The Mandie Collection (10 page)

“Well, here we are,” Polly said, as the huge house she lived in came into view behind the trees. “Come on, we'll beat Cook out of something good to eat.”

Mandie met Uncle Ned that night in the summerhouse after dark, while Joe and Polly waited in the swing on the front porch.

“Uncle Ned, I knew you would come. You always do,” she greeted the old man as he appeared from behind the big walnut trees shadowing the porch. “Sit down, Uncle Ned.”

The Indian sat across from her and smiled. “Papoose have visitor, doctor son?”

“How did you know?” Mandie asked, smiling.

“Cherokee knows all,” the old Indian told her. “Cherokee find people named Locke in big city.”

“In Richmond?”

“In Richmond. People know Bayne Locke. People
not
know if Bayne Locke kin to John Shaw.”

“They don't?”

“Cherokee stay in Richmond. Find people who know. Then I tell Papoose,” Uncle Ned told her.

“So he did come from Richmond and he has relatives there. Well, at least we know that much,” Mandie said.

“Must go now. Morning Star send love to Papoose,” he said.

“Give her my love, too, Uncle Ned. But, before you go, please, wait a minute.” Mandie grasped his arm as he rose. “My friend, Polly Cornwallis, wants to meet you. She and Joe are on the front porch. Is it all right if I bring them out here to see you?”

“Yes, but hurry,” he grunted.

Going around the corner of the house, she beckoned to the two and they came hurrying toward her.

“Polly, this is Uncle Ned,” Mandie proudly introduced him. “And Uncle Ned, you know Joe already.”

Joe nodded and held out his hand to Uncle Ned. The Indian solemnly shook hands with a grunt.

Polly smiled up at the tall Indian. “How do you do, Uncle Ned? I've heard so much about you that I wanted to meet you.”

“Pleased to see Papoose number two,” the old man said.

Everyone laughed at his name for Polly. The sound carried to the house. Jason Bond stuck his head out of the upstairs window directly above.

“What's going on down there?” he yelled.

“Nothing, we're just getting some fresh night air,” Mandie quickly replied, looking up at him.

At the sound of the other man's voice, Uncle Ned darted out of sight, whispering as he went, “Must go. See Papoose next moon.”

Mandie silently waved to him as he disappeared into the shadows.

The three walked back to the front porch and sat down in the swing.

“Say, that was close, Mandie,” Joe sighed.

“Sure was, but somehow I don't believe Mr. Jason would mind if I had an Indian friend—unlike the Brysons, who were out to kill every Indian they could find.”

There was a slight stirring in the doorway behind them.

“No, I don't mind, Mandie,” Mr. Bond said. “I see him every time he comes. And I know who he is.”

“Oh, Mr. Jason, you scared me,” was all Mandie could say.

“I'm sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. Did he get any information for you?”

“Well, how did you know that?” Mandie was surprised.

“I heard you talking to him the night you asked him to find out about these people,” the old man said.

Mandie dropped her voice to a whisper and told him what the Indian had told her.

“That's good. I'll let Lawyer Wilson know. Now are y'all going upstairs? The parties in question are already turned in for the night.” “Let's do,” Polly said.

“Sure, Mr. Jason. We haven't given up. We're going to look upstairs again for an entrance to the tunnel,” Mandie chirped.

“Well, get to it then. I'm going back to my room. See you tomorrow.” And he disappeared back into the dark hallway.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Joe laughed.

The three softly crept up the steps to the third floor on their unending mission, being careful not to be heard by their mysterious visitors.

CHAPTER TEN

THE SECRET DOOR

Joe led the way, carrying an oil lamp, Mandie close behind with matches in her pocket in case it went out. Polly brought up the rear as they noiselessly tiptoed on up the steps to the attic. Even the old door cooperated by not creaking this time when Joe pushed it open. They moved very slowly and carefully around, whispering softly to each other as they made an inspection of the attic. Joe, still in the lead, held the lamp at arm's length, the light picking up the debris, as the girls closely peered at everything in their path.

Joe carefully inspected the walls and the ins and outs of the eaves and the dormer windows.

