The Mandie Collection (8 page)

“As soon as we get up from the table I’ll ask him so Grandmother won’t hear,” Mandie promised.

“I have a feeling this is going to be a long drawn-out day with your grandmother,” Joe told her.

“I agree,” Mandie said with a big sigh.

Mrs. Taft hurried through the meal and was soon rising from the table and saying, “Amanda, let’s get ready and go now.”

“Yes, Grandmother, just let me run up to my room and I’ll be right back,” she said.

“Don’t take too long, now. We’ll be in the parlor,” Mrs. Taft said as she and Senator Morton and Uncle Ned left the room.

Mandie caught Uncle Ned’s hand as they went through the doorway and whispered, “Can you go to Robert’s school for us?”

Uncle Ned smiled down at her and said, “Will go sometime today.”

“Thank you, Uncle Ned,” Mandie said and quickly headed for the staircase. Celia followed.

“I will also go to my room for a minute,” Joe said as he, too, started down the hallway.

“So will I,” Jonathan added and followed him.

They raced to the top of the huge staircase and then stopped for a quick word.

“Uncle Ned said he would check on Robert,” Mandie whispered. She looked around and added, “I was hoping I’d find that new maid up here so I could ask her some questions. Meet y’all down in the parlor in five minutes.”

She and Celia continued to their room as the boys went to theirs. Looking on down the hallway when she started in the door of the room, Mandie spied a girl in a maid’s uniform at the other end of the hallway. She turned and quickly walked in that direction. Celia followed.

As they got near to the girl, who was slowly walking in the other direction, Mandie called to her, “Are you Dobie?”

The girl stopped long enough to look back as she said, “Yes, but I’m busy right now.” She hurried on down the hallway and disappeared down the back staircase before Mandie could reach her.

“Oh, shucks!” Mandie exclaimed. “I can’t take time to chase after her.”

“Maybe we can catch her when we come back,” Celia said. “Come on, Mandie. Your grandmother won’t like having to wait too long for us.”

They rushed into their room, freshened up, and returned to the parlor. The boys were already there.

“We caught a glimpse of that new maid, Dobie, upstairs, but she wouldn’t wait for us to catch up with her,” Mandie whispered to Joe and Jonathan. “She acted strange.”

“Oh well, maybe we’ll catch her when we return. If not, maybe we will tomorrow,” Joe said.

Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton were already walking toward the hall on their way out. Uncle Ned had evidently left. He was nowhere around.

“This whole thing may turn out to be a slow process,” Mandie said with a low moan as they followed the adults outside to where Ben had the rig waiting.

Mandie was puzzled by the maid’s behavior, and she hoped the girl would still be there when they returned. She also hoped they would find the preacher at home so they could learn whatever he knew, if anything, about Miss Hope’s disappearance, and whether he had seen her that night by the church.

And then she wondered if Robert had returned to school, and if Uncle Ned would find him if he had.

She loved Miss Hope and was worried about her, but her disappearance had certainly caused a lot of people a lot of trouble.

“To Preacher Tallant’s house, Ben,” Mrs. Taft told him as she and Senator Morton settled into the front seat and the young people sat behind them.

“Is we in a hurry dis time?” Ben asked, grinning as he looked back at Mrs. Taft.

“A little, but no racing now, Ben. We don’t want to have a wreck getting there,” Mrs. Taft replied.

“Yessum, I understand,” Ben replied and shook the reins.

Mandie and her friends looked at each other and smiled as Ben gradually picked up speed. Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton were talking and didn’t notice.

“I see you didn’t bring that white cat this time,” Jonathan remarked.

“No, I left him in the kitchen. I was afraid he would be too much trouble, since I don’t know exactly where we may be going today,” Mandie replied.

“Do you suppose your grandmother may want to go back out to the farm, Mandie?” Celia whispered.

“Maybe, but she didn’t learn anything out there, and I don’t believe those people would tell her anything they might know anyway,” Mandie replied.

