The Mandie Collection (49 page)

Uncle Ned added to her prayer, “Yes, Big God, please make new papoose well. And please make Papoose's leg well. Thank you.”

Mandie squeezed his hand again as he started on and said, “Uncle Ned, please forgive me.”

“Big God forgive, I forgive,” he told her.

Mandie smiled through her pain. Uncle Ned meant an awful lot to her.

After what seemed like hours, Uncle Ned carried Mandie out of the woods and stepped onto the lawn of the new Cherokee hospital. The
rain had stopped and Riley O'Neal and Mandie's other friends hurried

out to meet them.

“Mandie, are you all right?” everyone asked at once.

Riley O'Neal glanced at the makeshift bandages on Mandie's leg and then looked at her with concern.

Joe looked worried. “Too bad my father has left,” he said. “What are we going to do now?”

Riley O'Neal took charge. “Well, it looks to me as though Miss Amanda Shaw, the originator of this whole hospital project, is going to be its first patient. Let's get her inside.”

Dimar and Joe looked at him and then at each other.

“Well, come on, boys. Let's help Uncle Ned get her inside,” the missionary said, holding open the front door. “I can take care of this. I have had a little medical training.”

Sallie hovered near as Uncle Ned brought Mandie through the doorway. She ran ahead and pulled down the frilly yellow bedspread on one of the beds. The old Indian laid Mandie on the clean, white sheets.

Mandie groaned with pain from the slight jolt. “I'm sorry, everybody,” she said weakly.

“Do not worry, Mandie,” Sally assured her, picking up Snowball. “We all love you and we will make sure this missionary takes good care of you.”

Mandie faintly smiled, looking up at the missionary. “I guess if Dr. Woodard can't be here, you'll have to fix me up,” she said, still clutching her locket.

Riley O'Neal bent over to examine her leg and winked at her as he smiled.

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE BABY'S NAME IS . . .

With Uncle Ned overseeing and Joe, Dimar, and Sallie to find the supplies he needed, it didn't take Riley O'Neal long to clean the wound. After a thorough examination he announced with a sigh of relief, “No bones broken, but it's an awfully bad sprained ankle.”

He wrapped it as Mandie breathed deeply and said, “Oh, thank you, God.”

“With some blankets in the wagon, you'Il be all right to go on back to your uncle's house,” the missionary told her. “We'Il step outside and let you rest a few minutes first.”

Mandie felt relieved. Now, more than anything else, she wanted to go home. She was still a little worried about what her mother would say when she returned, but she couldn't think about that now.

After the others went outside, Mandie closed her eyes and tried to get her mind off the pain in her leg. She had just relaxed when she heard someone at the side door.

As Mandie lay there quietly staring up at the ceiling, her own words came back to haunt her.
Why can't you accept . . . ? Why can't you accept
. . . ?

She again saw herself towering over the cradle, telling her little brother she wished he had never been born.
Why can't I accept
. . . ? she wondered.

She closed her eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She couldn't let Sallie see her crying. Lifting her thoughts to heaven, she prayed silently, “Please forgive me, dear God, and help me to accept my baby brother.”

The next thing Mandie knew, Sallie was shaking her gently. “Mandie, everyone is ready to go now. Do you think you will be all right to travel?”

Mandie slowly pulled herself up. “I hope so,” she said. “I can't wait to get home.”

Sallie smiled and said, “Oh, I am so happy to hear you say that.”

A few minutes later Uncle Ned came into the hospital and carried Mandie out to the wagon. Everybody got in and they returned to Uncle Wirt's house after Uncle Ned hitched the horse he had ridden to Dr. Woodard's buggy so he could bring it along, too.

Uncle Wirt and Aunt Saphronia were concerned about Mandie's injury and insisted she should go to bed immediately after having supper. Mandie pushed herself up on her good leg, hiding the dizziness that momentarily came over her, and said, “Look, I'm fine.”

After a lot of arguing Mandie finally convinced everyone she was able to travel all the way home.

It was almost midnight when Uncle Ned and Sallie put their things and Mandie's valise in their wagon as they prepared to leave.

“Aren't you coming, Joe?” Mandie asked as Uncle Ned lifted her into his wagon.

