Page 86 - Among the camps, or, Young people's stories of the war

sword with the handle in his right hand and the tip in his

left, and carried his head very high. It was Tom Adams.
Nancy Pansy caught tight hold of her sister's hand, and
clasped Harry closely to her bosom. For a second they
stopped ; then, as there was no help for it, they started for­
ward across the road, just in front of the soldiers. They

were so close that Nancy Pansy was afraid they would march
over them, and she would have liked to run. She clutched
sister's hand hard ; but her sister did not quicken her pace at
all, and the young officer had to give the order, "■ Mark time
— m arch !” to let them pass. He looked very grand sis

he drew himself up, but Nancy Pansy's sister held her hand
firmly, and took not the slightest notice of him. Lifting her
head defiantly in the air, and keeping her dark eyes straight
before her, she passed with Nancy Pansy within two steps
of the young lieutenant and his drawn sword, neither quick­

ening nor slowing her pace a particle. They might have
seemed not to know that a Federal soldier was within a
hundred miles of them but for the way that Nancy Pansy
squeezed Harry, and the scornful air which sat on her sisters
stern little face and erect figure as she drew Nancy Pansy

closer to her, and gathered up her skirts daintily in her small
hand, as though they might be soiled by an accidental
touch.
Tom Adams had a mind to give the order “ Forward ! ”
and make them run out of the way. but lie did not do it, so

he marched back to camp, and told the story to his mess,