CHAPTER X
THE LOST PROGRAMME
The scarlet coat, after being carefully brushed and pressed, wasreturned to its place in the closet; and its owner never knew orimagined the part it had taken in Gilbert's play. The soldier who hadlocked Betty into Captain De Lance's room, and returned to find that thesilent little captive had outwitted him and made her escape, decidedthat it was best to keep the affair to himself, and say nothing about alittle girl with an officer's coat for which she would not account.
Ruth and Winifred came early the next morning to make sure that Bettywas safe at home, and listened eagerly to the story of her adventure.
"Do you suppose you could find the way back to the stone house?"questioned Ruth.
"Yes, I am sure I could," responded Betty; but she did not suggest, asRuth hoped, that they should all make an excursion to the house by theriver. In fact, Winifred and Ruth both agreed on their way home thatBetty seemed very sober. And it was true that Betty was more quiet thanusual for several days; for she realized that she had had a narrowescape from a serious punishment. Nor could she forget the pretty plumedbonnet that Hero had so gaily destroyed. The fact that her mother didnot speak of the bonnet only made Betty the more repentant. She and Ruthhad both resolved that they would not again take for granted that theycould use other people's property without permission.
"Aunt Deborah is going home to Barren Hill to-morrow," said Ruth, as sheand Winifred came near home; "Farmer Withal is to call for her. Youknow he brings in butter and cheese from his farm every Thursday, andAunt Deborah will ride home in his wagon. I wish I were going with her."
"Oh, Ruth Pernell!" said Winifred reproachfully.
"Well, I do. Barren Hill is half-way to Valley Forge, and perhaps Icould see my father. And, Winifred! One day Lafayette stopped at AuntDeborah's door! Perhaps I might see him; perhaps he might ask me tocarry a message for him," said Ruth eagerly.
"Little girls can't carry war messages," Winifred rejoined confidently."You are just like Gilbert, always wishing you could do something forLafayette. I don't see why. I would rather help Washington."
"It's because Lafayette came 'way from France," Ruth replied, "and,anyway, I am going to Barren Hill. Mother says that I may go nextmonth."
"I have thought of something!" Winifred announced. "To-morrow you and Iwill drive out a little way with your aunt. With Fluff, I mean; and Heromay go too. I will harness Fluff into the cart, and we will be all readyto start at the same time they do."
Ruth agreed that this would be a fine plan, and both the girls were surethat Aunt Deborah would be pleased that they wished to go a part of theway with her. They decided to take "Josephine" and "Cecilia," as well asHero, with them.
IT WAS A FAVORITE PLAY-HOUSE]
"It will make up to them for not taking part in the play," saidWinifred. So much had happened during the past week that Ruth hadentirely forgotten the unfinished chair for Cecilia, but now she spokeof it to Winifred.
"I will help you finish it. But let's take our dolls and work into thegarden; it is too warm to stay in the house," she said, and in a shorttime the two little girls had brought Cecilia and Josephine, as well astheir sewing bags, to the shade of the wide-spreading maple tree thatgrew in the further corner of the Pernell's' garden. Ruth's father hadbuilt a low seat around this tree, and it was a favorite play-house forthe two little friends. Hero followed them, and stretched himself out attheir feet, quite sure that they were both happier because of hispresence.
For a little while the girls worked steadily, covering with chintz thecardboard pieces that would form the chair.
"I'll put it together," said Winifred, and with skillful fingers shefastened the seat, back and arms; and with a triumphant "There!" set itdown beside Ruth, who looked at it admiringly, and lost no time inestablishing Cecilia in her new possession.
"Wouldn't it be fine if we could make a sofa, and a table and a littlebed for each of our dolls?" suggested Ruth.
"We can," declared Winifred, "but I think it would be nicer to have thetable and bed made of wood. Let's go in your shed and see if we can findsome nice smooth pieces."
"And Father's tool box is in the shed," said Ruth, as they left theirdolls in Hero's care and ran across the garden to the shed, whose opendoor faced the big maple.
