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Authors: Gilbert L. Morris
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she simply sat, usually with her eyes fixed upon Drake.
When Drake was leaving to go back to camp in disgust, he said to Lori in one private moment snatched out on the porch, “Can’t you get rid of her? She’s always right between us!”
“She’s lonesome, I think,” Lori said.
“Well, I’m lonesome, too,” he muttered. “I wanted to see
you
, not some girl who can’t make up her mind what she is.”
“Good night, Drake. I must go in now.”
He stood looking at the door that slowly closed, then angrily turned away. “I can’t believe that Charlie!”
Drake marched back to camp, a long walk, and found that more of his squad members had learned about his prisoner. They teased him about her until he grew so angry that they finally refrained.
When Drake saw Royal, he said, “Did
you
tell the fellas about Charlie?”
Royal looked up with surprise. “Just that the girl prisoner was living with Lori and her aunt. Why?”
“I just wanted to know. I won’t put up with any ragging about her. You understand me, sergeant?”
“Not from me, Drake. She’s a fine girl, though.”
Drake shook his head. “That may be, but she sure is a pest!”
7
Worse Than a Chigger
L ori became more and more troubled about her aunt. Mrs. Holcomb was failing swiftly, and finally Lori sent for the doctor.
A tall man with a gray beard, Dr. Smith examined his elderly patient and later told Lori privately, “She’s weaker every time I see her. There’s only one end to this I’m afraid, Miss Jenkins.”
Lori had feared that was the case. “Will she die soon, doctor?”
Dr. Smith chewed his lower lip. “Impossible to say. You’ll just have to give her the best care you can. She’s a good Christian woman and ready to go.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve never known anybody more ready to meet death than Aunt Grace.”
After the doctor left, Lori saw Charlie outside splitting wood. She went to the door and called out, “Charlie, come in. I want to talk to you.”
Charlie came inside, her face reddened from exercise. “What is it, Lori?”
“It’s about my aunt. She’s not doing very well.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Couldn’t the doctor give her some medicine?”
“He didn’t think that would help. She’s very old, you know, and it’s just about her time to go.”
Charlie’s face fell. “She’s been talkin’ to me a lot about the Bible. She was real glad to hear I was a Christian.”
“I’m glad to hear it too, Charlie.”
“Yep, I got saved at a revival meetin’ three summers ago. I don’t read too good, but I read the Bible all the time.”
“Sit down, Charlie. I want to talk to you a while.”
“That’s good. I want to talk to you too.”
They sat at the table, and before Lori could speak, Charlie began. “You know, I been thinkin’ a lot about what I want to do. I know you been worried about me, Lori, haven’t you?”
“Well … you seem so alone, Charlie. No family. I
have
been concerned about you. Have you decided on something?”
“Sure have!” Charlie clasped her hands around her knees and rocked back and forth. It was a boyish gesture, but it was somehow winsome in her. “I reckon I’ll get hitched.”
For a moment Lori could not understand what she meant, and then the meaning became clear. “You mean … get married?”
“Sure, that’s what I mean. I’m going to get married.”
Lori could not have been more surprised if Charlie had told her she was going to walk on the moon. “But I didn’t even know you were thinking of getting married!”
Shrugging her shoulders, Charlie said, “I thought about it once or twice, but back home in Macon it didn’t seem to be what I ought to do. There was the farm to take care of, and I had to help Pa with that. But I’m gettin’ pretty old now not to be married. Lots of girls get married when they’re two or three years younger than I am.”
“But who are you going to marry?”
“Oh, I done figured I’d marry up with
When Drake was leaving to go back to camp in disgust, he said to Lori in one private moment snatched out on the porch, “Can’t you get rid of her? She’s always right between us!”
“She’s lonesome, I think,” Lori said.
“Well, I’m lonesome, too,” he muttered. “I wanted to see
you
, not some girl who can’t make up her mind what she is.”
“Good night, Drake. I must go in now.”
He stood looking at the door that slowly closed, then angrily turned away. “I can’t believe that Charlie!”
Drake marched back to camp, a long walk, and found that more of his squad members had learned about his prisoner. They teased him about her until he grew so angry that they finally refrained.
When Drake saw Royal, he said, “Did
you
tell the fellas about Charlie?”
Royal looked up with surprise. “Just that the girl prisoner was living with Lori and her aunt. Why?”
“I just wanted to know. I won’t put up with any ragging about her. You understand me, sergeant?”
“Not from me, Drake. She’s a fine girl, though.”
Drake shook his head. “That may be, but she sure is a pest!”
7
Worse Than a Chigger
L ori became more and more troubled about her aunt. Mrs. Holcomb was failing swiftly, and finally Lori sent for the doctor.
A tall man with a gray beard, Dr. Smith examined his elderly patient and later told Lori privately, “She’s weaker every time I see her. There’s only one end to this I’m afraid, Miss Jenkins.”
Lori had feared that was the case. “Will she die soon, doctor?”
Dr. Smith chewed his lower lip. “Impossible to say. You’ll just have to give her the best care you can. She’s a good Christian woman and ready to go.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve never known anybody more ready to meet death than Aunt Grace.”
After the doctor left, Lori saw Charlie outside splitting wood. She went to the door and called out, “Charlie, come in. I want to talk to you.”
Charlie came inside, her face reddened from exercise. “What is it, Lori?”
“It’s about my aunt. She’s not doing very well.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Couldn’t the doctor give her some medicine?”
“He didn’t think that would help. She’s very old, you know, and it’s just about her time to go.”
Charlie’s face fell. “She’s been talkin’ to me a lot about the Bible. She was real glad to hear I was a Christian.”
“I’m glad to hear it too, Charlie.”
“Yep, I got saved at a revival meetin’ three summers ago. I don’t read too good, but I read the Bible all the time.”
“Sit down, Charlie. I want to talk to you a while.”
“That’s good. I want to talk to you too.”
They sat at the table, and before Lori could speak, Charlie began. “You know, I been thinkin’ a lot about what I want to do. I know you been worried about me, Lori, haven’t you?”
“Well … you seem so alone, Charlie. No family. I
have
been concerned about you. Have you decided on something?”
“Sure have!” Charlie clasped her hands around her knees and rocked back and forth. It was a boyish gesture, but it was somehow winsome in her. “I reckon I’ll get hitched.”
For a moment Lori could not understand what she meant, and then the meaning became clear. “You mean … get married?”
“Sure, that’s what I mean. I’m going to get married.”
Lori could not have been more surprised if Charlie had told her she was going to walk on the moon. “But I didn’t even know you were thinking of getting married!”
Shrugging her shoulders, Charlie said, “I thought about it once or twice, but back home in Macon it didn’t seem to be what I ought to do. There was the farm to take care of, and I had to help Pa with that. But I’m gettin’ pretty old now not to be married. Lots of girls get married when they’re two or three years younger than I am.”
“But who are you going to marry?”
“Oh, I done figured I’d marry up with
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