“Sir,” said Jeanne blushing at her temerity yet speaking boldly notwithstanding, “there are urgent reasons for my going. I do not wish to tell them because they concern the government. But my father would not have let me come had there not been necessity.”
“You surely do not mean that you are an emissary of the government?” exclaimed the General in surprise. “Why, you are but a little girl.”
“But exceedingly patriotic, General,” interrupted Mr. Huntsworth. “She has given a fair to raise money for the soldiers, made I don’t know how many shirts, socks and handkerchiefs and just now emptied her purse to send a soldier home to her parents to be taken care of. Best of all she can relish a pun when she hears one which you will agree is a rare accomplishment for a girl or even a woman. Oh, she is capable of anything.”
“I believe it,” laughed the General. “I fear that I shall have to give up before such a formidable array of accomplishments. Have you really done all those things?”
“All but the shirts,” answered Jeanne shyly, “mother makes those. You see father works for the government, mother is in the Women’s Relief Association and Dick is in the army, so I just had to do something to help too.”
“I see,” said the General. “What is your father’s name?”
“Richard Vance, sir.”
“Richard Vance!” exclaimed the General. “Oh! I understand everything now. You shall go to New Orleans, child, if our boats can get you there. The transport will start in an hour. Can you be ready to go by that time?”
“I am ready now, sir.”
“That is the bearing of a true soldier,” approved the General. “I will give you a letter to Farragut––”