Evening star., 1924-01-21

.
No" she answered, mo other
had thought, perhaps of--the
Woodsman. mistress. who sat here in
your door that night
Sir! cried DoXey Fairweather,
while the deep flush rose in her face
| again, you connect me with a traitor?'
Forgive me. But the man is n force.
/ All loyal Virginia has begun to fear
/ MN and he ever seems to arrive at the
! proper time"
There is no proper time for such at
the Cocks Feather Inn" she answered
coldly. I'VE here are loyal to our
| king
was slipping to it's end the dark cloud
gathered more diSmally day by day over
the little group of friends who make
5, this story.
There were no more gay parties at
| the governors house, but rather many
gatherings of black browed men who
talked endlessly behind closed doors.
Penelope worked her samplers in
sweet gravity. She missed unspeakably
her two friends Sheila Lovelace and
Euphenie La Porte, who sent her long
girlish letters TO the effect that they
loved her still. but that. since they had
both turned whig. they could not
honorabiy darlen hc- fathers door.
Terrible things wrrn being whispered
of gatherings of the traitors at Rich
mond and OF their scattering by the
soldiery as rioters and agitatorS; OF
Mr.. Washington and Mr.. jefferson be-
ing i'll the midst of these, and of the
bitter disappointment OF those loyalists
who had been their friends.
81 cannot believe" said Mr.. MerWin
! that our young men are in their right
minds. l pray they may Yet be proven
insane. for then We could forgive them.
A sickness-yes. Treason-never.
But as the days passed the gravity
; deepened everywhere:
I Your eXcellency," cried Mr.. Ran
dolph once. what we had thought
child's play is mans work now' The
rebels are drilling in the streets of
Richmond"
And so they were.
/, Secession seethed. The soIdiery and
the paid minions OF King George had
more than they could do. and the word
rioters had given place TO enemies.
| Warfare seemed imminent. though
! the loyalists could NOT yet believe
! Everywhere warnings and appeals
| appeared in the kings name, but
| seemed for once to have lost their
potency.
| Boston and Philadelphia were gather
| ing arms and drilling. too.
The country was smoldering, need
| ing but 4 touch to fire 1t into open re-
bellion. And in the minds OF a few
brave men this. touch. this torch. was
| Mr.. Jefferson, Mr.. Hancock. Mr..
| Francis Lee. Mr.. Walton. from Georgia
| and a dozen others met and talked
| earnestly. There was danger ahead
and death loomcd from the unknown
future, but these gallant hearts were
stout and calm. These clear and hon
est eyes looked down the reaches 10
posterity and saw there-glory. And
! 80 they talked and decided-and tn"
colonies waited in the balance that was
beginning to swing.
On a gorgeous day in early autumn
Penelope Dunmore sat weaving a lace
upon d frame in the sun -fecked garden
behind her fathers house. The great
thinned. for secret trouble ate her. The
girl grieved increasingly for her young
mates, denied her by the stern exigen-
cies OF the time. and the flying rumors
been. loyal to her liege. as was her
father and all his house. but the feeling
In her was one of ordered quiet, of
settled fact. of commonplace-like the
sanship. which ran like a tongue of
| flame among the colonies, was aston
ishing to her in its ferocity-a ferocity
that could make sane men drag a boy
alive at horses heels. turn father
against son. brother against brother
She thought long thoughts as she
piled her delicate threads, while the
stupendous import OF the descending
shadows appalled, her.
She wondered if those who were be
ginning to stand out upon its somber
background like points of lght-nane-
ly: Mr.. Washington. Mr.. jefferson, and
all those grave men WIN then-could
be as black as they were painted
They We're gentlemen all, and of ire
proachable character. II put vague
and piteous ache in her heart to think
of them as traitors-an awful word !.
Yet that was what she heard on every
side.
And that outstanding and romantic
hgure-the man in the worn buckskins
whose deep eyes seemed to see vi
SONS, and whose silver tongue was
already the most feared force in the
!land-what of him. This man who
fought for innocence. who dared to
ride into the governors dooryard and
demand justice at the rifles mouth
could it be possible he was as vile as
they pictured him?
An unconscious sigh lifted the
filmy kerchief on her maiden breast
and she bent her brown head over her
frame. Patience Conwell, attending
some small work of tidying the rustic
chairs. and table that she might be
near her mistress, turned adoring
eyes that way
You are sad, mistress?" she asked
anxfously, with that boldness which
had come with the open favor of the
gentlewoman to whom she belonged.
Penelope raised her hazel eyes and
looked at her.
Yes" she said. Il think I am. A
sadness runs through the days like a
thread in tapestry-appearing lost,
and lost again. but ever there. 1
grieve for what Is yet to come."
The lass from Lancaster came and
stood across the table, the sunlight
falling, through the empty grape
vines, upon her handsome head.
Il also" she said. II fear me at
nights and seem to see great things
a-borning in the future But oh.
they are fine things, mistress. Won
drous. proud things, that have to do
with hlnnd and h. z