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diff --git a/22370-h/22370-h.htm b/22370-h/22370-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..235ed87 --- /dev/null +++ b/22370-h/22370-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5245 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia, by Alice Turner Curtis</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-size: smaller;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + hr.full { width: 100%; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 0em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + height: 4px; + border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ + border-style: solid; + border-color: #000000; + clear: both; } + pre {font-size: 75%;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia, by Alice +Turner Curtis, Illustrated by Edna Cooke</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia</p> +<p>Author: Alice Turner Curtis</p> +<p>Release Date: August 21, 2007 [eBook #22370]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A LITTLE MAID OF OLD PHILADELPHIA***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Roger Frank, Neville Allen,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (http://www.pgdp.net)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<a name="ILLUS_FPC" id="ILLUS_FPC"></a> +<img src="images/illus-fpc.jpg" width="350" height="497" alt="SHE LOOKED UP TO FIND LAFAYETTE SMILING AT HER" title="" /> +<span class="caption">SHE LOOKED UP TO FIND LAFAYETTE SMILING AT HER</span> +</div> + +<hr style="width:80%" /> + +<h1><span class="smcap">A Little Maid<br /> + +of<br /> + +Old Philadelphia</span></h1> + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h2><span class="smcap">Alice Turner Curtis</span></h2> + +<p style="text-align:center; font-variant:small-caps"> +author of<br /> +<br /> +A Little Maid of Province Town<br /> +A Little Maid of Massachusetts Colony<br /> +A Little Maid of Narragansett Bay<br /> +A Little Maid of Bunker Hill<br /> +A Little Maid of Ticonderoga<br /> +A Little Maid of Old Connecticut<br /> +A Little Maid of Old Maine<br /> +</p> +<p style='text-align:center; font-size:larger'>ILLUSTRATED BY EDNA COOKE</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 90px;"><br /> +<img src="images/illus-emb.jpg" width="90" height="92" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<p style="text-align:center; font-size:larger"> +THE PENN PUBLISHING<br /> +COMPANY PHILADELPHIA<br /> +1921<br /> +</p> +<hr style="width:80%" /> +<p style="text-align:center;"> +COPYRIGHT<br /> +1919 BY<br /> +THE PENN<br /> +PUBLISHING<br /> +COMPANY</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 90px;"><br /> +<img src="images/illus-vrs.png" width="90" height="81" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p style="text-align:center;"> +A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia +</p> +<hr style="width:80%" /> + +<div> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span><h2>Introduction</h2> +</div> +<p>Ruth Pennell and Winifred Merrill lived in Philadelphia. The city had +been for some time in the hands of General Howe and the British army. +Ruth's father was with Washington at Valley Forge, and the little girls +were ardent supporters of the American cause, and admirers of the +gallant young Frenchman, the Marquis de Lafayette.</p> + +<p>Children in 1778 were much like those of to-day, and Ruth and her +friends, eager as they were for the war to end successfully, were fond +of dolls and pets, and games and little plays. Yet they kept their ears +open, and when Ruth overheard what two British soldiers said she knew +how to make good use of her knowledge.</p> + +<p>In each of the other "Little Maid" books is the story of an American +girl during the Revolution. The other stories are: "A Little Maid of +Province Town," "A Little Maid of Massa<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>chusetts Colony." +"A Little Maid of Bunker Hill," "A Little Maid of Narragansett Bay," "A +Little Maid of Ticonderoga," "A Little Maid of Old Connecticut."</p> +<hr style="width:80%" /> +<h2>Contents</h2> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + + +<table summary="CONTENTS" width="80%"> + <col style="width:10%" /> + <col style="width:80%" /> + <col style="width:10%" /> + <tr> + <td align="right">I.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Hero is Lost</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">9</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">II.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Gibert and Lafayette</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">19</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">III.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Ruth Visits General Howe</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">28</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">IV</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Aunt Deborah is Surprised</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">37</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">V.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Ruth Decides</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">43</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">VI.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">A Difficult Day</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">53</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">VII.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Gilbert's Play</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">62</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">VIII.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Betty Runs Away</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">72</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">IX.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Betty's Adventure</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">84</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">X.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">The Lost Programme</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">92</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XI.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">A Long Road</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">102</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XII.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">A Long Ride</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">113</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XIII.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Home Again</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">123</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XIV.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">The Candy Disappears</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">133</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XV.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">A Fairy Story</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">142</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XVI.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Betty and Annette</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">151</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XVII.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Queen Betty</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">161</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XVIII.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">A Great Resolve</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">171</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XIX.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">The Visit</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">182</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XX.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">Lafayette's Visit</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">193</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right">XXI.</td> + <td><span class="smcap">At Home</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">205</a></td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr style="width:80%" /> + +<h2>Illustrations</h2> + +<table summary="ILLUSTRATIONS" width="80%"> + <col style="width:90%" /> + <col style="width:10%" /> +<tr><td colspan="2" align="right" style="font-size: small;">PAGE</td></tr> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">She Looked Up To Find Lafayette Smiling at Her</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#ILLUS_FPC"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> + </tr> + + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">"'Tis a Lady Coming To Call</span>"</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#ILLUS_033">33</a></td> + </tr> + + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">It Was a Favorite Play-house</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#ILLUS_095">95</a></td> + </tr> + + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">"The First of May is Garland Day"</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#ILLUS_162">162</a></td> + </tr> + + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">The Big Horse Trotted Down the Street</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#ILLUS_190">190</a></td> + </tr> + +</table> +<hr style="width:80%; margin-bottom:3em" /> +<h1>A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia</h1> + +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<h3>HERO IS LOST</h3></div> + + +<p>"Where do you suppose Hero can be, Aunt Deborah? He isn't anywhere about +the house, or in the shed or the garden," and Ruth Pennell's voice +sounded as if she could hardly keep back the tears as she stood in the +doorway of the pleasant kitchen where Aunt Deborah was at work.</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose the British have taken him?" she asked a little +fearfully; for it was the spring of 1778, when the British troops were +in Philadelphia, and Ruth was quite sure that every English soldier who +saw Hero must want him for his own. The dog was her dearest possession. +On her tenth birthday, nearly a year before, her father had given her +Hero for a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> birthday present; and now that her father was with +Washington's army his gift seemed even more precious to his little +daughter.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah looked at Ruth for a moment before she answered, and Ruth +became conscious that her brown hair was rough and untidy from running +about the garden in the March wind, that her hands were not clean, and +that there was an ugly rent in her blue checked apron where it had +caught on a nail in the shed.</p> + +<p>"Was it not yesterday that thee declared Hero was stolen, only to find +that he had followed Winifred Merrill home? And on Sunday, thee was sure +he had been killed, because he did not appear the first time thee +called," responded Aunt Deborah reprovingly. Aunt Deborah was not very +large, and her smooth round face under the neat cap, such as Quaker +women wear, was usually smiling and friendly; but it always seemed to +Ruth that no least bit of dirt or untidiness ever escaped those gray +eyes.</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose he is at Winifred's? I wish she wouldn't let him follow +her," and Ruth's tone was troubled. Of course Winifred was her dearest +friend, but Ruth was not willing that Hero should divide his loyalty.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Very likely," responded Aunt Deborah, "but thee must smooth thy hair, +wash thy hands and change thy apron before thee goes to inquire; and put +on thy hat. It is not seemly for a girl to run about the street +bareheaded."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Aunt Deborah! Only to go next door!" pleaded Ruth, but Aunt Deborah +only nodded; so Ruth went to her own room and in a few minutes was back +tying the broad brown ribbons of her hat under her chin as she ran +through the kitchen.</p> + +<p>"I do hope Mother will come home soon," the little girl thought as she +went down the front steps to the street; "Aunt Deborah is so fussy."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell had been away for a week caring for her sister who lived in +Germantown, near Philadelphia, and who was ill; and Aunt Deborah Mary +Farleigh had come in from her home at Barren Hill, twelve miles distant, +to stay with Ruth during Mrs. Pennell's absence.</p> + +<p>As Ruth ran up the steps of her friend's house the front door opened, +and Winifred appeared.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Ruthie! Where are you going?" she asked smilingly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span></p> + +<p>Winifred was just a month older than Ruth, and they were very nearly the +same size. They both had blue eyes; but Ruth's hair was of a darker +brown than Winifred's. They had both attended the same school until Lord +Cornwallis with his troops entered Philadelphia; since that time each +little girl had been taught at home.</p> + +<p>"Is Hero here?" Ruth asked, hardly noticing her friend's question.</p> + +<p>Winifred shook her head.</p> + +<p>"Are you <i>sure</i>, Winifred? Perhaps he ran in your garden and you didn't +see him," said Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Well, we'll see. We'll call him," Winifred replied, holding the door +open for Ruth to come in.</p> + +<p>The Merrill and Pennell houses were separated by a high brick wall, and +each house stood near the street with broad gardens on each side as well +as at the rear.</p> + +<p>The two friends went through the house, and out on a narrow porch and +Ruth called, "Hero! Hero!" but there was no welcoming bark, no sight of +the brown shepherd dog. They went about the yard calling, and Winifred's +older brother Gilbert, who was preparing a garden bed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> near the further +wall, assured them that the dog had not been there that morning.</p> + +<p>"Then he is lost! What shall I do!" said Ruth despairingly. "I do +believe the English have taken him. Only yesterday, on Second Street, +when Aunt Deborah and I were coming home, an officer patted him and +called him a 'fine dog,'" she continued quickly.</p> + +<p>Gilbert and Winifred both looked very serious at this statement. Gilbert +was fourteen years old. He was tall for his age, and thought himself +quite old enough to be a soldier; but as his father and elder brother +were both in Washington's army he realized that he must stay at home and +take care of his mother and Winifred.</p> + +<p>"I have a mind to go straight to High Street and tell General Howe," +said Ruth, "for I heard my mother say that the English general would not +permit his soldiers to take what did not belong to them."</p> + +<p>Gilbert shook his head soberly.</p> + +<p>"That may be true; but you are not sure that your dog has been stolen," +he said. "You had best wait a while. Hero may have wandered off and may +come home safely. I'd not ask any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> favors of America's enemies," he +concluded, picking up his spade and turning back to his work.</p> + +<p>"It wouldn't be a favor to ask for what belonged to me," Ruth answered +sharply. But Gilbert's words made her more hopeful; Winifred was sure +that Gilbert was right, and that Hero would come safely home.</p> + +<p>"Come up to my room, Ruthie; Mother has given me her scrap-bag. I can +have all the pieces of silk and chintz to make things for my dolls, and +you can pick out something to make your Cecilia a bonnet, and perhaps a +cape."</p> + +<p>"Oh! Truly, Winifred?" responded Ruth, almost forgetting Hero in this +tempting offer. The two little girls ran up the broad stairway to +Winifred's room, which was at the back of the house overlooking the +garden. The two windows had broad window-seats, and on one of these, in +a small chair, made of stiff pasteboard and covered with a flowered +chintz, sat "Josephine," Winifred's most treasured doll. Josephine wore +a very full skirt of crimson silk, a cape of the same material, and on +her head rested a bonnet of white silk, on the front of which was a tall +white feather. There were two smaller<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> dolls, and each occupied a chair +exactly like the one in which Josephine was seated, but neither of them +was so beautifully dressed.</p> + +<p>"I made that bonnet myself," Winifred declared, as Ruth kneeled down +beside the dolls and exclaimed admiringly over Josephine's fine apparel. +"And that feather is one that came floating into our garden. Gilbert +says it's an eagle's feather," she continued.</p> + +<p>"It is lovely!" Ruth said, "and this window is the nicest place to play +dolls in all Philadelphia. And these dolls' chairs are splendid. I wish +I had one for Cecilia."</p> + +<p>"Well, why don't you make one? I helped Grandma make these. All you have +to do is cut the pieces out of cardboard, cover them with cloth, and sew +them together. I'll help you," said Winifred, as she opened a closet +door and drew out a brown linen bag.</p> + +<p>"This is the scrap-bag. Look, Ruthie;" and she drew out a long strip of +plaided silk.</p> + +<p>"That would make a lovely sash for Cecilia," said Ruth, "but of course +it would be nice for Josephine," she added quickly, half-afraid that she +had seemed grasping of Winifred's possessions.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Josephine doesn't like a sash," said Winifred. "You take it home and +tell Cecilia it's a present from Aunt Winifred."</p> + +<p>Then there was a roll of small pieces of pale blue satin; just right to +make a bonnet for Ruth's doll.</p> + +<p>For some time the little girls played happily with the bright pieces of +silk, selecting bits for one or the other of the dolls, so that when the +big clock in the hall struck twelve Ruth jumped up in surprise.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Winnie! It's dinner-time! What will Aunt Deborah say to me?" she +exclaimed, putting on her hat, and gathering up the silk pieces.</p> + +<p>"Thank you, Winnie! I must run. Aunt Deborah doesn't like me to be late, +ever," she said, hurrying toward the stairway.</p> + +<p>"Come over to-morrow and I'll help you make a doll's chair; and I hope +you'll find Hero safe at home," Winifred called after her as Ruth ran +down the stairs.</p> + +<p>At Winifred's words all Ruth's pleasure in the morning's play, in the +pretty bits of silk for her dolls, and the plan for making the chairs, +vanished. Hero was lost; she knew he was. With<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> his silky coat, and his +faithful, soft brown eyes, his eager bark of welcome when his little +mistress came running into the garden for a game of hide-and-go-seek +with him.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah had spread the table for dinner, which was one of Ruth's +regular duties; and when Ruth came slowly into the room she was just +bringing in a dish of baked potatoes hot from the oven.</p> + +<p>"I didn't find Hero," said Ruth, throwing her little package of silks on +a chair and then her hat on top of it. "What shall I do, Aunt Deborah? +What shall I do? I am sure one of those English soldiers has taken him," +and now Ruth began to cry.</p> + +<p>"Ruth! Stop thy foolish crying. Thy dinner is waiting. Go to thy room +and make thyself tidy," commanded Aunt Deborah, "and take thy hat and +package," she added.</p> + +<p>Ruth obeyed rather reluctantly. "All Aunt Deborah thinks about is +keeping 'tidy,'" she whispered rebelliously as she left the room. "I've +washed my hands three times already to-day. She doesn't care if Hero is +lost. Probably she's glad, because his paws are dirty."</p> + +<p>But Ruth was mistaken; Aunt Deborah had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> spent an hour that morning in +going up and down the alley looking for the missing dog, and in a +careful search of the house and garden. She valued Hero's faithfulness; +and not even Ruth herself would have been more pleased than Aunt Deborah +to hear his bark, and see him jump forward from his usual playground in +the garden.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps Hero has wandered off," Aunt Deborah said when Ruth took her +place at the table, "but he will come back, I doubt not, before +nightfall."</p> + +<p>"If he doesn't I shall go and tell the British General that he must find +him," declared Ruth, somewhat to Aunt Deborah's amusement; who was quite +sure that the little girl would not dare to approach General Howe, who +had comfortably established himself in one of the fine houses on High +Street.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<h3>GILBERT AND LAFAYETTE</h3></div> + + +<p>Two days passed and there was no tidings of the missing dog; and even +Aunt Deborah began to fear that they should never see him again. It was +very difficult for Ruth to attend to the tasks that Aunt Deborah set for +her; for all she could think of was Hero.</p> + +<p>Gilbert Merrill had gone about the city making inquiries, but no one had +seen Hero, or could tell him anything about Ruth's dog. Aunt Deborah was +very sorry for her little niece, but she still insisted that Ruth should +dust the dining-room as carefully each morning as if Hero was safe in +the yard; that the little girl should knit her stint on the gray wool +sock, intended for some loyal soldier, and sew for a half hour each +afternoon.</p> + +<p>Ruth dropped stitches in her knitting, for a little blur of tears hid +her work from sight<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> when she thought that perhaps her dear Hero might +be hurt, unable to find his way home; or perhaps he was shut up +somewhere by some cruel person who did not care if he was fed or not.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah was very patient with the little girl. She picked up the +dropped stitches in the knitting; and when she found how uneven a seam +Ruth was stitching she picked out the threads without a word of reproof.</p> + +<p>But on the second day, as they sat at work in the little sewing-room at +the top of the stairs, Ruth threw down her knitting and began to cry.</p> + +<p>"I can't knit! I can't do anything until Hero is found. You know I +can't, Aunt Deborah. And I do wish my mother would come home," she +sobbed.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah did not speak for a moment. She had no little girls of her +own, and she often feared that she might not know what was exactly right +for her little niece. So she never spoke hastily.</p> + +<p>"For thy sake, dear child, I wish that thy mother were here: but it is +very pleasant for me to have thy company, Ruth," she said in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> her +musical, even voice. "Would thee not like to go and play with Winifred? +But be sure thy hair is smooth."</p> + +<p>But Ruth made no reply. She stopped crying, however, and looked up at +Aunt Deborah.</p> + +<p>"Didn't you like Hero?" she asked.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah knitted on until she came to the last stitch on her needle, +then she lay down her work, and looked at Ruth with her pleasant smile.</p> + +<p>"Indeed, I liked Hero," she said; "but suppose I decided that because he +was lost I would no longer prepare thy breakfast or dinner? that I would +not see that thy mother's house was in order. Thee would truly think I +had but little sense. It does not prove thy liking to cry because thy +dog is lost; to fix thy thoughts on thy own feelings and leave thy tasks +for me to do. It does not help bring Hero back. Now, put on thy hat and +cape and we will walk toward the river. I have an errand to do," and +Aunt Deborah got up and went to her own room to put on her long gray +cape and the gray bonnet that she always wore on the street.</p> + +<p>She was waiting in the front hall when Ruth came slowly down the stairs. +She had put on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> her brown straw hat, whose ribbons tied beneath her +chin, and the pretty cape of blue cloth; for there was a sharp little +March wind, although the sun shone brightly. Ruth's face was very sober; +there were traces of tears on her cheeks. She wished that she had said +she would rather play with Winifred; but it was too late now.</p> + +<p>"We need many things, but I fear 'twill not be easy to purchase either +good cotton cloth or a package of pepper," Aunt Deborah said as they +turned on to Second Street. "There was but little in the shops when the +British came, and of that little they have taken for themselves so there +is not much left for the people."</p> + +<p>"They have taken Hero, I know they have!" Ruth replied. "I wish +Washington would come and drive the English out."</p> + +<p>"Oh! Ho! So here is a small rebel declaring treason right to the face of +an officer of the King!" and Ruth, surprised and frightened, felt a hand +on her shoulder, and looked up to find a tall soldier in a red coat with +shining buttons and bands of gilt looking at her with evident amusement.</p> + +<p>"You had best whisper such words as those, young lady," he added +sternly, and passed on,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> leaving Ruth and Aunt Deborah standing +surprised and half-frightened.</p> + +<p>"This is an American city," Aunt Deborah announced calmly, as they +walked on. "These intruders can stay but a time. But they have sharp +ears, indeed. Does thee know why thy father named thy dog 'Hero'?" she +continued, looking down at Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes! Father said 'hero' meant courage and honor; and so it was the +right name for such a fine dog," Ruth answered quickly. "Aunt Deborah! +What was that?" she added, stopping short. For she had heard a familiar +bark.</p> + +<p>But Aunt Deborah had heard nothing. They were passing a house where a +number of soldiers were sitting on the porch smoking.</p> + +<p>"I heard Hero bark. He is in that house," Ruth declared, and before Aunt +Deborah could say a word to prevent such a rash act Ruth had run up the +steps.</p> + +<p>"Have you found a lost dog, if you please?" she asked, half-frightened, +when she found herself facing two red-faced soldiers who looked at her +as if she were some wild bird that had flown to the porch. Before they +could reply Aunt<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> Deborah's hand was on Ruth's arm, and the little girl +heard her aunt saying: "Thee must pardon the child. She has lost her +dog, and is greatly troubled. She means no harm."</p> + +<p>The younger of the two men stood up and bowed politely, and held his hat +in his hand until Aunt Deborah had led Ruth back to the street; but +neither of the men had answered her question.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Aunt Deborah! What made you? I know Hero is in that house. I heard +him bark. You spoiled it all," sobbed Ruth, as Aunt Deborah, holding her +fast by the hand, hurried toward home, quite forgetting the errands she +wished to do.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah sighed to herself. She began to fear that Ruth was a +difficult child; and that perhaps she did not know the right way to deal +with little girls. But she did not reprove Ruth either for her rash act +or for speaking with so little regard of Aunt Deborah's authority.</p> + +<p>"May I go in and see Winifred?" Ruth asked when they reached home, and +Aunt Deborah gave her permission.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Winifred! I know where Hero is," Ruth declared, as the two friends +went up to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> Winifred's room, and she hastened to tell the adventures of +the walk with Aunt Deborah.</p> + +<p>"I am going back after him, Winifred, and you must come with me," she +concluded.</p> + +<p>But Winifred said that her mother was out, and that she must not leave +the house until her return. She looked at Ruth admiringly.</p> + +<p>"I think you were brave, Ruth, to ask those soldiers. But I don't +believe they would give you back Hero if you do go back. Perhaps they +would make you a prisoner," she said a little fearfully; and at last +Ruth reluctantly agreed not to go after the dog that day. The little +girls decided that the best way would be to go straight to General Howe +and tell him that one of his soldiers had taken Hero, and was keeping +him from his rightful owner.</p> + +<p>"I'll go to-morrow. But we must not let Aunt Deborah know," said Ruth, +and Winifred promised to keep the plan a secret.</p> + +<p>Now that there seemed a hope of rescuing her dog Ruth was nearly her own +happy self again. Winifred got out some squares of pasteboard and very +carefully marked out patterns of the back and sides, as well as for the +seat, for the dolls' chair. Then she went to find Gilbert to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> borrow his +knife with which to cut the cardboard; and before Ruth started for home +the pieces were all ready to be covered. As the two little friends sat +in the pleasant window-seat Winifred said: "What do you think, Ruthie! +Gilbert wants to change his name. He wants us to call him Lafayette!" +and Winifred laughed, as if she thought the idea very funny.</p> + +<p>"Why, I think that is splendid!" Ruth replied, her blue eyes shining at +the thought of a "Lafayette" next door to her own home. For all the +children of Philadelphia knew the story of the brave young Frenchman, +hardly more than a boy himself, who had left all the comforts of his +Paris home to share the danger and privations of the American soldiers. +He had visited Philadelphia the previous summer, 1777, soon after his +arrival in America. Gilbert had seen the handsome young officer, and +ever since then he had pleaded that he might be called "Lafayette" +instead of Gilbert.</p> + +<p>"If I were a boy I should wish my name 'Lafayette,'" declared Ruth. "I +wish we could do something for him, don't you, Winifred?"