The Missing Book

by Lois Gladys Leppard

  “Oh, me, oh, my,” Mandie muttered to herself. She pulled the quilt up closer around her shoulders as she thought about Mrs. Chapman going for the job interview. Mrs. Chapman had been a schoolteacher for many years before she and Faith had moved to Charley Gap, so Mandie believed she would get the position. And Faith would move away. Mandie wouldn’t have a friend living anywhere near her except for Joe. All her schoolmates lived in the other direction from the schoolhouse, too far away to visit. She felt a little chill of sadness pass over her.

  Maybe she and Faith and Joe could solve the mystery of the unknown visitor seen by Mrs. Clifton at Mrs. Chapman’s old house before Faith left for her new home. That would give Mandie something to think about besides Faith’s departure.

  “There’s always an answer to a mystery,” she whispered to herself. All she had to do was figure out how she was going to solve this one. If the person was only seen at night, it wouldn’t do any good to spy on the place in the daytime. On the other hand, she didn’t know how she could get permission to go over there at night. In fact, she knew it was impossible.

  Maybe she could spend the night with Faith. She could also share Faith’s reading book while there. Then she would be prepared if Mr. Tallant again involved her in the reading lesson in class, which she knew was pretty likely.

  If she stayed overnight with Faith, she might be able to persuade Faith to come out with her to the old house during the night to look for the person roaming around there.

  Just as she was dropping off to sleep, Mandie remembered Joe’s refusal to tell her his secret—and she was sure he did have one.

  Somehow she would find out what it was.

  The next day was cloudy and cold again. Mandie was glad to see that it had not snowed, because they would be going to church and her mother would talk to Mrs. Lester about Bryson City.

  As she turned away from the window to get dressed, she saw that Windy was still on Irene’s bed, but luckily her sister was asleep. Mandie quietly swooped up the cat and set her down on her own bed. Windy protested loudly, jumped down, ran to the ladder, and went downstairs. About that time Irene opened her eyes and sat up.

  “Did it snow?” Irene asked, looking toward the window.

  “No, but it’s still awfully cloudy, and it must be terribly cold out there,” Mandie replied, hastily beginning to dress.

  “So we will be going to church and Mama will be asking Mrs. Lester about the journey to Bryson City,” Irene replied, tossing back the quilt and getting out of bed.

  At that moment they heard a horse in the yard below. Mandie hurried to the window to look down. Whoever it was had gone on around to the back, out of view.

  “Who would be coming to visit this early in the morning?” Mandie said, mostly to herself, as she quickly buttoned up her dress.

  “There must be an emergency of some kind,” Irene said, picking up her dress.

  “Daddy is up, I know, because I can smell the coffee perking,” Mandie said, tossing back her long braid and smoothing it down. “I’m going to see,” she added, and went across the room to go down the ladder.

  “I am too,” Irene said, straightening her skirt as she followed close behind Mandie.

  When Mandie stepped into the kitchen with Irene, she saw their father standing in the doorway talking to Dr. Woodard, who was out on the back porch.

  “Just let me grab my coat and hat and I’ll be right with you,” Mr. Shaw was saying as he reached to take his things from the pegs by the door. As he turned he saw the girls. “Be right back,” he told them, and quickly went out the door and closed it behind him.

  Mandie hurried to the back window to look out. Dr. Woodard’s buggy was in the driveway, and as she watched, the doctor and her father stepped up into the vehicle.

  “I wonder where they are going,” Irene said behind her.

  “Looks to me like they’re just going to sit there and talk,” Mandie replied. “The reins are still looped over the tree limb.”

  The girls watched for at least ten minutes, but the two men didn’t go anywhere. Then Mr. Shaw stepped down from the buggy, and Dr. Woodard drove off.

  “Why didn’t Dr. Woodard come in the house?” Mandie asked when her father returned.

