CHAPTER XI
A LONG ROAD
"What is this?" called a pleasant voice, and the two soldiers haltedinstantly and saluted a young officer who blocked their way.
"If thee please, sir, there has been a mistake made," said Aunt Deborah,and proceeded to tell the story of the birthday entertainment that thechildren had given for Mrs. Merrill.
The young officer listened gravely.
"As you say, madam, they are but children; but such games find littlefavor among loyal English people," he responded.
"But thee must remember we are Americans," said Aunt Deborah fearlessly.The young officer turned and walked beside them. Now and then he smiledas if amused by his own thoughts, but he said nothing more until theyreached the headquarters of the General.
"Wait here a moment," he said, and ran up the steps.
"I shall tell them that Ruth had nothing to do with it, and that I amthe only one to blame," Gilbert said to Mrs. Pernell. "Of course theywon't punish any one but me."
Before Mrs. Pernell could reply the young officer appeared at the door,and came slowly down the steps.
"Come with me, young sir," he said, resting his hand on Gilbert'sshoulder. "You may take the little girls home, ladies," he added. "I amquite sure they will not prove a danger to England's cause."
"I will wait for my son," said Mrs. Merrill. "I do not suppose you meanto detain him long."
"I cannot say as to that, madam; but you are quite welcome to wait. Ifyou will come in I will see that you find a comfortable chair," hereplied courteously.
"I will wait here," said Mrs. Merrill.
"And we will wait also," declared Ruth's mother.
Ruth and Winifred clasped each other's hands as they watched Gilbertbeing led up the steps. They thought their mothers were very braveindeed to reply so calmly to an English officer.
Gilbert was absent not more than a half hour, but it seemed much longerto the anxious little group. He came down the steps alone, and when hismother slipped her hand under one arm while Winifred clasped his otherhand he smiled and said: "Humph! All they did was laugh and tell me tochoose 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 MajorAndre's plays."
"What did you say, Gilbert?" questioned Winifred.
"I said '_No_.' And that's all I said. And I did not thank them for theoffer; and then they laughed more than ever. I wish Washington woulddrive them out of Philadelphia," answered Gilbert, who was a trifledisappointed 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 fewdays; it would have made him feel that he had really done something toprove his loyalty to the American cause.
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 Englishofficers took their duties too lightly. There had been balls at the CityTavern every week during the winter, and most of the officers seemed toforget that there were dangers in store for them from the American Armyat Valley Forge.
Gilbert's adventure made Ruth and Winifred completely forget their planto make a table as a present for Betty until late that afternoon; andthen they decided not to begin it until after Aunt Deborah's departurethe next day.
"Mother has a table shaped like a heart. We could mark a heart on thatsquare piece of dark wood with chalk and then cut it out," suggestedWinnie. "I am sure Betty would like that better than a plain squaretable."
"Of course she would," agreed Ruth. Neither of the little girls realizedhow hard an undertaking it would be to carve a heart-shaped table topfrom the square piece of mahogany.
Ruth was awake at an early hour the next morning. The April sun shonewarmly in through her open window; the robins, who had built a nest inthe hawthorn tree, sang jubilantly as if rejoicing that spring wasreally at hand, and Ruth could hear her mother and Aunt Deborah movingabout in the lower rooms. It was just the day for a ride in the country.
Ruth was glad that Winifred had thought of so pleasant a plan as drivinga part of the way with Aunt Deborah. Both the little girls had taken itfor granted that their mothers would have no objection. Winifred wasused to driving the pony, and had often taken Ruth with her, but theyhad never been farther than Fair Mount, a pleasant hill just outside thetown on the Schuylkill River, or along the quiet streets of the town;but to-day Winifred had said that they would drive until Aunt Deborahshould tell them to turn toward home.
Farmer Withal usually arrived in the city at an early hour, deliveredhis produce, then gave the big brown horse an hour or two rest, and wasready to start on his return journey directly after dinner.
Aunt Deborah did not keep him waiting, and was at the gate with Mrs.Pernell beside her when the round-faced smiling farmer in his long coatof heavy blue drilling and his wide-rimmed hat came driving up.
"Where can Ruth be?" her mother said anxiously, as the farmer liftedAunt Deborah's trunk into the back of the wagon and stood waiting tohelp her mount to the high seat.
At that moment the pony carriage drew up behind the wagon with Winnieand Ruth smiling and waving their hands at Aunt Deborah.
"We are going a little way with you, Mistress Farleigh," calledWinifred.
"May I go, Mother?" Ruth added.
Aunt Deborah was evidently greatly pleased that the little girls hadwished to go a little way with her on her journey home, and Mrs. Pernellsmiled and nodded her consent, thinking that Ruth would be safely backin an hour at the longest, and waving her good-byes as Farmer Withalclimbed to his seat and the brown horse trotted off, closely followed byFluff.