The shed was nearly square. Beside the wide door there were two windows,both looking into the garden, and beneath these was Mr. Pernell'swork-bench, and a box containing his treasured tools; and on a longshelf over the bench were carefully arranged strips and squares ofpolished wood. For in the days of peace Mr. Pernell had used his leisurehours in making frames for pictures, a work-box, desk or light-stand;and had collected this store of material from many sources. Ruth hadoften played about in the shed while her father was at work, but she hadno idea of the value of his store of wood.
"Oh, Winifred! Look! This will make a fine table!" she said, standingon the work-bench and pulling down a strip of curly maple.
"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 ofwood, had opened Mr. Pernell's tool-chest and taken out a number ofplanes, a small saw, gimlets and a hammer.
"But we haven't any patterns," said Winifred. "You know we had a patternfor the chair."
"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."
"Here is something to measure with," said Winifred, holding up afoot-rule. "We can make anything! Oh, Ruth! Instead of making dollfurniture let's make truly tables, I am sure some of those pieces arelarge enough."
"Winifred, you always think of just the right thing," Ruth respondedadmiringly. "Let's make a table for a present for Betty. She got allthose nice things for us to dress up in, and we have never made her apresent."
Winifred nodded approvingly. She was greatly pleased by Ruth'sadmiration, and she thought that Betty would be greatly surprised todiscover that two girls so much younger than herself could really make atable.
"Ruth! Ruth!" called Aunt Deborah from the back porch. "Dinner is ready!"
So the two little girls were obliged to leave their pleasant plans, and,after promising to return early that afternoon, Winifred started forhome while Ruth ran into the house.
"My chair is all finished for Cecilia," she announced as she took herseat at the dinner-table, "and Winifred and I are going to make a tablefor Betty."
Mrs. Pernell and Aunt Deborah both smiled their approval, thinking thatthe table for Betty, like Cecilia's chair, was to be made of pasteboard.
"Thee must bring thy doll to Barren Hill," said Aunt Deborah. "There arefine places to play in the big barn and in the pine woods, and thy dollwill be company for thee."
"How soon may I visit Aunt Deborah, Mother?" Ruth asked eagerly. "May Inot go with Farmer Withal next week?"
"I cannot spare you so soon, Ruthie dear," responded her mother, "and Iwill have to ask permission from the English General for you to leavethe town. You see they fear even small Americans," she concludedlaughingly. But before dinner was over it was decided that, if all wentwell, Ruth should go to Barren Hill about the first of May. That seemeda long time to Ruth; but she remembered that Betty's table was not evenbegun, and if she and Winifred did decide to make furniture for theirdolls the three weeks that must pass before her visit to Barren Hillwould perhaps be none too long a time.
Mrs. Pernell 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.
"Oh, Mrs. Pernell! There are two English officers at our house. Theyhave come to take Gilbert," she exclaimed, "and they want Ruth too."
"'Take Gilbert'!" echoed Mrs. Pernell. "What has he done? And what dothey want of Ruth?"
"Oh! It's because of the play. Mother lost the programme we made forher. It blew away, and an English soldier found it; and they are goingto take Ruth too," Winifred finished nearly in tears.
"I will go and speak with these officers," said Aunt Deborah calmly."Thee need not be troubled, Winifred. Thee and Ruth had best come withme so they can see how dangerous an enemy they have to arrest," and AuntDeborah smiled so reassuringly that Winifred took courage, and followedAunt Deborah to the door. They were soon in the Merrill's' garden, justin time to meet two English soldiers with Gilbert between them comingdown the steps.
Aunt Deborah went forward smilingly.
"Thee does not mean to take this lad from his home," she said, speakingto the elder of the two men. "He has done nothing worthy of thy notice,and his mother can ill spare him."
"That may be, madam. But we must obey orders. We have to take G. Merrilland R. Pernell to General Howe," the man answered civilly.
"Here is R. Pernell," said Aunt Deborah, her hand resting protestinglyon Ruth's shoulder. "Surely thee does not mean to take this littlegirl?"
The soldiers seemed somewhat surprised at this, but repeated that theymust obey orders. Gilbert did not seem at all afraid; he took Ruth bythe 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 theheadquarters of the English General.