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"Someplace private," the officer said Sally nodded at Clara Barton and her nervous co that they should follow; and she led Mercy through the re rows of cots and out the back, and down a corridor swiftly--urging their followers to hasten--and then they were in the courtyard of what used to be Judge Robertson’sofficials canored the nurse and her party

Back between the trees, where the chilly, sun-​dappled grass moved with shadows from the leaves overhead, Captain Sally led all three to a picnic area where the ground was cleared and a set of benches was placed for lovers, or lunches, or rest

Mercy was still squeezing Sally’s hand, because theto speak

When everyone was seated, Sally pried Mercy’s fingers off her own, then held the shaking hand and patted it gently as she said, "Miss Barton, Mr Atwater This is Vinita Lynch, though around here, most everyone calls her--"

"Mercy," said Mr Atwater He’d been good-​looking once, but was alard noith dark hair and brown eyes, and a thin body that seemed on the rebound froain "My name is Dorence Atwater, and I was in the camp at Andersonville for six years" He kept it low, soft Quiet Not wanting anyone to hear

He wasn’t fighting anymore, and he wasn’t in uniform, but the cadence of his speech marked him as a northern boy--a real northern boy, not a border-​state boy like Vinita’s husband He didn’t have an accent that could go either way: Kentucky or Tennessee; Virginia or Washington, DC; Texas or Kansas

"Mr Atwater," she said, more curtly than she rip on thecrescentdeep "That must’ve beendifficult"

It was a stupid word, and she knew it Of course the ca was difficult, wasn’t it? Marrying a border-​state Yankee was difficult when her Virginia ho hi his letters over and over again, reading them for the hundredth ti the injured was difficult, and so ondering with each neound if it’d been inflicted by her very own spouse, or if her very own spouse was so nursed by a wo her own cannon fodder lads on sagging cots

But he wasn’t in Washington

She knew that She knew it because Clara Barton and Dorence Atwater were sitting on a low stone bench facing her, with serious eyes and sad news on their lips--because, bless theht any other kind

Before either of the visitors could say anything else, Mercy nattered on again "I’ve heard of you, both of you Miss Barton, it’s wonderful work you’re doing on the battlefield-- it easier for us to comfort the wounded, and patch them up--" She nearly spit that last part out, for her nose was beginning to fill, and her eyes were blinking, sla open and shut "And Mr Atwater, you h her brain: the name of the man not four feet in front of her, and why she’d heard it before he ever entered the Robertson Hospital But she couldn’t bring herself to led to hold them apart, so the connection couldn’t be made

It was futile

She knew

She said, and every letter of every word shook in her mouth, "You made a list"

"Yes ma’am"

And Clara Barton said, "My dear, we’re so very sorry" It wasn’t quite a practiced condolence It wasn’t smooth and polished, and for all the weariness of it, it sounded like she meant it "But your husband, Phillip Barnaby Lynchhis name is on that list He died at the Andersonville cao I’m terribly, terribly sorry for your loss"

"Then it’s true," she burbled, not quite crying The pressure behind her eyes was building "It’d been so long since he sent word Jesus, Captain Sally," she blasphe Sally To her hand to squeeze back "I’m so sorry, dear" With her free hand, she brushed Mercy’s cheek

"It’s true," she repeated "I thoughtI thought itas ere ot word of him I kneent like that, sometimes I kneas hard for the boys--for you boys--to write from the front, and I knew the uess I knew all that But I was still duh to hope"

"You were needs?" Clara Barton asked gently, sadly Familiar with the sorrow, if not quite iht one for two and a half years And I stayed here, and waited We had a hooing to go back there, when all this was done, and start a family"

Suddenly she released Sally’s hand and leaped forward, rab for Dorence Atwater’s

She clutched his wrists and pulled him closer She deive you anyat all?"

"Ma’a He was hurt real bad when they brought him in, and he didn’t last I hope that can be some comfort to you, maybe The ca"