"The dust returns to the ground t came from, the Sp r t returns to the Lord who gave it." "Even n sorrow we thank you Lord." "For J m Shaw has gone home." "Home." "I don't see as I've got the strength to drive us home." "I can." "I just wanted to go w th you, just one t me." "Mand e, you're gonna ru n your dress." "No." "Ned." "Come home w th us." "Please." "I see you ton ght, Papoose." "Go home." "Daddy says he does have fam ly." "But then he d ed w thout say ng who they were or where." "You have me." "I want rea fam y." "What is rea family?" "Re atives." "Peop e with my b ood." "I got p enty of rea fam y like your Mother and Irene." "They don't amount to noth ng compared to you." "They amount to everyth ng." "So what are you gonna do?" "Cou d you please take that creature out of here?" "Child, I fee r ght sorry for you." "Etta must have done ost her m nd w th grief to be hiring you out." "Fact is, after watch ng you work, I'd take you n myse f if I had the room." "Be a lot better than iv ng two count es away with them Bryson folks." "Poor th ng." "You won't never get to see your fr ends or fam ly, w you?" "Momma!" "Why did my husband die?" "We'd be eav ng r ght now." "WE. I shot a rabbit." "First try." "Bulls-eye." "That'a girl." " l told him the mossy rock was s ppery." " Watch out for that mossy one!" "But he didn't believe me." "NO!" "DADDY!" "My Daddy is strong." "DADDY!" "You should have seen h m al sopping wet fight that wo f." "I had his arms balanced over my shou ders and I ta ked non-stop." "Convinced him that there was noth ng to be afraid of." "I ed. I was terrified." "Come here." "Daddy, now can I go on a hunt ng tr p with you?" "When you can shoot an arrow into the deer target's heart, then you can come." "You' get your bu s-eye next year for sure." "I hate t when you leave. I hate being home a one with Momma and Irene." "Once upon a time, there ved an Indian pr ncess." "I get the big one!" "The big one's m ne!" "Don't I Momma?" "Yes Dar ng." "He o tt e kitty!" "Oh thank you Daddy!" "Achooo!" "P ease keep that cat out of my face and out of my kitchen and off of my bed." "One for Irene." "And another for Irene." "Daddy, wasn't I a good g rl th s year?" "I'm at least better than Irene." "You're the best gir ." "Always." "I had planned to wa t 't you were o der." "But." "Daddy, now can I go on a hunt ng tr p with you?" "When you can shoot an arrow into the deer target's heart, then you can come." "Bulls-eye!" " Wanna read with me?" " No, I want to sew." "Then I'll read to you." "P ease?" "If you distract me, my stitches won't be pretty." "Oh my, wouldn't that be tragic." "I'll read w th you." "No, te me the Indian Pr ncess story." "I hate that story." " Once upon a t me - - ln the land of fa ng waters and r s ng earth " " The Cherokee Indians lived n peace." " But the winds of greed " "Brought so d ers on horseback who drove a Cherokee from the r homes." "And marched them for many moons along the tra l of tears." " But there were some " " Who refused to leave the land of the r ancestors." "Wh spers say than an ind an princess and her pregnant s ster were g ven shelter in a room ke a cathedral w th windows so h gh on y eag es could see through." "Stop, stop, stop!" "You can't just skip the who e midd e." "Te me the part about the campf re fight and bou der mounta n and the white archer." "I w sh the ind an Pr ncess was rea ." "I w sh she was my big s ster." "Jim?" " Did you milk the cows th s morning?" " Yes sir." "And I hau ed water." "You don't have any fam y anywhere?" "No." "Well then when are you and Momma gonna have me a baby brother?" "We're not." "But brothers aren't good for anything except causing a ruckus." " Hello Ned!" " Papoose!" "Can I come w th you?" "It' be forever before I hit the bulls-eye." "Please let me go." "Too litt e Papoose." "Take care of Momma and Irene now." "Daddy!" "For Snowba ." "The Indian Pr ncess fought fur ously with her fami y around the f ckering f re." "Father and brothers wanted to stay n the r home and and hide from the so diers." "But the wise princess, who they ca ed Talitha Pindar, argued." "How ong can we elude so d ers with a pregnant woman?" "As Princess Ta tha sewed, Father silenced the family." "They would stay on the r and and they would hide." "You treat them Injuns better than you treat your own family." "I w sh l was an Indian Pr ncess." "You'd take me on your hunting tr ps, wou dn't you?" " l m ght." " You wou d." "You' h t your bu s-eye sooner than you think." "Te me the Indian Pr ncess story." "All