The Mandie Collection (33 page)

“This has gone far enough,” said a short, stocky man with a vaguely familiar deep bass voice. “It is time to do something.”

“Yes,” replied a tall, slender man with a higher pitched voice. “I say we approach the President about it.”

Mandie, Joe, and Sallie grabbed one another's hands in excitement. These were the men they had overheard in that locked room upstairs.

“Humph!” said a heavy man with a gravelly voice. “What good will it do to approach the President? I say we get on with it and kill them all!”

At last Mandie understood the dialogue. The men were talking about colonists who had turned Tories, or traitors, during the American Revolution. She sighed with relief, then settled back to enjoy the rest of the performance.

As soon as the skit was over, people began milling around again, visiting, but Mandie and her friends stayed near the stage.

“Just think,” Mandie laughed, “we really thought those men in that room upstairs were going out to kill somebody.”

“And you thought you had really seen George Washington,” Joe teased. “But then I suppose you really did see him—at least the one in the play.”

“The actor did look like the pictures of George Washington,” Sallie added.

A few minutes later Mrs. Taft found the young people and informed them that they had one hour to get dressed for dinner and the ball immediately afterward.

“Then we'd better hurry,” Mandie said. “It'll take awhile to put on all that finery I'm supposed to wear.”

“Yes, at least one hour,” Sallie agreed.

“My finery won't take me that long,” Joe mocked in a high voice; “but I'll wait in my room for you girls,” he told them.

Mrs. Taft started to leave, then called back to them. “Please be ready on time,” she said. “I'm sure Isabelle will come and help you dress.”

However, by the time Isabelle did knock on their door, the girls had already helped each other and were nearly ready.

“So sorry,” Isabelle apologized. “It took me longer to help Mrs. Taft than I thought it would, but oh, you look so fine—like exquisite dolls. You do not need my help. I will go now,” she said, closing the door behind her.

Mandie blushed slightly, but she had to admit she did feel pretty in her floor-length baby blue silk ball gown with little pink rosebuds cascading down the front. The neckline was lower than anything she
had ever worn before, but since there was a matching silk shawl, she looped it high. Her dressy slippers matched her gown, and Sallie had threaded a matching blue ribbon through Mandie's blonde hair.

Sallie's floor-length gown was baby pink silk with lots of frills and lace on it. It had a higher neckline and long sleeves. She wore matching pink slippers and pulled her long, straight black hair back with a matching piece of lace.

The girls twirled admiringly in front of the full-length mirror.

“I feel so grown up tonight,” Mandie said, flipping her skirt around. “I don't feel like twelve years old anymore. I feel sixteen tonight.”

“I feel older, also.” Sallie smiled at her reflection. “I wonder what my grandfather will say when he sees me.”

Mandie laughed. “
I
wonder what he will look like in his new clothes,” she remarked.

“Everyone will look pretty tonight,” Sallie said. She paused for a moment, thinking. “Mandie, how many people will there be at this ball?” she asked.

“As far as I know, it's a private ball just for the house guests and a few other close friends of the President and First Lady,” Mandie replied. “And we're all a part of this group of important people. Aren't we lucky?”

“Not really,” Sallie said, straightening her long skirt for the dozenth time. “I will not be comfortable until I can remove these fine clothes.”

A moment later Joe and Uncle Ned knocked on their door. When Mandie opened it, she noticed Senator Morton knocking on her grandmother's door. The girls stepped out into the hallway, carefully closing the door behind them to keep Snowball in, then watched in surprise as Mrs. Taft almost floated out of her room to take Senator Morton's arm.

Mrs. Taft looked like a queen in all her rich splendor. She wore a floor-length dark green satin dress and adorned herself with expensive gold, diamond, and emerald jewelry.

Senator Morton's eyes lit up when he saw her. Compliments flowed freely between all of them as they stood in the hallway for a few minutes.

Mandie looked up admiringly at Uncle Ned in his dark suit. She grabbed his old wrinkled hand. “You look wonderful, Uncle Ned. I didn't realize you were so handsome,” she teased.

