The Mandie Collection (8 page)

“Me too,” Celia agreed, closing her book and glancing at the clock on the mantel. “It's twenty minutes to ten anyway.”

“Yes, let's hit the hay,” Mandie said with a laugh. She put out the oil lamp nearby as Celia pulled the string to turn off the light bulb dangling from the ceiling.

They jumped into the big bed, and both girls were soon fast asleep.

In Mandie's dream someone was knocking on their door. Then she suddenly came awake and sat up. She wasn't dreaming. Someone was tapping on their window. How could that be? They were on the third floor.

Celia asked sleepily, “What is that noise, Mandie?” She rubbed her eyes and raised up to look around.

“There's someone outside our window,” Mandie whispered. She pushed back the covers and got out of bed. She cautiously crept across the dark room toward the window.

“How could someone be outside our window, Mandie? We're on the third floor,” Celia whispered back, right behind her.

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Mandie said softly. She approached the window from the side, hoping whoever was out there could not see her until she discovered who it was. Celia peered over Mandie's shoulder.

Suddenly there was a much louder tapping at the window, and
Mandie was afraid the window glass was going to break. This made her angry, and she called out, “Who is that? Who's out there?”

The tapping continued, but no one answered. Mandie slowly leaned forward enough to see outside. The moon was shining, but clouds were drifting over it. Their window was set into the sloping roof with a two-foot ledge outside the sill. She caught a glimpse of someone on the limb of the huge magnolia tree outside their window. Whoever it was leaned forward now and then to tap their window with a long branch.

“Someone hanging on a limb of the tree,” Mandie whispered to Celia.

When the tapping began again, Mandie quickly raised the window and called out, “Go away, whoever you are, or I'll get someone to make you get out of that tree. You hear?”

The answer came quickly with a laugh. “Ah, now you be awake. Now, you just wait. I'm coming inside. Don't you be closing that window,” a voice said.

“Mollie! What are you doing in that tree?” Mandie asked as she recognized the voice. She leaned out. Sure enough, it was Mollie. And Mollie was hastily crawling along the big limb toward the window. “Mollie, don't do that. You'll fall!”

“If I be falling, Hilda will catch me below. She promised,” Mollie called back as she continued moving along the limb.

“Hilda too!” Celia exclaimed over Mandie's shoulder.

The two girls looked down but couldn't see directly beneath the window. “I'll come down there, Mollie,” Mandie told her. “You go back down the tree to Hilda and wait for me.”

“No, Mandie, I be coming to your room, that I am,” Mollie argued.

“Oh no, what are we going to do? That limb doesn't reach all the way to the window. She'll fall!” Mandie said to Celia.

“We could call someone to help,” Celia suggested.

“Not enough time,” Mandie replied, watching every move Mollie made.

Mollie reached the end of the limb and immediately climbed onto the next one above, which was longer and closer to the window. It was also stronger, and she managed to get to the end of it.

“Catch me, Mandie! I be jumping in your window!” Mollie called out.

“No, no, no! Mollie, you can't do that! Stop!” Mandie called to her.

Mollie ignored the warning and made a jump at the window. She missed but managed to grab hold of the previous branch. She was dangling in the air and couldn't seem to get back onto the limb.

“The bed sheet!” Mandie cried out. She rushed to pull the sheet off the bed.

Celia quickly helped her tie a big knot in one corner of the sheet. They rushed back to the window and swung the sheet over the windowsill.

“Mollie, when we swing this out, you grab it and hold on for everything you're worth. Don't dare let go of it! You hear me?” Mandie called to the girl.

“I be hearing,” Mollie replied. “Just you be hurrying, Mandie.”

Together Mandie and Celia tossed the knotted end of the sheet as far as they could. It missed the small figure by inches. They tried again, and this time Mollie managed to grab hold with one hand.

“Hold tight, Mollie! We're going to pull you inside,” Mandie called to her as she leaned farther out the window. Mollie was dangling below them at the end of the sheet. Mandie grasped it tightly and crawled out onto the ledge. Looking back at Celia, she said, “Now, all together!”

