“I’m sorry, sir.” She peeked at Mother. Shehadn’t told her parents about her close encounter with Mr.Garlach’s wagon while walking home Tuesday.
Mother closed the door and cast a questioningglance her way.
Tillie smiled and flicked her fingers. Hemade it sound worse than necessary.
“Ah, no harm done.” He reached to pinch hercheek again, but she joined Maggie at the sink to make the motionseem natural.
“Miss Maggie, good morning to you.”
She returned the greeting.
Mr. Garlach pulled out a chair and sat.
Mother poured coffee and placed a plate ofmuffins on the table.
He slid a cup close. “I came by to tell yousome news, in case you didn’t know.” Mr. Garlach’s hand trembledfrom palsy as he closed his fingers around a muffin and dropped itonto a plate. “That new regiment, the Twenty-First PennsylvaniaEmergency Volunteer Corps, is expected on the noon train.” He brokehis muffin into small chunks before popping a piece into hismouth.
“It’ll be good to get some of our boys back.”Father stirred cream into his coffee. “I can’t reconcile myselfwith the news from Chambersburg. Rebels looting and threatening toburn the town if they don’t get what they demand.” He pursed hislips as he handed his guest the cream pitcher.
Mother joined them with her own cup ofcoffee. “Since the Twenty-First gathered up the last of ourGettysburg boys, the town feels deserted.” She put her hand overher heart. “I declare, with all this talk of Rebel soldiersmarauding the country, I’d like to feel safe again. How dreadful tobelieve they’re so close—only twenty-five miles away.”
Mr. Garlach nodded. “Mrs. Garlach agrees withyou. I’m sure the Rebs will go back to wherever they came from assoon as they clap their eyes on our good Union boys.” He poppedanother muffin chunk into his mouth and chewed as he added a splashof cream. Some spilled in the saucer.
Father gestured toward Maggie. “In fact,young George Sandoe left this morning to meet the regiment inCarlisle.”
“I heard.” Mr. Garlach turned in his chair.“It’ll be nice to get your beau back, eh, Miss Maggie?” He gave hera wink.
“It certainly will.” Maggie grinned, and hercheeks pinked. She resumed drying the dishes. Tillie pressed hershoulder against Maggie’s, sharing in the amity.
So many questions to ask, but she dared notspeak out in front of company. Would the Rebs run as soon as theYanks showed up? She doubted it. Would the Yanks stand and fight?She doubted that too. According to Tuesday’s headline, the Rebswere all around. The Yanks? Who knew? Why didn’t they come? WasGeneral Hooker at fault? The newspaper reported President Lincolndismissed him for good, as he fired Burnside before him, andMcClellan and McDowell before Burnside. Now, with General Meade incharge, would they fight on Northern soil? Would they stand?
Maggie nudged Tillie back to reality, her ragpoised and unmoving on a dish while Maggie waited for another dishto dry.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Father nodded. “Ourboys will be here this afternoon, and once they arrive, the rebelswill see we mean business. The show of force won’t gounnoticed.”
Tillie leaned close and whispered to Maggie,“George might have saved himself the trouble of going to Carlisleif he’d known they were turning around and coming here.”
Maggie sighed. “Poor George. He could havestayed with me.” She sounded sympathetic, but her brown eyessparkled at the mention of her beau’s return.
* * * *
The school day started with math calculationsas usual. Tillie rose when called on to solve the algebra equationon the board. She approached with a halting gait. Mrs. Eyster heldout the chalk. Tillie closed her fingers around it as if shecontemplated slipping her hand into a lion’s mouth. Would it bite?Her hand shook as she stood close to the board. She whispered thequestion, desperate to ascertain the logic in it. Find the productof the polynomials P(x) = 2x 2 - 3x and Q(x) = 3x 2 + x - 5. Shepressed the chalk to the board then used her index finger to wipeaway its mark. She read the question again. Her throat tightened,and her heart pounded in her ears. Her eyes grew hot, and sheblinked fast. She started to write her answer. The chalk squealedon the board. Tillie’s hand froze, and then she wiped away what shewrote.
Mrs. Eyster let out an exasperated sigh.“Miss Pierce, sit down. I declare, young lady.…” Whatever shedeclared, she chose not to say. The teacher wrote twenty moreequations on the blackboard for her.
Tillie choked. If she couldn’t do one, whatmade Mrs. Eyster think she could do twenty? She bent her head closeto her slate to hide her face.
Beckie rose, sashayed to the board and withswift, sure motions, solved the equation that sent Tillie to herseat.
Tillie glared at Beckie’s back. She crossedher arms and bit her lower lip. As Beckie returned to her seat, shethrew a triumphant smile Tillie’s way. Tillie turned her faceaway.
Mrs. Eyster called on Catherine Foster as apiercing train whistle shrieked across town. Desks creaked, anddresses rustled as all heads turned toward the window. JennyMcCreary rose from her seat and leaned on the windowsill.
Tillie couldn’t see anything unusual onWashington Street. Wagons rumbled up and down. Pedestrians wentabout their business, though several people stopped and turnedtoward Chambersburg Street and the train station.
“Girls, it’s only ten o’clock. Too early forthe troop train.” Mrs. Eyster tapped her ferule on the desk.“Focus, please.”
The train whistle undermined her strictrules. Jenny McCreary sat back down, hunched over, staring out thewindow, with her chin in her palm. When Mrs. Eyster called on herfor a history recitation, Jenny jerked and faced her teacher. Shewobbled to her feet as her eyes darted around the room. Her faceturned the color of beets, and she pulled at her fingers withfrantic motions. “G-G-George W-W-Wash-wash-ing-t-t-ton w-wast-the…”
Mrs. Eyster sighed and made a sit-downgesture with her hand. Jenny sat, hard, and dropped her head on herdesk.
Libby Hollinger leaned forward and patted heron the shoulder.
“All right, girls.” Mrs. Eyster reached forher ferule. “Recitation is done. Clearly, we’re making littleheadway. For those who completed your assignments, work on the newlessons on the board.” She tapped the stick against the chalkboardnext to the lessons as
