The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard Page B

Miss Hope. Something bad could have happened to her,” Celia said.
    “Yes, it’s so unlike her to just disappear,” Mandie replied. “But I believe Willie out at the farm knows something about it. Maybe if we told Miss Prudence, she could get him to talk to her about it.”
    “Maybe your grandmother will tell Miss Prudence about the strange way Willie acted,” Celia said. “And then maybe Miss Prudence will talk to Willie.”
    “Maybe,” Mandie agreed. “I hope Grandmother will be able to catch the preacher and ask about Annie saying she saw Miss Hope that night by the church.”
    “Well, most of all, I do hope we can find Miss Hope before school opens, and that’s only a few weeks away,” Celia said.
    Mandie grinned at her friend and said, “We sure are using the word hope a lot, aren’t we?”
    Celia grinned back and said, “I suppose so, but we are hoping we can solve this mystery, aren’t we?”
    “We certainly are,” Mandie replied. “You know, I still think the boys from Mr. Chadwick’s School might be able to help us on this. They are freer to roam the town than we girls are, and they also know lots of local people.”
    “So what are you planning on doing? Going to see them?” Celia asked with a big grin.
    Mandie knew what that grin was for. Celia had a friend, Robert, who was a student at Mr. Chadwick’s School. “Maybe we could get word to Robert to come see us since we are not allowed to go to their school without a chaperone,” she suggested as she straightened her skirts before the mirror and watched Celia out of the corner of her eye.
    “But Mandie, remember they are on vacation like we are,” Celia replied, brushing her auburn curls as she stood before the bureau mirror.
    “Oh, shucks, I suppose they are,” Mandie said with a sigh. Then she remembered something else. “But you know, Robert might have decided to come back to school early to take some of those extra courses that Mr. Chadwick gives in the summer.”
    “I don’t know how we could find out,” Celia said, fluffing out her full skirts as she stood before the mirror.
    “Hmmm.” Mandie thought for a moment and then said, “We might be able to get Uncle Ned to check Mr. Chadwick’s School and see.”
    “Do you think he would?” Celia asked, eagerly turning around to look at Mandie.
    “I could ask,” Mandie said and then added, “Or we could ask Joe and Jonathan if they would go over to Mr. Chadwick’s School for us.”
    “Jonathan wouldn’t know where the school is,” Celia said.
    “But Joe probably knows,” Mandie told her. “Come on. Let’s go meet them.” She started for the door.
    “Mandie, I know what Joe will say. We left Robert down at Tommy’s house in Charleston when we came home with you, and he’s probably still down there,” Celia said, following Mandie out the door.
    Joe and Jonathan were already sitting on the settee in the alcove at the top of the main staircase.
    Joe stood up and looked at the grandfather clock standing nearby. “Y’all took exactly twenty-nine minutes,” he said with a big grin.
    Mandie glanced at the clock and said, “Oh, Joe, how do you know?” She and Celia sat down in the chairs in front of the settee.
    “I know because I happened to look at the clock when you said y’all would be back in thirty minutes,” Joe replied, still grinning at her. “And I’d also like to remind you girls that we have thirty minutes to get back down to the parlor, as your grandmother requested.”
    “Don’t worry about that. I know things go on schedule here in Grandmother’s house, so I’ll be back in the parlor by six o’clock, as she requested,” Mandie told him. She glanced at Celia and then turned back to Joe and asked, “Would you and Jonathan do Celia and me a favor?”
    “Anything for you nice young ladies,” Jonathan said with a big smile.
    “Now wait a minute, Jonathan,” Joe quickly said. “We don’t know yet what it is they want us to do.” He looked