The Mandie Collection (62 page)

“I heard the child was sick, and I came to see if I could do anything,” he said meekly.

Mandie stooped down to touch Violet's flushed face. Though her eyes were open, she didn't seem to focus on anything. “Oh, Violet, you've got to get well!”

Lily began to bathe Violet's face and arms with the cool water Jonathan had brought. “I don't know what else to do,” she said helplessly.

“I know one thing we can do,” Mandie said boldly. Those gathered around became attentive and listened. “We can all pray for little Violet—every one of us.”

Most of the people nodded in agreement, but a few mumbled and moved away, shaking their heads.

Mandie turned to Jonathan. “Jonathan, do you know how to lead a prayer?” she asked.

Jonathan looked puzzled. “Me? I don't think I know what you mean.”

“All right,” Mandie said resolvedly. “I'll do it then.” Raising her voice, she said, “Let's all kneel right here and ask God to heal Violet.” She watched and waited. People began dropping to their knees, one by one, until only a few at the other end of the deck remained standing. Jonathan just stood there, looking bewildered.

Mandie frowned at him. “Jonathan, can't you kneel?” she muttered, pulling on his shirtsleeve.

Mandie cleared her throat and was about to lead in prayer, when scores of voices could be heard, each one in his own way, calling on God to heal the little girl.

Mandie and Celia joined hands, and Mandie whispered, “Don't you think our favorite verse would apply in this situation?”

Her friend nodded vigorously.

“Jonathan,” Mandie said, “say it with us.”

He nodded and waited.

Lifting her face toward the sky, Mandie prayed the scripture, “What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee.”

Jonathan closed his eyes and said the verse with the girls as they repeated it.

Mandie reached over and squeezed Lily's hand. “Dear Lord, please heal little Violet,” she continued. “Please make her well and strong again. Soothe her misery and cool her fever. And, dear Lord, please help Lily to be brave. We thank you, Lord. Amen.”

Mandie looked around at her friends. They were all smiling.

Mandie felt sure that the Lord had heard and would heal Violet. She had also made a big decision. She would ask Grandmother to help the Mastersons, but she didn't tell the girls her plans.

“Lily, we've got to go now,” Mandie said, getting to her feet.

Lily looked up. Tears began to fill her blue eyes. “Thank you,” she managed.

“Come on, Celia. Are you coming too, Jonathan?” Mandie asked. “Let's find my grandmother.” The three hurried toward the steps.

Jonathan stopped in his tracks. “Your grandmother? You know I can't be seen on the ship.”

“Well, how did you get down to the steerage?” Mandie asked.

“That's different.” Jonathan shrugged. “These people don't care who I am. They don't pay any attention to me. I'm just one of them, as far as they can judge.”

“Have you been staying down here since you rescued Violet?” Celia asked.

“No, I had just got here when you two came down,” he replied. “I suppose you'll find out sooner or later. I found an empty cabin, and I've been staying in it.”

Mandie's eyes grew wide. “An empty cabin?”

“Sh-h-h! Not so loud! Don't tell everyone on the ship,” Jonathan warned. “Yes, an empty cabin. But it's nowhere near yours.”

Celia took Mandie's arm. “He's right, Mandie,” she said. “He really shouldn't be seen. Remember, he's still a stowaway.”

“All right. Go back to your empty cabin,” Mandie said. “Come on, Celia. I want to talk to my grandmother.”

Jonathan followed the girls up the steps, and when they turned at the top landing, he went in the opposite direction. Mandie didn't pay any attention to where he went, she was in too much of a hurry.

A short time later the girls found Mrs. Taft and the senator in the music room, listening to an opera singer.

Celia remained at the door as Mandie made her way through the crowd.

Approaching her grandmother, who was sitting at the end of a row, Mandie bent over to whisper, “Grandmother, I need to talk to you. It's urgent.”

Mrs. Taft looked alarmed. Turning to the senator, she said, “Will you excuse me, please?”

“Of course,” said Senator Morton. “In fact, I'll go with you. I'm not enjoying this anyway.” He followed them from the room.