Down the street they went, turning now into the broader highway and atlast reaching the river road that led straight to Mat son's Ford, beyondwhich the road led on to Valley Forge.
As they came in sight of the river the big horse stopped, and in amoment Fluff was beside the farmer's cart. Aunt Deborah smiled down atthe little girls.
"'Tis best that thee turn toward home now. And I thank thee both forcoming so far with me. 'Twill not be long now, Ruth, before I hope tosee thee at Barren Hill. And thee, Winifred, will be welcome alsowhenever thou canst give me the pleasure of a visit."
Before Aunt Deborah had finished speaking Ruth was out of the ponycarriage and standing on the step of Farmer Withe's cart holding up apackage.
"Here is something I made for you, Aunt Deborah," she said. Aunt Deborahreached down and received the small carefully wrapped package.
"Thank thee, dear child," she said, and Ruth stood by the roadside andwaved a good-bye as the brown horse trotted off at a more rapid pace thanhe had traveled through the town.
"I wish we could have gone farther," she said regretfully as she wentback to her seat beside Winifred.
"Well, we can. We'll turn up that shady road and see where it goes,"responded Winifred. "What did you give your aunt?"
"A needle-book. Mother helped me make it. It is of blue flannel, withembroidered edges, and shaped like a small book, with Aunt Deborah'sinitials on the cover," said Ruth. "Would it not be pleasant if youcould visit Aunt Deborah when I do?"
Winifred feared that such a visit would not be possible. But the twolittle friends talked of many things as Fluff trotted along the narrowcountry road, hardly more than a lane, and sheltered by closely growingtrees. Now and then the road came out into an open space, and therewould be many violets growing close to the roadside. Then the girlssprang from the cart and gathered handfuls of the fragrant blossoms,while Fluff nibbled at the grass, or twisted his head to watch his youngmistress. The wild honeysuckle was also in bloom along a slopingpasture, and Ruth was eager to gather it to take home to her mother. Sheclimbed up the rough slope, followed by Winifred, and they soon hadlarge bunches of the delicate blossoms. From the top of the little hillthat 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 toFluff and start for home. The pony whinnied a litt
le impatiently andshook his head at them as they approached.
"He thinks we have stayed too long," said Winifred laughingly. "Whattime do you suppose it is, Ruth?"
"Oh! we can't have been away from home more than an hour," said Ruth;"but the sky looks cloudy, doesn't it?"
But it was not clouds that made the sky darken, it was the rapidlyapproaching twilight. The tall trees shut out the golden springsunshine; and the afternoon had passed so pleasantly that neither Ruthnor Winifred had any idea that evening was close at hand, or that theywere miles from home in a solitary and unknown road that had seemed togrow more narrow as they went on.
"Perhaps we had better turn around now," suggested Winifred a fewmoments after they had gathered the wild honeysuckle. "I told Mother wewould be home early. Why, what is the matter with Fluff?" she added in astartled tone, for the little pony had come to a full stop.
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 toWinifred as if his slender legs trembled.
"Why, he can't be tired. He had that long rest just now," said Ruthanxiously. Neither of them realized that ever since leaving the riverthe road had run steadily up-hill, or that the pony had been travelingfor a number of hours. Fluff was no longer young, and he had never beenrequired to go long distances; and now he could go no further.
"I'll take off his harness," said Winifred quickly. "I hope he isn'tgoing to have a fit. Ned Farris's pony has fits." It did not take herlong to set Fluff free from the pony-cart, and he turned a grateful looktoward his little mistress, who began to wish there was a brook orspring near at hand where the little creature could drink.
Ruth smoothed Fluff's head, and Winifred with a bunch of wayside grassrubbed his back and legs.
"He's going to lie down," said Winifred as Fluff moved his head aboutquickly; and in a moment the tired little creature had stretched himselfat their feet.
"What shall we do? I am sure Fluff can't take us home," exclaimedWinifred, "and we can't go and leave him here."
"It can't be very far from home," responded Ruth. "I could go home andtell Gilbert, and he would come right back for you with Ned's pony."
"But what could we do with Fluff?" asked Winifred a little despondently."He is too tired to drive home."
"Perhaps he'd be rested enough by that time to go home, if he didn'thave to pull the cart," said Ruth; "anyway, I do think one of us oughtto go home or our mothers will think some harm has befallen us. I'llstay, if you would rather go."
But Winifred shook her head. She did not wish to leave the pony; neitherwas she pleased at the thought of staying by herself on that lonelyroad. At last, however, they decided that Ruth's plan was the best theycould think of, and Ruth started.
"I'll hurry all the way, Winifred; and Gilbert will come back as fast ashe can," she called as she started to run down the hill.
A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia Page 12
