New Horizons (10 page)

Then Monday came and Mandie was not anxious to go to her classes, because by then word would have gotten around that she and Celia had moved into the boardinghouse.

As Mr. Ryland drew the carriage up in the parking space, Mandie saw another carriage discharging passengers—some of the girls who had snubbed them. She also noticed that George
Stuart was in the carriage with the other fellow who seemed to be his friend.

George looked directly at Mandie, smiled, and turned to his friend and said loudly, “Would you believe that those two young ladies have moved into the boardinghouse with the ghost now?”

His friend replied, “I do hope the ghosts are not dangerous.”

Mandie didn't even look at them as she muttered loud enough for them to hear, “I do believe those two grown men are afraid of such things as ghosts.” She quickly walked down the drive with Celia and Mary Lou and didn't look back, but she heard the two young fellows laugh loudly.

The three didn't slow down until they came to the chapel doors, which were standing open for the morning service. They quickly went inside and took seats toward the back. Mandie noticed several of the girls there turned their heads to look at her, then quickly looked away. She straightened her shoulders, tilted her chin, and sat down. She didn't have to look at them.

As the days went by, the other girls seemed to notice Mandie and Celia less and less; Mandie felt better by just ignoring them all.

Then one day Mandie received a note from the office right before dismissal time from classes. Mandie quickly read,
Your grandmother has asked that we let you know she is waiting to speak to you in the main sitting room. Please meet her after your last class of the day
.

“Oh no!” Mandie exclaimed. She told Celia and Mary Lou
the contents of the note, then sighed. “I knew she would be here sooner or later.”

“We'll wait for you in the front reception area, Mandie,” Celia replied. “And don't get too upset. We have already moved out of here, and I don't think anyone can make you move back in.”

“I know, but Grandmother sure can kick up a fuss when she is displeased with something,” Mandie said with a loud moan.

Mandie straightened her shoulders and walked down the hallway to the sitting room. Mrs. Taft was sitting by a window and didn't see her come in until Mandie stood directly before her.

“Hello, Grandmother,” Mandie greeted, trying her best to put on a good smile.

Mrs. Taft looked up at Mandie and replied, “Oh, hello, Amanda. Would you sit down, please.”

As Mandie sat in the chair opposite her grandmother, Mrs. Taft said, “I've come down here to discuss the matter of your moving out of the dormitory. Your mother told me what has happened, and I must say that you don't have to leave the dormitory because of some rude, ill-mannered girls. Your grandfather's family are big benefactors of this school. Over the years they have donated literally millions of dollars.” She paused to let that sink in.

“Well, that doesn't change some people's attitudes. I have never felt comfortable here, so under the circumstances, I thought it was best I move out of the dormitory. Celia and I are happy
now in Mrs. Thomason's boardinghouse.”

“But you'll never meet the right people living in such a place. I'm surprised that your mother agreed to it,” Mrs. Taft replied. “There are lots of eligible young men in this town, in the Citadel and the College of Charleston. Most of the girls in the college are from families high on the social register, but you will never be accepted by them living in a boardinghouse with working-class people.”

“Ah, but Grandmother, you are forgetting one thing,” Mandie quickly told her. “I don't belong to that class of people, and I don't want to belong to that class, either.” Mrs. Taft's eyebrows rose, but Mandie continued. “My father was one-half Cherokee, which makes me one-fourth Cherokee, and I am very proud of it. I don't need to be accepted by such high-class people. I only want to be left to do my schoolwork so I can graduate and come home.”

Mrs. Taft's face registered concern. “Please do some deep thinking about this, dear,” she told Mandie. “And if you do change your mind and want to move back into the dormitory, rest assured your room there is ready. I have made arrangements to hold it. They will not be renting it to anyone else for at least the remainder of this year.”

“You kept our room?” Mandie asked in surprise.

“Yes, it's still yours and Celia's if you decide to move back in,” Mrs. Taft replied. “I did discuss that with your mother, and she agreed it would be the best thing to do.” She opened her pocketbook and said, “Now, here is some mail for you that your
mother gave me. Evidently Joe does not know how to address a letter to you here, nor does this other person, Adrian someone, with an Irish stamp on it.” She handed Mandie four letters.