In the hallway, Mandie immediately told her grandmother about Violet's illness. “And she doesn't have a doctor or even a bed to sleep on. It's absolutely horrible down there,” she wailed. “If you will just come down and see for yourself, I know you'll agree that the girls need help. Please?”

“Amanda,” Mrs. Taft was firm, “didn't I tell you not to go down to the steerage again? You have disobeyed me.”

“I know, Grandmother, and I'm sorry,” Mandie replied. “I didn't intend to deliberately disobey you, but that little girl might die if she doesn't get some help.” She fought back tears.

“Violet
is
terribly sick, Mrs. Taft,” Celia confirmed.

“I would be glad to go down there and investigate for you,” Senator Morton volunteered. “I don't want to interfere with your affairs, but maybe I could help in some way.”

Mrs. Taft just stood there for a moment, looking at the senator. Mandie held her breath, waiting to see what her grandmother would do.

Finally she heaved a big sigh. “All right. I'll go with you,” she said.

Mandie glanced at Celia and smiled. She was sure now that her grandmother would get help for Violet. She led the way as they all headed down to the steerage section.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Mrs. Taft stopped short to survey the crowded deck. “Oh, my!” she gasped. “I had no idea there were so many people down here.”

“The Mastersons are over this way,” Mandie said, taking the lead through the crowd.

Everyone around them stared at Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton.

Approaching Lily, Mandie introduced her to the adults. “You see how sick Violet is, Grandmother?” she said. She knelt beside the child as Lily stared, red-eyed, at the well-dressed strangers.

To Mandie's surprise, her grandmother, in spite of her layers of underskirts and outer skirts, managed to stoop down next to the child. “How long has she been this ill?” Mrs. Taft asked Lily.

“Since last night, ma'am,” Lily replied, stifling a sob. “And I have done everything I know to do for her.”

“Well, there is something else we can do,” Mrs. Taft said sternly. She held her hand up to the senator for assistance in rising. Smoothing her skirts, she turned to a crewman working on a hose nearby. “Mister, we need your assistance here,” she said.

The crewman looked up, surprised to see people who were obviously from the first-class section of the ship. “Uh, yes, ma'am, what can I do for you?”

“Would you please go find the captain for me, and tell him he is urgently needed down here!” she ordered. “You can tell him Mrs. Taft asked for him.”

“Yes, ma'am!” He bowed slightly and rushed off, taking the steps in great strides.

In a few minutes, he returned with Captain Montrose.

The captain looked surprised to see the girls and the senator. “Yes, Mrs. Taft. You sent for me?” He glanced at the child lying on the floor.

“Yes, sir,” Mrs. Taft replied. “It seems the child who fell overboard has contracted a high fever. I want this child moved to the sick bay at once so that the ship's doctor can take care of her.”

“But, madam, this is the steerage section,” Captain Montrose objected. “No provision is made for medical care for these people.”

“I don't care what provision is made for them.” Mrs. Taft stretched to her full height. “I want this child moved to the sick bay immediately!” she demanded. “She's so sick she's liable to die lying there on that floor.”

“Mrs. Taft, you must be reasonable,” the captain protested.

Senator Morton cleared his throat. “I don't think you understand, Captain. We are being reasonable,” he said. “That child's life is in danger, and we must do something about it. Now!”

Mandie and Celia listened in amazement. Lily stared, her mouth open.

“Sir, I have no authority to move a steerage passenger to the first-class medical facility.” The captain held his ground.

Mrs. Taft was livid. “Do you want me to go upstairs and speak to the other first-class passengers? Many of them witnessed the rescue of this child from certain death when she fell overboard. Do you want me to tell them you refused a doctor's care for her now that she is deathly
ill with a fever? Someone might be enraged enough to say that the accident was your fault.”

“My fault?” The captain was beginning to look nervous. “I had nothing to do with the accident.”

Mandie spoke up. “Captain Montrose, when my grandmother makes up her mind to do something, no one can stop her.”

The captain looked at Mandie and finally gave in. “All right.” He raised his arms in a helpless gesture. “You win.” He summoned the crewman working on the hose. “Take this child to the sick bay immediately, and tell the doctor I said to take care of her.”

