飘

　But　no　one　wanted　to　forget；　no　one；　it　seemed；　except　herself；　so　Scarlett　was　glad　when　she　could　truthfully　tell　Melanie　that　she　was　embarrassed　at　appearing；　even　in　the　darkness。　This　explanation　was　readily　understood　by　Melanie　who　was　hypersensitive　about　all　matters　relating　to　childbirth。　Melanie　wanted　another　baby　badly；　but　both　Dr。　Meade　and　Dr。　Fontaine　had　said　another　child　would　cost　her　her　life。　So；　only　half　resigned　to　her　fate；　she　spent　most　of　her　time　with　Scarlett；　vicariously　enjoying　a　pregnancy　not　her　own。　To　Scarlett；　scarcely　wanting　her　coming　child　and　irritated　at　its　untimeliness；　this　attitude　seemed　the　height　of　sentimental　stupidity。　But　she　had　a　guilty　sense　of　pleasure　that　the　doctors’　edict　had　made　impossible　any　real　intimacy　between　Ashley　and　his　wife。
　Scarlett　saw　Ashley　frequently　now　but　she　never　saw　him　alone。　He　came　by　the　house　every　night　on　his　way　home　from　the　mill　to　report　on　the　day’s　work；　but　Frank　and　Pitty　were　usually　present　or；　worse　still；　Melanie　and　India。　She　could　only　ask　businesslike　questions　and　make　suggestions　and　then　say：　“It　was　nice　of　you　to　come　by。　Good　night。”
　If　only　she　wasn’t　having　a　baby！　Here　was　a　God…given　opportunity　to　ride　out　to　the　mill　with　him　every　morning；　through　the　lonely　woods；　far　from　prying　eyes；　where　they　could　imagine　themselves　back　In　the　County　again　in　the　unhurried　days　before　the　war。
　No；　she　wouldn’t　try　to　make　him　say　one　word　of　love！　She　wouldn’t　refer　to　love　in　any　way。　She’d　sworn　an　oath　to　herself　that　she　would　never　do　that　again。　But；　perhaps　if　she　were　alone　with　him　once　more；　he　might　drop　that　mask　of　impersonal　courtesy　he　had　worn　since　coming　to　Atlanta。　Perhaps　he　might　be　his　old　self　again；　be　the　Ashley　she　had　known　before　the　barbecue；　before　any　word　of　love　had　been　spoken　between　them。　If　they　could　not　be　lovers；　they　could　be　friends　again　and　she　could　warm　her　cold　and　lonely　heart　in　the　glow　of　his　friendship。
　“If　only　I　could　get　this　baby　over　and　done　with；”　she　thought　impatiently；　“then　I　could　ride　with　him　every　day　and　we　could　talk—”
　It　was　not　only　the　desire　to　be　with　him　that　made　her　writhe　with　helpless　impatience　at　her　confinement。　The　mills　needed　her。　The　mills　had　been　losing　money　ever　since　she　retired　from　active　supervision；　leaving　Hugh　and　Ashley　in　charge。
　Hugh　was　so　incompetent；　for　all　that　he　tried　so　hard。　He　was　a　poor　trader　and　a　poorer　boss　of　labor。　Anyone　could　Jew　him　down　on　prices。　If　any　slick　contractor　chose　to　say　that　the　lumber　was　of　an　inferior　grade　and　not　worth　the　price　asked；　Hugh　felt　that　all　a　gentleman　could　do　was　to　apologize　and　take　a　lower　price。　When　she　heard　of　the　price　he　received　for　a　thousand　feet　of　flooring；　she　burst　into　angry　tears。　The　best　grade　of　flooring　the　mill　had　ever　turned　out　and　he　had　practically　given　it　away！　And　he　couldn’t　manage　his　labor　crews。　The　negroes　insisted　on　being　paid　every　day　and　they　frequently　got　drunk　on　their　wages　and　did　not　turn　up　for　work　the　next　morning。　On　these　occasions　Hugh　was　forced　to　hunt　up　new　workmen　and　the　mill　was　late　in　starting。　With　these　difficulties　Hugh　didn’t　get　into　town　to　sell　the　lumber　for　days　on　end。
