The Mandie Collection (17 page)

Everyone laughed, but Mandie and Joe laughed the loudest, realizing that Hilda had understood more than he thought when he told her he had a secret and showed her what to do with mistletoe.

Later, as the young people stood around, eating snacks, Mandie gave a little sigh. “I'm so glad I can start out the year 1901 with a clear conscience,” she said. “I think it would be terrible to not be speaking to my mother.”

“You should be thankful you have a mother, Mandie,” Sallie said. “Remember, mine died a long time ago.”

“I know,” Mandie admitted. “I am thankful for so many things. God has been so wonderful to me this past year.”

“But we've had our share of trials, too, haven't we, Mandie?” Celia added. “Like with April Snow at school? I sure hope that mouse is gone when we get back.” She shivered.

“And I guess we still have another mystery to solve at school. Remember, we never did find out how April got into that play or why she didn't come back with the rest of us.”

The next morning, on New Year's Day, they all slept longer than usual because they had stayed up so late. And after a leisurely breakfast, they were all gathered in the parlor.

Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Liza went to answer it, and the parlor conversation hushed as everyone listened.

“Yessir, dey's a Missy 'Manda Shaw here in dis here house,” Liza said, in the hallway.

“Could I see her, please?” a man's voice asked.

“Why sho'. Jes' you come on in. Dey's all in here.” Soon she appeared in the doorway of the parlor with a tall, handsome man behind her. “Missy,” she called across the room to Mandie, “dis here man wants to see you 'bout sumthin'.” She stepped aside to let the man enter the parlor.

Mandie hurried across the room, looking the man over. He was not anyone she knew. But she had never seen such fine clothes before, nor such a nice-looking man.

The others remained silent, listening and watching.

“Are you Miss Amanda Shaw?” the man asked in an unusual accent.

“Yes sir, I'm Amanda Shaw,” Mandie said.

The man removed a cream-colored envelope from his pocket and extended it to her. “Miss Amanda Shaw, greetings from the President of the United States, William McKinley, twenty-fifth president.”

Mandie was speechless. Then she laughed. “You are joking!” She still didn't take the envelope, and everyone in the room waited.

“No, ma'am. I am very serious about this,” the man replied. “Now if you will accept this envelope, I will be on my way.”

Mandie smiled and slowly reached for the envelope. After the man gave it to her, he said, “Thank you, and good day,” and turned to leave.

Uncle John quickly stood. “Excuse me, please, but are you actually from the President's office?”

“Yes, sir. President McKinley himself sent me,” the man said confidently.

“Would you care to stay and rest awhile?” Uncle John asked. “It's a long way to Washington.”

“Thank you, sir, but I have a coach waiting for me outside,” the man answered. “Thank you again, and good day.”

Liza showed him to the door, and Mandie just stood there holding the envelope. Uncle John put his arm around her and said, “Quick! Open that envelope before all these people die from a heart attack.”

Mandie nervously ripped open the flap of the envelope. Carefully, she pulled out a matching cream-colored sheet of paper and unfolded it. She read it silently as Uncle John looked over her shoulder.

Instantly her eyes widened and her mouth opened. “President McKinley has invited me to the White House,” she squealed.

“Read it to us,” Elizabeth urged.

“It says . . . it says . . . it says . . .” Mandie stammered as she looked at the piece of paper. “It says,

Miss Amanda Shaw

Franklin, North Carolina

I would be most honored with your presence at my forthcoming inauguration for my second term as President of the United
States on March 4, 1901. I have heard with much delight of the hospital you are building for the Cherokee Indians and would enjoy hearing personally about it. I look forward to seeing you here on March 1, in time to get acquainted before the ceremonies take up my time.

With best regards,

William McKinley

Mandie just stood there, holding the piece of paper, unable to absorb the message. Uncle John gave her a little squeeze and led her to the settee to sit by her mother.

Suddenly everyone was talking at once.

Uncle Ned leaned over from the chair beside her and patted her hand. “Papoose, Cherokee proud,” he said.

“Thank you, Uncle Ned,” Mandie replied, smiling up at him. Then, when the message finally soaked in, she could hardly contain her excitement. “Mother, will you let me go to see the President? Please!”

“I am eager for you to visit the President, of course, Amanda, but I wouldn't be able to travel since the baby will be due not long after that,” Elizabeth replied.

Mandie instantly turned to her uncle. “Uncle John, will you go with me, please?”

Uncle John shook his head slowly. “No, I'm sorry, Amanda. I have to stay with your mother to see that everything is all right.”

Mandie looked over at Mrs. Taft. “Grandmother, can you go with me?”

“I'm sorry, Amanda, but you know I'm planning an extended trip to Europe beginning in February,” she reminded her. “I really am sorry, but other people are going with me, and I couldn't change my plans.”

Mandie jumped up and waved the note around in the air. “Do you mean the President of the United States invites me to visit him, and I have to say I can't go?”

The adults looked at each other in dismay and shook their heads.

Elizabeth looked concerned. “Amanda, I believe your school exams for that quarter are in March, too, aren't they?” she asked. “You would miss a lot of time from school.”

Mandie didn't answer.

Dr. Woodard cleared his throat. “I'd like to know how the President of the United States found out about that hospital being built for the Cherokees,” he said.

“I wonder if he also knows about the gold we found in a cave to pay for building it?” Joe asked.

Mandie sat back down on a nearby footstool. How could she miss out on a chance to talk face-to-face with the President of the United States? She had been studying about President McKinley in school, but she never dreamed she would ever receive a handwritten note from him, much less an invitation to visit him.