of it." "Once upon a t me, there ved an Indian Pr ncess." "Mand e!" "You th nk you cou d shoot us something for d nner?" " Whew!" "I'm freez ng." " Wanna go n?" "Yeah." "K nda drafty n here, sn't t?" " Take me with you." "Anywhere." " Papoose." "We have to find Snowball and go to Daddy's grave." "AMANDA SHAW!" "Or e se you'll never see me aga n." "'Cause Momma's hiring me out for work for someone far, far away." "AMANDA!" "Zach!" "That lnjun s k dnapp ng my daughter!" "AMANDA!" "AMANDA SHAW!" "STOP, lNJUN!" "There be major consequences for kidnapping!" "AMANDA!" "MANDlE SHAW!" " AMANDA!" " Go." "Now." "Daddy needs f owers." " Mand e!" " Amanda, where are you?" " Mandie!" "You have Unc e." "Father's brother." "We go!" "HELLO!" "Ssshhhhhh!" "We go!" "Whoah." "Well hey Snowball." "Boys, that there s the meanest, meowinest excuse for a kitty-cat I ever saw." "It' be my d stinct pleasure to put him out of my m sery." "Here, k tty, kitty, kitty." "Run Snowba I!" "Ned." "What's my Uncle's name?" "John." "Uncle John's house, behind mounta n." "W thout a moment to lose, the ind an Princess and her fam y raced through an open field." "The ga oping of pursu ng so d ers echoed ouder and louder." "If they cou d on y reach the top of bou der mountain they wou d find safety for a few moons." "Upward they pushed, grateful for the hide and seek rocks that provided cover." "AH!" "But exhaust on and pain overcame." "Father promised he would return for them, but deep down, they a knew t would be too ate." "Whoah!" "Whoah!" "Ned." "Do you know Unc e John?" "Many w nters ago." "Why don't I?" "Best ask Unc e John." "What's he ke?" "You see tomorrow." "Go on." "We not come." "Go." "To fam y." "B g ove there." "When wil l see you again?" "Soon." "Go." "What in heaven's b ue b azes are you?" "Where's Unc e John?" "Stay put r ght here." "Are you Unc e John?" "Are you an ange ?" "I am Samue , an art st." "And you are my pa nt ng, the paint ng." "Perfect." " Hello." " Hello." "You don't ook a thing like my Father." "Well I should th nk not." "But then neither do you, except for the eyes." "I'm Jason Bond, the estate keeper." "Where's Unc e John?" "Where's your Father?" "You knew h m?" "Knew h m?" "No." "Oh." "Come right here." "R ght here." "Where's Unc e John?" "John Shaw took a boat for Europe not ong ago." "And th s week we rece ved a message." "There's been a terrible storm." "Oh, I'm so sorry, child." "So sorry." "That's r ght, et it out." "Them tears need to see the ight of day, yes they do." " l'm so sorry." " Do you have a Mother?" "The kind that wouldn't care if she never saw me again." " What's your name, pudding cakes?" " Mandie." "L za, M ss Mandie needs something hot go ng r ght away." "Should be leftover biscuits, ham, and some baked app es to start." " Yes Ma'am." " And she shou d have a bath." "l'm too t red to hau any water." " Child, pipes haul our water." "Samuel, run a hot bath in the French room." "Anything for the Ange , s r." "Why are you be ng so n ce to me?" "I have nobody, I am nobody." "I'm just some runaway dirtying up your mans on." "Stuffin' nonsense M ss Mandie." "Hav ng nobody don't equate to being nobody." "L za, I'l f nish the cook ng." "You take her on up and see if you can salvage any ha r out of this here rat nest." " How'd you do that?" " You never seen electr c ty?" "You want ght, you just flip the sw tch right here." "Energy trave s through the wires hidden in the wa s all over the house." "Who bu t th s place?" "Your Grandpa." "John Shaw Sen or." "You even got your own bathroom." "What's a bathroom?" "I th nks I need the who e bottle for this here rat's nest." "I can wash my own ha r." "Now M ss Mandie...." "A n't nobody in all of North Caro ina who can g ve a head-wash ng ke Liza Louise." "May the good Lord bless your dreams, child." "Aunt Lou, do you have fam y, ch dren?" "I have four, and I suspect they's a getting reacquainted w th your Father r ght about now." "A four?" "I'm so sorry." "I ran away the n ght of the funera ." "The runn ng was good, kept me busy." "But tomorrow, when I wake up and my Daddy and Unc e are gone what do I do a l day long?" "What you do, is you don't fight the pa n." "You feel t." "And I'll fee t w th you, and Mr. Jason Bond too." "And you ask the Good Lord to hurt with you." "He suffered as much as everybody in the who e wor d combined which means He'll comfort you better than any of us." "I'm sorry, but I'm not ask ng God for anything." "I'm too mad at H m." "is that wrong?" "No, Ch d." "Fact is, you oughta te Him