Scarlett was glad to be done with passion
andmarriage.
Think now how twould hurt her and her so gentle.
There had already been minor scandals about those holdinggovernment
contracts.
She put the letters back in the lap secretary
andclosed the lid. Outside of the army heroes, he was the most talked-about man
inAtlanta. But you have asked me what was in my heart, and the fear of defeatis
there. If Id just understood this one thing about him years ago, Iknow hed have
married me.
In her mind and heart, she was Scarlett OHaraagain,
the belle of the County.
She flipped back the edges of the letters, looking
at the dates,remembering their contents.
Everyone, soldiers, civilians, women, children
andnegroes, began to wear homespun.
Now it was painfulto have to choke back words for
fear of his amused grin.
Outside of the army heroes, he was the most
talked-about man inAtlanta. She hadhad to listen to enough of them when he sat on
the porch at Tarain days gone by. Thepain of moving his eyes was too excruciating to
be borne and hegroaned.
To their horror, mothers found their
daughtersholding hands with these men.
He was a dashing figure and one that people turned
to look at. And twas to buy things fromthe blockaders for Mrs. It puzzled herfor, if
he was not afraid of wounds and death, what was it hefeared?
Think now how twould hurt her and her so
gentle.
But now, even the moststrait laced felt that
patriotism called upon them to be morebroad minded. She, too, felt that hehad no
respect for any woman, unless perhaps for Melanie. On the top was the letter which
had come that morning andthis one she opened.
Unanalytical, she struggled with the complex
thought. Hoops inParis were wider this season and skirts were shorter.
She unlocked the door and went down the dim winding
stair with alight heart. But that only served to make him more mysterious andmore
exciting. Why, even Charlie wrote better letters than these.
If Id just understood this one thing about him
years ago, Iknow hed have married me. But Icall that arrogance matchless
courage.
But I do not think they thinkthese things and they
are lucky.