THE LOST PROGRAMME
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 Lance'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.
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.
"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, 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.
"Aunt Deborah is going home to Barren Hill to-morrow," said Ruth, as she
and Winifred came near home; "Farmer Withal 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."
"Oh, Ruth Pernell!" said Winifred reproachfully.
"Well, I do. Barren Hill is half-way to Valley Forge, and perhaps I
could see my 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.
"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."
"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."
"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."
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.
[Illustration: IT WAS A FAVORITE PLAY-HOUSE]
"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.
"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 Pernell's' 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.
For a little while the girls worked steadily, covering with chintz the
cardboard pieces that would form the chair.
"I'll put it together," said Winifred, and with skillful 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.
"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.
"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."
"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.
The shed was nearly square. Beside the wide door there were two windows,
both looking into the garden, and beneath these was Mr. Pernell'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. Pernell 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.
"Oh, Winifred! Look! This will make a fine table!" she said, standing
on 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 of
wood, had opened Mr. Pernell's tool-chest and taken out a number of
planes, a small saw, gimlets and a hammer.
"But we haven't any patterns," said Winifred. "You know we had a pattern
for 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 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."
"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."
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.
"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 for
home while Ruth ran into the house.
"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."
Mrs. Pernell and Aunt Deborah both smiled their approval, thinking that
the 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 are
fine places to play in the big barn and in the pine woods, and thy doll
will be company for thee."
"How soon may I visit Aunt Deborah, Mother?" Ruth asked eagerly. "May I
not go with Farmer Withal next week?"
"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.
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. They
have come to take Gilbert," she exclaimed, "and they want Ruth too."
"'Take Gilbert'!" echoed Mrs. Pernell. "What has he done? And what do
they want of Ruth?"
"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.
"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 Merrill's' garden, just
in time to meet two English soldiers with Gilbert between them coming
down the steps.
Aunt Deborah went forward smilingly.
"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."
"That may be, madam. But we must obey orders. We have to take G. Merrill
and R. Pernell to General Howe," the man answered civilly.
"Here is R. Pernell," said Aunt Deborah, her hand resting protestingly
on Ruth's shoulder. "Surely thee does not mean to take this little
girl?"
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.