Fire Over Atlanta by Gilbert L. Morris Read Free Book Online Page B

aren’t doing much better out west of here. Hood’s left Atlanta now, so the word is. But Sherman will catch up with him. Johnston should have stayed in command.”
    “Well, he wasn’t doin’ anything much to stop General Sherman!” Jeff protested.
    “Sherman’s got too many men. All Hood will do is make some kind of a crazy charge and lose half the army.” Tom finished his pie and wiped his hands with a handkerchief. “I’m going outside and split some wood. After you get through with yourpie, you can come out and help me with the buck-sawing.”
    “All right, Tom.”
    Jeff met Leah coming out of the kitchen with his pie. “I can just eat it out here in the kitchen,” he said. “It’ll save you bringin’ me another piece.” He grinned at her, took the plate and fork, and said, “Tom, he’s a glutton. He gobbles pie down like a pig. Now me, I got taste.” He took a small bite, put it in his mouth, then lifted his eyes toward the ceiling with appreciation. “Now, that is pie!”
    Leah smiled. “Do you really like it?”
    “I never saw an apple pie I didn’t like—especially yours.”
    They sat at the kitchen table, talking and laughing, until finally Jeff said, “Go take off that dress and put your old overalls on. It’s time to go fishin’.”
    “Why, Jeff, you didn’t say anything about us going fishing.”
    “I thought you knew,” he said in surprise.
    “I can’t go with you, Jeff.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because—I’ve got somebody coming.”
    Jeff stared at her. He suddenly realized she was wearing her silk Sunday dress. It was a peach color and old, but she still looked good in it. “What do you mean, somebody’s coming?”
    Leah hesitated, then smiled roguishly. “Cecil is coming by.”
    “Cecil Taylor? Why’s
he
coming here?”
    Leah’s eyes gleamed. “He’s coming to see me!”
    “Why’s he coming to see you?”
    “Does it come as a complete shock to you, Jeff,” she asked demurely, “that a young man would like to come and spend some time with me?”
    He felt foolish. “Well …” He floundered for a time. “Well, of course not, but how does he have time to come out here and see you?”
    “How do you have time?” she asked quickly.
    Jeff saw that he was trapped and somehow felt put out. “Well, I planned to go fishing with you …”
    “We can do that tomorrow—unless Cecil comes back.”
    “Oh, I’m good enough to go fishing with if there’s nothing better to do.”
    Moving around the table to where Jeff now stood rigidly, she put a hand on his arm and looked up into his face. She said sweetly, “I’m sorry, Jeff. I didn’t mean to say it like that. You know how much I like to go fishing with you. I always have. But Cecil wanted to come over, and he gets lonesome sometimes.”
    “Well, I get lonesome too.”
    “Do you, Jeff?”
    “Of course I do. Do you think I like being in trenches with those dirty, smelly soldiers? I’d much rather be here with you.”
    “I guess
that’s
a left-handed compliment.” But Leah again smiled. “You like me better than dirty, smelly soldiers.”
    Jeff felt he was in over his head. “I can’t say anything right today,” he said finally. “So what are you two going to do?”
    “Oh, I don’t know. I thought we would look at some picture albums. Maybe we’ll sing some. Cecil has a beautiful singing voice. And I need to give him some more dancing lessons. He’s not very good at dancing, but he’s getting better.”
    At that moment, a knock sounded on the door, and Leah said, “That must be Cecil now. He’ll be glad to see you.”
    As it happened, Cecil seemed not particularly happy to see Jeff. And Jeff was rather grumpy as he said, “Hello, Cecil.”
    “Well, hello, Jeff. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
    “I didn’t know you’d be here either!” He saw that Cecil had on his best uniform, and he asked rather wickedly, “Are you going to another ball?”
    “No, I just came to call on Leah.”
    She