“It seems to be awfully solid. I don't see how this wall could open up anywhere and there isn't room for any steps behind it,” Joe whispered to the girls.

“But, it has to open somewhere,” Mandie insisted.

“Well, look at it. You can see the wall all the way around the house up here, except where it goes into the eaves and the eaves are not high enough to have steps going down,” he insisted.

“All right, maybe that's the way it looks, but there's sure an opening somewhere because we found it on the other side in the tunnel,” Polly told him.

“Well, if you want to, we can keep moving and check the wall out all the way around,” Joe said.

The three silently pushed on the wall as they went, reaching high and low, examining every foot of it. They were all tense with the spooky atmosphere when suddenly there was a loud noise on the third floor.

“Sounds like someone is below us!” Mandie whispered.

“Could be that Mr. Locke or Mrs. Snow,” Polly added.

“Come on, let's slip up on them and see who it is,” Joe suggested, as he moved toward the door to the steps. “Stay close behind me, because I'm going to blow out the light.”

“All right,” Mandie said softly, as she and Polly held hands and Joe put out the lamp.

They felt their way down the dark steps to the door leading into the hall of the third floor. Joe put out his hand to caution them to be quiet as he slowly pushed the door open. It was still dark on the third floor hallway and there was no sign of a light or anyone around.

Mandie pulled at Joe's shirt. “Psst! Go left toward Uncle John's library.”

Joe followed her directions and the three slipped along the passageway to the door of the library Mr. Bond had shown them the other day. As they reached it they heard a slight movement in the room.

“There's someone in there!” Joe whispered, putting his hand on the doorknob, the girls close behind him.

“Push it open,” Mandie urged him.

With that, the three burst into the room which was in total darkness. A man's figure outlined by the moonlight from the window moved quickly toward the small door that had been locked the day Mr. Bond was with them, and to which no one had the key. Just as the figure reached the door, the three dived at him, pulling him to the floor.

“All right, we've got you!” Joe cried, as he held onto the man's coattail. The girls were snatching for his sleeves and kicking him in the shins.

“Hey, wait a minute! Let's get some light in here!” the man said quickly.

“No!” Joe shouted. “Here, Mandie, take the lamp and light it. I'll hold onto him!”

The man quit struggling and Mandie quickly lit the lamp with a match from her pocket. Then, holding the lamp, she stared into the man's face, her hand shaking violently.

“Oh, no!” she cried, unable to move.

“Mandie!” the man said, smiling at her.

“You can't be my Uncle John!” Mandie shook her head.

The man reached for her and took her into his arms as he passed the lamp on to Joe.

“But, I am!” He kissed her hair. “My dear little niece!”

“Then, you really are my Uncle John?” Mandie's voice trembled with excitement.

“Yes, I guess I played a mean trick on you,” he told her. Joe and Polly stood there staring and listening.

“But, Mandie, how do you know this man is your Uncle John? You said you had never seen him,” Joe insisted.

“Yes, it is Mr. Shaw, Joe. My next-door neighbor, remember?” Polly assured him.

“He's just like my daddy! Can't you see that, Joe? You knew my daddy. He looks just like him, except maybe a little older.” She leaned back to gaze into the smiling face—so familiar, yet different.

“Good guess. I'm fifteen years older,” Uncle John said.

“But why did you make us think you were dead, Mr. Shaw?” Joe asked.

“Well, I guess I just wanted to see what would happen to my property when I do die. When I heard of my brother Jim's death, it was too late to see him, of course, but, thank the Lord, I had written him a letter before he died,” he said, sitting down at the desk. “You see, there's been hard feelings between the two of us since before you were born, Amanda. Then when I learned that he—was gone, I knew you were my only living relative, and since
you are so young, I had to find out just whom I could trust to look out for you if anything happened to me.”

“Then Bayne Locke and the Snows are no kin to you?” Mandie sat on the floor at his knee, while Joe and Polly hovered nearby fascinated with their discovery.