you're mad." "And keep telling Him as long as you are." "And one day, you might f nd that you ask H m to he p you to stop be ng mad." "I'll th nk about it." "How n heaven's name d d that child get here?" "I have no dea." "I wonder how much she knows." "Well, as private as that fam y s, probab y not much." "And I'll te you someth ng Lou, we're gonna keep our mouths shut too." "I cannot f nd Mr. John's w ." "Can't find the w ?" "What n tarnation are you doing wasting precious t me down here for?" "Because t cou d be anywhere." "Mr. Jason." "Where do you find a man's heart?" "Same p ace you f nd h s treasure." "Am I right?" "Well just f p t around." "Because we know where his heart was." "Th rd floor." "And the hidden places." "Why don't you just run r ght up there, Lou, and start search ng?" "No s r." "Prec se y." "I know." "Let's get Miss Mand e to help you." "She needs something to do and f she knew her Daddy m ght be included n the w " "No, no, no." "I won't get her hopes up I ke that." "Not unti l know exact y who's n that will." "Well there's much more possibi ties when the hopes s ra sed." "You do know that hot eggs taste better than co d ones, don't ya?" "Did you s eep we last n ght?" "Good." "I, uh, was wonder ng f l could enlist your help." "He's n a f x." "And he real y needs you and your Shaw way of thinking, but you best hurry." "Aunt Lou. I wonder f you cou d br ng us some honey for the b scuits." " Coming right up." " Thank you very much." "Your Unc e John had a will." "Now it's poss b e, just poss ble that he eft most of what he owned to your Daddy." "Wh ch would mean t would all pass to you and you would never have to go back to that Momma of yours." "It's just a poss b ty, Mand e." "Don't get your hopes up." "Why would he eave anything to a man he wasn't speak ng to?" "Because the only egit mate re at ves he has are n Virgin a." "Distant cous ns. I don't think he ever met them." "Ah, perfect t m ng." "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Momma sa d t wou dn't be po te to come over before ten o'c ock." "But I cou dn't wait a s ngle moment onger to meet my new friend. I apolog ze." "I assure you M ss Mandie won't mind your neg ection of etiquette." "I'm Po y Cornwallis, and I get to spend the next f ve n ghts w th you!" "Momma sa d this past week's been nothing but rotten, and I want you to know..... ....that I've got just the cheerfu d spos tion you need to be around." "Now, f rst thing we must do s cajole Aunt Lou into sewing you some new c othes.... ...because that dress, I apologize, is not f t for the trash heap." "Aunt Lou can do a fitt ng r ght after unch." "I ove Prov dent al timing!" "I've never had a new dress in al my life." "You be one depr ved chi d." "But we gonna enjoy f x ng that." "Thank you, L za." "Jason Bond." "A p easure to f nally meet you." "I am Miss Gayne e Snow, John Shaw's n ece." "I was, I am devastated." "But s nce part of the inher tance w ll be m ne I've come to offer you my ass stance in he p ng you sort through h s things." "Ah hah." "I have a cousin?" "No." "Well I don't believe I know this beautiful young ady." "Th s beautiful young ady is John Shaw's niece, Mand e." "Oh my sweet dear, I have always wanted another g rl n the fam y." "My Mother was John's youngest s ster." "Grew up n Richmond, V rg nia and was sent away at a very young age and d ed bringing me nto this wor d." "Do you th nk l could have a room next to my long lost cousin?" "You know, Miss Snow, it's a peculiar th ng, I don't ever remember John Shaw mention ng a sister." "Well, a n't we just the place to be th s blessed morning." "Just come on n." "He o." "My name s Bayne Locke." " l am John Shaw's nephew." " Ah." " Here to c aim my part " " Of the inher tance." "Of course, of course." "Well th s s just fasc nat ng, they're coming from a over the country to claim his property." " S r, John Shaw's sister was my Mother." " Ah." " She d ed." " Oh." "In ch dbirth." "And n what town were you born?" "Richmond, V rg nia." "Richmond, V rg nia." "We this is a coincidence." "So was she." " Oh!" " Maybe you two are twins, separated..." " ...at birth perhaps." " l a ways wanted a brother." "Oh, well l have the papers to prove t." "How w we be div ding the estate?" "Come here." "We w be dividing the estate accord ng to the wil ." "Oh." "Good." "Good, good." "May I see t, p ease?" "No." "No, no." "Not now, not ever." "Bring in my bag." "Bring in your own bag." "L za, te Aunt Lou that we're now running a free hote ." "And wou d you please take our