LITMIR.BIZ

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They loved her so much.

      Uncle Henry liked Scarlett immediately.

      «When Wade Hampton comes of age, he’s going to be a rich young man», Uncle Henry said. Scarlett smiled but said nothing. She missed Tara. She realized what Gerald had meant when he said that the love of the land was in her blood. «If only Ashley wasn’t married!»

      Scarlett could not escape her duty because she was on both Mrs. Meade’s and Mrs. Merriwether’s committees. That meant four mornings a week in the stinking hospital. Every matron, old or young, in Atlanta nursed.

      Certainly there was nothing romantic about nursing. To her, it meant groans, delirium, death and smells. The hospitals were filled with dirty, bewhiskered, verminous men who smelled terribly.

      Melanie she was gentle, sympathetic and cheerful, and the men in the hospitals called her an angel of mercy. Scarlett did not like nursing at all! But in spite of these discomforts, Atlanta pleased her very well.

      Chapter VII

      It simply wasn’t fair. Scarlett had worked twice as hard as any girl in town. She had knitted socks and baby caps and mufflers and tatted yards of lace. And she had embroidered half a dozen sofa-pillow cases[11] with the Confederate flag on them. She was only seventeen; oh, it wasn’t fair!

      Pittypat entered the room.

      «Auntie, I’m so tired of sitting at home».

      «Scarlett, promise me you won’t say things like that. People will say you don’t have the proper respect for poor Charlie».

      Scarlett cried. Melanie entered.

      «Oh», said she. «Be brave, dear. Don’t cry. Oh, Scarlett!»

      «I want to be dead!» she sobbed passionately.

      «Dear, don’t cry! Try to think how much Charlie loved you!»

      «Go away and leave me alone!» shouted Scarlett.

      She sank her face into the pillow. She heard Melanie say to Pittypat in a low voice as they went down the stairs:

      «Aunt Pitty, Don’t speak of Charles to her. You know how it always affects her».

      Scarlett kicked the coverlet in impotent rage,

      «Damn it!» she cried at last.

      Deliverance came in the form she least expected. During the after-dinner-nap period, Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing drove up.

      «Mrs. Bonnell’s children have the measles», said Mrs. Merriwether abruptly.

      «And the McLure girls are in Virginia», said Mrs. Elsing. «Dallas McLure is wounded».

      «How dreadful!» chorused their hostesses. «Poor Dallas!»

      «No. Just through the shoulder», said Mrs. Merriwether briskly. «The girls are going North to bring him home. We must hurry back to the Armory and do the decorating. Pitty, we need you and Melly tonight. We need women for the booth».

      «Oh, but, Dolly, we can’t go. With poor Charlie dead only a…»

      «I know how you feel but there isn’t any sacrifice too great for the Cause», broke in Mrs. Elsing in a soft voice.

      «Oh, we’d love to help but… why can’t you get some sweet pretty girls to take the booths?»

      Mrs. Merriwether snorted.

      «The young people have no sense of responsibility. Let that blockade runner[12], Captain Butler, bring more hospital supplies[13] and less hoop skirts and lace. Captain Butler… I’m sick of the name. Now, Pitty, I haven’t time to argue. You must come. Everybody will understand».

      «I think we must go», said Scarlett. «It is the least we can do for the hospital, all of us. I think I must go in the booth with Melly. Don’t you think so, Melly?»

      «Well», began Melly helplessly.

      «Scarlett’s right», said Mrs. Merriwether. «Both of you… all of you must come».

      «Too good to be true!» said Scarlett’s joyful heart. A party! After a year’s seclusion! And she will see people and many lights and hear music!

      The musicians clambered upon their platform. Then the fiddles, bull fiddles, accordions, banjos and knuckle-bones[14] began to play «Lorena». One-two-three, one-two-three. What a beautiful waltz! The hall was full of girls, girls who floated in bright dresses. There were so many uniforms in the crowd… so many uniforms on so many men whom Scarlett knew, men she had met on hospital cots, on the streets. Such handsome men!

      Turning, Scarlett saw Melly. She smiled at Scarlett, whimsically.

      «I’m so happy», she whispered, «and so proud of the soldiers!».

      There was a deep, almost fanatic glow in her eyes. The same look was on the faces of all the women, tears of pride on cheeks, smiles on lips. Scarlett realized that she did not share with these women their pride.

      Scarlett wanted to scream. She wanted to dance. Her green eyes blazed eagerly. A man who was standing in the doorway, saw them, and grinned to himself. He was dressed in black broadcloth. His hair was black, and his black mustache was small.

      She stood as if paralyzed.

      «Permit me», he said bending over. «Do you recall me, Miss O’Hara?»

      She looked up at him imploringly. This terrible person who gave her nightmares. Rhett Butler!

      «And what are you doing so far from Charleston, Mr. Butler?» said Melanie.

      «A boring matter of business, Mrs. Wilkes. No wonder Miss O’Hara is faint. May I lead you to a window?»

      «No», said Scarlett, so rudely that Melly stared.

      «She is not Miss O’Hara any longer», said Melly. «She is Mrs. Hamilton. She is my sister now».

      «Your husbands are here tonight, I trust, on this happy occasion?»

      «My husband is in Virginia», said Melly. «But Charles…»

      «He died in camp», said Scarlett flatly.

      «My dear ladies… You must forgive me. But I’m a stranger here. To die for one’s country is to live forever».

      He knows about Ashley and he knows I didn’t love Charlie, thought Scarlett. She said nothing. He leaned down across the counter and hissed:

      «Fear not, fair lady! Your guilty secret is safe with me!»

      There was a roll of drums and many voices cried «Sh!» as Dr. Meade mounted the platform.

      «The good ladies of the hospital committee know our needs. We must have more money to buy medical supplies from England, and we have with us tonight the intrepid captain who brings us the drugs we need. Captain Rhett Butler!»

      Captain made a graceful bow.

      «We need more gold and I am asking you for it», the doctor continued. «I am asking a sacrifice. Ladies, the Confederacy wants your jewelry. The gold will be melted and the stones sold and the money used to buy drugs and other medical supplies!»

      Scarlett was happy that mourning forbade her wearing her precious earbobs and the heavy gold chain and the gold and black enameled bracelets and the garnet brooch. She saw women, old and young, laughing, eager, tugging at bracelets, unpinning brooches from bosoms.

      The grinning little man was coming to their booth now, his basket heavy on his arm, and as he passed Rhett Butler a handsome gold cigar case was thrown carelessly into the basket.

      «Wait!» cried Scarlett. «I have something for you!» She threw her wedding ring into the basket.

      «Oh, my darling!» whispered Molly. «You brave, brave girl! Wait, Lieutenant! I have something for

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