Mandie Collection, The: 4 (32 page)

“I can’t imagine how that woman from the ship ever followed us here, nor have I any idea what she wanted,” Mrs. Taft said. “And those Bagatelles, I knew there was something wrong with them. They just didn’t seem right to me.”

Mandie turned to her friend Uncle Ned and asked, “Are you going to Germany with us when we leave here, Uncle Ned?”

“Maybe, Papoose,” he said. His old face wrinkled up with a broad smile.

“We’re going to visit a real baroness in a real castle there,” Mandie told him. “We met her in Italy, you know, and she insisted that Grandmother and all of us come to visit.”

“She has a grandson, too,” Celia added. “And he took us for a ride in their motor car in Italy.”

“The Baroness Geissler,” Mrs. Taft spoke up. “That’s her name.”

“Grandmother, is there any mystery connected to her castle?” Mandie asked.

“Not that I know of, dear, but then I’ve never been there,” Mrs. Taft said with a smile.

“I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see,” Mandie said. Celia and Jonathan both nodded their agreement.

To Ingerlisa Wubbels With Love

CONTENTS

MANDIE AND THE JUMPING JUNIPER

Chapter   1   Lost in the German Mountains

Chapter   2   Silent Help

Chapter   3   Together Again

Chapter   4   The Dungeon

Chapter   5   Mystery in the Woods

Chapter   6   Watching the Juniper Tree

Chapter   7   The Secret in the Well

Chapter   8   What Has Rupert Been Doing?

Chapter   9   The Dark-Haired Woman

Chapter 10   Mandie Wants to Tattle

Chapter 11   Uninvited Dinner Guest

Chapter 12   What Made the Tree Jump?

“Thou shalt not go up and down as a
talebearer among thy people....”
(Leviticus 19:16)

CHAPTER ONE

LOST IN THE GERMAN MOUNTAINS

The carriage bounced along as the horses led it down the mountainous road in Germany. Mandie, Celia, and Jonathan held to each other now and then to keep from sliding off their long seat. Mrs. Taft, Mandie’s grandmother, and Senator Morton sat talking on the other seat, seemingly unaware of the jolts and unusual speed. Snowball, Mandie’s white kitten, was safely snuggled between his mistress and the side of the carriage.

“These horses sure do fly!” Mandie said over the noise of the crunching gravel under the wheels. “Especially going downhill.”

“Everyone drives fast in Germany,” Jonathan told her. He had visited the country before.

“I’m anxious to see the castle where we’re going to be staying, but I wish the driver would slow the horses down a little,” Celia remarked as the shaking carriage jarred her words. She was sitting in the middle between Mandie and Jonathan.

Mandie leaned toward her two friends and said in a low voice, “I know Grandmother told the driver to hurry because she wanted to get to the Baroness’s castle before dark, but I think the man is overdoing

Her friends nodded in silent agreement.

It was summertime in 1901. A tour of Europe was part of the education of all young people whose families could afford it. Mrs. Taft had brought thirteen-year-old Mandie and her friend Celia Hamilton to Europe while their school was recessed for the summer. Senator Morton, an old family friend, had come along.

Jonathan Guyer was supposed to be visiting relatives in Paris, but they weren’t home when the group had visited that city. Therefore, he had traveled on with them under the care of Senator Morton, who was a friend of his father.

Mandie and the others had sailed to England from the United States. From there they had gone to Paris, on to Rome, and then to Switzerland. Now they were on their way to visit the Baroness Geissler, whom they had met in Rome. She had invited them to stay in her castle while in Germany.

Mandie, one hand grasping the passenger rope by the window, glanced outside in time to see a sharp curve descending steeply before them. She squeezed Celia’s right hand tighter, causing Celia to grab Jonathan’s hand with her left. Mandie released her hold on the passenger rope and grasped her kitten by his red collar.

“Don’t look out!” Mandie gasped, quickly closing her eyes.

Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton suddenly became aware of the speed at which they were traveling as the vehicle suddenly lurched with an ear-splitting screech and then seemed to float through the air. Everyone clutched at everyone else as the carriage flipped over on its side and landed with a loud crash.

