A Little Maid of Massachusetts Colony Read online

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  A LITTLE MAID OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONY

  BY

  ALICE TURNER CURTIS

  AUTHOR OF

  A LITTLE MAID OF PROVINCE TOWN A LITTLE MAID OF NARRAGANSETT BAY

  ILLUSTRATED BY WUANITA SMITH

  THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 1915

  COPYRIGHT 1914 BY THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY

  "A WONDERFUL THING IS GOING TO HAPPEN"]

  Introduction

  The first Anne Nelson story was "A Little Maid of Province Town," whichtold how the little Cape Cod girl's father went away to fight for thecolonies, how she went to live with the Stoddards, how she escapedperils from Indians and wolves, made an unexpected trip to Boston, andcarried an important message for the colonial army.

  The girls and boys who made acquaintance in that book with Anne and withAmanda and Amos Cary will be glad to read here how Amos won his heart'sdesire,--to go a long voyage from the harbor of Province Town; Anne'sjourney with the Indians, her imprisonment in the house in the woods,and her escape; how she and Rose Freeman discovered "Aunt Anne Rose" onthe happy trip in Boston, and how Anne helped to capture an Englishprivateer, will hold the attention of young readers, and, incidentally,show them something of the times and history of Revolutionary days inNew England.

  Contents

  I. AMANDA'S MISTAKE 9 II. ANNE DECIDES 22 III. A NEW FRIEND 32 IV. WITH THE MASHPEES 48 V. AT BREWSTER 61 VI. AMANDA'S CONSCIENCE 75 VII. THE BLACK-BEARDED MAN 88 VIII. THROUGH THE WINDOW 104 IX. LADY DISAPPEARS 117 X. AUNT ANNE ROSE 131 XI. IN BOSTON 140 XII. A WONDERFUL DAY 149 XIII. ANNE'S BOOK 162 XIV. ANNE AND MILLICENT 173 XV. AMOS APPEARS 184 XVI. AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR 192 XVII. THE STRANGE SCHOONER 204 XVIII. A GREAT ADVENTURE 213 XIX. "HOMEWARD BOUND" 221

  Illustrations

  PAGE

  "A WONDERFUL THING IS GOING TO HAPPEN" _Frontispiece_

  "SIT THERE AND BE QUIET" 42

  "YOU CAN GET ON HIS BACK" 132

  HE HANDED HER A BALL 177

  "YOU ARE THE BRAVEST GIRL IN THE COLONY" 220

  A Little Maid of Massachusetts Colony

  CHAPTER I

  AMANDA'S MISTAKE

  "Do you think I might go, Aunt Martha?" There was a pleading note in thelittle girl's voice as she stood close by Mrs. Stoddard's chair andwatched her folding the thin blue paper on which Rose Freeman's letterwas written.

  "It is a pleasant invitation, surely," replied Mrs. Stoddard, "but theFreemans have ever been good friends to us; and so Rose is to visittheir kin in Brewster and then journey back to Boston with her father inhis chaise, and she says there will be plenty of room for you. Well!Well! 'Tis a wonderful journey."

  Anne moved uneasily. "But, Aunt Martha, do you forget that she asks ifUncle Enos cannot bring me to Brewster?"

  "Yes, child, I have read the letter, and I doubt not Enos will set yousafe across to Brewster. And your father's vessel will be due in Bostonearly in September, and he could bring you safely home to Province Town.We'll see what Uncle Enos says about sailing across to Brewster," andMrs. Stoddard smiled affectionately at Anne's delighted exclamation. Itwas two years before that Anne Nelson, whose father's boat had beenseized by an English ship, had come to live with the Stoddards. Herfather had escaped, and, after serving the colonies until after thebattle of Lexington, had returned to Province Town, and was now away ona fishing cruise. Anne had visited the Freemans the year before, and nowthis pleasant invitation for a journey to Boston had been brought by oneof the harbor fishermen, the only way letters came to Province Town. Itwas no wonder Anne was eager for permission to go. It would be a threedays' ride from Brewster, and the road would take her through manypleasant towns and villages. There was not a person in the settlementwho had taken the journey by land. Uncle Enos declared that ProvinceTown folk who could sail a good boat, with fair winds, to Boston in sixhours were too wise to take such a roundabout route as the land offered.

  "But it will be a fine ride for Anne," he agreed. "She will learn muchby the journey, and Squire Freeman will take good care of her. I'llset her across to Brewster on Tuesday, as Rose says they plan to startearly on Wednesday morning. Well, Anne," and he turned toward thehappy child, "what do you think the Cary children will say when youtell them that you are to ride to Boston in a fine chaise?"

  "I do not know, but I think Amos will say that he would not journey byland; he is all for big ships; but I'm sure Amanda will think it is awonderful thing, and wish to go with me, and indeed I wish she might.But why do we not have chaises in Province Town?"

