“it will be a good day to put a quilt in the frame,” said aunt prissy, the morning after faith’s birthday. “you and donald can help me with it right after breakfast; then while you children are off to the lake i will mark the pattern.”
“can’t i help mark the pattern?” asked faith, who had sometimes helped her mother, and thought it the most interesting part of the quilting.
the quilting-frame, four long strips of wood, was brought into the sitting-room and rested on the backs of four stout wooden chairs, forming a square. the frame was held firmly together at the corners by clamps and screws, so that it could be changed and adjusted to fit the quilt.
this quilt was a very pretty one, faith thought, as she watched aunt prissy fasten it to the frame with stout linen thread. it was made [pg 151]of bits of bright woolen cloth. there were pieces of faith’s new dresses, and of the dresses made for louise, and they were neatly stitched together in a diamond-shaped pattern. faith had made a good many of these, and so had louise in the evenings as they sat with aunt prissy before the open fire.
first of all aunt prissy had fastened the lining for the quilt to the frame. over this she spread an even layer of soft wool, and then over this the bright patchwork was spread and fastened. and now it was ready to mark the quilting pattern.
aunt prissy took a ball of firm twine and rubbed it well with white chalk. the cord was fastened tightly across the surface of the quilt.
“now,” said aunt prissy, and faith took the tight cord up and “snap” it went when her fingers released their hold, leaving a straight white mark across the quilt. back and forth they stretched the cord and “snapped” the line, until the quilt was marked in a checkerboard pattern of white lines, which the quilters would follow with their neat stitches.
“i believe i’ll have a quilting bee to-morrow,” said aunt prissy.[pg 152] “when you and donald start out you can go down and ask the minister’s wife, and be sure and say that we shall expect mr. fairbanks to tea. then ask neighbor willis and her husband, and mrs. tuttle. i think that will be a pleasant number.”
“may i help quilt?” asked faith.
“of course you may. tell mrs. tuttle to bring her daughter. and now, my dear, in what manner will you ask our friends to the quilting party and to tea?” asked aunt prissy, looking down at her little niece with her pretty smile.
“i shall rap at the minister’s door first, of course; and when mrs. fairbanks opens the door i shall make my best curtsy, like this:” and faith took a bit of her skirt in each hand, and bent in a very pretty curtsy indeed; “and i shall say: ‘good-morning, mrs. fairbanks. my aunt prissy will be very happy if you and the minister will come to her quilting bee to-morrow afternoon and stay to tea.’”
aunt prissy nodded approvingly. “i think that will do very nicely indeed. now put on your things and run along. donald is waiting.”
donald and “scotchie” were at the door when faith was ready to start. the big dog barked [pg 153]his delight at being allowed to go with the children.
“i’d like to harness him to the sled; he could draw us both,” suggested donald, but faith was sure that “scotchie” would upset the sled; so her cousin gave up the project.
“we can go on the lake just below mrs. tuttle’s house, and skate along the shore home; can’t we, cousin faith?” asked donald, after they had stopped at mrs. willis’ house and that of the clergyman.
“let’s call and get louise,” suggested faith.
“oh, there won’t be time. look, there goes an english soldier into the shoemaker’s now. the boys all say that the shoemaker is an english spy,” answered donald.
they were nearly in front of mr. trent’s shop now, and faith noticed that the soldier was the one who had been on the lake the previous day, and who had called her “a little rebel.”
“come to the back door, donald. just a moment, while i speak to louise. and make ‘scotchie’ keep still,” said faith, turning into the path leading to the back door.
“scotchie” was barking fiercely as if he resented the sight of the redcoat.
[pg 154]
the soldier turned quickly. “stop that dog before i put a bullet into him,” he called.
“he’s afraid,” donald whispered to faith, with a word to “scotchie,” and faith ran up the path and entered the house.
donald and “scotchie” stood waiting, the dog growling now and then, whenever the soldier moved about on the door-step. it was evident that the shoemaker was not at home, for no answer came to the raps. in a moment louise appeared at the door and told the man that her father was not at home.
“send that boy with the dog about his business,” said the soldier.
“’tis the public road, sir; and ’tis not likely he’d mind what i might say,” responded louise smilingly, as she closed the door.
donald rested his mittened hand on “scotchie’s” head.
“you needn’t be afraid. i won’t let him hurt you,” donald called.
the soldier came down the path scowling.
“i’ve a great mind to kick the beast,” he said.
