The Mandie Collection (18 page)

Aunt Phoebe took Mandie's dresses out of the luggage Uncle Cal brought and began hanging them in the chifferobe. “Don't y'all know? Dat big Yankee girl she done went home fo' Christmas, too. Her ma come aftuh her at de last minute, and she ain't come back yet, neither,” she explained.

“Is she coming back here to school?” Celia asked.

“Far as I knows she is,” the old woman replied, reaching to put Mandie's hatbox on top of the chifferobe next to Celia's. “I heerd her ma tell Miss Hope dat she gwine t' be late gittin' back—maybe next Monday—'cause dey's gwine t' Noo Yawk City fo' Christmas.”

“New York City?” Mandie said in surprise. “That's an awfully long trip.”

“Oh, Mandie, you've never been to New York,” Celia chided.

“No, but remember Dr. Plumbley, who helped us find the hidden treasure from that map we found? He was from New York City,” Mandie answered. “And he talked to us about how far away it is. Besides, you can look on the map in our geography book. It's almost all the way to the top of the United States.”

Uncle Cal headed for the hall. “I'se gotta git mo' luggage fo' de other young ladies,” he said.

Aunt Phoebe followed. “I bettuh git back downstairs, too,” she said. “I'se got things to do. It be 'bout eatin' time.”

“Aunt Phoebe.” Mandie stopped her. “Will you please let us know when April Snow does come back to school so we can watch out for her?”

“I sho' will, Missy. Now y'all be gittin' ready to eat while I goes and gits it on de table,” the old black woman said, disappearing down the hallway.

Celia closed the door. “Did you bring Snowball back, just in case that mouse shows up?” she asked.

“He's at Grandmother's,” Mandie replied. “Ben met us at the depot with Grandmother's rig then went by the Mannings' and got Hilda. He dropped Grandmother and Hilda off at Grandmother's house—along with Snowball—then brought me back to school here.”

Celia turned to the mirror on the bureau and brushed a few strands of hair into place. “I'm glad your grandmother lives here in Asheville,” she said with a little laugh. “She comes in handy sometimes.”

Mandie smoothed her skirt in front of the full-length mirror on a stand in the corner. “I don't think I'll change clothes,” she decided. “I'll just keep these on that I wore on the train.”

Celia eyed the dark blue traveling suit Mandie was wearing. “I've already changed mine,” she said. “I didn't feel comfortable in my suit.” She twirled around, fluffing out the long full skirt of the green wool dress she wore.

“Oh, I suppose I will, too,” Mandie said with a sigh. “Aunt Phoebe has already hung up my dresses for me.” Quickly opening the chifferobe and taking down a blue wool dress, she unbuttoned the traveling suit, stepped out of the skirt, and threw off the jacket and blouse. Then she put on the blue dress and hastily began buttoning it.

Celia smiled her approval. “Now, don't you feel better?”

Mandie shook out her skirt. “I sure do,” she replied. Then grabbing the clothes she had just taken off, she started to hang them up when the big bell in the back yard of the school began ringing for the evening meal.

Mandie tossed the clothes in a heap on the big chair nearby. “I'll hang them up when I come back after supper,” she said, rushing to the door. “Let's go. We don't want to be late on our first day back.”

Celia followed her down the stairs from their third-floor room. “Don't forget our New Year's resolutions for 1901,” she reminded Mandie. “We said we'd be on time for everything this year.”

“Yes, I've decided to make this year better than last year,” Mandie called back over her shoulder.

In the hallway outside the dining room the students waited in line until Aunt Phoebe opened the French doors. Mandie and Celia went in with the other students and stood next to each other behind their assigned chairs until Miss Prudence took her place at the head of the table. Picking up the little silver bell by her plate, the headmistress shook it, and the girls quietly listened.

“Welcome back, young ladies,” the short, thin woman greeted them. “I hope you all had a nice Christmas and that you have resolved to study harder this year. As you all know, our mid-year examinations will be held on Thursday and Friday of this week. Until they are completed, no one will be permitted to leave the school for any reason whatsoever. All free time will be spent in reviewing for these tests. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Miss Prudence,” the girls replied in chorus.