Uncle Ned didn't seem to know whether she was teasing or not.

“My grandfather, you
are
handsome,” Sallie said proudly.

Joe stepped over to Mandie's side. “And you, young ladies, must have just stepped out of the fashion pages,” he said.

“You, too, Joe,” Mandie replied. “You don't look like the Joe Woodard I used to know.”

Uncle Ned started down the hall. “Must go,” he reminded them.

When they reached the dining room, Mandie felt self-conscious among all the rich, expensively dressed guests. Having grown up in a small cabin in the mountains, even her etiquette lessons at the Heathwoods' school didn't prepare her for associating with so many high-society people.

Then President McKinley came over to them, dressed in formal attire. “My, but you all look nice,” he said. “I'm proud of you all in more ways than one.”

“Thank you, Mr. McKinley,” Mandie replied, and the others did the same. Then as the President moved on to speak to others nearby, Mandie felt embarrassed. “I don't think I should have called him Mr. McKinley,” she realized. “I've only heard him addressed as Mr. President.”

“That's all right. He knows we're just country crackers,” Joe quipped.

They all laughed, then moved on to find their places at the dinner table.

Dinner conversation was lively, and Mandie thought she had never tasted such rich, delicious food and desserts as those set before her. She couldn't help but think that her schoolmates back in Asheville would be jealous if they could see how royally she was being treated. Mandie definitely was feeling special.

After dinner, everyone moved back into the East Room where the orchestra was again playing soft, wonderful music. Mandie swayed with the tempo and enjoyed the swish of her long dress around her feet. She looked up when the President again took the platform. He addressed his guests briefly, telling them how glad he was to have his special friends with him on this important night. Then after the First Lady said a few words, the ball was underway.

Mandie still felt that Mrs. McKinley looked pale, but the First Lady seemed to be caught up in the excitement and had a bit more color in her cheeks than she had had the day before.

As the guests twirled around them, Mandie and her friends had a great time drinking pink punch from crystal glasses and standing around, catching snatches of other people's conversations. Sauntering over to a roped-off corner where Mrs. Taft sat talking with Senator Morton, Mandie overheard her grandmother inviting the senator to visit her in Asheville.

“Thank you, Mrs. Taft,” the senator replied. “I don't know exactly when, but maybe when we take our next break here in Washington, I could stop by on my way home to Florida.”

“Oh, Senator, that would be wonderful. I look forward to showing you our town,” Mrs. Taft replied. Looking around, she noticed the young people standing nearby and blushed slightly. “Amanda, dear, I believe it is time for you and your friends to go to your rooms,” she said. “It is getting late.”

The young people looked at each other knowingly.

“Good night,” Mandie said. She turned to leave, then stopped and turned back. “When do we leave tomorrow, Grandmother?” she asked.

“Immediately after breakfast, dear,” Mrs. Taft replied. “Remember, we're stopping to spend the night with Celia's mother again. Good night now. Good night, Sallie and Joe. I'll see y'all in the morning.”

Mandie led the way as the young people headed out of the East Room. Once in the hallway, she started dancing around happily. “We're going home tomorrow!” she said in a sing-song voice. “We're going home.”

Joe looked at her curiously. “I thought you wanted to come here.”

“I did, but now I'm ready to go back to school. I can't wait to tell all those girls about the President and everything we've seen in Washington, D.C. They are going to be so jealous!”

Joe and Sallie frowned at each other.

“Besides,” Mandie continued, “Celia and I still have another mystery to solve back at school.”

Sallie shrugged her shoulders. “I think I have had enough mysteries,” she said. “My grandfather and I will leave tomorrow morning also. And I will be glad to get home and into some comfortable clothes.”

“Amen!” Joe echoed.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FARM?

After saying goodbye to the President and First Lady the next morning, Mandie rode with her grandmother in the President's coach to the train station. Because of their stopover to spend the night with Celia's mother and another long train ride from Richmond to Asheville, it was late the next day when Ben met them at the depot and took Mandie back to the Heathwoods' school.

Mandie opened the front door and entered, with Ben right behind her. Ben set her luggage inside the vestibule, told her goodbye, and left to take Mrs. Taft home.