guests up to the r rooms?" "Yes S r." "Oh and I am famished." "Might I bother you to scare up a small bite from the kitchen for me?" " lf it's not too much troub e." " Yes Ma'am." "And I would ke a fu l breakfast, please." "Take Polly." "Go to the th rd floor." "Be quiet." "Perhaps I should choose fabr c for your new dress nstead." "No!" "That needs redecorating." "The white archer sa ed often to the orient." "He loved the colors he found there." "Jade especia y." "Hidden timber guarded two entrances to two secret passageways to the cathedral room." "But the hand-made, far-East treasure trunks guarded a manner of secrets." "Polly!" "He p me move this." "Jumpin' jiminey!" "I don't think Mr. Jason meant for us to search th s part of the third f oor." "Scared?" "Let's see where it goes." "They stepped nto the unknown w th a sense of unease and closed the door upon all that was fam ar." "Mand e Shaw!" "I absolutely, posit ve y w not descend into that black abyss.... ...un ess escorted by a boy!" "Honest?" "Mand e!" "The Indian Pr ncess Ta itha wore a forehead bra d to make wise her thoughts." "And an ant er neck ace to protect the secrets of her heart." "Mand e." "Look where we are." "Polly." "Ned gave th s to me." " Who's Ned?" " My Indian friend." "I don't think we should be in here anymore." "I wou d simply be bes de myself f l could move into th s room." "Such vibrant co ors." "So modern." "Land sakes, Miss Snow, I thought you wanted to be next to Mand e." "I did." "Oh!" "What a beautiful view." "And a l h dden up here on the th rd f oor where no one can enjoy it." "Oh you s mply must come see." " Oh. I do see." " No you come right here." "You know them sheets there?" "They a n't be washed n qu te some time." "Well Liza can do that th s morn ng." "A n't been a lick of fresh air to f y through here in years." "We by ton ght a breeze w ll have freshened everyth ng up.... ...so t rea y isn't too much of a problem now, is t?" "Well, now, I reckon not." "If you don't mind shar ng your bedroom with rats." "Rats!" "I hate rats!" "I can do lizards, snakes even spiders, anything but rats!" "A I d d was fo ow her." "Ah." "Miss Amanda, you are without a doubt a Shaw relative." "Truth be to d, you're probab y better equipped to f nd this w than I am." "You could run across some other things as well." "Your Unc e John had a lot of secrets." "So d d my Father, and I wish he hadn't." "P ease et us search th s room, we'll f nd t, I prom se." "A right." "A right." "Work fast." "Stay very quiet." "And whatever you do, under no circumstances a ow Ms. Snow or Mr. Locke to fo low you." "If e ther one of them f nd the w ll first, they' take your Daddy's name off of t, do you understand?" "Too old- ady sh." "I agree." "M ss Po ly, would you he p Miss Mand e p ck out fabr c for a fancy dress?" "Two new dresses at one time?" "Momma would say that's wastefu ." "Oh!" "Lad es!" "Why d dn't you te me we were hav ng a sewing part?" "I just ove making new dresses for myse f." "Oh yes." "And how many dresses do you own, Ms. Snow?" "Oh, um, on y f ve, maybe six." "Ah!" "Cats!" "I hate cats!" "I just ove making new dresses for myse f." "Love y, ove y." "What beautiful fabr c!" "Miss Mand e, we'll fin sh up later." "Get you on outta here." "Th s mans on s twice the size of ours." "She's stealing!" "Remember when you were that age, Mr. Locke?" "You didn't realize how quickly you'd become the young gent eman you are today, did you?" "Samuel!" "We're in need of your ass stance." "Yes, Ma'am!" "At your service." "We need a boy to go exp oring w th us." "Can you keep a secret?" "No Ma'am." "No one trusts me with anything." "Oh." "Well, can you keep one for me?" "Maybe." "Can't make any prom ses though." "My loud mouth tends to run faster than my bra n can keep up." "Well do you know any boys who can keep secrets?" "No Ma'am." "Stay away from a of them." "I say anyth ng done in moderation is perfect y acceptable." "But read ng a seven-hundred and eighty-seven page book standing up seems rather excessive." "Don't you think?" "Are you sidetracked?" "I'll f nd that wil before you ever do." "I'll f nd that wil before you ever do." "You're positive t hasn't already been found?" "What was my Unc e ke, other than r ch and unt dy?" "Old. I used to imag ne how dapper he m ght ook if he sm ed." "Do you know what happened between h m and my Father?" "I'd say only Mr. Jason knows that." " Excuse me." "Excuse me." " l done had it." "You ain't accomplishing a lick with a your pacing." "Would you p ease just get to