Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-09-04
REVOLUTIONARY LASS.
BY MAJoRIE RICHARDSON.

is as calm as usual, the gloN broughtinto
her cheeks two hours before by Paul
Revere's startling news has not yet died
away.
No answer comes to her summons, so
she hurries down tile path TO the barn,
but the very thought of breakfast van
ishes as she hears Neighbor Hosmer's
voice in excited con rsation with her
father, and you're to take these pa
pars to Isaac Davis. in Acton, and tell
him the regulars are on the road here
from Lexington.
$50 they're really coming, says Har-
ris, COMPRISING his lips sternly. ITO
destroy the ammunition, suppose. In
that case there's no time to be lost in get
ting this cart to the village, for every bit
of powder will be needed. You will
have to take it, Reuben. either to the
court house or to Major Buttrick's. /
must be off at once.
"Will there be fighting, father? Dolly
asks, as he bends from his saddle to give
her farewell kiss.
"God only knows" he answers. @H
the reports from / xington be true we
have terrible day before us. You had
best not stay here lone. he adds. Row
down to the Man,e and stop with your
Uncle William till the red coats leave
the town, and he rides swiftly away.
Dolly gazes after him wistfully till he
is out of sight, and then turns to Reuben.
wont you come in to breakfast,
Neighbor Hosmer?" she says, "or can't
you spare the timer"
mo, he answered "As your father
says, the powder may be wanted at any
moment. / only wish there was more
of it," glancing regretfully over his
shoulder at the few kegs. @This is so
little compared with what those rascally
red coat, will have.
"Good bye, Dolly, you'd better leave
the house as soon as you can. It's after
five now.
For the next two hours Dolly is busy
with her household cares, but now the
last pan is secured, the last dish washed
and put in its place on the shelf in the
pantry, and with a tired sigh she sits
down there among the boxes and barrels
to rest.
Her only companion, large gray cat,
rubs affectio ately against her homespun
gown, and purrs loudly. as if to make
amends for her inal lity to talk matters
over with this troubled little maiden.
ooh, Tabithalr says Dolly, sorrow
fully, burying her face in the soft fur.
"Fm afraid things are going very, very
wrong. Those terrible BritishersI How
can we keep them out of the town with
30 few men and so little to do with2
Well, we must not set here moping.
must go to the Manse, and you shall
come, too; but, oh, how wish we could
help in some way. Why, stop, what is
this?"
She pushes the reluctant cat from her
knee and drags aside heavy box, dis
closing a stout wooden keg whose con-
tents are well known to her.
"Oh. Tabitha, Tabitha, 'tis gunpowderl
Father must have forgotten it in his
hurry and every little is needed he says.
What can we do?T
Tabitha shifts suspiciously at the cask,
and then comes with loud purr to rub
herself again against her little mistress
knee, but Dolly is too troubled now to
notice her.
He said to the court house or to Major
Buttricks", she muses..
Il could get it to the Buttrick's, not
through the village, for might meet
some of the red coats, besides it is too
heavy, but could easily carry it down
to the river, and then Iwouldn't be more
than IS minutes in rowing to the viii
lage.
aT1.n o..lxv k~o,,l,lo .x~o,.1d l,<a f1.a ao,.4h
bridge. If the Britishers were there
they'd surely never let me row under
their very noses with keg of glInpow-
der. / must think of some way to hide
it
II could put the keg in the chest; they
might think it was clothes or something;
and can tie it up with stout cord,
and"
No time for further words. 1t is half
past seven now and Dolly fears to delay
longer, so with great care she places the
keg in tie chest and packs straw about
it to keep it steady.
1t is fortunate that theriver is near the
house, for two stone is no light weight
for 14-year-old girl to carry. Dolly's
sturdy arms ache, and the short curls on
her forehead are moist with her exer-
tions by the time she gets the big box
safely in the bottom Of the boat.
Tabitha curls herself up beside it, but
Dolly Is not yet satisfied
Its . suspicious looking cargo.
Once more she looks refiectively about
her.
Spring is fully in advance this year.
The grass is green and the cherry trees
are white with fragrant blossoms.
This snot very thrifty thing to do,
looking ruefuIly at the cherry trees Il
shall have to heap blossoms over the
box. IL the red coats don't know much
about country people, perilaps they'll
not think it strange / should make way
with so many good cherrie8
Breaking of large branches she throws
them n > careless heap over the box
@Thera Tabby, she says, with much