Lost Cause Read Free Page B

safe near the river. The
occasional cannon ball from Union guns still arrived from across
the river with a whistling rush and a sharp bright burst and black
billowing smoke smelling strongly of burnt gunpowder.
    Miss Hayes was not to be found that morning
so Jack returned to the barracks and chatted with Campbell until it
was time for his regiment to begin their daily drills.
    Later at supper he ate quickly and walked to
the infirmary to visit with Miss Hayes. Charlotte Mason was with
her and not far away Corporal Campbell waited for the surgeon to
treat his festering wound. It was actually a beautiful evening with
few clouds and less humidity although the sun held its strength and
a warm pestering breeze insisted on mussing up Miss Hayes’s golden
locks. She sat on a bench outside the tent cutting strips of cloth
from a bolt of cotton. Miss Mason was sitting with her, but upon
Jack’s arrival she excused herself and went into the tent to assist
the surgeon.
    “She seems nice,” Jack said.
    “She’s very nice. She has to be, she’s a
nurse.”
    “You’re a nurse, aren’t you?”
    “Nurse’s aide actually.”
    “What’s the difference?”
    “About two years of medical training.”
    “Oh.”
    “Are you disappointed?”
    “No.”
    “We work as hard as the others, but no one
respects us.”
    “Why not?”
    “They don’t respect us when there’s no
fighting going on. But after a battle when men are wounded they
respect us a great deal.”
    “I don’t see the difference.” Jack said.
    “There’s a huge difference. A nurse is more
like a doctor. It takes a long time to learn her craft. A nurse’s
aide is limited in the type of care we can render.”
    “You don’t have any formal training?”
    “Of course I do. Six months in Austin at an
excellent school.”
    “So how did you wind up here?”
    “General McGruder doesn’t want women near the
front. So we stay back here where it’s safe This was my assignment,
same as you.”
    The thud of a distant canon round echoed off
the low hills across the river. “I wish this war would just go
away,” Jack said.
    They looked at each other in the golden
twilight and Jack took her hand. “Don’t,” she said softly.
    “Why not?”
    “Just don’t.”
    Jack leaned forward to kiss her and there was
a sharp smack as she slapped his face. Tears materialized in the
corner of his eyes and he touched the tip of his nose where her
hand had made contact.
    “I’m sorry,” she said. “I felt like you were
taking liberties.”
    “You’re right, I was.”
    “I’m so sorry,” she repeated. “I hope I
didn’t hurt you. I did hurt you, didn’t I?”
    Jack was angry but he kept his composure.
“You did what you felt was right,” he said. “I probably deserved
that.”
    “Your face, it’s so. . .red.”
    “It’s just you’re so beautiful and I thought
nurses liked—”
    “Liked what?”
    “Never mind.”
    “You don’t need to insult me, Jack. I said I
was sorry.”
    “We’re not getting along too well are
we?”
    “We could, if you’d behave yourself.”
    “It’s just that we don’t have a lot of time.
I may be shot down any day now.”
    “Yes, you might. So I guess you should kiss
me after all.”
    Jack put his arm around her and kissed her,
softly at first then harder pressing his lips firmly to hers. She
began to shiver and he held her close and felt her heart beating
and her eyes opened and she began to cry as huge tears slid down
her face wetting their lips.
    “You won’t hurt me will you, Jack?” she
murmured. “You’ll be good to me, won’t you?”
    “Why would you say that?”
    “Because we’re here in this place. You’re a
soldier. You’re loyalty is to your command. You may leave me
tomorrow. Or. . .die, like Charles.”
    “I’m not going anywhere.”
    “Promise?”
    “On my oath.”
    After a while Jack walked with her to the
door of the tent and said goodbye and went back to the barracks.
Campbell was lying on his