Read Online The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard - Free Book Online Page B

told her as she took the letter back.
    Elizabeth stood up and said, “Now I think we should all go to bed and get some rest.”
    Everyone agreed.
    â€œI’ll just find Snowball, then I’ll go to my room,” Mandie said as all the others went up the staircase.
    â€œDon’t take too long, dear,” Elizabeth called back to her.
    Mandie went down the hallway and pushed open the kitchen door, looking for her cat. She found Aunt Lou, Liza, Jenny, and Abraham all sitting around the fireplace drinking coffee.
    â€œIt’s past time for y’all to be in the bed,” Mandie teased them with a big smile.
    Aunt Lou looked at her seriously and said, “We couldn’t be gwine to bed widout knowin’ whut be happenin’ to my chile at dat courthouse.”
    â€œEverything’s going to be all right, but I still have to find the will,” Mandie replied as she sat down on a stool nearby. She quickly told them everything that had happened and showed them the letter.
    â€œWe been so worried ’bout you, Missy ’Manda, dat we went ahaid and did some lookin’ on our own,” Liza told her.
    â€œLooking? You mean for the will?” Mandie asked in surprise.
    â€œWe look fo’ de will in our own rooms and in Jenny and Abraham’s house out dere in de yard,” Aunt Lou explained.
    â€œBut we ain’t found nuthin’,” Jenny added.
    â€œ ’Course dat will ain’t gwine be in our house ’cause we didn’t take no will,” Abraham said to Jenny. “I been tellin’ you dat all de time.”
    â€œBut somebody coulda stole it and hid it in our house, and I been tellin’ you dat,” Jenny replied.
    Mandie smiled at them as she stood up to leave. “It could be anywhere, because we don’t know who stole it,” she said.
    Liza also rose and said, “You knows, Missy ’Manda, I been athinkin’ ’bout dat day Mistuh John leave de do’ open, and seem like I ’members hearin’ a lil noise when I goes lookin’ fo’ him when I gits done cleanin’ in dere.”
    Mandie quickly asked, “A noise? What kind of a noise? Where?”
    â€œI don’t rightly know,” Liza said, scratching her head. “Sound like a rat runnin’ round and round, or mebbe it be somebody movin’ sumpin, but wudn’t nobody on de third floor but me dat day.”
    â€œUnless somebody managed to get into the house without anyoneseeing them and getting on up to the third floor,” Mandie said thoughtfully.
    Liza shivered as she said, “I sho’ hopes nobody got in dis heah house and up dere wid me all by myself.”
    â€œWhere were you when you heard this noise?” Mandie asked.
    â€œOn de third floor, like I said, and I wuz walkin’ down de hall mindin’ my own bidness,” Liza explained. “I be ’bout to de next do’ to de office do’ when I hears dis heah noise, like I tells you.”
    â€œThe door to the room next to Uncle John’s office?” Mandie questioned.
    Liza nodded and said, “Dat’s de one.”
    â€œDid the noise sound like it was inside that room?” Mandie asked.
    â€œI jes’ ain’t sho,” Liza replied. “But I thinks I’m sho.”
    Mandie suddenly had an idea. “Liza, let’s go up there and you show me where you were,” she told the girl.
    Liza looked at her in surprise. “Go up dere? Right now?”
    â€œYes, right now, Liza, because I am supposed to be going to bed. Everyone else has already gone up to their rooms for the night,” Mandie replied. “It won’t take but a few minutes. Come on.” She turned to leave the room.
    â€œNo, Missy ’Manda, it be dark up dere,” Liza complained.
    â€œOh, that’s right. We’ll take a lamp with us,” Mandie said. “There’s one on the landing on the second floor. We’ll get