The Missing Book (2 page)

Mandie and Faith quietly slipped into chairs at the rear of the room and listened.

“After applying at so many places, I finally received this letter just today from the school board in Tellico asking that I come out for a personal interview,” Mrs. Chapman was saying. She smiled and added, “I have already replied that I would be glad to receive an appointment date from them.”

“That is so wonderful, that you can get back into your profession,” Mrs. Woodard was saying.

Mandie quickly realized she would lose her dear friend Faith if her grandmother accepted a position over in Tellico. They would be moving. Mandie knew Mrs. Chapman needed to go back to work, but she secretly hoped it would not happen yet.

“Oh, Faith!” Mandie exclaimed, looking at her friend.

To her surprise, Faith smiled and said, “Yes, isn't that good news? My grandmother thought she would never be able to teach again because of the damage the fire did her face, but thanks to Dr. Woodard for taking her to those New York doctors, she is better enough to work again.”

Mandie made herself smile. “Yes, Faith, that is good news for her.” She wouldn't meet Faith's eyes.

Mrs. Shaw stood up. “Time to go home, Amanda,” she said.

The other ladies also rose and agreed it was time for them all to go home for the day.

“Yes, ma'am,” Mandie replied, glancing at Faith. “Thanks for letting me use your book. I'll decide what to do about mine and let you know.”

“Until you get another one, you are welcome to share mine,” Faith said.

On the way home with her mother in the cart, Mandie thought about her book and tried to decide exactly what to do about it. She definitely would have to get another book, but she couldn't settle on how to go about it.

“Amanda, why so quiet?” her mother asked as they drove along the trail.

“Oh, I was just thinking,” Mandie replied.

“Thinking about what?”

“Mrs. Chapman taking a job way off somewhere. Faith would have to move away,” Mandie said.

“I know it's hard to lose a friend, but just think what this will do for Mrs. Chapman if she is able to secure the position,” Mrs. Shaw said. “She will be able to earn a living for herself and Faith. And after losing all her family in that fire back in Missouri, she has no one but Faith. She needs Faith worse than we need her.”

Mandie looked up at her mother. “I know, Mama. I'm glad for Mrs. Chapman, and Faith seems to be glad about it too, even though she knows she will have to move.”

“Don't worry about losing a friend. You and Faith can always visit, and you will make more friends in the future,” Mrs. Shaw promised.

“Maybe someone will move into their old house if they leave here,” Mandie said hopefully. Then her thoughts drifted back to the missing book.

How could she tell her parents the truth?

2

Decision Delayed

THE NEXT MORNING Mandie once again got to the road before Joe came along. She was anxious to tell him that Mrs. Chapman was applying for a teaching position all the way over in Tellico, Tennessee, and that if Mrs. Chapman was hired, she and Faith would be moving.

When Joe finally came down the road, she hurried to meet him.

“What's the hurry?” Joe asked, reaching to take her books.

“Oh, something terrible may happen soon, Joe. I thought about it all night,” Mandie said in one long breath as she tried to keep up with him.

“About your book?” Joe asked, looking down at her.

“Well, I haven't found the book yet, but this is about Faith and her grandmother.” Mandie explained about Mrs. Chapman's prospective job. “I don't want Faith to move away,” she added.

Joe frowned. “Yes, but it would be for their good if Mrs. Chapman can go back to teaching—”

“I know, I know,” Mandie interrupted. “But I was hoping her grandmother could find a job closer and they wouldn't
have
to move.”

“Mandie, there aren't any schools near here, just ours,” Joe reminded her.

“Maybe she could help Mr. Tallant teach,” Mandie said. “Or maybe he will take a long vacation, or . . . something.”

Joe shook his head. “I don't remember Mr. Tallant ever taking a vacation while school is in session.”

“But if he had someone like Mrs. Chapman to fill in for him, he could take a vacation if he wanted to,” Mandie argued.

Joe glanced at Mandie's books. “So, you haven't found your reading book yet.”

Mandie sighed. “No.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Joe asked.

“I haven't figured that out,” Mandie said.

“If you're going to keep learning, you're going to have to have another book. Have you told your parents?” Joe asked, slowing down so Mandie wouldn't have to walk so fast.

Mandie shook her head. “I keep hoping I'll find it somewhere.”

