The Mandie Collection (29 page)

Joe looked around in the hallway. “Isn't this exciting, being here?” he said, looking around in awe. “It's so much larger than I ever imagined. We could get lost in it.”

“We sure could,” Mandie agreed. She huddled closer to her friends. “Wait till you hear what happened last night,” she told them. “I was trying to go to sleep all by myself in that spooky room, and I kept hearing someone scuffing their shoes as they walked up and down the hallway.”

Joe and Sallie looked at each other skeptically.

Mandie continued. “I finally got up enough nerve to look out,” she said. “And do you know what I saw? I saw George Washington walking down the hall.”

Joe howled with laughter. “What a tale! It couldn't possibly have been George Washington,” he protested. “He's been dead over a hundred years.”

“I know that, but I still say I saw him. He looked just like the pictures I've always seen,” Mandie insisted. “Now, Joe Woodard, don't
you go spoiling things. I intend to find out exactly what was going on last night.”

Joe looked exasperated. “Mandie, this is the White House,” he warned. “You can't go poking around in it like you do at school or at home when you get involved in some mysterious adventure. You'll get into trouble if you start messing in something that doesn't concern you.”

“Look, Joe Woodard.” Mandie faced him defiantly. “If I want to investigate, you can't stop me.”

Joe straightened his thin shoulders. “I know I can't stop you,” he admitted, “but I also will not help you.”

Mandie looked up into his brown eyes. “I won't be needing your help, thank you.” She spoke a bit more sharply than she had intended.

Sallie shot her a look of concern.

Hearing someone coming down the long hallway, Mandie and her friends turned to see Antoinette approaching them. They greeted her as she got closer.

“Good morning,” the maid replied in her French accent. “It is time for breakfast. I have come for Isabelle. Is she with Mrs. Taft?”

Mandie walked across the hall to her grandmother's room. “I don't know, Antoinette. I haven't been in there this morning,” she said, tapping lightly on the door. She pushed it open. There was Isabelle, putting the finishing touches on Mrs. Taft's thick, faded blonde hair.

Antoinette leaned into the room. “Isabelle, breakfast is about to be served,” she told her. “We must go now, Madam Taft.”

Mandie's grandmother looked up and smiled.

Sallie looked at Joe and asked. “Do you know where my grandfather is?”

“Oh, he left our room awhile ago,” Joe replied. “He said he was going to look around before breakfast.”

“Please come now, so I can show you the way,” Antoinette said, leading them down the long hallway.

A few minutes later they entered the President's parlor. Antoinette announced each guest.

The President, standing by the fire, turned to greet them. But Mandie's attention quickly turned to Uncle Ned, who was gazing out the window. She whispered to Sallie, “Your grandfather has already been talking with the President.”

“Yes,” Sallie replied softly.

As everyone except Uncle Ned sat down, Mrs. Taft turned to Mandie. “I think it was wonderful of President McKinley to invite your friends, too,” she whispered.

Mandie suddenly realized that her grandmother had not seemed surprised when she saw Sallie and Joe with her in the hallway. “Did you know they were coming?” she asked quietly.

“No, but I was taking a walk when they came in,” Grandmother Taft explained in a whisper. “I've been awake for hours, it seems.”

Mandie looked up as the President began to speak. “You know, if all young people were like you three, we would have no need to fear the future,” he said kindly. “I know you are part Cherokee, Miss Amanda. However, you live in the white world, and I think you must have a great deal of compassion if you were willing to use the gold you found to build a hospital for the Indians.”

He stood and strolled over by the fireplace again. “The Lord made us all, you know,” he said. “And we should treat everyone as our brother or sister because we are all His children. But I'm afraid there are many people who put themselves first and never care about another's misery.”

Uncle Ned turned from the window, but just stood there listening.

“And you, Miss Sallie,” the President continued, “you are such a shining example for your people. I sincerely hope that you will continue your education and will perhaps someday be in a position to help your fellow Cherokees.” The President walked back to the group and laid his hand on Joe's shoulder. “Young man,” he said, “I understand your father is a wonderful doctor. I hope you follow in his footsteps.”