“Once we get this whole thing solved, we ought to know a lot about a lot of people,” Jonathan said.

“We already know a lot about a lot of people,” Joe said with a grin. “Nobody knows anything.”

“Or they just aren’t telling,” Mandie added.

They finally came to the preacher’s house, and Ben pulled the rig up in the driveway.

“You young people just stay here. If he’s not home I won’t be long,” Mrs. Taft said as Senator Morton helped her down from the rig.

The door opened and Mrs. Slocum stuck her head out. “He’s not here,” she said. “Gone visiting members over in the mountain. May be gone till late.”

“She sounds like she has got that memorized,” Mandie said under her breath.

“All right, Mrs. Slocum, thank you,” Mrs. Taft said, turning back to the rig. “We’ll catch him sooner or later.”

Mrs. Slocum went back into the house and closed the door.

Mrs. Taft got back in the rig. “Oh dear, that silly woman probably didn’t tell him we would be coming back this morning,” she said. “We’ll catch him sooner or later. In the meantime, we have other places to visit.” She adjusted her hat.

“Yes, ma’am, we do,” the senator agreed.

“I think we should go on now and see the sheriff,” Mrs. Taft said, looking at the senator for an answer.

“Yes, that is a good idea,” the senator agreed. “And it may save us a lot of time. If he doesn’t know anything, he can at least get his men out searching for Miss Hope.”

Mrs. Taft turned to look back at the young people. “Remember this, Amanda, and all your friends back there: No one is to be told that we went to consult with the sheriff. Do you understand?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Mandie replied and was joined by her friends also agreeing.

“Of course you know the reason this must be kept secret is because Miss Prudence did not wish to bring the law enforcement into the investigation,” Mrs. Taft continued.

“Yes, ma’am” sounded four times again.

“Please don’t forget this,” Mrs. Taft added.

“No, ma’am,” the four replied.

Mrs. Taft turned forward and carried on a conversation with Senator Morton.

The young people carried on a whispered conversation behind her.

“I can imagine what would happen if Miss Prudence found out your grandmother had been to see the sheriff,” Jonathan said with a big grin.

“The fur would fly,” Joe said.

“And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near them,” Celia said.

“It might be interesting,” Jonathan said with a big grin. “Who do you think would win?”

“My grandmother, of course,” Mandie replied, still grinning.

The young people stopped talking in order to listen to the conversation between Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton.

“I will certainly see Preacher Tallant tomorrow because it’s Sunday and he will have to be at church, and I intend detaining him long enough after the service to ask some questions,” Mrs. Taft was saying.

“Yes, indeed,” Senator Morton replied. “That Mrs. Slocum didn’t seem to be a very bright woman.”

“You are right,” Mrs. Taft agreed. “She probably never told him that I wanted to see him. Otherwise, I believe he would have tried to get in touch with me after my first visit to his house.”

“Most likely,” the senator agreed.

“I do hope we will find Sheriff Jones in,” Mrs. Taft said with a sigh. “This is a tiresome ordeal. I certainly hope Miss Hope realized what a burden she was putting on everyone if she just disappeared voluntarily.”

Senator Morton quickly looked at Mrs. Taft and asked, “You do believe she just vanished on her own, that there was no foul play involved, don’t you?”

“Although it doesn’t sound like Miss Hope at all, yes, I believe she decided to just leave on her own, but for what reason, goodness knows,” Mrs. Taft said.

The young people quickly exchanged glances.

Mandie was excited and spoke before she thought. “But Grandmother, if Miss Hope disappeared on her own, why didn’t she take her clothes with her?”

Mrs. Taft glanced back at her. “I don’t know, Amanda, but I sincerely hope she just walked out on her own. Although it is strange that she didn’t take her clothes with her.” She mulled that over.

Mandie’s friends looked at her and then at Mandie.

“Maybe she took all her money with her and decided she didn’t want all the old clothes she already has but will buy a whole new assortment of clothes,” Jonathan suggested.

