The Mandie Collection (2 page)

Celia smiled and said, “I've been wondering how your grandmother will get along with Mollie when Aunt Rebecca brings her for a visit next week.”

Mandie also smiled as she replied, “That is Grandmother's idea, to have Mollie stay with her and Hilda for a few days. I'm glad I don't have the job of looking after those two.”

“Aunt Rebecca has always gotten along just fine with Mollie since she came to stay with us, but nobody else has any influence
on that little Irish orphan,” Celia laughed. “So when Aunt Rebecca leaves her with your grandmother, there's no telling what mischief Mollie will get into.”

Mandie abruptly changed the subject. “Grandmother has asked me what I would like for a graduation present next year,” she said. “I haven't mentioned it to her because she makes such a big to-do about everything. But wouldn't it be nice if you and I could go to Europe again on one of Grandmother's ships—and take Joe, Jonathan, Sallie, and maybe Dimar, and Uncle Ned, of course? Maybe this time we could stay longer and visit all those places we didn't have time for when we went before. What do you think?”

Celia exclaimed, “Oh, Mandie, that would be absolutely wonderful!”

“Do you suppose Senator Morton would go with us next time, like he did the other trip we made?” Mandie asked with a grin.

“Most likely,” Celia replied. “One of these days I would not be at all surprised to hear of your grandmother marrying him, would you?”

“I've been expecting it,” Mandie agreed. “But I sure would feel sorry for Senator Morton because Grandmother is always the boss.” She laughed.

“And who knows, Mandie? We might meet some interesting fellows over there,” Celia suggested, sitting up straight in her chair.

“Well, yes, I suppose we could. But that would be a long-distance friendship, and I'd rather have my friends in the United States where I can see them once in a while,” Mandie replied.

“We could at least have time for some new friends while we are over there if we stay long enough,” Celia said. “Besides, friends move around, you know. Remember, that is how we met Lily Masterson and her little sister, Violet. They were on the ship with us. And also Jonathan Guyer, and we've stayed in touch with Jonathan.”

“Yes, and we ought to look up Lily and see what she has been doing since we saw her,” Mandie said.

“They are not all that far away, just down in South Carolina. And you even went to South Carolina once to see Tommy Patton's family in Charleston,” Celia said.

“Maybe we could ask Tommy and Robert Rogers to go with
us to Europe, too,” Mandie said. “They'll be graduating from Mr. Chadwick's School then.”

Celia laughed. “Why don't we just take over a whole ship that belongs to your grandmother and take everybody we know?”

Mandie shrugged and said, “That might not be a bad idea. I'll talk to Grandmother about it. It would be like having a reunion before we all go our different ways to college.”

Before the girls knew it, the clock on the mantelpiece struck midnight. Tomorrow was a school day, so they rose and stretched.

“Tomorrow is Monday, and that means we have all those extra classes—piano lessons, drama, and the poetry club. So we'd better get some sleep,” Mandie said. The two of them pulled down the counterpane and crawled into the big bed.

“You couldn't think of any excuse to bring Snowball back to school with you, could you, Mandie?” Celia asked from her side of the bed.

“You know Miss Prudence doesn't exactly like that white cat of mine. So he's really better off staying with Grandmother,” Mandie answered, then added with a laugh, “But who knows when we'll find another rat around here? I'm not sure those workmen closed up all those holes they bored everywhere when they put in the furnace.”

“I'll keep my eyes open for one, and then we'll let Miss Prudence know we need Snowball here,” Celia said.

“Talking about keeping your eyes open, Celia,” Mandie said. “Could you see anything in that dark alley we came through tonight? Could you tell what kind of buildings there were?”

“No, I couldn't see anything distinctly,” Celia replied. “In the dark it just looked like a whole lot of old buildings of some kind.”

Mandie turned to raise up on her elbow and asked, “Want to go back and see if we can find that puppy?”

“Go back to that alley after Ben said we shouldn't go there?” Celia asked doubtfully.

