Soldier Boy's Discovery, page 12
14
Glad Reunion
The sun was high in the sky when Ezra turned the horses off the main road. They had traveled hard all morning, hoping to reach their destination before noon, and they were only two hours late.
“Wake up, Leah!” Ezra said. “We’re here.”
Leah, who had been sitting in the wagon seat beside him, came awake with a start. She looked ahead, and her eyes widened with pleasure. She turned and said, “Pa, we’re here. Jeff, wake up! We’re almost to Uncle Silas’s farm.”
Ezra directed the team down the dusty road, letting his eyes run over the scene. “Sure never will forget this place, Leah,” he said. “My life ain’t been the same since I hid out here.”
Leah looked fondly at him. “It’s funny, isn’t it, Ezra? If you’d gone on down the road and hidden in the next barn, we might never have met.”
Ezra shook his head. “That would have been bad for me. I’d been caught sooner or later and sent back to Belle Isle Prison.”
Leah reached over and patted his wrist. “The Lord always knows what He’s doing. That’s why He put you at Uncle Silas’s house.”
Ezra looked down at her hand, which looked very white against his bronzed arm, then glanced away quickly. “Well, I guess we’ve got a surprise for Mr. Silas, ain’t we now?” After drawing up the team in front of the house, Ezra leaped to the ground, walked around, and put out his hand.
Leah was surprised but took it and stepped lightly to the ground. The two of them went to the back of the wagon then, and Leah stuck her head inside. She saw her father sitting on the cot, smiling.
“We’re here, Pa. Come on.”
Dan Carter reached over and slapped Jeff on the shoulder. “Come on, boy,” he said. “I’m pretty tired of this wagon. It’ll be good to have a real bed again and put our feet under a real table.”
Ezra and Leah helped the two men down, and Leah said with satisfaction, “You’re looking better, Pa.”
“I guess a nice travel in a wagon was what I needed. But I give glory to God for His healing.” He looked at Jeff and said, “You’re looking better too, Jeff. You didn’t have much fever last night.”
Jeff nodded. With his feet on the ground, he leaned back against the wagon and looked around. “Sure looks good to me. Let’s see if your uncle’s here.”
They went up the steps to the front porch, Jeff hanging onto the pillar as he climbed slowly.
Leah started to take his arm and help but decided not to. Instead she knocked on the door and turned to say, “He’s going to be surprised to see you, Pa.”
No sooner had she spoken than the door swung open. Silas Carter, wearing a pair of faded overalls, stared at them for one moment in disbelief. Then his face broke into a wide smile. “Well, I swan!” he cried. “Leah, Jeff, and Ezra! What a family reunion! Come in, come in!”
“And me too, Uncle Silas.” Dan Carter stepped forward and grinned at the surprise and shock that ran across his uncle’s face. “Didn’t expect to see me, I bet.”
Silas Carter appeared to have been struck dumb. He’d not seen this nephew for years. Dan had always been his favorite among his nephews. He’d written him often and had been able to keep up with some of the things Dan had done, especially when Leah and Sarah visited. But now to see him standing on his own front porch—well, evidently he almost couldn’t believe it.
“Dan!” Silas cried. He came bursting out the screen door and grabbed his nephew. “Never would’ve dreamed it!”
The two men hugged, and the three young people grinned at them. Both older men had beards, and it was a little amusing to see them act like schoolboys.
Silas then stepped back and dabbed at his eyes with his shirt sleeve. “You’ll have me blubbering like a baby, Dan. Come on in the house and sit.”
The five of them were soon seated about the round oak table drinking sassafras tea, and Silas was alternately talking at full speed and demanding answers. As Dan told the story of the battle and how Jeff had been picked up by a Quaker farmer, Silas repeatedly exclaimed, “Well, praise God … hallelujah … the Lord is good!” He turned around and pounded Jeff’s shoulder, saying, “The Lord must favor you, boy.” He squeezed his shoulder and said, “You’re a little peaked, but some good cooking will take care of that.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Leah said quickly. “I’m tired of cooking over a campfire. Maybe I’ll go to town and get a real special treat. You didn’t expect a horde of relatives to come barreling in on you, did you?”
