A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia Page 3

  CHAPTER II

  GILBERT AND LAFAYETTE

  Two days passed and there was no tidings of the missing dog; and evenAunt Deborah began to fear that they should never see him again. It wasvery difficult for Ruth to attend to the tasks that Aunt Deborah set forher; for all she could think of was Hero.

  Gilbert Merrill had gone about the city making inquiries, but no one hadseen Hero, or could tell him anything about Ruth's dog. Aunt Deborah wasvery sorry for her little niece, but she still insisted that Ruth shoulddust the dining-room as carefully each morning as if Hero was safe inthe yard; that the little girl should knit her stint on the gray woolsock, intended for some loyal soldier, and sew for a half hour eachafternoon.

  Ruth dropped stitches in her knitting, for a little blur of tears hidher work from sight when she thought that perhaps her dear Hero mightbe hurt, unable to find his way home; or perhaps he was shut upsomewhere by some cruel person who did not care if he was fed or not.

  Aunt Deborah was very patient with the little girl. She picked up thedropped stitches in the knitting; and when she found how uneven a seamRuth was stitching she picked out the threads without a word of reproof.

  But on the second day, as they sat at work in the little sewing-room atthe top of the stairs, Ruth threw down her knitting and began to cry.

  "I can't knit! I can't do anything until Hero is found. You know Ican't, Aunt Deborah. And I do wish my mother would come home," shesobbed.

  Aunt Deborah did not speak for a moment. She had no little girls of herown, and she often feared that she might not know what was exactly rightfor her little niece. So she never spoke hastily.

  "For thy sake, dear child, I wish that thy mother were here: but it isvery pleasant for me to have thy company, Ruth," she said in hermusical, even voice. "Would thee not like to go and play with Winifred?But be sure thy hair is smooth."

  But Ruth made no reply. She stopped crying, however, and looked up atAunt Deborah.

  "Didn't you like Hero?" she asked.

  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.

  "Indeed, I liked Hero," she said; "but suppose I decided that because hewas lost I would no longer prepare thy breakfast or dinner? that I wouldnot see that thy mother's house was in order. Thee would truly think Ihad but little sense. It does not prove thy liking to cry because thydog is lost; to fix thy thoughts on thy own feelings and leave thy tasksfor me to do. It does not help bring Hero back. Now, put on thy hat andcape and we will walk toward the river. I have an errand to do," andAunt Deborah got up and went to her own room to put on her long graycape and the gray bonnet that she always wore on the street.

  She was waiting in the front hall when Ruth came slowly down the stairs.She had put on her brown straw hat, whose ribbons tied beneath herchin, and the pretty cape of blue cloth; for there was a sharp littleMarch 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 saidshe would rather play with Winifred; but it was too late now.

  "We need many things, but I fear 'twill not be easy to purchase eithergood cotton cloth or a package of pepper," Aunt Deborah said as theyturned on to Second Street. "There was but little in the shops when theBritish came, and of that little they have taken for themselves so thereis not much left for the people."

  "They have taken Hero, I know they have!" Ruth replied. "I wishWashington would come and drive the English out."

  "Oh! Ho! So here is a small rebel declaring treason right to the face ofan officer of the King!" and Ruth, surprised and frightened, felt a handon her shoulder, and looked up to find a tall soldier in a red coat withshining buttons and bands of gilt looking at her with evident amusement.

  "You had best whisper such words as those, young lady," he addedsternly, and passed on, leaving Ruth and Aunt Deborah standingsurprised and half-frightened.

  "This is an American city," Aunt Deborah announced calmly, as theywalked on. "These intruders can stay but a time. But they have sharpears, indeed. Does thee know why thy father named thy dog 'Hero'?" shecontinued, looking down at Ruth.

  "Oh, yes! Father said 'hero' meant courage and honor; and so it was theright name for such a fine dog," Ruth answered quickly. "Aunt Deborah!What was that?" she added, stopping short. For she had heard a familiarbark.

  But Aunt Deborah had heard nothing. They were passing a house where anumber of soldiers were sitting on the porch smoking.

  "I heard Hero bark. He is in that house," Ruth declared, and before AuntDeborah could say a word to prevent such a rash act Ruth had run up thesteps.

  "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 heras if she were some wild bird that had flown to the porch. Before theycould reply Aunt Deborah's hand was on Ruth's arm, and the little girlheard her aunt saying: "Thee must pardon the child. She has lost herdog, and is greatly troubled. She means no harm."

  The younger of the two men stood up and bowed politely, and held his hatin his hand until Aunt Deborah had led Ruth back to the street; butneither of the men had answered her question.

  "Oh, Aunt Deborah! What made you? I know Hero is in that house. I heardhim bark. You spoiled it all," sobbed Ruth, as Aunt Deborah, holding herfast by the hand, hurried toward home, quite forgetting the errands shewished to do.

  Aunt Deborah sighed to herself. She began to fear that Ruth was adifficult child; and that perhaps she did not know the right way to dealwith little girls. But she did not reprove Ruth either for her rash actor for speaking with so little regard of Aunt Deborah's authority.

  "May I go in and see Winifred?" Ruth asked when they reached home, andAunt Deborah gave her permission.

  "Oh, Winifred! I know where Hero is," Ruth declared, as the two friendswent up to Winifred's room, and she hastened to tell the adventures ofthe walk with Aunt Deborah.

  "I am going back after him, Winifred, and you must come with me," sheconcluded.

  But Winifred said that her mother was out, and that she must not leavethe house until her return. She looked at Ruth admiringly.

  "I think you were brave, Ruth, to ask those soldiers. But I don'tbelieve they would give you back Hero if you do go back. Perhaps theywould make you a prisoner," she said a little fearfully; and at lastRuth reluctantly agreed not to go after the dog that day. The littlegirls decided that the best way would be to go straight to General Howeand tell him that one of his soldiers had taken Hero, and was keepinghim from his rightful owner.

  "I'll go to-morrow. But we must not let Aunt Deborah know," said Ruth,and Winifred promised to keep the plan a secret.

  Now that there seemed a hope of rescuing her dog Ruth was nearly her ownhappy self again. Winifred got out some squares of pasteboard and verycarefully marked out patterns of the back and sides, as well as for theseat, for the dolls' chair. Then she went to find Gilbert to borrow hisknife with which to cut the cardboard; and before Ruth started for homethe pieces were all ready to be covered. As the two little friends satin 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.

  "Why, I think that is splendid!" Ruth replied, her blue eyes shining atthe thought of a "Lafayette" next door to her own home. For all thechildren of Philadelphia knew the story of the brave young Frenchman,hardly more than a boy himself, who had left all the comforts of hisParis home to share the danger and privations of the American soldiers.He had visited Philadelphia the previous summer, 1777, soon after hisarrival in America. Gilbert had seen the handsome young officer, andever since then he had pleaded that he might be called "Lafayette"instead of Gilbert.

  "If I were a boy I should wish my name 'Lafayette,'" declared Ruth. "Iwish we could do something for him, don't you, Winifred?"

  "Yes; but what could two little gir
ls do for him? Why, he is a hero, anda friend of Washington's," Winifred responded. Neither Ruth norWinifred imagined that it would be only a few months before one of themwould do a great service for the gallant young Frenchman.