said, “Why don’t both of you come into the sitting room? Jeff, you’ve already seen all the pictures, but Cecil would like to see them.”
Jeff said stubbornly, “No, I’m going fishing.”
He left the house, slamming the door slightly harder than was necessary.
Immediately he heard his father’s voice. “Jeff, come here!”
Jeff lifted his head and saw the colonel leaning out a window. He stomped over to him and said, “What is it, Pa?”
“Where you going?”
“I’m going to get a pole and go fishing.”
“Why don’t you take Leah with you?”
“I came to do that, but instead Cecil Taylor came to call on her.”
Nelson grinned. “You better watch out. That young fellow’s gonna to beat your time.”
Jeff flushed. “Who needs an old girl anyway?”
Tom leaned over the windowsill beside his father and studied Jeff. “I reckon most of us do.”
Jeff and his father both glanced at Tom. Jeff knew his brother was thinking of Sarah, Leah’s older sister. Tom had been deeply in love with Sarah beforethe war. Now Tom’s face was sad, and his thoughts seemed to be a million miles away.
“I guess most of us do need a lady to make our lives bright,” their father said.
Jeff stared at the colonel. He knew that the object of
his
thoughts was Eileen Fremont.
“I’m going fishing!” Jeff said. He turned around and went toward the barn.
From his window Colonel Majors watched Jeff come out of the barn with a pole over his shoulder and a can of worms dangling from one hand. Then he turned to Tom.
“I guess you think about Sarah a lot.”
“Yes, I do, Pa. I miss her more than I can say.”
“I know about that. It’s the same way I miss your mother.”
When Eileen came into the room, the men were playing checkers.
Tom got up in disgust. “I can’t beat you at this game!”
“You’re too impulsive. You’ve got to think out your moves,” Nelson said.
“I’m going out to chop more wood. It’s more fun than getting beat at checkers.”
After Tom left, Eileen sat down at Nelson’s bidding, and they began another checkers game. She was not very good, and Nelson was an excellent player. Nevertheless, he used the game as an excuse to keep her in his room.
Eventually they began talking about the boys, and Nelson laid out their problems. His brow furrowed as he talked of Tom’s love for Sarah Carter and his recurring uncertainty about marrying her because he had lost a leg. “And now Jeff’s growingup,” he added, “and you know how hard it is to raise a young boy. I was hard to raise myself.”
Eileen smiled. “They’re both fine boys,” she said. “You have a fine family, Nelson, and they’re all going to turn out well.”
6
Charlie Makes a Decision
T he battle for Atlanta had been terrible. Many buildings were destroyed, and their gutted skeletons pointed like ghostly fingers to the sky. Many citizens had lost their homes. The struggle to rebuild the city had begun. Now, however, Atlanta was a Yankee city rather than one that had been the pride of the Confederacy.
Mrs. Grace Holcomb, the aunt of Lori Jenkins, was a frail, silver-haired lady in her late eighties. Although she had many friends from a lifelong residency in Atlanta, she was totally without family there.
Her eyes lit up with gratitude as Lori put her breakfast tray in place. “Lori, I don’t know what I would have done,” she said, and her hands trembled as she reached out to pat Lori’s arm. “You were like an angel from heaven when you suddenly appeared,” she added, smiling up at her.
Lori had heard that her aunt had been a beautiful woman in her youth, and traces of that beauty remained. She returned Mrs. Holcomb’s smile and poured a cup of tea into a dainty china cup. “I’m just glad I could come, Aunt Grace. It’s good to visit with you and hear the stories of the family.”
She sat down beside the elderly woman and talked cheerfully, studying the old lady’s face.
She doesn’t look well
,
Jeff said stubbornly, “No, I’m going fishing.”
He left the house, slamming the door slightly harder than was necessary.
Immediately he heard his father’s voice. “Jeff, come here!”
Jeff lifted his head and saw the colonel leaning out a window. He stomped over to him and said, “What is it, Pa?”
“Where you going?”
“I’m going to get a pole and go fishing.”
“Why don’t you take Leah with you?”
“I came to do that, but instead Cecil Taylor came to call on her.”
Nelson grinned. “You better watch out. That young fellow’s gonna to beat your time.”
Jeff flushed. “Who needs an old girl anyway?”
Tom leaned over the windowsill beside his father and studied Jeff. “I reckon most of us do.”
Jeff and his father both glanced at Tom. Jeff knew his brother was thinking of Sarah, Leah’s older sister. Tom had been deeply in love with Sarah beforethe war. Now Tom’s face was sad, and his thoughts seemed to be a million miles away.
“I guess most of us do need a lady to make our lives bright,” their father said.
Jeff stared at the colonel. He knew that the object of
his
thoughts was Eileen Fremont.
“I’m going fishing!” Jeff said. He turned around and went toward the barn.
From his window Colonel Majors watched Jeff come out of the barn with a pole over his shoulder and a can of worms dangling from one hand. Then he turned to Tom.
“I guess you think about Sarah a lot.”
“Yes, I do, Pa. I miss her more than I can say.”
“I know about that. It’s the same way I miss your mother.”
When Eileen came into the room, the men were playing checkers.
Tom got up in disgust. “I can’t beat you at this game!”
“You’re too impulsive. You’ve got to think out your moves,” Nelson said.
“I’m going out to chop more wood. It’s more fun than getting beat at checkers.”
After Tom left, Eileen sat down at Nelson’s bidding, and they began another checkers game. She was not very good, and Nelson was an excellent player. Nevertheless, he used the game as an excuse to keep her in his room.
Eventually they began talking about the boys, and Nelson laid out their problems. His brow furrowed as he talked of Tom’s love for Sarah Carter and his recurring uncertainty about marrying her because he had lost a leg. “And now Jeff’s growingup,” he added, “and you know how hard it is to raise a young boy. I was hard to raise myself.”
Eileen smiled. “They’re both fine boys,” she said. “You have a fine family, Nelson, and they’re all going to turn out well.”
6
Charlie Makes a Decision
T he battle for Atlanta had been terrible. Many buildings were destroyed, and their gutted skeletons pointed like ghostly fingers to the sky. Many citizens had lost their homes. The struggle to rebuild the city had begun. Now, however, Atlanta was a Yankee city rather than one that had been the pride of the Confederacy.
Mrs. Grace Holcomb, the aunt of Lori Jenkins, was a frail, silver-haired lady in her late eighties. Although she had many friends from a lifelong residency in Atlanta, she was totally without family there.
Her eyes lit up with gratitude as Lori put her breakfast tray in place. “Lori, I don’t know what I would have done,” she said, and her hands trembled as she reached out to pat Lori’s arm. “You were like an angel from heaven when you suddenly appeared,” she added, smiling up at her.
Lori had heard that her aunt had been a beautiful woman in her youth, and traces of that beauty remained. She returned Mrs. Holcomb’s smile and poured a cup of tea into a dainty china cup. “I’m just glad I could come, Aunt Grace. It’s good to visit with you and hear the stories of the family.”
She sat down beside the elderly woman and talked cheerfully, studying the old lady’s face.
She doesn’t look well
,
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