The Mandie Collection (11 page)

They waited on the porch, and in a little while Aunt Lou came back again.

“Ain't no sense in y'all lettin' yo' dinner go to waste jes' 'cause de rest of dem ain't home yet,” she told Mrs. Taft.

Mrs. Taft rose and said, “All right, Aunt Lou, we'll go ahead to the table.” Looking at Mandie and Joe, she added, “Let's go eat now.”

Mandie and Joe followed her to the dining room, and they all sat down at the table.

“Aunt Lou, just pass us something and then keep the food on the stove so it won't get completely cold,” Mrs. Taft told the woman.

“People oughta come home when it's time to eat,” Aunt Lou grumbled as she and Liza passed the food around the table.

“You're absolutely right, Aunt Lou,” Joe said emphatically as he dug into the squash on his plate.

“Everybody is always here at mealtime. That's one time that everyone shows up,” Mandie said as she buttered a biscuit. “There must be something important keeping them from getting back in time to eat.”

“We'll find out when they return,” Mrs. Taft told her, sipping the coffee in her cup.

Even though they were slow about eating, no one else had shown up by the time they finished the meal.

“Well, I suppose we might as well begin searching the cellar,” Mandie said as the three of them rose from the table.

“How about a walk first?” Joe asked.

Before Mandie could reply, Mrs. Taft said, “That sounds like a good idea. I'll walk with you all.”

Joe looked at Mandie and then at Mrs. Taft as he said, “Well, what I had in mind was just sorta rambling through the woods down toward the Burnses' house.”

Mandie spoke up. “That may be too far for Grandmother,” she said as she looked up at Mrs. Taft. They went into the hallway.

“Oh no, dear, I need some exercise. I've been in my room just about all morning,” the lady told her. “But let me go get a wrap and my hat. It may be cool in the woods.”

“We'll wait for you on the front porch, Grandmother,” Mandie told her as Mrs. Taft walked toward the staircase.

“All right, dear. I'll only be a moment,” Mrs. Taft called back.

Mandie and Joe went on out to the front porch.

“What is the idea of walking to the Burnses' house again?” Mandie asked.

“Well, you never know. I thought we might just run into Etta and Zack again,” Joe replied.

Mandie thought about that for a moment and replied, “I doubt it. They seemed to be in a hurry to get on down the road, remember?”

“I know, but they could have come back,” Joe reminded her. “But what can we do if we see them again? Your grandmother will be along.”

Mandie smiled and said, “Grandmother would probably be the first one to approach them if they do show up on our walk.”

Snowball bounced up the steps of the porch and began rubbing around his mistress's ankles.

“And that cat ... are you taking him, too?” Joe asked.

Mandie reached for the red leash she had left in a chair nearby earlier and stooped down to hook it to his collar. “Joe, you know how good Snowball is about helping us solve a mystery,” she said with a smile as she straightened up, holding the end of the leash.

“Helping us solve a mystery?” Joe retorted. “I know how good he is about running away and causing trouble.”

Snowball looked up at Joe and meowed loudly.

Mandie laughed and said, “I do believe he understood what you said.”

Before he could answer, Mrs. Taft came out the front door, wearing a lightweight shawl and her hat. “I'm ready now,” the lady said. “If y'all are. And I do believe Snowball is ready, too.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Mandie agreed.

The three began their walk through the woods the same way Mandie and Joe had gone that morning. The two young people kept listening and watching as they walked. Since they didn't know what Etta and Zack had been doing in the neighborhood that morning anyway, Mandie knew there was a possibility they might be back.

CHAPTER EIGHT

STRANGE BEHAVIOR

When they came to the road at the end of the woods, Mandie and Joe stopped to explain to Mrs. Taft, who paused when they did.

“This is where we saw Etta and Zack Hughes,” Mandie said, pointing ahead to the place in the road where Etta had sat in the buggy. “Zack was standing on the road there and fussing at Etta, who was in the buggy. He was angry at her for leaving him so long some place or other.” She held tightly to Snowball's leash.

“He didn't say where,” Joe added. “He said he could have been caught.”

