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“I don’t want a Carpetbagger。 Carpetbaggers will steal anything that isn’t red hot or nailed down。 If they amounted to anything they’d have stayed where they were； instead of coming down here to pick our bones。 I want a nice man； from nice folks； who is smart and honest and energetic and—”
“You don’t want much。 And you won’t get it for the wage you’re offering。 All the men of that description； barring the badly maimed ones； have already got something to do。 They may be round pegs in square holes but they’ve all got something to do。 Something of their own that they’d rather do than work for a woman。”
“Men haven’t got much sense； have they； when you get down to rock bottom？”
“Maybe not but they’ve got a heap of pride；” said Tommy soberly。
“Pride！ Pride tastes awfully good； especially when the crust is flaky and you put meringue on it；” said Scarlett tartly。
The two men laughed； a bit unwillingly； and it seemed to Scarlett that they drew together in united masculine disapproval of her。 What Tommy said was true； she thought； running over in her mind the men she had approached and the ones she intended to approach。 They were all busy； busy at something； working hard； working harder than they would have dreamed possible in the days before the war。 They weren’t doing what they wanted to do perhaps； or what was easiest to do； or what they had been reared to do； but they were doing something。 Times were too hard for men to be choosy。 And if they were sorrowing for lost hopes； longing for lost ways of living； no one knew it but they。 They were fighting a new war； a harder war than the one before。 And they were caring about life again； caring with the same urgency and the same violence that animated them before the war had cut their lives in two。
“Scarlett；” said Tommy awkwardly； “I do hate to ask a favor of you； after being impudent to you； but I’m going to ask it just the same。 Maybe it would help you anyway。 My brother…in…law； Hugh Elsing； isn’t doing any too well peddling kindling wood。 Everybody except the Yankees goes out and collects his own kindling wood。 And I know things are mighty hard with the whole Elsing family。 I—I do what I can； but you see I’ve got Fanny to support； and then； too； I’ve got my mother and two widowed sisters down in Sparta to look after。 Hugh is nice； and you wanted a nice man； and he’s from nice folks； as you know； and he’s honest。”
“But—well； Hugh hasn’t got much gumption or else he’d make a success of his kindling。”
Tommy shrugged。
“You’ve got a hard way of looking at things； Scarlett；” he said。 “But you think Hugh over。 You could go far and do worse。 I think his honesty and his willingness will outweigh his lack of gumption。”
Scarlett did not answer； for she did not want to be too rude。 But to her mind there were few； if any； qualities that out…weighed gumption。
After she had unsuccessfully canvassed the town and refused the importuning of many eager Carpetbaggers； she finally decided to take Tommy’s suggestion and ask Hugh Elsing。 He had been a dashing and resourceful officer during the war； but two severe wounds and four years of fighting seemed to have drained him of all his resourcefulness； leaving him to face the rigors of peace as bewildered as a child。 There was a lost…dog look in his eyes these days as he went about peddling his firewood； and he was not at all the kind of man she had hoped to get。
“He’s stupid；” she thought。 “He doesn’t know a thing about business and I’ll bet he can’t add two and two。 And I doubt if he’ll ever learn。 But； at least； he’s honest and won’t swindle me。”
Scarlett had little use these days for honesty in herself； but the less she valued it in herself the more she was beginning to value it in others。
“It’s a pity Johnnie Gallegher is tied up with Tommy Wellburn on that construction work；” she thought。 “He’s just the kind of man I want He’s hard as nails and slick as a snake； but he’d be honest if it paid him to be honest I understand him and he understands me and we could do business together very well。 Maybe I can get him when the hotel is finished and till then I’ll have to make out on Hugh and Mr。 Johnson。 If I put Hugh in charge of the new mill and leave Mr。 Johnson at the old one； I can stay in town and see to the selling while they handle the milling and hauling。 Until I can get Johnnie I’ll have to risk Mr。 Johnson robbing me if I stay in town all the time。 If only he wasn’t a thief！ I believe I’ll build a lumber yard on half that lot Charles left me。 If only Frank didn’t holler so loud about me building a saloon on the other half！ Well； I shall build the saloon just as soon as I get enough money ahead； no matter how he takes on。 If only Frank wasn’t so thin skinned。 Oh； God； if only I wasn’t going to have a baby at this of all times！ In a little while I’ll be so big I can’t go out。 Oh； God； if only I wasn’t going to have a baby！ And oh； God； if the damned Yankees will only let me alone！ If—”
If！ If！ If！ There were so many ifs in life； never any certainty of anything； never any sense of security； always the dread of losing everything and being cold and hungry again。 Of course； Frank was making a little more money now； but Frank was always ailing with colds and frequently forced to stay in bed for days。 Suppose he should become an invalid。 No； she could not afford to count on Frank for much。 She must not count on anything or anybody but herself。 And what she could earn seemed so pitiably small。 Oh； what would she do if the Yankees came and took it all away from her？ If！ If！ If！
Half of what she made every month went to Will at Tara； part to Rhett to repay his loan and the rest she hoarded。 No miser ever counted his gold oftener than she and no miser ever had greater fear of losing it。 She would not put the money in the bank； for it might fail or the Yankees might confiscate it。 So she carried what she could with her； tucked into her corset； and hid small wads of bills about the house； under loose bricks on the hearth； in her scrap bag； between the pages of the Bible。 And her temper grew shorter and shorter as the weeks went by； for every dollar she saved would be just one more dollar to lose if disaster descended。
Frank； Pitty and the servants bore her outbursts with maddening kindness； attributing her bad disposition to her pregnancy； never realizing the true cause。 Frank knew that pregnant women must be humored； so he put his pride in his pocket and said nothing more about her running the mills and her going about town at such a time； as no lady should do。 Her conduct was a constant embarrassment to him but he reckoned he could endure it for a while longer。 After the baby came； he knew she would be the same sweet feminine girl he had courted。 But in spite of everything he did to appease her； she continued to have her tantrums and often he thought she acted like one possessed。
No one seemed to realize what really possessed her； what drove her like a mad woman。 It was a passion to get her affairs in order before she had to retire behind doors； to have as much money as possible in case the deluge broke upon her again； to have a stout levee of cash against the rising tide of Yankee hate。 Money was the obsession dominating her mind these days。 When she thought of the baby at all； it was with baffled rage at the untimeliness of it。
“Death and taxes and childbirth！ There’s never any convenient time for any of them！”
Atlanta had been scandalized enough when Scarlett； a woman； began operating the sawmill but as time went by； the town decided there was no limit to what she would do。 Her sharp trading was shocking； especially when her poor mother had been a Robillard； and it was positively indecent the way she kept on going about the streets when everyone knew she was pregnant。 No respectable white woman and few negroes ever went outside their homes from the moment they first suspected they were with child； and Mrs。 Merriwether declared indignantly that from the way Scarlett was acting she was likely to have the baby on the public streets。
But all the previous criticism of her conduct was as nothing compared with the buzz of gossip th