  Mr. Shaw hung up his coat and hat. “We had some business to discuss privately.” He went over to the cookstove and added more wood to the fire.

  “But, Daddy, he still could have come inside,” Mandie said. “We wouldn’t have interfered.”

  Mr. Shaw straightened up and smiled at Mandie. “I know. But it was private business just between the two of us. Now, let’s get started on breakfast.”

  Mandie frowned but didn’t say any more. She got the silverware out of the drawer.

  “Must have been private doctor business. Who cares?” Irene mumbled under her breath as she went to the cupboard to get the dishes for breakfast.

  Then Mrs. Shaw came into the kitchen. “That sure was a short visit,” she said. “The doctor must have been in a hurry.” She went to the stove to check the contents of the coffeepot. It was full.

  “Yes, he was. I’ll explain later,” Mr. Shaw said, nodding toward Mandie and Irene.

  Dr. Woodard’s visit was not mentioned again. The Shaws had breakfast and got ready to go to church.

  Though the day was cloudy and cold, almost everyone in the community came for the church service that morning. As the Shaws sat down, Mandie looked around for the Lesters. They weren’t there. Maybe they were just a little late. As the sermon progressed, she decided they were not coming.

  “Tommy and his family are not here,” Irene whispered to Mandie.

  Mrs. Shaw, sitting on the other side of Irene, touched Irene’s shoulder and shook her head. The two girls straightened up and turned their attention to the preacher delivering the message.

  The sermon ran overtime. The tall clock in the corner softly chimed twelve, and the preacher continued until it struck half past. When the congregation rose to sing the closing hymn, Mandie took advantage of the noise to whisper to her sister again.

  “Did Tommy tell you they weren’t coming to church today?” she asked.

  Irene shook her head. “No, he said they would be here.”

  Mandie sang along with the crowd as she tried to figure out what had happened to the Lesters. She still didn’t know whether or not she and Irene would be allowed to go to Bryson City with them.

  As soon as the preacher said the benediction, the congregation began filing out of the church, chatting happily. Mandie also heard complaints here and there about the preacher going overtime, especially on such a cold, cloudy day.

  On the way home, Mandie listened for any conversation between her parents that might explain the Lesters’ absence, but their name was never mentioned.

  Later, during dinner, Mrs. Shaw finally spoke about the Lesters. As she passed the food around the table, she looked at the girls. “You girls won’t be going to Bryson City with the Lesters next weekend because they won’t be making the journey over there anytime soon.”

  “Why, Mama?” Mandie asked.

  “How do you know, Mama? They weren’t even in church today for you to talk to them about it,” Irene said.

  Mrs. Shaw looked over at Mr. Shaw. He didn’t say a word. She turned back to the girls. “Mrs. Lester has fallen ill.”

  “When did she get sick?” Mandie asked.

  “Last night,” Mrs. Shaw said. “Now finish up your food and let’s get the table cleared off.”

  Mandie remembered Dr.Woodard’s early-morning visit and decided he had been over at the Lesters’ and had come by to tell her father and mother that Mrs. Lester was ill. But why had he and her parents acted so mysterious about everything?

  Later in the day Dr. Woodard came by again, and this time Joe was with him. They came into the house, and Mrs. Shaw set out cake and coffee in the kitchen for the young people. Dr. Woodard and Mr. Shaw went on into the parlor.

  “Now, don’t eat too much of this cake or no
ne of you will want any supper,” Mrs. Shaw said as she placed the cake in the middle of the table and uncovered it.

  Mandie and Irene got plates and cups from the cupboard.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Shaw,” Joe said with a big grin as she sliced a piece for him.

  “Amanda, you and Irene get yours. I’m going in the parlor to sit with Dr. Woodard and your father,” Mrs. Shaw said as she left the room.

  “I suppose they don’t want any,” Mandie said as they filled their cups from the percolator on the stove.

  Joe cleared his throat. “They want to talk in there so we can’t hear what they say.”