</p> + +<p>"Yes; but what could two little girls do for him? Why, he is a hero, and +a friend of Washington's,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> Winifred responded. Neither Ruth nor +Winifred imagined that it would be only a few months before one of them +would do a great service for the gallant young Frenchman.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<h3>RUTH VISITS GENERAL HOWE</h3></div> + +<p>Aunt Deborah was unusually quiet in her manner toward her little niece +when Ruth came home with the cardboard ready to be covered. She did not +ask Ruth to set the table for supper, but began to spread the cloth +herself.</p> + +<p>"I will do that, Aunt Deborah. You know I always do," Ruth said, laying +down the parts for the dolls' chair, and coming toward the table.</p> + +<p>"I will do it. Thou mayst go to thy room, Ruth; I will call thee when +supper is ready," Aunt Deborah replied, without a glance at the little +girl.</p> + +<p>Ruth felt her face flush uncomfortably as she suddenly recalled the way +in which she had spoken to Aunt Deborah after her aunt had led her away +from the porch where the English soldiers were sitting, and where Ruth +was sure Hero was hidden. She went up the stairs very slowly to her own +chamber, a small room opening<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> from the large front room where Aunt +Deborah slept. She sat down near the window, feeling not only ashamed +but very unhappy.</p> + +<p>"If my mother were only here I shouldn't be sent off up-stairs. I don't +like Aunt Deborah," she exclaimed, and looked up to see her aunt +standing in the doorway.</p> + +<p>For a moment the two looked at each other, and Ruth could see that Aunt +Deborah was trying very hard to keep back the tears. Then the door +closed, very softly, and Ruth was again alone.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear," she whispered, "and I promised my mother to do everything I +could to help Aunt Deborah, and now she heard me say that I don't like +her," and Ruth leaned her head against the arm of the big chair in which +she had curled up and began to cry, quite sure that no little girl in +all Philadelphia had as much reason for unhappiness as herself.</p> + +<p>After a little she wiped her eyes, and began to think over her +misfortunes: First of all, Hero was lost. Then came all the troubles +that, it seemed to Ruth, Aunt Deborah was to blame for. As she said them +over to herself they appeared sufficient reasons for her dislike: "She +is always fussing. Always telling me to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> brush my hair, or wash my +hands, or not to soil my dress. And I do believe she is glad that Hero +is lost, and does not wish me to find him because he brings dirt into +the house."</p> + +<p>As Ruth finished a sudden resolve came into her mind. She would not wait +for the next day before going to General Howe to tell her story of +Hero's disappearance, and of being sure that he had been taken by an +English soldier. She would go at once. If she waited perhaps Aunt +Deborah would find some way of preventing the carrying out of the plan.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps if General Howe thought I was a grown-up lady, or nearly grown +up, he would pay more attention than to what a little girl might ask," +thought Ruth. And then a great idea flashed into her mind: she would +pretend to be grown up.</p> + +<p>"I'll wear Mother's best dress, and do up my hair and wear her bonnet," +she decided; and opening her chamber door she ran through Aunt Deborah's +room to the deep closet where her mother's best dress, a pretty gown of +russet-colored silk, was hanging. Ruth pulled it down, slipped it on +over her dress of stout brown gingham, and began to fasten it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I didn't know my mother was so big," she thought regretfully, as she +managed to turn back the long sleeves, and glanced down at the full +breadths of the skirt which lay in a big waving circle about her feet. +"I'll have to hold it up as high as I can to walk at all."</p> + +<p>In a few minutes the dress was fastened, and she managed to pin up her +hair; and now she drew out the bandbox containing her mother's best +bonnet. It was made of a pretty shade of brown velvet, with a wreath of +delicate green leaves, and strings of pale green ribbon.</p> + +<p>Ruth tied the strings firmly under her chin. The bonnet came well down +over her face, nearly hiding her ears, but the little girl thought this +was very fortunate, as it would prevent any one discovering who she was, +if she should happen to meet any friend or acquaintance.</p> + +<p>She began to feel hurried and a little afraid that Aunt Deborah might +call her to supper before she could escape from the house. Holding up +the brown silk skirt, and stepping very carefully, she made her way down +the stairs, opened the front door, and with a long breath of relief, +found herself standing on the front porch.</p> + +<p>The late afternoon was already growing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> shadowy with the approach of +twilight; and there was no one to be seen on the quiet street as Ruth, +holding her skirt up in front while the sides and back trailed about her +on the dirty pavement, walked hurriedly along toward High Street.</p> + +<p>"I'll walk more like a grown-up lady when I get near the General's +house," she resolved. "Won't Winifred be surprised when she knows that +the English General thought I really was grown up?" and Ruth gave a +little laugh of delight at the thought of her friend's astonishment, +quite forgetting all the troubles that had seemed so overpowering an +hour before.</p> + +<p>As she turned into High Street she found herself facing the amused stare +of two young ladies who were hurrying home from an afternoon walk.</p> + +<p>"I suppose they were laughing because I was holding up my skirt," +thought Ruth, quite unconscious of her absurd appearance, "but I'll have +to, for I couldn't walk a step if I didn't," she decided.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<a name="ILLUS_033" id="ILLUS_033"></a> +<img src="images/illus-033.jpg" width="350" height="497" alt=""'TIS A LADY COMING TO CALL"" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"'TIS A LADY COMING TO CALL"</span> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'>[Pg 33]</span> +Two English soldiers were on guard at the entrance of the fine mansion +that the English General had taken from its rightful owner for his own +use; and as Ruth, now half afraid to go up the steps, stood looking up +at them a little fearfully, one of them noticed the queer little figure, +and, quite forgetting his dignity, chuckled with amusement.</p> + +<p>"Look, Dick! Here is a lady admiring our fine uniforms," he said, +calling his companion's attention to Ruth, whose gown now trailed about +her, and whose bonnet had slipped to one side.</p> + +<p>"'Tis a lady coming to call on the General," responded "Dick," with a +wink at the first speaker.</p> + +<p>"Did you wish to see General Howe, madam?" he continued, looking down at +Ruth, while his companion chuckled with delight.</p> + +<p>"Yes, if you please," Ruth managed to reply, beginning to feel a little +afraid, and wishing that she had waited until the next day when Winifred +might have come with her.</p> + +<p>"Kindly walk up the steps, madam, and I will announce you to the +General," continued the young soldier, welcoming the hope of a little +amusement to break the monotony of his daily duties.</p> + +<p>Ruth obeyed, stumbling a little as she reached the top.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> +"And what name shall I say?" Dick asked, bowing very low.</p> + +<p>"Mistress Ruth Dillingham Pennell, if you please, sir," Ruth replied, +gaining a little courage, and trying to stand as tall as possible, +hardly sure if the young soldier was really laughing at her, or if he +believed her dress to be a proof of at least twenty years of experience.</p> + +<p>"'Twill be good sport for the General and his friends. They are just +sitting down to dinner," "Dick" whispered to the other guard, as he +swung open the big door and ushered Ruth into the hall, and then led the +way toward the dining-room.</p> + +<p>"What nonsense is this, Dick? We are not rehearsing any play just now," +called a gay voice; and Ruth and the young soldier were confronted by a +tall officer whom Ruth instantly recognized as the same who had called +her a "rebel" that very afternoon on Second Street.</p> + +<p>She became really frightened. Suppose he should remember her, and tell +General Howe what she had said about Washington driving the English from +the city? It might be that, just as Winifred had said, and they would +put her in prison. She wished she were safely at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> home with Aunt +Deborah. But "Dick" was speaking to the handsome young officer.</p> + +<p>"Ah, now, Major André, 'twill be as good as any comedy you have seen in +South Street," he declared, "and the General will be well pleased. No +harm shall come to the child."</p> + +<p>"Well, I'll not interfere. This is a dull town at best," responded the +young officer laughingly, and without another glance at Ruth, he entered +the dining-room, with a word to the soldier who stood at the door. The +big door was now swung wide open by two servants in the livery of the +English General. Just beyond them stood Major André, who bowed very low +as Ruth entered, and said:</p> + +<p>"General Howe, a lady who greatly desires to ask a favor of you," and +Ruth found herself on the threshold of the beautiful room whose paneled +walls were brilliantly lighted by many wax candles in silver sconces. +The table was handsomely spread with fine china, glass and silver; and +about it were seated a number of English officers.</p> + +<p>"More comedy, André!" called a pleasant voice; "kindly bring the lady +this way," and General Howe rose from his seat at the head of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> the +table, and instantly all his guests were on their feet.</p> + +<p>Major André held out his hand to Ruth. She well knew that this was the +proper moment to make her best curtsy, and in spite of the clumsy skirt, +the bonnet which kept nodding over her face, and the long sleeves that +had slipped down over her hands, she managed to make a not ungraceful +curtsy.</p> + +<p>There was a little murmur of applause, and Major André smiled kindly +upon her, and taking her hand led her toward the head of the table with +as much grace and courtesy as if he were handing Miss Peggy Shippen +herself, one of the beauties of the town, to a seat at General Howe's +dinner table.</p> + +<p>"You are a most welcome guest," declared the English General smilingly, +as Ruth stood before him. "I understand you have a favor to ask of me. +Whatever it is you may be very sure I will be most happy to grant it," +and he smiled down at the queer little figure, quite sure that his young +officer Major André had planned the whole affair for his amusement.</p> + +<p>"If you please, sir, I want my dog," said Ruth falteringly.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<h3>AUNT DEBORAH IS SURPRISED</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Years after, when Ruth was really "grown up," she often recalled the +wonderful night when she sat at General Howe's dinner-table. For Major +André had lifted her to a seat beside the General; with a friendly word +he untied the bonnet-strings and put the bonnet on a side table; and +Ruth began to think that it was all a dream from which she would soon +awaken to find herself safely at home. She wondered if it really were +Ruth Pennell who was answering the General's questions about the missing +Hero.</p> + +<p>"I can do no less than try to find your dog, little maid," he said, "for +when my own dog wandered away to General Washington's camp, in the +Germantown fray, the General sent him back to me under the protection of +a flag of truce; so, as you tell me your father is with Washington, I +must see to it that Hero is found. That is, if one of my soldiers has so +far forgotten orders as to have taken him," for the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> English General +took every care that his soldiers should do no harm to the residents of +the city.</p> + +<p>Ruth was sure that she knew the very house where she had heard Hero's +bark; and now that General Howe had promised that a search should be +made she was eager to go home, and slid out of the chair just as a +servant set a plate before her.</p> + +<p>"I must go home. I—I—ran away," she said a little falteringly, looking +up at the tall General. "Will you please find Hero the first thing +to-morrow?"</p> + +<p>"Here, André! the young lady wishes to return home," said the General, +"and see to it that you take her there safely, and that you find the +lost Hero. And find a better plot for your next comedy," the General +added, as the young officer came forward.</p> + +<p>Ruth wondered what "comedy" meant. She did not know that Major André, +whose gay good humor and charming manner made him a favorite with all, +was depended upon to furnish amusement for his brother officers; or that +they had at first believed that Ruth, stumbling into the dining-room +dressed as a woman, was the first act of some amusing play of André's +contriving.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now that it proved she was only a runaway little girl looking for a lost +dog they found it amusing that the young officer should have the trouble +of taking her home.</p> + +<p>Ruth could never quite remember the manner in which the General bade her +good-bye, or if she make her curtsy, or even thanked him for promising +that Hero should be found.</p> + +<p>Major André tied on her bonnet, and opening a door that led to a side +entrance, led her to the street.</p> + +<p>"Now tell me the way, and I'll have you home in a jiffy," he said +pleasantly.</p> + +<p>But it was no easy matter for Ruth to walk as rapidly as her companion; +she stumbled over the skirt; the strings of her bonnet had slipped so +that it kept bobbing over her eyes and had to be pushed back; and she +was now so frightened at the thought of what Aunt Deborah would say that +she hardly knew in what direction they were going until the young +officer stopped at her own door and lifted the knocker whose rap was +sure to bring Aunt Deborah hastening to answer it.</p> + +<p>"You will not forget about Hero?" Ruth said as they stood on the steps.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Indeed, I shall not. Be very sure I will do my best to find your dog. I +will go to the house on Second Street early to-morrow," responded André, +and the door swung open and Aunt Deborah, holding a candle in one hand, +stood looking at them.</p> + +<p>"Here is your little girl, madam; she has done no harm, I assure you. +She did but make a friendly call on General Howe, who sent me to bring +her safely home," said the young officer, hat in hand, and making his +best bow.</p> + +<p>"I thank thee for bringing the child home, sir," responded Aunt Deborah, +drawing Ruth firmly over the threshold and closing the door before Major +André could say another word. The young officer hurried back to the +General's dinner-table, a little vexed that he had made so much needless +trouble for himself by introducing the queer little girl to General +Howe.</p> + +<p>"Slip off thy mother's dress at once, before you do it further harm," +said Aunt Deborah; and Ruth, not daring to look up, hastened to obey, as +she stood in the dimly-lit hall.</p> + +<p>"I—I—only went to look for Hero," Ruth tried to explain, after a +moment's silence.</p> + +<p>"So thee had to put on thy mother's very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> best gown; one that she does +not wear herself save on great occasions," responded Aunt Deborah, +taking up the silk dress out of which Ruth had just stepped. "It is +probably ruined. Go straight to bed. Thou art a wilful and unruly +child," she continued, as Ruth started toward the stairway.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah followed her, the dress over her arm, but she said no more +until they reached Ruth's chamber.</p> + +<p>"I believed thee safe in thy room. When thee did not come to supper I +thought thee ashamed and sorry, because of the manner in which thou +spoke to me; so I did not open the door. But no; thee was playing at +being some one beside thy rightful self; and going to the house of an +enemy against whom thy father is fighting. I know not what to say to +thee, Ruth, nor how to make thee realize that thee has brought shame +upon us," said Aunt Deborah.</p> + +<p>Ruth was crying bitterly, and could make no response. Aunt Deborah took +the candle and left the room, leaving Ruth to find her way into bed in +the dark. She wished with all her heart that she had not worn her +mother's silk gown and pretty bonnet. If they really<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> were ruined she +knew it would be a long time before her mother could replace them; for +there was no extra money in the little household while America was +fighting for her rightful liberties.</p> + +<p>"None of them, not even General Howe, believed that I was really grown +up. They were just laughing at me," she thought. "It would have been +just as well if I had waited, and had asked Aunt Deborah if I might not +go. Oh, dear! And now I have spoiled Mother's dress."</p> + +<p>Ruth was so unhappy that she had quite forgotten that Hero might soon be +restored to her.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<h3>RUTH DECIDES</h3></div> + + +<p>Ruth slept late the next morning, and when she first awoke it was with +the puzzled feeling of waking from a bad dream. Then slowly she +remembered the happenings of the previous day.</p> + +<p>The spring sunlight filled the room. From a hawthorn tree just below her +window she could hear a robin singing as if there were nothing but +sunshine and delight in all the world. And then the big clock in the +hallway began to strike. "One! two! three! four! five! six! seven! +eight! <i>Nine!</i>" counted the little girl, and with the last stroke she +was out of bed.</p> + +<p>Before she was dressed Aunt Deborah opened the door.</p> + +<p>"Good-morning, Ruth," she said pleasantly, quite as if nothing had +happened on the previous day, and that Ruth had not slept two hours +later than usual. "I have brought thee thy breakfast; and thee may stay +in thy room until I call thee," and Aunt Deborah set a small<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> tray on +the light stand near the window, and before Ruth could make any response +she had left the room.</p> + +<p>Ruth was very hungry. She had no supper on the previous night, and she +now looked eagerly toward the little tray, which held only, a bowl and +pitcher. The bowl was nearly full of porridge, and the pitcher of creamy +milk.</p> + +<p>That was all very well; and she ate it all, to the last spoonful. But +usually there were hot corn muffins and a bit of bacon or an egg to +follow the porridge, and Ruth was still hungry.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps Aunt Deborah forgot," thought Ruth, "but I don't believe she +did. Perhaps she is only provoked at me for being late for breakfast!"</p> + +<p>Ruth shook up her pillows, turned back the blankets of her bed, and then +went to the window and leaned out. There were two robins now on the top +branch of the hawthorn, and for a moment she watched them, wondering if +they were planning to build a nest there. The window overlooked the +Merrills' garden; and in a few minutes Ruth saw Gilbert coming along the +path toward the wall.</p> + +<p>"Lafayette! La-fay-ette!" she called.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> Gilbert looked about as if +puzzled, and Ruth called again. "I'm up-stairs. Gil-bert!" and at this +the boy turned and looked up, and waved his hat in response.</p> + +<p>"I've found Hero," she called. "Honest! And an English officer is going +to bring him home this very morning."</p> + +<p>"Come on over and tell Winifred," responded Gilbert. "She has something +to tell you, too. Something fine."</p> + +<p>"I can't come over this morning. I——" but before Ruth could say +another word she felt a firm hand on her shoulder, and she was drawn +into the room and the window closed, and Aunt Deborah was looking at her +reprovingly.</p> + +<p>"Ruth, why did thee think I wanted thee to stay up-stairs this morning?" +she asked.</p> + +<p>Ruth shook her head sullenly. She said to herself that no matter what +Aunt Deborah might say she would not answer.</p> + +<p>"Well, my child, then I must tell thee. I hoped thee would think over +thy wilfulness of yesterday; that thee would realize that thy conduct +was such as would grieve and shame thy father and mother. Dost thou +think it a small thing nearly to ruin thy mother's best gown?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> To go +dressed as if in a play to the house of an enemy of thy country to ask a +favor? And before that thee quite forgot thy good manners in rushing up +the steps of that house on Second Street, and then speaking rudely to +me, who have no wish but to be kind to thee and help thee be a good +girl."</p> + +<p>While Aunt Deborah was speaking Ruth looked up at her, a little +frightened and sullen at first; then as she saw that Aunt Deborah's face +was pale, that she looked as if she had been crying and was nearly ready +to cry again, the little girl's heart softened, and she ran toward her +aunt, saying:</p> + +<p>"Oh, Aunt Deborah! I am sorry I spoke rudely to you. And when I said I +did not like you it was only because I was cross and so unhappy about +Hero. I do like you, truly I do. And, oh! I did not think about General +Howe being our enemy; or that I would spoil Mother's pretty gown. I only +thought about Hero." And now Ruth was sobbing, and Aunt Deborah's arm +was about her.</p> + +<p>But for a moment Aunt Deborah made no response; then she said:</p> + +<p>"Dear child, thee has given me happiness<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> again. And now let us both do +our best until thy mother returns. But thee knows that it is right for +thee to decide if thee should not be punished in some way, so that in +future thee will remember not to lose thy temper, to remember thy +manners; and above all not to stoop to deceit to gain thy wishes."</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah smiled happily at her little niece as she finished, as if +quite sure that Ruth would welcome her suggestion.</p> + +<p>Ruth smiled in response. She began to think it would be rather fine to +decide on her own punishment, and resolved it should be even more severe +than any Aunt Deborah would inflict.</p> + +<p>"Yes, Aunt Deborah, I will stay up-stairs all day. And I will eat only +porridge for my dinner and supper. I will not call from the window, and +I will knit; and not even play with Cecilia," she said eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Very well, dear child. But beside these things thee must say over to +thyself the reason for thy punishment. Say to thyself: 'Not again will I +be rude or unkind, not again will I be thoughtless of my behavior,'" +said Aunt Deborah approvingly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p> + +<p>There was a loud knock at the front door, and Aunt Deborah hurried away +to answer it. In a moment Ruth heard a joyous bark.</p> + +<p>"It's Hero! It's Hero!" she exclaimed, running toward the door. But with +her hand on the latch she stopped suddenly. She had promised that she +would not leave the room that day. She had set her own punishment for +rudeness, and for the thoughtlessness that had perhaps ruined her +mother's dress.</p> + +<p>"Oh! I wish I hadn't dressed up," she thought, as she turned slowly away +from the door, thinking of Hero looking wistfully about for his little +mistress. She knew that Aunt Deborah would be kind to him, but not to +see Hero after he had been missing so long was a real punishment for the +little girl, and she went back to the window and stood looking out +wishing that for a punishment she had thought of something beside +staying in her room all day.</p> + +<p>As she looked out she saw that Gilbert was still in his garden, that +Winifred was beside him, and that they were both making motions for her +to open the window.</p> + +<p>She shook her head soberly. She could see that Winifred was greatly +excited about something,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> and was talking eagerly to her brother. They +both looked up at Ruth's window and again motioned with waving arms for +her to open it. After a few moments they seemed to realize that she had, +for some reason they could not imagine, been forbidden to; and with a +good-bye signal they both turned and ran toward the house.</p> + +<p>"I do wonder what they wanted to tell me," thought Ruth. "Oh, dear! It +is dreadful to stay up here when Hero is home, and when Winifred and +Gilbert have a secret." She began to realize that she had set herself no +light punishment.</p> + +<p>"But it wouldn't be a punishment if I were enjoying it," she finally +decided, and getting the half-finished sock from her knitting bag, she +drew a small rocking-chair to the center of the room, seated herself and +began resolutely to knit.</p> + +<p>Now and then she could hear sounds from the rooms below; and once Ruth +dropped her knitting and started toward the door, for she had heard +Hero's plaintive whine as he waited for admittance. Then had come Aunt +Deborah's voice calling him away sternly; and Ruth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> picked up her +knitting, resolved to keep exactly to her promise. She wondered if Major +André had sent Hero home in charge of "Dick," the smiling young soldier +who had spoken to her on General Howe's door-steps. But most of all her +thoughts centered about Winifred and Gilbert.</p> + +<p>She heard the clock strike eleven, and realized that she was very +hungry; and that an hour was a long time to wait before Aunt Deborah +would bring her bowl of porridge. A shadow darkened the window, and she +looked up with startled eyes to see Winifred's face pressed against the +glass.</p> + +<p>Ruth ran to the window. "How did you get up here?" she questioned in +wonder.</p> + +<p>"Open the window, quick!" Winifred responded in an anxious whisper. "The +ladder wiggles about, and somebody may see me."</p> + +<p>Ruth opened the window and Winifred crawled in, and suddenly the ladder +disappeared.</p> + +<p>"It's Gilbert. He promised to take it down as soon as I got in. What is +the matter, Ruth? Has Aunt Deborah made you stay up-stairs? Did you know +Hero was home? A soldier brought him." While Winifred talked she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> looked +at Ruth anxiously, as if to make sure that nothing had really befallen +her friend.</p> + +<p>Ruth was smiling with delight at her unexpected visitor.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Winifred! You were splendid to come up the ladder. I'm staying +up-stairs to punish myself. I was rude to Aunt Deborah; and last night I +dressed up in my mother's best dress and went to see General Howe!" Ruth +answered.</p> + +<p>Winifred was too surprised to reply, and Ruth went on telling of her +sudden decision, and of the adventures that followed, and concluded +with: "And of course I ought not to have dressed up, and I ought not to +have run away. So now I am staying up-stairs all day, and all I am to +have to eat is porridge and milk. I decided it myself," she concluded, +not a little pleased at the thought.</p> + +<p>"Why, Ruth Pennell!" exclaimed Winifred admiringly. "I don't know which +is the most wonderful, your going to see General Howe, or your deciding +to punish yourself. Begin at the time you reached the General's house +and tell me everything up to now."</p> + +<p>Ruth was quite ready to do this, and the two<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> little friends seated +themselves on the window-seat, Winifred listening admiringly while Ruth +told over the story of the previous night. She had forgotten all about +punishment; but a noise in the hallway and the sound of the clock +striking the hour of noon made her stop suddenly in her whispered +recital. "It's Aunt Deborah! Winifred, hide, quick! Under the bed," she +said, at the same moment giving Winifred a little push.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah came in smiling and unsuspicious, with a well-filled bowl +of porridge and a generous pitcher of milk on the tray. It had been a +happy morning for Aunt Deborah. Hero was safe at home, none the worse +for his adventures; and, best of all, Ruth of her own accord had +declared herself to blame, and decided that her faults should be +punished. It seemed to Aunt Deborah that after this she and her little +niece would have no more misunderstandings. She thought it a fine thing +that Ruth wished to stay by herself all that sunny spring day; and she +was sure it was no light punishment.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2> + +<h3>A DIFFICULT DAY</h3></div> + + +<p>Aunt Deborah did not linger to talk with her little niece, for it was a +part of her belief that idle talk was unwise. The door had hardly closed +behind her when Winifred's head appeared from under the chintz valance +of the bed, and she looked cautiously about.</p> + +<p>"Has she gone?" she asked in a cautious whisper.</p> + +<p>Ruth nodded, and Winifred now crawled out from her hiding-place.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad she didn't see me, Ruth. For when I came to the door this +morning she said you could not see any one to-day; so I thought you were +being punished, and I was bound to see you. Oh, Ruth! are you to have +nothing but porridge?" and Winifred looked at Ruth's tray as if she +thought such a dinner would be punishment enough for a much greater +offense.