Miss Prudence looked around the table, and her eyes stopped at April Snow's empty place. “I believe you are all present now except for April Snow,” she said. “She has special permission to be late in returning to school. She will take her examinations when she returns.”

Miss Prudence hurriedly continued on, raising her voice slightly. “And in case any of the rest of you are thinking about being late for examinations, there is a late fee charged if they are not taken on time.” She looked around the table with a stern expression. “Are there any questions?”

After a moment's silence, Mandie spoke up. “Miss Prudence, would you please tell us how April got to act in the play we went to see at Mr. Chadwick's School before Christmas?”

Celia caught her breath in alarm. Even though Miss Prudence asked for questions, the girls simply did not ask her anything. If they had a question, they always went to Miss Hope, Miss Prudence's sister. She was exactly the opposite of the strict headmistress.

Miss Prudence straightened her shoulders and looked directly at Mandie. “That incident is school business,” she answered sternly. “And I need not explain anything to you about it. However, I will divulge some of what happened as a lesson to you all.”

She paused to look around the table and then continued. “While April Snow was conversing with some of the boys at Mr. Chadwick's School before the dinner, she found that the boy who was supposed to do the part of Mary did not want to do a woman's role. So just before the play
began, April slipped backstage and persuaded him to give her a copy of his lines. That's all there is to it,” she finished with finality.

Miss Prudence glanced around the room. “However, since April did not have permission to become involved in that way, I want you all to know that she has been punished,” the headmistress told them. “And let this be a warning to you that we will not condone any such behavior from any student in this school again. Does that satisfy your curiosity, Amanda?”

Mandie's face flushed red in embarrassment. “Yes, ma'am,” she answered meekly.

“Then let's hear no more about it from any of you,” Miss Prudence demanded. She changed the subject. “Now, I had informed you before Christmas that we were having electric wires and one of those new furnaces installed. However, the workmen are behind schedule, and it may be awhile before they can install ours. Now . . .” She paused as Miss Hope came rushing into the room and hurried to her sister's side.

“Why, what's wrong, sister?” Miss Prudence asked.

As Miss Hope gestured frantically and whispered something into Miss Prudence's ear, the girls watched and tried to listen.

Miss Prudence quickly shook her little silver bell. “Amanda, you return thanks,” she said loudly. “I'll be right back.”

The girls watched curiously as Miss Prudence hurried out of the room with Miss Hope, and soon they were buzzing with questions.

Mandie tapped lightly on her glass with her fork. “Girls,” she said, trying to get their attention, “let's return thanks.”

The room became silent as every head bowed.

Mandie nervously grabbed Celia's hand and said, “We thank Thee, dear God, for the wonderful food we are about to partake of and all the many blessings you have bestowed upon us. Please don't let it be anything bad that called Miss Prudence out of the room. Thank you, dear Lord. Amen.”

The girls looked up at Mandie, pulled out their chairs and sat down. Even though the headmistress was not present, the girls passed the food in an orderly manner and kept silent except for a faint whisper here and there.

Mandie looked at Celia as she passed the biscuits. “Must be something awfully important,” she whispered.

“Right,” Celia whispered back. “Let's hurry and eat so we can find out what happened.”

All the girls seemed to have the same idea. Quickly finishing their meal, they were waiting to be dismissed from the table when Miss Prudence hurried back into the room and sat down. She looked as though she had something important on her mind. When she saw that all the girls were finished eating, she said, “You may all be dismissed now. But go straight to your rooms. No socializing. Only studying is permitted tonight. And please make sure that you
do
study. Good night.”

The girls told each other good night as they hurriedly left the table. Mandie and Celia were the first ones out of the dining room, but they slowed down in the hallway to talk.

“What do you suppose happened?” Celia asked her friend as they watched the others head for their rooms.

“Whatever it was, it upset Miss Prudence,” Mandie replied. “She looked worried.”

“We could go through the kitchen and see if Aunt Phoebe knows what happened,” Celia suggested.