The two girls pulled with all their might, and Mollie's head appeared at the edge of the ledge. Mandie caught one of her hands and slowly helped the little girl up over the ledge. The three of them fell on the floor of the bedroom.

Mollie jumped up and laughingly said, “That was fun, now, sure enough it was!”

Mandie and Celia, both completely out of breath after the dangerous rescue, sat on the floor staring at Mollie.

Mandie took a deep breath and said, “Mollie, if you ever try anything like that again, I will see that you end up in deep trouble. I'll ask Grandmother to lock you in your room at night so you can't get out. Do you understand?” Mandie was angry and had all she could do to control her voice.

Mollie frowned and sat on the floor next to the girls. “Oh, Mandie, I only be wanting to come see you. And Hilda showed me which window. She said she used to live in this schoolhouse,” the little orphan explained.

“Hilda can't talk. You know that, Mollie, so you must be just making all this up,” Mandie replied.

“But I told Hilda I wanted to come see you, and she came with me to show me the way. And then when we be down under the tree below she pointed to this window,” Mollie explained.

Mandie and Celia looked at each other, realizing that Hilda indeed would know which room was theirs. The waif had been living in the school attic when they found her after they had first arrived at the school a long time ago.

“Hilda!” Mandie suddenly remembered. “She's still down in the yard. I hope she doesn't try to climb that tree.” She stood to her feet and looked at Celia. “I suppose I'm going to have to get dressed and take them back to Grandmother's.”

“Mandie, why don't we wake Uncle Cal or someone and get them to go with us. It's awfully late, and we aren't supposed to be out,” Celia said doubtfully.

“I'm not afraid,” Mandie told her as she hastily took down a dress from the wardrobe.

Celia came to join her. “If you're going, then I'll go with you,” she said. She grabbed a dress and began putting it on.

Mollie watched the two, looking from one to the other during their conversation. “Now, Mandie, Hilda be knowing the way back, she does,” she said. “Just find me the way out of this house. I go back with Hilda.”

“Oh no, you don't!” Mandie said sharply as she put on her shoes. “We are going back with you to be sure you get back safely. And please remember what I said. If you ever do such a thing again, I'll speak to Grandmother.”

“Yes, Mandie, you already be telling me that,” Mollie replied.

“Ready?” Mandie asked Celia, her hand on the doorknob.

“Yes,” Celia replied, pulling on her coat.

“Now, Mollie, we are going down the back stairway and out the back door. Don't you dare make a sound,” Mandie told the girl. “If
anyone sees or hears us, you're going to be in much deeper trouble, understand?”

“I understand what trouble be, that I do,” Mollie replied, moving to stand close behind her.

“Not a word, not a sound,” Mandie warned, then softly opened the door. The three of them stepped out into the hall.

They got down the back stairs without incident. Mandie led the way around the house to the yard beneath their window to look for Hilda. She found the girl curled up, asleep on the bench beneath the magnolia tree.

“Hilda, let's go home,” Mandie said, softly touching her head.

Hilda instantly jumped up and ran down the driveway. Mollie started to run after her, but Mandie grabbed her hand and held it tight.

“You are not running away. We are going to Grandmother's house,” Mandie told her.

“But Hilda be gone,” Mollie said, pointing.

“No, she's not,” Mandie said. She nodded toward the girl, who was waiting for them down at the road.

“But she will be gone again,” Mollie replied.

And, sure enough, as soon as the three caught up with Hilda, the girl once more ran ahead. Mandie noticed she did seem to know the way and that she would go ahead and then look back to see if they were following.

Finally they arrived at Mrs. Taft's house. The moon was still playing hide-and-seek behind the clouds. Mandie tried to determine if anyone was up and about in the house, but she couldn't see a light inside. They paused in the front driveway. Hilda waited just ahead of them.

“What do we do now?” Celia asked in a whisper.

“We be going inside,” Mollie declared and tried to pull away from Mandie.

Mandie held her hand firmly and said, “We have to figure out how to get you back in the house without waking anyone, or you will most certainly be in trouble.”

“Why don't we go around to the back and see if there are any lights on in the back of the house?” Celia suggested.