“Aye, captain,” the man said and bent to lift Violet in his strong arms. The captain quickly walked away toward the steps.

Lily stood up, crying. Mrs. Taft put her arm around the girl's shoulders and told her, “Get your things. You have to stay with her to be sure they do their job.”

“Me go, too? That captain might not like that,” Lily protested as she sobbed.

“Leave the captain to me, dear. Get your things,” Mrs. Taft insisted.

Lily quickly picked up a bag sitting nearby and turned to an old woman who stood listening. “Mrs. White, would you please watch out for my other belongings while I'm gone?”

“Of course, dear, and we'll all be praying for little Violet,” Mrs. White told her.

“Let's go,” Mrs. Taft told the crew member who had been standing there holding the child all this time.

When they came to the corridor leading to their cabin Mrs. Taft told Lily, “You go that direction now. Follow the man. I'll see that you're provided with food and a place to sleep so you can watch over your little sister. Hurry on, dear. We'll be stopping in to check on her.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you,” Lily said, quickly squeezing Mrs. Taft's hand and hurrying after the man carrying Violet.

“Grandmother, I'm sorry if I disobeyed you, but you can see what you think about it. If I had not gone down to check on Violet you wouldn't know about it and she might have died for want of attention,” Mandie told her grandmother at the door of Mrs. Taft's cabin.

“I understand, dear. I forgive you. You girls will have to keep check on what goes on in the sick bay and let me know,” Mrs. Taft told them.

Senator Morton had crossed the hall to enter his cabin.

“And we thank you, Senator Morton,” Mandie called to him.

“I didn't do a thing,” he protested. “It was your grandmother who got the ball rolling. Now it's up to you girls to see that the ball keeps on rolling.”

“Yes, sir,” the girls chimed.

As the girls entered their cabin and closed the door Mandie said, “I knew my grandmother would come through.”

“Like she did for Hilda that time,” Celia agreed.

“We'd better get going, or we'll be late for dinner,” Mandie reminded her. “And you know Grandmother didn't even mention that it's almost time to eat. Even if it meant losing out on a meal, I knew she would take care of Violet first.”

CHAPTER TEN

LADY DETECTIVE ON BOARD

In the next couple of days Mandie and Celia spent a lot of time with Lily and Violet in the sick bay. With the proper medical attention the child had begun to improve.

On the third day, when the fever finally broke, Violet opened her eyes and cried, “Lily, I'm hungry!”

Overjoyed at the good sign, Lily hugged the child and smiled warmly at Mandie and Celia who had come to visit.

Celia squeezed Mandie's hand. “Violet's going to get well,” she said excitedly.

“I knew she would.” Mandie dabbed at her moist eyes with her handkerchief.

Violet struggled to sit up but was too weak. Then glancing at Mandie and Celia, she frowned. “Where are we?”

The girls all began talking at once, trying to explain to the child where they were and why. Just then the doctor came in to check on Violet. Seeing that she was alert, he ordered some broth for her. “I'll be back shortly,” he promised.

A steward arrived with the broth, and Lily began feeding the warm nourishment to her sister. After a few spoonfuls, Violet drifted off to sleep again. “Well, I guess we'll have to go back downstairs now that Violet is recovering,” Lily told Mandie.

“Oh no,” Mandie protested. “I'm sure you should stay right here. Let me talk to my grandmother. She will verify it with the captain. We only have two more days before we get to London!”

“I don't want to cause any trouble.” Lily looked worried.

“It's no trouble,” Mandie said. “It's important that Violet get some good rest in a proper bed until she is completely well. You can't worry about what people think.”

“Well, at least the captain hasn't been around,” Lily sighed. “He frightens me. He's so—so stern and gruff. He would never have allowed us to come up here if your grandmother hadn't intervened.”

Lily leaned forward. “Did anyone ever find out who that boy was that saved Violet, or where he went?” she asked. “He seemed to just disappear.”

Mandie looked at her in surprise. “You mean, you didn't know the boy who brought you the bucket of water for Violet was the one who'd rescued her?”

Lily gasped. “No! That boy?”