The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-16
CHAPTER II.

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Supper was over in the household Of Bill
Glover and the younger portion had gradually
sought their sleeping quarters in the loft above
while Mat and Bill had gone out, as they said
to look after certain traps they had set up the
valley. Johnny, who, whether it was owing
as he said, to the music in his head or to dis
ease, seldom slept like other people, was still
up, his bright eyes looking like lamps in the
darkness.
Johnny, lad, what have We done with We,
new under Jacket asked the mother, observ
ing that that garment was missing.
"Hung it in bush down by the pole where
Johnny watched the fishes, num-" was the re-
ply:
"Why, how could ye--yer bran new waist.
coat, made out of grannies old red cloak Dc
We march straight down and get it, this min
ute"
"Johnny shan't, though He's tired enough,
now" was the decided reply.
Seeing that the mother was about to force
the lad to 60, a proceeding always useless and
worse than useless with him, Molly offered to
go herself after the missing article. The light
footed maiden soon cleared the space between
the house and the spot indicated by the boy,
and upon the alders at the end of the messy
pole, hung the object of her search She was
about to retrace her steps, when the sound of
voices up the stream arrested her attention
She recognised them at once as those Of Bill
Glover and Jennings and the few words that
she caught filled her with surprise and alarm
" SO you never give him her note, nor nary
ways let him suspicion that old Andrews was
gwine to take the game across the Sound to
safer quarters +" said Jennings.
No: all telled him was that she got the
letter safe and sound and rather guess she
did for if old Andrews didn't read it to her,
miss my guess. Lord, how the old sinner rated
when arter pinnn him down to doing the
right thing, give it to him."
change in the position Of the speakers or
I'LL in the wind that swept down the valley,
rendered the next sentences ndistnct; bat from
her knowledge of the parties alluded to and
| the characters of the speakers she was easily
enabled to make out what followed
II tell YOU said the voice of Jennings,
that you are in for it Already That fellow
was right Let old Pat catch but the least
breath of our doings across the line and he'll
hang we higher than Hannah"
GAS well die for an old sheep as a lamb, |
spose" returned Glover, but somehow I'd
a leetle ruther not dip too deep into the
devils broth. ] don't mind keepin back a
love-letter or So or gvin one up to old An
drews now and then, alters provided he chalk
ed up handsomely for I've got score Of
mouths to feed, and he that provideth not for
his own household Is WIS than infidel,p as the
Bible says. Besides, | knOwd that the young
folks would carry their part in the end ;
there's spark in young Stanforths eye, and
faint wantin in the gals nuther that makes
that a. clear rs preachin, TO my mind. But
rs to givin up the lad to Tryon, it goes a leetle
agin the grain. The lads father did me IA
kind turn once, and it would set kinder on
comfortable on my conscience, IL he come to
harm through my means"
"Not half 30 uncomfortable as the rope III
set round your neck one of these days They've
got scent OF a thing or two now, up there,
It seems now. But every one TO their notion.
! only mentioned it cause ] thought you
wouldn't have no onconquerable objections to a
handful or two of yellow pieces, with King
Georges image and superscrption on 'emn
"Thats fact, Mat; Pve fingered their
cussed Continental stuff so long that I'd almost
forgot how guinea looked when we got them
from Garth, Still, ! was alters leetle soft
hearted and EFF ! was only sartain the
Leftenant wouldn't come TO harm-any NOR
tai harm -
"All the harm he'll come TO will be an i'm
prisonment few weeks until he can get ex-
changed. No fear but Sheldon will move
heaven and earth To get him back, for he's
sort o prime mover in his troops That's ALL
unless ye call losing his sweetheart harm
but there are folks in the world who would
differ from 20 there. Besides, he can't lose
what he never had nor never's like ter, tor
that matter for old Andrews swears he shall
never have her and what's more, lie swears
that Garth's nephew, young Lansing, shall
and there's no question about IL, but what the
gal herself would be willin enough, if Stanforth
was we'll out on the way tl
Lansing lands with small party at Stony