She tried to fight back the tears, but soon they started rolling down her cheeks as she sat there, holding the letter. She knew the forthcoming baby would prevent her mother and Uncle John from going with her. She tried hard not to get angry.

Uncle John squatted beside her and put his arm around her. “Cheer up,” he said. “We'll figure out something.”

Mandie dried her eyes. “But there is no way for me to go,” she said. “I can't go alone.”

“Never give up hope about anything, Amanda,” Uncle John told her.

But there didn't seem to be any reason to have any hope.

When Mandie went to bed that night, she was worried. She knew she would have to send a reply to the President in a few days. And there were so many things against her going that she didn't really think she had much of a chance.

Nevertheless, after Hilda was asleep, Mandie got out of bed and knelt by the window. Looking up at the twinkling stars, she appealed to God. “Please, dear God, please let me go to Washington. Please help us figure out some way for me to go.”

As she crawled back into her warm bed, she felt sure that if God wanted her to meet the President, she would find some way to get there.

For Robert H. McLane,
My Greenville High drama teacher,
Greenville Little Theatre director, and valued friend,
who taught me dialogue and characterization,
and to whom I owe so much.

CONTENTS

MANDIE AND THE WASHINGTON NIGHTMARE

Chapter   1   Where Is Miss Hope?

Chapter   2   What's Going On?

Chapter   3   Does Uncle Cal Know?

Chapter   4   Where Is Miss Prudence?

Chapter   5   Mandie Runs Into Trouble

Chapter   6   Grandmother Confronts Miss Prudence

Chapter   7   The Stranger on the Train

Chapter   8   Meet the President

Chapter   9   Footsteps in the Hall

Chapter 10   Voices in a Locked Room

Chapter 11   Mystery in the Night

Chapter 12   The Big Day

Chapter 13   What Happened at the Farm?

“A man's pride shall bring him low:
but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
Proverbs 29:23

CHAPTER ONE

WHERE IS MISS HOPE?

Pushing open the door, Mandie Shaw stepped into her room at the Misses Heathwoods' School for Girls.

Celia, her roommate, instantly jumped up. “Mandie, I'm so glad you're back! Are you going to Washington, D.C.?” she asked her friend eagerly. “Are you going?”

Mandie looked puzzled. “How did you get back to school before I did?” she asked. Removing her winter coat, she plopped down on the rug in front of the warm fire in the fireplace. “When you left our house in Franklin, you and your mother were going to visit relatives.”

Celia sat down beside her. “We cut the visits short so I wouldn't have to rush to get back to school,” she explained. “Besides, I was ready to come back after that long Christmas vacation. And I couldn't wait to hear whether you found a way to accept President McKinley's invitation to attend his second inauguration.” She sat forward, tossing back her long auburn curls. “Did you, Mandie? Are you going?”

Mandie smiled, but she was sure Celia could see the sadness in her blue eyes. “You know how much I want to go, but . . .” She paused, and there was a catch in her voice as she continued. “I haven't found anyone to go with me yet. And it doesn't look like I will.”

“Oh, Mandie!” Celia heaved a big sigh. “It isn't every day that the President of the United States invites a twelve-year-old girl to visit
him,” she said. “That makes you special. We've just got to figure out a way.”

“Well, you know my mother can't go with me because the baby is due soon, and Uncle John wouldn't let her stay alone at home then, either.”

“Your grandmother can't get out of her trip to Europe with her friends?”

Mandie shook her head. “No. Their plans have been made for a long time. And I don't know anyone else to ask.” Standing up, she walked over to the window seat and sat down, staring outside at the cold, bare trees.

Celia followed. “Mandie, maybe Miss Hope could go with you,” she suggested.

“Oh, no, Celia. She has to stay here and help Miss Prudence run the school.” Mandie looked pleadingly at her friend. “Celia, would you please keep this invitation a secret until I am positively, absolutely sure whether I'm going or not? I'd rather no one here at the school knew about it right now.”

“Of course,” Celia replied. “I won't tell a single soul until you say it's all right.” Her green eyes twinkled. “But I would like everybody to know that I was at your house when the President's messenger brought you the message—that is, after you tell me I can.”

Mandie smiled. “I'll let you spread the word as soon as I know something definite.”

“Just imagine,” Celia said, staring out the window. “This all came about because the President heard about the hospital you're having built for the Cherokees with the gold you and Joe and Sallie found.”

“Uncle Ned is supposed to let me know how the hospital is coming along before I go to see President McKinley. That is,
if
I go to see the President,” Mandie finished, her voice betraying the hopelessness.

There was a knock on the door, and Celia hurried to open it.

Uncle Cal, the old Negro caretaker for the school, stepped into the room carrying Mandie's luggage. “We sho' glad to see y'all back,” he said, placing the bags in the corner next to the big bureau. “Gits kinda lonesome 'round heah without y'all to liven things up now and den.” As he straightened, he turned and flashed a mischievous grin at his wife, Aunt Phoebe, who entered the room behind him.

Aunt Phoebe's black face shone. “Yeh, now things'll start lookin' up,” she teased.

Mandie jumped up to hug the old woman. “Oh, Aunt Phoebe, I've missed you and Uncle Cal.”

Aunt Phoebe laughed. “We'se glad you's back, Missy,” she said. Then looking around the room, she added, “Ain't seed no mouses 'round heah either since y'all been gone home.”

Mandie and Celia looked at each other and shivered. The last time they had been away on a holiday, they had come back to find April Snow putting a mouse in the chifferobe where they hung their clothes.

Mandie's eyes narrowed. “Has April Snow been in our room?” she asked.