If that old darky, Peter, will let her come. Lots of the Atlanta

people have already come back, because they got nervous about

Macon. Sherman didn't take Macon but everybody is afraid Wilson's

raiders will get there soon and he's worse than Sherman."

"But how silly of them to come back if there aren't any houses!

Where do they live?"

"Miss Scarlett, they're living in tents and shacks and log cabins

and doubling up six and seven families in the few houses still

standing. And they're trying to rebuild. Now, Miss Scarlett,

don't say they are silly. You know Atlanta folks as well as I do.

They are plumb set on that town, most as bad as Charlestonians are

about Charleston, and it'll take more than Yankees and a burning to

keep them away. Atlanta folks are--begging your pardon, Miss

Melly--as stubborn as mules about Atlanta. I don't know why, for I

always thought that town a mighty pushy, impudent sort of place.

But then, I'm a countryman born and I don't like any town. And let

me tell you, the ones who are getting back first are the smart

ones. The ones who come back last won't find a stick or stone or

brick of their houses, because everybody's out salvaging things all

over town to rebuild their houses. Just day before yesterday, I

saw Mrs. Merriwether and Miss Maybelle and their old darky woman

out collecting brick in a wheelbarrow. And Mrs. Meade told me she

was thinking about building a log cabin when the doctor comes back

to help her. She said she lived in a log cabin when she first came

to Atlanta, when it was Marthasville, and it wouldn't bother her

none to do it again. 'Course, she was only joking but that shows

you how they feel about it."

"I think they've got a lot of spirit," said Melanie proudly.

"Don't you, Scarlett?"

Scarlett nodded, a grim pleasure and pride in her adopted town

filling her. As Frank said, it was a pushy, impudent place and

that was why she liked it. It wasn't hide-bound and stick-in-the-

muddish like the older towns and it had a brash exuberance that

matched her own. "I'm like Atlanta," she thought. "It takes more

than Yankees or a burning to keep me down."

"If Aunt Pitty is going back to Atlanta, we'd better go back and

stay with her, Scarlett," said Melanie, interrupting her train of

thought. "She'll die of fright alone."

"Now, how can I leave here, Melly?" Scarlett asked crossly. "If

you are so anxious to go, go. I won't stop you."

"Oh, I didn't mean it that way, darling," cried Melanie, flushing

with distress. "How thoughtless of me! Of course, you can't leave

Tara and--and I guess Uncle Peter and Cookie can take care of

Auntie."

"There's nothing to keep you from going," Scarlett pointed out,

shortly.

"You know I wouldn't leave you," answered Melanie. "And I--I would

be just frightened to death without you."

"Suit yourself. Besides, you wouldn't catch me going back to

Atlanta. Just as soon as they get a few houses up, Sherman will

come back and burn it again."

"He won't be back," said Frank and, despite his efforts, his face

drooped. "He's gone on through the state to the coast. Savannah

was captured this week and they say the Yankees are going on up