“Absolutely none! And I want them out of my house immediately! I had to take my lawyer into my confidence to send the message of my demise and of course he knows they are no kin, but he would have to prove it to stand up in court.”

“But, Uncle John, where have you been all this time?” Mandie wanted to know. “That is, since I've been here.”

“I've been living with my people—the Cherokees.” He smiled at the girl. “Remember, we
are
part Cherokee.”

“You've been living with the Cherokees? Then Uncle Ned must have known all along what was going on!” she reasoned.

“Yes, I came home with him when he saw you out in the yard earlier tonight. I could see things were getting out of hand, with no one able to find my will and all. However, I didn't know you children were occupying rooms on the third floor, and you almost caught me when you got the lamp from Amanda's room and went to the attic.”

“Well, where is that will?” Polly put in.

“It's under the carpet over there by the door,” he said, pointing toward the small door which was still closed.

“Under the carpet?” All three gasped and then laughed. “What a good place to hide it!” Joe exclaimed.

“Where does the door lead to, Uncle John?” Mandie questioned. “Mr. Jason tried to open it, but it was locked and he didn't have the key.”

“Oh, he has no idea where that door leads. He has never had a key. I have the only key.” He pulled it from his pocket and got up to walk to the door. “Here, you want to see what's behind here?”

Mandie scrambled after him, Polly and Joe crowding closely behind her. John Shaw put the key in the lock, turned it with a click, and pushed open the door. Behind it was a paneled wall. Reaching
to one side he pushed a latch and one panel swung aside. And there before them was the entrance to the tunnel.

He smiled as the three gasped in surprise.

“Uncle John!” Mandie covered her mouth with her hands.

“If we only could have found a way to unlock that door!” Polly moaned.

“And all this time you have been trying to open a wall in the attic!” Joe laughed.

“The tunnel stops here. It doesn't go up to the attic,” Uncle John told them.

“But, what is the tunnel for?” Mandie asked.

“My grandfather, your great-grandfather, Amanda, who was also named Jim Shaw, built this house at the time the Cherokees were being run out of North Carolina. He didn't believe in the cruel way the Indians were being treated and he had this tunnel built for them. He hid dozens of Cherokees in there, fed and clothed them, and then helped them on their way when things calmed down along about 1842, and they could set up living quarters somewhere else,” John Shaw told her. “That was the way my father met my mother. He was twenty-eight years old and had never been married when he met my mother. She was only eighteen, a beautiful young Indian girl.”

“She was beautiful, Uncle John?” Mandie grasped his hand.

“Very beautiful, Amanda. I have her portrait. The frame needed redoing. It's in Asheville now, being refinished. You'll see it when it comes back.”

“Oh, Uncle John, I'm so happy!” Tears filled Mandie's eyes as she looked up into her uncle's face. “I'm so happy you are—not—are still alive!”

At that moment, there was the sound of footsteps in the hall. Jason Bond appeared in the doorway and almost dropped the lamp he was carrying when he saw John Shaw standing there.

“Mr.—Mr.—S—Shaw!” he stammered.

“Yes, it's me, Jason. Sorry I couldn't let you in on the secret, but no one knew I was really and truly alive except Ed Wilson,”
John Shaw told him. “And I must say you've played your part well, Jason. You can be trusted.” John Shaw explained everything to Jason Bond, who still stood there gaping and trembling.

“Oh, dear,” Jason muttered as he learned the truth. “I—I'm sure glad you're back, Mr. Shaw. It sure straightens out a lot of problems. Like these people that moved in here—”

“Yes, I know. I knew about them as soon as they arrived. Uncle Ned kept me informed as to what was going on. Sorry you had to put up with them, but as soon as the sun rises they will be hitting the road.”

And that was the way it happened. Upon being confronted by the real, living John Shaw, Bayne Locke, Mrs. Snow, and her daughter were all too glad to pack up their belongings and leave the next morning.

Mandie stood on the porch holding her uncle's hand as the three made their abrupt exit. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now maybe things will simmer down!” she exclaimed.

“Well, no, actually things are just beginning to happen! I'm expecting company from Asheville.” He squeezed her hand.