　Seeing　the　profits　slip　from　Hugh’s　fingers；　Scarlett　became　frenzied　at　her　impotence　and　his　stupidity。　Just　as　soon　as　the　baby　was　born　and　she　could　go　back　to　work；　she　would　get　rid　of　Hugh　and　hire　some　one　else。　Anyone　would　do　better。　And　she　would　never　fool　with　free　niggers　again。　How　could　anyone　get　any　work　done　with　free　niggers　quitting　all　the　time？
　“Frank；”　she　said；　after　a　stormy　interview　with　Hugh　over　his　missing　workmen；　I’ve　about　made　up　my　mind　that　I’ll　lease　convicts　to　work　the　mills。　A　while　back　I　was　talking　to　Johnnie　Gallegher；　Tommy　Wellburn’s　foreman；　about　the　trouble　we　were　having　getting　any　work　out　of　the　darkies　and　he　asked　me　why　I　didn’t　get　convicts。　It　sounds　like　a　good　idea　to　me。　He　said　I　could　sublease　them　for　next　to　nothing　and　feed　them　dirt　cheap。　And　he　said　I　could　get　work　out　of　them　in　any　way　I　liked；　without　having　the　Freedman’s　Bureau　swarming　down　on　me　like　hornets；　sticking　their　bills　into　things　that　aren’t　any　of　their　business。　And　just　as　soon　as　Johnnie　Gallegher’s　contract　with　Tommy　is　up；　I’m　going　to　hire　him　to　run　Hugh’s　mill。　Any　man　who　can　get　work　out　of　that　bunch　of　wild　Irish　he　bosses　can　certainly　get　plenty　of　work　out　of　convicts。”
　Convicts！　Frank　was　speechless。　Leasing　convicts　was　the　very　worst　of　all　the　wild　schemes　Scarlett　had　ever　suggested；　worse　even　than　her　notion　of　building　a　saloon。
　At　least；　it　seemed　worse　to　Frank　and　the　conservative　circles　in　which　he　moved。　This　new　system　of　leasing　convicts　had　come　into　being　because　of　the　poverty　of　the　state　after　the　war。　Unable　to　support　the　convicts；　the　State　was　hiring　them　out　to　those　needing　large　labor　crews　in　the　building　of　railroads；　in　turpentine　forests　and　lumber　camps。　While　Frank　and　his　quiet　churchgoing　friends　realized　the　necessity　of　the　system；　they　deplored　it　just　the　same。　Many　of　them　had　not　even　believed　in　slavery　and　they　thought　this　was　far　worse　than　slavery　had　ever　been。
　And　Scarlett　wanted　to　lease　convicts！　Frank　knew　that　if　she　did　he　could　never　hold　up　his　head　again。　This　was　far　worse　than　owning　and　operating　the　mills　herself；　or　anything　else　she　had　done。　His　past　objections　had　always　been　coupled　with　the　question：　“What　will　people　say？”　But　this—this　went　deeper　than　fear　of　public　opinion。　He　felt　that　it　was　a　traffic　in　human　bodies　on　a　par　with　prostitution；　a　sin　that　would　be　on　his　soul　if　he　permitted　her　to　do　it。
　From　this　conviction　of　wrongness；　Frank　gathered　courage　to　forbid　Scarlett　to　do　such　a　thing；　and　so　strong　were　his　remarks　that　she；　startled；　relapsed　into　silence。　Finally　to　quiet　him；　she　said　meekly　she　hadn’t　really　meant　it　She　was　just　so　outdone　with　Hugh　and　the　free　niggers　she　had　lost　her　temper。　Secretly；　she　still　thought　about　it　and　with　some　longing。　Convict　labor　would　settle　one　of　her　hardest　problems；　but　if　Frank　was　going　to　take　on　so　about　it—
