The Mandie Collection (50 page)

Joe jumped up. “Come to think of it, other than what your aunt gave us to eat along the way, we haven't had anything to eat since last night,” he said. “I'm ready.”

Uncle John rose quickly. “Let's all go into the dining room and get something to eat,” he suggested, scooping up Mandie into his arms.

They all headed for the dining room, and when Elizabeth slid open the sliding doors, Mandie gasped in astonishment. Inside the dining room, a loud chorus of “Happy Birthday” greeted her. Uncle John stood in the doorway for a moment, then carried her inside.

Mandie couldn't believe her eyes. The room was brightly decorated, and in the center of the long dining room table stood a huge birthday cake decorated in blue.

Uncle John set her down on a chair with a footstool at one end of the table so she could prop up her injured leg. Mandie looked around, trying to take in the whole scene at once.

Everyone was there, it seemed. Standing behind the table at the far side, she saw Uncle Ned, Sallie, Joe, Dr. and Mrs. Woodard, Morning Star, Dimar, Hilda, Polly Cornwallis and her mother, and Mandie's dear friend, Celia Hamilton.

Close by, Aunt Lou came forward in her best white apron and gave Mandie a big hug. “Happy Birthday, my chile!” she cried.

Liza danced around Mandie. “Happy Birthday, Amanda Shaw,” she said. “You is thirteen year old today!”

It hit Mandie by surprise. Today was Thursday, June 6th. Yes, it
was
her birthday, and she had not even remembered. Now she knew why her mother and Uncle John had insisted on her coming home. Mandie's blue eyes filled with tears, and she turned to bury her face in the skirt of Aunt Lou's big white apron.

The old Negro woman used the apron to wipe away the girl's tears. “Now you jes' stop dat cryin', my chile,” she said. “It be yo' birthday, and we be havin' a lil' party fo' you.”

“Oh, thank you, Aunt Lou. Thank you, everybody,” Mandie said in a quavery voice. “This is the first birthday party I ever had.”

Everyone surrounded her, and she tried to talk to all of them at once to find out how they all got there.

“It was not easy,” Dimar told her. “As soon as you all left, Morning Star and I left in my wagon, and we came as fast as we could.” He bent down and whispered, “Morning Star knows some shortcuts, as you call them.”

Mandie grinned up at Uncle Ned, and he smiled and nodded, patting her on the back.

“Oh,” Dimar added, “your Uncle Wirt and Aunt Saphronia said to tell you they were sorry they could not come. They asked me to tell you happy birthday.”

“Your grandmother brought me, of course,” Celia said. “My mother and I traveled to her house by train.”

Mandie was so happy, she felt as though she were floating on clouds. She was actually thirteen years old today. So many of her friends were there. And she was going to Europe next month.

Elizabeth tapped a goblet lightly with a fork. “Would everyone please be seated so we can eat supper and then enjoy that beautiful cake?” she said with a little laugh.

As everyone found a place, Uncle Ned smiled down at Mandie. “Papoose come home. Good. Birthday,” he said.

Mandie looked up at him and took his old wrinkled hand in hers. “Oh, Uncle Ned, I've been so blessed. I don't deserve all this.”

“Papoose make many friends,” the old Indian said. “Friends love Papoose. Be thankful.”

“I am,” Mandie replied simply.

Celia leaned toward her and said, “I'm so sorry you're hurt, but everyone says you should be fine in plenty of time for our trip. Oh, Mandie, we're really going to Europe!” she cried.

“Yes, at last,” Mandie said excitedly. “Oh, and something else,” she added. “You've just got to go to Bird-town with me when we come back. The Cherokees are going to build a school with help from a church in Boston.”

“Boston?” Celia questioned. “That's up north.”

“Right, but they're sending money and a man from their church to build a school, and I want to help,” Mandie told her friend.

“Then we'll just have to go when we get back from Europe,” Celia said.

