Free The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard Page B

out more pieces.
    Joe glanced her way as he crammed the contents of the trunk back inside. “Do you think the will would be hidden in a box of dishes?” he asked.
    â€œI don’t know, but I do know I want to see all of these,” Mandie said, continuing to remove the dishes and setting them down on the floor.
    Joe closed the trunk lid, walked over to her, and looked at the dishes she had taken out. “They are pretty,” Joe agreed as he picked up a coffee cup to inspect it.
    â€œThis seems to be a whole set,” Mandie said, quickly counting the pieces. “I can’t imagine why we don’t use these instead of those plain white ones in the dining room downstairs.”
    Snowball had jumped down from his perch and came to smell the dishes on the floor.
    â€œOh, Snowball, I am not putting these down for you. There’s no food in them,” Mandie said, pushing the cat aside as she stacked the plates together.
    At that moment Liza came to the doorway and yelled across the room, “Miz ’Lizbeth she say you come take food to de Burnses whut live in de old house down by de ruby mine. Right now, she say.”
    â€œFood to the Burnses?” Mandie said, straightening up to look at Liza. “Why is Mother sending food to the Burnses? Did somebody die?”
    â€œLawsy mercy, Missy ’Manda, I don’t be aknowin’. I jes’ tellin’ you whut she tell me to tell you,” the girl replied. “Is you ’bout done in heah?” She looked around the room.
    â€œNot quite, Liza,” Mandie said, beginning to replace the dishes into the box. “Joe, are you going with me?”
    Before Joe could answer, Liza supplied the answer. “Miz ’Lizbeth she say fo’ him to go, too. Sumpin’ ’bout dere bein’ too much food fo’ you to carry, and I cain’t go ’cause I’se busy in de kitchen.”
    â€œAll right, as soon as I can put all these back into this box,” Mandie replied. “Please tell her I’ll be right down.”
    â€œAnd so will I,” Joe added as he helped Mandie repack the box.Liza said, “In de dinin’ room,” and went back downstairs. Mandieand Joe followed a few minutes later. Snowball rushed down the stairs ahead of them and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen. Elizabeth was waiting for them in the dining room. Two large baskets sat on the end of the table. They were packed full and covered with white cloths.
    â€œYou want us to take those to the Burnses?” Mandie asked as they entered the room and saw the baskets.
    â€œYes, dear,” Elizabeth told her. “We’ve got so much food cooked we can’t eat it all, and I thought Jake and Ludie might appreciate some of it.”
    â€œIs it all right if we eat on the way?” Joe asked jokingly.
    Elizabeth smiled at him and said, “Please be real careful. There are breakable dishes in the baskets.”
    â€œOh, Mother,” Mandie said, remembering the dishes in the attic as she started to pick up one of the baskets. “I just found the most beautiful dishes in a box in the attic—a whole set, white with tiny little rosebuds around the rims. Why don’t we use them?”
    Elizabeth frowned and then said, “I should have prevented you from seeing them. It’s too late now.”
    Mandie looked at her mother in surprise and asked, “Prevented me from seeing them? Why?”
    Elizabeth suddenly sat down in a chair by the table, took a deep breath, and said, “They are yours. I wanted—”
    Mandie excitedly interrupted, “They are mine?”
    â€œYes, dear,” her mother replied, looking at her with sad eyes.
    Mandie felt something was wrong, and she stood there silently waiting for her mother to explain.
    â€œThey are to be a wedding gift to you when you grow up and get married,” Elizabeth said. “So I’m sorry you found