work?" "What if we can't find the w ?" "A I know is the Good Lord's gonna take care of Miss Mandie." "Even f t's not the way we want Him to." "Now get!" "Now get?" "Now get." "I was sav ng t for your eighteenth birthday." "But somehow you always manage to get th ngs out of me ear er than planned." "I can wait, Daddy." "Put it on." "Beautifu ." "Joe!" "Joe could come he p us!" "is he cute?" "Miss Mand e." "Would you ke to try on your new dress?" "Snowball!" "Snow?" "'Scuse me, Ma'am?" "You do sme r ght pretty, but now th s here soap is gonna make you smel even prett er." "That's 'cause of its spec al ngred ent." "Mmmmm." "What ngred ent?" "We , now sure y you don't expect me to g ve up all my secrets." "Hmmm?" "Well I'll be darned." "You happen to hear of a tt e b onde gir showing up in these parts, with a white kitty-cat?" "Th s s too pretty to wear. I' l mess t up." "Ch ld, that's your play dress." "Now the fancy dress, that'l be a s ght to see." "Th s k tty-cat be ong here?" "Yes." "Good." "Now, would you d rect me to the most comfortab e chair in the house?" "Never m nd, I'll find it on my own." "No s rreeee!" "Don't you even think about ay ng a f nger on that chair." "Do you have a name?" "I expect you know who I am." " L za, can you ma this?" " Sure can." "May I help you?" "I expect you know who I am, so there's no need for introduct on." "Quite the contrary, s r. l have no idea who you are." "Ah, well who I am is who I'm gonna be, and who I'm gonna be s Amanda Shaw's Father." "So you've come to claim your share of the inher tance?" "Ah, see. I knew you knew who I was." "What's your name?" "Zachary Hughes." "And you're go ng to be Mand e Shaw's Father?" "That's what I sa d." "But current y you are no b ood relation of Miss Shaw." "Now what does that have to do with this conversation?" "Well I wouldn't want to presume incorrect y that you're go ng to marry Mandie's Mother?" "Well, you can presume whatever you want but that's what I plan to do." "And see ng as how Mandie is far too young to be mak ng wise dec s ons for herself... I'll just be taking Mand e and her inheritance home now." "And how could you not send word of her safety?" "Her Momma s f t to be t ed with worry." " Where is the girl?" " What s that terrible sme ?" "Hmmmm?" "May I ask how you are emp oyed?" "I, sir, am a purveyor of fine scented soaps, accessories, and other necess t es..." " ...for the lad es." " Ah." "Soaps." "Yes, of course." "Ah, Mr. Hughes." "Fo ow me, p ease." "Mr. Hughes, you have no b ood relat onship w th Miss Shaw." "Therefore you have no further business n this house. I bid you good day." "Well, f t's b ood ye be want ng, I' l just come back with her Ma." "If you ever want to set foot n this house aga n, I advise you to find some soap that makes you smell ke a man, and then use t!" "That man marry ng my Momma?" "That's what he says." " Where does your Momma live?" " Char ey Gap." "Good." "Good. lt' take Mr. Hughes a fu day to get back to h s bathtub." "Now adies, we have got to find th s will." "She wore an ant er necklace to protect the secrets of her heart." "Ahhhh." "But the hand-made, far-East treasure trunks guarded a manner of secrets." "Polly." "is this h m?" "He is dapper, exactly how I mag ned him." "They look a ke." "A pity the g r s missed such a f ne dinner." "Yes, yes it s." "I'm sure that Aunt Lou's cook ng s far superior to anything you're used to, M ss Snow." "As are the accommodations." "Thank you so much for your hosp ta ty." "Now, as to fina zing the deta ls of the nheritance, I know that often takes t me." "We're n no hurry." "At east I'm not." "Perhaps Mr. Locke has other pressing business." "Do you have other pressing bus ness, Mr. Locke?" "No, no." "This takes precedence." "I'm try ng a new perspective." "Maybe the will's not even n here." "Maybe it's down those att c stairs." "You're welcome to go look." "What happened?" "Thank you." "Nigh inseparable, these two." "Best fr ends, you know, even though John was fifteen years older than your Daddy." "And stubborn foo s, both of them." "Fe in love w th the same woman fought over her something terrible." "And parted ways." "A for nothing." "They both ost her." "I suppose that f... lf a l of us had realized the rift was forever, that we would have handled ourselves a litt e d fferent y." "Miss Mand e, do you know what them brothers oved doing together more than anything?" "What?" "Making mus c." "Yes ma'am, and th s here house done been depr ved of joyful noise for too ong." "It was a mark of honor to be