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

get back before dark.” She stood up.
    Celia rose, too. “All right, Mandie, but exactly what are you planning on doing? Going to your grandmother’s and telling her about the alley before Miss Prudence can talk to her?”
    Mandie started up the hill toward the front porch. “I don’t know, Celia. I’ll just see how I feel when I get there and how Grandmother acts.”
    They found Miss Hope in her office with what looked like a lot of work on her desk. She looked up and smiled when the girls stopped in the open doorway.
    â€œCome in, Amanda, Celia,” Miss Hope invited.
    â€œMiss Hope,” Mandie began as she and Celia entered the office. Then she stopped in surprise. “Snowball, what are you doing in here?” she said to the cat, who was sitting on a chair near the desk.
    â€œI brought him in here so I could keep track of him,” Miss Hope explained. “My sister is still hearing sounds like a mouse gnawing on something in the walls between her room and the hallway. So I thought perhaps Snowball might root it out for us. Now, what did you girls want?”
    Snowball sat quietly in the chair, staring at his mistress.
    â€œMiss Hope, I wanted to ask permission to go visit my grandmother tomorrow afternoon after classes are over—probably stay for supper at her house,” Mandie answered, still watching her white cat.
    â€œOf course, dear,” Miss Hope agreed. Looking at Celia, she asked, “I suppose you want to go with her, do you, Celia?”
    â€œOh yes, ma’am, please,” Celia answered with a smile.
    â€œFine then,” Miss Hope said. “I’ll ask Uncle Cal to drive you young ladies over there, and your grandmother’s driver can bring you back. Now, you must let Uncle Cal know for sure whether you are staying for supper at Mrs. Taft’s so I will know where you are.”
    â€œYes, ma’am, thank you,” Mandie said with a big smile. “As soon as we get to Grandmother’s, I’ll ask her if we should stay for supper and will tell Uncle Cal. Thank you, Miss Hope.”
    â€œYes, thank you, Miss Hope,” Celia said. “How is Miss Prudence today?”
    â€œStill not well, I’m afraid, but she should be up and around in a few days,” Miss Hope told her. “However, she is keeping up with everything that’s going on here in the school while she’s confined to her room. So, girls, please don’t do anything you shouldn’t while you are away from school tomorrow.”
    â€œYes, ma’am, we won’t,” Mandie replied.
    â€œWe’ll behave, Miss Hope,” Celia said.
    The girls went up to their room to freshen up for supper.
    â€œMandie, I have a feeling you are planning something that I don’t know about,” Celia said as she quickly brushed her auburn curls.
    â€œNo, Celia, but if we are late coming back, I can ask Ben to take the shortcut so we won’t be late for curfew,” Mandie said with a grin.
    Celia looked at her. “Mandie, is that what you’ve been planning all along with this visit to your grandmother’s? Because if it is, I’m not sure I want to go.” She tightened her lips and frowned.
    â€œNo, no, Celia,” Mandie quickly assured her. She closed thewardrobe door and turned to look at Celia. “That is not the reason I want to go to my grandmother’s. I just want to see how she seems, whether I can figure out if Miss Prudence told her anything. And I promise we won’t take the shortcut back unless you agree to it. I want you to go with me. Please?”
    â€œWell, all right—that is, if you keep your promise not to ask Ben to drive us back through that alley,” Celia said slowly.
    â€œAll right, all right, I promise,” Mandie said with a big sigh. “Now, let’s go downstairs. It’s almost time for supper.”
    After supper the girls went back to their room and read for