FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  
nto the moonlight. "I'm lost, and I don't know where to go." "A girl! It's true I do declare!" burst from the sentinel's lips as he lowered his gun. "How do you come to be here in the woods at this time of night?" "I am trying to get back to New Orleans, and I must have taken the wrong road." Jeanne was trembling but she tried to control herself. "Oh, could you tell me where I could get something to eat and a place to sleep? I--I am afraid." Her voice broke and despite her efforts at self-command she burst into tears. "There! Never mind! I'll take you to Miss Bob," said the soldier with rough kindness. "The woods ain't no place fur a girl at night. Just come with me." Jeanne followed him gladly. A brisk walk of fifteen minutes brought them to a camp. The tents gleamed white among the trees and it seemed to the girl as though she had never seen so many in all her life before. Some men lounged lazily about one of the many fires that dotted the place, talking in subdued tones. They stared at the girl as the sentinel came in with her but made no remark. The soldier paused before a small tent and called softly: "Miss Bob! Miss Bob! are you asleep?" "What is it, Johnson?" came the reply in the soft sleepy tones of a girl. "Here is a girl out here who is lost. She is hungry and wants a place to sleep. Will you see to her? I am on duty." "Certainly. Go back to your post, Johnson. I will be out in a minute." "All right." The soldier saluted and walked off leaving Jeanne a prey to conflicting emotions. In a few moments the flap of the tent was pushed aside, and the slight figure of a girl about Jeanne's own age emerged from it. "You are lost?" she asked advancing toward Jeanne and speaking quickly. "And hungry, I think Johnson said. Come, we'll have something to eat, and then go to bed. Are you tired?" Jeanne nodded, unable to speak. "Sit here by the fire while I fix things. Jim," to one of the men, "this girl is hungry. Will you help me get something for her to eat?" "'Course I will, Miss Bob." The man sprang to his feet and walked briskly away disappearing into what Jeanne afterward learned was the commissary department. "We'll have something in a jiffy," remarked the girl encouragingly, beginning to poke up the fire. "See here, Miss Bob, let me do that," and another of the men ran to her side. "I reckon Jim and me can fix things. 'Tain't no work for you." Soon cold chicken, bread, and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Jeanne

 
soldier
 

Johnson

 

hungry

 

walked

 

things

 
sentinel
 
advancing
 

Certainly

 
speaking

emerged

 

quickly

 

figure

 

leaving

 

conflicting

 

saluted

 

minute

 

emotions

 
pushed
 

slight


moments

 

nodded

 

beginning

 

encouragingly

 
department
 

remarked

 
chicken
 

reckon

 

commissary

 
learned

moonlight

 

unable

 

disappearing

 

afterward

 

briskly

 

Course

 
sprang
 

kindness

 

brought

 

minutes


fifteen

 

gladly

 

Orleans

 

afraid

 
trembling
 
control
 

command

 

efforts

 
gleamed
 

paused