Yankee Belles in Dixie (16 page)

However, on the next day a letter came from the colonel:

Sarah looked up blankly when she had read the letter, and Leah cried, “Why, they can't make you go home!”

“I'm afraid they can, Leah. This is their country, and Colonel Chesnut wouldn't have written this if there hadn't been tremendous pressure. I'll have to go.”

She would not have to go to the train station alone, however, for Colonel Chesnut had pursued
his investigation. He had Tom freed at once, and that young man came flying to Silas Carter's house. Sarah opened the door herself and found herself wrapped in his arms—or in one of them anyhow. The other was still bandaged.

“Are you all right, Sarah?” he asked. “I was so worried about you.”

“Oh, yes, I'm fine.” She laughed nervously. “But I've got to go back to Kentucky, Tom.”

“Colonel Chesnut told me. But it won't be for long. He's working on it, and he'll get you back here soon.”

“I hope so. I hate to leave Leah here all alone, but there's no other way it seems.”

   The next day Sarah said her good-byes to Leah and Uncle Silas, and Tom took her to the station. They stood on the platform as the train huffed and puffed, sending great clouds of steam into the air.

“I hate like fury for you to go!” Tom groaned. “Just doesn't seem right! Seems like we spend our lives saying good-bye.”

Sarah had slept little, and her eyes looked forlorn, but she managed to smile. “It won't be forever. I need to go home anyway and help take care of that baby sister of yours. You watch out for Leah.”

“I will.” Tom hesitated, then put his good arm around her and kissed her. “Good-bye, but it won't be long.”

“Take care of yourself,” Sarah whispered. “Oh, be careful! Don't let anything happen to you.” Then she whirled and boarded the train.

Tom watched it roll out of the station and pick up speed. It grew smaller in the distance and finally disappeared around a curve. He turned and walked
slowly away as despondent as he'd ever been in his whole life.

S
tonewall Jackson's campaign in the Valley made him a famous man. His soldiers became known as Jackson's “Foot Cavalry.” The armies that he had defeated never got to Richmond to help McClellan. Instead they all retreated to Washington—to the shame of their generals.

Then on June 12, 1862, General Jeb Stuart performed a magnificent feat. He led his cavalry in a ride completely around the Union army. When he returned to Richmond, he had the position of all the Federal troops for General Lee. Richmond was buzzing with excitement.

The Stonewall Brigade had been drawn back from the Valley to join the fight to save Richmond. Tom was still recuperating from his hand injury but was able to at least help with his squad. Jeff expected to be called any minute, for it was certain that the battle for Richmond would take place at any time.

On June 15, Jeff came by the Carter house wearing his best uniform. His hair had been freshly cut by one of his fellow soldiers and was slicked back.

When he entered, Leah cried out, “My! Don't you look nice!”

Jeff shrugged. “I guess, if you say so.” He saw she had brushed her own hair carefully and wore it a different way. She was wearing a new dress too. It was light blue with dark blue lace at the sleeves and around the bodice. He noted that she was growing
up. “You're not a little girl anymore,” he said with a grin. “You look real pretty, Leah.”

She flushed. “Where have you been for the last two days?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Oh, I went over with Tom to see how everybody was doing. We lost several men in the Valley.” He frowned. “The one man I thought we'd lose for sure was Phineas Rawlings—he got shot in the stomach. I was afraid he'd die, but he didn't. We went to the hospital, and he's doing fine.”

Then he noticed there was a mysterious air about Leah.

She said, “You know what day today is?”

Jeff grinned. “I guess so. A fellow doesn't have many birthdays in a year. Pretty nice that you and I have the same birthday, isn't it?” He gave her an odd look. “Are you fishing for a birthday present?”

“No!”

“Well, I got you one anyhow.” He reached into his pocket and produced a small package wrapped in white paper with a blue ribbon around it. “Here. Hope you like it.”