Joe looked up into the President's face. “No, sir, I don't intend to be a doctor. I want to practice law,” he replied honestly.

The President smiled and raised one bushy eyebrow. “An attorney, no less.” He seemed pleased.

“Yes, sir, like you,” Joe said with a grin.

“Then perhaps one day you will also enter politics and eventually become a resident of this house,” he responded. “I wish you well and hope I live to see it, son.”

Mandie watched for Joe's reaction.

“Thank you, sir.” Joe looked at him directly. “But I'm not aiming that high. I'd like to practice law in my own part of the country—be a country lawyer, like my father is a country doctor.”

“I think that would be very gratifying,” the President agreed. Turning to Mrs. Taft, he said, “I believe your husband was a senator, wasn't he, Mrs. Taft?”

“Yes, Mr. President,” she replied sadly. “In a way. You see, he was elected by the people, but he passed away before he was sworn in,” she explained. “God rest his soul.”

Mandie was surprised. She had no idea her grandfather was a politician. All she knew was that he had been dead for years. But in spite of how long it had been, she noticed that her grandmother's eyes still glistened with tears.

The President looked down quickly. “Oh, dear. I'm so sorry,” he apologized. “I didn't know all the details, I can assure you.”

Mandie was glad when Antoinette came back into the room to announce breakfast, but Mrs. Taft looked around curiously. “Is Mrs. McKinley not joining us?” she asked.

“No, I'm afraid she is under the weather this morning,” the President replied. “You see, she is not strong. Her health is forever giving her problems. But if you folks will just follow Antoinette, she'll take us to the dining room.” He turned to Uncle Ned. “Let's go get a bite to eat, Mr. Sweetwater,” he said.

Mandie looked up. That was the first time she had ever heard the old Indian called by his last name. He was just Uncle Ned to everyone. The Indian smiled at her and followed the others into the hallway.

The President turned to Mandie. “Then after breakfast I have a surprise for you young people,” he announced.

CHAPTER TEN

VOICES IN A LOCKED ROOM

As soon as breakfast was over, Mandie found out what the President's surprise was. He had important business to attend to, so he turned his guests over to Mr. Adamson for a sightseeing tour.

At first Mandie didn't think this was much of a surprise, but when the President's coach took them to the Washington Monument, Mandie squealed with delight. “Oh, I was hoping we would get to visit this.”

She craned her neck to look out of the carriage at the tall, white, shaft-like marble and granite structure with a pyramid-shaped top. For a moment she felt goosebumps on her arm as she thought about the man she had seen in the hall the night before. This was a monument to George Washington!

Joe let out a low whistle. “That thing almost looks like a giant white pencil,” he said, “—if you colored the tip black.”

Mandie ignored his attempt to be funny. “We learned about this at school. Could we go inside it?” she asked.

Mr. Adamson helped them out of the carriage. “Of course, Miss Amanda,” he said. “In fact, there are 898 steps up to the top, and if you think you can make it, you can climb up all the way to the observation area there.” He pointed up. “The view is breathtaking!”

They all looked up and Mandie noticed some tiny-looking windows in the pyramid part.

Sallie grabbed Mandie's arm. “All the way up there?” she asked.

Mandie smiled. “Come on, Sallie. It'll be fun. Let's all go,” she urged.

“I'm ready,” Joe told her.

“Ned go with Papoose and friends,” the old Indian offered.

Mandie's grandmother laughed. “Not me.”

“That's all right, ma'am,” Mr. Adamson said. “I'll stay here with you.”

“Let's go,” Mandie urged, starting to run.

“Just a minute.” Mr. Adamson stopped her. “There's one more thing you might want to pay attention to inside.”

“What's that, sir?” Joe asked.

“Well, one way the government financed the building of this great monument to our first president was to ask people to contribute some of the stones used in the construction,” he explained. “So there are 190 carved tribute blocks along the stairway donated by various states and territories, cities and foreign countries, groups and individuals. Watch for those and see where they came from. I know there's one from North Carolina, your home state. See if you can find it.”

