The Mandie Collection (59 page)

“Oh, hush, Celia. Grandmother and I both want you to visit whenever I do,” Mandie assured her. “After all, our mothers were friends here in this school together. Besides, you don't have any relatives near enough to visit.”

Celia looked down to hide the tears of gratitude welling up in her pretty green eyes. “Thanks, Mandie,” she said.

Mandie knew that Celia's mother hardly ever wrote to her. She was still deeply grieving over her husband's sudden death. And Celia had no brothers or sisters.

Just then, Joe joined them on the porch. “Miss Hope said Uncle Cal will be waiting with the rig to take us to your grandmother's for supper at five o'clock,” he informed the girls. “Now what are we doing this afternoon?”

“First we have to tell you what happened yesterday after you left,” Mandie answered. “Come on. Let's walk down the hill so no one will hear us.”

Laughing, the three raced to the edge of the woods and sat down on the grass. Mandie brought Joe up-to-date on the events of the day before.

“Somebody must have been watching us while we were there at the ruins of that old cabin,” Joe said. “Then they took the tools as soon as we left, I suppose.”

“That's what we thought, too,” Mandie replied. “But I can't imagine who it was or how we could ever find out.”

“Someone also opened all the letters while they were in the bureau drawer in our room,” Celia added.

“Oh, no!” Joe moaned. “You mean someone read them?”

“Evidently,” Mandie said. “They were all out of their envelopes and unfolded when we looked in the drawer after supper last night.”

“I'd say someone is definitely trying to find out what we're so interested in,” Joe remarked, breaking off blades of grass as he sat there.

“Well, are we going to the cabin?” Celia asked. “Remember, I haven't even seen it yet.”

Mandie jumped up and dusted herself off. “Of course, Celia. Let's go,” she said.

Agreeing to listen for anyone else who might be in the woods, the three tramped silently through the underbrush straight to the site of the tumbled-down cabin.

As they came out into the clearing, Celia excitedly ran over to the remains of the old cabin.

“Is this it?” she asked, looking around at the fallen timbers and the tall chimney.

“We
think
this is the cabin they talked about in the letters,” Mandie said. “Or what is left of it.”

“Oh, isn't it sad? This is all that's left of that beautiful love story,” Celia said, picking her way though the weeds as she looked about.

Joe laughed. “Don't get so sentimental over it. This might not even be the place in the letters,” he reminded her.

“But if we can put other pieces of the puzzle together, I think we can find out for sure,” Mandie said.

“Why don't we see what else is around here in these woods?” Joe suggested.

“Let's do!” exclaimed Mandie.

“Yes,” Celia agreed.

Joe started walking over to the creek bank. “Let's follow the creek and see where it goes,” he said.

The three young people pushed their way through the heavy underbrush, wandering still farther from the schoolhouse. Here and there birds flitted excitedly from branch to branch. Squirrels ran up tree trunks and sat there, peeping from behind limbs to watch the intruders.

Although unnoticed by the three young people, it began to grow darker. The sun disappeared behind the trees. The forest seemed to go on forever. Then way in the distance they spotted a high rock wall.

“Look!” cried Mandie, pointing ahead.

The three stopped and stared at each other. Breaking into a run, they rushed to investigate.

As they got close to the wall, they could see a big iron gate in the center. “It's a cemetery,” Mandie whispered, stroking Snowball.

Joe walked toward the gate and pushed it open. “Let's go inside,” he said.

The girls followed. Inside, weeds grew thick and wild around tumbled-down tombstones. Huge trees stood like guards watching over the dead, and an old stone building cowered in the corner.

Celia hesitated at the gateway. “We can't walk in there,” she protested. “It's too grown up with weeds and things.”

“Oh, come on, Celia,” Mandie urged. “It's no worse than what we've been through in the woods.” She walked on ahead and Celia timidly followed. Joe hurried from one grave to another, trying to read the faded inscriptions on some of the weather-worn stones.

Mandie tried to keep up with him but paused to pull weeds away from some of the stones along the way. “If we got some water and scrubbed these stones, I think we could read some of the names,” she suggested.

Joe stopped. “Where would we get water?” he asked.

