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Of course, she knew the story like the back of her hand She told it well and was greeted ild applause when she pointed across the yard "There! It all begins!"

And thus began the round of shots that made the expanse of land between the stables and the house rich and ripe with black powder The federals had been traveling with a small, easily maneuvered six-pound howitzer, and in their attempts to seize the property, they sent their bronze cannon balls sailing for the house and ground In fact, they had missed At the time, their attereat chunks of the earth Today, it caused the air to become heavy with black powder

"The Confederates had to stop the attack before the barn, stables and outbuildings could be set afire," Frazier Donegal announced from the porch, with awell above the screah there was no live aht onlookers just how horrendous it must have been for ht here with guerilla tactics, Ashley asked the crowd to i forward side by side, soe was terrible The Civil War was considered to be the last of the ancient wars--and the first of thethe stables from the front But the Yankees had co they escaped the body of ht One of the attackers was killed at the stables; the othersto use the old vaults as shields But Marshall Donegal had come around the other side, and while his men were held up, he inally ended inside the cemetery, but now they ended it just outside, the only difference from that day to this First, the croouldn’t be able to see any of the action if it occurred there, and, with that h, historic funerary art could be destroyed And so, Charles Osgood, as Marshall, brought down several of the enemy and perished, brutally stabbed to death by bayonets, in front of the gates The two surviving federal men--Justin Binder and Ra for their mounts They leapt atop their horses and tore for the river road

Frazier announced, "And thus did the fighting at Donegal Plantation coiance, and then the band played "Dixie" and then "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" After the burst of applause that followed the last song, people began to surround the actors--who had remained in the battle positions where they had fallen--as they came to their feet, and they all seeratulated, questioned and requested for picture-taking opportunities Then, at last, the crowd began to an to close down his shop

Darkness was falling in earnest

It had been a tre the crowd ebb, Ashley told herself that she’d been an idiot, letting a dreaet to her

But, as she looked out, it seeain

It was the reuns, she told herself

The mist bore a reddish color Bloodred

The sun had set in the west; it was due to the dying of the day

Whatever the explanation, the entire scene was eerie

A breeze lifted, and she had the odd feeling that soed, and she had somehow entered into a world of irl," Frazier said quietly, s as he set a hand on Ashley’s shoulder "Another wonderful day Thank you for all your hard work on this"

Ashley srandfather was happy She adored Frazier, and she was always glad when he was happy She worried about hi hih dignified! But now he seemed thinner, his cheeks hollow He was old; but a , and she wanted hi in the pleasant glow of the day’s success

"Come on Let’s head into the parlor," Frazier said "I think we should probably be there to toast our actors and friends, eh?"

The fa the soldiers for the day--traditionally retired to the riverside parlor for drinks and unwinding

"You go on," Ashley said "I’ll be right there, I pro on"

Her grandfather gave her a kiss on the cheek "I’m sure Beth has already put out all manner of delicious little snacks, despite the fact we told her that chips would do I’ll go supervise rinned "You’d better do that Ramsay will say that he deserves your hundred-year-old Scotch for being so generous!"

Frazier pantomimed real fear and then walked on into the house Ashley was exhausted and ready for a fine glass of hundred-year-old Scotch herself

But she left the porch to walk around to the front for one last look Jerry Blake, one of the off-duty officers they hired for traffic and crowd control, was still out by the road, waving at the last of the cars to get them safely on their way She lifted a hand to hi in, Jerry?"

He waved back at her and shouted in return, "No, thanks! I’m on my way home I have an early patrol shift tomorrow See you, Ashley!"

A minute later, she saw hione Then he headed for his own car