minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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townsmen, instead of leaving his horse hitched in front of her door
in the afternoons as an advertisement of his presence within.

And the congregation of the Episcopal Church almost fell out of
their pews when he tiptoed in, late for services, with Wade's hand
held in his. The congregation was as much stunned by Wade's
appearance as by Rhett's, for the little boy was supposed to be a
Catholic. At least, Scarlett was one. Or she was supposed to be
one. But she had not put foot in the church in years, for religion
had gone from her as many of Ellen's other teachings had gone.
Everyone thought she had neglected her boy's religious education
and thought more of Rhett for trying to rectify the matter, even if
he did take the boy to the Episcopal Church instead of the
Catholic.

Rhett could be grave of manner and charming when he chose to
restrain his tongue and keep his black eyes from dancing maliciously.
It had been years since he had chosen to do this but he did it now,
putting on gravity and charm, even as he put on waistcoats of more
sober hues. It was not difficult to gain a foothold of friendliness
with the men who owed their necks to him. They would have showed
their appreciation long ago, had Rhett not acted as if their
appreciation were a matter of small moment. Now, Hugh Elsing, Rene,
the Simmons boys, Andy Bonnell and the others found him pleasant,
diffident about putting himself forward and embarrassed when they
spoke of the obligation they owed him.

"It was nothing," he would protest. "In my place you'd have all
done the same thing."

He subscribed handsomely to the fund for the repairs of the
Episcopal Church and he gave a large, but not vulgarly large,
contribution to the Association for the Beautification of the
Graves of Our Glorious Dead. He sought out Mrs. Elsing to make
this donation and embarrassedly begged that she keep his gift a
secret, knowing very well that this would spur her to spreading the
news. Mrs. Elsing hated to take his money--"speculator money"--but
the Association needed money badly.

"I don't see why you of all people should be subscribing," she said
acidly.

When Rhett told her with the proper sober mien that he was moved to
contribute by the memories of former comrades in arms, braver than
he but less fortunate, who now lay in unmarked graves, Mrs.
Elsing's aristocratic jaw dropped. Dolly Merriwether had told her
Scarlett had said Captain Butler was in the army but, of course,
she hadn't believed it. Nobody had believed it.

"You in the army? What was your company--your regiment?"

Rhett gave them.

"Oh, the artillery! Everyone I knew was either in the cavalry or
the infantry. Then, that explains--" She broke off, disconcerted,
expecting to see his eyes snap with malice. But he only looked
down and toyed with his watch chain.

"I would have liked the infantry," he said, passing completely over
her insinuation, "but when they found that I was a West Pointer--
though I did not graduate, Mrs. Elsing, due to a boyish prank--they
put me in the artillery, the regular artillery, not the militia.
They needed men with specialized knowledge in that last campaign.
You know how heavy the losses had been, so many artillerymen
killed. It was pretty lonely in the artillery. I didn't see a
soul I knew. I don't believe I saw a single man from Atlanta
during my whole service."

"Well!" said Mrs. Elsing, confused. If he had been in the army
then she was wrong. She had made many sharp remarks about his
cowardice and the memory of them made her feel guilty. "Well! And
why haven't you ever told anybody about your service? You act as
though you were ashamed of it."

Rhett looked her squarely in the eyes, his face blank.

"Mrs. Elsing," he said earnestly, "believe me when I say that I am
prouder of my services to the Confederacy than of anything I have
ever done or will do. I feel--I feel--"

"Well, why did you keep it hidden?"

"I was ashamed to speak of it, in the light of--of some of my
former actions."

Mrs. Elsing reported the contribution and the conversation in
detail to Mrs. Merriwether.

"And, Dolly, I give you my word that when he said that about being
ashamed, tears came into his eyes! Yes, tears! I nearly cried
myself."

"Stuff and nonsense!" cried Mrs. Merriwether in disbelief. "I don't
believe tears came into his eyes any more than I believe he was in
the army. And I can find out mighty quick. If he was in that
artillery outfit, I can get at the truth, for Colonel Carleton who
commanded it married the daughter of one of my grandfather's
sisters and I'll write him."

