CHAPTER VIII
BETTY RUNS AWAY
The days now passed very quickly for Ruth and her friends. Every dayBetty Hastings, Winifred, Ruth and Gilbert were in the Merrill's' gardenor stable at work on the costumes for "America Conquers the Foe." NedFerris, a boy not much older than Ruth, had promised Gilbert to play onhis drum, and to march at the head of the "army;" he would not need torehearse, so would not come until the day decided on for the play. Nedhad also offered the loan of his brown pony, a much larger animal thanFluff, for "Washington" to ride; and now Gilbert, Winifred and Ruth wereall sure that the play would be a success. Betty Hastings was not soconfident. She had begun to fear that it would be no easy matter toborrow the scarlet coat without the owner's knowledge: and she was evenmore doubtful in regard to her mother's fine cape and bonnet; but shesaid nothing of this to the others.
If she had known that Gilbert had invited her mother, as well as anumber of other friends of Mrs. Merrill's, to what he described as "abirthday surprise for my mother," Betty would doubtless have given upher part; but Gilbert had asked each guest to keep the invitation asecret; and it was probable that a surprise was in store for"Cornwallis" as well as for Gilbert's mother.
Mrs. Pernell returned home from Germantown on the very morning of Mrs.Merrill's birthday, and Ruth was so delighted at her arrival that shenearly forgot to ask her mother to come to the play that afternoon, asGilbert had requested. Gilbert had said that he wished Mistress DeborahFarleigh would come with Ruth's mother, but added: "It isn't any use toask her, for Quakers don't believe in plays."
"But this is different; I'm sure she will come," Ruth had respondedeagerly; and had been greatly pleased when Aunt Deborah agreed, sayingthat, "'Twas surely a patriotic lesson that she would like well tosee."
Mrs. Pernell also praised Gilbert's cleverness, and promised to be readyin good season. "Perhaps I had best wear my brown silk to do credit toMrs. Merrill's birthday party," she said, and wondered why Ruth becameso silent and looked so sober. For a moment Ruth was tempted to tell hermother the whole story of her visit to General Howe; but she resistedthe impulse. "It would spoil everything to make Mother feel bad the veryday she has come home," the little girl assured herself; but she nolonger felt light-hearted, and when her mother patted Hero's head, andsaid that she knew he had taken good care of everything in her absence,Ruth grew even more serious.
Aunt Deborah was very quiet; but now and then her eyes rested on Ruth alittle questioningly.
"I suppose Aunt Deborah is thinking I ought to tell Mother," thoughtRuth, and was glad to hurry away as soon as they finished dinner, sayingshe must be in good season, as Gilbert had set three o'clock as the hourfor the arrival of his audience.
"You must come in through the alley," Ruth reminded her mother and aunt;for Gilbert had decided that the guests were to be a part of thesurprise for his mother.
Gilbert was arranging seats for the company just inside the door of thestable behind a rope stretched from the front to the door of Fluff'sstall. On the previous day the children had made an excursion to FairMount, and had brought home a quantity of blossoming boughs of the whitedogwood, branches of pine, and of flowering elder, and these were usedto make a background for the seats intended for the guests, to hide apart of the grain-bin, from which Lady Washington was to wave, and madethe stable a very attractive and pleasant place. The guests could lookthrough the open door into the garden where blue iris, yellow daffodilsand purple lilacs were already in bloom.
When Ruth came running to the stable Winifred called out to her from thetop of the grain-bin: "Look, Ruth! Look!" and Ruth stopped in thedoorway with an exclamation of surprise. For there was Winifred wearingMrs. Hastings' beautiful blue mantle of rich silk, and a bonnet withsoft blue plumes, and beside her sat two other figures that, for amoment, Ruth believed to be two strange ladies. Then she realized thatWinifred had "dressed up" bundles of hay in two old gowns of hermother's, with their "heads" crowned by wreaths of leaves and flowers.
Winifred laughed delightedly at Ruth's astonishment. "You see, Josephineand Cecilia were not tall enough; and of course Lady Washington ought tohave company," she explained.
Gilbert, dressed in a blue coat, yellow knee-breeches, and with acrimson and white scarf pinned across his coat, came to the door. Hewore a cocked hat, and a wooden sword was fastened at his side, and heendeavored to stand as tall as possible.
"Betty is waiting for you behind the lilac bushes," he said, andvanished; and Ruth ran off to the bunch of lilacs behind the stablewhere Betty, in a scarlet coat that covered her completely, was holdingFluff's bridle-rein, and close by stood Ned Ferris beside his brownpony.
"Here is your coat and hat, 'Lafayette,'" said Betty, pointing to abundle, which Ruth hastened to open.
The coat was of blue velvet. It was one that Betty had found in a trunkin her mother's attic. There were ruffles of yellowed lace at thewrists, and tarnished gilt buttons and braid on the shoulders. This oldvelvet coat had belonged to Betty's grandfather, and was highly valuedby her father. But Betty had not asked permission to take it.
Ruth tied up her hair and put on the cocked hat that she had helpedWinifred make; then with Betty's aid she slipped on the velvet coat, andwith the addition of a wooden sword which Gilbert had made for her shewas ready for her part in the play.
The guests all arrived in good season, and were escorted to their seatsby "Washington" himself, who then ran to the house to announce to hismother that some friends of hers were in the garden.