“you’d better not,” said donald.
evidently the man agreed, for he went past as quickly as possible. donald watched him [pg 155]with a little scornful smile. the boy was not old enough to realize, as faith did, the difference between these hired soldiers of england, and the brave americans who were ready to undertake any sacrifice to secure the freedom of their country, but he was a brave boy, and thought poorly of this soldier’s courage.
louise listened to faith’s hurried account of the proposed quilting party.
“and you must come too, louise,” she concluded, “and come early.”
louise promised. she had never been to a quilting party, and was sure that it would be a great experience. she could not go to the lake, for she must not leave the house until her father returned.
when faith rejoined donald he told her of the soldier’s evident fear of the dog. “i don’t see what made ‘scotchie’ growl so,” added donald.
“i’m glad he did,” responded faith. “come on; let’s hurry, or we won’t have much time on the ice,” so off they went across the field.
but as they reached the shore they looked at each other questioningly. the lake seemed to be in the possession of the redcoats. at least [pg 156]half the garrison of the fort were on the ice; skating, racing, and evidently enjoying themselves.
“we had better go home,” said faith, and donald made no objections. the two children, disappointed of their morning’s sport, went slowly back toward home.
“that’s the way they take everything,” declared faith, renewing her promise to herself to try in some way to let ethan allen know how easy it would be to drive the english from ticonderoga.
“i am glad you did not venture on the ice,” aunt prissy said when donald and faith told their story. “the english become less friendly every day. well, we will not think of them when there is so much to do as we have before us.”
“i asked louise to come to the quilting,” said faith.
“that’s right; and i am going to send donald to ask a number of your schoolmates to come in the evening. the moon will be full to light them home, and you children can have the kitchen to yourselves after supper, and make molasses candy,” said aunt prissy.
[pg 157]
this seemed a very delightful idea to both faith and donald. the thought of making candy reminded faith of esther eldridge, and of the bear’s sudden appearance at the kitchen door. mr. carew had promised faith to ask esther’s father to bring her to visit faith on her return home, and faith often thought of how much she and esther would have to tell each other.
that afternoon faith helped her aunt prissy in preparing for the quilting. aunt prissy was cooking a ham, and the brick oven held some of the spiced cakes that the children liked so well. donald cracked a big dish full of hickory-nuts, while faith rubbed the pewter plates and pitchers until they shone like silver. the two younger boys ran in and out of the kitchen, thinking a quilting party must be a great affair.
mr. scott had been cutting wood at the edge of the forest, and did not return until nearly dusk; and when he arrived there was a man with him—evidently a traveler, for there was a pack on his back, and he was tired. faith heard her aunt prissy call the stranger by name, and welcome him.
[pg 158]“why, it is esther’s father. of course it is!” she exclaimed suddenly.
mr. eldridge told her all about esther, and promised that his little daughter should again visit the wilderness cabin. faith wondered what business it was that took mr. eldridge through the wilderness and up and down the lakes. long afterward she discovered that he was one of the trusted messengers of the american leaders, and through him the american settlers along the lake shores and through the new hampshire grants were kept informed of what the english were doing. she did not know that he underwent constant danger.
the little boys went early to bed that night, but faith was not sleepy. the firelight in the sitting-room made dancing pictures on the wall, as she sat in a small chair at the end of the sofa. the sound of aunt prissy’s knitting needles made her think of the silvery tinkle of the mill-stream under the winter ice in her wilderness home. mr. eldridge and her uncle were talking quietly. she heard her uncle say that: “ticonderoga was the lock to the gate of the country,” and mr. eldridge respond that until crown point and ticonderoga were taken [pg 159]by the americans that none of the colonies could be safe.
“if there were any way to get into fort ticonderoga,” said mr. eldridge. “they say there’s a secret passageway.”
faith was all attention at this. she quite forgot that she was listening to conversation not intended for her ears, as she heard her uncle answer:
“there is such a door, but no way for an american to find it. if some one could get entrance to the fort in that way, discover just the plan of the place, and escape, it would be of the greatest service to the americans when the right time came to take the fort.”
“time for bed, faithie,” said aunt prissy, and, very reluctantly, the little girl went up-stairs. she was thinking of all that her uncle and mr. eldridge had said, and of the unguarded door opening on the cliff at the fort. she wondered if she could make her way up that steep cliff as easily as nathan had declared he had so often done.
“perhaps nathan will help capture the fort,” she thought.[pg 160] “anyway he could show the green mountain boys the way. if i were at home i would put a note in that cave near lake dunmore and tell ethan allen about nathan.”
only ethan allen and a few of his friends knew of this mountain cave, and it was there messages were left for him by the men of the wilderness.
