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

she can do orsay to hurt you anymore, if you’ll just remember that your mother and I love you so much, and this woman is an outsider now.”
    â€œI know, Uncle John,” Mandie finally said as she finished drying her tears. “But she might be able to take my father’s house away from me, mightn’t she?”
    â€œDon’t worry about that,” John Shaw replied. “I’ll fight her to the highest courts for you. The will she has is bound to be forged, and she may be making trouble for her own self by trying such a thing.”
    â€œUncle John, please, let’s just don’t call her my stepmother anymore, because she really isn’t now,” Mandie told him.
    â€œOf course, you’re right, dear,” John Shaw agreed. “We’ll just call her by her name, Mrs. Etta Hughes, and if her husband is there, we’ll just call him Mr. Hughes.”
    â€œThank you, Uncle John,” Mandie said, reaching to squeeze his hand.
    Mrs. Woodard came back into the room and said, “I believe breakfast is ready now, if you would all come and eat.”
    â€œI am ready,” Dr. Woodard said as he rose.
    â€œMe too,” Joe said, standing up beside Mandie.
    John Shaw offered his hand to help Mrs. Taft rise, and they all went to breakfast.
    There was not much conversation at the table because everyone had the hearing on their minds and they were in a hurry to finish the meal and get on to the courthouse.
    In the middle of her thoughts at the table, Mandie suddenly remembered the letter Uncle John said he had received from her father. “Uncle John, the letter from my father, did you bring it with you?” she asked, anxiously looking at her uncle as she laid down her fork.
    John Shaw smiled and patted his jacket pocket. “It’s right here,” he said. “Don’t worry. I won’t let it out of my sight.”
    Mandie breathed a loud sigh of relief. “I’m glad you didn’t forget,” she said. Then she added, “You know, my father didn’t ever tell her about his secret hiding place where we found the will that day, or I’m sure she would have destroyed the will. He showed me the place a long, long time ago when she and her daughter Irene weren’t home one day, and I had forgotten all about it until Joe and I discovered it.”
    â€œShe still probably does not know about it, because I’ve had yourfather’s house repaired after the fire, and the hiding place is hidden again,” Dr. Woodard told Mandie.
    â€œYou had my father’s house repaired?” she questioned him in surprise.
    â€œYes, you see, your uncle here sent the funds and asked if I would hire someone to do the work, which I did, and there is no sign of fire damage now,” the doctor explained.
    â€œWe’ll go out and look it over before we return to Franklin,” John Shaw told her.
    â€œOh, Uncle John, thank you,” Mandie said. “I was so worried about the burned floor and the smoke damage. I’m anxious to see it.”
    â€œThat’s a good idea, John, to visit the house,” Mrs. Taft spoke up. “You see, I’ve never been there, and I would like to see what we’re fighting that woman for.”
    â€œGrandmother, it’s just a plain old log cabin, not at all like your mansion in Asheville,” Mandie told her. “But it was built by my father with his own hands and is precious to me.” Her voice shook a little with emotion.
    â€œI understand, dear,” Mrs. Taft said. “And I would feel that way if I were in your position. But don’t you worry about that house now. We’ll fight that woman until we’re rid of her.”
    â€œThank you, Grandmother,” Mandie said.
    John Shaw pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it as he said, “Now I think we’d better be on our way. We don’t want to be late.”
    â€œNo, the sooner the better,”