“I’m tickled to see you all. But it might be good if you went and picked up a special treat for our celebration,” Silas said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Let’s have a real special supper!”
“I’ll go with you,” Ezra said. “Help you carry the stuff back.”
“No, you’d better not,” Leah said. “Somebody might remember you leaving town with me.” She didn’t mention Lucy’s name but saw Jeff give her a quick look.
In the end Leah went by herself to the small store down the road. The shelves were nearly bare, for the South was getting more and more shy of groceries. But there was a luscious dark fruitcake, imported from England.
When Leah paid for the food with a gold coin, the storekeeper’s eyes opened wide. “Lawsy, I ain’t seen none of these since Hector was a pup! I have to give you your change in Confederate.”
“That’s all right,” Leah said quickly. She took the bundle of Confederate money, knowing it was worth very little, smiled, and went back to Silas’s house.
That night they had a fine supper: roast beef, baked potatoes, greens, and cornbread, with two apple pies and slivers of the precious fruitcake for dessert.
Afterward, both Dan and Jeff were tired, and Silas had Ezra set up cots and make pallets here and there.
Dan Carter and Uncle Silas looked at each other before Dan went to bed, and Dan said, “I’ve never forgotten how you took care of me and my family when we needed it, Silas.”
“Well, now I can do something for you again,” Silas said fondly. “You go to bed now. We’ve got a lot of talking to do tomorrow.”
And soon the house grew quiet.
When Ezra had gone up to bed in the loft, Jeff lay down wearily on the cot set up for him in the living room.
Suddenly Leah came in. She brought a thin quilt with her and said, “It’s pretty warm now, but sometimes it gets cool before morning, Jeff.”
Jeff stood up and took the quilt. He knew the time had come.
“Leah,” he said, “I’m sure sorry about the way I treated you in Kentucky.”
Leah looked at him. “We were both wrong, Jeff. I don’t know why we have to fuss. It’s no fun, is it?”
“No, it’s not.” He managed a shy grin. “Best of friends, aren’t we?”
Leah put out her hand. “Always the best of friends, Jeff. That’s what we always say, isn’t it? I couldn’t have borne it if I hadn’t found you and been able to make things right between us.”
Jeff wanted to say more, but she turned and left the room. He sat down on the cot and looked out the window. The partially visible moon was sailing by, dragging filmy clouds after it. He watched for a while and then drew in a satisfied breath, lay back, and went into the first good night’s rest he’d had since he’d gotten sick.
The next day after breakfast Leah said, “Come on, Jeff. You need to get some sunshine. You look like the underside of a catfish.”
He laughed and got up from the table. “You sure know how to make a fellow feel good, Leah.”
However, he was glad to get outside. The sun shone brightly, and there was a slight breeze that cooled his face. “Sure is good to be out of that wagon,” he said. “And to get over being sick.” He kicked a stone and watched as it skittered across the road. Then he walked over to the rail fence where clematis was still blooming, picked one of the blossoms, and said, “Always was partial to clematis. Real delicate like.”
“I like it too,” Leah said. “But I like the little violets down by the creek in the spring the best. The wild kind that grow with the moss out in the deep woods. Wish we could find enough today to make a little bouquet.”
They did not find violets, but they had a fine walk. When they headed back and came in sight of the house, Leah said, “Look, there’s a buggy!”
Jeff at once recognized it. “That’s the Driscolls’ buggy, I think.”
“The Driscolls’?” Leah sounded shocked. “What is Mr. Driscoll coming for? To see Uncle Silas, I guess.”
Jeff did not answer. He had not told Leah about Lucy. There had not been time for that, but he decided to make up for it now, as well as he could, in case Lucy had come along—though he couldn’t imagine how she could know he had returned. “Leah, I have to tell you—before I left here, I got to be kind of friends with Lucy.”
Leah stopped dead still. “Friends? With that girl? After what she did? How could you?” Jeff said hastily, “I know. I was about as mad as you. She was wrong to tell that captain about Ezra. But she told me she was sorry.”
Leah’s face was stiff with anger. “Sorry? A lot of good that would have done if Ezra had been caught. And we might’ve been hanged as spies!”
