Page 104 - Among the camps, or, Young people's stories of the war

still recognized that there was a broad ground, on which

neither could trespass, The LSaby Veterans still sang " T h e
Star-spangled Banner” in the Court-house Grove, and
Middleburgh still sang " D ixie1’ and the “ Bonnie Blue
F la g ” behind her rose trellises; but there was no more
gathering up of skirts, and disdainful wiping of hands after
handling letters; and the old doctor was allowed to go

jogging about on his rounds,, with Nancy Pansy and the
scarred Harry at his side, as unmolested as if the Baby
Veterans had never pitched their tents on the Court-house
Square. It is barely possible that even the rigid invest­

ment of the town relaxed a little as the autumn changed
into winter, for once or twice old Limpid disappeared for
several days, as he used to do before his arrest, and Nancy
Pansy's pretty sister used to get letters from Harry, who
was now a m ajor Nancy Pansy heard whispers of H arry’s
coming before long, and even of the whole army’s coming.

Somehow a rumor of this must have reached the authori­
ties, though Nancy Pansy never breathed a word of i i ; for
an officer was sent down to investigate the matter and
report immediately.

Just as he arrived he received secret word from some one
that a rebel officer was actually in Middleburgh.
That afternoon Nancy Pansy was playing in the bottom
of the yard when a lot of soldiers came along the street,
and before them rode a strange, cross-looking man with a
beard. Tom Adams was marching with the soldiers, and