Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-04-13
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he could not give voice to the shadOwy |
doubts which were, after ALL perhaps, |
only the fruit of an over-anXiety. 1t was
left to Roger to put the hateful surmise
into words.
"Fd like a chance at those cursed red
coats with my good gum" he sale. and
his savage emphasis made his meaning !
plain.
SOFTLY, Roger, SOFTLY" demonstrated
Dave, recoiling as more than one honest
man has done before and since al the
audible expression of his secret wishes.
Roger glanced keenly into his frie nd's
disturbed face.
"sYou would not be far behind me it the
occasion came," he muttered. Heaven
only knows to what these days are bring
ing us.'
They grasped each others hands close
~ for a long minute, then separated with
out further speech.
When Sylvia went up to her small
room next that occupied by her elder sis
ters, she found Delight sitting by the
window. Dolly, youngest Of the four, a
child of twelve, was sound asleep IL bed,
but Delights eyes were wide open and
brilliant with excitement.
''See, Sylvia here is the millinee for
my apron and the taffeta and the gauze
for mothers new caps. Roger brought
them. | told Desire to send the daest
quality"
She fingered the dainty fabrics nervous
~ and chatted of all sorts of thingg con-
nected with her Boston visit unit. Syl-
via in her long, white gown, had carefully
arranged her thick auburn hair and tied
her rutiled nightcap under her round chin.
y purposely prolonged yaWn from the
younger sister brought no pause il De-
lights vivaciOus narrative, and at length
Sylvia frankly announced that she was
terribly sleepy and wished to go to- bed.
From Delights manner no one would
have suspected that this was exactly what
she had proposed to accomplish before
going to her own room, for she was bent
upon reading her letter without risk of
espionage from Sylvia. Fifteen Minutes
later she tip-toed to the door of the room
and peeped in. Both girls were sleeping
soundly. She now felt safe in relighting
her candle, and opened the precious sheet
she had not yet dared to take from it's
hiding place. 1t was brief, but every
word was eloquent with meaning to her
eager heart.
Boston, April II, ITS.
My Dearest Hearts Delight:
Your sweet sister promises to send this
safel by your good neighbor, Roger. II
shall tell you that | live again continually
the hours when you were here. The mpm-
DRY of those blessed moments is my only
consolation for your absence. When shall
you come again? l dare not write more
plainly, but-be not too much surprised to
see me very soon. If pass in line, make
no recognition, but be at our trysting place
at dusk. Leave all the rest to me. We
fear no opposition in doing our errand at
Concord.
With undying love and faithful devotion
A.
Delight read this until she knew it by
heart, and as she lay down to sleep she
repeated over and over the sweet aSsur-
ance that Archie might be with her be-
fore the next nightfall She recalled each
incident of their first meeting when he
was staying with neighbour in Lexington
village, sent there by the British general
to spy out the land. At the very first
glance of his sparkling, black eyes she
had felt the fatal attraction which had
grown in intensity with each subsequent
moment spent in his company at the home
of her Uncle Francis in Boston, until
now she was ready to give up everything
3or his dear sake.
The few interviews they had held in
the shrubbery near her home were neces-
sarily brief aud full of risk, but in the
city they met daily. Francis Leland, her
fathers brother, was secretly loyal to
England, and thus came their opportunity
for frequent intercourse. In the joy of
the present they had forgotten any posi-
BILE future. The first break came with
All ~ of
her Aunt Rachsl's illness. In the Puritan
household of Timothy Leland no remon-
STRANGE was permissible. Obedience,
prompt and unquestioning, or bold dis
obedience, lay before each child. Delight
was not yet ready to make the irreyocable
breach. She went home, rebelling in
wardly at every step, and growing, out
wardly. as the days passed, unaccounta-
bly, irritable, petulant, capricious.
1t was nearly six weeks since she had
seen Archie McPheadris. Once during
the time she had heard from him, long,
feryent letter sent by trusted messen-
ger in disguise. And here was the pros
pect of seeing him face to face before
long. Little wonder that it was midnight
before sleep came to her. Small marvel
that conscience in the quiet night hours
upbraided her, bringing thoughts of the
father and the mother she was dishonor-
ing, of the brave brothers whose avowed
enemy she was loving. of the young sis
tiers who looked to her for a pattern of
womanly behavior. With angry impa-
thence she crowded back these searching
reminders of her wrong daing She turn
ed once more upon her pillow. and with
her lovers message pressed to her lips,
at last fell asleep.
Nearly an hour later she was awakened
oy the steady, rapid beating of horses
feet on the hard highway. loud, clear
voice was shouting something she could