Jeff kicked at the dust, not knowing what to say. “Well,” he said slowly, “she did say she was sorry. I went to church with Uncle Silas, and her folks invited us home. After that Lucy and I had a little talk.” He turned to look at her. “You know, I think I discovered something from having that fight with you, Leah. It taught me it doesn’t do any good staying mad at people.”
But his words seemed to flow over Leah’s head. He knew she had been furious with Lucy. She had never liked the girl, and her dislike came perhaps from personal reasons. She had never forgotten how Lucy had made fun of her at the birthday party.
Now she said, “She’s spoiled. She always has to have her own way.”
“I expect some of that’s so,” Jeff agreed. “But anyway, she said she was wrong to do what she did. What could I do? I had to say it was all right—that I forgave her. Isn’t that what your father would have done?”
By this time they had reached the porch, and as they entered the house, Lucy jumped up, saying, “Jeff!” Her eyes were bright. She was wearing an attractive white dress trimmed in green lace. She looked very pretty coming up to him.
“I’ve been stopping by Uncle Silas’s house almost every day, hoping he’d heard from you. Imagine my delight when he told me you were actually here! I’m so glad you’re back. I was so afraid that you’d been shot or something awful.”
“Nope, just got sick.” Jeff grinned shyly. Then he turned and said, “If it hadn’t been for Leah here and … another friend … I guess I never would’ve made it. They took care of me and Mr. Carter all the way back from the battle.”
Lucy turned with a smile to Leah, but when she saw the stony expression on the girl’s face she halted abruptly. “Well,” she said slowly. “That was very nice of you, Leah.” She bit her lip, then said, “I want to tell you how sorry I am for what I did. It was awful!” Then she tried to smile. “I hope we can see more of each other. At least we have Jeff in common!”
“I doubt that.” Leah shrugged, leaving unclear whether she doubted their future social engagements or that she was willing to share Jeff. “I’ll be pretty busy taking care of things around here.” She moved closer to Jeff, touching his sleeve possessively.
Lucy turned pale, and her eyes went to Jeff’s face.
Jeff dropped his head and shrugged his shoulders. He whispered to Lucy, “Leave her alone. She’ll have to discover what’s the right thing to do just like I did, Lucy.”
Lucy gave no hint that she had heard Jeff but turned to the assembled group and said quietly, “I’ll have to be going. Good-bye, Mr. Carter—nice to have met you. Uncle Silas, good to see you.” She went out the door, and there was an uncomfortable silence.
Everyone looked at Leah, and she flushed. “Well,” she said stubbornly, “I know I wasn’t very nice. But how do we know that she won’t run right to that Wesley Lyons and tell him that Ezra’s here? She did it before.”
Jeff said, “She already told me she was sorry about that, Leah. And nobody’s told her Ezra is here. I don’t think she’ll do anything. She’s a pretty nice young lady.”
But Leah said, “I don’t trust her.”
She flounced off to the kitchen, and Ezra came in and looked at Jeff. He’d stayed out of the living room, and his presence hadn’t been mentioned by the Carters the whole time Lucy had visited. Ezra was still cautious.
Nodding in the direction Leah had stomped, Ezra remarked, “I guess she’s pretty mad. I wish she wasn’t, though. It’s not good for her, even if Lucy isn’t very predictable.”
Dan Carter looked toward the kitchen where his daughter had disappeared. “Yep, she’s wrong this time. But nobody can talk to Leah. She’s as stubborn as a blue-nosed mule when she gets her back up. We’ll all just have to pray for her.” He sighed heavily. “It sure is hard to raise a daughter.”
15
Lucy Saves the Day
Everything went well at the home of Silas Carter for the next two days—except that Leah was impossible. Jeff tried more than once to get close to her, but it never worked.
“She’s not mad at me anymore,” he said to her father. “But she just can’t get over the way she feels about Lucy Driscoll.”
“I know,” Mr. Carter said regretfully. “I’ve tried to talk to her about it. All she’ll do is squint her eyes and shake her head and say that Lucy’s not to be trusted.”
“Looks like she’d realize that if Lucy did know Ezra’s here and was going to turn him in, she would’ve done it already.”
