Leppard, Lois Gladys - [Mandie 04] (12 page)

Phoebe turned to grin at her husband. “Lawsy mercy, Cal. Dat whut you want done? Heah I’se ’fraid to take de girl fo’ fear you don’t like it,” she said.

“Now you knows we gotta hep Miz Lizbeth’s girl,” he told her.

The girls smiled broadly.

“Best y’all gits huh right now ’fo’ anybody gits up!”

Mandie and Celia ran back to the house and hurried up to the attic. The girl was asleep on a pile of old quilts in a corner. Mandie noticed her other missing clothes lying on the floor nearby. Mandie touched the girl on the shoulder, and she sat up with a start. She stared at them in fear.

“Come on, we’re going to eat,” Mandie told her.

The girl stood up quickly and backed away.

“We’re going to get food,” Celia said.

But the girl refused to come near them.

“I have an idea,” Mandie suggested. “She likes my clothes. I’ll go get a dress and offer it to her.”

Mandie and Celia ran downstairs to their room, and Mandie pulled a bright red gingham dress from the hanger. Being careful not to let Snowball out, they rushed back upstairs.

Mandie approached the girl, holding out the red dress in front of her.

The girl’s eyes lit up. She advanced toward Mandie with her hand out to grab the dress. Mandie kept moving backward just out of the girl’s reach, and the girl followed. They managed to get her all the way down the attic stairs, down the servants’ steps, and out into the backyard.

Then Mandie ran ahead waving the dress at the girl. “Hurry!” she called.

The girl followed Mandie right through the front door of Aunt Phoebe’s house.

Once inside the house, Mandie handed her the dress and pulled her gently into a rocking chair. The girl rubbed the folds of the dress and made little moaning noises as she rocked back and forth.

Aunt Phoebe studied the girl carefully. “I say she look sick. Sick in de haid,” the old woman said. “Now, how do we keep huh in dis house?”

“When you and Uncle Cal leave,” Mandie suggested, “just lock the outside doors so she can’t get out. I’ll bring her some pretty ribbons and things that will keep her entertained until Dr. Woodard can get here,” she said.

Uncle Cal put his hands on his wife’s shoulders. “Best we feeds huh fust. She sho’ look mighty hungry,” he said.

Aunt Phoebe pulled a little table near the rocking chair. “I don’t know how you gits dat kind of sick people to eat, but I’ll try.”

She went into her kitchen and after a few minutes returned with a bowl of hot mush and a glass of milk. She set them in front of the girl.

Immediately the girl grabbed the bowl and started eating. But the whole time she was eating, her keen brown eyes watched everyone else in the room.

Aunt Phoebe smiled and patted the girl’s thin shoulder. The girl looked up at her and smiled faintly. Everyone was delighted with her reaction.

Mandie approached the girl and stooped down in front of her, smiling. “We all really care about you. We want to be your friends. Can you tell me your name?”

The girl smiled back but did not utter a word.

“My name is Mandie. What’s your name?” she asked.

The girl’s only answer was a big smile.

“I thinks dat girl don’t hear a word we’se a-sayin’,” Phoebe said.

“You mean you think she’s deaf?” Mandie asked.

Aunt Phoebe nodded. “Dat or she don’ know how to talk.”

Mandie got up and slipped around behind the rocking
chair. Right behind the girl’s head she yelled, “Tell me your name!”

The girl jumped out of the chair and whirled to stare at Mandie.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Mandie cried. “You
can
hear. I didn’t mean to scare you. Sit back down and eat.”

The girl just stood there, looking at her. Mandie rested her hand on the girl’s shoulder to turn her around and gently pushed her back into the chair. Mandie kept smiling at her. Finally the girl smiled back and picked up her spoon to resume eating.

“Den she don’ know how to talk,” Aunt Phoebe said.

“Maybe she’s just scared—afraid to talk to us,” Celia suggested. “She might have had some kind of shock before we found her.”

“Well, best you girls gits back in dat house ’fo’ Miz Prudence git up and see you, or we’s all gonna git a shock,” Aunt Phoebe warned.

“Will you get a message to Dr. Woodard for me, Uncle Cal?” Mandie asked.

“I sho’ will, Missy. Jes’ you write it out and I sees it gits to ’im,” he promised.

“We have to go to classes today and I may not get a chance to see you. I’ll write a note to Dr. Woodard and leave it under my pillow for Aunt Phoebe to bring to you,” Mandie told Uncle Cal.

