Read The Mandie Collection Online
Authors: Lois Gladys Leppard
AND THE
TRUNK'S SECRET
For My Son
Donn William Leppard
That rootin', tootin' cowpoke boy,
Now grown so big, handsome, and tall;
Life's most wonderful pride and joy,
And God's most precious gift of all.
CONTENTS
Chapter   1  Cleaning Up the Attic
Chapter   2  The Locked Trunk
Chapter   3  What's in the Trunk?
Chapter   5  Search in the Woods
Chapter   7  What Happened to the Tools?
Chapter   8  The Storm in the Graveyard
Chapter   9  Treasures from Long Ago
Chapter 11 Â Aunt Pansy Tells It All
CHAPTER ONE
CLEANING UP THE ATTIC
Mandie squirmed in her chair in front of the headmistress's desk. She and Celia, her friend, had been called to the officeâagain.
Miss Prudence Heathwood, the tall, elderly headmistress, and her sister, Miss Hope, ran The Misses Heathwood's School for Girls, a boarding school where Mandie and Celia were students.
Miss Prudence looked sternly at the two girls. “You, Amanda, will not be allowed to participate in the school play,” she said. “And, in view of your complete disregard for the school rules, I believe it is necessary for you both to be further disciplined.”
The girls looked at each other, not knowing what to expect. Miss Hope Heathwood, a little younger than her sister, sat to one side, watching the proceedings but saying nothing.
Miss Prudence cleared her throat and continued. “If you two had not insisted on running around after curfew looking for noises in the attic, none of this would be necessary,” she reminded them. “This discipline is not only for your good, but also for the good of every other young lady in school here. We must have compliance with our rules. Is that understood?”
“Yes, ma'am,” Mandie replied, flipping her long, blonde hair behind her. Then cautiously, she added, “But if we hadn't investigated the noises, we wouldn't have found that poor retarded girl, Hilda, in the attic.”
“That is beside the point,” the schoolmistress said firmly. “You must learn to do things within the rules.” Miss Prudence sat straight in her chair behind the desk, occasionally glancing at her sister. “How that runaway managed to hide in our attic so long, only the Lord knows,” she said.
“At least now she's getting some medical help at the sanitarium,” Mandie said as respectfully as she could.
“That's enough,” Miss Prudence snapped. “I have heard enough of your excuses. I am hereby ordering the two of you to begin the task of cleaning up the attic. I have asked Uncle Cal to assist you, but you are to sacrifice your morning free periods each day until the job is completed. You two will work while the other girls are enjoying their leisure. Is that understood?”
“Yes, ma'am,” the girls said together.
“Very well then,” Miss Prudence replied. Rising, she motioned to her sister, Miss Hope. “I'm putting you two completely under the supervision of Miss Hope. You will answer to her at all times on all questions. And let me tell you one thing. You two had better remember that. There is to be no more disobedience in this school or your parents will have to find you another school to attend.” She turned to Miss Hope. “They're all yours, Sister. See that they live up to the rules,” she said, hurrying out of the office.
Miss Hope pushed a stray lock of faded auburn hair into place and sat down behind the desk. “Now, young ladies, I'm sure we won't have any problems,” she told them. “If we all live according to the Good Book, everything will be fine.”
“I'm going to try real hard, Miss Hope,” Mandie promised.
“Me, too,” Celia added.
“I do hope you both remember your promises,” Miss Hope said. “Now, about this chore of cleaning up the attic.” She paused to clear her throat.
“Miss Hope, please tell us about all that stuff in the attic,” Mandie begged. “There's so much furniture up there, and boxes, and trunks, and all kinds of things. How do you clean up an attic?”
Miss Hope laughed. “Now that's a good question,” she said. “I suppose Uncle Cal can clean up with a broom and mop, and you girls can sort everything out. Maybe put everything of one kind together. You know, if there are clothes in several drawers or boxes, put them all in one spot. Arrange all the books in one place, and so on.”
“Then we have permission to open anything up there?” Mandie asked.
“Why, yes. You may open anything in the attic,” Miss Hope said.