  "We must have roads first," replied Aunt Martha smilingly; "but ProvinceTown has no need of coaches and roads with good boats in harbor. Now wemust see that your clothes are in order, for a week soon goes."

  "Anne! Anne!" and before Anne could respond a girl of about her own agecame running into the kitchen. "Can you go with me over to the outerbeach? May she go, Mrs. Stoddard? See! I have enough luncheon for usboth in this basket," and Amanda held up a pretty basket woven of sweetgrass.

  "May I, Aunt Martha? And oh, Amanda! A wonderful thing is going tohappen to me. Isn't it wonderful, Uncle Enos?"

  Aunt Martha and Uncle Enos both smiled and nodded, and Amanda lookedfrom one to the other in great surprise.

  "Run along with Amanda and tell her all about it," said Mrs. Stoddard,and the two little girls started happily off.

  "I can guess," declared Amanda, "for I know that Captain Starkweatherbrought you a letter from Boston, and I can guess who the letter isfrom."

  Anne shook her head laughingly. "You would guess that it was from mydear father," she answered.

  "And is it not?" questioned Amanda in surprise.

  "It is from Rose Freeman," announced Anne. "And oh, Amanda, she asks meto come to Brewster next week, and go with her in her father's chaise toBoston!" And Anne turned, smiling happily, toward Amanda. She hadexpected Amanda to exclaim with delight over such a wonderful piece ofnews, but instead of delight Amanda's face expressed an angry surprise.She had stopped short, and stood looking at Anne.

  "Rose Freeman!" she exclaimed. "Boston in a chaise! I wonder I play withyou at all, Anne Nelson. Why don't you stay in Boston? I shouldn't careif you did!" and throwing the basket of luncheon on the ground Amandaturned and ran back toward home.

  Anne looked after her in amazement. "That's the way she used to actbefore we were friends," she said aloud; "and all that good food throwndown in the sand," for the basket was overturned, and two round gingercakes, two pieces of corn bread, and two three-cornered tarts had rolledout. Anne knelt down and picked them up carefully, shaking off the sand,and returned them to the basket.

  "Her mother cannot afford to have such good things wasted," said Anne;for even the children in Province Town in the days of the Revolutionknew how difficult it was to secure supplies. The end of Cape Cod, withits sandy dunes, scant pasturage or tillage, made the people depend ontheir boats, not on
ly to bring in fish, but all other householdnecessities. The harbor was unguarded, and its occupation as arendezvous by English men-of-war had made it very hard for the people toget provisions. So it was no wonder that Anne looked at the ginger cakesand tarts as special delicacies, too precious to lie in the sand.

  "I'll go to the outer beach by myself," decided Anne, "but I will noteat my share of the luncheon. I do not see why Amanda should be angry,"and the little girl walked on, choosing her way carefully among thescrubby pine trees or patches of beach-plum bushes.

  Amanda ran swiftly, and in a moment or two was almost back in theStoddards' dooryard!

  "I mustn't go home," she said to herself; "they would question me, and Iwould have to tell them all the wonderful news about Anne. And, oh," sheexclaimed aloud, "if I did not throw down the fine treat my mother putin the basket. I'll go back for it; Anne Nelson has everything, but sheshall not have my tarts."

  Amanda made her way back very carefully, hoping to get the basket andescape without Anne seeing her. But when she reached the spot whereAnne had told the wonderful news neither the basket nor Anne was to beseen.

  "She's run off with my basket. She means to eat all that mother gaveme!" Amanda now felt that she had a just grievance against her playmate."I'll go home and tell my mother," she decided, and on the way home avery wicked plan came into the little girl's mind. She pulled off hergingham sunbonnet and threw it behind a bunch of plum bushes. She thenunbraided her neat hair and pulled it all about her face. For a momentshe thought of tearing a rent in her stout skirt, but did not. Then shecrawled under a wide-branched pine and lay down. "I must wait a time, ormy mother will think I am too quickly back," she decided, "and I do notwant to get home while Amos is there;" for Amanda knew well that herbrother would not credit the story which Amanda had resolved to tell:that Anne had pushed her over in the sand, slapped her, and run off withthe basket of luncheon.

  "My mother will go straight to Mistress Stoddard, and there'll be nojourneyings to Brewster to see Rose Freeman, or riding to Boston in afine chaise," decided the envious child.

  So, while Anne kept on her way to the outer beach, carrying Amanda'sbasket very carefully, and expecting every moment that Amanda would comerunning after her, and that they would make friends, and enjoy thegoodies together, Amanda was thinking of all the pleasant things that ajourney to Boston would mean, and resolving to herself that if she couldnot go neither should Anne. So envious was the unhappy child that shetried to remember some unkindness that Anne had shown her, that shemight justify her own wrong-doing. But in spite of herself the thoughtof Anne recalled only pleasant things. "I don't care," she resolved;"she shan't go to Boston with Rose Freeman, and she has run off with thebasket."