invited to the Shaw mans on to hear the brothers p ay.... ...the organ or the fidd e or the banjo." "And Mr. Jason here, we , he taught 'em everyth ng they knew." "Brightly beams our Father's mercy from His ghthouse evermore." "But to us, He gives the keeping of the lights a ong the shore." "Let the ower ghts keep burning send a gleam across the wave." "Some poor strugg ng, sink ng sa or you may rescue, you may save." "Dark the n ght, the sin has settled loud the angry billows roar." "Eager eyes are watch ng, long ng for the I ghts a ong the shore." "Let the ower ghts keep burning." "Send a g eam across the wave." "Eager eyes are watch ng, long ng for the I ghts a ong the shore." "The free hotel s fu ." "And the food is a ate up." "JOE!" "Hi Doctor Woodard." "Good to see you Mand e." "Joe said that he   that you m ssed him something terrib e." "is it a r ght f he stays here for the next few n ghts while I v s t pat ents down the mountain?" "L za?" "We can put him n the nursery." " Let's go show him the creek!" " Maybe we' find some crawdads." " l never saw a creek " " Whisper!" "I never saw a creek you had to go upstairs n your house to get to." "I'm Po ly Cornwal s." "Joe." "Are you brave?" "'Course." "You f rst." "Me?" "Wh spers say that the ind an Princess and her pregnant sister were given shelter in a room ke a cathedral w th w ndows so high on y eag es could see through." "Many Cherokee peop e ved together in this h dden room, tucked away ns de the walls of a great mansion." "The white archer, young though he was, bu t the room w th his own two hands to prov de refuge for h s Cherokee fr ends." "They lived as norma y as they cou d." "The men c eaned their rif es, sharpened b ades, and tanned the hides they shot by moonlight." "The women sewed and beaded, wove baskets and cooked in the greatest firep ace Ta tha had ever seen." "But her favorite thing about the cathedra room was the set of antlers carved from the head of the white archer's smelly, dead deer." "Daddy to d me the story a thousand t mes." "He never sa d t was rea ." "Ta tha c othed her nephew papoose in fabric her Mother had made dyed from the juice of a chokeberry." "Fifty Cherokee escaped the trail of tears, and hid in here for four years never seeing the ght of day." "If the army had found out, they wou d have killed your Grandpa and everybody in here!" "Nobody ever found out." "My Grandpa was n the army." "He hated lnd an overs." "Ta tha's family was never seen again." "So she and the wh te archer started their own fami y." "And promised never to separate, even for a day." "I th nk l'm an ind an." "I to d you we were go ng to the creek." "Now where do you think the w ll s?" "I don't know." "What ya look ng for?" "A crawdad." " Come touch it." " He won't pinch you. I promise." "Next time you're late, you' be sk pp ng dinner." "Sorry L za." "We - uh " " Searched and searched all day long, and final y found a crawdad." "But Po y won't touch t." " Will you?" " No." "I'm quite sure you s mp y poured water on yourse ves, n the bathroom." "Oh d d we?" "They're de clous to eat." "Espec ally raw." "A true de catessen." "Oh, my!" "You've got yourse f a real keeper!" "Well I have never n my fe seen one th s big!" "Well she's older than you are!" "Honey, you can't get a good ook at t unless you're ho d ng t." "OW!" "I do have some more rooms, but they's much too much trouble to make up." "It's precious." "Aw." "Joe, I'm g ad you came." "Joe is adorab e." " l' be back after a wh e." " Where ya going?" " l' be back after a wh e." " Where ya going?" "I hear Unc e John dead." "Am sorry, Papoose." "How come Daddy never told me Talitha Pindar was h s Mother?" "Protect Papoose." "From what?" "Broke heart." "Many peop e no I ke lnd ans." "She's rea y my Grandmother?" "Why th nk l call you Papoose, and give necklace?" "You never to d me?" "Prom se Jim, no te ." "A this time, nobody ever told me!" "To protect Papoose heart." "Ya' l fai ed. lt broke." "Would have been a ot easier to find out when I first asked Daddy for the truth." "Can you stay close by until we find the wi ?" "I keep Papoose safe." "Always." "Prom se Jim ong ago." "Prom se Papoose now." "I'm tak ng my daughter home." " Who are you, Madam?" " Don't you sass me." "Where's my g r ?" "Madam, I've never seen you before in my ife." "How would I know who your little gir is?" "You know full well who I am. I'm Etta Shaw." "Well, well th s is surpr s ng." "You're both sme ng very appropriate today." "Don't play games w th me." "You're gonna take me to