“I don’t think she has a lot of money. Grandmother had to buy the schoolhouse a while back to keep them from having to close it,” Mandie told him.

“And if Miss Hope doesn’t come back, I don’t believe Miss Prudence can run the school by herself,” Celia said.

“What if Miss Hope doesn’t come back and Miss Prudence has to close the school, what will you girls do about school?” Jonathan asked.

Mandie and Celia looked at each other and sighed.

“Oh, I hope that doesn’t happen. We’d have to go to a strange school just for the one year we have left until we graduate, and no telling where that school would be,” Celia said.

“Yes, and we haven’t even decided on a college yet, and then to have to change schools, too. That’s too much,” Mandie said. Smiling at Joe, she said, “I suppose I could just go back to Mr. Tallant’s school at Charley Gap.” That was Mandie’s old school when she was younger and her father was living.

“I believe you are a little old for that now,” Joe said, grinning. “And remember, he did not teach enough advanced classes for me to get into college. I had to double up on my first year’s work at college in order to meet the entrance requirements.”

“I know. I was just joking,” Mandie told him with a grin, and then frowning, she added, “I’ll certainly be glad when we finish Miss Prudence’s school and get on through college.”

“But you don’t even know yet where you will be going to college,” Jonathan told her. “Why don’t you girls come to New York and go to college with me up there? You could both live at my house.”

Joe quickly said, “No, they should both just come on down to New Orleans to my college.” Looking at Mandie, he said, “Please say yes.”

Mandie smiled and said, “I’ll just say maybe.”

Ben pulled the rig up in the yard before the sheriff’s office and stopped.

“Here we are,” Mandie said, quickly rising and stepping down from the rig before her grandmother could tell them to stay in the vehicle. She was determined to hear what was said.

Her friends followed, and they stood there waiting while Senator Morton helped Mrs. Taft descend from the rig.

Looking at the young people, Mrs. Taft said, “Now, you may all go in with us if you like, but you will not participate in the conversation with Sheriff Jones. Do you understand?” She looked at all four of them.

“Yes, ma’am” was unanimous.

They followed Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton into the building. In the long wide hallway they saw a sign hanging over one of the doors.
Sheriff,
it read, and Mrs. Taft headed straight for that.

The top half of the door had a glass panel, but it was opaque, so Mandie couldn’t see what was inside until the senator opened the door and stood back for Mrs. Taft to enter the office.

“Good morning, Sheriff,” Mrs. Taft was saying, and Mandie bent sideways into the small office to see the man. It was Sheriff Jones himself. Mandie had met him before when he had come to their school. He quickly stood up.

“Good morning, Mrs. Taft. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” he asked, pulling a chair over to the desk. “Please have a seat. And there are plenty of chairs over there for everyone else.” He motioned toward the far wall with straight, uncomfortable-looking chairs lining the length of it.

Senator Morton quickly pulled another chair next to the one for Mrs. Taft and sat down after she did. Sheriff Jones went back behind his old, beat-up desk and sat down.

Mandie and her friends reluctantly took seats in the chairs along the far wall. She was afraid they would not be able to hear everything that was said. However, as it turned out, Sheriff Jones had a loud, strong voice that they were able to hear.

“Oh, Sheriff Jones, I have come on a mission that must be kept entirely secret from Miss Prudence at the school,” Mrs. Taft began with a loud sigh. She paused.

Sheriff Jones silently waited for her to continue.

“This is so distressing,” she said, waving her lace handkerchief before her face. “First of all, Miss Hope has completely disappeared from the school. Miss Prudence has forbidden me to enlist the aid of law enforcement in an effort to find her. However, I made the decision to come anyhow.”

“That was the right thing to do, Mrs. Taft,” Sheriff Jones replied. “And please rest assured no one here will let Miss Prudence know you have consulted us. Now, what would you like us to do?”

