tunnel,” Polly reminded her. “What did you do with the key?”
“I put it on the bureau over there.” Mandie pointed to it.
But, in the morning the key was gone. It was nowhere to be found.
Chapter 6 - The Ghost
One morning, later that week, the two girls had wandered across the road through the cemetery, reading stone markers and commenting about the names, when they perceived someone knocking at John Shaw’s front door.
They hurried across the road to find a tall young man with big hazel eyes, standing there with a black traveling bag in his hand.
He looked down at the girls, smiled, and asked, “Is this where Mr. John Shaw lived before he died abroad?”
“Yes, sir,” Mandie told him. “I’m his niece, Amanda Shaw.”
“You are?” he questioned her. “I’m his nephew. You live here?”
“Yes, come on in and sit down. I’ll get Mr. Bond.” She opened the door and met Mr. Bond inthe hallway. “Mr. Bond, this is Uncle John’s nephew.”
The old man quickly looked the young man over and said slowly, “Mr. John Shaw didn’t have any nephews.”
“Well, I’m Bayne Locke, his sister’s son. And since I
am
his nephew, I have come to claim my part of his property,” the young man told him.
“I said, Mr. Shaw did not have any nephews; in fact, no living relatives, except his brother, Jim, and his family and they live in Swain County,” Jason Bond was emphatic.
“I am John Shaw’s
nephew
,” the stranger insisted, standing there in the hallway. “My mother died when I was born and I never have seen my uncle, but I’m sure I can claim at least part of what he owned. Where’s his will?”
Mr. Bond looked puzzled, scratching his head thoughtfully. “To tell you the truth, we haven’t found the will yet. But we have received word from his lawyer concerning the property—”
The young man interrupted, “I have as much right to stay here as anyone else until the will is found, if it is ever found.” He plopped his bag on the floor.
“Oh, it’ll be found all right,” Mr. Bond told him.
“Well, until it is found, please show me my room. I’ve been traveling all the way from Richmond and I’m tired,” Bayne Locke demanded.
“I suppose you can stay here tonight, but I’ll have to have proof as to who you are,” the old man said.
“I have it right here.” Bayne pulled a paper from his inside pocket and handed it to Mr. Bond.
“All this says is that you are the son of Martha Shaw and Caro Locke. It does not prove you’re John Shaw’s nephew.”
“Anybody that knows the Shaw family knows that he had a sister who died twenty-two years ago giving birth to a son in Richmond,” Bayne told him.
Mr. Bond still stood there scratching his head. Mandie was left speechless with the matter. Then Polly suddenly looked from Bayne to Mandie and spoke up.
“Well, Mandie, you have a cousin!” she exclaimed.
“Well, sort of, I suppose I do,” Mandie agreed. Then she turned to Mr. Bond. “I’ll show my cousin to a room, Mr. Bond. Which room should I put him in?”
“Either one down the hall upstairs. I’ll get Liza to go up and get things ready.” Mr. Bond turned back down the hallway toward the kitchen.
The girls led the young man up the stairs, past Mr. Bond’s room, to an unoccupied bedroom.
Mandie pushed open the door and peered into the room. It was well furnished with heavy furniture, red rugs and gold draperies.
“This will have to do,” she said, standing aside for Bayne Locke to enter the room. “It’s on the front of the house and won’t get the afternoon sun.”
“Fine, fine,” Bayne muttered, throwing up the windows and opening the shutters.
Liza danced in with a broom and a dustmop.
“Shoo, shoo! You-alls just git out of the way now, so’s I can git this place shuck up,” the black girl ordered the girls.
Mandie turned back as she went out the door, followed by Polly.
“Dinner’s at twelve o’clock on the button. Don’t be
“I put it on the bureau over there.” Mandie pointed to it.
But, in the morning the key was gone. It was nowhere to be found.
Chapter 6 - The Ghost
One morning, later that week, the two girls had wandered across the road through the cemetery, reading stone markers and commenting about the names, when they perceived someone knocking at John Shaw’s front door.
They hurried across the road to find a tall young man with big hazel eyes, standing there with a black traveling bag in his hand.
He looked down at the girls, smiled, and asked, “Is this where Mr. John Shaw lived before he died abroad?”
“Yes, sir,” Mandie told him. “I’m his niece, Amanda Shaw.”
“You are?” he questioned her. “I’m his nephew. You live here?”
“Yes, come on in and sit down. I’ll get Mr. Bond.” She opened the door and met Mr. Bond inthe hallway. “Mr. Bond, this is Uncle John’s nephew.”
The old man quickly looked the young man over and said slowly, “Mr. John Shaw didn’t have any nephews.”
“Well, I’m Bayne Locke, his sister’s son. And since I
am
his nephew, I have come to claim my part of his property,” the young man told him.
“I said, Mr. Shaw did not have any nephews; in fact, no living relatives, except his brother, Jim, and his family and they live in Swain County,” Jason Bond was emphatic.
“I am John Shaw’s
nephew
,” the stranger insisted, standing there in the hallway. “My mother died when I was born and I never have seen my uncle, but I’m sure I can claim at least part of what he owned. Where’s his will?”
Mr. Bond looked puzzled, scratching his head thoughtfully. “To tell you the truth, we haven’t found the will yet. But we have received word from his lawyer concerning the property—”
The young man interrupted, “I have as much right to stay here as anyone else until the will is found, if it is ever found.” He plopped his bag on the floor.
“Oh, it’ll be found all right,” Mr. Bond told him.
“Well, until it is found, please show me my room. I’ve been traveling all the way from Richmond and I’m tired,” Bayne Locke demanded.
“I suppose you can stay here tonight, but I’ll have to have proof as to who you are,” the old man said.
“I have it right here.” Bayne pulled a paper from his inside pocket and handed it to Mr. Bond.
“All this says is that you are the son of Martha Shaw and Caro Locke. It does not prove you’re John Shaw’s nephew.”
“Anybody that knows the Shaw family knows that he had a sister who died twenty-two years ago giving birth to a son in Richmond,” Bayne told him.
Mr. Bond still stood there scratching his head. Mandie was left speechless with the matter. Then Polly suddenly looked from Bayne to Mandie and spoke up.
“Well, Mandie, you have a cousin!” she exclaimed.
“Well, sort of, I suppose I do,” Mandie agreed. Then she turned to Mr. Bond. “I’ll show my cousin to a room, Mr. Bond. Which room should I put him in?”
“Either one down the hall upstairs. I’ll get Liza to go up and get things ready.” Mr. Bond turned back down the hallway toward the kitchen.
The girls led the young man up the stairs, past Mr. Bond’s room, to an unoccupied bedroom.
Mandie pushed open the door and peered into the room. It was well furnished with heavy furniture, red rugs and gold draperies.
“This will have to do,” she said, standing aside for Bayne Locke to enter the room. “It’s on the front of the house and won’t get the afternoon sun.”
“Fine, fine,” Bayne muttered, throwing up the windows and opening the shutters.
Liza danced in with a broom and a dustmop.
“Shoo, shoo! You-alls just git out of the way now, so’s I can git this place shuck up,” the black girl ordered the girls.
Mandie turned back as she went out the door, followed by Polly.
“Dinner’s at twelve o’clock on the button. Don’t be
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