted to marry her when they grew up. She took a deep breath. “All right, I'll try to do better. But I do have to find out what's in the attic.”

“All right,” Joe said, “but hurry up and get it over with. Remember, you can't have everything just the way you want it. Life isn't like that. There's good and there's bad. And there are some things that we think are unbearable.”

“I know I have to get an education,” Mandie conceded.

“I'm sure your mother would rather have you at home with her every day,” Joe reasoned. “But she knows you have to be educated, so she is willing to give you up for a while. Have you ever stopped to think about that, Mandie?”

“I've thought about it,” Mandie answered. “But I haven't talked to her about it.”

“Well, maybe you should,” Joe suggested, and then added, “End of lecture. Now, let's find that gardener you were talking about.” He stood up and Mandie followed him. Snowball jumped to the ground.

That evening Mandie talked to her mother as they sat on the sun porch.

“Mother, I have to ask you to forgive me,” Mandie began.

“Oh?” her mother replied.

“I'm afraid I told you a lie last night,” Mandie confessed. “Celia and I weren't just out for a walk. That was only part of it. We walked back to school to try to get inside and go up to the attic.”

Elizabeth studied her daughter for a minute before speaking. “That's what I thought,” she said. “I was waiting to see if you would tell me the truth. I knew you wouldn't just take a walk that time of the night.”

“I'm sorry, Mother. Please forgive me,” Mandie pleaded.

Elizabeth drew a deep breath. “You are forgiven this time but, Amanda, please don't let it happen again. I am not trying to be unkind. I want you to know that I'm only interested in your wellbeing,” she assured her daughter. “Above all, however, please don't ever lie to me again. Whatever you do or get into, I'd rather be told the truth. You should trust me enough to know you can tell me anything. Real love depends on trust.” Her voice quivered slightly. “Oh, Amanda, you just can't imagine how much I love you.”

Mandie slipped out of her chair and sat next to her mother on the settee. She took her mother's hand in hers and squeezed it hard. “And I love you more than I can ever tell you, Mother. I thank God every day for bringing us together.”

After a few minutes of silence Elizabeth wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “We have to go home tomorrow, Amanda,” she said. “Dr. Woodard has patients to see, and your Uncle John has business to look after. I want to leave with the assurance that you will do your very best at school. I shouldn't have to worry about what you might be doing while we are separated.”

“I'll learn everything I can,” the girl promised. “But, Mother, what good will it do me to learn all those social things? I need to learn more mathematics so I can keep track of the Cherokees' gold.”

Elizabeth laughed. “That's what we've got your Uncle John doing. He knows all about money. That's a man's work.”

“But, Mother, the Cherokees put the gold in my hands to use for them, and I'd like to keep up with it.”

“Don't worry about that. Your Uncle John will sit down with you when you come home and go over every penny.”

“And when am I coming home?”

“We'll come and get you for Thanksgiving week. Your Uncle John was planning to keep it a secret, but we're going to visit your Cherokee kinpeople that week.”

“Oh, Mother! Thank you!” Mandie hugged her. She couldn't wait to see all her father's relatives at Bird-town and Deep Creek.

“You won't let your Uncle John know that I told you?”

“No, Mother, I won't. Thank you for sharing the secret,” Mandie said with a twinkle in her eye. “Since you know Celia's mother, do you think we could invite them to our house for Thanksgiving?”

“We'll decide that later. It would be better if you don't ask Celia until we're sure what plans your Uncle John has for that week.”

That night Mandie slept better, knowing that she would be able to see her Cherokee kinpeople at Thanksgiving.

The next day when everyone prepared to go to the train station, they couldn't find Snowball. He had been around Mandie's feet all
morning, but at the last minute the kitten disappeared. It was as though he knew they were going to take him away from Mandie.

Mrs. Taft had told the girls that when they returned to school, they could plan to visit her on weekends. So Mandie secretly hoped they wouldn't find Snowball before they had to leave. Then she would be able to see her kitten every weekend.

Finally, they had to quit looking for Snowball. They didn't want to miss their train. At the depot when everyone kissed and waved good-bye, Mandie didn't even shed a tear. She knew she would soon be going home to visit.

Just before Joe boarded the train, he squeezed Mandie's hand. She whispered in his ear. “Don't let anyone know I told you, but I'm coming home for a whole week at Thanksgiving.”

A big smile broke across Joe's face. “I'm glad, Mandie. I really do miss you. Please don't get into any more trouble.”

Mandie smiled back at him. “I'll do my best not to.”

Later, when Mandie, Celia, and Mrs. Taft returned home, Snowball sat on the front porch waiting for them.

Mandie picked him up and stroked his fur. “You're a smart kitten!” she laughed.

Mandie and Celia enjoyed playing with Snowball during the rest of their stay at Mrs. Taft's. It hadn't turned out to be so bad after all.

The day the girls returned to school, they were packed and dressed, waiting in the parlor for Mrs. Taft to join them. She was going with them to have a little talk with Miss Prudence, she said.

Uncle Cal came from the school to pick them up. After loading their belongings, he waited in the surrey outside.

Snowball rubbed around Mandie's ankles as the girls waited impatiently for Mrs. Taft. They were excited about going back to school. Mandie picked up her kitten and gave him stern instructions. “Snowball, you be a good kitten for Grandmother, and I'll see you soon,” she said, smoothing the fur on his head.

The kitten purred in response.

“Come, Amanda and Celia,” Mrs. Taft called from the doorway. “We're ready.”

Mandie put Snowball down. She and Celia quickly joined her grandmother in the hallway, then walked out to the waiting surrey. As Celia closed the front door behind them, she didn't notice the white flash of fur darting outside.

When the surrey arrived at the school, Miss Prudence welcomed them. “Please come in,” she said, leading the way into the house. She called over her shoulder to Uncle Cal, “You know where to take their things—to their old room.”