As Mandie and Celia left, they looked back. The girl was eating and not paying attention to anyone else. They shrugged their shoulders and headed for the schoolhouse.

“So far so good,” Mandie whispered as they slipped back into their room. She took a piece of paper from her notebook and sat down. “I don’t think I’ll tell him the whole story. I’m just going to say a friend needs his help real bad, immediately.”

A heavy feeling lifted from her shoulders when she signed the note and tucked it into an envelope addressed to the doctor. She slipped it under her pillow.

At last she knew why she was compelled to investigate the attic. She still might get into trouble over it, but she was glad she had persisted. Now maybe she could help.

Mandie paused for a moment to pray that God would heal the girl, making her well, and strong, and happy again.

“Oh, Celia,” Mandie said to her friend. “I’m so glad it wasn’t April who took my things.”

“And
I’m
glad you didn’t tell Miss Prudence about it like I kept telling you to do,” Celia admitted, “It would have been awful if April had been blamed for something she didn’t do. She gets into enough trouble on her own.”

Mandie agreed.

When Mandie and Celia arrived at their first class, Miss Cameron greeted them at the door. “We’re so glad you are back,” she said.

The other girls echoed her welcome.

Miss Cameron’s eyes sparkled as she tapped her pencil, calling the class to order. “Amanda, while you and Celia were gone, we made plans for our first play,” she said. “And the girls voted on the actresses for it. By a two-third’s vote you have been selected for the leading role in the play.”

Mandie stared at her teacher, completely speechless. How could she get all those votes? She hardly knew anyone except Celia.
How can I act in a play in front of an audience?
she thought.
I’ve never done anything like that!

Celia nudged her. “Say something, Mandie. They’re waiting.”

Mandie rose in a daze and opened her mouth to speak. Nothing came out. She tried again. “Thank you. I appreciate your confidence in me.” Her legs melted and she plopped down in her seat.

The class applauded.

Preparation for the play began immediately and took so much time that Mandie had very few opportunities to see
the girl in Aunt Phoebe’s cottage. Celia visited as often as possible and kept her up-to-date.

The next few days crept by, and Mandie didn’t hear anything from Dr. Woodard. She worried that he might not have received her letter. Maybe it got lost, or maybe he was out of town when it came. She knew he traveled a lot.

Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Cal took good care of the girl from the attic. They gave her food and a bed to sleep in, but they kept the doors locked when they were out of the house. The girl seemed content but still did not say a word.

When Mandie learned that the girl loved Snowball, Aunt Phoebe said she could bring him over to the cottage for the girl to play with. Both Snowball and the girl were happy to have someone to play with, and Mandie was relieved that she wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught with her kitten at school.

Everything seemed to be going fine. Then one afternoon during rest period, while Mandie and Celia were visiting, Miss Prudence made an unexpected appearance at Aunt Phoebe’s house.

“Aunt Phoebe, I was wondering if—” She stopped short. Miss Prudence came into the room and closed the door. “Amanda, Celia, what are you two doing here?” Miss Prudence asked. “And who is that other girl? Where did she get that cat?”

“Miz Prudence, I kin explain,” the old woman began.

The girl from the attic sat still, holding Snowball and staring at the schoolmistress.

“I think you had better explain fast, Aunt Phoebe,” said Miss Prudence.

Mandie and Celia stepped forward.

“Blame it all on us, Miss Prudence,” Mandie said. “Aunt Phoebe had nothing to do with it.”

“Just what are you talking about, Amanda? Blame what on you? Speak up, young lady.”

“Do you remember the noises we told you we heard in the attic? That girl was responsible. We found her last Monday when we came back to school,” Mandie explained.

“That’s right,” Celia said. “When we heard the noises again, we went up to the attic and found this girl pounding on a metal trunk with an old fire poker.”

Miss Prudence’s mouth dropped open. “You found this girl in my attic?” She gestured toward the silent girl.

“Yes, ma’am, and she had been up there at least since school started,” Mandie replied.

“Now, how could she survive up there that long?”

Aunt Phoebe spoke up. “I done been missin’ vittles from de kitchen, most ev’ry day, Miz Prudence,” she confessed. “But I figures some of yo’ schoolgirls was a-doin’ it, so I ain’t said nothin’.”

“You should have reported that to me immediately, Aunt Phoebe.”

“Miss Prudence,” Celia added, “the girl also kept coming down and taking Mandie’s clothes. She was wearing one of Mandie’s dresses when we found her.”

