CHAPTER VII
GILBERT'S PLAY
Ruth was up in good season the next morning, and Aunt Deborah was quitewilling for her little niece to take Hero for a morning call onWinifred; and it was not yet nine o'clock when Ruth pushed open the gatethat led from the alley into the Merrill's' garden.
The stable stood beside this gate, and was some distance from the house.Fluff, the pony, had a fine box stall with a window looking into thegarden. Fluff belonged to Gilbert; but Gilbert had grown so tall that hethought the pony too small for his use, and on Winifred's last birthdayhad given her all right and title to the little gray pony, whose thickmane and plume-like tail had made the name "Fluff" most appropriate.
The stable was nearly hidden from the house by shrubs and trees, andGilbert and Winifred found it a fine play-house. Ruth often wished thatthere was a stable in her father's garden, and that she had a ponyexactly like Fluff.
At the sound of Hero's bark Winifred and Gilbert both appeared in thedoorway of the stable, and close behind them stood Betty Hastings. Ruthstood still with a questioning look at Winifred. She was sure thatGilbert had asked Betty to take the part of Lafayette, and for a momentshe was tempted to turn away without a word. But before she could act onthis impulse there was a chorus of welcoming greetings for her and forHero, and Winifred came running to meet her.
"Betty is going to take the part of Lord Cornwallis!" Winifredexclaimed, as she put her arm about Ruth and led her to the stable."Gilbert thinks you were splendid to go straight to General Howe and askfor Hero," she added, "and Betty wants to hear just what Major Andresaid," so Ruth, instead of finding herself entirely supplanted by Betty,as she had for a moment feared, was surrounded by the eager interest andattention of the little group. It seemed to Ruth that she had neverbefore known how nice Betty Hastings really was. The older girl wasevidently greatly impressed by the fact that Ruth had sat next to theEnglish General at his dinner table.
"I wish I could have been you, Ruth," she declared admiringly.
"It was all right for Ruth to ask for her dog," Gilbert interrupted,"but _I_ wouldn't have sat down at General Howe's table. Not much Iwouldn't."
"But Major Andre lifted me up. I didn't do it myself," replied Ruth,suddenly ashamed that she had entirely forgotten that the Englishofficers were her enemies, and had even been rather pleased that noother little girl in Philadelphia could say that she had sat at thedinner table of the great English General.
"And you are no better than a Tory, Betty Hastings," Gilbert continued,looking disapprovingly toward brown-eyed Betty. "You said a little whileago that you would rather be Lord Cornwallis than Washington."
"Well, what if I did? I only meant in your play; because the Englishuniform is fine. All scarlet and gold," Betty explained. She wassmiling, and evidently did not care at all if Gilbert did not approve ofher. "Come on and tell us what your play is about," she added.
Gilbert's frown vanished. He drew a roll of paper from his pocket; and,looking soberly at his companions, said:
"The name of my play is 'America Defeats the Foe.' It is in two acts.The first act is Lord Cornwallis, that's you, Betty, on his knees askingWashington to spare his life. The second act is Washington and Lafayetteand their triumphant army, Winifred is the army, marching intoPhiladelphia."
"Um-m," said Betty slowly, "what does Washington say when LordCornwallis asks him to spare his life?"
"I don't just know yet," Gilbert admitted. "I thought I'd wait until werehearsed."
"You said Fluff and Hero were to have parts," Winifred reminded him, alittle anxiously.
"What does Lafayette wear?" asked Ruth.
Gilbert's face flushed: "Just like girls, wanting to know everythingbefore I've had time to think. But I can tell you one thing, we'll haveto plan our costumes now."
"Mine is all planned," said Betty; "you know there is an English officerlodging at our house, and I'll borrow his scarlet coat."
"My Aunt Deborah has seen Lafayette," Ruth announced proudly, "and I'llask her to tell me just what he wore, and then perhaps I can look justlike him."
Winifred said nothing. Gilbert had already told her that he meant todress up two broomsticks as American soldiers, and these were to "march"on each side of Winifred, with her aid and assistance. She was alwaysready to help Gilbert in all his plans, but she was beginning to thinkthat it would be rather a difficult task to be a triumphant army;especially as Gilbert had told her that she must cheer for Washingtonand Lafayette when they reached the "State House," whose location he hadnot yet decided on.
"Aren't you going to have any girls or women in your play?" asked Betty,apparently not greatly pleased with Gilbert's brief description. "_I_think you ought to have Lady Washington in a balcony waving herhandkerchief, when the victorious army enters Philadelphia. I could beLady Washington, because I'll be all through being Lord Cornwallis inthe first act," and Betty smiled at her companions as if sure they wouldbe greatly pleased by her suggestion.
