streaming
behind
her, her
arms
outstretched.
Then,
Scarlett
knew the
truth,
with the
impact of
a blow.
She reeled
back
against an
upright of
the porch
as the man
lifted a
face
covered
with a
dirty
blond
beard and
stopped
still,
looking
toward the
house as
if he was
too weary
to take
another
step. Her
heart
leaped and
stopped
and then
began
racing, as
Melly with
incoherent
cries
threw
herself
into the
dirty
soldier’s
arms and
