I'm so sorry for the delay! Been busy:( Anyway thanks for all the reviews and enjoy this chapter!
That night the girls sat up talking.
"Mandie, what are you going to do about Henry?" Celia asked. "If Joe is going to dance with you all night, how will you have time to get to know him?"
"I don't know! I wish Grandmother would stop planning my life! Besides, I don't even know who my partner is yet!" Mandie exclaimed. "Well, if you aren't going 'befriend Henry'
then who do you have in mind?" Celia said slyly.
"Nobody", Mandie responded slowly.
Sallie changed the subject "Any idea what the clue means?"
"No, it could be anyone's house!" Celia exclaimed.
"But it seems so awfully familiar." Mandie mumbled to herself.
Jonathan, Joe and Dimar were in their room getting ready for bed.
"So who are you going to ask for the ball? Jonathan casually asked.
"I was thinking of asking Sallie but I do not know what she will say. It is difficult to ask," Dimar replied.
"Talk about it!" Joe groaned.
"Who are you going to take, Joe?" Dimar asked.
"Mandie, obviously!" Jonathan exclaimed. Joe turned pink then nodded.
"But with that person- Henry or something, I think Mrs. Taft wants Mandie with him the whole night," he said sadly.
"That doesn't mean you can't ask her." Jonathan pointed out.
"Yes I think you can still do that. Who are you going with Jonathan? asked Dimar.
"Chocolate cake," Jonathan said matter of factly.
"No, like a person," Joe told him.
"Aunt Lou's chocolate cake. I'm just going to hang out with it the whole night." Jonathan explained. Joe and Dimar laughed.
As the boys started to drop off, Joe lay awake thinking. He loved Mandie and still wanted to marry her but he sensed didn't think he was the right person for her. He hoped that
they would give him a chance. But the real question was, did Mandie love him back?
The next morning Mandie woke up early. She tiptoed past her sleeping friends and changed into a blue dress. Morning Star was making coffee in the kitchen downstairs. "Good
morning!" Mandie exclaimed cheerfully, hugging the old woman.
"Morning. Papoose," Morning Star replied in her broken English. Mandie pointed at the door and then to herself. "Walk," Morning Star understood what she meant and nodded.
Throwing on her shawl, Mandie waved good-bye to Morning Star and hurried outside. She dawdled along the path, not really paying attention to where she was going. Suddenly
Mandie realized that she was a long way from Uncle Ned's cabin and didn't know where she was. Turning around, she tried to retrace her step. Mandie looked around, frantically
trying to find some familiar landmarks. The sky turned dark and there was a rumble of thunder not far away. Without realizing where she was going, she stepped into a hole
filled with quicksand. Mandie screamed and tried to pull herself out. It was hard to do so since her ankle and arm were still recovering. The sky crackled and it began to pour.
"What time I am afraid I put my trust in Thee." Mandie whispered. Suddenly, she noticed a sturdy branch near enough for her to grab on to it. She was still stuck, but wasn't
sinking anymore. Breathing a sigh of relief, Mandie thanked God with a silent prayer and wondered how to get out.
Back at Uncle Ned's house, Celia awoke and realized Mandie wasn't in bed.
Sallie was awake and brushing her hair.
"Have you seen Mandie, Sallie?" Celia asked.
"No, I think she is downstairs. You know how she is, waking up early," Sallie responded. The girls changed and headed down. Mandie was nowhere to be seen. Sallie turned to
Morning Star, who was in the kitchen and spoke to her in rapid Cherokee. Morning Star grunted and said something back to Sallie.
"What did she say?" Celia questioned when Sallie got back.
"She said that Mandie went outside," Sallie answered.
"Out in the pouring rain?" Celia exclaimed. "She could be in trouble!"
"Mandie probably went out before it started to rain. She will be back soon," Sallie suggested. The girls waited a couple more minutes.
After a few minutes, Uncle Ned stood up, looking worried. "I promise Jim Shaw after he go to happy hunting ground I take care of papoose. I go find her now."
Without another word, he grabbed an umbrella and headed out in the pouring rain.
Mandie gripped onto the beach with all her might. She wasn't sinking, but she wasn't getting out either. "Maybe I should call for help. Someone might hear me." Mandie thought.
Her arm was tired and the pouring rain wasn't helping much. All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps broke through her thoughts. Mandie felt extremely relieved as Uncle Ned
stepped into the clearing.
"Uncle Ned! Help me!" she called. Uncle Ned immediately saw Mandie's situation and ran over. "Papoose give hand. Ned pull up." Mandie did as he said and after a few tugs, she
was out of the pit. Uncle Ned picked the weary girl up and carried Mandie back towards home.
"Morning everyone," Jonathan said, coming down. Then seeing the girl's worried faces asked, "What happened? And where's Mandie?"
"We don't know. She went outside before it started raining. My grandfather is looking for her now," Sallie told the boys.
"What!" Joe exclaimed, alarmed. "She might be in trouble!" Moments later, the door opened and Uncle Ned hurried in.
"Mandie!" Joe, Celia and Sallie gasped at the same time. Morning Star rushed over with towels and began drying the drenched people.
"I'm fine! Just wet, cold and a bit tired," Mandie told everyone. Morning Star helped her take a warm bath and soon she was tucked in bed with numerous blankets over her.
"Mandie, tell us what happened from the very beginning," Jonathan said, sipping his coffee.
"Yes, please tell," Sallie agreed.
"Okay, I woke up early this morning and went outside for a walk. I guess I was thinking too much and got lost. Then it started to rain and I fell into a pit of quicksand when
trying to get back here. Uncle Ned rescued me and helped me get back."
"Oh Mandie! Thank goodness you're safe!" Celia cried.
Mandie smiled. "God protected me." She started to get off the bed but fell to the ground wincing.
"It looks like you've strained your ankle too much," Joe exclaimed worridley. "I'll get my dad to check on you."
"Mandie, you should probably just stay in bed and rest until gets here," Celia told her.
"I guess you're right"
Uncle John bustled in. "Amanda! I heard about what happened so I think we'll go home tomorrow, when finishes examining you"
"Okay. I sure hope it isn't too serious," Mandie replied.
Jonathan went back to his room and Sallie and Celia headed to the kitchen to help Morning Star. Uncle John left to get his things together.
"Mandie?"
Mandie turned to see Joe looking at her nervously.
"Will you-um be my partner for the ball?"
"Of course Joe! That is if you want to dance with a hobbling girl on crutches," Mandie joked.
"We don't have to dance all night" Joe smiled at her.
"Right" Mandie suddenly felt shy. Joe sensed that she was tired and got up.
"Well, I better get going. Later"
"Bye"
Joe will propose! Sooner or later!