SERGEANT. You keep still, man. I'll question her myself. [To MARY.] You
were here at the house all day?
[MARY is very fearful and embarrassed, but after a moment manages to nod
her head slowly.] You didn't take a trip down to the store? [MARY shakes
her head slowly.] Haven't you got a tongue?
MARY [with difficulty]. Y-e-s.
SERGEANT. Then use it. The Northern soldier who came here a while ago
was pretty badly wounded, wasn't he?
MARY. I--I--no one's been here.
SERGEANT. Come, come, woman, don't lie. [MARY shows a slight sign of
anger.] He had a bad cut in his forehead, and you felt sorry for him,
and gave him a bite to eat.
MARY [haltingly]. No one's been near the house to-day.
SERGEANT [trying a different tone]. We're not going to hurt him, woman.
He's a friend of ours. We want to find him, and put him in a hospital,
don't we, Dick? [Turning to his companion.]
DICK. He's sick and needs to go to bed for a while.
MARY. He ain't here.
SERGEANT. What do you want to lie for?
MARY [quickly]. I ain't lyin'. I ain't seed no soldier.
THADDEUS. No one could 'a' come without her seein' 'em.
SERGEANT. I suppose you know what'll happen to you if you are hidin'
the man? [MARY stands rooted to the spot where she stopped when she came
downstairs. Her eyes are fixed on the SERGEANT.]
THADDEUS. There ain't no one here. We both been here all day, an' there
couldn't no one come without our knowin' it. What would they want round
here anyway?
SERGEANT. We'll search the place.