Mandie's blue eyes grew wide, and the two girls looked at each other.
“Where did so much stuff come from?” Celia asked.
“It's mostly things the former owner left here when my sister and I bought this place. We've been here about forty-five years, but I don't think we've put much in the attic,” the schoolmistress told them.
“Forty-five years?” Mandie gasped.
“Yes, about that long. The house was probably twenty years old when we bought it. The lady who owned it was a widow. Her daughter got married and left her alone. She didn't want to live here in this big place by herself, so she sold it to us and went to live with some relatives,” Miss Hope explained. “We bought some of her furniture because she couldn't take it all with her. She told us to throw out anything we found in the attic, but we've never really cleaned it out. Most of that stuff up there is not ours.”
“Didn't she ever come back for any of it?” Mandie asked.
“No, I don't think we ever saw her again. In fact, she must be dead by now. She was up in years then,” the schoolmistress replied.
Mandie wiggled impatiently in her chair and smiled at Celia. Celia glanced from her friend to Miss Hope. Apparently Miss Hope was not in any hurry to get the cleaning done.
“Well, when do we begin?” Mandie asked.
“You sound as though you're in a hurry,” the schoolmistress said.
“We might as well get it over with,” Mandie said, “so we can have our free periods for other things.”
“I admire your enthusiasm, Amanda,” said Miss Hope.
Mandie smiled. “ âNothing like paying a debt and getting rid of it,' my father always said. And we do owe the school this work because we broke the rules.”
“I'm glad you think that way, Amanda,” Miss Hope said. “Some girls who have to be penalized for their wrongdoings seem to think we owe them something. I can see your father was a good man.”
“My father was a wonderful man, I miss him so much.” Mandie replied with a catch in her voice. “And he died so young . . .” Mandie bit her lip. Then turning to her friend, she added, “And so did Celia's. I suppose that's why we're such good friends. We understand each other.”
“Right, Mandie,” Celia's green eyes glinted with a touch of sadness.
Miss Hope fumbled with pencils on the desk, looked down at her hands, and then looked squarely at Mandie. “Do you know your father's people very well, Mandie?” she asked.
“Oh, yes, Miss Hope.” Mandie brightened. “I have so many wonderful Cherokee relatives. My grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee, you know, but my father never told me for some reason. I didn't know about it until my father died. Then Uncle Ned, his old Indian friend, came and explained everything to me. He told me about my father's brother John, too. I had never even heard of him. But dear old Uncle Ned helped me get to Uncle John's house in Franklin.”
“What about your stepmother?” Miss Hope asked.
“Well, you see, I thought my stepmother was my real mother until I went to Uncle John's house. Uncle John found my real mother for me and then the two of them got married,” Mandie explained.
Miss Hope leaned forward. “I didn't know all that, Amanda,” she said. “I knew your mother, you know, when she went to school here.”
“My mother went to school here, too,” Celia said, pushing back her thick auburn curls. “Our mothers were friends. Mandie's grandmother told us about it when we went to visit her.”
“Yes, I remember your mother very well, Celia,” Miss Hope said. “Tell me, dear, how is your mother? Is she adjusting to the loss of your father?”
“I'm not sure, Miss Hope,” Celia replied, twisting her fingers in her lap. “You know I haven't been back home to visit since I came here, and Mother doesn't write very often.”
“I'll send her a note, Celia, and inquire about her health,” the schoolmistress promised.
“Thank you, Miss Hope. I was worried about leaving her at home alone, but she insisted that I come on to school the day after my father's funeral,” Celia said, her voice quivering.
“I know, Celia,” Miss Hope said, sympathetically, as she rose from her chair. She flipped open the watch she wore on a chain around her neck, then added, “Now, young ladies, as soon as I can find Uncle Cal and set up this cleaning schedule, I'll let you know. But I believe right now it's about time for you to go to the dining room for your noon meal.”
The girls stood up.
“Thank you, Miss Hope. I promise to do my best,” Mandie told her.
“And I do, too,” Celia added.