“The creek, of course. We've been walking by it all the way,” Mandie reminded him.

“How are we going to carry it? In your apron?” Joe teased.

The two girls laughed.

“I don't suppose we could find a bucket, or something like that,” Mandie said.

“I sure haven't seen one lying around anywhere,” Joe replied. “Besides, that would take too long.”

Suddenly a heavy wind swooped down through the graveyard, nearly blowing the three young people over. Lightning flashed. Thunder cracked. They grabbed each other in fright. Snowball dug his claws into Mandie's shoulder.

“It's blowing up a storm!” Joe yelled above the roar. “We'd better head for the school!”

The girls nodded and held hands tightly as they turned to leave the cemetery. Just then the clouds opened up and unloaded torrents of rain.

Joe pulled at Mandie's hand. “Over here!” he cried, pulling them in the direction of the stone building in the corner.

Instantly drenched by the rain, the girls hurried behind him until they reached the building. They froze in their tracks. It was a tomb!

Joe tried to get the door open.

Mandie screamed. “N-not in th-there, Joe!” she cried.

“Oh, come on,” he insisted, tugging at the door with one hand and pulling at Mandie with the other. The door jerked open, and he pushed the girls inside, out of the rain.

Snowball had been good all afternoon, but now he meowed loudly as he licked his fur, trying to dry himself.

Mandie held her kitten tightly and huddled together with Celia. It was dark inside. Both girls were shivering, and they refused to budge from the step inside the doorway.

Joe walked around inside and came back to report. “Nothing here,” he said. “Just some old dead people. They can't hurt us.”

“Joe, stop it!” Mandie cried, her voice quivering from fright and cold.

Celia was already shaking in real terror, then suddenly something touched her hair in the darkness. She screamed and ran outside into the rain.

Joe dashed after her. “Stop, Celia! It was just an old grasshopper that got in your hair,” he told her, pulling at her hand. “Come back in out of the rain.”

“A-a g-g-grass-h-hopper?” she cried, finally standing still while the rain beat down on both of them.

“Yes, you've seen hundreds of grasshoppers I'm sure. Come on. We're getting drenched,” he told her.

Reluctantly, Celia let Joe guide her back inside the tomb to join Mandie right inside the doorway.

Mandie grasped Joe's other hand while he still held onto Celia's. “We need to ask for protection!” Mandie yelled above the roar. She turned her face upward.

Joe and Celia understood.

Holding hands together, they recited Mandie's favorite prayer. “ ‘What time I am afraid I will put my trust in Thee.'”

The three smiled at each other, unable to speak.

Outside, the storm raged on. They could hear lightning striking trees. The wind roared as though it were sweeping the whole cemetery away.

The three young people huddled together, their hearts beating wildly. Snowball clung to Mandie's shoulder, meowing in fright.

Then as suddenly as it had come, the storm moved on. The three young people rushed outside in relief. Sunshine filtered through the thick trees. Snowball still clung desperately as Mandie turned to close the door behind them. Only then did she notice the name inscribed on the door.

“Scott! These people were Scotts!” she cried excitedly.

“Let's get out of here!” yelled Celia, running through the wet grass and weeds toward the gate.

“We'd better hurry,” Joe agreed.

All three of them were soaking wet. The girls' long, heavy skirts hindered them as they made their way back through the woods to the school. No one said anything. They were in too big of a hurry and too much out of breath for that. As they came to a clearing on the hillside below the school, they could see the rig tied to the hitching post at the front steps.

“We're late!” Mandie cried.

“And in trouble!” Celia added.

Joe tried to help the girls up the hillside, but he was wet, too, and progress was slow. As they reached the front porch, Miss Hope came outside.

“My goodness! You were caught in the storm!” she exclaimed. “Girls, run upstairs quickly and change into dry clothes. Joe, I'm afraid I don't have a thing for you to wear. I trust you won't catch a cold before you get back to Amanda's grandmother's house to change.”

“We'll be right back,” Mandie told Joe. She and Celia hurried through the doorway and up the stairs to their room.

Joe sat on the steps and talked to Miss Hope.