</p> + +<p>"I chose it! I said I would eat only porridge,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> responded Ruth, +beginning to think that perhaps she had been more severe with herself +than had been really necessary; and she wondered, with a little +regretful sigh, if Aunt Deborah was having stewed oysters for dinner; +for Ruth was sure that nothing could taste better than oysters.</p> + +<p>"I had to see you, Ruth; and it was Gilbert who thought of the ladder. +He has written a play, and you are to take part in it, and so am I," +continued Winifred, who had nearly forgotten her own important news in +listening to Ruth's surprising story.</p> + +<p>"'A play'?" echoed Ruth questioningly, hardly understanding her friend's +meaning.</p> + +<p>"Yes! Yes! Don't you know that the English soldiers give plays in the +Southwark Theater? They dress up and make believe, just as you did last +night," Winifred explained, "and Gilbert's play is like that."</p> + +<p>"Then I don't want to," Ruth declared. "It's horrid pretending to be +somebody besides yourself."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Ruth! This isn't like what you did. It's all about Washington and +Lafayette," Winifred explained eagerly, "and our pony is to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> in it, +and so is Hero. It's splendid; truly it is, Ruth; and Gilbert wants you +to come and rehearse this afternoon, in our stable. If you are punishing +yourself you can come if you wish to."</p> + +<p>Ruth shook her head.</p> + +<p>"No, I can't. Don't you see I can't, Winifred? I promised just as much +as if somebody else had made me. I'll have to stay in this room all day, +because I told Aunt Deborah that I would."</p> + +<p>Winifred jumped up quickly. "Then I must go right home, for Gilbert said +that if you couldn't take part we'd try and get Betty Hastings. She's +older and taller than you, anyway, so she'd look more like Lafayette," +she said, moving toward the door.</p> + +<p>Betty Hastings lived just around the corner on Chestnut Street. She was +twelve years old. She was tall for her age, and her hair was brown and +very curly. She did not often play with the younger girls.</p> + +<p>"Lafayette? Was I to be Lafayette in the play?" asked Ruth. "Oh, Winifred! +Ask Gilbert to wait. I'll come over first thing to-morrow +morning. You tell him I <i>have</i> to stay<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> up here to-day. Don't ask +Betty!" she pleaded, and Winifred finally agreed to try and persuade her +brother to wait until the following morning before asking Betty.</p> + +<p>"You see, it's to be a birthday surprise for Mother; and her birthday is +a week from to-day, so there isn't much time," Winifred explained, as she +started toward the door.</p> + +<p>"Winifred! Where are you going?" Ruth whispered in alarm; and Winifred +laughed at her friend's surprise to see her about to walk boldly from +the room.</p> + +<p>"I can go down-stairs so your aunt won't know it, and open the front +door just as easy, and walk right out. She is in the kitchen and won't +hear me," Winifred answered; and with a warning word to be sure and be +at the stable at nine o'clock the next morning, the little girl opened +the door cautiously and disappeared.</p> + +<p>After Winifred had gone Ruth ate her porridge. She began to think of +Gilbert's play, and of the fun it would be to take the part of the brave +young Frenchman. She walked about the room, looked at Cecilia and the +half-finished chair, and sighed deeply at the thought that she might be +rehearsing with Winifred and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> Gilbert, the pony and Hero, instead of +staying alone in her room.</p> + +<p>At last she remembered her knitting, and took it up rather reluctantly. +"I do wish I hadn't worn Mother's dress," she thought. And she was +conscious of a little uncomfortable feeling as to Winifred's visit after +Aunt Deborah's refusal to admit her.</p> + +<p>"But I didn't ask her to come, or help her," she finally decided; +although she began to wish that her friend had waited to tell her the +great news until the next day and so avoided deceiving Aunt Deborah.</p> + +<p>But at last the long afternoon ended; and when the clock struck six +there was a joyous bark just outside Ruth's door, and Aunt Deborah +opened it for Hero to come bounding in. He had so much to tell his +little mistress, with barks and jumps, and faithful pleading eyes, that +it was some little time before Aunt Deborah found a chance to speak.</p> + +<p>"Thee had best come down to the dining-room and have supper with me. +There are creamed oysters and toast and a bit of jelly. I think thee +does not need porridge for another meal to-day," she said smilingly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I know I'll remember about Mother's dress. It has been hard to stay up +here all day," Ruth answered, glad indeed that her time of punishment +was over.</p> + +<p>"But Aunt Deborah doesn't know just how hard it was," she thought as she +followed her aunt down the stairs, with Hero close beside her, thinking +over Winifred's great news.</p> + +<p>As she took her usual place at the table she was glad that she had not +taken Winifred's suggestion to shorten her hours of solitude. The +steaming oysters sent out an appetizing odor, the toast was crisp and +golden, and the tumbler of amber-colored jelly seemed to reflect the +light of the candles in their tall brass candlesticks which stood at +each end of the table.</p> + +<p>"I have good news for thee, Ruth," said Aunt Deborah, smiling at her +across the table. "I have word that thy mother will return early the +coming week."</p> + +<p>Ruth gave an exclamation of delight.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Aunt Deborah! What a lot of nice things happen all together," she +said. "You won't go back to Barren Hill when she comes, will you?" For +Ruth began to realize that, even with her dear mother safe at home once +more,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> she would miss the kind aunt who had been so unfailingly patient.</p> + +<p>It was evident that Aunt Deborah was greatly pleased. Her brown eyes +shone, and Ruth suddenly discovered the amazing fact that there was a +dimple in Aunt Deborah's right cheek.</p> + +<p>"'Tis indeed pleasant that thou should wish me to stay; but I fear my +house at Barren Hill needs its mistress. To-morrow is the first of +April, and I must see about planting my garden as soon as possible. +Perhaps thy mother will let thee come for a visit before long," she +responded. "That is, if the English General will take such a great risk +as to give a small maid permission to leave the city," for no one could +leave Philadelphia at that time without a written permission from an +English officer.</p> + +<p>Ruth was quite sure that she should like to visit Barren Hill. She knew +it was half-way to Valley Forge, where the American soldiers had passed +a dreary winter, suffering from cold and hunger, while their enemies had +enjoyed the comforts of American homes in Philadelphia. But now that +spring had come the American people were more hopeful; they were sure +their army would soon drive the enemy from the city.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<p>The people of little settlements like Barren Hill managed to carry food +and clothing to the American soldiers. Aunt Deborah, just before coming +to Philadelphia, had carried a treasured store of honey to Washington's +headquarters, as well as clothing and food for Ruth's father.</p> + +<p>Although Aunt Deborah was a Quaker she was sure of the righteousness of +America's war against oppression.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps I could see my father if I go to visit you, Aunt Deborah," said +Ruth hopefully.</p> + +<p>But Aunt Deborah could give no assurance as to this. She knew that any +day might see Washington's army moving from its winter quarters.</p> + +<p>"Thee could help me with the garden," she responded. "The bees will soon +be about their work now; and there are many things in the country for a +small maid to find pleasure in."</p> + +<p>"Did you ever see Lafayette, Aunt Deborah?" Ruth asked.</p> + +<p>"Why, child! Did not thy mother tell thee? He stopped at my door one +day. He was on horseback, and only two soldiers with him. They had +ridden out from camp to make sure<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> no English spies were about, and he +stopped to ask for a cup of water. He was pleased to take milk instead. +Thee shall see the very cup from which he drank, Ruth. It was one of the +pink lustre cups, and I put it apart from the others. Some day thee +shall have it for thy own," said Aunt Deborah, smiling at Ruth's evident +delight.</p> + +<p>As Ruth listened she resolved that nothing should prevent her from +visiting Aunt Deborah. Perhaps she might see Lafayette as well as her +dear father. Perhaps the young Frenchman might again call at Aunt +Deborah's door, and she, Ruth Pennell, hand him the pink lustre cup +filled with milk.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah's voice interrupted these pleasant day-dreams.</p> + +<p>"Now, Ruth, thee may help me wash the dishes; and we will make sure that +Hero is safely indoors," she said.</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed. Oh! Aunt Deborah, this has been a splendid day, after +all," the little girl responded, thinking of Hero safe at home, of +Winifred's visit, and of the pink lustre cup that some day would be her +own.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2> + +<h3>GILBERT'S PLAY</h3></div> + + +<p>Ruth was up in good season the next morning, and Aunt Deborah was quite +willing for her little niece to take Hero for a morning call on +Winifred; and it was not yet nine o'clock when Ruth pushed open the gate +that led from the alley into the Merrills' garden.</p> + +<p>The stable stood beside this gate, and was some distance from the house. +Fluff, the pony, had a fine box stall with a window looking into the +garden. Fluff belonged to Gilbert; but Gilbert had grown so tall that he +thought the pony too small for his use, and on Winifred's last birthday +had given her all right and title to the little gray pony, whose thick +mane and plume-like tail had made the name "Fluff" most appropriate.</p> + +<p>The stable was nearly hidden from the house by shrubs and trees, and +Gilbert and Winifred found it a fine play-house. Ruth often wished<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> that +there was a stable in her father's garden, and that she had a pony +exactly like Fluff.</p> + +<p>At the sound of Hero's bark Winifred and Gilbert both appeared in the +doorway of the stable, and close behind them stood Betty Hastings. Ruth +stood still with a questioning look at Winifred. She was sure that +Gilbert had asked Betty to take the part of Lafayette, and for a moment +she was tempted to turn away without a word. But before she could act on +this impulse there was a chorus of welcoming greetings for her and for +Hero, and Winifred came running to meet her.</p> + +<p>"Betty is going to take the part of Lord Cornwallis!" Winifred +exclaimed, as she put her arm about Ruth and led her to the stable. +"Gilbert thinks you were splendid to go straight to General Howe and ask +for Hero," she added, "and Betty wants to hear just what Major André +said," so Ruth, instead of finding herself entirely supplanted by Betty, +as she had for a moment feared, was surrounded by the eager interest and +attention of the little group. It seemed to Ruth that she had never +before known how nice Betty Hastings really was. The older girl was +evidently greatly impressed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> by the fact that Ruth had sat next to the +English General at his dinner table.</p> + +<p>"I wish I could have been you, Ruth," she declared admiringly.</p> + +<p>"It was all right for Ruth to ask for her dog," Gilbert interrupted, +"but <i>I</i> wouldn't have sat down at General Howe's table. Not much I +wouldn't."</p> + +<p>"But Major André lifted me up. I didn't do it myself," replied Ruth, +suddenly ashamed that she had entirely forgotten that the English +officers were her enemies, and had even been rather pleased that no +other little girl in Philadelphia could say that she had sat at the +dinner table of the great English General.</p> + +<p>"And you are no better than a Tory, Betty Hastings," Gilbert continued, +looking disapprovingly toward brown-eyed Betty. "You said a little while +ago that you would rather be Lord Cornwallis than Washington."</p> + +<p>"Well, what if I did? I only meant in your play; because the English +uniform is fine. All scarlet and gold," Betty explained. She was +smiling, and evidently did not care at all if Gilbert did not approve of +her. "Come on and tell us what your play is about," she added.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> + +<p>Gilbert's frown vanished. He drew a roll of paper from his pocket; and, +looking soberly at his companions, said:</p> + +<p>"The name of my play is 'America Defeats the Foe.' It is in two acts. +The first act is Lord Cornwallis, that's you, Betty, on his knees asking +Washington to spare his life. The second act is Washington and Lafayette +and their triumphant army, Winifred is the army, marching into +Philadelphia."</p> + +<p>"Um-m," said Betty slowly, "what does Washington say when Lord +Cornwallis asks him to spare his life?"</p> + +<p>"I don't just know yet," Gilbert admitted. "I thought I'd wait until we +rehearsed."</p> + +<p>"You said Fluff and Hero were to have parts," Winifred reminded him, a +little anxiously.</p> + +<p>"What does Lafayette wear?" asked Ruth.</p> + +<p>Gilbert's face flushed: "Just like girls, wanting to know everything +before I've had time to think. But I can tell you one thing, we'll have +to plan our costumes now."</p> + +<p>"Mine is all planned," said Betty; "you know there is an English officer +lodging at our house, and I'll borrow his scarlet coat."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> + +<p>"My Aunt Deborah has seen Lafayette," Ruth announced proudly, "and I'll +ask her to tell me just what he wore, and then perhaps I can look just +like him."</p> + +<p>Winifred said nothing. Gilbert had already told her that he meant to +dress up two broomsticks as American soldiers, and these were to "march" +on each side of Winifred, with her aid and assistance. She was always +ready to help Gilbert in all his plans, but she was beginning to think +that it would be rather a difficult task to be a triumphant army; +especially as Gilbert had told her that she must cheer for Washington +and Lafayette when they reached the "State House," whose location he had +not yet decided on.</p> + +<p>"Aren't you going to have any girls or women in your play?" asked Betty, +apparently not greatly pleased with Gilbert's brief description. "<i>I</i> +think you ought to have Lady Washington in a balcony waving her +handkerchief, when the victorious army enters Philadelphia. I could be +Lady Washington, because I'll be all through being Lord Cornwallis in +the first act," and Betty smiled at her companions as if sure they would +be greatly pleased by her suggestion.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Why, yes——" began Gilbert, but before he could say more a wail from +Winifred made them all look at her in surprise.</p> + +<p>"Betty Hastings shan't be everything! If she's going to be Lady +Washington I won't play. I won't be an army, anyway," she sobbed.</p> + +<p>"Oh! I don't care!" said Betty good-humoredly. "I just happened to think +of it, that's all. I'd just as soon be the army."</p> + +<p>It was finally decided that Winifred should be Lady Washington, and wave +from the top of the grain-bin when the triumphant army passed. Lafayette +was to ride on Fluff, and Gilbert said he meant to borrow a horse for +George Washington. Hero was to follow the army. It was dinner-time +before all these important questions were settled; and it was agreed +that they would meet again the next morning for another rehearsal. +Gilbert promised to have speeches ready for Lafayette and Cornwallis.</p> + +<p>"The way it is now nobody has anything to say but Washington," Betty had +said, and Gilbert had agreed that Cornwallis should at least say, "Spare +me, noble Washington," while Lafayette could make some response to +Washington's speech, which Betty thought far too long, thanking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> the +young Frenchman for his aid to America.</p> + +<p>"I wish Gilbert would let you make up our speeches, Betty," said Ruth, +looking up at her companion with admiring eyes, as the two girls stopped +for a moment at Ruth's door. "It wasn't any play at all until you told +him what to do."</p> + +<p>"It will come out all right," responded Betty. "It's the dressing up +that will be fun. I wish we could get Ned Ferris to play the drum and +march ahead."</p> + +<p>Ruth agreed that a drummer would make it seem more like a triumphant +army.</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose the English officer at your house will really lend you +his red coat?" questioned Ruth.</p> + +<p>Betty laughed. "Of course he will; for he won't know anything about it. +'Tis his best coat, and hangs in a closet in the passage near his room. +He wears it only now and then. I shall just borrow it, and then hang it +back in the closet," declared Betty. "Just as you did your mother's +dress," she added quickly, as if half-afraid of Ruth's disapproval, and +with a "good-bye until to-morrow, Lafayette," she ran quickly down the +street.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> + +<p>Ruth was a little thoughtful as she went into the house. She wished that +she had told Betty that she was sorry about borrowing her mother's dress +without permission, and that it would be wiser to ask the soldier to +lend his coat. Then she remembered that Betty was nearly thirteen, and +of course must know more than a little girl only just past ten.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah greeted her smilingly. "I have been brushing thy mother's +gown, Ruth. 'Twas sadly in need of it, and a tear on the side breadth. +But I have mended it so well that 'twill hardly be noticed, and sponged +and pressed the dress until it looks as well as ever," she said.</p> + +<p>Ruth's face brightened.</p> + +<p>"Oh! I am so glad, Aunt Deborah. Then Mother need not know I wore it, or +that I went to see General Howe. You will not tell her, will you, Aunt +Deborah?" said Ruth eagerly.</p> + +<p>The smile faded from Aunt Deborah's face, and she turned away from Ruth +with a little sigh.</p> + +<p>"No, I will not tell her, Ruth. But thee will surely do that thyself," +she answered.</p> + +<p>"But you say the dress looks as well as ever,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> said Ruth, "and, oh, +Aunt Deborah! It will make Mother feel so bad to know that I was so +thoughtless," and Ruth looked pleadingly toward her aunt.</p> + +<p>"Thee shall settle the matter for thyself, Ruth. But I hope thee will +tell thy mother," responded Aunt Deborah. But Ruth made no reply.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon Winifred came over, and the two little girls sat down +on the back porch to talk over Gilbert's play. Winifred said that the +broomsticks could be dressed up in some blue coverlets, with cocked hats +made from paper, and Ruth promised to help Winifred make the hats.</p> + +<p>"Betty is going to borrow her mother's fine silk cape and bonnet for me +to wear as Lady Washington," Winifred continued eagerly. "Isn't Betty +splendid to let me have the very best part of all, and to get so many +nice things for us to dress up in?"</p> + +<p>"Will she ask her mother for the cape and bonnet?" Ruth questioned.</p> + +<p>"Of course she will," declared Winifred, "and I have thought of +something. We can dress Josephine and Cecilia in their best dresses, +and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> have them sit beside Lady Washington on the top of the grain box."</p> + +<p>Ruth agreed that such a plan would add to the success of Gilbert's play.</p> + +<p>"My mother is coming home in a few days," she said when Winifred said +that she must go home.</p> + +<p>"Well, I guess she will be proud when you tell her that you went to +General Howe and made him find Hero," Winifred replied. For Winifred was +sure that it had been a very courageous act to face the English General.</p> + +<p>"I am not going to tell her a word about it," was Ruth's reply.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<h3>BETTY RUNS AWAY</h3> +</div> + + +<p>The days now passed very quickly for Ruth and her friends. Every day +Betty Hastings, Winifred, Ruth and Gilbert were in the Merrills' garden +or stable at work on the costumes for "America Conquers the Foe." Ned +Ferris, a boy not much older than Ruth, had promised Gilbert to play on +his drum, and to march at the head of the "army"; he would not need to +rehearse, so would not come until the day decided on for the play. Ned +had also offered the loan of his brown pony, a much larger animal than +Fluff, for "Washington" to ride; and now Gilbert, Winifred and Ruth were +all sure that the play would be a success. Betty Hastings was not so +confident. She had begun to fear that it would be no easy matter to +borrow the scarlet coat without the owner's knowledge:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> and she was even +more doubtful in regard to her mother's fine cape and bonnet; but she +said nothing of this to the others.</p> + +<p>If she had known that Gilbert had invited her mother, as well as a +number of other friends of Mrs. Merrill's, to what he described as "a +birthday surprise for my mother," Betty would doubtless have given up +her part; but Gilbert had asked each guest to keep the invitation a +secret; and it was probable that a surprise was in store for +"Cornwallis" as well as for Gilbert's mother.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell returned home from Germantown on the very morning of Mrs. +Merrill's birthday, and Ruth was so delighted at her arrival that she +nearly forgot to ask her mother to come to the play that afternoon, as +Gilbert had requested. Gilbert had said that he wished Mistress Deborah +Farleigh would come with Ruth's mother, but added: "It isn't any use to +ask her, for Quakers don't believe in plays."</p> + +<p>"But this is different; I'm sure she will come," Ruth had responded +eagerly; and had been greatly pleased when Aunt Deborah agreed, saying +that, "'Twas surely a patriotic lesson that she would like well to +see."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell also praised Gilbert's cleverness, and promised to be ready +in good season. "Perhaps I had best wear my brown silk to do credit to +Mrs. Merrill's birthday party," she said, and wondered why Ruth became +so silent and looked so sober. For a moment Ruth was tempted to tell her +mother the whole story of her visit to General Howe; but she resisted +the impulse. "It would spoil everything to make Mother feel bad the very +day she has come home," the little girl assured herself; but she no +longer felt light-hearted, and when her mother patted Hero's head, and +said that she knew he had taken good care of everything in her absence, +Ruth grew even more serious.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah was very quiet; but now and then her eyes rested on Ruth a +little questioningly.</p> + +<p>"I suppose Aunt Deborah is thinking I ought to tell Mother," thought +Ruth, and was glad to hurry away as soon as they finished dinner, saying +she must be in good season, as Gilbert had set three o'clock as the hour +for the arrival of his audience.</p> + +<p>"You must come in through the alley," Ruth reminded her mother and aunt; +for Gilbert<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> had decided that the guests were to be a part of the +surprise for his mother.</p> + +<p>Gilbert was arranging seats for the company just inside the door of the +stable behind a rope stretched from the front to the door of Fluff's +stall. On the previous day the children had made an excursion to Fair +Mount, and had brought home a quantity of blossoming boughs of the white +dogwood, branches of pine, and of flowering elder, and these were used +to make a background for the seats intended for the guests, to hide a +part of the grain-bin, from which Lady Washington was to wave, and made +the stable a very attractive and pleasant place. The guests could look +through the open door into the garden where blue iris, yellow daffodils +and purple lilacs were already in bloom.</p> + +<p>When Ruth came running to the stable Winifred called out to her from the +top of the grain-bin: "Look, Ruth! Look!" and Ruth stopped in the +doorway with an exclamation of surprise. For there was Winifred wearing +Mrs. Hastings' beautiful blue mantle of rich silk, and a bonnet with +soft blue plumes, and beside her sat two other figures that, for a +moment, Ruth believed to be two strange ladies. Then she realized<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> that +Winifred had "dressed up" bundles of hay in two old gowns of her +mother's, with their "heads" crowned by wreaths of leaves and flowers.</p> + +<p>Winifred laughed delightedly at Ruth's astonishment. "You see, Josephine +and Cecilia were not tall enough; and of course Lady Washington ought to +have company," she explained.</p> + +<p>Gilbert, dressed in a blue coat, yellow knee-breeches, and with a +crimson and white scarf pinned across his coat, came to the door. He +wore a cocked hat, and a wooden sword was fastened at his side, and he +endeavored to stand as tall as possible.</p> + +<p>"Betty is waiting for you behind the lilac bushes," he said, and +vanished; and Ruth ran off to the bunch of lilacs behind the stable +where Betty, in a scarlet coat that covered her completely, was holding +Fluff's bridle-rein, and close by stood Ned Ferris beside his brown +pony.</p> + +<p>"Here is your coat and hat, 'Lafayette,'" said Betty, pointing to a +bundle, which Ruth hastened to open.</p> + +<p>The coat was of blue velvet. It was one that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> Betty had found in a trunk +in her mother's attic. There were ruffles of yellowed lace at the +wrists, and tarnished gilt buttons and braid on the shoulders. This old +velvet coat had belonged to Betty's grandfather, and was highly valued +by her father. But Betty had not asked permission to take it.</p> + +<p>Ruth tied up her hair and put on the cocked hat that she had helped +Winifred make; then with Betty's aid she slipped on the velvet coat, and +with the addition of a wooden sword which Gilbert had made for her she +was ready for her part in the play.</p> + +<p>The guests all arrived in good season, and were escorted to their seats +by "Washington" himself, who then ran to the house to announce to his +mother that some friends of hers were in the garden.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Merrill, greatly to Gilbert's satisfaction, did not seem to notice +that he was not dressed as usual, and walked beside him down the garden +path; as a turn in the path brought them in sight of the stable door +Gilbert said:</p> + +<p>"This is a birthday surprise for you, Mother. It's a play, and here is +the programme," and he handed her a strip of white paper bordered with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +a row of stars cut from gilt paper. At the top Gilbert had printed:</p> + +<table summary="Programme for Play" style="margin:auto; font-style:italic; text-align:center; width:20em;"> + +<tr> + <td colspan="2"> + "AMERICA CONQUERS THE FOE"<br /> + A Play<br /> + by<br /> + Gilbert Merrill<br /> + for Mother's Birthday + </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td colspan="2" style="padding-top:1em"> + ACT FIRST<br /> + Cornwallis Begs For Mercy + </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">Cornwallis</td> + <td align="right">B. Hastings</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">Washington</td> + <td align="right">G. Merrill</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td colspan="2" style="padding-top:1em"> + ACT SECOND<br /> + Washington's Triumphant Army Enters<br /> + Philadelphia<br /> + </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">Washington</td> + <td align="right">G. Merrill</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">Lafayette</td> + <td align="right">R. Pennell</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">Lady Washington</td> + <td align="right">Miss Winifred Merrill</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left" style="padding-top:1em">Army<br />Band.</td> + <td></td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p>Mrs. Merrill read the programme admiringly.</p> + +<p>"It is indeed a wonderful birthday surprise, my dear boy," she said +smilingly, "and I am proud of you," and she hurried forward to greet and +welcome her friends, while Gilbert ran to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> summon "Cornwallis" to be +ready for the first act.</p> + +<p>An old horse-blanket, suspended from the hay-loft in the rear of the +stable, served as a curtain behind which knelt Betty in the scarlet +coat. Gilbert now took his place beside her, trying to look stern and +noble. At Gilbert's whistle Winifred, who was in the hay-loft, was to +pull up the blanket by the long strings that Gilbert had skilfully +arranged.</p> + +<p>The whistle sounded clearly. Up rose the curtain. There was an approving +murmur from the audience at the sight of "Cornwallis" on his knees.</p> + +<p>"Spare me, noble Washington!" said Betty, but in rather a feeble voice.</p> + +<p>Washington's right hand was stretched over the head of his conquered +foe.</p> + +<p>"Arise, Cornwallis. Flee for your life. My army is at hand," responded +Washington; and Betty, stumbling a little, escaped from the rear door, +while Washington marched out to meet his army, and the audience +applauded.