Free The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard Page B

attic,” Celia reminded her.
    “I don’t think colleges have attics,” Joe said. “At least the one I go to in New Orleans doesn’t.”
    “That might be a good reason to go to your college,” Mandie said with a laugh as they got down to the hallway.
    “We’re certainly going to have to make our minds up about that,” Celia said. “We can’t wait till the last minute to enroll in a college.”
    “I know,” Mandie answered. “I’ll decide soon when I have time to think about it.”
    When they got to the parlor, Aunt Phoebe was just bringing in the tea cart with the coffee and cake.
    “Ah, we made it in time,” Jonathan said with a sigh of relief as he sat down.
    Aunt Phoebe went over to serve the adults as the young people sat down in chairs nearby and watched.
    Suddenly Mandie remembered Snowball. Where had he gone? She quickly looked around the room. “Oh no, Snowball is missing,” she whispered to her friends. “I forgot all about him when he left the attic.”
    Aunt Phoebe heard the remark as she came on over to serve the young people.
    “Don’t you worry about that cat,” she said with a big smile. “He done found his way to the kitchen, like usual, and he’s eating leftovers.”
    Mandie blew out her breath and said with a big smile, “Oh, thank you, Aunt Phoebe.”
    “Yes, we all thank you, Aunt Phoebe,” Celia added. “Otherwise we would have to go on a search for him.”
    “I’ll keep him in there till y’all git ready to leave,” the old woman promised.
    “Thank you” came from all four.
    They listened to the adults’ conversation.
    “I’ll be going back to see the preacher tomorrow morning and will let you know what he has to say,” Mrs. Taft was saying as she sipped her coffee. “I do hope he knows something. I believe you had told us you have not been to church since Miss Hope disappeared and therefore you have not seen the preacher.”
    “That’s right,” Miss Prudence said. “And if I learn any news I will certainly let you know.”
    Turning to Uncle Ned, Mrs. Taft asked, “And when do you think you will be seeing your young Indian friends who are searching?”
    “Any time now,” Uncle Ned said. “Will let me know if they get any news.”
    “I have some friends who are government investigators who would be glad to help us search, I’m sure,” Senator Morton suggested.
    Miss Prudence immediately became flustered and set down her cup of coffee. “Oh, not government investigators, Senator, we don’t need them, thank you.”
    “I was only making a suggestion, Miss Prudence,” he replied. “But it seems to me if we are ever going to find Miss Hope, we need some experienced people to come in and help.”
    “No, no, thank you, Senator,” Miss Prudence said, nervously pushing at a loose strand of hair. “I’m sure we’ll find my sister.”
    Mrs. Taft looked up as the clock in the hallway struck nine. “Oh dear, I didn’t realize it was so late,” she said. “We must be getting home.” She quickly stood up. “We’ll be in touch tomorrow, Miss Prudence.”
    “Thank you for your help and for coming tonight,” Miss Prudence said as everyone else rose to leave the room.
    The four young people hurried out ahead of the others and waited outside the front door.
    “Oh goodness, I forgot Snowball again. I’ll be right back,” Mandie said as she rushed back inside the house.
    Hurrying to the kitchen, she scooped up the white cat and went to join her friends, who were piling into the rig behind Mrs. Taft, Senator Morton, and Uncle Ned.
    “I’m glad you didn’t completely forget that cat or we would have had to come all the way back for him,” Jonathan told her teasingly.
    Mandie’s hand felt the paper in her pocket as she held on to Snowball when Ben drove the rig out into the street.
    “I have one of those papers in my pocket,” she whispered to her friends.
    “Why?” Joe asked.
    “It got separated from the others at the last minute, so I just picked