“Caught, huh?” Mrs. Taft mulled. “Evidently he could have been caught wherever she had left him, and out here in the woods there is nothing but your uncle John's land, Amanda.”

“And the house that Uncle John lets the Burnses live in,” Mandie replied.

“Don't forget. The ruby mine that Mr. Shaw owns is not far from here,” Joe reminded her.

“Yes, but Mr. Burns works in the mine, and he wasn't home when we went to their house, so I suppose he was working there then,” Mandie said.

“Do you think this Zack Hughes could have been visiting Mr. Burns at the mine?” Mrs. Taft asked.

Mandie and Joe looked at each other thoughtfully.

“He might have gone there, but I can't imagine why,” Mandie said. “The Burnses are awfully grateful to Uncle John for helping them out and getting them back on the right path after they had done some things that weren't exactly honest.”

Mrs. Taft quickly looked at Mandie and asked, “They had been dishonest about something?”

“Not with Uncle John, Grandmother,” Mandie said as the three of them continued standing there in the edge of the woods. “They had become real poor and didn't have anything to eat and no place to live, and they were stealing in order to keep from starving. Joe and I met up with them a while back, and Uncle John gave them a chance to straighten up. Mr. Burns works at the mine, and Mrs. Burns helps out at the house sometimes.”

“And Mr. Burns's father also worked for Mandie's grandfather when the mine was in full swing back then,” Joe added.

“Have they lived up to your uncle John's expectations so far?” Mrs. Taft asked.

“Oh yes, Grandmother. Uncle John is real pleased with the way they've been living,” Mandie said.

“You don't think there is a possibility this Zack had been seeing Mr. Burns at the mine then?” Mrs. Taft asked.

“I don't think so,” Mandie said. “But we could walk down to the Burnses' house and see if Mr. Burns has come home.”

“That might be the best thing to do, dear,” Mrs. Taft replied. “We could ask him some questions.”

“It's a rough path, Grandmother,” Mandie warned as she looked up at her.

“I have on my walking shoes, dear, so lead the way,” Mrs. Taft said with a big smile as she pointed to her feet.

The path was rough, but it wasn't very far. They walked on a short distance.

“There's the house,” Mandie said, pointing ahead to the Burnses' home. “And I believe that's Mr. Burns on the porch.” She squinted to identify the person. Snowball pulled on his leash, and she quickly picked him up and carried him.

As they walked closer, Joe said, “It is Mr. Burns.”

And as the three stepped into the clearing that was the yard around
the house, Mandie noticed the man was reading a paper in his hand. Then when he caught sight of them, he quickly folded the paper and slipped it inside the front of his shirt.

“How are you, Mr. Burns?” Mandie greeted him as they came up the steps to the porch. She wondered why he had acted so strangely with the paper.

He rose and looked flustered. “Howdy, come in, come in,” he replied as he stepped over to the door and opened it. He stood back and motioned them inside the house.

Ludie Burns appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron and looking surprised at Mandie.

“We came back to talk to Mr. Burns,” Mandie said. “My grandmother, Mrs. Taft here, thought we ought to ask Mr. Burns some questions.”

“Have a seat. Sit down,” Mrs. Burns said, coming into the room and indicating chairs nearby.

“We won't take much of your time,” Mrs. Taft said as they all sat down on the cane-bottomed chairs. Mandie held Snowball in her lap.

Mandie noticed Mr. Burns remained standing as he leaned against the mantelpiece. She also noticed he had not done a good job of hiding the paper. A corner of it was sticking out between buttons on his shirt, but he didn't seem aware of this.

Everyone was silent as Jake and Ludie Burns both stared at Mrs. Taft.

“It's about this woman named Etta Hughes, who was married to my father when he died,” Mandie said. “And the man she married, Zack Hughes, after my father died.”

“Yes, you mentioned that name Hughes this morning,” Ludie said. “I told Jake.”

Jake and Ludie both nodded their heads. Mandie frowned and looked at Joe and then at her grandmother. These two people sure didn't act like they wanted to talk.

Mrs. Taft cleared her throat and asked, “Have you seen either one of these people recently?” She looked from Jake to Ludie Burns.

Jake Burns shrugged his shoulders, which Mandie thought could mean yes or no. He moved slightly and stared at the ceiling.

