Read Online The Missing Book by Lois Gladys Leppard - Free Book Online
Authors: Lois Gladys Leppard
Tags: Fiction
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Sheâll miss school if she does,â Mandie said.
âMrs. Chapman told my father she wanted Faith to see the place and to be satisfied that she would want to move over there, just in case she gets the job,â Joe explained.
âThen how is Mrs. Chapman going if your father canât take them?â Mandie asked.
âI donât know yet,â Joe said, finally swallowing a big mouthful of chocolate cake and washing it down with coffee.
Mandie thought for a moment. âMaybe my father could take her.â Then she added with a grin, âAnd just maybe I could go with him.â
âAmanda Shaw, you know Mama wonât let you miss school like that,â Irene reminded her.
âWell, I could always ask,â Mandie said.
As soon as she got the right opportunity she would ask her father. She had never been to Tellico, and if she could go with them, she would know where her friend would be living in case Mrs. Chapman got the job. A small consolation for having her friend move away, but Mandie would take it.
7
Waiting
THE NEXT MORNING when Joe met Mandie at the road to walk to school, he had news.
âDid you ask your father about driving Mrs. Chapman and Faith to the interview?â he asked, taking Mandieâs books to carry.
âNo, I havenât had the right chance yet,â Mandie replied.
âWell, you donât have to ask,â Joe said as they walked down the road. âMy father has asked Mr. Miller to take them, and he can also do some errands for my father while he is over there. They are leaving tomorrow, the interview is Wednesday, and theyâll come back Thursday.â Mr. Miller and his wife worked for Dr. Woodard and lived on his property.
âI suppose my father wouldnât have gone anyway,â Mandie said, disappointed by the decision.
Faith was waiting for them at the crossroads. Mandie noticed that she was unusually excited.
âWeâre going to Tellico tomorrow,â Faith told them.
âI know. Joe just told me,â Mandie replied, feeling guilty that she could not be excited about this journey.
âI appreciate your fatherâs allowing Mr. Miller to take us,â Faith said to Joe as they walked on toward the schoolhouse.
âMy father didnât think he could be away right now with Mrs. Lester still not doing very well.â
âI felt so sad when my grandmother told me about the baby,â Faith said. She tossed back her long dark hair.
âI suppose they will be having a funeral,â Mandie said.
âThey had a private service late yesterday after we left your house, Mandie,â Joe said
.
Irene caught up with them. âWho do you think is going to be the class poet?â she asked, falling in step.
âNot me. I donât want to be it,â Mandie said.
âIâm guessing Joe will get it,â Irene said, glancing at him.
âNo, I donât want to be class poet either,â Joe told her. âMaybe Faith.â
âNo, leave me out of that,â Faith said. âWe all have to vote, so who are yâall voting for?â
âI havenât decided yet,â Mandie said.
âIf none of us really wants to win it, then why donât we decide among us who to vote for?â Joe said.
âHow about Esther?â Faith said. âI thought her poem was good. Remember, it was about the birds in her motherâs flower garden?â
âAll right then. Letâs all vote for Esther and she will probably get it,â Joe replied.
âI will vote for her if itâs all done privately so no one will know who voted for whom,â Irene said. âI donât especially like that girl, and this will probably give her more reason to act uppity if she wins it.â
âShe has my vote,â Joe stated.
âAnd mine,â Mandie added.
As they arrived at the schoolhouse, the four agreed to keep their decision secret.
When Mr. Tallant called
âMrs. Chapman told my father she wanted Faith to see the place and to be satisfied that she would want to move over there, just in case she gets the job,â Joe explained.
âThen how is Mrs. Chapman going if your father canât take them?â Mandie asked.
âI donât know yet,â Joe said, finally swallowing a big mouthful of chocolate cake and washing it down with coffee.
Mandie thought for a moment. âMaybe my father could take her.â Then she added with a grin, âAnd just maybe I could go with him.â
âAmanda Shaw, you know Mama wonât let you miss school like that,â Irene reminded her.
âWell, I could always ask,â Mandie said.
As soon as she got the right opportunity she would ask her father. She had never been to Tellico, and if she could go with them, she would know where her friend would be living in case Mrs. Chapman got the job. A small consolation for having her friend move away, but Mandie would take it.
7
Waiting
THE NEXT MORNING when Joe met Mandie at the road to walk to school, he had news.
âDid you ask your father about driving Mrs. Chapman and Faith to the interview?â he asked, taking Mandieâs books to carry.
âNo, I havenât had the right chance yet,â Mandie replied.
âWell, you donât have to ask,â Joe said as they walked down the road. âMy father has asked Mr. Miller to take them, and he can also do some errands for my father while he is over there. They are leaving tomorrow, the interview is Wednesday, and theyâll come back Thursday.â Mr. Miller and his wife worked for Dr. Woodard and lived on his property.
âI suppose my father wouldnât have gone anyway,â Mandie said, disappointed by the decision.
Faith was waiting for them at the crossroads. Mandie noticed that she was unusually excited.
âWeâre going to Tellico tomorrow,â Faith told them.
âI know. Joe just told me,â Mandie replied, feeling guilty that she could not be excited about this journey.
âI appreciate your fatherâs allowing Mr. Miller to take us,â Faith said to Joe as they walked on toward the schoolhouse.
âMy father didnât think he could be away right now with Mrs. Lester still not doing very well.â
âI felt so sad when my grandmother told me about the baby,â Faith said. She tossed back her long dark hair.
âI suppose they will be having a funeral,â Mandie said.
âThey had a private service late yesterday after we left your house, Mandie,â Joe said
.
Irene caught up with them. âWho do you think is going to be the class poet?â she asked, falling in step.
âNot me. I donât want to be it,â Mandie said.
âIâm guessing Joe will get it,â Irene said, glancing at him.
âNo, I donât want to be class poet either,â Joe told her. âMaybe Faith.â
âNo, leave me out of that,â Faith said. âWe all have to vote, so who are yâall voting for?â
âI havenât decided yet,â Mandie said.
âIf none of us really wants to win it, then why donât we decide among us who to vote for?â Joe said.
âHow about Esther?â Faith said. âI thought her poem was good. Remember, it was about the birds in her motherâs flower garden?â
âAll right then. Letâs all vote for Esther and she will probably get it,â Joe replied.
âI will vote for her if itâs all done privately so no one will know who voted for whom,â Irene said. âI donât especially like that girl, and this will probably give her more reason to act uppity if she wins it.â
âShe has my vote,â Joe stated.
âAnd mine,â Mandie added.
As they arrived at the schoolhouse, the four agreed to keep their decision secret.
When Mr. Tallant called
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