The chaplain’s face softened. “Well.” Hesmiled. “It is better for you and the men if you’re cheerful.” Hechucked her under the chin and turned to Mrs. Weikert. “Thank youfor the food, madam. It was delicious.”
“You’re quite welcome, pastor…?”
“Father Corby, madam.” He put his hat on ashe opened the door. He smiled at Tillie one more time. “Good nightall, and God bless.” He left, closing the door behind him.
The room fell silent. Mrs. Schriver removedthe two loaves from the oven. The cooks collected them, along withthe pot of broth. They said good night and left the basementkitchen.
Beckie, Mrs. Schriver, and Mrs. Weikertcleaned up the bread-making activities. Mrs. Weikert banked thecook stove fire.
Mr. Weikert and Dan entered the house. Usinga stick, Mr. Weikert lit candles and handed one to his wife andeach of his children.
Upstairs, a clock chimed out twelve times.When did it get to be midnight? Tillie didn’t try to stifle a hugeyawn as she followed the family to the bedrooms on the thirdfloor.
“Beckie, show Tillie to your room.” Mrs.Weikert stopped at a bedroom door. “Hettie, I put the girls in yourroom. You can join them.” She yawned. “Oh my. It’s been a day. Goodnight all.” Mr. Weikert disappeared inside with her.
“Good night, Mr. and Mrs. Weikert.” Tilliealso yawned, drawn in by Mrs. Weikert. She followed Beckie to herbedroom.
Beckie changed into a clean white nightgownand hopped into bed. “Are you almost ready?” She spoke through ahuge yawn. “I’m exhausted, and I want to go to sleep. Hurry up andget into bed so I can turn out the lamp.” Beckie flopped down,turning her back on Tillie.
Tillie took a deep breath, removed her dressand arranged it on the back of a chair, and crawled into bed in herchemise. She wanted to say a quick prayer for her family and themen fighting for her town. She fell asleep the minute her headtouched the pillow.
Chapter 15
The cannons roared and belched smoke. Tilliespun in crazy circles, but couldn’t escape. Deadly spurts of fireand thick, dense fog surrounded her. She sensed danger in themiasma, but couldn’t find the source. She tried to run, trippingover things unseen in the blanket of dense fog engulfing andblinding her.
“Is this hell?” She froze, deciding not toescape, yet feeling like a human sacrifice. A medusa head slitheredout of the mist. Its mouths yawned open, uttering faint boomingsounds. The multi-headed creature shifted and became a writhing,bloody sea of dismembered bodies. Again, she tried to run, butcouldn’t shake her paralysis. Her gaze settled on one man lying ona table, arms outstretched, begging her for help. He stared at herwith terror-filled eyes. Another man appeared standing at thetable. Invisible from the waist down, he wore a bloodstained apronand in his bloody hands held a bone saw. More blood dripped fromthe deadly instrument as he cut the man to pieces. Tillie openedher mouth to scream. A staccato crackle issued forth instead. Shetried to scramble away, but everywhere she turned, bodiessurrounded her. From the dense smoke, a bloody hand clamped down onher shoulder.
Tillie jerked and flew upright. A small cryescaped her lips. Her eyes swept the room. Panic seized her.
“Wake up!” Beckie shook her. “Are you allright?”
“Yes.” Tillie slumped and put a shaking handover her eyes. “Yes. I’m all right.”
Beckie lay back down. “Sounded like a baddream.” She yawned.
The pressure of a hand lingered. Her fingersfound the spot. “Did you grab me?”
“Did I grab you?” Her friend barked a shortlaugh. “Yes. You thrashed around so, like a maniac. I almost felloff the bed.”
“I was in some kind of pit with cannons. Itripped over dead bodies. One of them reached out and grabbed myshoulder.”
“I did.” Beckie sat up again. “We should getup. I’ve been hearing distant cannon and gunfire for the past fewminutes.”
The bedroom door reverberated in the framewhen someone on the other side began pounding the wood. Theysquealed.
“Get up, girls, and come down to thebasement. They’re firing again,” Mr. Weikert called through theclosed door. A boom of cannon, followed by the staccato of gunfireemphasized his words.
Tillie shook her head to clear thecobwebs.
“Yes, Papa, right away.” Beckie threw backthe covers.
Tillie took her dress off the back of thechair. She held the garment up to the window and assessed it in thelight of the sun, just appearing over Culp’s Hill. Dried mudencircled the hem almost to the knee. Sweat stained the armpits,and dirt streaked the bodice.
Tillie peeked as Beckie, humming a littletune, opened the armoire and pulled out a fresh, pretty, pinkdress. A good three to four inches taller than Tillie and wider aswell, Beckie’s dresses would hang on her slight frame, but shelonged to wear something clean.
A rueful smile twisted Tillie’s lips as shesmoothed her filthy clothes. What would Mrs. Eyster say about herdress and deportment now? She opened her mouth to ask Beckie, butdidn’t get the chance.
“Hurry up, dear.” Beckie moved to the bedroomdoor. “Papa doesn’t hold meals for laggards.”
“I’ll be along in a moment.”
Tillie washed her face and hands in the basinbefore examining her reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t brushedher hair in two days. She thought to take down her braid and repairthe damage, but Beckie’s words echoed in her ear. Laggards. Tillieresented the implication. She worked as hard yesterday as everyoneelse did. She eyed the brush, but dared not use it withoutpermission. Instead, she smoothed her hair as best as possible,tucking stray strands behind her ears. As she took a deep breath,her shoulders raised with her inhale and dropped with her exhale.She pursed her lips and went downstairs to help in the kitchen.
“Where are Dan and Mr. Weikert?” Tillie satat the table as Mrs. Schriver placed a bowl of porridge and coffeein front of her.
“Trying to get some farm work done despiteall these soldiers lounging about.” Mrs. Weikert sipped somecoffee.
Dan ran into the kitchen. “Pa says comeoutside, quick. More soldiers are coming. Thousands