“No, I ain't,” Ludie said. “Fact is, I ain't never seem 'em atall that I know of.” She dropped her gaze and fidgeted with her apron.

“Amanda said she and Joe saw Etta and Zack Hughes near here earlier today, and I was just wondering if y'all had spoken to them, or if Zack Hughes had maybe visited Mr. Burns at the mine,” Mrs. Taft said as she watched the two people.

Jake and Ludie both shook their heads and looked at each other.

“This woman Etta has shown up in court with a will that she says Amanda's father made wherein he gave all his property to Etta. but Amanda and Joe discovered another will made by her father, which they gave to John Shaw to take to the probate judge,” Mrs. Taft told them as she closely watched the man and his wife. “And that will was stolen out of John Shaw's house.”

Ludie and Jake both gasped loudly and looked at each other.

“Ain't that a shame?” Ludie exclaimed.

“We ain't seen it, Mrs. Taft, if that's what you're gittin' at,” Jake quickly told her as he scowled at her.

“No, we ain't,” Ludie quickly added. “Fact of the matter is we wouldn't know what a will looks like. Cain't recall ever seein' sech a thing.”

“Please, I'm not saying y'all took it—far from it,” Mrs. Taft tried to reassure them. “I'm just wondering if y'all have seen this man and woman and they might have said or done something that you could tell us that could clear this matter up.”

“Well, I can guarantee you they ain't been in this house,” Ludie said with a big frown.

“We should have followed them when we saw them down there on the road this morning, but we were bringing those baskets to y'all and couldn't just go running off after them,” Joe said.

Mandie remembered the strange disappearance of her uncle. “Have y'all seen my uncle John today? He and Uncle Ned left this morning and haven't returned yet,” Mandie told the couple.

“No, he ain't been here, either,” Ludie said.

“He did tell me the other day he would be comin' by the mine today to check on things, but I ain't seen hide nor hair of him today,” Jake volunteered. “I stayed there all day waitin' on him and finally come home to eat a bite.”

Mrs. Taft rose and said, “I'm sorry if we're keeping you from your
dinner. If y'all do see this man and woman anywhere, please let us know. We thank you.” She started toward the front door and Mandie and Joe followed.

“You kin be sure we'll do jes' that,” Ludie said as she came behind them. “And tell your ma, Missy, that we are thankful for the food you brought us this morning.” Jake Burns went into the kitchen without another word.

“I will,” Mandie promised as Mrs. Taft stepped off the porch with Joe close behind her. Mandie held tightly to Snowball and followed.

They walked for a while until they were inside the woods and out of sight of the Burnses, and then they stopped to discuss what had transpired at the old people's house.

“Amanda, you know these people better than I do. Do you think they were being honest with us?” Mrs. Taft asked as they stood under a huge tree.

“I suppose so, Grandmother, although Mr. Burns sure did act strange, putting that paper inside his shirt and then not even making an attempt to join in the conversation,” Mandie said as she set Snowball down on his leash.

“I thought both of them acted like they had something to hide,” Joe said.

“They seemed awfully shy for some reason,” Mrs. Taft said. “I don't believe Mr. Burns ever looked directly at me.”

“I believe there was something they knew but that they didn't think concerned us,” Mandie said.

“Maybe they just weren't comfortable having a lady like you visit them,” Joe suggested with a big smile.

“Oh, Joe, they knew I'm just Amanda's grandmother,” Mrs. Taft said.

“But Joe is right, Grandmother,” Mandie said. “I know they are not exactly comfortable around people like you.”

“People like me? Amanda!” Mrs. Taft said.

“You know, Grandmother, you are so rich and high class,” Mandie said with a mischievous smile.

“Amanda, I may have lots of money, but I don't consider myself high class, above other people, and you ought to know that by now,” Mrs. Taft rebuked her.

“I know that, but they don't because they don't really know you,” Mandie replied as Snowball pulled on his leash.

“Shouldn't we be getting on back to the house to see whether Mr. Shaw and Uncle Ned have returned, and your mother, also, Mandie?” Joe asked.

“Oh yes, let's go,” Mandie said, picking up Snowball.