“What harm could it do in the daytime?” Mandie argued. “I'm curious because Ben was so firm about us not ever going through the place again. Besides, that puppy might need some help. It sounded lonely. And who knows? We might just find another mystery there.”

Celia laughed. “Oh, Mandie, you are always looking for a mystery
to solve. I'm not sure how we could manage to go back to that alley without someone finding out. You know we aren't supposed to leave the school without supervision and permission. Miss Prudence is really strict about that, too.”

“Well, now, when we have a free afternoon without any classes, we could go for a walk in the front yard here and just keep walking if no one else is around. I don't believe it's very far back to that alley,” Mandie said. “And in the daytime the alley wouldn't be dark anyhow.”

“That puppy will probably be gone by the time we can get back to look for it,” Celia reminded her.

“But it might
not
be gone, either,” Mandie argued. “We won't know until we go look. And we have to find the alley first.”

“And what would happen to us if we're caught?” Celia wondered.

“Nothing really bad, I don't think,” Mandie answered. “Since my grandmother bought this school from Miss Prudence and Miss Hope, those two ladies are not as strict with us as they used to be. And besides, we're getting older, more mature, you know.”

“I wouldn't want anything bad on my record since we have only one more year here,” Celia said.

“We don't have any misconduct on our record,” Mandie declared. She paused for a moment. “But just think of all the escapades we've been able to get away with since we began school here,” Mandie said.

“Mandie, we have never been able to get away with anything we weren't supposed to be doing,” Celia replied. “We have learned several lessons from things like that. And those lessons should serve us well in our future conduct.”

“All right, then, we've never done anything really bad, have we?” Mandie answered. “And I don't intend doing anything bad. It's just that I don't believe going back to that alley would be considered a bad thing. It's really just a case of curiosity, and Grandmother has always said people who are curious learn much faster than others who aren't. And that puppy may still be there if we don't wait too long to go back and look for it.”

“All right, all right,” Celia agreed with a long sigh. “But let's be sure we don't get into any trouble in that alley.”

“We won't,” Mandie promised. “We'll be extra careful.”

The girls stayed awake for a while longer, planning their return to the dark alley. Mandie felt there was a real mystery connected with it, and she just had to find out what it was and also find the puppy.

CHAPTER TWO

TROUBLE!

Schoolwork kept Mandie and Celia busy for a few days after that. However, Mandie kept reminding Celia that they were going to investigate that dark alley the first chance they got.

The two girls were sitting in the swing on the long front porch doing their homework in the warm October afternoon sunshine. They looked up at the approach of a horse and buggy.

“Well, hello, Ben,” Mandie called as the driver brought Mrs. Taft's buggy to a halt. Mandie looked at the vehicle and asked, “Is Grandmother's rig still broken?”

“Oh no, Uncle Cal and I got dat thing goin' agin dat night it broke down. Miz Taft, she say take de buggy, faster dat away,” he replied as he came up the steps. He held out a small white envelope. “Dis heah fo' you, Missy Manda, from Miz Taft. She say fo' me to wait fo' you to say whut.”

Mandie took the envelope, opened it, and withdrew a small sheet of notepaper. Quickly scanning the short handwritten note, she turned to Celia and said, “Would you believe this? Grandmother is having a little dinner tomorrow night for your aunt Rebecca. She arrived with Mollie today. AND she is inviting TOMMY PATTON and ROBERT ROGERS!” She grinned triumphantly at her friend.

“Really?” Celia excitedly jumped up to read over Mandie's shoulder. “It does say that!”

Mandie looked at Ben and asked, “Did you take invitations to the boys over at Mr. Chadwick's School?”

“I sho did, on de way to heah,” Ben said with a big smile. “Now den, I'se got to go. Whut does you want me to tell Miz Taft you said?”

Mandie glanced at Celia. “We don't want to seem too excited, do we?”

“Oh no, that would never do,” Celia quickly agreed.

“So we'll treat this as an ordinary invitation to dinner, right?” Mandie said.

“Yes. After all, we do get lots of invitations.” Celia nodded knowingly.

