by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XI
THE VIRGINIA MAIDEN
"Where have you been, father?" said the young lady in a very sweet andgentle tone, which, however, sounded like the knell of doom to poorSomers. "I have been waiting for you half an hour."
But then, perceiving a stranger with her father, she drew back, abashedat her own forwardness.
"Come here, Sue," said the old man. "Come here; I want to see you."
She advanced timidly from the bushes where she had been partiallyconcealed from the gaze of the passers-by. She was certainly a verypleasant and comely-looking maiden; but, if she had been the "Witch ofEndor," she could not have been any more disagreeable to Somers. He wasas fond of adventure as any young man; and if he could have forgottenthat poor Owen Raynes, the son and the brother, was at that moment lyingin the mud of the swamp; his manly form no more to gladden the hearts ofthose who stood before him; his voice hushed in death, no more to utterthe accents of affection to the devoted father and his loving sister--ifhe could have forgotten his relations with the dead Owen, he might evenhave enjoyed the exciting situation in which he was placed.
Sue, with a blushing face and half-averted gaze, stepped out into theroad, and stole a few timid glances at the young lieutenant. It was quiteevident that she did not have a suspicion of the identity of the youngsoldier before her. Her father appeared to have a vein of romance in hischaracter, and was disposed to torture her for a time with the tormentsof suspense, before he declared to her the astounding truth, that theyoung soldier was her well-known but hitherto unseen friend from Alabama,the bosom companion of her brother Owen, and, if everything worked as theloving conspirators intended, the future husband of the affectionatemaiden.
She did not like to ask who the stranger was; and she thought it was veryprovoking of her father not to tell her, when she was so fearfullyembarrassed by her position. She continued to blush; and Somers felt soawkward, that he couldn't help joining her in this interesting display ofroses on the cheeks.
"Don't you know him, Sue?" demanded the farmer, when he had tantalizedher as long as the circumstances would warrant.
"Why, of course I don't, father!" stammered the Virginia maiden.
"Look in his face, and see if you can't tell," persisted Mr. Raynes.
"How absurd, father!"
"Absurd, child? Not at all absurd! Haven't you his picture in the house?And, if I mistake not, you have looked at it as many as three times a dayfor the last year."
"Now, father, you are too bad! I haven't done anything of the sort,"protested Sue, pouting and twisting her shoulders as any country girl,who had not been trained in a satinwood seminary, would have done undersuch trying circumstances. "You don't mean to say that is Allan Garland?"added she, her pretty face lighting up with an expression of intensesatisfaction.
"But I do, Sue," replied Mr. Raynes with emphasis.
"Why, Allan! I am so glad to see you! I was afraid I should never seeyou!" exclaimed Sue, rushing up to the young man, and extending both herhands, which he felt compelled to accept.
He was fearful that she would kiss him; and, though he would have beenunder obligations to submit to the infliction, he was not sure that theoperation would not cause him to faint. Fortunately for him, Sue wasreasonable in her behavior; and he escaped cheaper than he expected, whenhe beheld the impetuous charge which the maiden made upon him. If he hadreally been Allan Garland, his reception would have been entirely proper,and highly creditable to the affectionate nature of the Virginia damsel.He was not the young gentleman from Alabama; and he felt as though he hadbeen flanked on both sides, with no chance to beat off the enemy infront, or to run away in the rear. He was only a short distance from aline of rebel sentinels, and he did not consider it prudent to escape bytaking to his legs. He did not wear his fighting socks at this time, andfelt that it would be no disgrace to run away from such an enemy as thatwhich confronted him.
"I am very glad to see you, Allan," repeated Sue, as the wretched youngman did not venture to use his tongue.
"Thank you, thank you, Miss Raynes!" said he at last, when silence seemedeven more dangerous than speech.
"Miss Raynes! Dear me, Allan, how very formal and precise you are! Youcalled me Sue in your letters."
"Did I? Well, I didn't know it," replied Somers with a stroke of candornot to be expected under the circumstances.
"Certainly you did. I don't think you ever mentioned such a person asMiss Raynes."
"I am confident I didn't," added he with another touch of candor. "But Iwill always call you Sue hereafter, when I have occasion to speak toyou."
"Thank you, Allan! You begin to sound a little like yourself."
