Mrs. Grace Holcomb died quietly in her sleep on October 12. At the funeral both Charlie and Lori wept. They had learned to love the old lady who had gone so quietly to meet her Savior.
“In a way,” Lori said as they left the cemetery, “I think it’s best.”
“Why do you say that?” Charlie asked.
“Because things would never have been the same for her.” As they walked slowly back toward the house, Lori explained. “You see, she grew up in Atlanta when it was a gracious city, prosperous and happy. She had her husband and her family, but all that’s gone now.”
“I reckon that’s so,” Charlie said. She was wearing a black dress that had belonged years ago to one of Miss Grace’s daughters. Looking down at it, she thought hard. “And she was ready to go. She was in such bad pain sometimes, and now she’s out of all that.”
When they were back at the house, Charlie asked, “What’ll you do now?”
“I expect I’ll have to go back to Tennessee.”
Charlie bit her lip. “I don’t know what I’ll do. I guess I’ll just stay here.”
But Royal and Rosie came bursting in late that afternoon.
“You’ve got to get out of Atlanta at once!” Royal said.
“What’s wrong, Royal?” Lori cried.
“The order’s been given to burn Atlanta to keep the Rebels from occupying it again. Things are going to be pretty bad. Let’s go. Right now!”
“But I can’t leave Charlie here!”
“You’re going too, Charlie!” Rosie said.
“Going where?”
“It’s all settled,” Rosie said. “Both of you are going back to Pineville. You know—that’s my hometown. Mine and Royal’s and Drake’s. And Lori’s aunt and uncle live there. You’re gonna wait there until the war’s over.”
“And that won’t be very long,” Royal said with some assurance. “You’ll take care of her, won’t you, Lori?”
“Of course, I will.” Lori put an arm around the girl and said, “We’ll wait for our men together, won’t we, Charlie?”
Charlie looked up at Rosie. “Is that what you want, Rosie? You want me to wait for you?”
“Sure do. And while you’re waitin’—” he grinned “—you can be lookin’ around for some blue-nosed mules. When we get that farm started, we’ll need at least six, I’d say. Two for me, and two for you, and two to spell the others.”
The exodus of the two girls from Atlanta was hurried. The men put them on the last train to leave before the city was put to the torch. As the train pulled out, they were both hanging out the window waving good-bye.
“I’ll be waitin’ for ya,” Charlie said. “I’ll have the mules all picked out.”
“And I’ll be waiting for you, Royal. No mules, but I’ll be there.”
The two soldiers watched the train leave the station, and Royal said with some relief, “I’m glad they got out. Things won’t be good here.”
“How long do you think this war will last? I’m kinda anxious to meander back to Pineville now to start my courtin’.”
“Petersburg can’t hold out much longer. As soon as it falls, Richmond falls, and then the war’s over.”
On the walk back to camp, Rosie was quiet for a while, then he said, “Imagine. I get Charlie, and a farm, and six blue-nose mules. Ain’t that somethin’, Royal?”
Royal slapped his friend on the back. “That’s something, all right. I wish we were going back to Pineville tonight—but first we’ve got to finish off the fighting.”