Mandie laughed and said, “You know very well that's not true. We only get invitations under the nose of Miss Prudence for right here where she can supervise. And she always watches you and me when the boys come over.” Turning to Ben, she said, “Please tell Grandmother we'll be ready and waiting for you to pick us up at four o'clock tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yessum, dat I do,” Ben replied and turned to leave.

“And, Ben, it'll be dark when we return to the school after dinner,” Mandie said, lowering her voice. “Do you think you could drive us down that dark alley again on our way back here?”

“Lawsy mercy, missy! Miz Taft, she wudn't like dat at all.” Ben's consternation was clear. “Dat dark alley ain't no place fo' young ladies to go,” he said, shaking his head.

“But couldn't we just take the shortcut through there again when we come back to the school? Please, Ben?” Mandie begged. “We won't tell anyone. What harm could it do?”

Ben removed his cap and scratched his head. “Well, I don't know 'bout dat right now. Has to think 'bout it,” he said. “I has to go now.” He hurried down the front steps.

Mandie and Celia sat back down in the swing as Ben drove away.

“Do you think he'll drive us through that alley tomorrow night?” Mandie asked.

Celia blew out her breath. “Mandie, you're fixing to make trouble for Ben, and we could also be in a lot of trouble if it's found out that we asked Ben to drive through the alley.”

“Not we, Celia, just me. I'll take all the blame if we're caught,” Mandie answered her. “But I don't see any way that anyone could find out that Ben drove us through there.”

“You never know, Mandie,” Celia said doubtfully, giving the swing a push to make it move.

“I'll take responsibility for it. I will ask Ben to drive us through there so you won't have to be involved,” Mandie told her, looking at the note from her grandmother again. “Do you know how long Mollie is going to stay with Grandmother?”

“No. It probably depends on how much of Mollie your grandmother can take,” Celia said with a laugh.

“I believe Grandmother really loves Mollie. She rescued her from the streets of Belfast, and as you know, Mollie claims her as her own grandmother,” Mandie said thoughtfully. Turning to look at her friend, she added, “You know, if we all go to Europe again, we could take Mollie with us. I imagine she would like that, don't you?”

“Oh no, Mandie,” Celia quickly responded. “If she gets back in Belfast, we may never be able to get her out again. You know how she is always threatening to just go back to Belfast when things don't go her way.”

“It might be a job, but I know my grandmother could get her out and back to the United States,” Mandie said. “For one thing, Grandmother has legal custody of her. Remember, the Irish government allowed Grandmother to bring her to the United States because Mollie doesn't have any relatives in Ireland.”

“I know, but you remember Mollie is always running away—chasing leprechauns, she says,” Celia reminded her.

“Is she still doing that? I mean, at your house, does she run away?” Mandie asked.

“No, not really, because Aunt Rebecca goes with her wherever she wants to go,” Celia said.

Mandie's foot stopped the swing. “I have to get this work done
so I can go find Miss Prudence and tell her about Grandmother's note. We have to have her permission to leave, you know.”

“Right,” Celia agreed, bending over her schoolbook.

Later the girls found Miss Prudence in her office down the hallway from the front door. The lady was bent over papers on her desk and looked up as Mandie and Celia stopped in the doorway.

“Yes?” she asked, peering over her spectacles.

“I have a note here from Grandmother, and we need your permission,” Mandie told her, quickly stepping forward and laying the note in front of her.

Without picking it up, Miss Prudence glanced at the note and then looked at Mandie and smiled. “Yes, I know about that,” she said. “You see, Mrs. Taft has also invited my sister and me. But since we both can't leave the school at one time, Miss Hope insisted I go.”

Mandie frowned, then quickly smiled. “Yes, ma'am,” she said. “We told Ben we would be ready by four o'clock tomorrow. Are you driving with us?” she asked.

“No, I have to be able to go and come back on my own schedule. Uncle Cal will drive me in the school rig and wait for me there until I return,” Miss Prudence explained. “I am looking forward to spending an evening with your aunt, Celia. She is a fine, upstanding lady. And of course it will be interesting visiting with that little Irish orphan.”

“Yes, ma'am,” both girls said together.