Mandie looked around, disappointed that no one was waiting for her. Hurrying down the hallway, she found the headmistress in her office. “I'm back, Miss Prudence,” she announced excitedly. “I had such a wonderful time! The President is so nice, and the First Lady is absolutely beautiful, and—”

“That's enough for tonight, Amanda,” Miss Prudence interrupted. She stood and walked around to the front of her desk. “Get up to your room now and study until curfew. I'll ask Uncle Cal to bring up your bags. Good night.” She walked out of her office and headed down the hallway.

Mandie's enthusiasm was deflated. Reluctantly, she turned toward the stairway. Then she remembered Celia. Celia would be eager to hear her exciting experiences. Mandie took the steps two at a time.

Pushing open the door to their room, Mandie found Celia sprawled with a book on the rug in front of the crackling fire.

Celia jumped up. “Mandie!” she squealed in delight, hugging her friend. “Tell, tell, tell! What happened? Did you have a good time?”

Mandie shed her coat and hat, then sat down in front of the fire with Celia. “Oh, I had a wonderful time,” she said, her blue eyes dancing, “but I can tell you right now, I'm just plain tuckered out. I have never been so busy in my life. There was something going on every minute of every day until late at night. And guess what? The President had invited Joe and Sallie and Uncle Ned, too!”

“Please tell me about every minute of it, please,” Celia begged.

Mandie talked about her trip, and the sightseeing, and all the mysteries along the way until they heard the curfew bell. Then suddenly Mandie realized that Uncle Cal hadn't brought up her bags yet. “I guess I'm going to have to go down and get my luggage myself,” she said, a little irritated.

But just then there was a knock on the door. “Oh, maybe not.” Mandie laughed. Opening the door, she found Uncle Cal standing there with her bags.

He grinned. “Sorry it took me so long, Missy,” he apologized, “but Miz Prudence, she say she give you a extra hour after de bell ring to git unpacked.” He placed the baggage in the corner.

“Oh, thank you, Uncle Cal,” Mandie said excitedly. “I've just got to tell you about my visit with the President and—”

Uncle Cal held up his hand. “Sorry again, Missy,” he replied, “but Miz Prudence, she done give me strict orders to git up here and right back. She need me downstairs right away.” He headed for the door. “I hears 'bout dat President man tomorrow, Missy. Good night.”

Mandie sighed. “Good night, Uncle Cal,” she said. “I'll see you and Aunt Phoebe tomorrow.”

As the old Negro man closed the door behind him, Mandie turned to Celia. “That reminds me. Have things been normal since I've been gone? Has Aunt Phoebe been gone anymore, or Miss Hope?”

“Everything is back to normal,” Celia assured her. “I haven't missed anyone, anyway. So if they have been gone, I didn't know it. I haven't
seen the mouse again, either, and April Snow has behaved, too, would you believe it?”

“I hope it stays that way, just normal like it should be,” Mandie replied as she began unpacking.

Celia helped her hang up clothes and put things away in drawers as they continued talking.

“I'd still like to know what was going on with everyone disappearing for days at a time,” Mandie said. “We know it has something to do with the farm, but what? If only we could find out what Miss Hope said to Miss Prudence at the dining room table that first night she disappeared . . .”

When the girls finally finished the unpacking, they got ready for bed, blew out the light, and slid under the covers to talk late into the night.

At breakfast the next morning, to Mandie's surprise, Miss Prudence welcomed Mandie back and announced that Mandie would tell everyone about her journey after supper that night. All the students were required to meet in the parlor.

Mandie smiled a self-important smile and only barely noticed her fellow students' looks that said,
Who does she think she is
?

As the day floated by, Mandie had quite a bit of catching up to do in her class work, so she had no time to talk to anyone. When it was finally time to go to the parlor after supper, she and Celia were the last ones to arrive. They stopped in surprise in the parlor doorway.

Besides the girls from her own school, the room was crammed with students from Mr. Chadwick's boys' school, who had come to hear about her visit with the President.
How could Miss Prudence do this to her
?