  “That’s what I was thinking too, Joe,” Mandie said, frowning. “You probably know your father came by this morning and my father went outside to sit in Dr. Woodard’s buggy to talk. He told us it was a private conversation.”

  “Hmmm,” Joe said. “They probably didn’t want to discuss everything in front of you.”

  “What do you mean?” Irene asked.

  “Yes, exactly what do you mean?” Mandie added.

  “Well,” Joe replied hesitantly, “I’m not sure I should tell y’all.”

  That made Mandie really curious. “Joe Woodard, what is going on?” she asked.

  “You see, since my father is the doctor around here, I learn all kinds of things about everybody, and I’m not supposed to ever repeat any of it,” he said, looking at Mandie and then at Irene.

  “Now you have to explain, or—or I’ll just take away your chocolate cake,” Mandie said, reaching for his plate. But Joe was too quick and moved it out of her reach. “Joe, please tell us whatever it is that you know.”

  “Both of you promise not to let anyone know I told you?” Joe asked, looking from Mandie to Irene.

  “I promise,” Mandie said eagerly.

  “I do too,” Irene added.

  At that moment Mrs. Shaw came back into the kitchen. “I just need to get coffee to take into the parlor,” she explained as she carried the cups to the stove.

  “I’ll help you, Mama,” Mandie offered, quickly rising and getting a serving tray from the cupboard.

  Mrs. Shaw reached for the tray and placed the cups of coffee on it.

  “Don’t y’all want any chocolate cake?” Mandie asked as her mother started out of the room.

  “No, not right now,” Mrs. Shaw said, going through the doorway toward the parlor. Looking back, she added, “We might later, so don’t eat it all up.”

  “We couldn’t possibly eat all that cake,” Mandie told her, giggling.

  As soon as the door closed behind Mrs. Shaw, Joe said, “I’m glad she didn’t catch me in the middle of what I was going to tell y’all.”

  “Oh, Joe, hurry up and explain,” Mandie urged him.

  Joe began talking in a low whisper. “As I said, since I am the doctor’s son, I learn lots of things. What I was going to tell y’all was that Mrs. Lester had a baby last night—”

  “Joe!” Mandie interrupted.

  Both girls stared at him in astonishment. That topic was not discussed between boys and girls. It was considered improper.

  “All right, if you don’t want to know what happened, I won’t tell y’all, but you said you did want to know,” Joe replied, frowning at them.

  “All right, we’ll listen, you do the talking,” Irene answered.

  “Like I just said, Mrs. Lester had a baby last night and it died,” Joe replied.

  The two girls were shocked again.

  “Why? Why did it die?” Mandie asked.

  “My father said it came too early, wasn’t supposed to get here until June, and this is just March,” Joe said, his expression grim.

  “Oh, how awful!” Mandie exclaimed, tears flooding her eyes.

  “I didn’t know Mrs. Lester was going to have a baby,” Irene said. “Are you sure she did?”

  “Yes, I am. My father discusses all his cases with my mother, and sometimes I hear the conversation,” Joe replied. “And I heard everything about Mrs. Lester.”

  “That explains why the Lesters weren’t at church,” Mandie said.

  “Tommy never told me a word about his mother going to have a baby,” Irene said, frowning.

  “Irene, it would not be proper for him to tell such things,” Mandie reminded her.

  “Now with all this happening, my father won’t be able to take Mrs. Chapman to Tellico for her interview this week,” Joe said.

  “Your father was going to take her?” Mandie asked.

  “Yes, he was going to visit some of his patients over there and had offered to take Mrs. Chapman and Faith along,” Joe replied.

  “Faith is going with her grandmother? She’ll miss school if she does,” Mandie said.

  “Mrs. 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,” Joe explained.

  “Then how is Mrs. Chapman going if your father can’t take them?” Mandie asked.

  “I don’t know yet,” Joe said, finally swallowing a big mouthful of chocolate cake and washing it down with coffee.