Mandie noticed that he didn’t seem surprised to hear about the disappearance of Miss Hope. So he must have known already.

“Why, I would like you to find Miss Hope, of course,” Mrs. Taft replied. “You have better ways of doing things like that than I do. And I am just overwhelmed with it all. No one seems to have seen her.”

“Yes, yes, of course, ma’am. However, there is one problem,” he said.

Mrs. Taft quickly looked at him and asked, “And what is that?”

The sheriff shifted in his chair, crossed his legs, and looked directly at Mrs. Taft as he asked, “Just what do we do if we find her?”

“Why, bring her back to the school and to her sister,” Mrs. Taft replied.

“Now, Mrs. Taft, Miss Hope is not an underage juvenile who can be ordered around. Suppose Miss Hope does not want to come back to the school?” he replied.

Mandie and her friends looked at each other and smiled as they listened.

“In that case you need to tell Miss Prudence you have found her,” Mrs. Taft said. “They are sisters, you know. And then maybe Miss Prudence can settle whatever the problem is without taking up other people’s time.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sheriff Jones said, taking a pad of paper and a pencil out of the desk drawer. “Now, would you please tell me any details that you may know about this.”

“I don’t know much except that Miss Prudence told me Miss Hope did not go to bed that night, which, I believe, was Saturday night of last week, and that her bed had not been slept in the next morning and she was nowhere to be found. She didn’t even take her clothes with her,” Mrs. Taft told him.

“Did Miss Prudence know what kind of clothes she was wearing that night?” the sheriff asked, scribbling on the pad before him.

“If she did, she didn’t tell me,” Mrs. Taft said. “That’s all I know about this.”

Mandie coughed to get her grandmother’s attention, and when Mrs. Taft looked at her, she began making signals with her hands and mouthing words.

“What is it, Amanda?” Mrs. Taft finally asked.

“Grandmother, remember your maid Annie thought she saw Miss Hope that night she disappeared.”

Mrs. Taft turned back to the sheriff and explained, “Yes, my maid Annie was out strolling with her man friend, and they were walking past the church that night. It was dark, but she believes she saw Miss Hope hurrying around the corner of the church. No one else seems to have seen Miss Hope.”

Sheriff Jones was quickly making notes on the pad. Then he looked up and asked, “Would it be permissible with you if we talk to Annie? There is a chance she might have noticed something that would give us a clue.”

“I suppose so, but please don’t go to my house to talk to her until we have returned home,” Mrs. Taft said. “We will be back home sometime before six o’clock, because that is when our supper will be waiting.” She stood up.

The senator and the sheriff quickly stood up. Mandie and her friends followed them out into the hall.

“I will be back in touch with you, Mrs. Taft, as soon as my men can come up with some information,” Sheriff Jones told her. “Thank you for stopping by. Rest assured we will not let Miss Prudence know you have been here.”

“I thank you, Sheriff Jones,” Mrs. Taft answered as she and Senator Morton started toward the main door.

Mandie and her friends followed them outside to the rig where Ben was waiting.

After everyone had settled down in the rig, Ben asked, “Is we gwine home now?”

“Oh, Ben, I don’t think so yet. Let’s check with some of the proprietors of the stores downtown,” Mrs. Taft told him. “Just drive down that direction.” Ben drove the rig on down the street.

“Are you still going to search for Miss Hope?” Senator Morton asked. “Are you not depending on the sheriff to find her now that you’ve consulted with him?”

“Who knows what piece of news we might be able to get from some of the store owners,” Mrs. Taft replied, tucking a strand of hair under her hat. “I thought if we get any information at all from anyone, we could just give it to Sheriff Jones and let him take care of investigating it. I just don’t have time to spend all my time on this, even though I am worried about Miss Hope.”

“I understand perfectly,” Senator Morton said.

Mandie suddenly remembered that Uncle Ned had gone to see his braves that morning. There was a possibility he might have some news about Miss Hope when he returned.