The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard Read Free Book Online Page A

has—died in Europe and—”
    â€œDied! Oh, no!” she gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. “Please, God, not my Uncle John, too!”
    â€œI’m sorry,” Mr. Bond said. “I couldn’t think of any way to tell you. The letter says he was buried over there and—”
    â€œWhen, Mr. Jason?”
    â€œA few weeks ago. It took a long time for word to reach his lawyer and then his lawyer had to let us know,” the old man told her.
    â€œOh, Uncle John, now what will I do?” she sobbed.
    Mr. Bond held her hand and tried to comfort her. “Don’t worry about what you’re going to do. You’re going to stay right here. I’m sending a note back to the lawyer, telling him you are here and you are going to stay here until the will is found.”
    â€œThe will?” she asked.
    â€œYeh, until the will is found. Lawyer Wilson drew up a will for your uncle last year, but he says in this letter he believes your uncle made another one since then. At any rate, he thinks the will must be in his papers here in the house somewhere, so we’ll have to look for it.”
    â€œWhat good is the will if Uncle John is dead?” she asked.
    â€œDon’t you know what a will is? It’s a paper, a legal paper, stating who is to receive what of the inheritance when a person dies. Your uncle had lots of money and property and someone will get all that, depending on who is mentioned in his will,” Mr. Jason told her. “There’s a possibility you will be mentioned in his will as a legal heir.”
    â€œAn heir?”
    â€œYes, that’s the person who gets whatever is left to him by the person who dies.”
    â€œBut he never even saw me that I know of. He might not have even known that I was born.”
    â€œMaybe, maybe not. Anyway, he knew he had a brother, who was your father; and since your father is dead, if he willed anything to him, then you would get it instead.”
    Mandie finally understood most of what Mr. Bond was telling her, and she became anxious to find the will. She also wanted to talk to someone her own age.
    â€œMay I invite Polly to spend the night with me, Mr. Bond?”
    â€œOf course, but her mother will have to agree, you know.”
    So when Polly came over and heard the news, she returned home to tell her mother and came back to tell Mandie that her mother would come to call later in the afternoon.
    Mrs. Cornwallis, a young widow, was very expensively dressed; her clothes were beautiful. Mandie was a little unsure of herself in the presence of such a lady.
    â€œMy dear, such a shock for you. And just the day after you got here, too. You must come over to our house and stay until things are settled,” Mrs. Cornwallis told her.
    â€œThank you, Mrs. Cornwallis, but I can’t leave. I have to help Mr. Jason look for Uncle John’s will,” Mandie said. “And I would like Polly to spend the night with me, if you would let her.”
    â€œYes, yes, of course, dear,” Polly’s mother agreed. “But, doesn’t anyone know where John Shaw kept his will?”
    â€œNo, not even his lawyer. He says it must be somewhere here in the house, so we have to find it.”
    â€œMandie, can I help you look?” Polly put in.
    â€œThat’s why I wanted you to spend the night,” Mandie replied. Mrs. Cornwallis rose to go. “Polly can spend the night, dear; but please get some sleep, girls.” She laughed as she left.
    â€œWill you have to go home now because your uncle died? I sure hope not,” Polly said.
    â€œOh, no, Mr. Jason said I was to stay here until the will is found; and we’re going to find it ourselves. Come on! We’ll start right now.”
    The two girls left Polly’s nightclothes in Mandie’s room and then in whispers decided to take candles and go up to the third floor. Mandie had not yet been to the third floor of the house, and