“That sounds great!” Mandie said excitedly. “Let's go.” She turned to her grandmother. “We'll wave to you from the top,” she teased.

“That's just fine,” Mrs. Taft replied, “but I don't think we'll be able to see you.”

Mandie laughed and the young people were off with Uncle Ned walking briskly to keep up with them.

Inside the monument, Mandie wished she had dressed more warmly. The interior was cold and damp, and not very well lit. She pulled her wraps around her and shivered as they started up the stairs. “Let's count the steps on the way up and then look for the carved blocks on the way back down,” she said, beginning to count as she climbed. “One, two, three . . .”

“Good idea,” Joe answered.

Sallie grabbed Mandie's hand as she climbed beside her friend.

The young people hurried at first, then began to pant and slow down long before Mandie thought they would have to.

When they reached step number 562, Mandie stopped to catch her breath. “I don't know if I can make it all the way to the top,” she complained. “My legs hurt.”

“Papoose can make it,” Uncle Ned encouraged, panting. “Ned not quit. Papoose not quit either. Just take slow. This not race.”

Joe and Sallie nodded in agreement, and all four of them stood there for a few minutes, resting before going on again very slowly.

Although there were several more times when Mandie thought she couldn't make it, Uncle Ned and Joe kept urging her and Sallie on until at last Mandie counted off “894—” She was really huffing and puffing now. “—895 . . . 896 . . . 897 . . .” She placed her foot on the top step. “898!” she cried. “We did it!” Perspiring and exhausted, she hugged Sallie. “Let's look out of the windows now,” she suggested, her excitement overcoming her fatigue.

Other people milling around in the observation area glanced at Mandie and smiled.

Mandie led the way to the windows and looked down. “Oh, my goodness!” she cried. “Look how far down it is from here.” She swayed slightly, feeling a little lightheaded.

“But isn't it beautiful?” Sallie said, apparently glad she had consented to make the climb. “What is that river down there?”

“That's the Potomac—if I remember correctly from my geography lessons,” Joe replied.

“You're right, Joe,” Mandie agreed. “I just can't believe how small everything seems. That's a pretty big river, and it looks like a satin hair ribbon from up here. And look! I think that's Grandmother and Mr. Adamson down there in front, isn't it?” She laughed. “They look like little ants on the walkway, don't they?” She waved and called to them even though she knew they couldn't see or hear from that far away.

For quite awhile, Uncle Ned and the young people enjoyed the view, pointing out landmarks like the capitol building and the White House to each other. Then, having caught their breath, they finally began their descent. Now they watched for the inscribed blocks Mr. Adamson had told them about. Mandie had seen some of them on the way up, but she didn't want to take the time to stop and read the inscription.

They didn't count how many they saw, but Mandie did try to memorize some of them so she could tell her grandmother and everyone else back home. They found one from the country of Greece, one from China, others from Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, and many other countries. One stone said it had been brought by an American from the historic library in Alexandria, Egypt! They even found some stones
donated by Sunday schools and fire departments. Many of the stones were carved with inscriptions about the states that donated them.

“This one is all the way from California,” Mandie told the others. “It calls itself the ‘youngest sister of the Union.' ”

“Look . . . this one,” Uncle Ned said, stopping to examine it more closely. “This stone has carving of whale.”

“Let me see,” Joe urged, crowding the old Indian. “It says it is from New Bedford, and the date is 1851. I suppose it has a whale on it because New Bedford is one of those whaling ports in Massachusetts.”

Uncle Ned nodded thoughtfully as they continued on.

Sallie was the one who found the North Carolina stone. “It mentions the state's Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence in May 1775,” she told them, her dark eyes sparkling. “We learned about this in history class.”

Some time later Mandie let out a squeal. “Oh, come here!” she cried. “Look, Uncle Ned! Look, Sallie! This stone was given by the Cherokees!” She swallowed hard and felt tears coming to her eyes.