The St. Mary banner., 1909-08-07

Il do not know and cannot tell
she said Then he taunGered at her:
Now, girl, we Will find q WY to
cot tie truth out OF YOU" Calm and
! unmoyed she answered:
Il have already ted thee the tcl.t,2;
more cannot be got out Of me-
We will see what the rope will
| do" He directed one of the men TO
put the moose around her neck. One
stepped forward and raised the moose
over her head She looked him
| sQuarely in the face and said:
Thee must not touch me-" The
rope dropped from the mans hand
and Merritt said:
I'VE will get the truth out OF YOU
this time, and-quickly, too, or we
will stretch your neck" He stopped
to pick up the rope with smile.
Anne replied:
"If cannot tell thee while living,
l surely cannot tell thee after being
hung"
A silence followed. while she calm
| ly looked into the faces about her.
! Then, turning to Merritt, she said
firmly:
"Thee knows that I have spoken
! truly, and that I know nothing about
any money, and now l tell thee fur
ther, that If | did know l would not
tell"
A whispered consultation was held
around the leader. Anne's every fac
ulty was keenly alert: not move
ment or word escaped her,
She can't be frightened"
'It's of no use"
eve can't find out anything from
her"
| We must search the house: we
may get something besides money.
These whispers reached her from all
! sides
| The men conducted her back to the
house and the search began. Closet
doors were broken open by blows
from gunstocks. bureaus pried open
| by bayonets, and beds and pillows
pierced to ascertain if the money was
hidden in them. 1t was a scene CT
wanton destruction. The cellar was
examined for signs of recent digging,
and eatables of all kinds were taken.
| Not Grandmo:her's Cheese.
| Anne saw one Of the men coming
out of the pantry with a new cheese
under his arm. This was a recent
| gift to her grandmother. The theft
was too much for Anne's patience.
| She took hold of the cheese, saying
| firmly:
Thee shall not take this; it is for
grandmother. The man gave it up
to her. Angry at getting no money,
the raiders gathered all the valuables
and prepared to leave. Merritt said to
Anne:
Tell your father this is what he
gets for harboring rebels and rob-
bers." Her unshaken courage
prompted the quick retort:
'"Thee is prudent man. Thee
knows father is absent, and does not
believe it right to fight; yet thee
| comes and robs the house, with only
women and children to defend it,
MERIT swore roundly at her and rode
Off
But he paid dearly for his raid on
the defenceless household, for soon
after the fate he had threatened the
fearless girl became his own.
When peace was finally concluded
Anne was fifteen. Her life at that
time with her father is pleasant to
remember. She went everywhere on
horseback with him, having an excel
lent little horse for her own use
one of the famous Narragansett
PAGERS. Once they rode to the yearly
meeting in Philadelphia. and often to
New York meetings. She wore on
such occasions a broad-brimmed bea-
yer that tied down under her chin;
over her dress she wore long skirt,
and under her cape, pinned to her
dress. her white apron, which she
put on after the riding skirt was re-
moved. for women in those days were
not fully dressed without a fine white
linen apron.
AT the age of sixteen Anne became
a bride. and many grandchildren and
| great-grandchildre have listened
with pride and throbbing hearts to
the story of grandmother heroisn.