“Yes,” Mandie agreed. She turned toward the kitchen door and then stopped. “No, remember our New Year's resolutions? Besides, we might get caught.”

“You're right,” Celia replied as the last of the girls filed past them. “Let's just go to our room.”

As the two headed upstairs, they met a group of girls coming down for the second sitting of supper, which Miss Hope usually presided over.

Mandie stopped Celia on the stairs. “I have a feeling that Miss Hope will not be here for the second sitting,” she said.

“Why?” Celia asked.

“Well, we haven't seen her since she came in to talk to Miss Prudence, and she seemed to be all flustered or something,” Mandie explained. “Let's stand right here until everyone goes into the dining room, and then let's peek in the door and see.”

“Mandie, we'll get into trouble if we're caught,” Celia warned.

“Nobody will see us if we're careful,” Mandie told her.

Celia heaved a big sigh but stayed with Mandie on the stairs, waiting until the other group of girls had entered the dining room. Then
they softly crept back down the stairs and tiptoed over to the French doors.

Sure enough, there was Miss Prudence still sitting at the head of the table as the other girls took their seats.

Celia tugged at Mandie's arm, and the two headed back to the foot of the stairs. They stopped.

“You see,” Mandie whispered, “something important must have happened. Miss Hope is not here to eat supper.”

“Come on, Mandie,” Celia urged, running up the stairs.

Mandie quickly followed her friend all the way up the stairs to their room on the third floor.

Finding their books, the two girls sat down on the rug in front of the blazing fire in the fireplace.

Mandie opened her geography book and looked at the fire curiously. “Somebody has built up our fire,” she said. “It wasn't going that strong when we went downstairs.”

“Probably Aunt Phoebe or Uncle Cal,” Celia replied.

Mandie shook her head. “Aunt Phoebe is supposed to be in the kitchen during meals, and I'm pretty sure Uncle Cal helps her down there,” she said.

Celia picked up one of her books. “Oh, well. It feels good,” she remarked.

Mandie couldn't keep her mind on studying. “I sure made a mistake asking Miss Prudence about April getting into that play, didn't I?”

“I'll say you did,” Celia agreed. “I wouldn't have had the nerve to ask Miss Prudence a question.”

“I don't know why I did it. I guess I just wasn't thinking,” Mandie mused.

“Mandie, don't you think we are always running into an awful lot of mysteries?” Celia asked.

Mandie turned to her friend and smiled. “No,” she replied. “Mysteries are always running into us.”

CHAPTER TWO

WHAT'S GOING ON?

The next morning Mandie and Celia got dressed earlier than usual and wandered into the parlor to wait for breakfast. Even though some of the other girls were early risers, too, everyone seemed to congregate in the hallways before meals.

Although the students seldom went into the parlor that time of day, a fire blazed in the huge fireplace. Fires were built in all the rooms of the house in cold weather whether the rooms were used or not. Miss Prudence liked the luxury of a warm house.

Mandie warmed herself in front of the fire. “In a way I'll be glad when we get that new furnace here,” she told Celia. “It'll be nice to have constant heat like they have in Edwards' Dry Goods Store downtown. But I will miss the pretty fires crackling and jumping in the fireplaces.” She rubbed her hands together in the warmth of the flames.

Celia bent over beside her to enjoy the heat. “I know what you mean. An open fireplace is so romantic and beautiful, and I love the smell of wood burning.”

“Why, Celia,” Mandie said, straightening to look at her friend with new appreciation. “I do believe you are getting to be poetic. Why don't you write a poem about the fireplace?”

Celia looked up. “Me, write a poem? Oh, Mandie, you're teasing,” she replied.

“No, I'm serious, Celia. You ought to try it. I know! Do it for extra credit in English class.”

“Well, if I'm going to write a poem,” Celia told her, “then I think you ought to write a story about some of the mysteries we've solved. Maybe you could get extra credit for that.”

“Oh, I don't know,” Mandie said doubtfully. “I'm not sure I'd want everyone to know all the details of some of our adventures.”