“Yes, let's do,” Mandie agreed. Looking at Hilda, she said, “Come on with us, Hilda. We are going in the house.”

Hilda immediately ran down the driveway toward the back of the house. Mollie tried to pull away again. “I be going with Hilda,” she repeated.

“No!” Mandie said, holding on to her hand ever more tightly.

Mandie and Celia walked on with Mollie around the house. When they came to the back door Mandie was shocked to see her grandmother standing in the doorway talking to Ben. “Grandmother!” she exclaimed at the same instant Mrs. Taft saw them.

“Well, now, I see y'all have found her,” Mrs. Taft said. Then with sudden alarm, she said, “She didn't come to the school in the middle of the night, did she?”

“Yes, Grandmother, she did. And Hilda was with her. She ran ahead of us, but she's around here somewhere, too,” Mandie explained, finally letting go of Mollie's hand.

Mollie immediately tried to go in the back door, but Mrs. Taft grabbed the back of her dress to stop her. “Not so fast now, Mollie,” she scolded. “You have done something bad, and you will be punished for it. You just wait here, because I am going to see that you are confined to your room for the rest of the night.” She looked out into the yard and added, “And, Hilda, you come on here. We are going back to bed.”

Hilda immediately came out of the shadows, darted past Mrs. Taft, and disappeared into the house.

“Now, girls, Ben will take you back to school,” Mrs. Taft said. “I was just going to send him out looking for these two.” She turned to her driver. “Ben, see that the girls get back safely.”

“Yessum, Miz Taft, dat I do,” Ben replied. “Already got de buggy hitched up in de barn.” He went to get it.

“Grandmother, you wouldn't believe what Mollie did,” Mandie began.

“It's late now, dear. You girls get on back to school before you are missed, and we can talk later,” Mrs. Taft said as Ben drove the buggy up.

“We've already got permission to come to see you tomorrow
afternoon, so we can talk then,” Mandie told her. “Good night, Grandmother.”

Mrs. Taft started to go inside and close the door. She stepped back and called to Mandie as she and Celia climbed into the buggy. “Just let me know if there's any trouble at school regarding this escapade. Good night, now.”

“Yes, Grandmother, we will,” Mandie promised.

Ben drove fast and they were soon nearing the school.

“Stop here on the road,” Mandie instructed. “Someone might hear the buggy if you go up the driveway.”

Ben stopped the horse and the girls jumped out. “I'll be waitin' right heah till you all gits in de house, now,” he told them.

“Thank you, Ben,” Mandie replied. “We're going in the back, so you won't be able to see us.”

She and Celia rushed up the driveway and waved as they ran around the house to the back door.

Once in their room, the girls almost collapsed before they could get undressed and back into bed again. They had to recover their sheet and put it back on and then crawled in. It had been an adventure they would not want to repeat.

CHAPTER SEVEN

BAD NEWS

The excitement of the night before left the girls tired and groggy the next morning. But eventually time came to visit Mrs. Taft. When Ben came to pick them up, the girls were waiting in the foyer. He had brought a note to Miss Hope from Mrs. Taft.

“Miz Taft, she say fo' you to give dis heah note to Miss Hope,” Ben told Mandie, holding out a small white envelope.

Mandie took it. “I wonder what's in this,” she said as she stared at the envelope in her hand.

“I knows whut dat be,” Ben explained, nodding his head. “Miz Taft, she tell Miss Hope you young ladies gwine stay at her house till Sunday night since today be Friday.”

Mandie immediately realized this would put her plans for visiting the alley on hold. She would have to wait until next week for another chance.

“What do you say, Celia? Want to stay till Sunday night?” she asked her friend.

Celia smiled. “Of course, Mandie. I always enjoy visiting at your grandmother's house. And besides, Mollie is still there.”

Mandie rolled her eyes and groaned. “Yes, and she will probably keep the weekend in a turmoil.” Turning back to Ben, she said, “I'll have to give this to Miss Hope, and if she says we may stay,
then we'll have to run back to our room and get some clothes to take with us. All right?”

“I waits,” Ben agreed, smiling at her. “I seen Uncle Cal in de yard. I goes and talks to him whilst I waits.” He turned to go back out the door.