my Amanda th s m nute." "Or I'll go get the sheriff this minute." "We I'm afra d this minute, Miss Amanda's whereabouts are not known." " lf you've gone and ost my lttle girl " " Of course I haven't lost your ttle girl that wou d be irrespons b e." "Wou dn't that be rrespons ble?" "Of course t would." "Yes." "She could be down by the creek, she cou d be r d ng a horse, she cou d be in any number of trees." "Uh-huh." "Why isn't she helping around the house?" "We I think that she needs a litt e var ety n her fe, wou dn't you say?" "We'll stay for supper." " Ah." " Surely she'll be back by then?" "Surely, Madam." "Sshhhhhhh!" "Mrs. Etta Shaw has arrived." "No!" " lt's okay." " Don't panic, don't panic." " No, no!" "We'll go downstairs, we'll have some early supper." "We' come back up here and we' search a l n ght if necessary." " Agreed?" " Agreed." "There she is!" "Do you know how worr ed i was?" "You know what you put me through?" "I had search part es out for three days." "How cou d you not send word?" "I m ssed you so much." "Would you have missed me when you hired me out for work too?" "Mandie!" "I don't - l don't h re my family out. i ove my fam y." "Thank you for tak ng such good care of her." "And ook at th s pretty new dress!" "I always w shed I cou d afford to make her one." "I w sh l had fam ly like that." "Your lnjun fr end put a right ugly ho e n my sadd e." "Hush Mr. Hughes." "That's been forgiven." "Who improperly set my p ace?" "I have noth ng w th which to eat my d nner." "Miss Snow, I'm sure you can f nd a way to get them green beans down your gullet with a salad fork." "We'll be eav ng r ght after d nner so as not to cause you any more trouble." "I know Amanda's homesick." "Well, ah, you're certa n y welcome to spend the night." "I mean, we have p enty of rooms." "Well, we've a ready eft Irene way too long." "But thank you for your hosp tality." "Oh p ty." "Th s house w feel so empty and qu et w thout you k ds." "Mr. Hughes, your wheel c ean fell off of your wagon." "But don't worry. I can have t f xed by m dnight." "L za, would you prepare two more rooms?" "Yes, sir." "Land sakes ch d, qu t your whin ng and sit st ll." "I can't rub your head with you wiggling every wh ch way, I' for sure miss a spot." "Have the bedrooms on this floor been checked?" "On this floor, no." "What about downsta rs where the Indians lived?" "Well, to my know edge, Mr. John never went down there." "What if he did w thout your know edge?" "You're r ght, we should be thorough." " Hurry up!" " l am" "Ssshhhhh!" "I know I done gotta be quiet." "Look at th s." "I'd f ght w th my brother over her." "Do you th nk th s is her?" "Must have died young." "Oh how terrib y tragic." "My Father's probab y not even in the w ." "Hush." "Lay down here and think ke Mr. John." "We a l need new perspectives." "It's the same picture." "I bet the other half is h ding underneath." "How's the little ange sleep ng?" "Pretty sound, eh?" "Meow." "No, you a n't going." "Wake up angel." "Morning's coming ear y, we're go ng home." "A right, you asked for t." "A man hav ng a p cture of him and his brother n a locket is strange." "It's sweet." "Ya' l, we're s detracked." "I don't think so." "I know his brother's underneath." "You just can't wear a lopsided locket." "Fina y someth ng that makes sense." "You sure don't ook a th ng ke Etta." "Again, sidetracked." "The w i." "The treasure trunks guarded secrets, the antler neck ace protected secrets but I already have the ant er necklace and it's not protecting anyth ng." "Maybe we shou d check the cathedral room." "No!" "Open it." "My m dd e name s Elizabeth." "Ashev e, North Caro na s on y six hours away from here by tra n." "Yeah." "Polly, she's obviously dead." "Open th s door right now ch dren!" "They'll do no such th ng." "I demand to know what is go ng on n there." "Open th s door right now or I sha break it down!" "You' have to get through me first." "Ahhhhh!" " Unc e Ned!" " Papoose I bring Unc e John." "Etta, I think the sky s falling." "Or maybe they just grow rea y b g rats around here." "Woman, she ain't n the c oset." "I'm go ng to s eep." "is the interrupting of my beauty rest gonna be a nightly occurrence?" "Etta." "Are we having a s umber party?" "My baby's been kidnapped." "Mr. John." "Jason." "Mr. John." "Mr. John." "I reckon my absence has caused a bit of trouble." "Just a bit, Sir, just a bit." "What in heaven's name are you do ng n my home?" " Mr. Shaw. I - l - l - they said that you - - l'm not." " Mr. Shaw. I - l - l - they said that