“With my mother's permission, of course,” Mandie added. “And
if
everything works out all right between now and then.” Mandie could never be sure.

CONTENTS

MANDIE AND THE SHIPBOARD MYSTERY

Chapter   1   The Send-off

Chapter   2   Anchors Aweigh!

Chapter   3   The Strange Woman

Chapter   4   Snowball Escapes

Chapter   5   Storm on the Ocean

Chapter   6   The Newspaper Story

Chapter   7   Reward Money?

Chapter   8   Unwanted Visitor

Chapter   9   Help for Violet

Chapter 10 Lady Detective on Board

Chapter 11 “You Are the One!”

Chapter 12 Mysterious Message

“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:
bind them about thy neck;
write them upon the table of thine heart.”
Proverbs 3:3

CHAPTER ONE

THE SEND-OFF

Mandie's blue eyes grew wide with excitement as the buggy came to a halt in front of a huge mansion in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Sitting behind the driver with her friends Joe and Celia, Mandie's heart beat faster as the driver hopped down and swung open the heavy gate in the surrounding high brick wall.

Mandie turned and grinned at her mother, grandmother, and Uncle John in the seat behind her. “Here we are!” she announced, stroking her white kitten, Snowball, in her lap.

Mandie had visited Tommy Patton before with her mother and stepfather, Uncle John, but this would be a much shorter stay. The next day Mandie would set sail for Europe with Celia, Grandmother Taft, and Grandmother's friend Senator Morton!

The driver jumped back into the buggy and drove down the narrow driveway toward the impressive three-story brick house surrounded by beautiful trees, shrubbery, and flowers in bloom everywhere.

Joe half stood and stared at the mansion. “You mean those Pattons actually live here in this huge building?”

Celia fanned herself in the July heat. “It's beautiful!” she exclaimed.

“This is the Pattons'
town
house,” Mandie explained, smoothing the thick blonde braid that hung down her back.

As the vehicle came to a stop, a uniformed servant walked from the house to help with the baggage.

Mandie and her friends jumped down onto the stone walkway. “They also have a house at the beach and that huge plantation, Mossy Manor, where we visited last year,” she continued, tightening her grip on her squirming kitten.

After John Shaw helped his wife and mother-in-law from the buggy, he turned to the young people. “I'm sure you will all enjoy our visit here,” he said.

Elizabeth laid her hands on her daughter's shoulders. “Now I want all three of you to conduct yourselves in an exemplary manner while we are guests of the Pattons,” she reminded them.

“Yes, ma'am,” the three chimed.

Grandmother Taft patted her faded blonde hair into place. “And remember,” she added, “Senator Morton should be here already, so I know y'all will want to be well behaved.”

“Yes, ma'am,” the three said again.

As they headed up the front steps, Joe nudged Mandie. “Thank goodness we only have to spend one night in this big old mansion,” he said.

Mandie frowned at him and was about to say something when Tizzy, the Pattons' downstairs maid, greeted them at the front door. Tizzy's eleven-year-old daughter, Cheechee, instantly appeared beside her, grabbed Snowball from Mandie, and ran off, promising to feed him. Mandie smiled, remembering how much Cheechee had enjoyed playing with the kitten on their other visit. With Cheechee in charge of Snowball, Mandie knew she probably wouldn't see much of her kitten until they sailed.

Tizzy ushered them into the hallway. “De Pattons, dey all be home any minute now,” she said. “Y'all come on in. Dat Mistuh Senator Morton he be waitin' fo' y'all in de drawin' room.”

Mandie watched Joe's reaction as he gazed around the marble-floored entry hall. A marble staircase rose out of sight into the stories above. Gold and silver sparkled everywhere. Velvet and silk draped the windows and upholstered the chairs. Old portraits lined the wallpapered walls.

“Oh, Mandie,” Celia cried, “everything is so pretty!”