Joe grinned and said, “Well, yes, but I'm driving my father's buggy with the horse your uncle loaned us.”

“Don't be too poky,” Mandie teased.

Joe grinned again as he went to the waiting buggy.

Mandie smiled at her friends in the yard. “I wish you could all come home with me.”

Riley O'Neal patted the side of the wagon. “I'll stay here and look after the hospital until Dr. Woodard gets back,” he said. “Then I'll go home to Boston for a while and make plans for the school.”

Dimar standing nearby asked, “Will you be gone long?”

“Only long enough to finalize the church's plans,” the missionary said.

Sallie hugged her grandmother, Morning Star, and handed Mandie her kitten and climbed into the wagon.

“Sallie, I'm so glad you're coming with us,” Mandie said, and waving to Morning Star, she called, “I will see you again soon, Morning Star. Love.” She blew a kiss to the old woman.

Morning Star grinned and waved.

After everyone said goodbye, Uncle Ned eased the wagon out onto the bumpy country road.

Mandie winced with each jolt.
This isn't going to be an easy trip
, she thought.

The journey was long and slow because Uncle Ned tried to miss all the bumps and holes in the rough dirt road. Mandie was thankful for his kindness, but she wished she could just get home and get it over with.

Joe drove the buggy and stayed right behind them.

They finally arrived at Mandie's house after dinner the following day. Because the big wagon couldn't go through a lot of shortcuts that pedestrians or horseback riders could, the way was a lot longer than the one Mandie had traveled. But since she had been on foot when she left home that night, it had taken her longer.

Uncle Ned pulled the wagon inside the gate and got out to help Mandie into the house. Joe and Sallie followed. Snowball bounced across the yard with them. Joe opened the front door and Uncle Ned took Mandie into the nearby parlor and put her down on the settee.

Elizabeth, who was sitting by the baby's cradle, jumped up. Uncle John was standing at the window and he turned to greet the new arrivals.

“Uncle Ned, what's wrong with Amanda?” Elizabeth exclaimed, hurrying to look at Mandie's bandaged leg. “What happened?” Mandie saw deep love and concern in her mother's eyes.

Elizabeth and John stood there listening intently as Mandie explained. “I'm sorry, Mother,” Mandie whispered hoarsely, the tears starting to come again. She pushed back the stray locks of blond hair escaping from her long plait. “I've been so cruel to you and Uncle John. Please forgive me.”

Uncle John bent over her to say, “The most important thing for you to realize right now, Amanda, is that your mother and I love you so much. The new baby doesn't change our love for you. We may
not be pleased with some of the things you do, but we'll never quit loving you.”

Elizabeth knelt beside her daughter and gave her a hug. “Of course, Amanda. We forgive you. I guess we have all been through a lot of adjustments with this new baby. But no matter what, I don't ever want you to doubt our love for you.”

Just then the baby woke up, and Mandie could see him in his cradle, kicking and cooing.

“How's my . . . little . . . brother?” She managed to say the words.

Dr. Woodard entered the parlor in time to hear her question. He cleared his throat and sat down by his son near the hearth. “I think that little boy is going to be fine now, Amanda,” he said. “I gave him some medicine and he seems much better.”

Elizabeth walked over to the cradle and picked up the baby. “Would you like to hold him?” she asked Mandie.

Not quite sure, Mandie sat up and held out her arms hesitantly.

Her mother placed the baby in Mandie's arms, and right away he started howling.

“Stop that crying this minute, Samuel Hezekiah Shaw,” she said as she gently swung him back and forth.

The baby instantly hushed and gazed up at Mandie. His big sister smiled down at him in surprise.

Elizabeth looked startled at Mandie's outburst. “I know we said that you could name the baby,” she said, “but . . .”

Mandie hurried to explain. “I think we should name him for Aunt Ruby's friend, Samuel Hezekiah Plumbley,” she said. She was referring to the Negro doctor who had become a friend of the family.

Uncle John nodded his approval. “That's sweet of you, Amanda. My little sister would appreciate that, I know, if she could have lived to see our baby.”

Elizabeth smiled down at them. “We'll have to write to Dr. Plumbley and tell him there are now two Hezekiahs,” she said with a laugh.

