Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-23
PART IL,

light" !,
Then Letitia realized what she had
not done before, that all the daylight
was shut out of the house; that they
had for light only one tallow candle
and low hearth fire. 1t was very cold
then. Letitia began TO SILVER with cold
as well as fear.
Suddenly the woman turned to her
with motherly kindness and curiosity.
"Who is this little damsel whom
Won rescued, husbund?" said she. 9,
"She must speak for herself" replied
her husband, smiling.
81 thought at first she was Neighbor
Adams Phoebe, but l see she is not"
"What Is your name, child?" asked
the woman, while the three little girls
looked wonderingly at the newcomer.
"Letitia Hopkins" replied Letitia, in
n small, scared voice.
The others started.
"Letitia Hopkins, did you say2" said
the woman, doubtfully.
Eyes, ma am"
They all stared at her, then at one
another.
"It is very strange" said the woman,
finally, with q puzzled, half-alarmed
look. "Letitia Hopkins is my name"
"And it is mine, too" said the eldest
girl.
Letitia gave great jump. There was
something very strange about this.
Letitia Hopkins was her family name.
Her grandmother, her fathers mother.
had been Lctitia Hopkins, and she had
always heard that the name could be
traced back in the same order for gen.
crations, rs the Hopkinses had intermar-
ried. She looked up, trembling, at the
man who saved her from the Indians.
Twill you please tell me your name,
sir?" she said.
John Hopkins" said the man. smil-
ing kindly at her.
Capt. John Hopkins" corrected his
wife.
Letitia gasped. That settled it. Capt.
John Hopkins was her great-great-
great-grnndfather. Greatsunt Peggy
had often told her about him. He had
been a notable man in his day, among
the first settlers, and many story
|
descendants. A queer little miniature
of him, in little gilt frame, hung in
the best parlor, and Letitia had often
looked at it. She had thought from the
first that there was something famil-
lar about the mans face, and now she
recognized the likeness to the min
iature.
1t seemed awful and impossible, but
the little green door had led into thu
pnst, and Letitia Hopkins had visited
her at-great-grandfather ant
grandmother, her great-great-grand
mother, and her two grcat-great-aunts
Letitia looked up in the faces, al
staring wonderingly at her, and all o
them had that familiar look, though
she had no miniature of the others
Suddenly she knew that it was like
ness of her own face which she recog
nized, and 1t was as If she saw hersel
in five-fold loolting-glass. She fel
as If her head was turning round ant
round, and presently her feet began t.
follow the motion of her head, thel
strong arms caught her, or she woult
have fallen.
When Letitia came to herself again
she was in n great feather-bed, in tn
unfinished loft of the Lighthouse. TIL
wind blew in her face, n great sta
shone in her eyes. She thought at frs
she was out of doors, then she hear
a kind but commanding voice repeat
ing: open yonr mouth" and stare
up wildly into her great-great-great
grandmother's face, then around tn
strange little garnet, lighted with
wisp of rag In pewter dish of tallow
and the stars shining through the cracl
In the logs. Not bit of furniture wa
there in the room, besides the bed an,
an oak chest. Some queer-lookini
garments hung about on pegs an
swung in the draughts of the wind. ]
must have been. showing outside, TO
little piles of snow were scattered her
and there about the room.
"Where-am-I?" Ietitia asked, fee
bly,, but no sooner had she opened he
mouth than her great-great-great
grandmother, Goodwife Hopkins, VIII
had been watching her chance, poppe
in the great pewter spoon full of som
horribly black and bitter medicine.
Letitin nearly choked.
Swallow it," said Goodwife Ho,
kins. you swooned away, ard 1t
good physic. 1t will soon make 20
we'll"
Goodwife Hopkins had kind an
motherly way, but way from who
there was no appeal
Ietitia swallowed the bitter dose.
"Now, go to sleep" ordered Coco
wife Hopkins.
Letitia went to sleep. There nigh
have been something quieting to tn
nerves in the good physic.
She was awakened a little later b
her Observation-Disclosures, and he
? two great-great-aunts coming to bed.
4 They We're to sleep with her. Their
were only two beds in Capt. John Hor
kins' house.
Letitia had never slept four in be
! before. There was not much room
2 She had to turn herself about cross
e wise, and then her toes stuck out int
the icy air, unless she kept them wcl
covered up. But sooI' she fell aslce
+. again.
$ About midnight she was awakene