Leah flushed again and took the gift. Her fingers trembled a little as she carefully took off the ribbon and laid it to one side. Then she unfolded the wrapper slowly. Inside was a small box. She took the lid off and stood staring down at its contents. When she looked up her green eyes were enormous. “Oh, Jeff, it's
beautiful!”
she said, drawing out the last word. “Where did you get it?”

“One of the sergeants in the company posted next to ours sold it to me. He'd bought it for his girlfriend, but they broke up, so he let me have it. I think he was glad to get rid of it, because it reminded him of her.”

Leah held the box carefully and pulled out a gold locket with a fine gold chain. She laid it reverently in her palm and admired it. “It's the prettiest locket I've ever seen!”

Jeff coughed, embarrassed. When she looked up at him, he said, “Well, open it up!”

“It opens?” Leah carefully inserted her thumbnail in the tiny groove around the oval locket. It opened smoothly. She cried out with delight. “Why, Jeff, it's
you!”

Jeff felt his face redden. “Aw, some of us had our picture made by one of them picture-making fellows. I just cut mine out and put it in there. You can throw it away if you want to.”

“I won't ever do that! Here, help me put it on!” She handed him the locket, turned around, and held up her long, blonde hair.

Jeff reached around her to get the end of the locket. Then for a few moments he struggled to fasten the clasp. “This thing's so tiny my fingers feel like thumbs,” he complained. “All right, there it is,” he said, stepping back.

“Come on, I want to look in the mirror.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the parlor where a gold frame held a small looking glass. She admired herself, turning this way and that. “Oh, it's so pretty!” She turned around and impulsively took his hand. “Thank you, Jeff. It's the nicest present I ever got in my whole life!”

His face grew warm, and he mumbled, “Oh, well, I'm glad you like it.”

Leah stood looking at him for a moment and said, “I've got you a present too—but you'll have to do what I say.”

“Why do I have to do what you say? Just give me the present.”

“No, come in here.” She led him into the parlor. “Now, you sit down right there.” She pushed him toward a leather-covered chair, and he plopped down in it. “Now, shut your eyes.”

“Oh, shoot, Leah—this is for babies!” he protested.

“Here, you hold your hands over your eyes, and don't you peek.” She took his hands and put them over his face. He mumbled another protest, but she said, “If you don't mind me, I won't give you a pre-sent—and no cake either.”

“Well, all right,” Jeff said. “Let me have it then.”

“You wait right there, and I'll be right back. And don't you
dare
peek!”

“I won't,” Jeff muttered. He heard her footsteps leaving the room. He thought he heard voices, and then he heard her come back. He held out his hand. “All right, let's have it. I hope it's something good to eat.”

“It's something better than that!” Leah said, and there was something strange in her voice.

Suddenly Jeff felt a hand on his head, and he straightened up abruptly, startled by the touch.

“You can look now,” Leah said.

Jeff lowered his hands, looked up, and shock ran through him.

“Hello, Son. Happy birthday.”

“Pa!” Jeff leaped out of his chair, threw his arms around his father, and hugged him tight.

Lieutenant Majors said, “Now, don't break every bone I've got, boy.”

Jeff could not think clearly. He took a step back and said, “Pa, I can't believe it! How did you get here? How long have you been here? Where—”

Nelson Majors held up a hand. He was pale, but his eyes were clear, and he had gained some weight. “I just got in yesterday. I wanted to find you right away, but Leah said wait till today and it would be a birthday present you'd never forget.”

“Boy, that's right!” He was suddenly close to tears for some reason he could not explain. A lump rose in his throat, and he could not have said another word if his life had depended on it.

Suddenly Leah came over and kissed him on the cheek. “There! There's your happy birthday present. Isn't it wonderful? Just what we prayed for!”

His father grabbed the two of them and squeezed their shoulders. He was getting his strength back, Jeff saw.