</p> + +<p>Betty's mother had noticed the red coat, and wondered what English +soldier had consented to lend it for such a purpose. It did not occur<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +to her that Betty had taken it from their lodger's closet.</p> + +<p>When Betty had entered the stable by the rear door and knelt according +to Washington's directions she could hear the murmur of voices.</p> + +<p>"Who is with your mother?" she whispered to "Washington," but there had +been no time to answer, and Betty found herself facing not only +Gilbert's mother but a dozen other ladies of whom her mother was one; +and it was a very anxious and troubled Betty who joined the little group +behind the lilac bushes and, slipping off the red coat, put on an old +coat and hat belonging to Gilbert's father, and with the dressed up +broomsticks, took her place behind Fluff as the "Army."</p> + +<p>Ned Ferris sounded a measured "rat-a-tat-tat" on his drum and strode +toward the entrance to the stable, followed by Washington and Lafayette, +the "Army," and the docile Hero. Lady Washington scrambled from the +hay-loft to the top of the grain-bin, drew her fine silk mantle about +her, and smiled graciously down upon the assembled guests. Mrs. Hastings +looked up at her. "For pity's sake!" her seatmate heard her murmur, "my +best mantle and bonnet!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> + +<p>But at that moment came the quick beat of a drum. Washington's pony, a +little annoyed and nervous, and Fluff, determined to reach his stall as +quickly as possible, although "Lafayette" endeavored to guide him in the +appointed course, entered the stable.</p> + +<p>"Washington" drew rein beneath the grain-bin and lifted his hat to Lady +Washington, who leaned forward to wave in response; but unfortunately +her bonnet strings were not fastened, and the fine bonnet with its blue +plumes fell from her head and went tumbling down almost on Hero's brown +head. In a second the dog had seized it, and forgetting his part in the +procession, jumped this way and that, shaking this new plaything with +delighted satisfaction.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Hastings kept her seat resolutely. It would have been an easy +matter to have stepped from her seat and rescued the bonnet. But Mrs. +Hastings knew that such a movement on her part would have brought +Gilbert's play to an untimely end, and spoiled the pleasure of all the +guests, as well as of the children who took part. So she did not move, +even when Hero fled out into the garden with the plumes grasped in his +teeth. Betty, Ruth and Winifred never<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> forgot that moment, nor the fact +that Mrs. Hastings had apparently not seen what happened. Even in her +fright at the results of her "borrowing" Betty Hastings was very proud +of her mother.</p> + +<p>The drummer played on. The two ponies were swung around face to face; +Washington and Lafayette clasped hands for a moment; then side by side, +with drum playing, but with a silent army, the little procession +vanished through the rear door.</p> + +<p>Gilbert was delighted with his success. It seemed to him that everything +had gone very well, and he was especially grateful to Betty Hastings for +securing the English officer's coat.</p> + +<p>But Betty, having seen the ruin of the bonnet, had suddenly realized +that it was a serious matter to take the belongings of other people +without their permission; and her first thought was of the officer's +coat. Whatever happened she must return that coat to the closet from +which she had taken it as soon as possible. Then she would try and +explain to her mother that she had not meant any harm should befall the +borrowed articles. So, grasping the red coat, Betty opened the door into +the alley and started off as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> fast as she could go; while Ruth, still +wearing the fine velvet coat, crouched down behind the lilac bushes, too +unhappy to care if the play had been a success or not; for as +"Lafayette" faced the audience she had seen that her mother was wearing +the brown silk dress.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX</h2> + +<h3>BETTY'S ADVENTURE</h3> +</div> + +<p>"Come, Ruth, Mistress Hastings is waiting for thy fine velvet coat," and +Ruth looked up to see Aunt Deborah smiling down upon her; and in a +moment the little girl was clinging to Aunt Deborah's arm, and asking +anxiously:</p> + +<p>"Did Mother find the mended place in her dress? Oh, Aunt Deborah! I do +wish I had told her all about it!"</p> + +<p>"Slip off the coat, dear child, and run and tell her now," said Aunt +Deborah, and in a moment Ruth was running across the garden to where her +mother was standing with Mrs. Merrill. Mrs. Pennell smiled down at her +little daughter, and clasping the warm little hand in her own turned +toward the gate.</p> + +<p>In a moment Ruth was in the midst of her story, and Mrs. Pennell +listened without a word until Ruth, breathless and almost in tears, +finished by saying:</p> + +<p>"I didn't think it would hurt the dress,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> Mother! I'm so sorry. And I am +sorry I didn't tell you the moment you got home."</p> + +<p>Ruth felt her hand clasped a little more closely at this; but her mother +made no response until they were in Ruth's pleasant chamber. Then Mrs. +Pennell drew her little girl down beside her on the broad window-seat; +and leaning her head against her mother's shoulder Ruth told of the day +she had stayed up-stairs as a punishment for her thoughtlessness.</p> + +<p>"Mother, you haven't said a word!" Ruth finally exclaimed, looking up +anxiously. "Are you ashamed of me?"</p> + +<p>"Why, I think I am rather proud of my little daughter," was the smiling +response. "You set your own punishment, and I know you will stop and +think when next you plan such a masquerade party. My dress, it seems, is +but little the worse, after all; and Hero is well worth some sacrifice. +Perhaps if you had not been 'dressed up' you would not have been +admitted to General Howe's house, and might not have succeeded in +rescuing Hero," said Mrs. Pennell, stooping down to kiss her little +girl's flushed cheek.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mother! I do love you," exclaimed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> the happy child. "I'll never be +afraid to tell you everything."</p> + +<p>"Of course you will tell me everything. That is what mothers are for," +rejoined Mrs. Pennell. "And now I will take off my silk gown, and you +had best smooth your hair and make yourself tidy for supper."</p> + +<p>"That sounds like Aunt Deborah," said Ruth laughingly. But as she obeyed +her mother's suggestion she thought happily that now Mother was at home +everything was sure to go smoothly.</p> + +<p>When Gilbert's play was over Mrs. Hastings, although sadly troubled over +Betty's "borrowings," and the ruin of her pretty bonnet, complimented +Gilbert and Winifred on the success of the play; and not until she had +chatted for a few moments with Mrs. Merrill did she go to rescue her +valued mantle and the treasured velvet coat. She hoped the English +officer's coat was none the worse for its part in the play; and, like +Betty, she hoped to return it before it was missed by its rightful +owner; for it would be no easy matter to explain why it had been +borrowed, and she knew its loss would make serious trouble.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p> + +<p>She noticed that her mantle was dusty and wrinkled, and that the lace on +the velvet coat was torn. The scarlet coat, however, was not to be +found, and Betty had also disappeared.</p> + +<p>Deciding that she would find her little daughter and the coat safely at +home Mrs. Hastings bade her friends good-bye and started for her walk +home. But she did not find Betty there. Supper time came, and still no +Betty. A servant was sent to Mrs. Merrill's to inquire for the little +girl, but came hurrying back with the tidings that Betty had not been +seen since the end of the play.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Merrill now looked through every room, but Betty was not to be +found. She inquired at the homes of her neighbors, but no one had seen +the little girl.</p> + +<p>The April twilight deepened to dusk; the stars shone out and found Mrs. +Hastings anxious and troubled, for she could find no trace of Betty.</p> + +<p>When Betty ran down the alley she had thought it would be an easy matter +to reach home with the red coat; but she had forgotten that Philadelphia +was full of the King's soldiers, and that a bareheaded little girl +racing down the street with the coat of an English officer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> over her arm +would not escape notice; and she had only reached Second Street when a +passing soldier called to her. His call only made her run the faster, +and the soldier sped after her. If Betty had stopped at once, told her +own name and address, and the name of the owner of the coat, the soldier +would doubtless have taken her directly home and made sure that she had +told him the truth, and it is probable that her troubles would have been +at an end. But Betty was now too frightened to think clearly. She did +not even know the direction in which she ran was straight away from her +home. The English soldier ran clumsily, and Betty, turning quickly into +another street, soon distanced him; but only to run straight into +another soldier, who seized her firmly by both arms, swung her about, +and without a word marched her down the street.</p> + +<p>"Making off with an officer's coat," he said, after what seemed a very +long time to the frightened girl. "What's your name?"</p> + +<p>Betty made no response. She resolved that no one should ever know that +Betty Hastings had been suspected of such a dreadful thing as taking +what she had no right to take.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Won't speak, eh? Well, I'll take you to Captain De Lancy and see what +he has to say to you," said the soldier, and the silent little girl, +still holding the scarlet coat, was led down one street after another +until she saw the shining waters of the Schuylkill River before her, and +the soldier led her up the steps of an old stone house whose garden ran +down to the river. The soldier was evidently familiar with the house, +for he pushed open the door and led Betty into a big pleasant room, and +motioned toward a comfortable chair.</p> + +<p>"You can sit there until the captain comes in; and you had best tell me +your name. 'Twill do you no good to sulk," he said, taking the coat from +her reluctant grasp. But Betty only set her lips more firmly. She +resolved not to speak, no matter what might befall her.</p> + +<p>"Very well, Miss. I'll leave you to find your tongue," said the soldier, +laying the coat carefully over a chair and leaving the room. Betty heard +him turn the key in the lock. She was tired, and leaned back in the +cushioned chair, hardly realizing what had befallen her. She could hear +steps now and then outside the door, and every moment expected that it +would open<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> and the captain of whom the soldier had spoken would appear.</p> + +<p>But the room grew shadowy in the deepening twilight and no one came +near. Betty's thoughts flew homeward to the candle-lit dining-room where +Dinah, the Hastings' colored servant, would be spreading the table for +supper, and Betty realized that she was very hungry.</p> + +<p>She left her seat and tiptoed toward a long window at the further end of +the room. The window looked out into the garden, and Betty instantly +realized that it swung in on hinges and was not fastened, and that it +would be an easy matter to let herself down to the ground.</p> + +<p>"I must take the coat," she thought, and crept back to the chair where +the scarlet coat lay. In a moment she was back at the window and had +dropped the coat to the ground; and now, grasping the window sill with +both hands, she let herself carefully down. Picking up the coat, and +keeping close in the shadow of the house, Betty made her way until she +was near the door through which she had entered the house. She went very +carefully, peering ahead into the shadows, and listening intently for +any sound that might warn her that her flight had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> been discovered. But +she heard no sound, and at last she reached the road.</p> + +<p>"It is too dark for any one to know what color the coat is now," she +thought, as she hurried along.</p> + +<p>Betty realized that she was a long distance from home, but she was sure +that she could soon find her way to some familiar street and then it +would be an easy matter to reach home. Now and then she passed groups of +people homeward bound, or English soldiers sauntering along the street, +and then turning a corner she gave a little exclamation of delight, for +there, close at hand, were the brick walls of Christ Church, its +graceful spire rising against the clear April sky. And now home was near +at hand and Betty quickened her pace. She had almost forgotten her +mother's ruined bonnet and the fact that she had no excuse to give for +borrowing the things for Gilbert's play without permission. All she +could think of was the fact that she was in sight of home. She ran up +the steps and the door opened as if by magic, and Betty's mother clasped +her little girl, scarlet coat and all, in her welcoming arms.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X</h2> + +<h3>THE LOST PROGRAMME</h3> +</div> + +<p>The scarlet coat, after being carefully brushed and pressed, was +returned to its place in the closet; and its owner never knew or +imagined the part it had taken in Gilbert's play. The soldier who had +locked Betty into Captain De Lancy's room, and returned to find that the +silent little captive had outwitted him and made her escape, decided +that it was best to keep the affair to himself, and say nothing about a +little girl with an officer's coat for which she would not account.</p> + +<p>Ruth and Winifred came early the next morning to make sure that Betty +was safe at home, and listened eagerly to the story of her adventure.</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose you could find the way back to the stone house?" +questioned Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I am sure I could," responded Betty;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> but she did not suggest, as +Ruth hoped, that they should all make an excursion to the house by the +river. In fact, Winifred and Ruth both agreed on their way home that +Betty seemed very sober. And it was true that Betty was more quiet than +usual for several days; for she realized that she had had a narrow +escape from a serious punishment. Nor could she forget the pretty plumed +bonnet that Hero had so gaily destroyed. The fact that her mother did +not speak of the bonnet only made Betty the more repentant. She and Ruth +had both resolved that they would not again take for granted that they +could use other people's property without permission.</p> + +<p>"Aunt Deborah is going home to Barren Hill to-morrow," said Ruth, as she +and Winifred came near home; "Farmer Withely is to call for her. You +know he brings in butter and cheese from his farm every Thursday, and +Aunt Deborah will ride home in his wagon. I wish I were going with her."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Ruth Pennell!" said Winifred reproachfully.</p> + +<p>"Well, I do. Barren Hill is half-way to Valley Forge, and perhaps I +could see my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> father. And, Winifred! One day Lafayette stopped at Aunt +Deborah's door! Perhaps I might see him; perhaps he might ask me to +carry a message for him," said Ruth eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Little girls can't carry war messages," Winifred rejoined confidently. +"You are just like Gilbert, always wishing you could do something for +Lafayette. I don't see why. I would rather help Washington."</p> + +<p>"It's because Lafayette came 'way from France," Ruth replied, "and, +anyway, I am going to Barren Hill. Mother says that I may go next +month."</p> + +<p>"I have thought of something!" Winifred announced. "To-morrow you and I +will drive out a little way with your aunt. With Fluff, I mean; and Hero +may go too. I will harness Fluff into the cart, and we will be all ready +to start at the same time they do."</p> + +<p>Ruth agreed that this would be a fine plan, and both the girls were sure +that Aunt Deborah would be pleased that they wished to go a part of the +way with her. They decided to take "Josephine" and "Cecilia," as well as +Hero, with them.</p> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<a name="ILLUS_095" id="ILLUS_095"></a> +<img src="images/illus-095.jpg" width="350" height="503" alt=""IT WAS A FAVORITE PLAY-HOUSE"" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"IT WAS A FAVORITE PLAY-HOUSE"</span> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'>[Pg 95]</span> +"It will make up to them for not taking part in the play," said +Winifred. So much had happened during the past week that Ruth had +entirely forgotten the unfinished chair for Cecilia, but now she spoke +of it to Winifred.</p> + +<p>"I will help you finish it. But let's take our dolls and work into the +garden; it is too warm to stay in the house," she said, and in a short +time the two little girls had brought Cecilia and Josephine, as well as +their sewing bags, to the shade of the wide-spreading maple tree that +grew in the further corner of the Penells' garden. Ruth's father had +built a low seat around this tree, and it was a favorite play-house for +the two little friends. Hero followed them, and stretched himself out at +their feet, quite sure that they were both happier because of his +presence.</p> + +<p>For a little while the girls worked steadily, covering with chintz the +cardboard pieces that would form the chair.</p> + +<p>"I'll put it together," said Winifred, and with skilful fingers she +fastened the seat, back and arms; and with a triumphant "There!" set it +down beside Ruth, who looked at it admiringly, and lost no time in +establishing Cecilia in her new possession. + +<span class='pagenum'> +<a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> +<p>"Wouldn't it be fine if we could make a sofa, and a table and a little +bed for each of our dolls?" suggested Ruth.</p> + +<p>"We can," declared Winifred, "but I think it would be nicer to have the +table and bed made of wood. Let's go in your shed and see if we can find +some nice smooth pieces."</p> + +<p>"And Father's tool box is in the shed," said Ruth, as they left their +dolls in Hero's care and ran across the garden to the shed, whose open +door faced the big maple.</p> + +<p>The shed was nearly square. Beside the wide door there were two windows, +both looking into the garden, and beneath these was Mr. Pennell's +work-bench, and a box containing his treasured tools; and on a long +shelf over the bench were carefully arranged strips and squares of +polished wood. For in the days of peace Mr. Pennell had used his leisure +hours in making frames for pictures, a work-box, desk or light-stand; +and had collected this store of material from many sources. Ruth had +often played about in the shed while her father was at work, but she had +no idea of the value of his store of wood.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Winifred! Look! This will make a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> fine table!" she said, standing +on the work-bench and pulling down a strip of curly maple.</p> + +<p>"And here are some dark shiny strips, just the thing for bed-posts!" +said Winnie, drawing out a slender length of highly polished mahogany. +In a few minutes the two girls had pulled down a number of strips of +wood, had opened Mr. Pennell's tool-chest and taken out a number of +planes, a small saw, gimlets and a hammer.</p> + +<p>"But we haven't any patterns," said Winifred. "You know we had a pattern +for the chair."</p> + +<p>"We don't need any pattern for a table. It is just a top and four legs, +one at each corner," declared Ruth. "We can begin on the table to-day; +then we can look at sofas and beds and make patterns, if we need to."</p> + +<p>"Here is something to measure with," said Winifred, holding up a +foot-rule. "We can make anything! Oh, Ruth! Instead of making doll +furniture let's make truly tables, I am sure some of those pieces are +large enough."</p> + +<p>"Winifred, you always think of just the right thing," Ruth responded +admiringly. "Let's make a table for a present for Betty. She got all +those nice things for us to dress up in, and we have never made her a +present."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span></p> + +<p>Winifred nodded approvingly. She was greatly pleased by Ruth's +admiration, and she thought that Betty would be greatly surprised to +discover that two girls so much younger than herself could really make a +table.</p> + +<p>"Ruth! Ruth!" called Aunt Deborah from the back porch. "Dinner is ready!"</p> + +<p>So the two little girls were obliged to leave their pleasant plans, and, +after promising to return early that afternoon, Winifred started for +home while Ruth ran into the house.</p> + +<p>"My chair is all finished for Cecilia," she announced as she took her +seat at the dinner-table, "and Winifred and I are going to make a table +for Betty."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell and Aunt Deborah both smiled their approval, thinking that +the table for Betty, like Cecilia's chair, was to be made of pasteboard.</p> + +<p>"Thee must bring thy doll to Barren Hill," said Aunt Deborah. "There are +fine places to play in the big barn and in the pine woods, and thy doll +will be company for thee."</p> + +<p>"How soon may I visit Aunt Deborah, Mother?" Ruth asked eagerly. "May I +not go with Farmer Withely next week?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I cannot spare you so soon, Ruthie dear," responded her mother, "and I +will have to ask permission from the English General for you to leave +the town. You see they fear even small Americans," she concluded +laughingly. But before dinner was over it was decided that, if all went +well, Ruth should go to Barren Hill about the first of May. That seemed +a long time to Ruth; but she remembered that Betty's table was not even +begun, and if she and Winifred did decide to make furniture for their +dolls the three weeks that must pass before her visit to Barren Hill +would perhaps be none too long a time.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell had just left the table when there was a rap at the door, +and before any one could respond it opened, and there stood Winifred; +her face was pale and she was evidently frightened.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mrs. Pennell! There are two English officers at our house. They +have come to take Gilbert," she exclaimed, "and they want Ruth too."</p> + +<p>"'Take Gilbert'!" echoed Mrs. Pennell. "What has he done? And what do +they want of Ruth?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh! It's because of the play. Mother lost the programme we made for +her. It blew away, and an English soldier found it; and they are going +to take Ruth too," Winifred finished nearly in tears.</p> + +<p>"I will go and speak with these officers," said Aunt Deborah calmly. +"Thee need not be troubled, Winifred. Thee and Ruth had best come with +me so they can see how dangerous an enemy they have to arrest," and Aunt +Deborah smiled so reassuringly that Winifred took courage, and followed +Aunt Deborah to the door. They were soon in the Merrills' garden, just +in time to meet two English soldiers with Gilbert between them coming +down the steps.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah went forward smilingly.</p> + +<p>"Thee does not mean to take this lad from his home," she said, speaking +to the elder of the two men. "He has done nothing worthy of thy notice, +and his mother can ill spare him."</p> + +<p>"That may be, madam. But we must obey orders. We have to take G. Merrill +and R. Pennell to General Howe," the man answered civilly.</p> + +<p>"Here is R. Pennell," said Aunt Deborah, her hand resting protectingly +on Ruth's shoulder.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> "Surely thee does not mean to take this little +girl?"</p> + +<p>The soldiers seemed somewhat surprised at this, but repeated that they +must obey orders. Gilbert did not seem at all afraid; he took Ruth by +the hand, and told her that it was nothing to be alarmed about. Mrs. +Merrill, Aunt Deborah, Ruth's mother and Winifred kept close to the +"prisoners" as the little party made its way down the street toward the +headquarters of the English General.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI</h2> + +<h3>A LONG ROAD</h3> +</div> + +<p>"What is this?" called a pleasant voice, and the two soldiers halted +instantly and saluted a young officer who blocked their way.</p> + +<p>"If thee please, sir, there has been a mistake made," said Aunt Deborah, +and proceeded to tell the story of the birthday entertainment that the +children had given for Mrs. Merrill.</p> + +<p>The young officer listened gravely.</p> + +<p>"As you say, madam, they are but children; but such games find little +favor among loyal English people," he responded.</p> + +<p>"But thee must remember we are Americans," said Aunt Deborah fearlessly. +The young officer turned and walked beside them. Now and then he smiled +as if amused by his own thoughts, but he said nothing more until they +reached the headquarters of the General.</p> + +<p>"Wait here a moment," he said, and ran up the steps.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I shall tell them that Ruth had nothing to do with it, and that I am +the only one to blame," Gilbert said to Mrs. Pennell. "Of course they +won't punish any one but me."</p> + +<p>Before Mrs. Pennell could reply the young officer appeared at the door, +and came slowly down the steps.</p> + +<p>"Come with me, young sir," he said, resting his hand on Gilbert's +shoulder. "You may take the little girls home, ladies," he added. "I am +quite sure they will not prove a danger to England's cause."</p> + +<p>"I will wait for my son," said Mrs. Merrill. "I do not suppose you mean +to detain him long."</p> + +<p>"I cannot say as to that, madam; but you are quite welcome to wait. If +you will come in I will see that you find a comfortable chair," he +replied courteously.</p> + +<p>"I will wait here," said Mrs. Merrill.</p> + +<p>"And we will wait also," declared Ruth's mother.</p> + +<p>Ruth and Winifred clasped each other's hands as they watched Gilbert +being led up the steps. They thought their mothers were very brave +indeed to reply so calmly to an English officer.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> + +<p>Gilbert was absent not more than a half hour, but it seemed much longer +to the anxious little group. He came down the steps alone, and when his +mother slipped her hand under one arm while Winifred clasped his other +hand he smiled and said: "Humph! All they did was laugh and tell me to +choose a better plot for my next play. They are not soldiers at all. +Why, they asked me if I would not like to take a part in one of Major +André's plays."</p> + +<p>"What did you say, Gilbert?" questioned Winifred.</p> + +<p>"I said '<i>No.</i>' And that's all I said. And I did not thank them for the +offer; and then they laughed more than ever. I wish Washington would +drive them out of Philadelphia," answered Gilbert, who was a trifle +disappointed that the Englishmen had not taken his play more seriously. +He would not have minded if he had been held as a prisoner for a few +days; it would have made him feel that he had really done something to +prove his loyalty to the American cause.</p> + +<p>But Mrs. Merrill was very glad to have her tall son safely beside her, +although she was inclined to agree with him that the gay young<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> English +officers took their duties too lightly. There had been balls at the City +Tavern every week during the winter, and most of the officers seemed to +forget that there were dangers in store for them from the American Army +at Valley Forge.</p> + +<p>Gilbert's adventure made Ruth and Winifred completely forget their plan +to make a table as a present for Betty until late that afternoon; and +then they decided not to begin it until after Aunt Deborah's departure +the next day.</p> + +<p>"Mother has a table shaped like a heart. We could mark a heart on that +square piece of dark wood with chalk and then cut it out," suggested +Winnie. "I am sure Betty would like that better than a plain square +table."</p> + +<p>"Of course she would," agreed Ruth. Neither of the little girls realized +how hard an undertaking it would be to carve a heart-shaped table top +from the square piece of mahogany.</p> + +<p>Ruth was awake at an early hour the next morning. The April sun shone +warmly in through her open window; the robins, who had built a nest in +the hawthorn tree, sang jubilantly as if rejoicing that spring was +really at hand, and Ruth could hear her mother and Aunt Deborah<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> moving +about in the lower rooms. It was just the day for a ride in the country.</p> + +<p>Ruth was glad that Winifred had thought of so pleasant a plan as driving +a part of the way with Aunt Deborah. Both the little girls had taken it +for granted that their mothers would have no objection. Winifred was +used to driving the pony, and had often taken Ruth with her, but they +had never been farther than Fair Mount, a pleasant hill just outside the +town on the Schuylkill River, or along the quiet streets of the town; +but to-day Winifred had said that they would drive until Aunt Deborah +should tell them to turn toward home.