Somers was very glad to hear it, but wished he had been five miles off,even if it had been in the very jaws of the Fourth Alabama.
"You don't look a bit like your photograph," continued Sue, gazing withadmiration at the face of the young man; for which those who ever sawLieutenant Somers will cheerfully pardon her.
"Do you think so?"
"I'm sure you don't."
"That's very strange. Everybody who has seen my photograph says it looksexactly like me."
"I don't think so."
"I gave one to a young lady of my acquaintance, who said it was perfect."
"Indeed! Who was she?"
"She is a young lady whom I have met only two or three times."
"What is her name?"
"Lilian Ashford."
"What a pretty name!" said Sue, endeavoring to be magnanimous; though itwas evident that she was troubled by the honest avowal of the youngsoldier.
"Where does she live?"
"She is at the North, now," answered Somers, who could not bear to tell alie when there was no need of such a sacrifice.
He was becoming very uneasy under this rigid catechizing, and hoped shewould not ask any more questions about Lilian Ashford. He had mentionedher name with the hope that it might produce a coldness on her part whichwould afford him some advantage. She did not, however, seem to beannihilated by the prospect of a rival, and was proceeding to interrogatehim still further in regard to the lady, with whom he was apparentlyintimate enough to present her his photograph, when Mr. Raynes remindedher that they were standing in the road, and had better go into thehouse.
"Now, Mr. Raynes, as I have seen Sue, and Sue has seen me, I think I hadbetter hasten to my regiment," suggested Somers.
"Not yet, Allan," replied the old man.
"Do you wish to run away, and leave me so soon, you monster?" added Sue."I tell you, sir, I shall not let you go yet."
"But, Sue! you forget that I have just returned from the Yankees. I wasfurnished with a pass, to enable me to find my regiment."
"You shall find it in good time."
"Come to the house, Allan: we will not detain you long," added Mr.Raynes.
"You must and shall come!" protested Sue, taking him by the arm, andabsolutely compelling him to go, or be guilty of the most unpardonablerudeness to the fair Virginia damsel.
"I should be very glad to go with you, Sue, if my duty did not call meelsewhere. I am to be sent off on very important service."
"Again?--so soon?"
"This very day. I may never see you again."
"And you would coolly run away and leave me without even going into thehouse!"
"But my duty, Sue!"
"You will be in time for your duty."
"I may be arrested as a deserter."
"Nonsense! You have a pass in your pocket."
"In spite of the pass, if your father had not happened to see me, Ishould have been arrested, and might have spent a day or two in theguardhouse before the case could have been explained."
"No more argument, Allan," said the persevering girl. "Here is the house;you shall go in and look at mother, if you don't stop but a minute.Besides, I want to see your photograph while you are present; for I amsure you don't look any more like the picture than the picture does likeyou."
"Probably not,
" replied Somers, as the resolute maiden dragged him intothe house; where, without stopping to breathe, she presented him to hermother, with the astounding declaration, that he was Allan Garland.
Mrs. Raynes gave him a cordial Virginia welcome; and, while he wasendeavoring to make himself as agreeable as possible to the old lady, Suerushed up-stairs to procure the faithless photograph. She returned in amoment with the picture in her hand, and proceeded at once to institute acomparison between the shadow and the substance.
"Now, stand up here, sir, and let me see," said she, as she playfullywhisked him round and scrutinized his features. "I told you it did notlook like you; and I am very sure now that it does not."
"Let me see," added Somers, extending his hand for the picture.
"Will you promise to give it back to me?"
"Certainly I will! You don't imagine I would be so mean as to confiscateit?"
"I should not care much if you did, now that I have found out it does notlook any more like you than it does like me," she answered, handing himthe photograph.
"Where did you get this picture, Sue?"
"Where did I get it? Well, that is cool! Didn't you send it to meyourself?" And Sue began to exhibit some symptoms of amazement.
"I am very sure I never sent you this picture," added Somers gravely.
"You did not?"
"Never."
"Why, Allan Garland!"
"This is not my picture."
"I shouldn't think it was."
Thereupon Mr. Raynes began to laugh in the most immoderate manner;opening his mouth wide enough to take in a very small load of hay, andshaking his sides in the most extraordinary style.