The baby waved his arms in the air and managed to get his fingers caught in his big sister's hair.

Mandie gently untangled the baby's hand and smiled down at him.
He doesn't look quite as ugly as he did before
, she thought. “I think I'm going to love you, Samuel,” she told him.

At that moment Mandie looked up to see her grandmother, Mrs. Taft, coming into the parlor.

“Well, I'm glad you've decided to come home,” her grandmother said with a twinkle in her eye. “I was about to cancel our trip to Europe.” Then noticing the bandage on Mandie's leg, she asked what happened.

Uncle John took over the explanations and assured Mrs. Taft that Mandie would be fine long before their scheduled sailing date.

Mandie handed little Samuel back to her mother, who returned him to his cradle.

“Then you will let me go with Grandmother to Europe?” Mandie asked. “I was afraid—”

“Yes, Amanda,” her mother answered. “I believe you have learned your lesson, and I trust there won't be any more of this running away.”

Mandie shook her head silently.

“You have our permission to go, then,” Elizabeth said. “Unless something drastic happens to change my mother's plans, you and Celia will be sailing with her next month.”

Mandie held her arms up, and Elizabeth bent to give her a hug.

“Oh, Mother,” Mandie said, “how could I ever doubt that you love me?”

Elizabeth stood up and wiped a tear from her blue eyes.

Mandie was so glad to be home again. She hurt inside to think of what she had done to her mother by running away. If only there were some way to make up for what she had done . . .

Uncle John put his arm around his wife and looked down at Mandie. “Amanda, I'd say you need a sponge bath and a change of clothes,” he said with a little grin. “Then you can come back and make plans with your grandmother for the trip. I'll get Aunt Lou to help you get cleaned up.”

Before he got the words out of his mouth, Aunt Lou walked into the room. “My chile!” she exclaimed, looking at the big bandage on Mandie's leg.

Uncle John picked up Mandie and explained what happened as he carried her to the bathroom. Aunt Lou brought in a big chair, and Uncle John set her down on it gently. Then Aunt Lou declared the
bathroom off limits to everyone but her and “her chile” until she took care of Mandie.

Even though her leg still throbbed with pain, Mandie felt much better after she got cleaned up, put on fresh clothes, and brushed and braided her hair.

When Uncle John carried her back to the sofa in the parlor, Snowball instantly appeared and jumped up on his mistress's lap. Mandie cuddled the kitten, and he settled down, purring.

Mandie looked up at her grandmother, who sat talking with Elizabeth on the settee across the room. Uncle John joined Dr. Woodard and Joe, who now stood looking out the window.

“Grandmother, could we take Snowball with us to Europe?” Mandie asked.

“Amanda!” her mother shrieked.

“I'm sure Snowball would like to go,” Mandie insisted. “And he never gets into any trouble.”

Joe laughed out loud. “Oh, is that right?” he asked.

“That's right,” Mandie said with a slight pout. “Sometimes he's even smart enough to help when things go wrong. Remember the time he untied the rope when we were kidnapped? And today he led Uncle Ned right to me in the woods.”

Joe just shook his head.

Grandmother Taft came over and sat in a chair next to Mandie. “Amanda,” she said, patting her granddaughter's hand, “I know how much you love that cat, but I don't see how we could possibly take him on a ship with us. I don't think they would allow it.”

“If they do allow it, will you let me take him?” Mandie asked quickly.

“And what would you do with him while we are out sightseeing or dining out, or going to the opera, and all the other things we'll be doing?” her grandmother asked.

“Going to the opera?” Mandie questioned. “Are we? I've never been to an opera.”

“I know, dear. That's why we're going.” Mrs. Taft patted her faded blond hair into place. “And bless his heart, Senator Morton has promised to escort us.”

Just then Mandie caught a glimpse of movement in the hallway. The figure was too small to be Aunt Lou. Then she realized she hadn't
seen any of the other servants since they arrived.
Where is everyone
? she wondered.

Elizabeth also seemed to have seen something in the hall. “Amanda, are you hungry, dear?” she asked.

“I'm starved to death!” Mandie exclaimed.