The Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard Page B

friends followed them outside to the rig where Ben was waiting.
    After everyone had settled down in the rig, Ben asked, “Is we gwine home now?”
    “Oh, Ben, I don’t think so yet. Let’s check with some of the proprietors of the stores downtown,” Mrs. Taft told him. “Just drive down that direction.” Ben drove the rig on down the street.
    “Are you still going to search for Miss Hope?” Senator Morton asked. “Are you not depending on the sheriff to find her now that you’ve consulted with him?”
    “Who knows what piece of news we might be able to get from some of the store owners,” Mrs. Taft replied, tucking a strand of hair under her hat. “I thought if we get any information at all from anyone, we could just give it to Sheriff Jones and let him take care of investigating it. I just don’t have time to spend all my time on this, even though I am worried about Miss Hope.”
    “I understand perfectly,” Senator Morton said.
    Mandie suddenly remembered that Uncle Ned had gone to see his braves that morning. There was a possibility he might have some news about Miss Hope when he returned.
    She leaned forward and spoke to Mrs. Taft. “Grandmother, maybe Uncle Ned will know something when he comes back. Remember, one of his braves said he saw Miss Hope at the springhouse on the farm, and I’m sure Uncle Ned will do some investigating on that because Willie acted so strange, saying Miss Hope was a grown woman with her own mind.”
    “Yes, I remember,” Mrs. Taft said.
    Ben pulled the rig up in front of the first store on the main thoroughfare, which was the largest store in Asheville and sold just about everything.
    “Will dis here store do, Miz Taft?” Ben looked back and asked as he pulled the reins and brought the horse to a stop.
    “Yes, Ben, this is fine,” Mrs. Taft replied.
    Senator Morton helped her down from the rig, and the young people followed, led by Mandie. Her grandmother had not told them to stay in the rig, so she was quickly taking advantage of the opportunity to go inside the store.
    The owner, seeing Mrs. Taft enter, rushed forward to greet her. “How are you today, Mrs. Taft? What can I do for you?”
    “I just wanted to ask about Miss Hope,” Mrs. Taft replied as everyone came to a halt in the middle aisle.
    “Miss Hope?” the man questioned.
    “Yes, you know she is missing from the school, and I was hoping you might have seen her,” Mrs. Taft explained.
    “No, ma’am, I have not seen Miss Hope since I believe it was three weeks ago last Friday she came in and bought some soap, only one cake, that fancy kind she uses, Lady Mary’s Complexion Soap,” he replied.
    “As you must know, Miss Hope is missing, and she hasn’t been seen since Saturday of last week,” Mrs. Taft told him. “Have you not seen her in three weeks, then?”
    “No, ma’am, she has not been in the store since then,” he said.
    “Just in case she does come into the store, would you please notify Miss Prudence immediately? She is worried about her.” Mrs. Taft explained what little information they had about the missing schoolmarm.
    “Yes, ma’am, rest assured I will notify Miss Prudence if I see Miss Hope,” he said.
    They returned to the rig, and as Mrs. Taft stepped back in, she said to Senator Morton, “It must be time for our noon meal. Shall we go to the dining room at the Biltmore?”
    Senator Morton followed her into the rig. “Yes, ma’am, that sounds like a wonderful idea.”
    Mandie and her friends looked at each other and grinned as they took their seats.
    “We’re going to get to eat at the Biltmore,” she whispered.
    “I’ve never eaten there,” Celia said.
    “Neither have I,” Joe added.
    “Is that a fancy place to dine or something?” Jonathan asked.
    “Oh yes, it’s the most prestigious place in town to be seen dining,” Mandie replied.
    “Can it compare with our restaurants in New York?” Jonathan mischievously asked.
    As Ben pulled the rig out into the