She wrote Colonel Carlton and to her consternation received a reply

townsmen, instead of leaving his horse hitched in front of her door

in the afternoons as an advertisement of his presence within.

And the congregation of the Episcopal Church almost fell out of

their pews when he tiptoed in, late for services, with Wade's hand

held in his. The congregation was as much stunned by Wade's

appearance as by Rhett's, for the little boy was supposed to be a

Catholic. At least, Scarlett was one. Or she was supposed to be

one. But she had not put foot in the church in years, for religion

had gone from her as many of Ellen's other teachings had gone.

Everyone thought she had neglected her boy's religious education

and thought more of Rhett for trying to rectify the matter, even if

he did take the boy to the Episcopal Church instead of the

Catholic.

Rhett could be grave of manner and charming when he chose to

restrain his tongue and keep his black eyes from dancing maliciously.

It had been years since he had chosen to do this but he did it now,

putting on gravity and charm, even as he put on waistcoats of more

sober hues. It was not difficult to gain a foothold of friendliness

with the men who owed their necks to him. They would have showed

their appreciation long ago, had Rhett not acted as if their

appreciation were a matter of small moment. Now, Hugh Elsing, Rene,

the Simmons boys, Andy Bonnell and the others found him pleasant,

diffident about putting himself forward and embarrassed when they

spoke of the obligation they owed him.

"It was nothing," he would protest. "In my place you'd have all

done the same thing."

He subscribed handsomely to the fund for the repairs of the

Episcopal Church and he gave a large, but not vulgarly large,

contribution to the Association for the Beautification of the

Graves of Our Glorious Dead. He sought out Mrs. Elsing to make

this donation and embarrassedly begged that she keep his gift a

secret, knowing very well that this would spur her to spreading the

news. Mrs. Elsing hated to take his money--"speculator money"--but

the Association needed money badly.

"I don't see why you of all people should be subscribing," she said

acidly.

When Rhett told her with the proper sober mien that he was moved to

contribute by the memories of former comrades in arms, braver than

he but less fortunate, who now lay in unmarked graves, Mrs.

Elsing's aristocratic jaw dropped. Dolly Merriwether had told her

Scarlett had said Captain Butler was in the army but, of course,

she hadn't believed it. Nobody had believed it.

"You in the army? What was your company--your regiment?"

Rhett gave them.

"Oh, the artillery! Everyone I knew was either in the cavalry or

the infantry. Then, that explains--" She broke off, disconcerted,

expecting to see his eyes snap with malice. But he only looked

down and toyed with his watch chain.

"I would have liked the infantry," he said, passing completely over

her insinuation, "but when they found that I was a West Pointer--

though I did not graduate, Mrs. Elsing, due to a boyish prank--they

put me in the artillery, the regular artillery, not the militia.

They needed men with specialized knowledge in that last campaign.

You know how heavy the losses had been, so many artillerymen

killed. It was pretty lonely in the artillery. I didn't see a

soul I knew. I don't believe I saw a single man from Atlanta

during my whole service."

"Well!" said Mrs. Elsing, confused. If he had been in the army

then she was wrong. She had made many sharp remarks about his

cowardice and the memory of them made her feel guilty. "Well! And

why haven't you ever told anybody about your service? You act as

though you were ashamed of it."

Rhett looked her squarely in the eyes, his face blank.

"Mrs. Elsing," he said earnestly, "believe me when I say that I am

prouder of my services to the Confederacy than of anything I have

ever done or will do. I feel--I feel--"

"Well, why did you keep it hidden?"

"I was ashamed to speak of it, in the light of--of some of my

former actions."

Mrs. Elsing reported the contribution and the conversation in

detail to Mrs. Merriwether.

"And, Dolly, I give you my word that when he said that about being

ashamed, tears came into his eyes! Yes, tears! I nearly cried

myself."

"Stuff and nonsense!" cried Mrs. Merriwether in disbelief. "I don't

believe tears came into his eyes any more than I believe he was in

the army. And I can find out mighty quick. If he was in that

artillery outfit, I can get at the truth, for Colonel Carleton who

commanded it married the daughter of one of my grandfather's

sisters and I'll write him."

She wrote Colonel Carlton and to her consternation received a reply