Free The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard Page B

out the back door. Don’t you dare make a sound,” Mandie told the girl. “Ifanyone sees or hears us, you’re going to be in much deeper trouble, understand?”
    â€œI understand what trouble be, that I do,” Mollie replied, moving to stand close behind her.
    â€œNot a word, not a sound,” Mandie warned, then softly opened the door. The three of them stepped out into the hall.
    They got down the back stairs without incident. Mandie led the way around the house to the yard beneath their window to look for Hilda. She found the girl curled up, asleep on the bench beneath the magnolia tree.
    â€œHilda, let’s go home,” Mandie said, softly touching her head.
    Hilda instantly jumped up and ran down the driveway. Mollie started to run after her, but Mandie grabbed her hand and held it tight.
    â€œYou are not running away. We are going to Grandmother’s house,” Mandie told her.
    â€œBut Hilda be gone,” Mollie said, pointing.
    â€œNo, she’s not,” Mandie said. She nodded toward the girl, who was waiting for them down at the road.
    â€œBut she will be gone again,” Mollie replied.
    And, sure enough, as soon as the three caught up with Hilda, the girl once more ran ahead. Mandie noticed she did seem to know the way and that she would go ahead and then look back to see if they were following.
    Finally they arrived at Mrs. Taft’s house. The moon was still playing hide-and-seek behind the clouds. Mandie tried to determine if anyone was up and about in the house, but she couldn’t see a light inside. They paused in the front driveway. Hilda waited just ahead of them.
    â€œWhat do we do now?” Celia asked in a whisper.
    â€œWe be going inside,” Mollie declared and tried to pull away from Mandie.
    Mandie held her hand firmly and said, “We have to figure out how to get you back in the house without waking anyone, or you will most certainly be in trouble.”
    â€œWhy don’t we go around to the back and see if there are any lights on in the back of the house?” Celia suggested.
    â€œYes, let’s do,” Mandie agreed. Looking at Hilda, she said, “Come on with us, Hilda. We are going in the house.”
    Hilda immediately ran down the driveway toward the back of the house. Mollie tried to pull away again. “I be going with Hilda,” she repeated.
    â€œNo!” Mandie said, holding on to her hand ever more tightly.
    Mandie and Celia walked on with Mollie around the house. When they came to the back door Mandie was shocked to see her grandmother standing in the doorway talking to Ben. “Grandmother!” she exclaimed at the same instant Mrs. Taft saw them.
    â€œWell, now, I see y’all have found her,” Mrs. Taft said. Then with sudden alarm, she said, “She didn’t come to the school in the middle of the night, did she?”
    â€œYes, Grandmother, she did. And Hilda was with her. She ran ahead of us, but she’s around here somewhere, too,” Mandie explained, finally letting go of Mollie’s hand.
    Mollie immediately tried to go in the back door, but Mrs. Taft grabbed the back of her dress to stop her. “Not so fast now, Mollie,” she scolded. “You have done something bad, and you will be punished for it. You just wait here, because I am going to see that you are confined to your room for the rest of the night.” She looked out into the yard and added, “And, Hilda, you come on here. We are going back to bed.”
    Hilda immediately came out of the shadows, darted past Mrs. Taft, and disappeared into the house.
    â€œNow, girls, Ben will take you back to school,” Mrs. Taft said. “I was just going to send him out looking for these two.” She turned to her driver. “Ben, see that the girls get back safely.”
    â€œYessum, Miz Taft, dat I do,” Ben replied. “Already got de buggy hitched up in de barn.” He went to get