late.”
“Never been to dinner on time in my life, but I’ll turn over a new leaf just for you,” Bayne called back to her.
As the two girls sat in the swing on the front porch, Polly asked, “What are you going to do now? That man says he’s your cousin, and he’ll take what he came after, if you ask me.”
“We’ll see about that! Just leave him to me!” Mandie teased.
“But what can you do about it?” Polly wanted to know.
“Tonight’s the night for Uncle Ned to come visit,” Mandie said.
“Uncle Ned? Who’s he?”
“He’s the Indian who brought me here. Remember I told you?”
“Yeh, but so what? What can an Indian do about this Bayne Locke?”
“I’ll ask Uncle Ned to get the Cherokees to check up on this so-called cousin. Uncle Ned has his own ways of finding out things.”
The screen door opened and Aunt Lou stuck her head out. “Got that new dress done fuh you, my child.”
Mandie quickly followed her back into the house with Polly close behind. The blue dress was finished and pressed and was hanging in the sewing room. Mandie could only stand and gasp. She had never owned such a garment in all her life.
“Well, don’t just stand there, my child. We’se got to put it on to see if it fits.” Aunt Lou smiled as she began to unbutton the dress Mandie was wearing.
The dress fit perfectly and Mandie turned and twirled in front of the long mirror with oh’s and ah’s and Polly admiring.
“It’s beautiful, Aunt Lou.” Mandie was tearful as she turned to hug the old woman tightly. “Thank you, Aunt Lou! Thank you!”
“It takes a pretty girl like you to make a dress pretty,” Aunt Lou told her. “You look mighty fine, my child.”
“Positively heavenly, Mandie,” Polly agreed.
“Will you unbutton me now, Aunt Lou?” Mandie asked.
“Unbutton you? What for? There’s more acomin’ from where that one came from. Now you just keep it on and enjoy it, my child.” The old woman patted her on the head.
“More, Aunt Lou?”
“Sho’ ’nuff. Next one will be ready ’fore you git that one dirty,” Aunt Lou assured her. “Gonna be the lady of the house, you is. And you gotta look like the lady of the house—no more countrified looks. You’se a city girl now. Gotta dress like city folks.”
“But, Aunt Lou, I hate to make so much work for you. You have other things to do, I know.”
“Ain’t just me working on these dresses. Got help from old Miz Burnette over on the hill, too.”
“Mrs. Burnette makes my clothes too, Mandie,” Polly told her. “Mother says she does the best work in town.”
“Somebody has to pay her,” Mandie said.
“Oh, never you mind about pay. Mr. Bond done arranged all that. Now git on ’bout your business. I’se got other things to do,” Aunt Lou gave the two girls an affectionate shove out the door.
Thank you, dear God, Mandie whispered to herself. Thank you for all these nice things.
That night, when Mandie met Uncle Ned in the summerhouse nearby, she wore her new blue dress. The old Indian was happy when she told him about all the nice things that had happened to her, but he was greatly disturbed when he heard that her Uncle John had died and Bayne Locke had come to the house saying he was his nephew.
“Bayne Locke. You know where he come from?” he asked.
“He said he had come all the way from Richmond, Uncle Ned,” Mandie told him. “I suppose he must have lived there before he came here.”
“Cherokee go to Richmond. Find out. I know by next full moon,” he promised.
“Thank you, Uncle Ned. I seem to ask you for so many things, but I don’t have anyone else to ask,” the girl said.
“No, no—is all right. You one of us. Cherokee keep watch over Papoose. I promise Jim Shaw. Anything you ask, I do,” Ned reminded her. “You Cherokee, too.”
“Isn’t that wonderful, Uncle Ned? That I have such people, people who will always look out for me. Tell all the Cherokees I am grateful. I’m happy that I’m
“Never been to dinner on time in my life, but I’ll turn over a new leaf just for you,” Bayne called back to her.
As the two girls sat in the swing on the front porch, Polly asked, “What are you going to do now? That man says he’s your cousin, and he’ll take what he came after, if you ask me.”
“We’ll see about that! Just leave him to me!” Mandie teased.
“But what can you do about it?” Polly wanted to know.
“Tonight’s the night for Uncle Ned to come visit,” Mandie said.
“Uncle Ned? Who’s he?”
“He’s the Indian who brought me here. Remember I told you?”
“Yeh, but so what? What can an Indian do about this Bayne Locke?”
“I’ll ask Uncle Ned to get the Cherokees to check up on this so-called cousin. Uncle Ned has his own ways of finding out things.”
The screen door opened and Aunt Lou stuck her head out. “Got that new dress done fuh you, my child.”
Mandie quickly followed her back into the house with Polly close behind. The blue dress was finished and pressed and was hanging in the sewing room. Mandie could only stand and gasp. She had never owned such a garment in all her life.
“Well, don’t just stand there, my child. We’se got to put it on to see if it fits.” Aunt Lou smiled as she began to unbutton the dress Mandie was wearing.
The dress fit perfectly and Mandie turned and twirled in front of the long mirror with oh’s and ah’s and Polly admiring.
“It’s beautiful, Aunt Lou.” Mandie was tearful as she turned to hug the old woman tightly. “Thank you, Aunt Lou! Thank you!”
“It takes a pretty girl like you to make a dress pretty,” Aunt Lou told her. “You look mighty fine, my child.”
“Positively heavenly, Mandie,” Polly agreed.
“Will you unbutton me now, Aunt Lou?” Mandie asked.
“Unbutton you? What for? There’s more acomin’ from where that one came from. Now you just keep it on and enjoy it, my child.” The old woman patted her on the head.
“More, Aunt Lou?”
“Sho’ ’nuff. Next one will be ready ’fore you git that one dirty,” Aunt Lou assured her. “Gonna be the lady of the house, you is. And you gotta look like the lady of the house—no more countrified looks. You’se a city girl now. Gotta dress like city folks.”
“But, Aunt Lou, I hate to make so much work for you. You have other things to do, I know.”
“Ain’t just me working on these dresses. Got help from old Miz Burnette over on the hill, too.”
“Mrs. Burnette makes my clothes too, Mandie,” Polly told her. “Mother says she does the best work in town.”
“Somebody has to pay her,” Mandie said.
“Oh, never you mind about pay. Mr. Bond done arranged all that. Now git on ’bout your business. I’se got other things to do,” Aunt Lou gave the two girls an affectionate shove out the door.
Thank you, dear God, Mandie whispered to herself. Thank you for all these nice things.
That night, when Mandie met Uncle Ned in the summerhouse nearby, she wore her new blue dress. The old Indian was happy when she told him about all the nice things that had happened to her, but he was greatly disturbed when he heard that her Uncle John had died and Bayne Locke had come to the house saying he was his nephew.
“Bayne Locke. You know where he come from?” he asked.
“He said he had come all the way from Richmond, Uncle Ned,” Mandie told him. “I suppose he must have lived there before he came here.”
“Cherokee go to Richmond. Find out. I know by next full moon,” he promised.
“Thank you, Uncle Ned. I seem to ask you for so many things, but I don’t have anyone else to ask,” the girl said.
“No, no—is all right. You one of us. Cherokee keep watch over Papoose. I promise Jim Shaw. Anything you ask, I do,” Ned reminded her. “You Cherokee, too.”
“Isn’t that wonderful, Uncle Ned? That I have such people, people who will always look out for me. Tell all the Cherokees I am grateful. I’m happy that I’m
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