“Where were y'all? Couldn't you find shelter anywhere?” Miss Hope asked.

“No, ma'am,” Joe said. “You see, we were in the cemetery in the woods, and by the time we managed to get inside the vault there, we were drenched to the skin.”

“Cemetery?” Miss Hope asked. “Where is this cemetery? I don't remember ever seeing one around here.”

“It's way on the other side of the creek beyond the woods down there,” he explained.

“Oh, that's not our land,” Miss Hope said. “We only bought the acreage up to the creek when we got the house. I don't really know who owns that land now. I don't think it has ever been used while we've been living here,” she told him.

“The vault was the only shelter we could find from the rain,” Joe said. Then smiling mischievously, he added, “Of course, the girls didn't want to go inside the vault. They were afraid.”

“I don't blame them at all,” Miss Hope said.

“It's my fault that we're late, Miss Hope. I suggested exploring the woods,” he told her.

“We'll overlook it this time,” the schoolmistress said. “The good Lord himself must have helped protect you.”

Just then Mandie and Celia appeared on the porch in dry dresses, their damp hair combed back and tied with ribbons. Uncle Cal stood behind them.

“Miss Hope, I'm sorry we were late,” Mandie apologized. “Me, too, Miss Hope,” Celia added.

“Don't worry about it this time. I just hope y'all don't get colds from this. Now hurry on. Your grandmother will be worried, Amanda, if you are too late,” the schoolmistress said. “Uncle Cal, hurry back.”

As soon as they arrived at Mrs. Taft's, Joe quickly changed into dry clothes. Then they all went in to enjoy the supper waiting on the dining table.

During the meal, the young people related their adventures to Mrs. Taft and Dr. Woodard but did not mention the letters they had found in the trunk.

“So you got caught in the rain,” Mrs. Taft said. “And then had to stand in a vault to wait it out? My, my! That must have been eerie!”

“It sure wasn't fun!” Mandie declared, helping herself to more roast beef. “Grandmother, did you ever know the Mrs. Scott who owned the big house that is our school now?” she asked.

“That was a long time ago, Amanda,” her grandmother reminded her. “We weren't living here then. In fact, we were still in Franklin when your mother went to school there. We didn't move to Asheville until about twelve years ago.”

“Did you know them, Dr. Woodard?” Mandie asked.

“Well, no. I can't say I did,” the doctor replied. “I do remember hearing the name years ago. It seems like Mr. Scott was a right wellto-do man. He owned a lot of land and mica mines, I believe.”

“Mica mines?” questioned Celia.

“You know,” Mandie said, “that shiny stuff they dig out of the ground. You can see yourself in it, like a mirror,” she explained.

“And it's in layers?” Celia asked.

“That's it,” Mandie told her. “Dr. Woodard, you didn't personally know them?” she asked.

“No, but I remember my father mentioning Mr. Scott. You see, my father was a doctor here in Asheville,” Dr. Woodard replied. “That was ages ago.”

“I didn't know your father was a doctor,” Mandie said.

“And the older Dr. Woodard was a friend of your grandfather's, Amanda,” Mrs. Taft added.

“I suppose everybody knew everybody back then,” Mandie said.

Dr. Woodard eyed her curiously. “Why were you interested in the Scotts?” he asked.

“Miss Hope said they bought the house from a Mrs. Scott, and then the vault we hid in this afternoon had the name Scott on it. I just thought it might be the same family,” Mandie explained.

“It probably is if the cemetery is not too far from the school,” the doctor said.

As dessert was served, Dr. Woodard changed the subject. “Well, are you young folks coming with me to see Hilda Saturday, or did you have something else planned?”

“Oh, yes, Dr. Woodard, I'd love to go,” Mandie replied.

“I would, too,” Celia answered.

Mrs. Taft seemed pleased that Mandie and Celia were still interested in the young retarded girl. “I'll send the rig over for you girls Friday afternoon, then. You can spend the weekend here,” she said with delight.

The three young people looked at each other silently. Mandie thought about how they wanted to explore other clues in the letters. They wouldn't have a chance to do that while staying at her grandmother's house. But what else could they do? They would have to come and visit as her grandmother asked.