Ghost Soldier Read Online Free Page A

Dad’s parents had died—I’d seen pictures of them in an old album and pictures of Uncle Greg when he was a kid. There were even old, faded photos of my great-grandparents as kids, looking serious in strange grown-up-style clothes. But I didn’t know anything about my mother’s family. She had told me everything about families who’d lived thousands of years ago, but nothing about her own. I didn’t even know where they lived.
    â€œDr. Seagraves,” I asked hesitantly, “where did you look to learn about your folks?”
    Dad glanced at me, surprised, but Mrs. Hambrick smiled, like we were one big happy family already.
    â€œI checked county records,” Dr. Seagraves told me, spooning up some purplish sherbet. “But a lot of them were destroyed during the Reconstruction. The ones left in the archives didn’t tell me anything. I’ve also been checking with genealogical societies and the Daughters of the Confederacy, of course.”
    Dr. Knox looked up from his cheesecake. “I still find it hard to believe that people feel proud of ancestors who fought for the Confederacy. Fighting for the Union, sure—they fought to unite the country and to abolish slavery! It was a noble cause.”
    Dr. Seagraves shook her head decisively. “Some Northerners certainly wanted to abolish slavery and believed in uniting the country, but the government used the idea to inspire popular support for their political and economic aims.”
    â€œWell, defeating the South certainly freed the slaves and reunited the Union,” Dr. Knox pointed out.
    Dr. Seagraves put her spoon down, spilling a puddle of sherbet onto her plate. “Yes, but it also brought new suffering not just for the soldiers who died on both sides, but for the families that were broken apart and lost track of one another.”
    â€œPerhaps something will turn up about your ancestors before the semester ends,” Mrs. Hambrick said softly.
    Dr. Seagraves smiled. “Well, I appreciate the thought, Paige, but I’m afraid I’ll have to go home to St. Louis this summer not knowing. I suppose it sounds silly, but knowing who your family was tells you something about who you are. I wanted to learn that.”
    I wanted to learn it, too. I pushed away my plate of half-eaten pie. The crust was too sweet, and the syrup stuck in my throat.
    *   *   *
    Outside, after lunch, the professors spoke together in the quad. I liked the trim hedges and the bright flowers lining the walkways up to the speckled stone buildings.
    Dad pulled me aside, down a little walkway and out of earshot of the others. “Thanks, Defender of the Galaxy,” he said, winking at me. “I appreciate your being so polite to Dr. Seagraves. I owe you one.”
    I couldn’t help smiling at the old nickname, even if it was kind of dumb. Then I thought, If he owes me one, why not collect? “Okay, then tell me about Mom’s family. Dr. Seagraves said it’s important to know the family you came from. I know about you and your side of the family, but what about Mom?”
    He frowned and glanced over his shoulder, but Mrs. Hambrick was still talking with the professors. “This isn’t the time or place for this conversation.”
    â€œWhen, then? Why won’t you ever talk about her?” I knew I sounded whiny, but I’d tried to have this conversation with him too many times to give up now. He always had some excuse not to tell me any more about Mom than I knew for myself.
    Dad shut his eyes. Finally he said, “You want to know about your mother’s family?” He kept his voice down, but his round face flushed. “Well, I can’t help you. She never gave me a straight answer about where she came from.”
    â€œPlease, Dad—there aren’t any wedding pictures anywhere, or pictures of her parents—I’ve got to have grandparents somewhere, don’t