The Gallant South- Part Two

Chapter VII- March 16-20, 1913

        "What? When?" Maddie asked.
        "It says they'll be arriving tomorrow morning. My brother and little sister are coming too," Cora replied. Eveline raised her eyebrows. "That seems a bit sudden, doesn't it?"
        "She probably wrote the letter a week ago," Cora replied. "But anyways, that means I've got to shut the entire house down. You've all got to stay somewhere else until they leave," she said quickly.
        "I take it your parents wouldn't be happy with your affiliations?" Layden asked. Cora nodded. "Absolutely not. My brother might be, but definitely not my little sister."
       "Are they coming by train?" Masterson asked. Cora read through the letter again and nodded. "She wants me to pick them up when they get there. Of course, with Masterson driving."
        "Well of course," Masterson replied.
        "So where will we all stay? Jo said yesterday that the Society's full," Eveline said.
        Cora had to think for a moment. "Let's see, there's Eveline, Maddie, Mary-Ellen, Caroline, Emery, Layden, and Joseph..." she trailed off.
        "I can stay with Mama Elsie," Eveline suggested. "Richard's still in town, but Annie's gone. I can stay in her bedroom."
        "I can stay with Millie if her husband's out of town," Maddie said. "We've been friends forever."
        "I hate to suggest it, but could the rest of us stay at Renee's house? Her parents are living there now, running her shop," Emery said.
        "Which one of us is going to call and ask?" Cora asked. "Not me!"
       "Fine," Masterson said, walking out into the hallway towards the telephone. "I'll do it."
       They all stood in the hallway and listened as Masterson phoned Jacques and Olivia.
        "Hello, Jacques?... Oh, Olivia, how are you?... This is Isaac Masterson, Cora's driver...yes, we've found ourselves in a bit of a tight situation, and we were wondering if some people could board in Renee's house for a couple days?...Yes, I know, we didn't know who else to ask...Oh, thank you very much. Have a great day." And he hung up and nodded to the group. "Olivia says you can all stay there. She says there's plenty of room."
        "Oh thank heavens," Mary-Ellen said.
        So began the long and arduous process of moving everyone to the different houses, promising to Eveline every day. Cora wondered what she was going to do about her birthday party. She wanted to invite all of her friends, but could she? What would her parents say? Would they care? Most likely so. Then again, her parents weren't anti-black. They would most likely have no problem with Kit and Mama Elsie coming to the party. Maybe she'd invite Father Ryan and Violet too, for good measure. Eveline was another issue. All Cora's parents would have to do was look at a newspaper, and they'd put two-and-two together. Or would they care about that either? So many people that read about Eveline found that they actually liked her when they talked to her in person, save, of course, for a certain police chief and KKK-affiliated socialite.
        Cora was just thinking about what to do when the back door opened and Masterson came out into the garden and walked towards Cora.
        "I paid off the newspaper," he announced.
        Cora jumped up. "What?"
        Masterson sat down on the bench in front of the fountain. "I paid off the newspaper not to mention Eveline for the next week," he explained. "So she can meet your parents without them hearing about her...antics."
        "Thank you so much," Cora whispered. Masterson grinned.

        That night, Cora couldn't fall asleep. It was late, and she'd been reading for hours. Then suddenly, she heard a noise, as if someone was walking. She sat back up and quietly opened her bedroom door. The house was completely dark, save for a beam of light from under the powder room door. Cora wondered what someone else was doing up so late, and she had a hint as to who it was.
        Cora opened the powder room door to find Eveline standing at the counter with a large glass of water and an array of different medicine bottles. On the counter were several pills and a teaspoon.
        "What are you doing?" Cora asked, crossing her arms. Eveline looked at her in surprise and then grinned sheepishly. "You caught me," she said.
        "You're taking medicine?" Cora asked. Eveline grinned again. "Possibly."
        "And how long have you been abusing substances?" Cora asked. Eveline grinned ruefully. "For about three years now."
        Cora still had her arms crossed. "What are you taking?" she asked.
        Eveline looked at all the bottles. "Painkillers, phosferine, adrenaline, vitamin C, and sleeping pills," she said. Cora raised her eyebrows. "You know it's dangerous to take adrenaline and sleeping pills together," she warned.
        "I don't," Eveline replied. "I take adrenaline during the day and sleeping pills before bed."
        "Either way," Cora said, "I'm pretty sure you're taking too much."
        "I know I am," Eveline admitted, swallowing the rest of the pills and putting the bottles away. "But I don't know how else to keep going during the day. The adrenaline really helps."
        "Find better ways to live. You'll kill yourself if you keep going like this," Cora said, a hint of fear in her voice. Eveline sighed. "I know."
        "Then why?" Cora asked. Eveline sat down on the bench. "I don't really know. I guess I'm addicted to them. Especially the phosferine."
        Cora turned off the lights and the two of them went out into the hallway. Eveline went towards her room, saying a sad goodnight to Cora.