</p> + +<p>Farmer Withely usually arrived in the city at an early hour, delivered +his produce, then gave the big brown horse an hour or two rest, and was +ready to start on his return journey directly after dinner.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah did not keep him waiting, and was at the gate with Mrs. +Pennell beside her when the round-faced smiling farmer in his long coat +of heavy blue drilling and his wide-rimmed hat came driving up.</p> + +<p>"Where can Ruth be?" her mother said anxiously, as the farmer lifted +Aunt Deborah's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> trunk into the back of the wagon and stood waiting to +help her mount to the high seat.</p> + +<p>At that moment the pony carriage drew up behind the wagon with Winnie +and Ruth smiling and waving their hands at Aunt Deborah.</p> + +<p>"We are going a little way with you, Mistress Farleigh," called +Winifred.</p> + +<p>"May I go, Mother?" Ruth added.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah was evidently greatly pleased that the little girls had +wished to go a little way with her on her journey home, and Mrs. Pennell +smiled and nodded her consent, thinking that Ruth would be safely back +in an hour at the longest, and waving her good-byes as Farmer Withely +climbed to his seat and the brown horse trotted off, closely followed by +Fluff.</p> + +<p>Down the street they went, turning now into the broader highway and at +last reaching the river road that led straight to Matson's Ford, beyond +which the road led on to Valley Forge.</p> + +<p>As they came in sight of the river the big horse stopped, and in a +moment Fluff was beside the farmer's cart. Aunt Deborah smiled down at +the little girls.</p> + +<p>"'Tis best that thee turn toward home now. And I thank thee both for +coming so far with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> me. 'Twill not be long now, Ruth, before I hope to +see thee at Barren Hill. And thee, Winifred, will be welcome also +whenever thou canst give me the pleasure of a visit."</p> + +<p>Before Aunt Deborah had finished speaking Ruth was out of the pony +carriage and standing on the step of Farmer Withely's cart holding up a +package.</p> + +<p>"Here is something I made for you, Aunt Deborah," she said. Aunt Deborah +reached down and received the small carefully wrapped package.</p> + +<p>"Thank thee, dear child," she said, and Ruth stood by the roadside and +waved a good-bye as the brown horse trotted off at a more rapid pace than +he had traveled through the town.</p> + +<p>"I wish we could have gone farther," she said regretfully as she went +back to her seat beside Winifred.</p> + +<p>"Well, we can. We'll turn up that shady road and see where it goes," +responded Winifred. "What did you give your aunt?"</p> + +<p>"A needle-book. Mother helped me make it. It is of blue flannel, with +embroidered edges, and shaped like a small book, with Aunt Deborah's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> +initials on the cover," said Ruth. "Would it not be pleasant if you +could visit Aunt Deborah when I do?"</p> + +<p>Winifred feared that such a visit would not be possible. But the two +little friends talked of many things as Fluff trotted along the narrow +country road, hardly more than a lane, and sheltered by closely growing +trees. Now and then the road came out into an open space, and there +would be many violets growing close to the roadside. Then the girls +sprang from the cart and gathered handfuls of the fragrant blossoms, +while Fluff nibbled at the grass, or twisted his head to watch his young +mistress. The wild honeysuckle was also in bloom along a sloping +pasture, and Ruth was eager to gather it to take home to her mother. She +climbed up the rough slope, followed by Winifred, and they soon had +large bunches of the delicate blossoms. From the top of the little hill +that they had climbed they could see the distant line of the blue river, +and after roaming about for a time they decided it was time to return to +Fluff and start for home. The pony whinnied a little impatiently and +shook his head at them as they approached.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> + +<p>"He thinks we have stayed too long," said Winifred laughingly. "What +time do you suppose it is, Ruth?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! we can't have been away from home more than an hour," said Ruth; +"but the sky looks cloudy, doesn't it?"</p> + +<p>But it was not clouds that made the sky darken, it was the rapidly +approaching twilight. The tall trees shut out the golden spring +sunshine; and the afternoon had passed so pleasantly that neither Ruth +nor Winifred had any idea that evening was close at hand, or that they +were miles from home in a solitary and unknown road that had seemed to +grow more narrow as they went on.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps we had better turn around now," suggested Winifred a few +moments after they had gathered the wild honeysuckle. "I told Mother we +would be home early. Why, what is the matter with Fluff?" she added in a +startled tone, for the little pony had come to a full stop.</p> + +<p>Both the little girls jumped out of the cart and ran to the pony's head, +which drooped low. Fluff was breathing heavily, and it seemed to +Winifred as if his slender legs trembled.</p> + +<p>"Why, he can't be tired. He had that long<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> rest just now," said Ruth +anxiously. Neither of them realized that ever since leaving the river +the road had run steadily up-hill, or that the pony had been traveling +for a number of hours. Fluff was no longer young, and he had never been +required to go long distances; and now he could go no further.</p> + +<p>"I'll take off his harness," said Winifred quickly. "I hope he isn't +going to have a fit. Ned Ferris's pony has fits." It did not take her +long to set Fluff free from the pony-cart, and he turned a grateful look +toward his little mistress, who began to wish there was a brook or +spring near at hand where the little creature could drink.</p> + +<p>Ruth smoothed Fluff's head, and Winifred with a bunch of wayside grass +rubbed his back and legs.</p> + +<p>"He's going to lie down," said Winifred as Fluff moved his head about +quickly; and in a moment the tired little creature had stretched himself +at their feet.</p> + +<p>"What shall we do? I am sure Fluff can't take us home," exclaimed +Winifred, "and we can't go and leave him here."</p> + +<p>"It can't be very far from home," responded<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> Ruth. "I could go home and +tell Gilbert, and he would come right back for you with Ned's pony."</p> + +<p>"But what could we do with Fluff?" asked Winifred a little despondently. +"He is too tired to drive home."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps he'd be rested enough by that time to go home, if he didn't +have to pull the cart," said Ruth; "anyway, I do think one of us ought +to go home or our mothers will think some harm has befallen us. I'll +stay, if you would rather go."</p> + +<p>But Winifred shook her head. She did not wish to leave the pony; neither +was she pleased at the thought of staying by herself on that lonely +road. At last, however, they decided that Ruth's plan was the best they +could think of, and Ruth started.</p> + +<p>"I'll hurry all the way, Winifred; and Gilbert will come back as fast as +he can," she called as she started to run down the hill.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII</h2> + +<h3>A LONG RIDE</h3> +</div> + +<p>"I wish we had brought Hero," thought Ruth regretfully as she hurried +down the shadowy road, "then he could have come with me for company." +For at the last moment before leaving home the little girls had decided +that it was not best to let Hero accompany them. There was not room for +him in the pony-cart, and for him to race along the streets might well +mean that he would again disappear; so Ruth had been quite ready to +leave him at home. But now she would have been very glad to have him +running along beside her. "Josephine" and "Cecilia" had also been left +behind; in fact neither Winifred nor Ruth had remembered the dolls until +after they had said good-bye to Aunt Deborah. And, while Ruth was +regretting the absence of Hero, Winifred, sitting close beside Fluff, +was wishing that her beloved Josephine was there to keep her company.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It would be a great adventure for Josephine," she thought, looking up +through the overhanging branches of the big oak under which Fluff had +stopped to rest. For a time she amused herself by braiding the long +grass and weaving it about green twigs broken from an elder-bush until +she had made a wide, shallow basket with a handle. Into this she put the +violets and wild honeysuckle, resolving to take it home as a present to +her mother. She put it carefully under the seat of the pony-cart, and +then decided to search for a spring or brook, for she was thirsty.</p> + +<p>Fluff showed no signs of wishing to start for home, or even to eat the +tempting young grass growing near.</p> + +<p>"If I find a brook perhaps I can lead him, and then he will get a good +drink," thought Winifred, crossing the narrow road and pushing aside a +thick growth of wild shrubs.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" she exclaimed, for she had stepped at once on to damp yielding +moss which covered her low cut slippers and wetted her feet as +completely as if she had stepped into a brook. Just beyond this moss lay +a clear little pool of water, evidently fed by springs.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> + +<p>Winifred discovered that the farther, or upper, bank of the pool was dry +and sandy, and in a few moments she was kneeling beside the clear water +and drinking thirstily. She then made her way back to the road, breaking +down branches of the shrubs to make a way for Fluff, who was now on his +feet looking about as if in search of his little mistress.</p> + +<p>"Come on, Fluff," she said coaxingly, grasping the plume-like mane. +"Come and have a drink." The pony moved forward obediently. He hesitated +a moment at having to push his way through the undergrowth, but with +Winifred encouraging and urging him forward he was soon in sight of the +pool, and then sprang forward so suddenly that his mane slid through +Winifred's hands and she found herself on her hands and knees while +Fluff, with his nose in the clear water, was drinking thirstily.</p> + +<p>Winifred laughed as she scrambled to her feet. Her shoes and stockings +were wet and muddy, her pretty blue linen dress was torn, and now she +realized that her hat was gone, that she must have lost it in pushing +her way through the undergrowth; but these things seemed of small +consequence to Winifred just then; for the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> pony, with his forefeet +planted firmly in the shallow water, was evidently more himself than he +had been since he had stopped short under the oak tree.</p> + +<p>"I'll lead him back and harness him into the cart and start after Ruth," +thought his little mistress happily, "and I do believe it is getting +dark!" she added aloud, realizing that the woods seemed very shadowy, as +she made her way toward the pool.</p> + +<p>As she came near Fluff he lifted his head from the water, shook himself +much as a big dog would do, and whinnied with satisfaction. But as +Winifred approached more closely he gave a little dancing step into the +water just beyond her reach.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Fluff! It isn't any time to play games. We must start for home +before it is really dark," said Winifred. But Fluff was now rested, and +free from his harness in a fragrant shadowy wood. He was sure that his +little mistress must be as ready as himself for a game, so he edged +along the pool until a clear space opened before him, and then he +stepped out, and trotted briskly away between the tall trees.</p> + +<p>"Fluff! Fluff!" called Winifred, running<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> after him. "Oh! where did he +go?" for the pony had disappeared as if the earth had swallowed him. +Winifred ran on until her way was blocked by thickly growing underbrush. +Then she turned back, but now she could not find the pool. The shadows +deepened; she could hardly distinguish one tree from another, and there +was no sound or sign from the gray pony.</p> + +<p>"What shall I do?" she said, standing close to the trunk of a pine tree +that rose straight and tall with wide-spreading branches. She realized +that she must now be some distance from the road and the big oak tree +where she had left the pony-cart, and Fluff perhaps was deep in this +wilderness, unable to make his way back; and, worst of all, night was +close upon her.</p> + +<p>It was indeed a dangerous position for a little girl to be alone in a +wilderness as Winifred found herself. It was a time when many wild +beasts still wandered about, often coming near to the outskirts of towns +and villages. Winifred remembered that only a few weeks earlier a +catamount had been killed at Fair Mount, and she knew that in the early +spring bears left the dens where they had slept through the winter,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> and +wandered through the woods eating the tender young buds and leaves. She +crouched closer to the tree as she remembered these things, and then +suddenly she recalled the words that she had worked on her sampler: +"There shall no evil befall thee. For he shall give his angels charge +over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."</p> + +<p>Her mother had traced the words, and Winifred had worked them in dull +blue yarns on the perforated wool cloth. She said them over aloud: "No +evil befall thee," and was no longer afraid. She did not think now of +the beasts of the dark wood, but of a kindly presence that would shelter +her.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps Fluff will come and find me," she thought hopefully. "Anyway, +Ruth will soon be back with Gilbert, and they will call my name, and I +shall call back," and so comforted and encouraged Winifred sat down on +the soft pine spills and leaned back against the tall tree. A pair of +squirrels chattered noisily in the branches; a soft-footed little animal +sped by almost touching her feet, and she could hear faint calls from +nesting birds near at hand.</p> + +<p>"For he shall give his angels charge over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> thee," the little girl +whispered to herself, and soothed and quieted by the spring fragrance of +the wood her eyes closed.</p> + +<p>Ruth, meanwhile, was trudging along the road toward home. She was sure +that she could find the way without any trouble.</p> + +<p>"All I have to do is to turn when I come to the river road and follow it +straight back to the city, and then any one can tell me how to get +home," she thought, hopefully. But she began to think she should never +reach the river road. Her thin shoes were scrubbed and dusty, and she +wondered what Aunt Deborah would say at her untidy appearance.</p> + +<p>Now and then she would quicken her pace and run until she was out of +breath. She began to understand why Fluff was tired out. Just before she +reached the river road there was the sound of breaking twigs, and of +some animal making its way through the woods, and the next moment a deer +followed by a young fawn sprang into the road directly in front of the +surprised and startled little girl; but they vanished before Ruth +realized that they had been within reach of her hand.</p> + +<p>"Oh! I wish Winifred could have seen them,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> she thought. The road now +hardly showed in the thick dusk. Ruth stumbled often, and began to be +both hungry and thirsty. She wished she could stop and rest; but the +thought of Winifred sitting alone under the big oak tree made her +resolve not to stop until she reached home.</p> + +<p>At last she could see an open space ahead, and the dark line of the +river; and at the same moment she heard the sound of trotting feet on +the road behind her and a little gray figure ran swiftly by.</p> + +<p>"That was Fluff! I know it was Fluff," she exclaimed, and called loudly +after the pony. But Fluff did not stop; he knew he was headed for home, +and it was much easier to run along free and unharnessed than to pull a +cart containing two little girls.</p> + +<p>Ruth now hardly knew what to do. Perhaps Winifred might be coming +closely behind the pony.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps I ought to wait and see if she is coming," thought Ruth, +puzzled and uncertain as to the right course to take. Before she could +decide she saw the gleam of a lantern, and heard the wheels of a +carriage coming rapidly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> over the road, and without a moment's +hesitation she called out: "Stop! Please stop!" and heard a familiar +voice respond:</p> + +<p>"It's Ruth. It's Ruth." And the light of the lantern showed Gilbert and +his mother in Ned Ferris's pony-cart.</p> + +<p>In a moment they were standing in the road beside her, and Ruth was +telling the story of the woodland road, and of Winifred waiting beside +the pony-cart under a big oak tree.</p> + +<p>"And Fluff just ran by, headed for home," she concluded.</p> + +<p>"I thought it was Fluff who raced past us. I was sure it was he," said +Gilbert.</p> + +<p>They were now puzzled what course to take. To leave Winifred alone so +far from any human habitation was not to be thought of; neither did Mrs. +Merrill wish Ruth to go on toward home without some one with her.</p> + +<p>"Gilbert, you must go home with Ruth, and I will drive on after +Winifred," she decided. "Mrs. Pennell will be sadly troubled when Fluff +comes running home and she has no news of her little girl. Go as quickly +as you can."</p> + +<p>Gilbert agreed; but he felt a little defrauded as he and Ruth turned +toward home. He would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> have enjoyed going up that dark hillside road, +where it seemed to him some interesting adventure might befall a +traveler.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Merrill, with the lantern fastened to the front of the cart, drove +rapidly up the hill, trying to pierce the dusky shadows of the roadside. +Now and then she called Winifred's name, and listened intently for some +response, but none came.</p> + +<p>At last the light from the lantern showed the pony-carriage in the +shadow of the big oak tree, and in a moment Mrs. Merrill was on the +ground beside it. But Winifred was not to be seen. "Winifred!" she +called over and over, but there was no reply.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII</h2> + +<h3>HOME AGAIN</h3> +</div> + +<p>Winifred awakened suddenly. For a moment she looked about with startled +eyes.</p> + +<p>"Winifred! Winifred!"</p> + +<p>"That is Mother calling," she exclaimed aloud, springing to her feet, +and resting one hand against the smooth trunk of the pine tree. For a +moment she was too surprised and sleepy to respond to the call; then she +called back, "Mother! I'm in the woods!" at the same time moving slowly +around to the other side of the big tree.</p> + +<p>"Oh! There's a light! And there's the road! And there is Mother!" and +stumbling and running Winifred appeared in the road only a short +distance from the flickering light of the lantern.</p> + +<p>"Mother! Mother! Did you come all alone?" called Winifred, as her mother +held her close as if, thought the little girl, "I had been away a long +time."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I thought I was way in the deep woods, and I was close to the road all +the time. But Fluff is lost," she explained, as her mother led her +toward the cart.</p> + +<p>"No, dear; Fluff passed us on our way home, and will probably be safe in +his stall long before we get back," replied Mrs. Merrill, and as they +drove through the darkness she told her little daughter of how troubled +she and Mrs. Pennell had been as the afternoon passed and Winifred and +Ruth failed to return; of Gilbert borrowing Ned's pony, of meeting Ruth, +"and I have been here an hour, calling and calling," she concluded.</p> + +<p>"How sound asleep I must have been not to hear you," said Winifred +happily, snuggling closer to her mother's side.</p> + +<p>"After Fluff ran off I began to be frightened," she continued. "I +thought of catamounts and bears; and then I thought of my sampler."</p> + +<p>"Your sampler?" repeated Mrs. Merrill, not understanding just what +Winifred meant.</p> + +<p>"Yes, Mother dear! Don't you remember the words you traced on it? 'There +shall no evil befall thee. For he shall give his angels charge over +thee, to keep thee in all thy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> ways,'" repeated the little girl. "I +kept saying it over and over and I was not afraid."</p> + +<p>For a moment Mrs. Merrill did not reply. She stooped and kissed her +little daughter, and then said: "That was right, dear child."</p> + +<p>It was nearly midnight when Mrs. Merrill and Winifred reached home, and +Gilbert lifted a very sleepy little girl from the pony-cart. "Mrs. +Pennell and Ruth are here," he said, "and she has some hot broth ready."</p> + +<p>Gilbert looked after Ned's pony before following his mother and sister +into the house. Mrs. Pennell had already prepared his supper and he had +eaten it with Ruth on reaching home after their long walk; but that +seemed a long time ago, and he was quite ready to sit down at the +candle-lit table and join the others. The hot broth, toast and damson +preserves were very welcome to Winifred and her mother. The little group +around the table were all too tired to talk much, but they smiled +happily at one another, rejoicing that they were all safe and at home.</p> + +<p>It was decided that Mrs. Pennell and Ruth should stay the remainder of +the night with the Merrills.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Hero will take care of our house," Ruth said confidently, as she and +her mother entered the pleasant chamber where they were to sleep.</p> + +<p>"Mother, you never scold me, do you?" she said, just as Mrs. Pennell +extinguished the candle, and smiled happily to herself at her mother's +little laugh.</p> + +<p>"Why, Ruthie dear! I should hope not. You know 'scold' is an ugly word. +There is nothing about it that is fair. It means to 'find fault,' which +is never quite fair; do you think it is?" and Ruth agreed that "scold" +had an ugly sound.</p> + +<p>"We didn't mean to stay away and to worry you," said Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Of course you didn't, dear child. Go to sleep," replied her mother, who +was thinking to herself that no other little girl was as dear and good +as her own little daughter. And, strange as it may seem, Mrs. Merrill +was thinking that very same thing about Winifred.</p> + +<p>How much there was for the two little friends to talk about the next +day! Gilbert and Fluff had started off at an early hour to bring home +the pony-cart, and early in the afternoon Betty Hastings came to see +Ruth. She knew nothing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> about the adventure of the day before, and +listened eagerly to Ruth and Winifred as they told of the lonely road, +the coming of darkness, and of the deer and fawn that Ruth had seen.</p> + +<p>The two younger girls looked at Betty admiringly as they all sat +together in Mrs. Pennell's front room. Betty's smooth brown curls under +her pretty white straw hat, her shining brown eyes and pleasant smile, +and the pretty dress of blue and white plaid, made her well worth their +approving glances. Both Ruth and Winifred wondered to themselves why it +was that Betty's hands were always clean, her hair smooth, and her dress +always neat and in order. They decided, as they had often done before, +that it was because Betty was so nearly grown up, nearly thirteen. They +were quite sure that being tidy and careful was a gift that came with +years.</p> + +<p>Ruth always liked to have Betty come to see her.</p> + +<p>"It's just like really being grown up when Betty comes," she had +explained to her mother, "because we always sit in the front room, and +never play dolls." So this afternoon when Mrs. Pennell brought in a tray +with the little silver<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> pitcher and sugar bowl, the lustre teapot, and +the treasured Canton cups and saucers, together with a plate of round +frosted cakes, and Ruth had the pleasure of giving Betty and Winifred a +cup of "real tea" she felt herself the most fortunate little girl in +Philadelphia.</p> + +<p>"'Tis not a taxed tea," Mrs. Pennell declared smilingly; for Americans +had refused to receive any tea on which the Government of Great Britain +demanded an unlawful tax.</p> + +<p>"I came to ask you and Winifred to a May party," said Betty, when she +was ready to start for home. "My mother says I may invite a dozen girls +to go Maying to some pleasant place on the river, where we can gather +flowers, put up a May-pole, and have a picnic lunch. Mother will get +some one to drive us all out in a big wagon."</p> + +<p>Both Ruth and Winifred were delighted at the invitation, and thanked +Betty. May-day was nearly two weeks distant, but they were glad to have +so pleasant an invitation. And the front door had hardly closed behind +their visitor when Ruth exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"We must begin on that table right away, Winifred, so that it will +surely be finished by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> May-day. I have just remembered that May first is +Betty's birthday! Her mother always has a party for her."</p> + +<p>"So it is!" responded Winifred, as she followed Ruth toward the shed.</p> + +<p>There was a piece of chalk in the drawer of the work-bench, and Ruth, +laying the square of smooth dark wood on the top of a barrel, began to +mark a large heart, while Winifred stood beside her watching admiringly.</p> + +<p>"There!" Ruth exclaimed, as her rather uneven chalk line came to an end. +"I guess that is enough to go by. We can make the edges smooth with some +of the tools."</p> + +<p>Winifred agreed promptly. "I'll make the legs," she volunteered.</p> + +<p>"Be sure and have them all the same length," advised Ruth. "You can take +this chalk and mark the places where to saw;" and in a few moments +Winifred with a small sharp saw was endeavoring to cut through the +strips of hard wood selected for table legs, while Ruth with a sharp +knife tried in vain to make some impression on the square of mahogany. +Snap! went the slender knife-blade!</p> + +<p>"Oh, Winifred! quick! I've cut off my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> thumb!" screamed Ruth, as she +raced past the horrified Winifred and ran into the kitchen calling: +"Mother! Mother!"</p> + +<p>In a moment her mother was beside her; the injured thumb was bathed and +bandaged, and Ruth was explaining, with Winifred's help, how the +accident occurred. It was really a deep cut, and it was no wonder that +the little girl had been frightened.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell went to the shed with the little girls, and looked with +troubled eyes at the cherished pieces of polished wood, and the fine +tools scattered about the floor.</p> + +<p>"We must put all these tools carefully back in the chest, and the wood +on the shelf just as your father left it. Winifred will help me, for you +must not use your hand, Ruth," she said.</p> + +<p>"But, Mother, we want to make a heart-shaped table for a birthday +present for Betty," Ruth explained. "Mayn't we use Father's tools?"</p> + +<p>"No, my dear. It would have been a very serious thing if you had spoiled +any of his saws or planes. And those strips and squares of wood are +valuable. Besides that you and Winifred are not accustomed to the use of +tools;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> and you might really have cut off your thumb instead of only +cutting it," said Mrs. Pennell. "I am to blame that I did not tell you +how much your dear father valued these tools and wood."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mother! You are never to blame. I ought to have asked you," Ruth +declared.</p> + +<p>"Well, my dear, I really think it would have been wiser. But now we must +think of something else as a present for Betty. With that hurt thumb, +Ruth, I am afraid you cannot make her anything," responded her mother, +leading the way to the seat under the maple tree.</p> + +<p>"Now, let us all try and think of something that Betty would like for a +birthday gift," she continued, as they all sat down. Hero came bounding +across the yard, and took his usual place at Ruth's feet.</p> + +<p>"I know! I know exactly what Betty would like," declared Ruth, "and I am +sure I could help make it. Candy! She loves candy. Can I not use some of +your sugar, Mother, to make some heart-shaped sweets?" For Ruth had some +tiny heart-shaped molds of tin, into which hot candy mixture could be +turned, and that when cool came out in perfect shapes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That will be better than a table," said Winifred eagerly, "and I know +my mother will give me some sugar for such a purpose. And, Ruth! we can +make a heart-shaped box of paper to put it in."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell listened smilingly as the two little girls made their plan +for their friend's birthday gift. She promised to give them a portion of +her scanty store of sugar.</p> + +<p>"You will not need to make it for a week to come; and Ruth's thumb will +be well by that time. You may have the kitchen to yourselves on the last +day of April," she said.</p> + +<p>Ruth quite forgot the ugly cut in her excitement over the proposed +candy-making.