“What are you going to tell Mr. Tallant if he asks you to read in class?” Joe asked.

“I don't know. Just whatever I can think of,” Mandie mumbled.

They turned down the lane to the schoolhouse. Mandie noticed that her sister, Irene, was already there and was sitting on a log with Tommy Lester. They both had their schoolbooks open. Mandie wondered how Irene could have made it to the schoolhouse before them; she had still been at home when Mandie left.
Oh, she took the shortcut
through the woods with Tommy.
Irene was afraid to go into the woods alone.

“Looks like your sister and Tommy are doing their reading lesson out here,” Joe remarked.

“Yes, Irene never does homework when she's supposed to,” Mandie said. “At least I got mine done with Faith yesterday.”

Joe looked at Mandie. “Does Irene have the same reading book you do?” he asked.

“No, but Tommy Lester does,” Mandie replied. “He's the same age as Irene but he failed some of his classes.”

At that moment Faith rushed up to join Mandie and Joe. The three entered the front door of the schoolhouse.

“Do you need to look at my book before class begins?” Faith asked as they hung up their coats by the door.

“No, thanks, Faith, but I still don't have my book,” Mandie said as everyone went to their desks.

“You can use mine if Mr. Tallant asks you to read aloud today,” Faith said.

“Thank you, Faith,” Mandie answered.

Later Mr. Tallant did ask Mandie to read to the class. Flustered, Mandie looked across at her sister, knowing Irene would repeat whatever she said to their parents. “I'm sorry, Mr. Tallant, I don't have my book,” Mandie finally replied.

Mr. Tallant smiled. “Let's not make a habit of forgetting our books, now.” He looked around the room. “Amanda, will you join Esther and read from her book? Esther, will you please share?”

“Yes, sir,” Esther replied with a frown.

“Yes, Mr. Tallant,” Mandie said, standing up and stepping over to Esther's desk. Esther handed her reading book to Mandie, and Mandie continued standing as she read. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Irene watching her. Her sister would probably tell her parents that she had forgotten her book, and she would have to give a long explanation.

When recess finally came, Mandie, Faith, and Joe ate their lunch outside.

“Mandie, my grandmother said I could go home with you from school if you'd like, because Miss Abigail and some of the other ladies will be at your house this afternoon working on the needlework. I can go home when she goes,” Faith said, biting into the ham biscuit from her lunch pail.

“Oh, I'm so glad,” Mandie said with a big smile as she pulled food from her pail. “We can do our homework together.”

“Yes, and you can use my reading book,” Faith replied.

“What are you going to do when a day comes up that you and Faith can't get together to share her book?” Joe asked.

“I can always share my book,” Faith quickly said.

“I suppose I'll have to tell my parents that my book is missing,” Mandie said, looking at the biscuit she had taken from her pail. The very thought of talking to her parents about the book made her lose her appetite.

After school the three of them walked down the road toward Mandie's house. Irene caught up with them. “So you've lost your reading book. Mama and Daddy aren't going to like that.” She snickered and ran on ahead.

“Never mind her teasing, Mandie,” Joe said as he looked down at Mandie. “It's just important that you tell your parents about the missing book, because you do have to have another one.”

Faith tossed back her long dark hair. “You might as well tell them.”

Mandie felt sudden tears forming in her eyes. She blinked and looked ahead across the top of the Nantahala Mountains. “I know,” she murmured, afraid Irene would tell. “I'll tell them.”

That night at the supper table, Mandie finally got up the nerve. But just as she opened her mouth to speak, her sister asked a question.

“Mama, when are we going to the store to buy material for our spring clothes?” Irene asked.

Mandie blew out her breath and took a sip of water from her glass.

Mrs. Shaw looked across the table at Mr. Shaw. “Irene, money is tight right now. We'll just have to fix over the dresses you and Amanda wore last year. We can spruce them up with some new frills and let out the hems. They'll look nice.”

“Oh, Mama, we won't be getting new dresses?” Irene asked, disappointment in her voice.

Mr. Shaw spoke then. “You heard what your mother said, Irene. The world doesn't hang on you girls getting new dresses every summer. Maybe later in the year we can buy something new. Right now we can't afford it.”

“Yes, sir,” Irene answered, and laid down her fork as she frowned.

