mean.”
“You and Jeff have been friends for a long time, haven’t you?”
“Oh, yes. All our lives.”
“And you like him probably as well as any boy you ever knew, I would think. I’ve seen that in you.”
“That’s true. Jeff and I have always been close.”
“And yet you’ve been going around with Cecil every chance you get. I wonder why that is?”
Leah felt her cheeks burn, and she put her hands over them. “Oh, Eileen, I don’t know. I thought I might make Jeff a little bit jealous.”
“That’s very dangerous. I think you might be sorry about that.”
Her words were very close to what Jeff had said, and Leah felt tremendously uncomfortable.
10
Rosie Steps In
T he camp for the Federal troops was south of Atlanta. Tents had been set up, and since the force was small, the duties were heavy. Most of the men had to stand guard at various times. Nevertheless, since there had been no uprising among the citizens and no likelihood that Johnston’s army would return to give them trouble, discipline relaxed as the days passed.
Drake had not forgotten his humiliation on the wooden horse, and he had been prohibited from leaving camp by the lieutenant. Day after day, he saw Royal go and come, and this made him sullen.
One afternoon, at the end of the first week of September, he looked up from where he was sitting on a camp stool in front of his tent, and what he saw sent a shock through him.
“Oh, no! It’s that blasted Charlie!” He got up and would have escaped, but she called out, “Hello, Drake!” and reluctantly he returned to his place.
Charlie was still wearing her overalls, albeit she was sporting a pair of new low-heeled boots that looked much better than the heavy shoes she had first worn. She came marching across the parade ground, catching the eye of most of the soldiers who were off duty.
Drake took a desperate look around and saw them grinning and nudging one another with their elbows. Somehow the story had gotten out abouthow this girl wanted to buy herself a husband. Drake had accused Royal of spreading the tale, but Royal steadfastly denied it. Actually it turned out that Charlie herself let it slip to Walter Beddows, who could never keep a good story. Now Walter and the others began ambling toward where Charlie stood in front of Drake.
“I came to see you, Drake,” she said brightly. She was wearing a new straw hat with a ribbon on top. She wore a new shirt under her overalls too. A bright red one.
Drake nodded shortly. “Hello, Charlie.” He sought desperately for some way to escape but could think of nothing.
Charlie started talking about a fishing trip that she had just made. “I caught seven bullhead cats,” she said, “and I’m going to cook ’em up for supper. I came to invite you, Drake.”
“I can’t leave camp,” he said
“Oh, why not?”
“Because he’s been a bad boy.”
The voice came from behind Charlie, and she turned to see Walter Beddows, who was grinning broadly. Walter loved fun. He came closer and winked at the others. “None of the rest of us galoots have been lucky enough to capture a prisoner like you, Miss Charlie,” he said. “Tell me now. Are there any more that I might go out and capture?”
Charlie looked at Drake uncertainly, clearly not understanding the joke. “I don’t guess so,” she said finally. “I was lucky he didn’t shoot me. His gun didn’t go off.”
A laugh went around, and Walter said, “You mean you actually tried to pull down on this prettygirl? Why, Drake Bedford, I’m plumb ashamed of you!”
“Shut up, Walter!” Drake said. He suddenly saw Royal approaching and was sure the sergeant was on his way to Lori’s house. He exploded. “Get out of here, girl! Go back home!”
A hurt look came into Charlie’s eyes, and she lowered her head. “I just came to invite you—”
“You’re always pestering me! I don’t want you hangin’ around me anymore! No man likes a woman chasin’ after him. Now,
“You and Jeff have been friends for a long time, haven’t you?”
“Oh, yes. All our lives.”
“And you like him probably as well as any boy you ever knew, I would think. I’ve seen that in you.”
“That’s true. Jeff and I have always been close.”
“And yet you’ve been going around with Cecil every chance you get. I wonder why that is?”
Leah felt her cheeks burn, and she put her hands over them. “Oh, Eileen, I don’t know. I thought I might make Jeff a little bit jealous.”
“That’s very dangerous. I think you might be sorry about that.”
Her words were very close to what Jeff had said, and Leah felt tremendously uncomfortable.
10
Rosie Steps In
T he camp for the Federal troops was south of Atlanta. Tents had been set up, and since the force was small, the duties were heavy. Most of the men had to stand guard at various times. Nevertheless, since there had been no uprising among the citizens and no likelihood that Johnston’s army would return to give them trouble, discipline relaxed as the days passed.
Drake had not forgotten his humiliation on the wooden horse, and he had been prohibited from leaving camp by the lieutenant. Day after day, he saw Royal go and come, and this made him sullen.
One afternoon, at the end of the first week of September, he looked up from where he was sitting on a camp stool in front of his tent, and what he saw sent a shock through him.
“Oh, no! It’s that blasted Charlie!” He got up and would have escaped, but she called out, “Hello, Drake!” and reluctantly he returned to his place.
Charlie was still wearing her overalls, albeit she was sporting a pair of new low-heeled boots that looked much better than the heavy shoes she had first worn. She came marching across the parade ground, catching the eye of most of the soldiers who were off duty.
Drake took a desperate look around and saw them grinning and nudging one another with their elbows. Somehow the story had gotten out abouthow this girl wanted to buy herself a husband. Drake had accused Royal of spreading the tale, but Royal steadfastly denied it. Actually it turned out that Charlie herself let it slip to Walter Beddows, who could never keep a good story. Now Walter and the others began ambling toward where Charlie stood in front of Drake.
“I came to see you, Drake,” she said brightly. She was wearing a new straw hat with a ribbon on top. She wore a new shirt under her overalls too. A bright red one.
Drake nodded shortly. “Hello, Charlie.” He sought desperately for some way to escape but could think of nothing.
Charlie started talking about a fishing trip that she had just made. “I caught seven bullhead cats,” she said, “and I’m going to cook ’em up for supper. I came to invite you, Drake.”
“I can’t leave camp,” he said
“Oh, why not?”
“Because he’s been a bad boy.”
The voice came from behind Charlie, and she turned to see Walter Beddows, who was grinning broadly. Walter loved fun. He came closer and winked at the others. “None of the rest of us galoots have been lucky enough to capture a prisoner like you, Miss Charlie,” he said. “Tell me now. Are there any more that I might go out and capture?”
Charlie looked at Drake uncertainly, clearly not understanding the joke. “I don’t guess so,” she said finally. “I was lucky he didn’t shoot me. His gun didn’t go off.”
A laugh went around, and Walter said, “You mean you actually tried to pull down on this prettygirl? Why, Drake Bedford, I’m plumb ashamed of you!”
“Shut up, Walter!” Drake said. He suddenly saw Royal approaching and was sure the sergeant was on his way to Lori’s house. He exploded. “Get out of here, girl! Go back home!”
A hurt look came into Charlie’s eyes, and she lowered her head. “I just came to invite you—”
“You’re always pestering me! I don’t want you hangin’ around me anymore! No man likes a woman chasin’ after him. Now,
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