</p> + +<p>"I am glad May is only ten days away," she said. "Just think of all that +is going to happen next month! Betty's birthday picnic, and my visit to +Aunt Deborah! And perhaps even more than that. Perhaps I shall see +Lafayette! And perhaps the English will leave Philadelphia."</p> + +<p>Both her mother and Winifred laughed at Ruth's eager prophecy.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV</h2> + +<h3>THE CANDY DISAPPEARS</h3> +</div> + +<p>Gilbert and Winifred often talked to Ruth of their soldier brother, Vinal; +and she never tired of hearing the story of a midnight visit he +had made during the previous winter.</p> + +<p>He had arrived home late one afternoon, coming up the street as if there +were not an English soldier in the city, and had stayed the night in his +own home, departing early the next morning for Valley Forge. It was just +such an adventure as the children admired, and would have well liked to +have had some part in.</p> + +<p>Gilbert had reluctantly given up the plan of changing his name to +Lafayette. No one seemed to remember his wish, and after a few weeks he +no longer reminded Ruth or Winifred.</p> + +<p>As the time of Ruth's visit to Barren Hill drew near she made many +pleasant plans of all she would see and do while at Aunt Deborah's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +square stone house, and recalled all that her aunt had told her of the +beehives in a sunny corner of the garden, the flocks of chickens, the +many birds that nested safely in the orchard trees, and the big attic +that would be such a fine play-house on stormy days. But most of all +Ruth thought of the fact that Barren Hill was only ten miles distant +from Valley Forge, and that there might be some way in which she could +see her father.</p> + +<p>"I wish I could find out that the English were going to leave +Philadelphia, and then I would have good news for Father," she thought. +"Or if I could carry a fine present for Father to give Lafayette." But +there seemed little prospect that a little girl like Ruth could be the +bearer of good news to the troops at Valley Forge, or of a present to +the gallant young Frenchman.</p> + +<p>Ruth's thumb healed in a few days, so that she could help her mother in +the garden, and do her usual work about the house. Every morning, +directly after breakfast, was the lesson hour, when Mrs. Pennell and +Ruth would sit down in the dining-room and, as Ruth had described it to +Aunt Deborah, "Tell stories."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> + +<p>There were "history" stories, and these Ruth liked best of all. One was +the story of the first Quaker emigrants who came to Philadelphia in +three small ships, bringing a friendly letter from the good-natured King +Charles to the Delaware Indians. She liked to hear how these people +sailed safely across the Atlantic and came up the Delaware, and first +found shelter in caves along the river's bank, and then built themselves +log cabins, and big strong houses.</p> + +<p>Then there were stories of the stars, by which sailors steered their +course at sea, and there were stories of birds and beasts, and a very +amusing game in which a small girl from Japan and another from China, +and a little black girl from Africa, each recited the way children were +taught in those countries.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell did not always tell the stories, no, indeed! Often Ruth +would be asked to tell the story of William Penn, or perhaps to draw a +little picture of certain constellations. And always there was the +adding of apples, the dividing of apples into four parts and eight +parts, which Mrs. Pennell called "Fractions." And after this pleasant +hour there were the neat stitches to be set in apron, dress, or +handkerchief.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p> + +<p>Nearly every child had regular tasks; they were taught to use their +hands as well as their eyes and thoughts, and Ruth was very proud that +she could hemstitch nicely, and "set the heel" of a stocking, and finish +off its toe.</p> + +<p>After Vinal brought the letter from Ruth's father Mrs. Pennell seemed +more cheerful, and often said that she was sure it would not be many +months before Philadelphia would be rid of the enemy.</p> + +<p>Ruth and Winifred counted the days until the last day of April, when +they were to make the candy as a present for Betty. The pretty +heart-shaped box that was to hold it was already finished. Mrs. Pennell +had helped them make it. She had carefully shaped it from pasteboard, +and then, with a flour paste, the little girls had covered it carefully +with some pretty bits of wall-paper. The cover had three tiny hearts cut +from gilt paper, and Ruth and Winifred were both sure that Betty would +be much pleased by their gift, especially when she opened it and found +it full of sweets.</p> + +<p>Ruth had just finished her lesson hour on the morning of the day before +the May-day picnic, when Winifred appeared. She brought a package<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> of +sugar that her mother had given her as her share for the candy, and the +two little girls ran to the kitchen, which they were to have quite to +themselves for their candy-making.</p> + +<p>The family cooking was done over the bed of coals in the fireplace, and +Ruth brought out a saucepan, a big spoon, and some sugar from the +pantry, and talking happily of the pleasures of the coming day the two +little friends measured their sugar and set the saucepan over the coals, +while Ruth, spoon in hand, watched it carefully, while Winifred stood +close by ready to help.</p> + +<p>It was a great event to be permitted to make candy, and both Winifred +and Ruth decided that it would be a much more acceptable present than a +table.</p> + +<p>In a short time the melted sugar, flavored with rose leaves, was ready +to be turned into the tiny heart-shaped molds, and set to cool on the +window ledge.</p> + +<p>"Let's go out in the garden," suggested Ruth. "If we stay in here we +shall keep looking at the candy to see if it is ready to turn out, and +it will seem forever." So they went out to the seat under the maple +tree, played with Hero, talked about the May party and the time, now<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> +near at hand, when Ruth would go to visit Aunt Deborah, and nearly an +hour passed before they returned to the kitchen.</p> + +<p>"Why, where are the molds?" exclaimed Ruth. "Where is the candy?" +demanded Winifred, and they looked at the vacant window-sill where they +had left the sweets to cool.</p> + +<p>"Mother must have put them in the pantry," said Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Of course," Winifred agreed, and the little girls exchanged a smile of +relief as they both turned toward the pantry.</p> + +<p>But the candy was not there.</p> + +<p>"I'll run and ask her where she put it," said Ruth, and hurried off to +find her mother who was busy in one of the upper rooms.</p> + +<p>"But I have not been down-stairs, dear child," Mrs. Pennell replied. +"You do not suppose the molds have fallen out of the window?" she asked, +and without stopping to answer Ruth ran back to the kitchen, and leaned +out of the window, but there was no candy to be seen.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Ruth! The box is gone, too! Some one must have come in and taken +it!" said Winifred; and, sure enough, the pretty box had disappeared +from the table as well as the molds<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> from the window. Both the little +girls were ready to cry with disappointment.</p> + +<p>They knew that each of the other guests would bring Betty a present, and +they knew also that their mothers could not spare any more sugar for +candy. Besides this the pretty box was gone, and they had no more bits +of paper to make another.</p> + +<p>"I shan't go to the party," Ruth declared. "And who could have been mean +enough to take the candy?"</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell was nearly as troubled as Ruth and Winnie. It was evident +that some one must have entered the house by the front door, taken the +candy, and made off while the girls were in the garden. She feared that +other things must have been taken, but a careful search proved that +nothing else was missing.</p> + +<p>Winifred agreed with Ruth that they did not wish to go to the party +without a present for Betty. "And now it is too late to even think of +anything," she said as she started for home, leaving Ruth puzzled and +unhappy, and wondering to herself if perhaps some ill-natured fairies +had not made off with the sweets. The more Ruth thought of this the more +convinced she was that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> it was what had happened. She remembered hearing +queer little noises at her window that morning that she had thought were +made by the birds nesting in the hawthorn. Now she said to herself that +it must have been fairies coming into the house. "And because I did not +make them welcome they have taken the candy," she decided, remembering a +fairy tale that Mrs. Merrill had once told the two girls in which +children had always welcomed fairies who came tapping at the windows of +a spring morning, by singing:</p> + +<table summary="poem"> +<tr><td> +<p> +"Welcome, fairies good and kind;<br /> +Come in, come in, and welcome find."<br /> +</p> +</td></tr> +</table> + +<p>In the story the fairies had brought wonderful gifts, but if they had +not been welcomed they would have taken the children's dearest +possessions, which could only be recovered by walking around the garden +just before sunrise and bowing low three times to the lilac, three times +to a robin, and three times with your eyes shut tight, repeating each +time:</p> + +<table summary="poem"> +<tr><td> +<p> +"Fairies, fairies, here I bow.<br /> +Will you kindly pardon now<br /> +That I did not hear or see<br /> +When you came to visit me?"<br /> +</p> +</td></tr> +</table> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p> + +<p>Ruth was glad that she could remember it.</p> + +<p>"I'll get up before sunrise to-morrow morning and do exactly as the +little girl did in the story when the fairies brought back her silver +heart, and then probably when I open my eyes there will be the box and +the candy," thought Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Why, of course, it was because the box and the candies were +heart-shaped," she decided; "that's another reason I'm sure it was +fairies. It will be splendid if I can get them back. I won't tell +Winifred until after breakfast to-morrow. Won't she be surprised?"</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell wondered a little that Ruth was in such good spirits the +rest of the day, after the disappearance of the candy, and that she was +so ready to go to bed at an hour earlier than the usual time.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV</h2> + +<h3>A FAIRY STORY</h3> +</div> + +<p>When Gilbert took the pan of candy-molds from the open window of Mrs. +Pennell's kitchen, and, reaching in captured the heart-shaped box from +the table, his only intention was to keep them just long enough to +puzzle Ruth and Winifred and then return them. When the girls came back +to the kitchen he had run into the shed, and set box and pan in the open +drawer of the work-bench and closed it quickly, and had then gone home +to attend to some garden work, meaning to come back in an hour at the +longest; but his mother had sent him on an errand, and it was noon +before Gilbert remembered the candy; and then Winifred was telling the +story of its disappearance:</p> + +<p>"You wouldn't think any one would be so mean as to take our candy," she +concluded, and Gilbert felt his face flush uncomfortably, and realized +that it was going to be very difficult to explain what he had intended +for a joke to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> Ruth and Winifred. In some way he must get that candy and +box back to the place from which he had taken it, or else tell the girls +what he had done; and this last alternative would be unpleasant. All +that afternoon he was on the alert for a chance to slip into the +Pennells' garden, enter the shed and rescue the hidden sweets; but the +day was warm and pleasant, and Ruth and Winifred with their dolls and +Hero were out-of-doors playing about in the shade of the maple tree +until it was too late for Gilbert to carry out his plan; so that he was +as uneasy and troubled as Ruth or Winifred over the missing candy, and +not until evening could he think of any way to recover it.</p> + +<p>He was just closing the stable for the night when he noticed the shallow +basket of woven grass and twigs which Winifred had made on the eventful +afternoon's journey along the river road. The violets and wild +honeysuckle were now only dried up stems; but the basket looked +serviceable and attractive. Gilbert smiled as he picked it up. He knew +now exactly what he would do: he would get up very early the next +morning, gather daffodils and iris and then take the basket to Mrs. +Pennell's shed,—take the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> candy from the molds, fill the box, and +setting the box in Winifred's grass basket cover it with flowers; then +he would hang it to the knocker of the Pennells' front door.</p> + +<p>"The girls will think the fairies did it for a May-day surprise," he +chuckled to himself, remembering that Winifred could never quite decide +about fairies: if there really were such wonderful little people or not.</p> + +<p>So Gilbert was up before sunrise the next morning, and with a friendly +word to Hero, found it an easy matter to enter the shed quietly and take +the candy and box from the bench drawer. In a few moments he had filled +the box skilfully without breaking one of the tiny hearts, set it in the +basket and covered it with the spring blossoms. He was just about to +leave the shed when he heard a voice, and peering out saw Ruth bowing to +the lilac tree and saying in a low voice:</p> + +<table summary="poem"> +<tr><td> +<p> +"Fairies, fairies, here I bow.<br /> +Will you kindly pardon now<br /> +That I did not hear or see<br /> +When you came to visit me?"<br /> +</p> +</td></tr> +</table> + +<p>"Jiminy! It's that old fairy story Mother tells; and Ruth believes it," +thought Gilbert,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> as he watched Ruth bowing low to a startled robin, +which flew up to a higher branch in the hawthorn tree. She was so much +absorbed in what she was doing that she did not hear the stealthy step +behind her on the soft grass as Gilbert swiftly set down the mold pan +and the basket, and flew back to the shop. He had just reached its +shelter when Ruth turned to go back to the house and saw the basket.</p> + +<p>She looked at it for a moment as if she could hardly believe her eyes; +and as she stooped to pick it up Ruth fully expected that basket, pan +and tin molds would all vanish from sight. But no! They were real; and, +quite as Ruth expected, the box, filled with candy hearts, was under the +flowers.</p> + +<p>"Oh! what will Winifred say?" she whispered to herself. And then she +bowed to the lilac tree and to the robin, and said, "Thank you, kind +fairies. I will always know now that you are true and kind," and then +Ruth ran into the house to wake up her mother and tell her this +wonderful story, and show her the basket in proof of the fairies' visit.</p> + +<p>Gilbert hurried home. He was delighted with the success of his plan, but +a little troubled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> that Ruth should believe so implicitly that fairies +had first taken and then returned the candy.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell listened to Ruth's story and looked at the basket with as +much wonder and surprise as even Ruth could expect. Although she did not +deny that fairies had a hand in the return of the candy, she endeavored +to explain to herself just how it could have occurred. But she +remembered how much happiness she herself had had as a small girl in +believing in good fairies, and was quite willing that her own little +daughter should have the same pleasure.</p> + +<p>The Merrills were just sitting down to an early breakfast when Ruth came +over to tell Winifred that the candy had been found, but she did not +tell all the story, for she knew Gilbert laughed at fairies.</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you all about it on the way to Betty's," she said, for it had +been arranged that Betty's guests should all meet at her house, where +the wagons would be in readiness to take them to a favorite picnic +ground, a green sloping field on the banks of the Schuylkill River, +where there were groups of wide-spreading elms and where many spring +flowers grew.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span></p> + +<p>Winifred was so eager to hear about the return of the candy that she +could hardly wait to finish her breakfast. Ruth had not lingered after +telling the great news, but had run home to make ready for the picnic.</p> + +<p>Gilbert continued to feel uneasy about his part in the fairy story, and +after Ruth and Winifred had started for the May party he followed his +mother into the garden and offered to help her transplant the young +seedlings.</p> + +<p>"Mother, do you think there is any harm in believing in fairies?" he +asked, and before his mother could reply Gilbert was telling her the +story.</p> + +<p>"Ruth seemed more pleased about the fairies than she did to get the +candy back," he concluded, "and I don't think there is any harm in +fairies, do you?"</p> + +<p>"Why, no, Gilbert! I am always hoping that they really are true," +replied his mother smilingly.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mother! You are as bad as Ruth," laughed Gilbert; "but do you think +I ought to tell Ruth that I hid the candy, and then brought it back?"</p> + +<p>"No, not at present. Some time in the future<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> you can tell Ruth about +it, if you wish, but I think it would be too bad to spoil her pleasure +to-day. But perhaps you had better ask Mrs. Pennell, and then do +whatever she thinks best," replied his mother.</p> + +<p>The thought of telling Mrs. Pennell of his mischievous act made Gilbert +rather uncomfortable, but he responded promptly:</p> + +<p>"All right, Mother. I'll go now," and ran toward the house to wash his +hands before presenting himself at Mrs. Pennell's door.</p> + +<p>"So that was it. I could not imagine how it happened," said Mrs. Pennell +when Gilbert had told of hiding the candy, and of meaning to return it +as a May basket. She agreed with Mrs. Merrill that Ruth could be told +the facts later on, and did not seem to feel that Gilbert's joke had +been anything but natural and harmless, so Gilbert returned home with an +untroubled mind.</p> + +<p>Betty had asked her little guests to be at her house at half-past ten +o'clock, and when Ruth and Winifred came down the street they saw a big +wagon with two big brown horses standing in front of Betty's house; just +behind the big wagon was a smaller one which Dinah was helping to load +with baskets and packages.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That's the lunch wagon," said Winifred. "Oh, Ruth! I'm sure we are +going to have a beautiful time. What do you suppose Betty will say when +you tell her about the fairies?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know. But probably she will think she is lucky to have a basket +made by fairies," responded Ruth, who did not know the story of the +basket that she carried so carefully.</p> + +<p>"I made that basket. Truly I did, Ruth," Winifred declared eagerly.</p> + +<p>Ruth's smile vanished. She stood still and looked at Winifred +accusingly.</p> + +<p>"Then I suppose there weren't any fairies at all? If you made the basket +you probably put the candy in it and set it in my garden for me to find. +And you let me tell you all about bowing to the lilac tree, and never +said a word," exclaimed Ruth; "and I suppose you have been laughing at +me all the time," she concluded, a little choke coming in her throat at +the thought that her best friend, as well as the fairies, had failed +her.</p> + +<p>Before Winifred could say a word Ruth ran ahead as fast as she could go. +Betty was on the steps, and a number of the girls who were going on the +picnic were with her. She greeted Ruth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> warmly, and when Ruth explained +that the basket was from Winifred and herself Betty was greatly pleased. +She was looking at the basket and box admiringly when Winnie appeared.</p> + +<p>"Did Ruth tell you that is a fairy present?" she asked eagerly, and at +the little chorus of laughter and questions, Winifred went on and told +the story just as Ruth had told it to her, while Ruth stood by looking +rather sulky and unhappy. The moment Winifred finished Ruth stepped +forward and said:</p> + +<p>"That's a good story, but it isn't true. About the fairies, I mean. Not +one word of it. And Winifred knows it isn't."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI</h2> + +<h3>BETTY AND ANNETTE</h3> +</div> + + +<p>The girls' laughter ceased, and they looked at Ruth a little +questioningly as if expecting that she would explain. But it was Betty +who, slipping her arm around Winifred, said pleasantly: "Well, we are +all obliged to Winnie for telling us such a beautiful story. And I am +sure it is just what the fairies would do if they happened to think of +it."</p> + +<p>Winifred looked up at the older girl gratefully, but she felt very +unhappy. She could not understand why Ruth, her very best friend, should +have turned against her, and denied the story.</p> + +<p>Ruth stood, sulky and silent, and a little ashamed, as the other guests +arrived; and when Betty declared that it was time to start and led the +way toward the big wagon, Ruth walked alone and was the last one of +Betty's guests to climb up to her seat.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> + +<p>There were ten little girls in the party, and Black Jason, Dinah's +husband, was to drive the team. Mrs. Hastings sat on the back seat +between Betty and Ruth; the small wagon with the good things for the +birthday luncheon followed close behind, driven by a friend of Jason's.</p> + +<p>The other girls laughed and talked merrily as the big horses trotted +briskly through the streets leading to the river. But Ruth was silent, +except when Mrs. Hastings spoke to her; then she answered as pleasantly +as possible, but she had no pleasure in the ride. Now and then they +passed groups of English soldiers; and as they turned into the river +road several red-coated officers on horseback rode past them.</p> + +<p>"We wish you a happy May, young ladies," called one of the officers, +bowing very low as he rode past the wagon filled with happy girls.</p> + +<p>There was no response to his polite salutation; for even the children of +the historic city resented the presence of the English soldiery.</p> + +<p>"Mother, sing your May-day song," suggested Betty.</p> + +<p>But Mrs. Hastings shook her head laughingly.</p> + +<p>"I must save that for our dance round the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> May-pole," she replied, "and +we shall soon be at the picnic field now."</p> + +<p>The field was very near the place where Ruth and Winifred had turned +into the hill road, and the May party reached it after not more than an +hour's ride. Black Jason drove through the field toward the river bank, +and stopped under a group of tall elms. In a few moments the girls were +scattered about searching for flowers. Black Jason and his friend +unloaded the lunch wagon, and then Mrs. Hastings called the girls to +decide on the best place to erect the May-pole, a fine birch tree that +Black Jason was now chopping down.</p> + +<p>"There are so many good places!" exclaimed Betty, looking about the +smooth field. "I think this is the best," she decided finally, as, with +her guests beside her, she stopped near the edge of a wood.</p> + +<p>It was just the place for a May-pole, the other girls declared, as they +looked about; and Black Jason and his friend set up the tall birch tree, +whose green branches were more beautiful than any decoration that the +girls could have imagined. While Mrs. Hastings and Betty spread the +lunch in the shade of the woods, the other<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> girls gathered flowers and +wove garlands for each other, and talked happily together. Ruth found +herself seated beside Annette Tennant, a girl about Betty's age.</p> + +<p>"I will give you my wreath, and you can give me yours," said the older +girl. "You are rather young to be asked to this party," she continued, +looking at Ruth.</p> + +<p>"I am nearly eleven," replied Ruth. "Winifred Merrill isn't any older +than that."</p> + +<p>"I noticed there were two little girls," rejoined Annette +condescendingly. "You mustn't mind if most of us are older. I always +like children," went on Annette, who was even taller than Betty +Hastings, and whose yellow hair was braided neatly and wound around her +head.</p> + +<p>Ruth made no reply. She was feeling a little ashamed that she had +declared Winifred's story to be untrue. Even if Winnie had set the +basket in the garden and let her go about bowing to trees and birds Ruth +felt that she herself had been rude and unkind.</p> + +<p>"What made that other child tell all that rigmarole about fairies?" +questioned Annette. "I was glad when you spoke up and said that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> it was +not true. Of course we older girls knew she was making it up."</p> + +<p>Suddenly Ruth became perfectly sure that Winifred had had nothing to do +with the discovery of the candy, and that Winifred had really believed +the fairies had brought it back, using her basket for the purpose.</p> + +<p>"Winifred didn't make it up," declared Ruth. "It was exactly as she told +it. The fairies did take away the candy, and bring it back."</p> + +<p>Annette stopped weaving the vines and flowers, and jumped up.</p> + +<p>"Well, you are a very funny child. You tell us all that Winifred Merrill +made up a story, and now you tell me that it was true," she exclaimed +scornfully. "You need not give me your garland; I don't want it, or +anything to do with you," and before Ruth could say a word in reply +Annette had joined a group of the older girls, and was evidently telling +them her opinion of Ruth Pennell.</p> + +<p>Ruth looked down through a blur of tears at the wreath she was making. +She could hardly see the flowers in her lap.</p> + +<p>"I wish I had stayed at home. I hate grown-up girls," she thought +bitterly, wishing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> herself in her own garden with Hero and Cecilia for +playmates.</p> + +<p>The sound of Betty's voice calling to her guests that luncheon was ready +made Ruth look up. She saw the other girls walking toward the shade of +the tall elms where Mrs. Hastings stood waiting for them. Winifred was +evidently in high favor; Annette walked on one side and Mary Pierce on +the other, each with an arm about the pleased but somewhat embarrassed +Winifred.</p> + +<p>"Ruth! Ruthie Pennell! We are all waiting for you," called Betty, and +Ruth followed the others.</p> + +<p>It was evident at once that none of the girls meant to sit beside Ruth +if it could be avoided. Annette had declared that she believed Ruth to +be a mischief-maker, and untruthful, and that it was the duty of the +older girls to "teach her a lesson."</p> + +<p>"We must let the child realize that older girls don't approve of such +things," Annette had said, and the others agreed that the best way to +express their disapproval was to leave Ruth to herself as much as +possible.</p> + +<p>Winifred was now more puzzled than ever.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> + +<p>When Annette had repeated Ruth's declaration that Winifred's story was +true, that fairies had returned the candy, she did not know what to +think.</p> + +<p>"I'm sure Ruthie was only fooling," Winifred declared bravely. "I mean +when she said that I made up the story about the candy. Because it was +just what she told me."</p> + +<p>"Then the child must be taught that we don't like such fooling," +responded Annette, with what she felt was a very grown-up and impressive +manner.</p> + +<p>"Sit here, Ruth," said Betty, wondering at the manner of the older +girls, "and, Winifred, come and sit beside her."</p> + +<p>Winifred was quite ready to change her seat as Betty suggested, but +Annette's hand clasped her arm, and it was Annette who answered: "Winnie +would rather sit here, beside me."</p> + +<p>"All right," responded Betty. "Then I'll have Ruthie for my helper. I +can always depend on you, Ruth, can't I?" she added, smiling at her +young friend.</p> + +<p>"Always," whispered Ruth, gratefully; and it was she who helped Betty +serve the other girls with the excellent cold chicken, and bread,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> and +butter, the jelly-filled tarts, and squares of molasses gingerbread, so +that Annette's proposed "lesson" bid fair to be defeated.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter, Ruthie?" Betty found a chance to whisper, as they +sat down together a little way from the larger group.</p> + +<p>Ruth told the story eagerly. "I don't know why I thought Winnie had put +the basket there, or why I was so horrid as to say that she told a +story," confessed the unhappy little girl. "Do you suppose it really was +the fairies, Betty?"</p> + +<p>Betty looked rather sober for a minute. She was thinking to herself that +her May-day party bid fair to be a failure unless her guests could +realize that Ruth had only made a mistake for which she was sorry. She +blamed Annette more than she did Ruth, feeling sure that Winifred and +Ruth would have come to a friendly understanding if Annette had not +interfered.