Mandie took the mail, quickly glanced at the return addresses, and put them in her notebook. “Where are you staying, Grandmother?” she asked. “Would you like to stay with us in the boardinghouse? Mrs. Thomason probably has a room empty. She said it's not full yet.”

“Stay in the boardinghouse?” Mrs. Taft asked with a frown. “Why, I have a room at the hotel.”

“Then would you like to come with us and meet Mrs. Thomason? You can go back to the hotel afterward,” Mandie suggested.

“Yes, I suppose I should meet this woman you girls are renting a room from so I can make a report to your mother,” Mrs. Taft said, rising from her chair.

“Celia and Mary Lou are waiting for me in the reception room,” Mandie said, leading the way. She wondered what Celia and Mary Lou would have to say about this later.

“Celia,” Mandie said as she and her grandmother walked into the reception room, “Grandmother is going to the boardinghouse with us to meet Mrs. Thomason. Mary Lou, I don't remember if you have met her, but this is my grandmother, Mrs. Taft.”

“How do you do, Mrs. Taft?” Mary Lou greeted her as they all went out the front door and walked toward the carriage parking where Mr. Ryland was waiting.

“Just fine, Mary Lou, thank you,” Mrs. Taft replied.

When they arrived at the boardinghouse, Mandie watched and listened as her grandmother and Mrs. Thomason became acquainted. Mrs. Taft seemed to approve of Mrs. Thomason.

Then Mandie and Celia showed Mrs. Taft their room. Since she didn't make any comments, Mandie figured her grandmother must approve of the room.

“Would you please come around the corner to my house and meet my mother, Mrs. Taft?” Mary Lou asked.

“Yes, I suppose I could,” Mrs. Taft agreed.

Mr. Ryland, who was still waiting out front with the carriage, drove them around the block.

Mrs. Dunnigan welcomed Mrs. Taft and insisted she join them for the noonday meal, which was ready and waiting. Mrs. Taft agreed and sat down with them at the dining room table.

Mandie again watched her grandmother and was relieved when she seemed to immediately become friendly with Mrs. Dunnigan.

“It is so wonderful to have two other girls around, Mrs. Taft,” Mrs. Dunnigan said. “I greatly enjoy the visits of Amanda and Celia. My husband works long hours a lot.”

“I believe Mr. Dunnigan is a public record keeper, is he not?” Mrs. Taft asked.

“Yes, ma'am, he is,” Mrs. Dunnigan replied.

Mandie looked at her grandmother and wondered how she knew this about Mr. Dunnigan. Mrs. Taft had never met the Dunnigans, as far as she knew.

“I came down here to check on the girls for both of their mothers,” Mrs. Taft told her. “I'll be happy to report that the girls have found such friends as you all.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Taft,” Mrs. Dunnigan replied. “We are grateful for the girls' friendship.”

“We would be glad to hear of anything, shall we say, out of the way, concerning the girls,” Mrs. Taft said. “Since it's impossible for any of us to know things like you would here, there may be times when one of us needs to make a visit down here.”

Mandie noticed Mrs. Dunnigan stiffen, and she said only, “Yes, Mrs. Taft.” Evidently Mary Lou's mother did not wish to be a tale-toter. Mandie was happy about that; her grandmother could not always get everything the way she wanted it.

Mrs. Taft invited the Dunnigans and Mrs. Thomason to dine with her and the girls that night at the hotel. Mandie felt everything was working out nicely. Her grandmother had not been adamant about her moving back into the college dormitory, and she had been very friendly with Mrs. Thomason and the Dunnigans.

Finally it was time to retire for the night. Mrs. Taft stayed at the hotel, and Mandie and Celia went to their room at the boardinghouse.

Breathing a sigh of relief as she closed the door to their room, Mandie fell into one of the big chairs. “I can't believe Grandmother came all this way to check up on me. But I'm glad that she seems to like Mrs. Thomason and Mrs. Dunnigan.”
Mandie reached for her notebook and took out the mail her grandmother had delivered. “At last, I can see what Joe Woodard felt it took three letters to tell me.” She laughed. “And Adrian has written again.”