“That is all I can ask. Now run along,” Miss Hope told them.
No talking was ever allowed during mealtime, so as soon as Miss Prudence dismissed everyone, the two girls ran all the way up the stairs to their room on the third floor of the boarding school.
Puffing for breath, they burst into their room and collapsed on the bed, laughing.
“Now we have permission to unlock that trunk we found Hilda beating on,” Celia said.
“Right. Miss Hope said it was all right for us to open anything in the attic,” Mandie said. “I sure am anxious to see what's inside that trunk.”
“Me, too,” her friend answered.
Mandie sat up quickly, pushing back her thick blonde hair, which she now wore loose. “But not anxious enough to break any more rules,” she said.
“I'm not either,” Celia echoed.
“I'll tell you what,” Mandie suggested. “If you catch me breaking any more rules, or about to break any, will you remind me of what happened to us the last time we did such a thing? I don't want to get suspended from school again.”
“I will if you'll listen to me, Mandie,” her friend agreed, “and if you'll do the same for me.”
“It's a promise,” Mandie said. “I guess we'd better get going. It's time for our class. I hope we can start cleaning up the attic before too long.”
“And I hope whatever's in that trunk is worth losing all our free periods for,” Celia told her as they descended the stairs for their history lesson.
“Even if it isn't, I guess we deserve the punishment,” Mandie said.
“But I have a feeling there's something exciting hidden in that trunk,” Celia said.
CHAPTER TWO
THE LOCKED TRUNK
The ten o'clock curfew bell had already rung. All the lights were out. Mandie and Celia, still dressed, sat on the window seat in the darkness of their room.
Mandie stared out the window. “It's about time for Uncle Ned to come,” she told her friend. “I'd better go down to the yard.”
“Mandie, why didn't you just tell Miss Hope about Uncle Ned's visits so you wouldn't have to sneak out to see him after everyone is in bed?” Celia asked.
Mandie quickly turned. “Oh, no, Celia!” she said emphatically. “I don't think Miss Hope and Miss Prudence like Indians.”
“I suppose a lot of white people are like that,” Celia agreed. “But I don't see why.”
“Well, I don't either, but I'm not taking any chances. Uncle Ned is my father's friend. He promised to watch over me after my father went to heaven. I don't want anything to stop me from seeing him. And rather than take a chance on telling anyone, I'd rather meet him this way,” Mandie explained without taking a breath.
“I understand, Mandie, but please be careful. I don't want you to get into any trouble,” Celia said. “Give Uncle Ned my love.”
“I will, Celia. Don't forget to stay by the window where I can see you from the yard. And close that window in a big hurry if you hear anyone coming,” Mandie reminded her.
Celia promised she would, and Mandie slipped out into the hallway and down the servants' stairs to the kitchen. Sliding the bolt on the back door, she stepped outside, then ran around to the side of the house where she could see Celia watching from their bedroom window.
Mandie stood in the light of the full moon, watching the shadows of the huge magnolia trees for her old friend. He was usually on time.
Suddenly, she heard a low bird whistle, and she whirled to see Uncle Ned coming toward her.
Mandie ran to meet him. “Uncle Ned!” she exclaimed, grabbing the old Indian's wrinkled hand.
Uncle Ned stooped to hug her tight. “Papoose, sit,” he said.
Moving to a bench in the shadows below the opened window, they both sat down.
“I have some exciting news, Uncle Ned,” Mandie began. “Remember that girl, Hilda, that Celia and I found hiding in the attic? Remember how we told you that she was beating on an old trunk with a poker trying to open it?”
“Yes, Papoose,” the old man answered. “Put sick Papoose in hospital.”
“That's right, Uncle Ned,” Mandie said. “Well, as our punishment for wandering around after ten o'clock at night, Miss Prudence has ordered Celia and me to clean the attic during our free periods.”
The old Indian looked closely at her. “Papoose not open trunk and get in more trouble?” he asked.
“We have Miss Hope's permission to open anything in the attic. We have to sort everything and make it all neat and clean. So Celia and I are going to open that trunk and see what's in it,” she told him.