“I understand, Daddy,” Mandie said in a soft voice, relieved that Irene had not yet told them about the missing book.

“With the weather warming up all of a sudden, I think we'd better get started on the dresses this weekend,” Mrs. Shaw said.

“Yes, ma'am,” Mandie said.

Irene sat there silently toying with the food on her plate. Mandie kept holding her breath, hoping her sister would not bring up the subject of her reading book.

Finally supper was finished, the table cleared, the dishes washed, and everyone settled down for the evening. Irene took a book and said she was going upstairs to read. Mandie helped her mother roll the skeins of knitting yarn into balls while her father sat by the fireplace reading. Everyone was unusually quiet. Even Windy was subdued, now and then reaching for a length of yarn.

“You do understand about your summer clothes, don't you?” Mandie's mother asked. “It's not that we don't want you and Irene to have new clothes. We wish you could. But we'll just have to wait for a while.”

“Don't worry about it, Mama,” Mandie said. “It doesn't matter to me.”

Mr. Shaw looked up from his book and cleared his throat. “When you girls get older you'll understand. We have to put the most important things first when it comes to spending our money.”

“It's all right, Daddy. I don't care if I don't get a new dress all summer,” Mandie said, wishing her parents would stop talking about money. “Lots of our friends let out their dresses.”

Mandie tried to change the subject. “Did Mrs. Chapman have anything else to say about her application to that school over in Tennessee?” she asked.

“No, I didn't see Mrs. Chapman today,” her mother said. “She had other things to do, so she didn't come with the other ladies. Besides, it's too soon to get a reply back about that appointment.”

“I'm so anxious to know what they will be doing . . . whether they will move away or not,” Mandie said.

“I believe we have enough rolled for now,” Mrs. Shaw told her as she finished rolling the last ball of yarn.

Mr. Shaw closed his book, stood up, and stretched. “Time to get some rest. The men are supposed to meet about six o'clock in the morning over at Mrs. Chapman's to see if we can get some work done on the house.”

Mandie looked at him and said, “Six o'clock? That early?”

Mr. Shaw smiled. “Yes, that early. We'll have to quit around noontime so we can get our own chores done.”

Mandie rose and took a book from the shelf by the fireplace. “I'm not sleepy. I'll sit in the kitchen awhile and read.”

“Just don't stay up too late now, Amanda,” Mrs. Shaw told her as she placed her knitting materials in the basket by her chair.

“Yes, ma'am,” Mandie said, going into the kitchen and closing the door.

She sat down near the cookstove. Its warmth felt good now that nighttime had come with its cooler temperatures. Propping her feet on the woodbox, she opened the book. But she didn't even see the pages before her. Instead, she tried to figure out where she should look for her book. The house wasn't very big, so there was not a large area to search. She waited until her parents had gone to bed and then quietly stood up and looked around.

“I'll search the kitchen and the pantry tonight,” she whispered to herself. “And tomorrow I'll search our room upstairs while Irene is out.”

To Mandie's annoyance, Windy seemed to think her mistress was playing games with her and followed Mandie around the room, loudly purring and meowing. Mandie opened cupboards, drawers, and bins. She stopped to look under everything and examined the shelves in the pantry. Finally she finished, with no luck. She had not really expected to find her book in the kitchen.

With a deep sigh, Mandie sat down again and looked at the book she was supposed to be reading. She decided to read a little of it so she would not have been telling an untruth when she said she was going to read.

Her mind wandered.This missing book was a very peculiar mystery. She couldn't figure out a single clue as to how or when the book had disappeared.

She tried to think back and remember every little detail of the day when she had first missed it, which was Monday. She remembered bringing the book home on Friday before that, because she'd had homework in it. She should have taken it back to school with her on Monday, but she couldn't remember whether she had or not. There had been no reading in class on Monday, but Mr. Tallant had assigned a reading lesson for the next day. Therefore, she should have brought the book home with her on Monday, but it had not been with her other books when she got home that afternoon.

“Oh, this is absolutely mind-boggling!” Mandie exclaimed to herself. Windy jumped into her lap. Mandie rubbed the cat's soft fur.

Then Mandie thought about her other problem. How was she ever going to tell her parents about the missing book when they had said money was tight?