Free Healing Grace by Elizabeth Courtright Page B

slender white feet sticking out from under dark britches gleamed.
    “I heard the commotion,” he said. “I was in the bath. I’m sorry.”
    Sadie dared to look up… right on past all that… that whiteness. He wasn’t smiling, but he didn’t look angry. His face was pleasant, kind of round and boyish with narrow, oval eyes, but the darkness of night hid the color. Belatedly she realized his slicked back hair looked dark because it was wet. It was probably as pale as the boy’s.
    “I saw him peeking in the window, and thought… I thought…” Sadie’s voice trailed off.
    “That nigger called me a jug… jugleybine!” Archie bellowed.
    The half-naked soldier spun around. His trim, pallid shoulders and back glowed as much as his front side.
    “Well, you are a jugleybine!” he said to the boy. “The word is juvenile and it means child, which is exactly what you are. What are you doing here, Archie? You can’t be here. Go home.”
    “But I don’t want to go home,” Archie whined. “I don’t like it there. Daddy’s mean. I wish he never came home. I wish he was still in prison!”
    “Archie! That’s enough,” the soldier murmured harshly.
    “Why can’t I stay with you? Please, Sam. Please. I’ll be good.”
    Ignoring the boy, the soldier turned again to Sadie. “I’m sorry about this. I’d hoped to be a quiet, undisruptive neighbor. Are you okay?”
    “I, uh…” Sadie stammered. “Miss Emily asked me to make sure your accommodations are satisfactory. I can change the linens if they’re not fresh enough—”
    “The house is nice,” the solider interrupted, smiling. “Bigger than I expected. And the linens are fine.”
    “Except niggers lived there!” Archie blurted.
    Once more the soldier turned on the boy. “Last warning, Archie. Apologize to Miss… Miss…?”
    “Sadie. My name is Sadie.”
    “I won’t!” Archie hollered.
    “You will.” The soldier grabbed the boy by the collar.
    It took a moment, and a stern look, but eventually Archie mumbled, “I apologize.” He didn’t sound like he meant it, but the soldier let him go anyway.
    “Stay right there. And then I’ll take you home,” he said to the boy.
    “Don’t bother! You’re as mean as Daddy. All you care about is your dumb colonel.” With that, Archie took off, his slight figure fading into the darkness.
    For a moment Sadie watched the soldier, who was staring after the boy, an anxious expression on his ashen profile. Then she said, “Do you want to go after him? To make sure he makes it home okay?”
    As if her comment startled him, the soldier turned abruptly. “No, I… Archie hit you pretty hard. There by your eye.” He reached up like he was going to touch her, but then drew his hand back and winced.
    Sadie thought maybe he’d stepped on a pebble, or a root hidden in the grass. That is, until he spoke again and she realized his flinch had been empathetic. She was stunned.
    “Sorry,” he murmured. “I, uh… a cool cloth will help with the swelling. Would you like to come in? I have water. I can—”
    “No, no, thank you. I’m fine.” Sadie was already running away, along the path to her own home, skirts flying.
    Halfway, something compelled her to glance back. And like she’d been caught in a trap, though she was still running, she couldn’t look away. The soldier was still there, in the middle of the yard, all that exposed flesh drenched in moonlight. He was… glistening!
    Never in the whole of her life could Sadie remember being so utterly dazzled.

TEN
    Constance saw the four men before anyone else did.
    This was because the minister was praying and everyone had their heads bowed and eyes closed. She’d opened hers because Rebecca tugged on her hand. The little girl didn’t need anything, really. She was just antsy, as any five year old would be in such a situation—her grandfather’s funeral. Constance had offered to take charge of Rebecca, Daniel and Jules during the church service and