　She　sighed。　If　even　one　of　the　mills　were　making　money；　she　could　stand　it。　But　Ashley　was　faring　little　better　with　his　mill　than　Hugh。
　At　first　Scarlett　was　shocked　and　disappointed　that　Ashley　did　not　immediately　take　hold　and　make　the　mill　pay　double　what　it　had　paid　under　her　management。　He　was　so　smart　and　he　had　read　so　many　books　and　there　was　no　reason　at　all　why　he　should　not　make　a　brilliant　success　and　lots　of　money。　But　he　was　no　more　successful　than　Hugh。　His　inexperience；　his　errors；　his　utter　lack　of　business　judgment　and　his　scruples　about　close　dealing　were　the　same　as　Hugh’s。
　Scarlett’s　love　hastily　found　excuses　for　him　and　she　did　not　consider　the　two　men　in　the　same　light。　Hugh　was　just　hopelessly　stupid；　while　Ashley　was　merely　new　at　the　business。　Still；　unbidden；　came　the　thought　that　Ashley　could　never　make　a　quick　estimate　in　his　head　and　give　a　price　that　was　correct；　as　she　could。　And　she　sometimes　wondered　if　he’d　ever　learn　to　distinguish　between　planking　and　sills。　And　because　he　was　a　gentleman　and　himself　trustworthy；　he　trusted　every　scoundrel　who　came　along　and　several　times　would　have　lost　money　for　her　if　she　had　not　tactfully　intervened。　And　if　he　liked　a　person—and　he　seemed　to　like　so　many　people！—he　sold　them　lumber　on　credit　without　ever　thinking　to　find　out　if　they　had　money　in　the　bank　or　property。　He　was　as　bad　as　Frank　in　that　respect。
　But　surely　he　would　learn！　And　while　he　was　learning　she　had　a　fond　and　maternal　indulgence　and　patience　for　his　errors。　Every　evening　when　he　called　at　her　house；　weary　and　discouraged；　she　was　tireless　in　her　tactful；　helpful　suggestions。　But　for　all　her　encouragement　and　cheer；　there　was　a　queer　dead　look　in　his　eyes。　She　could　not　understand　it　and　it　frightened　her。　He　was　different；　so　different　from　the　man　he　used　to　be。　If　only　she　could　see　him　alone；　perhaps　she　could　discover　the　reason。
　The　situation　gave　her　many　sleepless　nights。　She　worried　about　Ashley；　both　because　she　knew　he　was　unhappy　and　because　she　knew　his　unhappiness　wasn’t　helping　him　to　become　a　good　lumber　dealer。　It　was　a　torture　to　have　her　mills　in　the　hands　of　two　men　with　no　more　business　sense　than　Hugh　and　Ashley；　heartbreaking　to　see　her　competitors　taking　her　best　customers　away　when　she　had　worked　so　hard　and　planned　so　carefully　for　these　helpless　months。　Oh；　if　she　could　only　get　back　to　work　again！　She　would　take　Ashley　in　hand　and　then　he　would　certainly　learn。　And　Johnnie　Gallegher　could　run　the　other　mill；　and　she　could　handle　the　selling；　and　then　everything　would　be　fine。　As　for　Hugh；　he　could　drive　a　delivery　wagon　if　he　still　wanted　to　work　for　her。　That　was　all　he　was　good　for。
　Of　course；　Gallegher　looked　like　an　unscrupulous　man；　for　all　of　his　smartness；　but—who　else　could　she　get？　Why　had　the　other　men　who　were　both　smart　and　honest　been　so　perverse　about　working　for　her？　If　she　only　had　one　of　them　working　for　her　now　in　place　of　Hugh；　she　wouldn’t　have　to　worry