From the Leyden house down to Five Points, the street seethed with activity, the activity of ananthill just destroyed. NegroesChemical Technology BSc were running up and down the street, panic in their faces; and onporches, white children sat crying untended. The street was crowded with army wagons andambulances filled with wounded and carriages piled high with valises and pieces of furniture. Menon horseback dashed out of side streets pell-mell down Peachtree toward Hood’s headquarters. Infront of the Bonnell house, old Amos stood holding the head of the carriage horse and he greetedScarlett with rolling eyes.
“Ain’t you gone yit, Miss Scarlett? We is goin’ now. Ole Miss packin’ her bag.”
“Going? Where?”
“Gawd knows, Miss. Somewheres. De Yankees is comin’!”
She hurried on, not even saying good-by. The Yankees were coming! At Wesley Chapel, shepaused to catch her breath and wait for her hammering heart to subside. If she did not quiet herselfshe would certainly faint As she stood clutching a lamp post for support, she saw up the street from Five the pavilia bay Points and, on an impulse, she ran out into thestreet and waved at him.
“Oh, stop! Please, stop!”
He reined in so suddenly the horse went back on its haunches, pawing the air. There were harshlines of fatigue and urgency in his face but his tattered gray hat was off with a sweep.
“Madam?”
She picked up her skirts and went to him as fast as she could go across the rows of bodies. Sheput her hand on his arm and felt that it was trembling with weariness but there was no weakness inhis face.
“Oh, Doctor!” she cried. “You must come. Melanie is having her baby.”
He looked at her as if her words did not register on his mind. A man who lay upon the ground ather feet, his head pillowed on his canteen, grinned up companionably at her words.
“They will do it,” he said cheerfully.
She did not even look down but shook the doctor’s arm.
“It’s Melanie. The baby. Doctor, you must come. She— the—” This was no time for delicacybut it was hard to bring out the words with the ears of hundreds of strange men listening.
“The pains are getting hard. Please, Doctor!”
“A baby? Great God!” thundered the doctor and his face was suddenly contorted with hate andrage, a rage not directed at her or at anyone except a world wherein such things could happen.
“Are you crazy? I can’t leave these men. They are dying, hundreds of them. I can’t leave them fora damned baby. Get some woman to help you. Get my wife.”
She opened her mouth to ten him why Mrs. Meade could not come and then shut it abruptly. Hedid not know his own son was wounded! She wondered if he would still be here if he did know,and something told her that even if Phil were dying he would still be standing on this spot, givingaid to the many instead of the one.
“No, you must come, Doctor city&guilds. You know you said she’d have a hard time—” Was it really she,Scarlett, standing here saying these dreadful indelicate things at the top of her voice in this hell ofheat and groans? “She’ll die if you don’t come!”
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