The Mandie Collection Read Online Free PDF Page B

in the front hallway, and Mandie quickly said, “Must be Tommy and Robert.” She grinned at her friend as the two of them hurried on down the corridor.
    Tall, handsome Thomas Patton had just hung up his coat and hat when he looked over and saw Mandie. Robert Rogers was right behind him, and he smiled shyly at Celia.
    â€œIt was nice of your grandmother to ask us over tonight,” Tommy said after he had greeted Mandie.
    â€œLet’s let her know y’all are here,” Mandie said, leading the way to the parlor. Mrs. Taft looked up when they entered the room. “Grandmother, here is Tommy Patton and also Robert Rogers.”
    Everyone exchanged greetings, and the young people sat down at one side of the room. Mollie, who had been sitting on a stool by Aunt Rebecca, immediately jumped up and ran over to join them, pulling a footstool over by Tommy.
    â€œDo you be having leprechauns at your house?” the little girl asked.
    Tommy smiled. “No, we have no leprechauns. But, come to think of it, we did have a ghost at our house one time.” He grinned at Mandie.
    â€œThere was a ghost? Will the ghost come back again?” Mollie asked, frowning as she tossed back her red curls. “Will it?”
    Mandie was becoming irritated with all these questions from Mollie. “Mollie, let’s not talk about leprechauns and ghosts anymore. Tommy and I would like to talk about something else,” she told the little girl.
    â€œAll right then, you talk, I listen,” Mollie replied and sat straight up on the stool to look from Mandie to Tommy.
    Tommy laughed and asked Mandie, “Where is her playmate? You said Hilda was here.”
    â€œI don’t know where Hilda went. She was in the back parlor when we went to get Aunt Rebecca.”
    Mollie quickly reached over to pull on Mandie’s skirt. “I be knowing where Hilda went,” she said. “You want Hilda to come in here? I go get her.”
    Before anyone could reply, Mollie jumped up and ran out of the parlor.
    â€œGoodness knows where she will go, but at least there are two maids in the house. So maybe they’ll look out for her,” Mandie said with a big sigh of relief.
    â€œBut this house is so big she might not be seen,” Celia remarked. “I imagine she knows where Hilda went and will stay with her. Since Mollie came to live at our house, Aunt Rebecca said she has been lonely with no other child around. So I imagine Mollie is glad to have Hilda.”
    Tommy Patton cleared his throat, grinned at Mandie, and glanced at Celia. “Say, that was quite a daring escapade you girls were on the other night, according to what I’ve heard,” Tommy said teasingly.
    Mandie felt her face turn red. “What escapade, Tommy Patton?”
    â€œGoing through that dark alley and your grandmother’s rig breaking down in the middle of it,” Tommy explained with a grin.
    â€œIt’s the talk of our school right now,” Robert added, glancing at Celia.
    â€œIt wasn’t our fault,” Celia quickly said.
    â€œHow did y’all know about that?” Mandie aked.
    â€œWe were going down Main Street in our school’s rig that night when we saw Uncle Cal and Ben walking down the street. So we stopped and offered them a ride,” Tommy said, still grinning. “Ben directed us to the alley where Mrs. Taft’s rig was sitting. They said they could fix it, so we didn’t stay to help because we would have been late for our curfew. Some adventure.”
    Celia grinned at Mandie and said, “See, I told you so.”
    Mandie lowered her voice and said, “I don’t think Grandmother knows about that yet, but Miss Prudence said she is going to tell her and we may get in trouble.”
    â€œWhat for? It wasn’t your fault,” Robert put in.
    â€œNo, it wasn’t, but you know how Miss Prudence is. From the way she talked, she seemed to think we should have