  Mandie thought for a moment. “Maybe my father could take her.” Then she added with a grin, “And just maybe I could go with him.”

  “Amanda Shaw, you know Mama won’t let you miss school like that,” Irene reminded her.

  “Well, I could always ask,” 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.

  “Did you ask your father about driving Mrs. Chapman and Faith to the interview?” he asked, taking Mandie’s books to carry.

  “No, I haven’t had the right chance yet,” Mandie replied.

  “Well, you don’t have to ask,” Joe said as they walked down the road. “My 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 they’ll come back Thursday.” Mr. Miller and his wife worked for Dr. Woodard and lived on his property.

  “I suppose my father wouldn’t have gone anyway,” Mandie said, disappointed by the decision.

  Faith was waiting for them at the crossroads. Mandie noticed that she was unusually excited.

  “We’re going to Tellico tomorrow,” Faith told them.

  “I know. Joe just told me,” Mandie replied, feeling guilty that she could not be excited about this journey.

  “I appreciate your father’s allowing Mr. Miller to take us,” Faith said to Joe as they walked on toward the schoolhouse.

  “My father didn’t think he could be away right now with Mrs. Lester still not doing very well.”

  “I felt so sad when my grandmother told me about the baby,” Faith said. She tossed back her long dark hair.

  “I suppose they will be having a funeral,” Mandie said.

  “They had a private service late yesterday after we left your house, Mandie,” Joe said.

  Irene caught up with them. “Who do you think is going to be the class poet?” she asked, falling in step.

  “Not me. I don’t want to be it,” Mandie said.

  “I’m guessing Joe will get it,” Irene said, glancing at him.

  “No, I don’t want to be class poet either,” Joe told her. “Maybe Faith.”

  “No, leave me out of that,” Faith said. “We all have to vote, so who are y’all voting for?”

  “I haven’t decided yet,” Mandie said.

  “If none of us really wants to win it, then why don’t we decide among us who to vote for?” Joe said.

  “How about Esther?” Faith said. “I thought her poem was good. Remember, it was about the birds in her mother
’s flower garden?”

  “All right then. Let’s all vote for Esther and she will probably get it,” Joe replied.

  “I will vote for her if it’s all done privately so no one will know who voted for whom,” Irene said. “I don’t especially like that girl, and this will probably give her more reason to act uppity if she wins it.”

  “She has my vote,” Joe stated.

  “And mine,” Mandie added.

  As they arrived at the schoolhouse, the four agreed to keep their decision secret.

  When Mr. Tallant called the roll that morning, Mandie noticed that Tommy Lester was absent. He was probably grieving over the loss of his little brother or sister. No one had said whether it was a girl or a boy.

  “We will now vote for the class poet,” Mr. Tallant said, looking around the room. “I had thought about some class discussion on the poems written, but I don’t believe we will have time for that. We’ll just go ahead and vote. I’m sure you all remember what was read in class.”

  Mandie glanced at Joe, Faith, and Irene, and they all smiled.

  The schoolmaster continued, holding up a stack of small papers. “I have pieces of paper for you to record your vote.” He walked over to Leland, who sat at the desk nearest his, and handed the papers to him. “Leland, take one and pass the stack on down the line, each person taking one piece of paper.”

  As soon as everyone had one of the papers, Mr. Tallant explained, “Now I want you to write the name of the person you are voting for on your piece of paper, fold it once, and line up around the room and drop your papers in the basket on my desk.”

  “Yes, sir,” came from around the room.

  Mandie carefully wrote “Esther Rogan” on her paper, folded it, and got in line.

  When all the votes had been cast, Mr. Tallant said, “Now I want you all to write down the names as I call them from these papers, and we’ll see who received the most votes.”

  Mandie kept count and then turned to grin at her friends.

  “The winner is Esther Rogan,” Mr. Tallant announced. “Esther, will you please come forward?”