Mrs. Merrill, greatly to Gilbert's satisfaction, did not seem to noticethat he was not dressed as usual, and walked beside him down the gardenpath; as a turn in the path brought them in sight of the stable doorGilbert said:
"This is a birthday surprise for you, Mother. It's a play, and here isthe programme," and he handed her a strip of white paper bordered witha row of stars cut from gilt paper. At the top Gilbert had printed:
"_AMERICA CONQUERS THE FOE_"
_A Play by Gilbert Merrill for Mother's Birthday_
_ACT FIRST_
_Cornwallis Begs For Mercy_
_Cornwallis B. Hastings Washington G. Merrill_
_ACT SECOND_
_Washington's Triumphant Army Enters Philadelphia_
_Washington G. Merrill Lafayette R. Pernell Lady Washington Miss Winifred Merrill_
_Army Band._
Mrs. Merrill read the programme admiringly.
"It is indeed a wonderful birthday surprise, my dear boy," she saidsmilingly, "and I am proud of you," and she hurried forward to greet andwelcome her friends, while Gilbert ran to summon "Cornwallis" to beready for the first act.
An old horse-blanket, suspended from the hay-loft in the rear of thestable, served as a curtain behind which knelt Betty in the scarletcoat. Gilbert now took his place beside her, trying to look stern andnoble. At Gilbert's whistle Winifred, who was in the hay-loft, was topull up the blanket by the long strings that Gilbert had skilfullyarranged.
The whistle sounded clearly. Up rose the curtain. There was an approvingmurmur from the audience at the sight of "Cornwallis" on his knees.
"Spare me, noble Washington!" said Betty, but in rather a feeble voice.
Washington's right hand was stretched over the head of his conqueredfoe.
"Arise, Cornwallis. Flee for your life. My army is at hand," respondedWashington; and Betty, stumbling a little, escaped from the rear door,while Washington marched out to meet his army, and the audienceapplauded.
Betty's mother had noticed the red coat, and wondered what Englishsoldier had consented to lend it for such a purpose. It did not occurto her that Betty had taken it from the
ir lodger's closet.
When Betty had entered the stable by the rear door and knelt accordingto Washington's directions she could hear the murmur of voices.
"Who is with your mother?" she whispered to "Washington," but there hadbeen no time to answer, and Betty found herself facing not onlyGilbert's mother but a dozen other ladies of whom her mother was one;and it was a very anxious and troubled Betty who joined the little groupbehind the lilac bushes and, slipping off the red coat, put on an oldcoat and hat belonging to Gilbert's father, and with the dressed upbroomsticks, took her place behind Fluff as the "Army."
Ned Ferris sounded a measured "rat-a-tat-tat" on his drum and strodetoward the entrance to the stable, followed by Washington and Lafayette,the "Army," and the docile Hero. Lady Washington scrambled from thehay-loft to the top of the grain-bin, drew her fine silk mantle abouther, and smiled graciously down upon the assembled guests. Mrs. Hastingslooked up at her. "For pity's sake!" her seatmate heard her murmur, "mybest mantle and bonnet!"
But at that moment came the quick beat of a drum. Washington's pony, alittle annoyed and nervous, and Fluff, determined to reach his stall asquickly as possible, although "Lafayette" endeavored to guide him in theappointed course, entered the stable.
"Washington" drew rein beneath the grain-bin and lifted his hat to LadyWashington, who leaned forward to wave in response; but unfortunatelyher bonnet strings were not fastened, and the fine bonnet with its blueplumes fell from her head and went tumbling down almost on Hero's brownhead. In a second the dog had seized it, and forgetting his part in theprocession, jumped this way and that, shaking this new plaything withdelighted satisfaction.
Mrs. Hastings kept her seat resolutely. It would have been an easymatter to have stepped from her seat and rescued the bonnet. But Mrs.Hastings knew that such a movement on her part would have broughtGilbert's play to an untimely end, and spoiled the pleasure of all theguests, as well as of the children who took part. So she did not move,even when Hero fled out into the garden with the plumes grasped in histeeth. Betty, Ruth and Winifred never forgot that moment, nor the factthat Mrs. Hastings had apparently not seen what happened. Even in herfright at the results of her "borrowing" Betty Hastings was very proudof her mother.
The drummer played on. The two ponies were swung around face to face;Washington and Lafayette clasped hands for a moment; then side by side,with drum playing, but with a silent army, the little processionvanished through the rear door.
Gilbert was delighted with his success. It seemed to him that everythinghad gone very well, and he was especially grateful to Betty Hastings forsecuring the English officer's coat.
But Betty, having seen the ruin of the bonnet, had suddenly realizedthat it was a serious matter to take the belongings of other peoplewithout their permission; and her first thought was of the officer'scoat. Whatever happened she must return that coat to the closet fromwhich she had taken it as soon as possible. Then she would try andexplain to her mother that she had not meant any harm should befall theborrowed articles. So, grasping the red coat, Betty opened the door intothe alley and started off as fast as she could go; while Ruth, stillwearing the fine velvet coat, crouched down behind the lilac bushes, toounhappy to care if the play had been a success or not; for as"Lafayette" faced the audience she had seen that her mother was wearingthe brown silk dress.