Mandie had managed to hold on to Snowball. He was frightened and meowing loudly.

Ignoring her pain, she scrambled to her hands and knees to look for her grandmother while she still held on to Snowball. Mrs. Taft lay silently near an open window, a dislodged seat across her legs. Senator Morton, bright red blood flowing down his cheek from a cut on his forehead, was trying to lift the broken seat to free her.

“Grandmother!” Mandie cried, tears blinding her as she crawled to Mrs. Taft’s side. “Grandmother! Please wake up!” Mandie ran a hand lightly over her grandmother’s face.

Then she stopped to look around her. Jonathan was nowhere to be seen. “He must have been thrown out when the carriage turned
over,” she said, anxiously. Turning back to her grandmother, she saw that Senator Morton had managed to remove the seat and Mrs. Taft’s eyelids fluttered.

“Grandmother!” Mandie cried. She touched her face again. This time her grandmother’s eyes opened and she looked at Mandie in shock.

“What happened?” she asked as the senator helped her to sit up. Then she caught sight of the wreck they were sitting in. “Oh, dear!” Senator Morton wiped the blood from his face with his handkerchief and she quickly asked, “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m all right,” Senator Morton said, patting the cut on his forehead with his handkerchief. “It’s just a scratch. I think we’d better all get out of here before what’s left of this vehicle slides down the mountain. Let me help you.”

“Jonathan is missing!” Mandie announced as she crawled to the open door. The carriage was lying on its side and Mandie had to pull herself up to get out. With Snowball in one arm she climbed out and Celia quickly followed. Mrs. Taft and the senator came out after them.

Mandie looked around. The sun had set and the light was growing dim. Debris was scattered all around the wrecked carriage. She spotted one of her bags far below. There was no sign of Jonathan—and the driver of the carriage, where was he?

Mrs. Taft spoke behind her, showing her obvious frustration, “Where is that driver? He has completely ruined everything. Just look at our belongings scattered all over the mountainside.”

“The horses are gone, too,” Senator Morton said. “Evidently they broke loose when the carriage turned over.”

There was a sudden rustling sound uphill from where they were standing. Mandie looked up to see Jonathan waving at them as he tried to make his way down the steep, rocky slope.

“Jonathan!” Mandie called to him. “I’m so glad you’re all right!”

“I see the driver now,” Senator Morton said as he looked below.

The others turned as the driver slowly made his way up to them.

“I hope he has a good explanation for what has happened. We could have been killed,” Mrs. Taft said, turning to the girls. “Are you sure y’all are all right?”

Mandie tied Snowball’s leash to a nearby bush and put him down.

“I’m all right, I guess, but pretty dirty,” Mandie said, brushing her rumpled traveling suit. She straightened her bonnet and tucked the stray wisps of blond hair inside.

“I think I have a few scratches, but nothing serious,” Celia said. She also began brushing at her clothes, but suddenly withdrew her left hand. “Oh! That hurt!” She rubbed her hand gingerly.

“Let me see, dear,” Mrs. Taft said, moving slowly over the rocks to reach Celia. She examined the hand and Celia winced at her touch. “I don’t believe any bones are broken, but you may have a bad sprain. We’ll need to put it in a sling so you won’t strain it further. Here, let’s use this.” Mrs. Taft removed the flowered silk scarf from her neck and placed it around Celia’s, tying it in a knot, and then placing Celia’s hand inside. “There, dear. We’ll have a doctor look at it just as soon as we can get to one.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Taft,” Celia said, trying to smile.

Jonathan reached them a few seconds before the driver.

“How did you get up there?” Mandie asked.

“When I saw the carriage was going to flip, I jumped out,” Jonathan told her.

“You’re lucky you didn’t break anything,” Senator Morton said.

“Only a few scratches and bruises,” the boy said, smiling mischievously as he patted his knees.

