“Oh! Mrs. Bragg! I haven’t!” Berry exclaimed, darting forward and pushing open the cabin door. “Why don’t you want us to know you are home? Oh, Mollie! I’m so glad to see you!” and Berry ran toward the thin little figure that, at the sound of her voice, had jumped up from the wooden stool in a far corner of the room.
“Oh! Berry! Berry!” sobbed Mollie, as she felt Berry’s firm arms holding her tightly; and for a moment the two little friends quite forgot Mrs. Bragg and everything except the joy of seeing each other again. It was Mollie who spoke first. “My nice dress is spoiled,” she said, and Berry’s swift glance noticed that the serge skirt had evidently been torn and clumsily mended, and the blouse showed that it had received hard wear. The kitchen was cold and dark, and Mrs. Bragg explained that Mr. Bragg had warned her not to start a fire for fear some wandering spy might discover that the cabin was inhabited.
“Steve says Corinth is chuck full of Confederate soldiers and that the Yankee soldiers have landed at Crump’s Landing, not more’n ten miles from here; the Yanks tore up a good stretch of railroad between Corinth an’ Columbus, an’ Steve says thar’s more Yanks on the march from Columbia; an’ Steve jes’ put off ter the mountains. He’ll cum back soon’s these pesky armies goes off,” Mrs. Bragg explained, as if thinking it only natural that Steve should flee from any possible danger.
“But we have fires, Mrs. Bragg; and no American soldier, Confederate or Yankee, would harm you,” Berry declared. “Why, Mrs. Bragg, perhaps your own boy, Len, might get a chance to come and see you if the Confederates come this way; and if the cabin is all shut up he would think you had all gone away, and he would go off and you wouldn’t see him,” said Berry eagerly.
For a moment Mrs. Bragg stared at her little visitor in amazement; then, moving toward the fireplace, she exclaimed, “My lan’! That be the very truth. Yo’ gals fetch me some kindlin’-wood an’ I’ll start up a blaze. An’ I’ll wrench them boards off’n the windows and open the front door——” But a shrill scream from Mollie brought her mother’s plans to a sudden end. Looking toward the open door Mollie had discovered a stranger; a young negro boy stood there peering anxiously into the cabin; for Lily never permitted Berry to be long out of her sight and had followed her to the post-box and then on to the Braggs’ cabin.
“It’s only Lily!” Berry explained. “She is living with us, and wearing Francis’s old clothes because they are easier to go about the woods in.”
“Dat’s so!” agreed Lily solemnly, looking first at Mollie and then at Mrs. Bragg.
“I declar’!” exclaimed Mrs. Bragg. “Wal, then she can take hold and holp us git this cabin fit ter live in. Ter think I didn’t project Len comin’ this way!” and Mrs. Bragg was now as eager to get a fire started, to open the windows, and give the cabin the look of being in use as, a few hours earlier, she had been to hide away from any possible visitor.
“It’s a blessin’ you happened this way, Berry!” she declared. “Yo’ jes’ tuck that roll of nice birch-bark under those sticks,” she added, noticing the roll of bark, on which Mollie’s message was traced, that Berry still held.
With a smiling glance at Mollie, Berry promptly obeyed, and in a moment the bark blazed up, the kindlings caught fire, and a cheerful glow and warmth filled the room. With the help of Berry and Lily the boards were taken from the cabin windows and Mrs. Bragg did her best to put the poor rooms in order. When Berry declared it was time for her to start for home Mrs. Bragg cheerfully consented for Mollie to go with her, and with Lily close behind them, the two little friends made their way along the forest trail.