"What are you laughing at, pa?" demanded Sue, blushing up to the eyes, asthough she already felt the force of some keenly satirical remark whichwas struggling for expression in the mouth of the farmer.
"To think you have been looking at that picture three times a day for ayear, studying, gazing at it; kissing it, for aught I know; and then tofind out that it is not Allan after all!" roared the Virginia farmerbetween the outbreaks of his mirth. "I haven't done anything but groansince the war began, and it does me good to laugh. I haven't had a jollytime before since the battle of Bull Run, as the Yankees call it."
"You are the most absurd pa in Virginia. I didn't look at it three timesa day, I never studied it, and I'm sure I never kissed it. No wonderAllan wants to get away, when he finds what an absurd girl you make meout to be. You think I'm a fool, don't you, Allan?"
"I do not, by any means. I'm sure, if I had your picture, I shouldn'thave been ashamed to look at it three times a day," replied Somers,gallantly coming to the rescue of the maiden. "But, really, my Virginiapatriarch," he added, using an expression which he had found in thecorrespondence in his pocket, "I must tear myself away."
"You seem to be glad enough to go," pouted Sue.
"Sorry to go, but compelled by the duty I owe my country to leave you."
"When will you come again?"
"Of course, that question I cannot answer. I may never see you again.This is a terrible war, and we cannot tell what a day may bring forth,"replied Somers solemnly; and the thought was all the more solemn when hethought of the cold corpse of the son and brother concealed in the mireof the swamp.
He had seen the old man laugh as none but a happy man can; and he couldnot help feeling what a terrible revulsion a few words from him mightcause. He had watched the playful manner of Sue, and had joined in thegay raillery of the moment. A word from him would crush her spirit, andbow that loving mother to the ground. The scene had not been one of hisown choosing; and he would gladly escape the necessity of dissemblingbefore those affectionate hearts.
"We are on the eve of a terrible battle," added the old man very gravely."Hundreds of our poor boys went down yesterday, never to rise again. Wetremble when we think of you in the field. I may never see my son again;for the issue of the war may depend on the battles of the next few days."
"What do you mean?"
Mr. Raynes seemed to know more than he had dared to speak; and Somers wasfull of interest.
"The Yankees, who expect to go into Richmond, will be driven down thePeninsula, where they came up, like flying sheep, within a week. I haveheard a few words, which satisfies me that great events are coming."
Though it was not supposable that the people in the vicinity of Richmondknew the plans of General Lee, from what he had seen, and from what hehad heard from men in power, he had formed a very correct idea of theintended operations of the rebel chief; and he stated his views veryclearly to Somers. While he was listening to the old man's theory, Mrs.Raynes had spread her table, and placed upon it such food as wasavailable for a hasty lunch. She insisted that he should partake; and,while he enjoyed the welcome refreshment, Mr. Raynes told him everythingabout the movements of the Confederate army in the vicinity, with fullparticulars of the battle of the preceding day. While the scout was thusanswering the ends of his mission, he was in no hurry to depart.
General McClellan's "change of base" was not suspected by the rebels atthis time. It was their purpose to flank the Union army on the right andleft, and destroy it effectually. The dispositions had been made for thispurpose; and, as Mr. Raynes was a man of influence and intelligence, hisinformation was as reliable as could be deduced from the preliminarymovements of the rebel army. He was confident of success. The executionof the plan had already been commenced, and the right of the Union linewas in the act of falling back.
He expatiated upon the perils of the campaign, and the terrible fightingwhich was to be expected; and manifested the utmost solicitude for thesafety of his son, and hardly less for his guest.
Somers prolonged his repast, that the old man might leave nothing unsaidthat would be important for the Union generals to know. Sue occasionallyjoined in the conversation; but she was quite serious now, as shecontemplated the perils to which her brother and her friend from Alabamamust be subjected.
"Do you know where General Jackson is now?" asked Somers.
"I don't know exactly where he is; but I know what part he has to play inthe great drama. The last we heard of him was, that he was watchingMcDowell, near Fredericksburg. If McDowell keeps quiet, Jackson will rushdown on the left flank of the Yankees, and cut off their retreat."
"Are you sure?"
"I am very sure. I can tell you why."
Before he had time to tell him why, a knock at the door disturbed theconference; and a young man, in a tattered rebel uniform, was usheredinto the room.