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

and his shirt, too small for him, was gaping at the buttons. He had a cap pulled down to shade his eyes as he watched them come closer.
    Mandie stopped within ten feet of the man and asked, “Mister, have you seen a puppy around here? We heard one crying the other night and came back to look for it,” she explained.
    The man grunted something unintelligible and suddenly turned to push aside a board in the wall of the building behind him. He stepped inside, then turned to peep out through the cracks.
    Mandie, slightly afraid, controlled her voice as she asked, “Well, have you seen a lost puppy?”
    The man suddenly spat tobacco juice through the crack, barely missing the girls, and hissed, “Git.”
    Mandie and Celia almost knocked each other down as they turned to flee back the way they had come. Mandie ran into a low branch of one of the trees, and it caught the fabric on the open collar of her cloak.
    â€œOh, shucks!” she cried, thoroughly frightened now. She managed to jerk her collar free and continued to run up the street.
    Finally within sight of the Heyward store, they stopped to look back.
    â€œThat man must have been one of those bums Tommy and Robert said are known to hang out in that street,” Mandie said, catching her breath and brushing at her skirts.
    â€œYes, come on, Mandie. Let’s get back inside the store before he comes after us,” Celia gasped out, rushing toward the back door.
    â€œI don’t think he’ll follow us here,” Mandie said as they entered Heyward’s store.
    Mandie looked around and didn’t see anyone. She decided Mr. Heyward must still be gathering up the order.
    â€œLet’s sit down, Mandie, before my legs collapse,” Celia said in a shaky voice, walking toward a long bench in the middle aisle.
    As soon as the girls sat down, Mr. Heyward came back into the store from a side door, his arms full of parcels.
    â€œSorry to keep you young ladies waiting so long, but I had to go through some stock to find everything Miss Hope wanted. Now, where is your driver? I’ll give these to him,” Mr. Heyward explained, walking toward the front door to look outside.
    Out on the sidewalk, Uncle Cal had seen Mr. Heyward and came to the door to accept the packages.
    â€œPlease tell Miss Hope I appreciate her order very much, and I hope you come back to visit,” Mr. Heyward said to the girls.
    â€œThank you, sir,” Mandie replied, slipping through the doorway.
    â€œYes, thank you, sir,” Celia added, quickly following.
    Uncle Cal helped the girls up the steps of the rig, then jumped onto his seat up front, and they were on their way back to school.
    â€œDid you get tired waiting for us, Uncle Cal?” Mandie asked, hoping to find out whether he might have wandered around and seen them go out the back door.
    Uncle Cal glanced back. “No, ma’am, missy, dat was purty quick like. When I brings Miz Hope to dis store, she stay long time, play dat big piano, talk to de Mistuh Heyward, and look at jes’ ’bout ev’rything in de store, she do.”
    Mandie smiled and said, “Well, I’m glad you didn’t mind waiting for us.” She turned to Celia and said under her breath, “Do you think Miss Hope might be interested in Mr. Heyward?” She grinned at her friend.
    Celia grinned back. “Could be,” she agreed.
    When they returned to the school, Uncle Cal took the packages to the office, and the girls rushed upstairs to their room. It was getting late and would soon be time for supper. And the girls didn’t want to be late for that meal. Miss Prudence might have recovered and be presiding at the table.
    â€œOh, that was exciting, wasn’t it?” Mandie said triumphantly as she removed her cloak and hung it up in the wardrobe.
    â€œNo, that was dangerous, Mandie,” Celia argued, coming tohang her cloak alongside Mandie’s. “I hope you don’t