“Robert writes to me at the college,” Celia said, sitting in the other chair, “but I'll have to let him know we are living in the boardinghouse now.”

Mandie nodded her head in agreement, then quickly opened Joe's letters, scanned them, and told Celia, “Joe wrote practically the same thing in all three letters. He says he has been doubling up his classes again this year. And since he couldn't remember my address at the dormitory, he felt he should just write to my house and assumed my mother would be sure to get it to me.”

“Well, with all that schoolwork, I can't believe he has time to write to you—three times at that!” Celia smiled. “Evidently he doesn't want you to forget him.” She laughed. “And that you are supposed to marry him when you both finish school.”

“Now, Celia, you know that is only his side of the story,” Mandie quickly reminded her. “I may never marry.”

“When you do, I'll remind you of what you've just said,” Celia said.

Mandie opened her fourth letter and quickly read it. “Adrian has written practically the same thing he wrote before,” Mandie said. “That shows we don't really know much about each other. He has nothing new to say.” She put the letter back in
the envelope and took all four of them over to her bureau drawer.

After settling herself back in the chair, Mandie faced Celia and said, “It seems that Grandmother is not going to try to cause me any trouble about moving into this boardinghouse.”

“Why would she?” Celia asked. “Your mother approved, so what could your grandmother do except accept it?”

“That is true,” Mandie remarked. “She is going directly to my mother's house from here. And I suppose she'll be there for Thanksgiving, too, which is only two weeks away.”

“I know. I'm actually looking forward to it,” Celia said. “Aunt Rebecca has already written that she will travel down here to escort me home. Are you traveling alone when you go home?”

“Oh goodness, I had not even thought about that. Of course, it will have to be Grandmother. She won't trust me alone on a trip that far away.”

But Mandie was in for a big surprise. The week before Thanksgiving she received another letter from Joe. He was coming to Charleston to take Mandie home for the holidays.

Mandie discussed his letter with Celia. “It seems that he has been doubling up classes so he could have time to come after me,” she said with a frown. She wasn't sure she wanted Joe to be so possessive as to show up at her college to escort her home.

On the day that Joe arrived at Mandie's college, Mandie was
surprised to find that she looked at him proudly. Joe seemed to have settled down and become much more mature just since she had seen him in the summertime. He was wearing very stylish clothes, but he was still the same old Joe, with his big grin and twinkling brown eyes.

Mandie had had Mr. Ryland drive her and Celia to the train station to meet the train when he came in. She noticed lots of other students from her college and the boys' colleges either greeting arrivals or boarding the train themselves. Mandie again noticed many interested glances cast her way.

After finding Joe and picking up his luggage, the three traveled back to the hotel, where Mandie and Celia waited in the lobby while Joe checked in for the night. Afterward the three went into the dining room for supper.

“I would love to see your college,” Joe told them, “but, Mandie, your mother asked me to bring you right back, so we'll have to get the train tomorrow. I can see your college when I bring you back after the holidays.”

“You are coming back with me after Thanksgiving?” Mandie asked in surprise.

“Of course,” Joe replied with a grin. “Who else is free enough to do this time-consuming chore?”

“Oh, Joe, Uncle John could have come down, or even my grandmother,” Mandie replied.

Joe shook his head and said, “No, your mother didn't want your uncle John to leave her that long. And I didn't think you'd be too anxious for your dear old grandmother to travel that
far again. After all, she was just here a few weeks ago, I understand. And she is not as young as she used to be.” He stifled a laugh.

“I could go home by myself,” Mandie said.

“Oh no, your mother would not allow that, I'm sure,” Joe said. There was a brief moment of silence, and then Joe sighed deeply and said, “So you are thinking up excuses to keep me from coming down here to see what you've been up to?”

“Of course not!” Mandie countered. “I just feel like you'll go to a lot of trouble just to get me home and then back to my college.” Then she added, “But I thank you.”

“I thank
you
, because by doing this, I was able to talk my parents into spending Thanksgiving at your house,” Joe replied, watching her closely.