“General Jackson arranged for the exchange,” he said. “I got a note from him. He said he'd been praying about it and he knew that others were praying too. So he expected God to make the exchange possible—which He did.”

For the next few hours the three could not talk fast enough. Finally Lieutenant Majors said, “Well, God be thanked, I'm back. I wish your mother was here to see this—and I wish Esther was here so that I could see her. But I'm not complaining.

“Happy birthday to both of you. Leah—fourteen years old now, a young woman. I remember you when you were nothing but a rug rat crawling along the carpet, chasing around after Jeff. And you, Jeff—fifteen, almost a man.” He looked at them fondly. “That's a strange age, fourteen, fifteen. No longer a child, not yet a man or a woman, but with some of both of it in you. I'm mighty proud of you two, both of you.”

He turned abruptly and left the room, saying, “I've got to go visit some more with Uncle Silas. We'll have your birthday cake later, I take it?”

They did have birthday cake. Uncle Silas's cheeks were red, and he looked 100 percent better than he had when Leah had first come. “Best thing that ever happened to me,” he declared. “That's some youngun' you got there, Nelson—and that other one too.”

After the cake, Jeff and Leah walked out of the house and got their fishing poles. Jeff said, “Can't think of any way to celebrate a birthday better than to go fishing. This time I'm going to show you how to catch fish.”

“We'll see about that!” Leah retorted.

They made their way down to the James River again. They talked more than they fished. Even when Jeff lost a large bass when he had it almost to shore, he just laughed and said, “Go on, get bigger. I'll catch you later.”

That made Leah think of Old Napoleon. “Napoleon's a year older now than he was when you put him back. We'll go back and catch him someday, won't we, Jeff?”

They stopped fishing and stood on the high bank together, watching the water flow by. Then Jeff said, “You know, I've learned how to trust God more. You've helped me with that, Leah. Something kept telling me to keep on praying, keep on hoping, even when things looked hopeless.”

“I'm glad,” Leah said simply.

The wind was coming off the river, ruffling her fine, blonde hair. They stood for a long time, thinking and talking about other, happier days.

“More bad times are coming,” Leah said, “but we'll always be best friends, won't we, Jeff?”

Jeff nodded. “Yes.” He thought about that for a moment. “Even when I get married, we'll be best friends.”

Leah gave him a sudden glance and was silent. Then she shook her head. “Your wife won't like that.”

“She'll have to do what I tell her,” Jeff said airily.

“Your wife will have a terrible time,” Leah said.

He gave her a condescending grin. “Women aren't able to take care of themselves. They need a man. Let's go.”

Turning, he stepped on a patch of slick, red mud. “Hey!” he yelled as his feet flew out from under him. He made a wild grab at Leah but missed and suddenly slid over the bank. He hit the water with a tremendous splash and came up sputtering.

Leah fell to laughing helplessly. “That was wonderful. I never saw such a graceful dive in all my life.”

Jeff spit out a mouthful of muddy water and glared up at her. He waded to the bank, but the red mud was hard and slick, and he fell back again almost as violently as the first time.

“Well, don't just stand there. Get a stick!” he yelled.

“Oh, Jeff,” Leah said, bending over, “tell me again how helpless women are and how strong all of you men are!”

“Leah, you help me get out of here, you hear?” Jeff said. He stared at her as she continued to laugh. Finally he said, “Please, Leah, give me a hand, will you? I just can't get out by myself.”

Leah stopped laughing. “Oh, all right, Jeff, I didn't mean to make fun of you.” She reached down to take his hand—and suddenly he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her straight down. “Jeff!
Jeff!
Don't—” She hit the water headfirst, and it closed around her head.

She came up sputtering and spitting. “My new dress—it's ruined!” she wailed.

It was Jeff's turn to laugh.

The two stood there in the river, Jeff laughing and Leah beating at him with her hands. At last she looked down at the dress, and the humor of the situation struck her. She began to laugh. “Happy birthday, Jeff.”