Read Online Fire Over Atlanta by Gilbert L. Morris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gilbert L. Morris
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Drake.”
Lori was totally speechless. She stared at the girl across from her, who could not have understood the enormity of what she was saying. She realized suddenly that Charlene Satterfield had had none of the upbringing that young women usually had. She said carefully, not wanting to hurt Charlie’s feelings, “But Charlie, does Drake know this?”
“Not yet, but I figure to tell him.”
Lori cleared her throat. “That’s not the way it happens.”
“What do you mean, not the way it happens?”
“I mean that young men do the courting, not young women.”
“Oh, sure, I know all about that, but this is different. You see, Lori, when Pa sold the farm, he got it in Federal money, not Confederate. So I’ve got all that, and now whoever marries me, why, he can take it and buy almost any farm he wants.”
From outside came the yelping of a dog that had apparently treed something, and Charlie looked out the window. “That’s that dog next door. He’d make a pretty good possum hound if I could just get him out in the woods. Look, he’s done treed that yellow cat that lives across the street.”
But Lori was more interested in Charlie’s marital ideas. Clasping her hands tightly together, she said, “Charlie, I need to talk to you. You just don’t understand that a man wouldn’t be at all interested in what you’re saying.”
Charlie seemed genuinely surprised. “Why, certain he would! I’ve got the money to buy a good farm. I can work as good as any man. Drake would be glad to get a deal like that.”
Lori felt helpless. “Charlie, a man wants more than a farm, and somebody to plow, and … there are other things.”
“Like what?”
“Why, I mean like … well, like …” Lori suddenly bogged down, for she did not know where to start. Finally she said, “Well, like romance.”
“I don’t know much about that,” Charlie said. “But I’ll do everything that has to be done to be a good wife.”
After the girl left to split more wood, Lori sat at the table for some time in a daze.
She’s headed for a terrible fall. I hope she doesn’t say anything to Drake about this. She’s so straightforward and says whatever comes to her mind
. Then she spoke aloud. “I don’t know how to help her, and I’m pretty sure Drake is not going to like it!”
Rosie came to a dead stop and grabbed Drake’s arm, jerking him around and pointing at a shop window. “Look, that’s just what I been lookin’ everywhere for!”
Drake was in a hurry to get to Lori’s house, but he stopped long enough to see that Rosie was staring at a display of bottles. He read the advertisement and then scowled in disgust. “Rosie, you don’t need any more medicine! You got enough now to stock a store.”
“But you know how my heart is. It ain’t good at all,” Rosie complained. “I been meanin’ to get some of this for some time. Come on in, now.” He hauled Drake into the shop, and when the clerk came up—a small man with a balding head—he said, “I want some of that Dr. Eckels Australian Auriclo.”
The clerk grinned. “Yes, sir. How much do you want?”
“I better have three or four bottles.”
The clerk quickly gathered the bottles together and held up one. “According to what this says, this’ll do almost anything for you, sir.”
Rosie took the bottle and read the label. “It’s good for shortness of breath, fluttering, palpitation, irregularity or intermediate pulse, and an oppressed feeling in the chest. Well, I got all them symptoms,” he said with vigor. “Ain’t that right, Drake?”
Drake had long since given up trying to cure Rosie of his imaginary illnesses. “Just buy the stuff and let’s go!” he said.
Rosie reached down into his pocket and pulled out a roll of Confederate bills. He paid for the patent medicine, and as the two soldiers went outside he said, “Now, I’m gonna get my heart fixed up at last.”
Drake knew that there was nothing at all wrong with Rosie’s
Lori was totally speechless. She stared at the girl across from her, who could not have understood the enormity of what she was saying. She realized suddenly that Charlene Satterfield had had none of the upbringing that young women usually had. She said carefully, not wanting to hurt Charlie’s feelings, “But Charlie, does Drake know this?”
“Not yet, but I figure to tell him.”
Lori cleared her throat. “That’s not the way it happens.”
“What do you mean, not the way it happens?”
“I mean that young men do the courting, not young women.”
“Oh, sure, I know all about that, but this is different. You see, Lori, when Pa sold the farm, he got it in Federal money, not Confederate. So I’ve got all that, and now whoever marries me, why, he can take it and buy almost any farm he wants.”
From outside came the yelping of a dog that had apparently treed something, and Charlie looked out the window. “That’s that dog next door. He’d make a pretty good possum hound if I could just get him out in the woods. Look, he’s done treed that yellow cat that lives across the street.”
But Lori was more interested in Charlie’s marital ideas. Clasping her hands tightly together, she said, “Charlie, I need to talk to you. You just don’t understand that a man wouldn’t be at all interested in what you’re saying.”
Charlie seemed genuinely surprised. “Why, certain he would! I’ve got the money to buy a good farm. I can work as good as any man. Drake would be glad to get a deal like that.”
Lori felt helpless. “Charlie, a man wants more than a farm, and somebody to plow, and … there are other things.”
“Like what?”
“Why, I mean like … well, like …” Lori suddenly bogged down, for she did not know where to start. Finally she said, “Well, like romance.”
“I don’t know much about that,” Charlie said. “But I’ll do everything that has to be done to be a good wife.”
After the girl left to split more wood, Lori sat at the table for some time in a daze.
She’s headed for a terrible fall. I hope she doesn’t say anything to Drake about this. She’s so straightforward and says whatever comes to her mind
. Then she spoke aloud. “I don’t know how to help her, and I’m pretty sure Drake is not going to like it!”
Rosie came to a dead stop and grabbed Drake’s arm, jerking him around and pointing at a shop window. “Look, that’s just what I been lookin’ everywhere for!”
Drake was in a hurry to get to Lori’s house, but he stopped long enough to see that Rosie was staring at a display of bottles. He read the advertisement and then scowled in disgust. “Rosie, you don’t need any more medicine! You got enough now to stock a store.”
“But you know how my heart is. It ain’t good at all,” Rosie complained. “I been meanin’ to get some of this for some time. Come on in, now.” He hauled Drake into the shop, and when the clerk came up—a small man with a balding head—he said, “I want some of that Dr. Eckels Australian Auriclo.”
The clerk grinned. “Yes, sir. How much do you want?”
“I better have three or four bottles.”
The clerk quickly gathered the bottles together and held up one. “According to what this says, this’ll do almost anything for you, sir.”
Rosie took the bottle and read the label. “It’s good for shortness of breath, fluttering, palpitation, irregularity or intermediate pulse, and an oppressed feeling in the chest. Well, I got all them symptoms,” he said with vigor. “Ain’t that right, Drake?”
Drake had long since given up trying to cure Rosie of his imaginary illnesses. “Just buy the stuff and let’s go!” he said.
Rosie reached down into his pocket and pulled out a roll of Confederate bills. He paid for the patent medicine, and as the two soldiers went outside he said, “Now, I’m gonna get my heart fixed up at last.”
Drake knew that there was nothing at all wrong with Rosie’s
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