you - - l'm not." "Fortunate y, I know how to swim." "Now I've asked you, Mr. Snow, what are you do ng n my home?" "Mr. Snow?" "Yes." "D d you not proper y ntroduce yourse f?" "Oh, please s r. l can, I can understand." "Oh." "He p, somebody." "S r." "P ease, Mr. Shaw." "Oh, please s r. l can, I can understand." "Oh." "He p, somebody." "S r." "P ease, Mr. Shaw." "Mand e?" "Mand e?" "Mand e." "Mand e!" "Mandie?" "Mandie." "He o Mrs. Snow." "He o Mrs. Snow." "I am your nephew." "Ghost!" "Ghost!" "I just wanted to be here." " What was that?" " A lady screaming." "L ke she done seen a ghost!" "A right Mr. Hughes, on your feet, Sir." "I don't wanna leave, I just " "We're mov ng out of here." "Just stay there, we'll be back." "Amanda." "Amanda?" "Ghost!" "Where's a ghost?" "Who saw a ghost?" "Aaaahhhhhh!" " l'm rea , Aunt Lou, not a ghost." "Aaaahhhhhh!" " l'm rea , Aunt Lou, not a ghost." "I promise." "That's what they all say!" "My baby!" "My baby!" "Oh, I thought you were k ed!" "Get off of me!" "She's not even my real Momma." "Why didn't you te l me?" "Honey, t's so obvious." "Ne ther me nor Irene ook a th ng ike ya." "And the only reason your Father made me prom se not to tell was so you thought you had a rea fam ly." "You mean you put me through all th s trouble knowing fu l we she wasn't your f esh and b ood?" "Jason would you p ease escort Mr. and Mrs. Snow out?" "W th great p easure, S r." "Th s way." "Well I am not leaving w thout my things." "And as for my brother's widow and her fr end." "I vo unteer." "Thank you L za, Samue ." "Thank you L za, Samue ." "My brother was married to that woman?" "Jason would you he p Mrs. Snow carry her bag?" "I do hate to see a woman abor ng under such weight." "Yes, of course, Mr. John." "Yes, of course, Mr. John." " l' take that." " No thank you. I'm quite capable." " l ns st." " No that w not be necessary." "Thank you." "You know, Mrs. Snow, you really shou d start learning to pack for trave ling." "These are nice." "There's on y one rule rea y." "Don't haul out what you d d not haul in." "A right." "Thank you Madam." "After you." "Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Snow." "Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Snow." "I can't decide whether you look more ke my Mother or E zabeth." "They to d me you were dead." "Who?" "E zabeth's parents." "Why?" "For the same reason that they split your Father and Elizabeth up and annu ed the r marr age five days after the r honeymoon." "...five days after the r honeymoon." "They found out we were half Cherokee." "And they were not about to et ind an blood d ute their pure German ancestry." "I w th J m Shaw." "Messenger come." "Bring baby." "You." "Messenger say E zabeth dead n childb rth." "Messenger say E zabeth dead n childb rth." "G ve you to Jim Shaw." "You knew this who e time that Etta wasn't my rea mother?" "Am sorry, Papoose." "How do you go fourteen years and never make up with the on y brother you had?" "I thought he wou d come back after his marr age was annu ed." "So I wa ted." "He was the one who eft - he took E zabeth and Ned." "I didn't know where he went." "So I wa ted." "Too long." "Father would have stened to you f you would have to d h m to come back." "Father would have stened to you f you would have to d h m to come back." "What happened to E zabeth?" "I don't know. I d dn't want to know." "Jim was proud of h s Indian blood." "I to d h m to h de t, that t'd get h m in trouble." "He didn't sten to me." "I don't know f l'm proud of my lnd an b ood or not." "I'm g ad you're not dead." "How ong did it take you to clean up this p ace?" "Don't ask." "Mr. Shaw, where is your w ll?" "Can you keep a secret?" "Yes." "Sure." "Yes." "Sure." "No." "Jumpin' J m ney." "Of all the p aces." "Why wou d anyone h de a wi where no-one can f nd t?" "To know that, you wou d have to break the seal." "I don't wanna be mad anymore!" "Miss Mand e!" "If that a n't the prettiest dress this side of the Miss ssipp , I don't know what is." "Oh, 'Chile, hush up now." "Oh, 'Chile, hush up now." "We sa ed to." "Bad weather h t us." "Five of us swam to." "Cape Hatteras, where you I ved in a ghthouse for a whole weak." "Are there crawdads in the ocean?" "Excuse me." "Miss Mandie's new dress is ready." "She' be a sight to see." "Never knew it cou d take so ong to put on a dress." "L za, f that's a stranger, don't open the door." "L za, f that's a stranger, don't open the door." "We'll endure the ringing until they go away." "Who is t?" "Summon Miss Mand e and Mr. John."