</p> + +<p>"I have a plan, Ruthie, that perhaps will make it all right. Will you do +just what I tell you?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed I will," responded Ruth gratefully.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Hastings had left the girls to themselves and gone over to the +May-pole.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Come here, Winifred," called Betty, and this time Annette made no +objection, and in a moment Winifred was sitting beside Ruth, and both +the little girls were thinking that Betty was much nicer than any other +"grown-up" girl in the party.</p> + +<p>"Ruth Pennell is going to tell us a story," announced Betty. "She +doesn't know if it really is true or not. For a little while she thought +her best friend had taken the part of a fairy, but afterward she was +sure she had not. Now, Ruth," and Betty turned smilingly toward her +little friend, "stand up and tell us all about it; about the making my +candy, how it disappeared, and what you did to recover it. Then, when +you have finished, we will take a vote and see how many of us believe in +fairies."</p> + +<p>For a moment Ruth hesitated, but Winifred's friendly smile encouraged +her and she stood up. She did not look at the group of girls sitting +about under the trees; she looked straight over their heads at the +river, and began to speak, beginning her story with the discovery that +the candy had disappeared. She spoke clearly, and when she finished by +saying that she was sorry that she had been rude to Winifred, because +she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> and Winifred both rather believed in fairies, there was a little +murmur of approval.</p> + +<p>"Now, girls, all those who believe in fairies stand up," said Betty, +jumping to her feet, and reaching out a hand to the girls beside her, +and at the same time beginning to sing:</p> + +<table summary="poem"> +<tr><td> +<p> +"'Here are fields of smiling flowers—<br /> +Come and seek May in her bowers.<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Catch young May.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Make her stay;</span><br /> +Dance around her bright and gay.'"<br /> +</p> +</td></tr> +</table> + +<p>Nearly all the girls knew the song and joined in singing, as hand in +hand they ran across the smooth grass toward the May-pole, where Mrs. +Hastings stood waiting for them. And now Ruth was her happy, smiling +self again, and Annette was no longer eager to teach "lessons" to the +younger girls. Annette and Ruth were both conscious, however, that +Betty, with her frank kindness, had smoothed out their mistakes.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII</h2> + +<h3>QUEEN BETTY</h3> +</div> + + +<p>The girls had exchanged their wreaths of flowers as they sat down to +luncheon, all excepting Ruth and Annette, who wore the ones they had +made themselves, and they now made a very attractive picture as they all +formed a ring around the May-pole, singing an old song that their +mothers had sung when they too were little girls; a May-pole song that +had been sung in England for hundreds of years.</p> + +<table summary="poem"> +<tr><td> +<p> +"'Round the May-pole, trit, trit, trot.<br /> +See what a garland we have got:<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fine and gay,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Trip away.</span><br /> +Happy is our New May Day.'"<br /> +</p> +</td></tr> +</table> + +<p>"Now for choosing the May Queen!" said Mary Pierce, and a little chorus +of "Betty Hastings! Betty Hastings!" was the response, and Betty +curtsied very low, and thanked her guests. For "Maids of Honor" she +chose Ruth and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> Winifred, whose duties were to walk one on each side of +the May Queen on her way to her throne, and then kneel beside her until +she bade them rise.</p> + +<p>While the girls had been at luncheon and dancing around the May-pole +Black Jason and his friend had been busily at work behind some thick +growing trees near the river.</p> + +<p>"All ready, Missie!" he announced, as, hat in hand, and bowing low, he +came smilingly toward the "Queen of the May."</p> + +<p>A little procession formed to follow Jason, who led the way through a +woodland path to a clearing that opened toward the river. In this +clearing stood a big rustic chair, Betty's "throne."</p> + +<p>Ruth and Winifred handed the Queen to her seat with great ceremony, and +then one after another the girls approached the throne, curtsying low +and laying their garlands at Betty's feet. Now they joined hands in a +little circle and danced around the throne, singing:</p> + +<table summary="poem"> +<tr><td> +<p> +"'The First of May is garland day,<br /> +And every child should dance and play.<br /> +Curl your locks as I do mine,<br /> +And wear your summer gown so fine.'"<br /> +</p> +</td></tr> +</table> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<a name="ILLUS_162" id="ILLUS_162"></a> +<img src="images/illus-162.jpg" width="350" height="498" alt=""THE FIRST OF MAY IS GARLAND DAY"" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"THE FIRST OF MAY IS GARLAND DAY"</span> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p> +<p>The Queen of the May asks any favor she pleases from the throne, but as +soon as she leaves the throne her power ceases; so now the group of +laughing girls stood waiting to hear what the Queen would ask:</p> + +<table summary="poem"> +<tr><td> +<p> +"A wreath and a staff<br /> +And a cup to quaff,"<br /> +</p> +</td></tr> +</table> + +<p>demanded Betty smilingly, and away raced her loyal subjects to fulfil +the royal demand.</p> + +<p>It was Annette who brought the wreath of violets; Mary Pierce came with +a curving branch that Jason had cut from a maple tree and trimmed into a +staff, while Caroline Fraser brought a cup of cool water from the spring +under the willow tree.</p> + +<p>"We must soon be thinking of home," Mrs. Hastings reminded them, as the +girls, now flushed and a little tired, seated themselves about the +throne, from which Betty had descended.</p> + +<p>"You have not sung your May-day song, Mother!" Betty reminded her, and +the girls now gathered about Mrs. Hastings, repeating Betty's request.</p> + +<p>"But it isn't really 'my' song; it is an old English May song," Mrs. +Hastings said.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span></p> + +<table summary="poem"> +<tr><td> +<p> +"'Spring is coming, Spring is coming,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Flowers are coming too;</span><br /> +Pansies, lilies, daffodilies,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Now are coming through.</span><br /> +<br /> +"'Spring is coming, Spring is coming,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">All around is fair;</span><br /> +Shimmer and quiver on the river<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Joy is everywhere.'"</span><br /> +</p> +</td></tr> +</table> + +<p>As she finished singing Mrs. Hastings curtsied to the happy group, and +said:</p> + +<p>"I wish you a happy May."</p> + +<p>When Black Jason drove the brown horses into the field, and the girls +took their seats in the wagon, they all declared it was the best May-day +party they had ever known, and they all thought Betty Hastings was the +most fortunate of girls that her birthday came on the first day of May.</p> + +<p>"How would you and Winifred like to sit with Jason on the front seat, +Ruth?" asked Mrs. Hastings, and the two little friends smiled at each +other, and replied that they would like it very much, and so were lifted +to the high seat beside the good-natured Jason.</p> + +<p>"I almost spoiled everything," Ruth whispered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> to Winifred, "but Betty +made it come out all right. I like Betty."</p> + +<p>"So do I," responded Winifred, and they smiled at each other again, both +quite sure that they would never again come so near to a quarrel as they +had that May-day.</p> + +<p>As they drove past a square stone house whose gardens sloped down to the +river, Black Jason pointed toward it with his whip and said: "Dat de +house where Capt'n Delancy live, an' he an' de oder fine English +soldiers are gettin' up a great party, a kind of show like."</p> + +<p>The girls looked well at the house from which Betty had so skilfully +made her escape on the night following Gilbert's play.</p> + +<p>"Are they going to have the party in that house, Jason?" asked Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Landy! No, Missie. It's to be out to Master Wharton's fine place in +Southwark. Folks do say as General Sir Willum Howe be gwine to leave dis +place. They certain do say so," and Jason chuckled with satisfaction at +the thought.</p> + +<p>"Then will General Washington and Lafayette come here, Jason?" +questioned Ruth eagerly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I dunno, Missie. But I reckon de English gwine to have a mighty fine +party. Dere gwine to have bands o' music in boats on de river. Yas'm," +and Jason chuckled at the thought of all the great preparations that had +already begun for the most splendid pageant that America had seen, and +about which the people of Philadelphia were wondering, for the English +officers were making elaborate plans.</p> + +<p>"I wish I could drive two horses," said Ruth, looking a little longingly +at the reins and whip that Jason so skilfully held in one hand.</p> + +<p>"Landy, Missie! Yo' jes' take hold de reins like dis," responded Jason, +at the same moment clasping Ruth's hands over the leather reins. "Now +hole 'em stiddy."</p> + +<p>Ruth obeyed Jason's instructions to "look straight ahead, an' hole 'em +up stiddy," and it was the happiest part of all that happy May-day to be +driving Jason's brown horses, with the other girls singing and laughing +on the seats behind her. But as they turned from the river road into the +town Jason again took the reins. The girls were now carried each to her +own home, so Winifred and Ruth were set down at the Merrills' door.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span></p> + +<p>"We have had a beautiful time, Betty. We shall always remember <i>your</i> +birthday," declared Ruth, and Winnie repeated the words.</p> + +<p>Betty smiled and waved her hand; she realized that her two little +friends were thanking her for more than their happy May-day.</p> + +<p>Hero welcomed Ruth home, and seemed to be trying to tell her something. +He ran around her, barking and whining.</p> + +<p>"What is it, Hero? What is the matter? Where is my mother?" she asked, +as she pushed open the door of the sitting-room and found it vacant.</p> + +<p>"Mother!" she called, running into the dining-room, and then heard her +mother's voice calling from the kitchen:</p> + +<p>"Come out here, Ruthie!"</p> + +<p>Ruth stopped in the doorway with an exclamation of surprise.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mother! What is it?" she asked, for Mrs. Pennell was sitting in a +low chair near the window, with one foot resting on a stool.</p> + +<p>"I have sprained my ankle, Ruthie. I slipped coming in from the porch +about an hour ago, and could just manage to crawl to this chair," +replied Mrs. Pennell; "and now you will have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> to be 'mother' for a time. +Tie my apron over your dress, and start up the fire, and fill the big +kettle with water."</p> + +<p>Ruth obeyed quickly, and in a few moments had carried out her mother's +directions, bringing a small wooden tub in which to turn the water when +it should be heated. She could think of nothing but that her mother must +be in pain, as she drew off Mrs. Pennell's slipper and stocking, filled +the tub, and now gently bathed the swollen ankle.</p> + +<p>"Remember, Ruthie, dear, when any one has the ill-fortune to sprain +wrist or ankle, that hot water is the best aid," Mrs. Pennell said, as +she directed the way in which Ruth should bandage the ankle.</p> + +<p>"I am afraid I am going to make a good deal of work for my little girl. +We must try and send for your Aunt Clara to come as soon as possible," +she added.</p> + +<p>But Ruth did not mind the work; as she went from pantry to fireplace, +preparing toast and a dish of hot gruel for her mother her thoughts flew +away to Aunt Deborah at Barren Hill, to the lustre cup out of which +Lafayette had drunk, and she realized that she could not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> go away from +home now that her mother was lame.</p> + +<p>After supper the ankle was bathed again, and now Mrs. Pennell thought it +best that Ruth should run in and tell Mrs. Merrill of the accident, and +ask her assistance. For she found herself unable to walk.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Merrill came at once, and with her aid Mrs. Pennell was able to +reach the big sofa in the sitting-room where she was made comfortable +for the night.</p> + +<p>"I will send Gilbert to Germantown early in the morning to fetch your +sister," said Mrs. Merrill, as she bade her neighbor good-night.</p> + +<p>"It is fortunate that Ruth had not started for her visit to Barren +Hill," she added.</p> + +<p>"It is, indeed. I could hardly spare her now," Mrs. Pennell responded.</p> + +<p>Ruth listened with a feeling that there would never be any more happy +days. Her mother was lame; she could not go to Barren Hill, and all her +plans for visiting her father at Valley Forge, and perhaps seeing the +brave young Lafayette, must be given up.</p> + +<p>As she went slowly up-stairs to bed, she had almost forgotten the happy +birthday picnic near<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> the river. But she recalled what Black Jason had +said of the rumor that General Howe was soon to leave Philadelphia. Just +now, however, that seemed to be of little importance to Ruth. Her last +waking thought was that she must be sure to get up early, very early, +the next morning and have hot water ready to bathe the hurt ankle.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII</h2> + +<h3>A GREAT RESOLVE</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Although Ruth was up in good season the next morning, she had only +started the kitchen fire when Mrs. Merrill and Gilbert appeared at the +kitchen door with a basket containing breakfast for Mrs. Pennell and +Ruth.</p> + +<p>Gilbert was all ready to start for his drive to Germantown, and, after a +few words with Mrs. Pennell, hurried away.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Merrill bathed the sprained ankle and helped Ruth's mother to a +comfortable chair near the window.</p> + +<p>"May I not put the little table by your chair, Mother, and have my +breakfast here with you?" asked Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed! That is exactly what I was wishing you to do, my dear," +responded Mrs. Pennell; and Ruth ran away to the kitchen and brought in +the hot corn bread that Mrs. Merrill had brought, the dish of porridge +and the pot of steaming coffee. Then she drew a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> chair up opposite her +mother, and they smiled happily at each other across the small table.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell declared that her foot was much better.</p> + +<p>"I am sure your Aunt Clara will return with Gilbert," she continued, +"but even then I am afraid you will have to do a good deal more than +ever before, Ruthie, dear, for Aunt Clara is not yet fully recovered +from her illness."</p> + +<p>Ruth felt rather proud to know that her mother relied upon her to be of +so much help, and, for the moment, quite forgot the visit to Barren +Hill. She told her mother of all the delights of Betty's May-day party, +and when she carried the breakfast dishes out to the kitchen she was +almost her happy self again.</p> + +<p>Winifred came over and helped Ruth with the household work that morning, +and early in the afternoon Aunt Clara arrived; who, in spite of Mrs. +Pennell's fears in regard to her strength, declared herself quite equal +to taking care of her sister and attending to the work of the house.</p> + +<p>Nevertheless Ruth was kept busy for a number of days; she did not go +very far from her mother's sitting-room, and Mrs. Pennell said<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> that her +little daughter was "hands and feet" for her lame mother.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell's fingers were busy making a dress for Ruth. It was of +white linen that Aunt Deborah had woven herself, and brought as a +present to Ruth, and Mrs. Pennell was hemstitching the broad collar and +dainty cuffs.</p> + +<p>"Your Aunt Deborah will be pleased if you have the dress to wear when +you visit her," said Mrs. Pennell, a few days after her accident, when +Ruth sat beside her, both busy with their needles.</p> + +<p>"But I can't go to Barren Hill, Mother. You couldn't spare me," replied +Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Of course you must go to Barren Hill. Not just at present; but in a +week or two I shall be hobbling about the house, and your Aunt Clara +will stay with me while you are away," said Mrs. Pennell.</p> + +<p>"Truly? Am I really to go to Barren Hill?" exclaimed Ruth, dropping her +work, and jumping up from her chair. "Oh! I'm so glad."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell looked at her little girl in surprise. She had had no idea +how much Ruth had counted on this visit, nor with what disappointment +she had given it up.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Why, my dear child, you have not said a word about your visit since I +hurt my ankle. I had not an idea that you wished to go so much," she +said.</p> + +<p>"I didn't wish to go when you couldn't take a step," Ruth declared.</p> + +<p>"Well! I think it is almost worth while to have a sprained ankle to find +out what a good little daughter I have," said her mother. "I feel very +proud indeed. And now I think you had best put on your hat and go and +make Betty Hastings an afternoon visit. It is nearly a week since her +May party."</p> + +<p>"I will ask Winifred to go, too," said Ruth eagerly, feeling happier +than she had since her mother's accident.</p> + +<p>"You had best change your dress, dear; put on your blue chambray," +suggested her mother, and Ruth ran off to her own room, singing, "Joy is +everywhere," as gaily as she had sung it when dancing around Betty's +throne.</p> + +<p>In a little while she was back in the sitting-room, all ready for her +visit. In the pretty blue dress, and wearing a white hat with a blue +ribbon around the crown, and with her white stockings and low shoes with +shining silver<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> buckles, Ruth was indeed a little girl of whom any +mother might be proud.</p> + +<p>Winifred was soon ready to accompany her, and the two friends started on +their walk to see Betty Hastings.</p> + +<p>As they came in sight of the Hastings house they both exclaimed in +surprise. For on the steps was Betty, wearing her best hat, and the tall +English officer, whose red coat Betty had borrowed for Gilbert's play, +stood beside her.</p> + +<p>"Do you suppose Betty is a prisoner?" whispered Winnie, a little +fearfully.</p> + +<p>"Of course she isn't, all dressed up in her best," replied Ruth, and at +that moment Betty saw her two friends and waved her hand to them as she +came down the steps beside the English officer.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Winifred! Ruth! I am so glad you came. Now you can go with us to +Walnut Grove and see the English officers practising for their +tournament. Captain Harlow says you may go," she exclaimed, running +forward to meet them.</p> + +<p>Before Ruth or Winifred could reply the tall officer was beside Betty, +and she now introduced him to her friends. Ruth and Winnie curtsied,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> +with rather sober faces, and the Englishman bowed politely, and said +that he should be happy to have Ruth and Winifred accompany them.</p> + +<p>The young Englishman had lodged with Mrs. Hastings ever since the +September day when the English army entered Philadelphia. He had been +unfailingly kind to all the family, and when he offered to take Betty to +Walnut Grove to see the preparations already well under way for the +"Mischianza," as the soldiers named their famous entertainment to be +given in honor of General Howe, Mrs. Hastings was quite willing for +Betty to go.</p> + +<p>"We shall be home in good season. I am sure your mothers would be +willing," urged Betty, "and 'twill be a fine sight to-day, since the +soldiers are to rehearse, as we did for Gilbert's play."</p> + +<p>"Let's go, Ruth," Winifred whispered eagerly, and Ruth agreed, but with +a vague feeling that she ought not to wish to be entertained by the +amusements of America's enemies.</p> + +<p>As they walked on toward Knight's Wharf, at the water edge of Green +Street, where a boat was waiting to take Captain Harlow and his guests +down the river to Mr. Wharton's country place, Ruth kept repeating the +word "tournament"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> to herself, and wondering what it meant. Betty must +know, she thought, for she had spoken it so easily. She resolved to ask +her at the first opportunity.</p> + +<p>A rowboat with two sailors was waiting for the captain, and he helped +the little girls to the comfortable seats, and took his place at the +tiller, and with a word to the oarsmen the boat moved out from the wharf +and headed toward Southwark.</p> + +<p>"What does 'tournament' mean, Betty?" Ruth whispered.</p> + +<p>"Wait and see," laughed Betty.</p> + +<p>"Does it mean the same as 'rehearsal'?" persisted Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Not exactly," replied Betty, who only that very morning had asked her +mother the same question. "It really means a make-believe battle," she +explained, seeing Ruth's look of disappointment. "Men dress up in armor, +such as soldiers used to wear, and their horses wear shields, and the +men have long spears, and make-believe attack each other."</p> + +<p>"Shall we see that to-day?" Ruth questioned.</p> + +<p>But before Betty could answer she realized that Captain Harlow was +speaking.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I suppose you all know what the Knights of the days of Chivalry fought +for?" he was saying, with a friendly smile at the three little American +girls who were his guests.</p> + +<p>"What are 'Knights'?" questioned Winifred.</p> + +<p>"Can you answer that, Miss Betty?" asked the captain.</p> + +<p>"Mother told me that a knight was a brave soldier, whose king gave him a +sword, and then said: 'Arise, Sir Knight,'" replied Betty, while Ruth +and Winifred listened admiringly, thinking their friend Betty must be +the most clever girl in Philadelphia.</p> + +<p>"Well, that is near enough," replied the young officer, "but I will tell +you that in olden times knights used to have tilts, or tournaments, such +as we mean to have on the eighteenth of this month. White Knights +against the Knights of the Blended Rose."</p> + +<p>It all sounded very wonderful to the three little girls, and Ruth was +eager to reach Southwark, fearing that they might miss some part of this +rehearsal.</p> + +<p>The beautiful river was very still that pleasant afternoon in May, and +the boat moved rapidly along, now and then passing some fishing-craft<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> +or pleasure boat, and the little girls smiled happily at each other, +thinking that this indeed was a great adventure.</p> + +<p>As the boat drew near the landing place, they could see a number of +people on the wharf, and one of these Ruth at once recognized as Major +André, the young officer who had introduced her to General Howe on the +night when she had gone to demand the return of Hero.</p> + +<p>Captain Harlow led the little girls to a bench on the further side of +Mr. Wharton's beautiful lawn. "Stay here until I come after you," he +said and hurried away.</p> + +<p>The girls looked about admiringly. Just across the lawn from where they +were sitting men were at work on a pavilion, in which the guests would +be seated to view the "Mischianza." Soldiers on horseback were riding +back and forth, and a trumpet call sent them all trotting away, to +return immediately with long lances and shields on their left arms. +Forming in two divisions they galloped forward and back, turning so +quickly that Ruth and Betty both exclaimed, fearful that the riders +would be thrown.</p> + +<p>In a little while Captain Harlow came and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> took his guests to visit the +ballroom. From the garden they ascended a short flight of steps, and +entered a spacious hall, lined with mirrors. Never had the little girls +seen anything so wonderful. Wherever they looked they saw Betty, Ruth, +and Winifred all smiling with delight. Captain Harlow called a servant, +and in a few moments the man returned with a silver tray on which were +plates of candied fruits, cakes, and glasses of lemonade for his little +guests.</p> + +<p>"It's more wonderful than the May-day party," whispered Winifred.</p> + +<p>But Ruth did not hear her. For at that moment two officers had entered +the room.</p> + +<p>"Sir Henry Clinton will arrive to-morrow, and General Howe will soon be +on his way to England," she heard one of them say.</p> + +<p>"'Tis a pity he cannot capture young Lafayette and take him back to +England with him. King George would give him a royal welcome," responded +the other.</p> + +<p>"There is some such plan afoot," declared the first speaker.</p> + +<p>"'Capture Lafayette!'" Ruth whispered the dreadful words over to herself +and all her delight and pleasure vanished. These men, even<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> the kind +Captain Harlow, whom the Hastings liked so well, would try their best to +capture the young French Republican, America's best friend, and take him +to England a prisoner. Ruth could think of nothing else. She wondered if +perhaps there was not already some plan by which Lafayette would be +captured. She was very silent all the remainder of the afternoon, and +Betty decided that Ruth must be tired.</p> + +<p>But they all thanked the captain very politely for their pleasant visit, +as he helped them from the boat and walked with them to Mrs. Hastings' +door. Ruth was eager to get home. She meant to ask her mother if she +might not go to Barren Hill very soon, perhaps to-morrow. It seemed to +her she could hardly wait that long; for who could tell what the English +soldiers might do before warning could reach Lafayette?</p> + +<p>For Ruth had made a great resolve: she would try to let Lafayette know +that the English General meant to do his best to take him a prisoner to +England. Once at Barren Hill Ruth was sure that she could find some way +to reach Washington's camp and warn the young Frenchman.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX</h2> + +<h3>THE VISIT</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Ruth's mother and aunt listened to her account of her afternoon's +adventure with interest, but when she had finished her mother said:</p> + +<p>"I do not blame you, my dear, for accepting Betty's invitation, but I am +surprised that Mrs. Hastings should permit an enemy of America's rights +to become a friend, as it is evident she so regards the young English +officer who lodges there."</p> + +<p>In her heart Ruth agreed with her mother. It seemed disloyal even to +have accepted Betty's invitation. Nevertheless Ruth was glad that she +had gone to Southwark; for the conversation she had overheard in regard +to Lafayette seemed of great importance to the little girl. She did not +speak to any one of what she had heard the English officers say, but she +could not explain even to herself why she had not at once told Winnie, +or why she did not now tell her mother. It seemed to Ruth that it was a +secret which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> she could confide only to one person: to Lafayette +himself.</p> + +<p>"May I go to Barren Hill to-morrow, Mother, dear?" she asked earnestly, +as she bade her mother good-night.</p> + +<p>"Why, Ruthie! Of course not! Your things are not ready, and we have not +sent Aunt Deborah word to have Farmer Withely call for you," replied her +mother in surprise. "Why are you so anxious to go to-morrow?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mother! Never mind about my things. And I am sure Farmer Withely +will take me," urged Ruth.</p> + +<p>"But do you think it will be quite fair to Aunt Clara?" said Mrs. +Pennell gravely. "You know there are many things you can do to help her +until I am on my feet again. Be patient, Ruthie. You shall go to Barren +Hill as soon as it is possible."</p> + +<p>Ruth was ready to cry with disappointment as she went up-stairs to bed. +For a moment she had been tempted to tell her mother her reason for +wanting to go at once to Barren Hill, but she realized that her mother +might say that a little girl could do nothing to protect a great +soldier, and forbid her making any attempt to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> reach the young Frenchman +only to repeat the careless talk of English soldiers.</p> + +<p>"I must do it myself, in some way. I must!" thought Ruth as she prepared +for bed. She wondered if Aunt Clara would not help her in her plan to go +to Barren Hill.</p> + +<p>Ruth was late to breakfast the next morning, and Aunt Clara wondered a +little at her sober face, while Mrs. Pennell was troubled, thinking that +Ruth was brooding over her disappointment in not going to Barren Hill.</p> + +<p>The little girl performed her usual household duties; but when her +mother suggested that she should go and play with Winifred, she shook +her head.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon she went into the yard with Hero and "Cecilia" to the +seat under the maple tree. Aunt Clara noticed that the little girl sat +looking across the garden as if her thoughts were far away, neglecting +Cecilia, and paying no attention to the faithful Hero.