“Well, when people let anger and bitterness get in them, they do foolish things.” Dan shifted in his rocking chair and looked down at the piece of cedar he’d been whittling. The shavings made a sweet-smelling pile at his feet. “Always did like the smell of fresh-cut cedar,” he murmured. He sent another curled shaving to the floor. “We’ve got to do something about her, boy. She’s just dead wrong.”
Later in the day, Ezra made another appeal to Leah. The two of them were out looking for guinea hen eggs in the sprawling hen yard. Leah seemed to be enjoying the sunshine and being outside. “These guineas think every day’s Easter, hiding their eggs like they do.” She laughed. “I don’t see how they remember where they are themselves.”
“Here’s one.” Ezra reached into a pocket of dried grass and drew forth a small egg. He stared at it, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. Then he grinned. “Take a lot of these to make a dozen, wouldn’t it?” Leah laughed. “You’re crazy, Ezra. But it would take a lot to feed an appetite like yours.”
They continued to search for eggs until finally Leah said, “I guess this is all we’re going to find. Maybe there’ll be enough for an omelet for Pa and Uncle Silas.”
Ezra stood lazily in the sunlight, his face relaxed. His eyes were reflective, and he said, “You know, I remember what I was like when you found me the first time. Skinny as a rail, sick and hardly able to hold my head up. I think about that a lot, Leah.”
Leah turned to face him. “I’m glad I did find you, Ezra,” she said softly.
“You’re the kindest girl I ever saw.”
“Oh, I am not.”
“Sure you are.” Ezra hesitated, then said, “I guess it’s not my place to say so, but I hate to see you feeling like you do about Lucy.”
At once Leah’s face grew tense. “You don’t know her, Ezra,” she said. “She’s spoiled. She learned how to fool her parents probably when she was a year old. She’s been doing what she pleased ever since. She knows how to fool other people too. I’ve seen her. The boys fall all over themselves to make her happy—and that’s what she’s doing to you and Jeff. You’re just too blind to see it!”
Ezra shoved his straw hat back, and his curly hair fell over his forehead. He fingered the brass buckle at his waist for a moment uncertainly, then shook his head. “I don’t doubt she’s spoiled. She’s the only child of rich parents—and a pretty girl. It’d be a wonder if she wasn’t.” He suddenly dropped his hand and looked directly at Leah. “But that’s no reason she can’t be sorry for a mistake, just like us poor ugly folks.”
He tried to grin to make his words softer but saw the stubbornness on Leah’s face. “Well,” he said, “I’m not going to say anything else about it. I know you’ll think better of the way you’ve been acting.”
“I’ve been acting just right!” Leah said sharply. Then she forced herself to smile. “Come on, let’s go down the road. I want to show you where the big woodpecker lives. He’s three times as big as a redheaded woodpecker and has a striped back and has a tuft of a feather on his head. I don’t know how to tell you. Come on.”
Ezra and Leah walked down the road. They passed several wagons, but were so engrossed in their conversation that they did not notice that one wagon was driven by Rufus Prather, the overgrown boy hired by the Driscolls.
Rufus Prather was fat and lazy and totally untrustworthy. He’d been the instrument of almost getting Ezra captured. He had been soundly reprimanded by his employer for that. And when he saw Ezra he recognized him instantly.
“It’s that escaped Yankee prisoner!” he whispered to himself. His little eyes glinted, and he said angrily, “This time we’ll get him for sure!”
He whipped up the horses and made his way into Richmond, where he found Captain Wesley Lyons in his office.
“Captain Lyons, you know that Yankee soldier that escaped? The one that got away with Leah Carter?” Lyons was a tall man with brown hair and a rather childish face. He’d had bad experiences with both Sarah Carter and Leah. Now he turned and said abruptly, “There wasn’t anyone with her except Jeff Majors. You made a mess out of it and got me in trouble with the colonel.”
“But,” Prather said, “you can get him this time. I seen him plain as day, and he didn’t see me.”
“All right, where is he?” Captain Lyons demanded.
“He’s at Silas Carter’s place. I seen him walking along the road with Leah Carter. You can get them this time, Captain. I’ll bet you can.”