“Uh-huh,” Joe said, running his long fingers through his unruly brown hair.

Mandie's blue eyes twinkled with excitement. “Come on,” she urged her friends. “Wait till you see the rest!” She led the way, following the adults to the huge, ornate door of the drawing room.

Just inside the doorway Joe and Celia again stopped to stare. The room looked as though it belonged in a palace. The heavy expensive furniture was upholstered in a peach-and-gray silk brocade, and the draperies were a darker shade of gray with golden tassels. The young people's heels sank into the thick carpet, which covered most of the parquet floor. Joe and Celia stood silent in wonder.

Across the room Senator Morton sat near an open French door beside the huge gray stone fireplace that covered almost the entire wall.

Mrs. Taft led the visitors into the drawing room, and as soon as the senator saw her, he stood and grinned broadly.

“Senator Morton.” Mrs. Taft crossed the room quickly and greeted him with obvious delight. “It's so nice to see you again.”

Mandie nudged Celia. “Grandmother's in a hurry to see the senator,” she whispered. The two girls stifled a giggle.

The older gentleman bowed slightly. “My pleasure, dear lady,” he said. “I look forward to your company on board ship.” Then he turned to say hello to Mandie and Joe, whom he had met at President McKinley's inauguration earlier that year. “Miss Amanda, and Joe, so nice to see you again. Joe, are you sailing with us, too?”

Joe shook the senator's hand. “No, sir, I'm afraid not,” he replied.

After Mandie introduced Celia, and Mrs. Taft made the other introductions, they all found places to sit.

Tizzy stood at the doorway, waiting for a break in the conversation. “Excuse me, ma'am,” she said, walking over to Elizabeth. “Miz Patton, she say fo' me to serve tea when you gits heah and dat she oughta be heah shortly thereafter.”

“Thanks, Tizzy, that would be nice,” Elizabeth told her.

Tizzy hurried off and the guests began discussing the forthcoming voyage to Europe. Mandie, Celia, and Mrs. Taft had been planning this trip for quite some time, and coincidentally Senator Morton was planning a similar trip.

“I'm so excited, I won't be able to sleep tonight,” Mandie said. “It's going to be a wonderful adventure.”

“I'll say it will,” Joe said sarcastically. “Knowing you, you'll probably get lost over there with all those foreigners and never find your way home again.”

“Oh, Joe!” Mandie exclaimed. “How can we get lost when we have Grandmother and Senator Morton with us? They've both been to Europe several times. Between them I'm sure they know everything we need to know over there.”

“Well, don't go poking your nose into things,” Joe warned. “Remember, I won't be there to get you out of trouble.”

“I don't need you to get me out of trouble,” Mandie said. She caught her mother's eye and knew the adults were listening to her conversation. She lowered her voice. “My mother thinks I'm old enough now to take care of myself. Grandmother will be with me, so Mother agreed it wasn't necessary for Uncle Ned to go.”

Just as she said his name, she looked up and saw her old Indian friend standing in the doorway. She gasped. “Uncle Ned! I didn't know you were coming!” Running to him, she took him by the hand and led him into the room.

The adults exchanged greetings.

In spite of her joy at seeing her old friend, Mandie looked at Elizabeth, confused. “Mother, you said Uncle Ned wasn't going with us.”

“No, he is not going with you, dear,” Elizabeth explained. “But he will be here to see you off tomorrow.”

Mandie smiled at her dear friend who was always watching over her—ever since her father died. “I'm glad you came, Uncle Ned, so you can see the huge boat we're going on.”

The old Indian patted her head. “Biggest, finest boat in Charleston Harbor.”

Sitting near Mandie, Uncle Ned began visiting with everyone. Soon the Pattons arrived home, and the parlor was full of people and happy conversation.

Mandie's friend Tommy Patton rushed over to greet her. She had met Tommy when the girls' boarding school she went to in Asheville, North Carolina, got together with the boys' school he attended.