Dorothy Garlock Read Online Free PDF

away. What he saw couldn’t possibly be true. After all, Abraham Lincoln had been dead for nearly thirty years!
    Somehow, Eli managed to get himself out of the wagon, although he landed on wobbly legs. His jaw hung limply as the man reached him and took his hand in his own, pumping it vigorously.
    “Splendid! Just splendid!” the former president enthused. “I must say that I’ve been awaiting your report from the front line with such anticipation that I haven’t been able to so much as sit! Tell me, sir, what word have you?”
    Even though he had been asked a question, Eli found himself completely and utterly incapable of answering; he had been struck mute. Instead, all he could do was stare.
Surely I must be dreaming
! He felt taunted, even teased by the truth. Slowly, as if he were trying to put together a puzzle solely by touching the pieces instead of looking at them, he could feel the answer to this mystery falling into place, but it was still temporarily out of reach.
    “Pardon my manners, good sir,” the bearded man said with a smile. Even in his black, heavy clothing, he didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable under the blazing summer sun. “I should have realized your predicament. I can imagine that after such a long and arduous journey your throat must certainly be parched. I’ll send a porter for refreshment.”
    Suddenly, Eli knew who stood before him. It was all in the details; the mole to the right of his nose, the way that his dark green eyes danced about mischievously, the slight downturn of his mouth when he spoke. He couldn’t understand why his older brother, Abraham Morgan, was dressed like the former president of the United States.
    “Abe, it’s me, Eli,” he finally managed.
    A frown crossed the other man’s face. “I understand that you have been on a long trek, sir, but I do believe that the use of a first name is inappropriate for your commanding officer. ‘President Lincoln’ or ‘sir’ should suffice. I do believe that I have earned such courtesies.”
    Hank moved from his perch on the wagon to stand beside the two men. Eli expected his uncle to let him in on the joke, to break the charade that they’d created to trick him, but instead his tone was one of dead seriousness. “I’m terribly sorry, Mr. President, sir, but you’ve got to understand that General Morgan has just returned from a particularly dangerous mission and ain’t quite used to being back among us more civilized folk.” Turning to Eli, his eyes imploring his nephew to go along, he added, “Ain’t that right, General Morgan?”
    What in the hell is going on?
Eli thought even as he managed to say, “Yes—yes, that’s right.” His mind was reeling. He felt as if he were trying to catch up to a runaway horse, yet always remaining a step behind.
    “He’ll have a report for you shortly,” Hank promised further.
    “Yes . . . I’ll think of something,” Eli agreed.
    “Splendid! Just splendid!” Abe crowed. Shooting his cuffs, he grinned from ear to ear. “In the meanwhile, I am going to walk the White House grounds and ruminate upon my upcoming speech before Congress. As I’m sure you’re aware, a president’s work is never done.” With that, he headed off toward the outlying barn, his hands clasped firmly behind his back, his face turned up to the hot summer sun.
    For a moment longer, Eli was as mute as he had been before the transformed face of his older brother. Hundreds of questions filled his mind, so many that he couldn’t decide which one to ask first. Finally, when the words came, they arrived laced with shock and surprise. “What in the hell happened, Hank? Abe doesn’t think he’s Abraham Lincoln, does he?”
    “I’m sorry that I didn’t give you fair warning about your brother.” Hank sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. “But some things are easier seen than explained.”
    “What could possibly be the explanation of that?”
    “I don’t know if there is one,” his