  "Mercy, child! What has befallen you, and where is Anne?" questionedMrs. Cary, as Amanda came slowly up to the kitchen door, where hermother sat knitting.

  "She's run off with my basket," whimpered Amanda, holding her apron overher face.

  "And is Anne Nelson to blame for your coming home in this condition?"questioned Mrs. Cary, a little flush coming into her thin cheeks.

  Amanda nodded; some way it seemed very hard to say that Anne had pushedher down and slapped her.

  "And run off with my basket," she repeated, "and next week she goes toBrewster, and by carriage to Boston."

  "Well, that's no reason why she should turn so upon you," declared Mrs.Cary. "What made trouble between you?"

  "I think it was because of this journey," replied Amanda. "She is so setup by it, and she went off with the basket."

  "Never mind about the basket, child; but it's a sad thing for Anne to solose her temper. You did quite right to come home, dear child; now brushyour hair neatly, and bathe your face, and then come with me to MistressStoddard; though I like not our errand," concluded Mrs. Cary, rolling upthe stocking she was knitting.

  Amanda looked at her mother pleadingly. "Why must I go to MistressStoddard's?" she questioned. "I have run all the way home, and you knowshe will not blame Anne; it will be me she will question and blame. Oh,dear!" and Amanda, sure that her evil plan would be discovered, began tosob bitterly.

  "There, there! I did but think you could tell Mrs. Stoddard of Anne'smischief. You need not go, child. Get you a ginger cake from the stonejar in the cellar-way. I'll tell of the way Anne pushed you about, andmade off with the basket, and you sit here by the door. There's a sweetbreeze coming over the marshes," and, patting Amanda's ruffled locks,Mrs. Cary took down her sunbonnet from its hook behind the door, andprepared to set forth.

  "I'll not be long away," she called back, as she passed down the sandypath.

  From the pleasant doorway Amanda watched her with a gloomy face. Herplan was going on successfully, but Amanda did not feel happy. She wasdreading the time when Amos would return, and his sharp questioning, sheknew, would be a very different matter from her mother's acceptance ofher story.

  "Everybody always thinks that Anne is right," she said aloud.

  "Well, isn't she?" said a voice directly behind her, so near that Amandajumped up in surprise.

  "How did you get into the house, Amos Cary!" she exclaimed angrily.

  "Phew, Carrot-top! What's the matter?" responded Amos teasingly. "Say,Sis, don't cry," he added. "I won't call you 'Carrot-top' again. Youknow my hair's exactly the same color as yours, anyway; so it's justlike calling myself names."

  But Amanda kept on sobbing. "It's Anne," she whimpered. "She--she--she'srun off with my basket."

  "Anne!" exclaimed the boy in surprise. "Oh, well, she was only fooling.She'll bring it back. You know Anne wouldn't do a mean thing."

  "She would, too. She's going to Boston, and to Brewster, with RoseFreeman," said Amanda.

  "O-oh! So that's the trouble, is it?" said Amos. "Well, she'll comeback, so don't cry," and he stepped past her and ran down toward thebeach.

  At Mrs. Stoddard's Mrs. Cary was repeating Amanda's story.

  "I cannot understand it," said Mrs. Stoddard. "You know well, MistressCary, that Anne is a pleasant child, and she and Amanda started out asfriendly as need be. Did Amanda say what began the trouble?"

  Mrs. Cary shook her head. "No, she is at home crying her heart out aboutit, poor child."

  "I know not what to say," and Mrs. Stoddard's usually smiling face wasvery grave. "Anne is not home yet, but I will question her. You may besure, Mistress Cary, that I will not let it pass. Her father leaves herin my care when he is away, and perhaps I am too indulgent, for I lovethe child."

  It was an hour later when Anne came and peered in at the open door. Mrs.Cary had gone home. Mrs. Stoddard looked at the little girl, but notwith her usual smile.

  "Where is Amanda's basket?" she asked sharply. "Do not stand there; comein." Anne obeyed. "Now, tell me why you pushed Amanda down, and slappedher, and ran off with the basket of food? Mrs. Cary has been here andtold me all about it. A nice story indeed for me to hear. But like asnot it is my fault for indulging you in everything. But I shall be firmnow. Go up-stairs and stay until I call you; and as for that visit withRose Freeman, think no more of it. I shall not let you go. No, indeed,after such a performance as this."

  Anne thought to herself that she must be dreaming. "I shall wake up in aminute," she said aloud, but Mrs. Stoddard did not hear her.

  "Go right up-stairs," she repeated, and Anne, with a puzzled look overher shoulder, went slowly up the narrow stairs.