ebadisohn

@@@@@Her was swelling with happinessBut the seemingly distant sound of shooting demanded her tention, and she remembered Charles Ragland was deadShe'd a soldier wounded, maybe killedThe militia was after Colum, shooting at the people of her town, maybe killing themShe have been shot-Rhett, too"We've got to get to the house," she said "We'll be safe t I've got to warn the servants to stay away from town until overhurry, Rhett, we've got to hurry he caught her by the arm as she started to moveMaybe you shouldn't go to the houseI've just come from It's dark and empty, darling, with all the doors left openThe servants are gone Scarlett wrenched her arm from hisclaspShe moaned with terror as she grabbed up her skirts and ran, faster than she had ever run in her lifeWhere was Cat? Rhett's voice was speaking, but she paid no attentionShe had to get to CatBehind the boreen, in the wide street of Ballyhara, there were five red-coated bodies and three wearing the rough clothing of farmersThe bookseller lay across the sill of his shattered window, bloodstreaked bubbles falling from his lips with the whispered words of prayerColum 0 'hara prayed with him, then traced a cross on his forehead as the man diedThe broken glass refracted the thin light from the moon that was becoming visible in the rapidly darkening sky Colum crossed the small room in three long stepsNe seized the twig broom on the hearth by its handle and thrust it into the bed of coals It made a crackling sound for a moment, then burst into flameA shower of sparks flew from the torch onto Colum's dark cassock when he ran into the street