Tim reached for his slip. His family had sent him a hundred dollars. He filled out the slip and gave it back to Senn, who nodded with a show of friendliness. “Your goods will be brought in on Thursday, if the quartermaster has what you want.”
Red’s face was like a happy child’s. “Nancy’s fine, and she says the little fellow’s well. Looks just like his dad, she says.”
Tim grinned. “I’m glad she’s well and the little fellow too. I’m glad he has good health to make up for his looks.”
Red smiled and walked away.
Tim sat on the steps of the Army kitchen. He took out Kate’s letter and read:
Stone’s Brook, Connecticut
October 27, 1863
Dear Tim,
Your letters give great pleasure to us all. We thank God your health is fine and that you have a friend like Lieutenant Kelly to lighten your days in that dark jail. I am sure it must work the other way as well. How fondly I remember the many times when I was blue until you made me laugh!
Perhaps I shouldn’t say it in a letter that might be read by your captors, but it seems the war has taken a turning now. The defeat of Lee at Gettysburg was a blow to the Confederacy. Now we have news that General Grant is Supreme Commander in the west. Maybe he will be paying a call on you soon. Or perhaps your next letter will come from the comparative freedom of one of our Army camps. How fervently you must hope for exchange!
Kate had written the letter on small, thin paper, and Tim was surprised to see that the second page was blank. But when he looked more closely he saw that it was double. It was covered with spidery lines and printed all over with the faintest legends. As he looked Tim heard footsteps on the stony earth and was startled by a voice close by.