“‘hours ago,’” repeated mrs. carew. “why, dear child, it is only an hour since esther came up from the mill with the dishes.”
faith looked so bewildered that her mother exclaimed: “why, child! have you forgotten that you and esther had your dinner at the mill?”
“but i did not have any dinner,” declared faith. “it was not dinner time when i ran off and left esther in the sitting-room. i——” and then faith stopped suddenly. she resolved that she would not tell her mother that she had given esther the blue beads,—not until esther was found.
[pg 34]“well, i declare. esther came into the kitchen just as i was preparing dinner, and asked if you girls could not have a picnic dinner at the mill, and i was well pleased to let you. i put some cold meat and bread, a good half of pumpkin pie and some of the pumpkin cakes in a basket, and gave her a pitcher of milk, and off she went. an hour ago she came in to ask for a lunch and i gave her a good piece of molasses cake. your father was busy skinning the bear, and we gave but little thought to you children. but when i called your name, and found neither of you at the mill, i became alarmed. but where can esther be now?” concluded mrs. carew, looking anxiously about the clearing.
“go back to the house with faith and give the child something to eat. colonel allen and i will search the mill again,” said mr. carew.
“i’m tired,” said faith, as they reached the house, “and i don’t like esther.”
“hush, faithie. she is your guest. and if she has wandered into any harm or danger i do not know what we can say to mr. eldridge,” responded her mother; “but i do not understand about the food,” she added, half to herself, wondering if esther could really have eaten it all.
faith looked about the kitchen. “it looks just the same. just as if the bear had not come in,” she said.
[pg 35]mrs. carew brought her a bowl of milk and a plate of corn bread, and another plate with two of the pumpkin cakes.
“i’ll run back to the mill while you eat your supper, faithie, and see if esther has been found. when i come back you must tell me what you were turning syrup into the kettle for.”
faith was hungry, but as she ate her bread and milk she felt very unhappy. she remembered her promise to esther not to tell mrs. carew about the syrup.
“i don’t know what i shall do,” she said aloud. “i guess i’ll go and rest on the settle until mother dear comes,” so she opened the door and entered the sitting-room. as she lay back among the cushions of the settle she heard a faint noise from the further side of the room. “i guess it’s ‘bounce,’” she thought.
then the noise came again: “gr-r-r! gr-rrr!” faith sat up quickly. she wondered if another bear had made its way into the house. the big black bearskin rug in front of the table was moving; it was standing up, and coming toward the settle.
“it’s you, esther eldridge! you can’t frighten me,” said faith, and esther dropped [pg 36]the rug from her shoulders and came running toward the settle. her black eyes were dancing, and she was laughing.
“oh! i’ve had the greatest fun! i ate all your dinner, and i hid under that bearskin and your mother and father hunted everywhere for me. where have you been?” concluded esther, looking down at faith. the little girls did not notice that, just as esther began speaking, mrs. carew had opened the sitting-room door.
“i’ve been way off in the woods, and my mother has asked me to tell her about the maple syrup,” replied faith accusingly.
“well, esther!”
both the girls gave an exclamation of surprise at the sound of mrs. carew’s voice. “you may go to the mill and tell mr. carew that you are safe, and then come directly back,” she said a little sternly, and stood by the door until esther was on her way. then she crossed over to the settle and sat down beside faith.
“i will not ask you about the syrup, faithie dear,” she said, smoothing faith’s ruffled hair.[pg 37] “and you had best go up-stairs to bed. i will have a talk with esther, and then she will go to bed. it has been a difficult day, has it not, child? but to-morrow i trust everything will go pleasantly, without bears or trouble of any sort.”
“but esther will be here,” said faith.
“never mind; i think esther has made mischief enough to-day to last all her visit,” responded mrs. carew; and faith, very tired, and greatly comforted, went up to her pleasant chamber which esther was to share. she wondered to herself just what her mother would say to esther. but she did not stay long awake, and when esther came up-stairs shortly after, very quietly, and feeling rather ashamed of herself after listening to mrs. carew, faith was fast asleep.
but esther did not go to sleep. she wondered to herself what her father would say if mrs. carew told him of her mischief, and began to wish that she had not deceived mrs. carew about the dinner. she could feel her face flush in the darkness when she remembered what mrs. carew had said to her about truthfulness. esther’s head ached, and she felt as if she was going to be ill. down-stairs she could hear the murmur of voices. ethan allen would sleep on the settle, and be off at an early hour the [pg 38]next morning. it seemed a long time before the voices ceased, and she heard mr. and mrs. carew come up the stairs. esther began to wish that she had not eaten the fine pumpkin pie and all the cakes. it was nearly morning before she fell asleep, and she was awake when faith first opened her eyes.
“it’s time to get up. it always is the minute i wake up,” said faith sleepily.
esther answered with a sudden moan: “i can’t get up. i’m sick,” she whispered.
faith sat up in bed and looked at esther a little doubtfully. but esther’s flushed face and the dark shadows under her eyes proved that she spoke the truth.
“i’ll tell mother. don’t cry, esther. mother will make you well before you know it,” said faith, quickly slipping out of bed and running into the little passage at the head of the stairs.
in a few moments mrs. carew was standing beside the bed. she said to herself that she did not wonder that esther was ill. but while faith dressed and got ready for breakfast mrs. carew smoothed out the tumbled bed, freshened the pillows and comforted their little visitor.
[pg 39]“run down and eat your porridge, faithie, and then come back and sit with esther,” said mrs. carew.
when faith returned mrs. carew went down and brewed some bitter herbs and brought the tea for esther to drink. the little girl swallowed the unpleasant drink, and shortly after was sound asleep. she had not awakened at dinner time, and mrs. carew was sure that she would sleep off her illness.
“the child must be taught not to crave sweet foods,” she said, as she told faith to run down to the mill and amuse herself as she pleased. “only don’t go out of sight of the mill, faithie,” she cautioned, and faith promised and ran happily off down the path. she was eager to ask her father about mr. ethan allen.
mr. carew was busy grinding wheat. there were few mills in the wilderness, and nearly every day until midwinter settlers were coming and going from the mill, bringing bags of wheat or corn on horseback over the rough trail and carrying back flour or meal. when mr. carew had tied up the bag of meal and his customer had ridden away, he came to where faith was sitting close by the open door and sat down beside her.
[pg 40]“why do you call mr. allen a ‘green mountain boy’?” asked the little girl, after she had answered his questions about esther; “he is a big man.”
mr. carew smiled down at faith’s eager face, and then pointed to the green wooded hills beyond the clearing. “it’s because he, and other men of these parts, are like those green hills,—strong, and sufficient to themselves,” he answered. “every settler in the wilderness knows that ethan allen will help them protect their homes; and no man knows this part of the country better than colonel allen.”
“why do you call him ‘colonel’?” asked faith.
“because the bennington people have given him that title, and put him in command of the men of the town that they may be of service to defend it in case king george’s men come over from new york,” replied her father; “but i do not know but the bears are as dangerous as the ‘yorkers.’ do you think esther will be quite well to-morrow?” concluded mr. carew.
faith was quite sure that esther would soon be as well as ever. she did not want to talk about esther. she wanted to hear more about [pg 41]her friend colonel allen. “i heard him tell mother that he slept in a cave one night on his way here,” she said.
“oh, yes; he can sleep anywhere. but you must talk of him no more to-day, faithie,” answered mr. carew; “and here is ‘bounce’ looking for you,” he added, as the little gray kitten jumped into faith’s lap.
