Leppard, Lois Gladys - [Mandie 04] Read Online Free PDF Page A

Mandie and Celia held their breath, waiting.
    Concern clouded Miss Prudence’s eyes. “And suppose some of the other girls hear about this and decide they want to move around also?” she asked her sister.
    “Let’s say there has to be a good reason to move. In this case I think we have a very good reason,” Miss Hope replied. “And if there should be a good reason for some other girl to move, then we will allow that, too.”
    Miss Prudence cleared her throat before speaking. “All right, Sister, if you want to be held responsible for any other requests to move, then we will get Uncle Cal to move Amanda’s things into the room with Celia,” Miss Prudence agreed. She looked at the girls sternly, “And you two young ladies, just remember this. There will be no more violations of the school rules. Next time, Amanda, it will be much more serious.”
    “Yes, ma’am. Thank you, Miss Prudence,” Mandie replied.
    Celia added her thanks, and the girls smiled at Miss Hope.
    Miss Hope left the office quickly with her papers in herhand. “I almost forgot it’s time for me to go to the dining room,” she said.
    That afternoon, while the other students spent their free period on the veranda, Mandie and Celia helped Uncle Cal move Mandie’s belongings.
    The two girls, with their arms full of clothes, followed Uncle Cal out of Mandie’s old room and walked straight into April’s path.
    “So, you just can’t take it, huh?” April said, blocking their way. “I know the other girls have told you that my mother is a Yankee and my grandfather was a Union soldier, but I didn’t think you would move out on account of that.”
    Mandie frowned. “But I didn’t know that, April,” she protested. “Besides, that doesn’t make any difference to me, none at all.”
    “I don’t believe you. Why else would you move out?”
    “Really, April, I didn’t know anything at all about you,” Mandie insisted. “And what difference does it make which side your family was on? The War of Northern Aggression has been over for many, many years now.”
    “Mandie is moving into my room because I was afraid to stay there by myself,” Celia told her.
    “Afraid, huh?” April scoffed. “What’re you afraid of?”
    Mandie pushed past April. “Oh, come on, Celia. We don’t have time to waste.”
    “You’ll be sorry,” April called as the two hurried down the hallway.
    “I see now why you wanted to get away from that girl,” Celia whispered.
    Mandie soon realized another advantage of staying in the isolated room. The time would soon arrive for Uncle Ned to visit her, and it would be much easier to slip out of this room to meet him.
    On the night of the full moon, the two girls sat talking in the dark, waiting for everyone else to go to sleep. Mandie couldn’t wait to meet Uncle Ned in the yard. The ten o’clock bell had already rung and all the lamps were out.
    Mandie told Celia her plan. “As soon as I get down the steps and into the yard, I’ll come around to where I can watch this window. If you hear anyone coming, just close the window. I’ll hurry back in,” she said.
    “I’ll keep watch, Mandie, but I want to meet Uncle Ned.”
    “If he sees anyone besides me, he’ll leave. Maybe the next time he comes you can meet him.”
    “Please ask him. Don’t forget,” Celia begged.
    Mandie, still dressed, picked up a dark shawl to put over her head so that her blonde hair wouldn’t shine in the moonlight.
    “I won’t forget.” She crept out into the hallway. She had already planned her way out of the house in preparation for Uncle Ned’s visit.
    Hurrying down the servants’ stairway in the dark, she ended up in the kitchen. The moon shone through the windows, so she could see the bolt on the outside door. Sliding the bolt over, she opened the door. Outside, she kept close to the shrubbery around the house and made her way to the side yard. She glanced up at the open window. Everything was all right so far.
    Mandie