"You dear thing!" she cried kissing her. "How in the world did you get here? We did not know what had become of you, but father said you had left of your own accord. Did you?"
"Yes; I did, Bob. I went with d.i.c.k." Tears came to her eyes at thought of him. "He had waited to take me after his escape."
"Is he with you?" asked Bob, quickly.
"Oh, Bob," she cried, breaking down completely. "I am in so much trouble."
"Are you?" Bob hugged her close. "Tell me all about it, Jeanne."
Jeanne looked up and started her story, but hesitated as she saw Bob"s companion.
"Don"t mind him," said Bob, observing her look. "He"s a real nice old man who boards at Aunt Sally"s. We are great friends."
"If I am not mistaken, this is a young lady with whom I am well acquainted," said the old gentleman, looking at Jeanne quizzically.
"Aren"t you the little girl who likes puns?"
"Mr. Huntsworth," cried Jeanne, in astonishment, "how did you come here?"
"After I left you I went to Corinth on some business," said Mr.
Huntsworth. "To wind it up satisfactorily I was obliged to come on to Vicksburg. The good people here got it into their heads that I was in some sort of secret work and so detained me. As they have no proof I am permitted to have my freedom which is liberty only in a restricted sense as I am not permitted to leave the city. However, I am quite comfortable. I am boarding with this young lady"s aunt, who is a very fine woman. Very fine, indeed! And we have some rare times together, eh, Bob."
"Indeed we do," cried Bob, gaily. "And dad is stationed here, Jeanne, so that while I am at Aunt Sally"s I see him almost every day."
"How do you live away from your regiment, Bob?"
"It was hard at first, but now I don"t mind it so much. And then I go to see them sometimes. Aunt Sally was horrified when she found I had been so long with the soldiers. See, I don"t wear my uniform any more. But I expect that if the war lasts much longer I"ll have to go back to it.
Goods are not being imported very fast into the Confederacy."
"You said you were in trouble, my little friend," said Mr. Huntsworth, who had been taking note of Jeanne"s pale face and distressed air. "Tell us about it. We may be able to help you."
"Will your father care if I talk to you, Bob?" asked Jeanne, longing to confide in these friends and yet hesitating to do so.
"Dad was sorry after you left that he had been so unkind to you," said Bob. "Especially when he found how good you had been to send Frank to your home. He regretted his sternness. So we can be friends all right. Now tell us all about it."
"I will," and Jeanne told all that had occurred since she left the regiment and briefly sketched for Mr. Huntsworth"s benefit the happenings in New Orleans.
"My dear," said the old gentleman, gravely, when she had finished, "you are indeed in trouble. I must think it over and see if I cannot help you."
"I think your aunt is just about the meanest person I ever heard of,"
declared Bob. "I am sorry that she is a Southerner. I didn"t know that we had any one among us that could be like that."
"She is partly of foreign blood, Bob."
"To be sure! That explains everything," said Bob. "But what makes your uncle let her act so?"
"I don"t know," said Jeanne, sadly, "he seems to have no will but hers.
Sometimes I think that he is afraid of her, and yet why should a great big man be afraid of a slender woman?"
"I have known of such cases," observed Mr. Huntsworth. "There may be more in that than you dream, my dear. We must think over the matter and see what can be done. And remember, child, that you have friends. That you are no longer alone but that we will help you some way."
"Oh," said Jeanne, brokenly, "it is so good of you. I felt so forlorn. I thought that I was forsaken by every one. But I won"t feel so any more.
You are so good----" She burst into a flood of tears.
"There! there!" Bob comforted her with endearments while Mr. Huntsworth blew his nose vigorously. "I know just how you feel, Jeanne. It nearly killed me when Frank went over to the Union instead of staying with his own people. I don"t blame you for wanting to keep your brother on your side."
"You are generous, Bob. I did not sympathize with you before, but I do now. I don"t believe that d.i.c.k will go, but I am so afraid of what Aunt Clarisse may do to him if he doesn"t. No! d.i.c.k won"t go. But I must return. They will wonder what has become of me."
"It is high time all of us were leaving," remarked Mr. Huntsworth. "This is rather a breezy place for a conversation."
Still conversing the three slowly descended the elevation, and then bidding them good-bye Jeanne returned to the La Chaise residence feeling more hopeful now that she knew that Bob and Mr. Huntsworth were in the city. As she entered the grounds s...o...b..ll dodged from behind one of the trees.
"Lill" missy," she said, "go down behind de smokehouse de fust chance yer git. I"se got sumpin" ter tell yer."
"All right, s...o...b..ll. I will go now," replied Jeanne rather startled.
"Not now, missy. Deys done seen yer k.u.m in. Go on ter yer room and then slip down arter yer stays dere awhile."
Jeanne followed the girl"s advice, and went on to the house. Madame Vance looked up as she entered. She gave a quick glance at the girl, and something in the latter"s face caught her attention.
"You look brighter," she commented. "Whom did you see?"
"Many people, Madame," replied Jeanne somewhat shortly.
"It seems to have helped you then. Did anything happen?"
"Nothing," returned the girl drearily, her old look of hopelessness returning for she feared that Madame suspected something. "What could happen?"
"Don"t give me any impudence, Jeanne. I am not in the mood for it. Go at once to your room," commanded her aunt and Jeanne gladly obeyed.
As soon as possible she crept softly downstairs and succeeded in getting out of the house un.o.bserved by either Madame or Mrs. La Chaise and ran eagerly to the smokehouse.
s...o...b..ll was waiting for her.
"Missy," she said as soon as the girl reached her side, "hab yer seen yer brudder lately?"
"No, s...o...b..ll. They won"t let me," said Jeanne sadly.
"Den yer had bettah see him as soon as yer can, fer dere"s a powerful lot of meanness gwine on."
"What do you mean?" cried Jeanne apprehensively.
"Ole missus am a tryin" ter make him leab Ma.s.sa Link.u.m"s ahmy. I heerd Jeff tell Feliciane dat she was "suadin" him awful ha"d. Den too I heare ole missus tell him myself dis mohnin" when dey sent me fer more wood and didn"t notice pertic"lar dat I had k.u.m back, ole missus say ter him when he done axed fer you, "I done know what de mattah wid Jeanne," she say.
"She done seem ter kyar ter see yer. I axed her ter k.u.m dis mohnin", an"
she say, "no, I"m gwine fer a walk." Den yer brudder say bery weak like, "I can"t understan" it. I tought she lubed me.""
"Did he say that?" cried Jeanne. "Oh, s...o...b..ll, what can I do? I must see him. Won"t you help me?"
"Yes, missy, I will. Eben ef dey kills me fer it," declared the girl fervently.