</p> + +<p>"I am afraid Ruthie is going to be ill," she said to Mrs. Pennell. "She +has not seemed like herself since she got home from her visit +yesterday."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell was quite sure that Ruth was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> not ill, but she was troubled +that her little daughter should be so disappointed and unwilling to +postpone the visit to Aunt Deborah.</p> + +<p>"Her heart is set on going to Barren Hill, and I have told her she must +wait a while," she explained.</p> + +<p>"But why not let her go now?" suggested Aunt Clara. "She is a good and +helpful child, and deserves the pleasure. I can make her things ready."</p> + +<p>It did not take much persuasion for Mrs. Pennell to give her consent, +and when Ruth came slowly into the sitting-room, in response to Aunt +Clara's call, her mother said:</p> + +<p>"Well, my dear, your Aunt Clara says that you well deserve to start for +Barren Hill as soon as she can make you ready. So be on the outlook for +Farmer Withely to-morrow morning, and ask him to call for you on +Thursday, and to tell Aunt Deborah to expect you."</p> + +<p>Ruth's face had brightened as her mother began to speak, but as Mrs. +Pennell finished she was again almost ready to cry.</p> + +<p>"'Thursday'!" she repeated. "That's two whole days to wait! Why can't I +go to-morrow?" she said anxiously.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell looked at Ruth in surprise. Never before had she known her +little daughter to whine, or seem to want her own way more than anything +else.</p> + +<p>"What is the matter, Ruth? I thought you would be so glad that your Aunt +Clara had persuaded me to let you go so soon. If you say anything about +going before Thursday we shall give up the visit altogether," she said.</p> + +<p>Ruth hardly knew what to say or do. It seemed to the little girl that +her delay in starting for Barren Hill meant the possibility of the +capture of Lafayette. She was tempted to tell her mother the reason for +wishing to start at once, but she was sure Mrs. Pennell would promptly +forbid her carrying out her plan to visit Valley Forge.</p> + +<p>Ruth managed to thank her mother for permission to go on Thursday, and +to say that she would be sure and see Farmer Withely and give him the +message the next morning, and then went back to her seat in the garden. +She had just taken up Cecilia, when the garden gate was pushed open and +Winifred came running up the path.</p> + +<p>"Gilbert says he is ashamed of me!" declared<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> Winifred, "and of you, and +of Betty Hastings, for going to Southwark yesterday," and she looked at +Ruth a little fearfully, as if expecting her friend to be quite overcome +by Gilbert's disapproval.</p> + +<p>"I don't care if he is," was Ruth's surprising reply. "I am glad I went, +and I always shall be glad. And perhaps some day Gilbert will be glad +too."</p> + +<p>"Why, Ruth Pennell!" exclaimed Winifred.</p> + +<p>"You tell him just what I say," insisted Ruth, beginning to feel more +cheerful at the thought of Gilbert's surprise when he should discover +that she had saved Lafayette from capture through her visit to +Southwark. After all, Thursday was only the day after to-morrow, she +reflected, and the English were too much occupied in their welcome to +Sir Henry Clinton to start off to capture the young Frenchman. Besides +that encouraging thought Winifred had brought over a box filled with +beads. They were wonderful beads—blue, all shades of blue, and +sparkling red beads, and beads of shining green, and white beads as +clear as dew-drops.</p> + +<p>"You may pick out those you like best," said the generous Winnie, +"enough to make you a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> necklace, and one for Cecilia, too," and the two +little girls were soon happily occupied with the beads, and Ruth forgot +all about her fears lest her warning should come too late. But when +Winifred jumped up saying that it was time for her to go home, Ruth +remembered that she had not told Winnie that she was to go to Barren +Hill on Thursday.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Ruth! Then you won't see all the processions for Captain Harlow's +entertainment. And he said this morning when I went over to see Betty +that we could go down again, the very day before it is given," exclaimed +Winifred.</p> + +<p>"I wouldn't go if I were at home," declared Ruth, "but don't you tell +Gilbert that I said I wouldn't go. You tell him what I said first: 'that +I am glad I went, and I always shall be glad. And that perhaps some day +he will be glad too that I went to Southwark.'"</p> + +<p>Winifred promised to deliver the message. She did not suppose it had any +special meaning, but she was sure it would puzzle Gilbert.</p> + +<p>The next day was a busy one for Ruth. Farmer Withely promised to call +for her on Thursday afternoon, and wondered to himself why the little +girl was so eager to visit Barren<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> Hill. Mrs. Pennell finished the white +linen dress, while Ruth helped Aunt Clara in the work of the house, +packed the small leathern trunk, which was to accompany her on her +journey, and last of all dressed Cecilia in her best, for she had +decided, at Aunt Clara's suggestion, that Cecilia needed a visit to the +country.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell could now walk a little, and not until Thursday morning did +Ruth have a single doubt in regard to going away from home. But as the +time of her departure drew near she kept close beside her mother, and +when Aunt Clara called that Farmer Withely was driving down the street +Ruth was suddenly quite sure that she could not go and leave her mother +behind.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mother! I don't wish to go," she exclaimed, her arms close about +her mother's neck.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Pennell held her close, telling her of the beautiful time she would +have with Aunt Deborah. "And, who knows! You may see Lafayette himself," +she added, knowing how great a hero the young Frenchman seemed to all +American children, as well as to their elders.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I shall come home soon," Ruth answered earnestly, and then Aunt Clara +called that Farmer Withely was waiting, and with one more good-bye kiss +Ruth ran down the steps, and in a few moments was seated beside the +farmer, while the big horse trotted down the street.</p> + +<p>Aunt Clara had put a box on the wagon seat beside Ruth. "Open it when +you are half-way to your journey's end," she had said smilingly, and +Farmer Withely had smiled also, and nodded approvingly, thinking to +himself that he had no better customers than the Pennell family, and +being quite sure of the appetizing contents of the box.</p> + +<p>As they drove out of the town, past the stone house, and on to the river +road Ruth pointed out the field, where the May-pole was still standing, +and told the farmer all the May-day sports and songs.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps you could remember some of those songs, Miss Ruth? Now, if you +could, I should admire to hear them," said Farmer Withely.</p> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<a name="ILLUS_190" id="ILLUS_190"></a> +<img src="images/illus-190.jpg" width="350" height="501" alt="THE BIG HORSE TROTTED DOWN THE STREET" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE BIG HORSE TROTTED DOWN THE STREET</span> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p> +<p>"Yes, indeed! I remember every one," said Ruth, and when she began Mrs. +Hastings' song, Farmer Withely found that it was one he too used to sing +as a boy on far-off May-days, and so they sang it together, their voices +falling pleasantly on the sweet spring air.</p> + +<p>Then Ruth ventured to ask if Farmer Withely had ever seen General +Washington, or, perhaps, young Lafayette?</p> + +<p>"Indeed I have. My best gray horse has now the honor of belonging to +General Washington, and many a cold journey have I taken to carry food +to the soldiers at Valley Forge," responded Farmer Withely, and he went +on to tell of the unfaltering courage of the American soldiers through +the hardships at the camp.</p> + +<p>He told of young Lafayette's recent return to Valley Forge from Albany, +and of his devotion to the American cause. Ruth listened eagerly to all +he had to tell her, and the miles slipped away behind them, and when +Farmer Withely pointed toward the old church, which stood near the +summit of Barren Hill, and said that they had nearly reached their +journey's end, Ruth declared that it had been a very pleasant journey, +and Farmer Withely said he would like just such a passenger every day.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah Farleigh was at the gate to welcome her little niece, and +then Ruth had to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> be taken and introduced to the bees, and to see two +brown calves in the barnyard, and a flock of fine chickens. After that +it was nearly dusk and supper was ready, and it was not until Ruth took +her seat at the table that she remembered her real errand to Barren +Hill.</p> + +<p>"Aunt Deborah, the English have not captured Lafayette, have they?" she +asked earnestly.</p> + +<p>For once Aunt Deborah was startled from her usual calmness.</p> + +<p>"For pity's sake, child! What dost thou mean?" she responded. "I have +heard naught of such a thing."</p> + +<p>Ruth gave a sigh of relief. "I just wanted to be sure," she replied.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX</h2> + +<h3>LAFAYETTE'S VISIT</h3></div> + + +<p>The May sun streamed warmly into the big square chamber where Ruth +slept, and she awoke to the song of birds, and the fragrance of +blossoming lilacs.</p> + +<p>For a few moments she lay quite still, looking wonderingly about the +room. It seemed a "shining" room to Ruth, with its whitewashed walls, +and its smooth polished floor, and only a chest of drawers, a +light-stand and a rush-bottomed chair for furniture.</p> + +<p>She got up and dressed slowly, wondering if her mother missed her very +much, and if Hero would go scratching and whining to her door in search +of his little mistress. Aunt Deborah's house was much larger than the +little brick house which was Ruth's home in Philadelphia, and as Ruth +came slowly down the wide stairs she thought what a fine house it would +be for little girls to live in; there seemed so much room and so little +furniture.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah lived alone, but the Withely farm adjoined hers, and Farmer +Withely took care of her farm and stock.</p> + +<p>"Good-morning, Ruth," said Aunt Deborah with her sunny smile, as her +little niece came into the big kitchen to find breakfast awaiting her. +"I trust thy pleasure in being here is as great as mine in having thee. +And I have great news for thee. Thy dear father came over from Valley +Forge a week ago, and was sorry enough to find thee not here. And he had +great tidings for me. He says that France has now joined with America in +the war against England, and Washington hopes for great aid from so +powerful an ally."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Aunt Deborah! Won't my father come again?" responded Ruth. "May I +not go to Valley Forge to see him?"</p> + +<p>"It may be that he will come again," Aunt Deborah replied thoughtfully. +"And who knows but he may come with Lafayette! For General Washington is +sending scouting parties about the country to discover the plans of the +English. So any day we may see the troops of either army come marching +up the road."</p> + +<p>Ruth was almost too excited to eat her breakfast<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> after listening to +Aunt Deborah's news, and even the sight of the pink lustre cup from +which Lafayette had drunk seemed of little consequence. If English +soldiers came marching that way Ruth knew well that their purpose would +be to capture American scouting parties, and she became more eager than +ever to go to Valley Forge, and again asked Aunt Deborah if she could +not go. But Aunt Deborah promptly responded that such a visit was +impossible.</p> + +<p>"Tis a ride of over ten miles, and a ford to cross," she said. "Farmer +Withely has no spare time at present to take thee; besides that, General +Washington does not care for visitors."</p> + +<p>Ruth looked so disappointed that Aunt Deborah added: "And who knows what +day Lafayette may ride this way again? It may even be this very morning! +Take thy doll and walk to the church; from there thou canst see both +ways. If the English redcoats come along the river road thee must hasten +back and tell me, so that we may start some one off at once to warn our +American soldiers."</p> + +<p>"Might I go?" asked Ruth.</p> + +<p>"How could a small girl like thee cross the +Schuylkill?" questioned +Aunt Deborah. "'Tis most likely I should have to go myself."</p> + +<p>Ruth now felt that she could really be of use if she kept watch from the +top of Barren Hill, and she ran through the garden, and climbed up the +rough slope to the little square church, from whose steps she could +watch the quiet road which curved along by the woods to the riverside. +She thought of Hero, and wished it had been possible to bring him with +her. "Just for company," she whispered to herself, for she began to feel +that she was a long way from home.</p> + +<p>"Unless Father or Lafayette comes to-day I must go to Valley Forge +to-morrow," she resolved.</p> + +<p>But the day passed without a sign of any advancing troops, and at +supper-time Ruth was so quiet and sober that Aunt Deborah began to fear +that her little niece was homesick, and tried to amuse her by telling +her of a tame squirrel who lived in the wood-shed and had made friends +with a family of kittens. But the little girl did not seem interested; +she wanted to know if the water was very deep at Matson's ford, and how +long it would take to walk to Valley Forge; until Aunt Deborah wondered +if<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> Ruth really thought such a journey possible for a little girl. She +recalled the visit Ruth had made to the English General in order to +rescue Hero, and said to herself that she was sure Ruth would not again +undertake any plan without asking permission.</p> + +<p>"I'll wait until to-morrow," Ruth resolved, as she went to bed that +night. "I mustn't wait any longer," and comforted by that resolution she +was soon fast asleep.</p> + +<p>She awoke before daylight, to find Aunt Deborah standing beside the bed.</p> + +<p>"Get up, my dear child. Lose no time. General Lafayette is below, and I +am preparing his breakfast," she said.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Aunt Deborah!" exclaimed Ruth, sure that this was a dream from +which she would soon awake.</p> + +<p>"Hasten, child, if thou wouldst see him," and Aunt Deborah, candle in +hand, disappeared from the shadowy room.</p> + +<p>Ruth dressed more quickly than ever before, but she did not neglect to +brush her hair neatly, but not until she opened the kitchen door did she +realize that the strings to her stout leather shoes were unfastened.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span></p> + +<p>It was broad daylight now, and the morning sunshine was all about the +Marquis de Lafayette as he looked up with a smiling nod to the little +girl who stood gazing at him from the doorway.</p> + +<p>"If thee please, sir, this is my niece, Ruth Pennell, who has long +cherished the hope of seeing thee," said Aunt Deborah.</p> + +<p>The young Frenchman rose from his seat, and bowed as ceremoniously as if +Lady Washington herself stood before him.</p> + +<p>Ruth could think only of her thick shoes and the wandering strings, as +she endeavored to make a proper curtsy.</p> + +<p>Lafayette was in the uniform of an American officer, and two American +soldiers were on guard at the open door. The little party had ridden +over from Valley Forge under cover of the night to discover a +camping-ground for a body of troops which Lafayette was soon to lead +toward Philadelphia, for Washington had discovered that Sir Henry +Clinton had orders to evacuate the city.</p> + +<p>"Will you not share my breakfast, Mistress Ruth?" asked the young +Frenchman, drawing one of the high-backed wooden chairs to the table +beside his own.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p> + +<p>"The child will indeed be honored," replied Aunt Deborah, and almost +before Ruth could realize the great honor in store for her she found +herself seated at the table. She looked up to find Lafayette smiling at +her shy word of thanks.</p> + +<p>What a wonderful breakfast for any little girl to have to remember. Ruth +wished with all her heart that Winifred and Gilbert could see her.</p> + +<p>"I have a small daughter of my own in France," said the kind young +Frenchman, "and I hear that your father is at Valley Forge."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir," responded Ruth faintly, wondering to herself why she did not +at once tell him what she had heard the English officers at Southwark +say of General Howe's intention to capture him.</p> + +<p>"Well, very soon he will be safe at home," continued Lafayette. And now +Ruth resolved to speak.</p> + +<p>"If you please, sir——" she began, but at that moment Lafayette sprang +to his feet, and with a word of thanks to Aunt Deborah for her +hospitality, and a smiling nod to Ruth, he started toward the door, +saying:</p> + +<p>"I have indeed lingered too long. I must lose no time in getting back to +camp."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p> + +<p>But now Ruth was out of her chair in a second; she was no longer in awe +of the young Frenchman.</p> + +<p>"I must tell you. I heard two Englishmen say you were to be captured and +taken to England," she declared eagerly, running along by his side.</p> + +<p>The young man smiled down at the eager, half frightened child.</p> + +<p>"Ah, well, <i>ma chere</i>, they have been saying that for a long time," he +responded lightly, "but thou art a kind little maid to warn me; and I +assure thee I will remember it," and with a word of farewell he hurried +across the garden, mounted his horse, and in a few moments had vanished +behind the thick growing trees.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah and Ruth stood on the garden path listening until they +could no longer hear the sound of the horses' feet on the hard country +road. Then Aunt Deborah smiled at Ruth.</p> + +<p>"Thee should be a happy girl now, I am sure," she said, "and thee did +right to tell him what his enemies threaten. Perhaps that was one reason +thee was so anxious to visit Valley Forge?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, Aunt Deborah! If he had not come I should have had to run away +so he might surely be warned," Ruth responded.</p> + +<p>"I would have taken the message myself had need been," said Aunt +Deborah; "but thee sees that he already knew of their wicked plan. He +did but smile at such a threat."</p> + +<p>A few days after this visit there was great excitement on Barren Hill. A +troop of American soldiers, the very flower of Washington's army, +commanded by Lafayette, were in camp on the hill. Farmers were bringing +buckets of milk and freshly baked bread for the soldiers' breakfast, and +Ruth could see and hear the bustle of the camps.</p> + +<p>At first Mistress Farleigh and Ruth had hoped that Ruth's father might +be one of the company, but as the day passed and he did not appear at +the stone house they became sure that he was still at Valley Forge.</p> + +<p>Mistress Farleigh had told Ruth not to go to the summit of the hill +where the troops were camped.</p> + +<p>"Thee may walk toward the river, or in the paths at the edge of the +wood," Aunt Deborah had said, adding that she wished Hero were at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> +Barren Hill. "Then thee could go wherever thee pleased."</p> + +<p>But that day Ruth was content to play with Cecilia in the pleasant +garden, hoping until long after sunset that her father might appear.</p> + +<p>Neither Aunt Deborah nor Ruth slept well that night, and both were up +very early in the morning. After their simple breakfast Aunt Deborah +busied herself with bread making, that she might send hot corn bread to +the American soldiers.</p> + +<p>"And wilt thou not run over to Farmer Withely's and ask Mistress Withely +for the loan of a covered basket of good size, Ruth," she suggested, and +Ruth willingly obeyed. The Withely farmhouse was at the further side of +a broad field, and hidden by a small grove of pine trees. It was a +pleasant walk in the early morning, and as Ruth ran along she could see +that the American troops were harnessing their horses, and that it was +evident some movement was at hand.</p> + +<p>"Oh! Perhaps I shall never see Lafayette again, and I did not help him +after all," she thought.</p> + +<p>And now another and more startling sound<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> came to Ruth's ears. Along the +Ridge road she could hear the sound of horses' feet and the rattle of +musketry.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps it is more American soldiers coming," thought the little girl. +But she felt vaguely troubled, as she went slowly on. She had just +entered the little woodland path which led to Farmer Withely's when she +saw a glimmer of a red coat in the underbrush.</p> + +<p>Ruth stopped, and crouched low behind a small tree. She heard low +voices, and in a moment a laughing voice said:</p> + +<p>"We have the fine Frenchman just where we want him. He is preparing his +men to receive Howe's soldiers on the Ridge road, but he does not dream +that General Grant with seven thousand troops is coming up in his rear. +General Howe has invited a dinner party to meet Lafayette to-night in +Philadelphia."</p> + +<p>"'Tis a fine thing to get the Frenchman," came the low response; "we'd +better move farther up the hill now."</p> + +<p>For a moment Ruth hesitated, hardly realizing the importance of what she +had overheard. Then she turned and ran toward the American encampment, +where she could see troops of soldiers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> already moving forward toward +the Ridge road.</p> + +<p>"Oh I suppose I do not get there in time to tell him that there is an +English army coming behind him," she thought.</p> + +<p>Once she stumbled and fell over an unseen root; but at last breathless +and tired she found herself facing a number of American soldiers, one of +whom called out:</p> + +<p>"Run home, child; you are in danger here."</p> + +<p>"Lafayette! Lafayette!" she called wildly. "Tell him there are thousands +of English soldiers coming up the road behind his army. The road from +Swedes Ford," called Ruth.</p> + +<p>Almost before Ruth finished speaking one of the soldiers had turned his +horse and galloped away to find his commander, and tell him of this +unexpected enemy. Ruth turned and hurried home. She had entirely +forgotten about her errand to Farmer Withely's.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI</h2> + +<h3>AT HOME</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Lafayette had received the startling news and acted upon it without a +question. He marched his men rapidly toward Matson's Ford, on the lower +road, and when the British generals came up to Barren Hill they were +astonished to find that they had only each other to fight. They decided +not to cross the river, but returned to Philadelphia, much disappointed +that the Marquis de Lafayette was not their prisoner.</p> + +<p>Lafayette likewise marched back to Valley Forge, where he was received +with great joy.</p> + +<p>The soldier who had taken Ruth's message found an opportunity to tell +Lafayette that the news that had saved his army had been brought by a +little girl.</p> + +<p>"She came running up the hill calling your name, sir. A little girl with +yellow hair and blue eyes," said the soldier.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Would you know her if you saw her again?" questioned the young +Frenchman.</p> + +<p>"I should indeed, sir," was the quick reply.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah had not questioned Ruth when, flushed and tired, she came +running back to the house on the morning when the Americans had so +easily made their escape, thanks to Ruth's message, from the +overwhelming armies of the English. For a number of days Ruth did not +venture beyond the garden, and when, a week later, her father opened the +gate and called "Ruth!" she ran to meet him, feeling sure that now +everything was sure to come right, and that she and her father could +soon return to Philadelphia.</p> + +<p>But Mr. Pennell was not alone; there was a tall smiling soldier just +behind him, and near the gate a graceful figure on horseback that Ruth +recognized as Lafayette.</p> + +<p>Aunt Deborah came hurrying to welcome Mr. Pennell; the soldier had +turned back, and was standing beside the mounted officer, who soon +dismounted and came slowly up the path.</p> + +<p>"Lieutenant Pennell, I have to thank your little maid for a very great +service," he said, as he took Ruth's hand, and smiled down on the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> +little girl; and then he told first of Ruth's warning that his capture +was planned by General Howe, and then of her warning of an advancing +army against his troops.</p> + +<p>"I came this morning that I might thank her for her loyal service to +America and to me," he said, bending low to kiss the warm little hand +that rested in his own.</p> + +<p>It was indeed a wonderful day for Ruth Pennell.</p> + +<p>After Lafayette rode away she told the story to her surprised and +astonished father, while Aunt Deborah listened as if she could hardly +believe her own ears.</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Pennell had been given a week's furlough, and was quite sure +that it would be possible for him to visit his home in Philadelphia, +taking Ruth with him, for the English were leaving the city as rapidly +as possible.</p> + +<p>Later in the day Aunt Deborah told Ruth's father of his little +daughter's visit to General Howe, and Ruth told of Gilbert's play, and +of the boys' arrest by the English, of Betty's capture on account of the +borrowed coat, and of her escape from the house by the river.</p> + +<p>"The children of Philadelphia will indeed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> remember the year of 1778, +and surely my little daughter can never forget it," responded her +father.</p> + +<p>Ruth was eager to start for home as soon as possible, especially as Aunt +Deborah said that she must return in midsummer with her mother for a +longer visit. "And thy friend Winifred must come also," she had added.</p> + +<p>Winifred and Gilbert had heard the story of Ruth's warning to the +American army, for Aunt Deborah had sent a letter to Mrs. Pennell at the +first opportunity, and Gilbert had at once declared that he would "make +up a play" about it.</p> + +<p>"And we will have it the very day Ruth comes home," he said. "I will be +Lafayette, and Ruth can be herself."</p> + +<p>"And let's ask Betty and all the girls who went to the May party," +suggested Winifred.</p> + +<p>"And Ned, too, and Mother and Mrs. Pennell," agreed Gilbert. "I tell +you, it is lucky Ruth went to Barren Hill, and I guess it's lucky you +girls went to Southwark that day. You see, it put Ruth on the lookout to +warn Lafayette," he added.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span></p> + +<p>Gilbert's second play proved even a greater success than his first. The +girls listened admiringly to Winifred's account of Lafayette's thanking +Ruth, and when the guests had all gone the two little friends went to +their favorite seat in Ruth's garden under the big maple tree. Hero kept +very close to his little mistress, as if afraid that she might again +suddenly disappear.</p> + +<p>"Do you remember that day when we began the chair for Cecilia, Ruthie?" +asked Winifred, "and when you said you wished you could do some great +service for Lafayette because he had come to help America?"</p> + +<p>Ruth nodded, not quite sure of the exact day, but very sure that she had +always wanted to help the young Frenchman, and wondering what Winifred +would say next.</p> + +<p>"And now you have done him a great service," Winifred continued soberly. +"And Betty and Annette, and all the girls say that you are a real +heroine."</p> + +<p>"I guess they don't know much about heroines," responded Ruth, but there +was a pleased smile about her mouth. Of course any little girl whose +hand had been kissed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> by Lafayette was a heroine, she thought happily.</p> + +<hr style="width:80%; margin-top:4em" /> +<table style="margin: auto" summary="Advertisement for books"><tr><td style="text-align: center"> +The Stories in this Series are: +</td></tr> +<tr><td>A LITTLE MAID OF PROVINCE TOWN</td></tr> +<tr><td>A LITTLE MAID OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONY</td></tr> +<tr><td>A LITTLE MAID OF NARRAGANSETT BAY</td></tr> +<tr><td>A LITTLE MAID OF BUNKER HILL</td></tr> +<tr><td>A LITTLE MAID OF TICONDEROGA</td></tr> +<tr><td>A LITTLE MAID OF OLD CONNECTICUT</td></tr> +<tr><td>A LITTLE MAID OF OLD PHILADELPHIA</td></tr> +<tr><td>A LITTLE MAID OF OLD MAINE</td></tr> +</table> + +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A LITTLE MAID OF OLD PHILADELPHIA***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 22370-h.txt or 22370-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/3/7/22370">http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/3/7/22370</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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