The driver finally made it up the steep incline. He was huffing and puffing as he spoke, “I am sorry for what happened, madam, sir,” he said with a British accent as he stood sheepishly before Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton. “With your permission I will go seek help.”

“From where?” Mrs. Taft demanded. “We’re in the middle of the mountains! You should have been more careful. Our belongings are strewn all over the mountainside and are no doubt ruined. We are all bruised, scratched, and cut. How could you have been so careless?” she scolded.

“I apologize, madam,” the man said, not meeting her eyes. “You had given me orders to hurry, and I was only trying to do what you asked.”

“Oh, but I didn’t mean to absolutely fly! You could have hurried at a safer speed,” Mrs. Taft replied.

“If we had gone slower we would not have reached your destination before midnight,” the man said. “But please understand that I
am greatly distressed with what has happened. Now I will go down the road to look for help. I have never been on this route before, and I have no idea how far I will have to go, but I will return just as soon as possible.”

As he turned to go, Mandie noticed that he was limping. He had probably injured his leg in the accident.

“Are you hurt?” she asked, anxiously.

“No, miss, not really, thank you,” he replied.

“I am sorry you have to walk,” Senator Morton spoke up. “I would volunteer to go with you, but I suppose it’s best I stay here with the ladies.”

“Yes,” the man agreed with a nod as he walked on down the rough road.

“Now, there’s no telling when he’ll be back. We may have a long wait,” Mrs. Taft remarked, assessing their helpless situation.

“While we wait, Jonathan, why don’t you and I gather up our belongings?” Senator Morton suggested as he pulled the broken seat out of the carriage and set it down. “Mrs. Taft, maybe you’d like to rest here.”

Mrs. Taft looked at him with a smile, adjusted her skirts, and sat down. “Thank you, Senator Morton, that was thoughtful of you.”

“I’ll help you,” Mandie told the senator as she followed him down the trail.

“I will, too,” Celia added.

“No, Celia,” Mandie ordered. “Remember, you have only one good hand. You can stay here and keep an eye on Snowball. That would help.”

“Well, all right,” Celia replied, turning back. The white kitten was playing around the loose rocks at the end of his leash. Celia sat down on a large boulder near him and watched.

“Senator Morton, sir, why don’t you gather the things nearby, and I’ll do the climbing up and down the hill necessary to get the rest?” Jonathan offered.

Senator Morton stopped, looked at him with a smile, and said, “You’re right. I’m not as young as I used to be. You be careful though.”

“Yes, sir,” Jonathan replied, and turning to Mandie, said, “You get the small items and I’ll get the heavier ones.”

“But that’s a trunk down there. I’ll help you carry it,” Mandie said, pointing downhill.

Jonathan looked at the trunk. “It does look pretty big. All right, let’s go.” He took her hand as they made their way down the mountainside.

Fortunately, Mandie had worn her everyday shoes because the dressy ones were not comfortable. She would never have been able to walk over this rough terrain with the heels on her newer ones.

“This sure was a terrible thing to happen,” Mandie murmured as they carefully made their way down the rough slope. “But, you know, we’re awfully lucky that no one was seriously hurt.”

“When I felt the carriage about to turn over, I just knew we’d end up in a pile, that’s why I jumped out,” Jonathan repeated.

“It was all so sudden, I don’t even know exactly what happened,” Mandie said, shaking her head.

“A rear wheel broke,” Jonathan told her. “I was in a carriage once before when that happened, but we were going at a much slower speed so it didn’t turn over. And no one was injured.”

As they approached the trunk, Mandie said, “This is my grandmother’s trunk. Thank goodness it didn’t burst open.”

They each grasped a leather handle, and Jonathan lifted one end of the trunk. Mandie could barely get the other end off the ground.

“Whew! This is going to be slow going,” she gasped as she tightened her grip on the handle.

Jonathan straightened up to look around. “I think if we got this thing out onto the trail it would be easier to go uphill with it.”

Mandie followed his gaze. A trail meandered around rocks and shrubbery, rather than going straight up to where the others waited, but it would be safer than climbing over the uncleared area.