"Why, yes----" began Gilbert, but before he could say more a wail fromWinifred made them all look at her in surprise.
"Betty Hastings shan't be everything! If she's going to be LadyWashington I won't play. I won't be an army, anyway," she sobbed.
"Oh! I don't care!" said Betty good-humored. "I just happened to thinkof it, that's all. I'd just as soon be the army."
It was finally decided that Winifred should be Lady Washington, and wavefrom the top of the grain-bin when the triumphant army passed. Lafayettewas to ride on Fluff, and Gilbert said he meant to borrow a horse forGeorge Washington. Hero was to follow the army. It was dinner-timebefore all these important questions were settled; and it was agreedthat they would meet again the next morning for another rehearsal.Gilbert promised to have speeches ready for Lafayette and Cornwallis.
"The way it is now nobody has anything to say but Washington," Betty hadsaid, and Gilbert had agreed that Cornwallis should at least say, "Spareme, noble Washington," while Lafayette could make some response toWashington's speech, which Betty thought far too long, thanking theyoung Frenchman for his aid to America.
"I wish Gilbert would let you make up our speeches, Betty," said Ruth,looking up at her companion with admiring eyes, as the two girls stoppedfor a moment at Ruth's door. "It wasn't any play at all until you toldhim what to do."
"It will come out all right," responded Betty. "It's the dressing upthat will be fun. I wish we could get Ned Ferris to play the drum andmarch ahead."
Ruth agreed that a drummer would make it seem more like a triumphantarmy.
"Do you suppose the English officer at your house will really lend youhis red coat?" questioned Ruth.
Betty laughed. "Of course he will; for he won't know anything about it.'Tis his best coat, and hangs in a closet in the passage near his room.He wears it only now and then. I shall just borrow it, and then hang itback in the closet," declared Betty. "Just as you did your mother'sdress," she added quickly, as if half-afraid of Ruth's disapproval, andwith a "good-bye until to-morrow, Lafayette," she ran quickly down thestreet.
Ruth was a little thoughtful as she went into the house. She wished thatshe had told Betty that she was sorry about borrowing her mother's dresswithout permission, and that it would be wiser to ask the soldier tolend his coat. Then she remembered that Betty was nearly thirteen, andof course must know more than a little girl only just past ten.
Aunt Deborah greeted her smilingly. "I have been brushing thy mother'sgown, Ruth. 'Twas sadly in need of it, and a tear on the side breadth.But I have mended it so well that 'twill hardly be noticed, and spongedand pressed the dress until it looks as well as ever," she said.
Ruth's face brightened.
"Oh! I am so glad, Aunt Deborah. Then Mother need not know I wore it, orthat I went to see General Howe. You will not tell her, will you, AuntDeborah?" said Ruth eagerly.
The smile faded from Aunt Deborah's face, and she turned away from Ruthwith a little sigh.
"No, I will not tell her, Ruth. But t
hee will surely do that thyself,"she answered.
"But you say the dress looks as well as ever," said Ruth, "and, oh,Aunt Deborah! It will make Mother feel so bad to know that I was sothoughtless," and Ruth looked pleadingly toward her aunt.
"Thee shall settle the matter for thyself, Ruth. But I hope thee willtell thy mother," responded Aunt Deborah. But Ruth made no reply.
In the afternoon Winifred came over, and the two little girls sat downon the back porch to talk over Gilbert's play. Winifred said that thebroomsticks could be dressed up in some blue coverlets, with cocked hatsmade from paper, and Ruth promised to help Winifred make the hats.
"Betty is going to borrow her mother's fine silk cape and bonnet for meto wear as Lady Washington," Winifred continued eagerly. "Isn't Bettysplendid to let me have the very best part of all, and to get so manynice things for us to dress up in?"
"Will she ask her mother for the cape and bonnet?" Ruth questioned.
"Of course she will," declared Winifred, "and I have thought ofsomething. We can dress Josephine and Cecilia in their best dresses,and have them sit beside Lady Washington on the top of the grain box."
Ruth agreed that such a plan would add to the success of Gilbert's play.
"My mother is coming home in a few days," she said when Winifred saidthat she must go home.
"Well, I guess she will be proud when you tell her that you went toGeneral Howe and made him find Hero," Winifred replied. For Winifred wassure that it had been a very courageous act to face the English General.
"I am not going to tell her a word about it," was Ruth's reply.