Miss Prudence drew a sharp breath. “This girl has been stealing clothes, also? We
must
contact the authorities. Find Uncle Cal and ask him to see me immediately, Aunt Phoebe.” The schoolmistress turned to leave.

“Wait, Miss Prudence,” Mandie said. “You don’t understand. There’s something wrong with this girl. She can’t talk. At least she hasn’t said a word since we found her. We can’t turn her over to the law.”

Miss Prudence whirled in anger. “Oh yes we can, young lady. What else do you think we can do with her?”

Mandie thought quickly. “Send word to my grandmother,”
she blurted out. “I’m sure she’ll take care of the girl until we can find out who she is.”

Miss Prudence trembled. She could never let Mrs. Taft come meddling in school affairs again! “Your grandmother has nothing to do with this, Amanda,” the schoolmistress said sternly. “This is a matter for the authorities. Aunt Phoebe, I shall be waiting for Uncle Cal in my office, and you young ladies will both report to me after supper. You realize you have broken rules again.”

Miss Prudence closed the door loudly.

“So we’re in trouble again,” groaned Celia.

Mandie had a sudden idea. “Aunt Phoebe, do you know where Uncle Cal is?” she asked.

“He be down in de flow’r garden wid dat man whut tends to ’em. I guess I’d best be gittin’ him.”

“Wait, Aunt Phoebe. Would you give me five minutes?” Mandie asked. “I want to find Uncle Cal first, and then you can come look for him.”

“Lawsy mercy, Missy, whut you be up to now?”

“Just give me five minutes head start and then you can look for Uncle Cal. All right?”

Mandie didn’t wait for an answer. She ran every step of the way down the long slope to the flower garden at the bottom of the hill. She arrived out of breath and tried to explain to Uncle Cal what was going on.

Uncle Cal looked worried. “Dat Miz Prudence, she say fo’ me to come see huh?”

“Yes, Uncle Cal. Only I have another idea,” Mandie said, beginning to breathe more easily. “Would you please rush over to my grandmother’s first? Tell her about our finding the girl in the attic and everything. And ask her to come, just making a call,” Mandie directed. “If she acts like she knows about the situation, Miss Prudence will suspect you
told her. I don’t know what Grandmother can do, but I’m sure she’ll do something.”

Uncle Cal went along with Mandie’s plan. When he told Mrs. Taft the whole story, she immediately ordered her buggy brought to the front door. After arranging for someone to give Uncle Cal a ride back to the school, she climbed into the buggy and headed out. Driving herself, she took the long way around, stopping by the newspaper office. There, she talked to the publisher, Mr. Weston, and his photographer, Mr. Hanback. When they heard the story, they hurried to the livery stables to get their horses.

Next, Mrs. Taft dropped by her pastor’s house and persuaded him to meet her at the school. Then when she told the story to the mayor, Mr. Hodges, he promised to arrive soon after she did.

Mandie’s grandmother smiled to herself as she urged her horse on. She hadn’t had this much fun in years. In a short time, Miss Prudence would have more than she could handle.

Arriving in front of the school, Mrs. Taft tied the reins to the hitching post and hurried inside. She found Miss Prudence in her office, waiting for Uncle Cal.

Miss Prudence looked up in surprise. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Taft,” she said. “Do come in.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Taft replied. She sat down. “Today is Friday and I thought I’d arrive early and see if Amanda and Celia could come home with me now for the weekend, instead of waiting for Sunday dinner.”

“Why, yes, I suppose they could,” the schoolmistress managed. She was sure Mrs. Taft had come to start trouble. “I don’t believe they have any classes this afternoon. However, Amanda is rehearsing for the play.”

Mrs. Taft stood. “She can make up for that later,” she
said. “Do you have any idea where the girls are?”

“Oh.” Miss Prudence hesitated. “I’ll send for them.”

Suddenly Uncle Cal appeared in the doorway. “Missy Manda and Missy Celia be out at my house with Phoebe,” he announced. “Dey say you wants to see me, Miz Prudence.”

“So the girls are at your house, Uncle Cal,” Mrs. Taft said. “I will go and get them.” She started out to the hallway.

Miss Prudence hurried after her. “I’ll send for them, Mrs. Taft. Please sit down and rest.”

“Thank you, Miss Prudence, but I’d like to visit with Aunt Phoebe for a moment anyway,” she replied. She continued down the hall and through the doorway into the kitchen.