CHAPTER XIII
LOUISE MAKES A PRESENT
The week following Faith's visit to the fort proved rather a difficultone for her at school. Caroline and Catherine seemed to think they hadplayed a fine joke, and accused her of running home when they werewaiting for her. Faith had resolved not to quarrel with them, butapparently the sisters meant to force her into trouble, if sneeringwords and ridicule could do it.
"You're an American, so you don't dare talk back," sneered Catherineone day when Faith made no reply to the assertion that Faith had meantto run home from the fort alone.
"Americans are not afraid," replied Faith quickly.
Catherine jumped up and down with delight at having made Faith angry.
"Oh, yes they are. My father says so. Another summer the Englishsoldiers are going to take all the farms, and all you rebels will beour servants," declared Catherine.
"Another summer the Green Mountain Boys will send the English soldierswhere they will behave themselves," declared Faith. "Ethan Allen isbraver than all the men in that fort."
"I don't care what you say. We're not going to play with you any more,are we, Caroline?" said Catherine. "You play with that horrid littlelame girl."
"She isn't horrid. She is much better than you are. She wouldn't sayor do the things you do!" responded Faith, now too angry to care whatshe said, "and she is my very best friend. I wouldn't play with youanyway. You're only Tory children," and Faith walked off with her headlifted very proudly, feeling she had won the battle; as indeed shehad, for the sisters looked after her in silent horror.
To be called "only" Tory children was a new point of view, and forseveral days they let Faith wholly alone. Then one morning theyappeared at school with the news that it would be their lastappearance there.
"We're going to Albany, and never coming back to this rough commonplace," Catherine said.
"I am glad of it," Faith replied sharply; "perhaps you will learn tobe polite in Albany."
Some of the other children overheard these remarks, and a littletitter of amusement and satisfaction followed Faith's words. For thesisters had made no effort to be friendly with their schoolmates, andnot one was sorry to see the last of them.
Faith awoke each morning hoping that her father would come that day,but it was toward the last of November before he appeared. There hadbeen several light falls of snow; the ground was frozen and ice formedalong the shores of the lake. The days were growing shorter, and Mrs.Scott had decided that it was best for Faith to come straight homefrom school at night, instead of stopping in to help Louise with herlessons. But both the little girls were pleased with the new plan thatMrs. Scott suggested, for Louise to come home with Faith on Tuesdaysand Fridays and stay all night. Louise was learning a good deal morethan to read and write. Mrs. Scott was teaching her to sew neatly, andFaith had taught her to knit. She was always warmly welcomed byDonald and the two younger boys, and these visits were the bright daysof the week for Louise.
At last, when Faith had begun to think her father might not come afterall, she returned from school one night to find him waiting for her.It was difficult to tell which of the two, father or daughter, was thehappier in the joy of seeing each other. Mr. Carew had arrived in theearly afternoon, and Aunt Prissy was now busy preparing the eveningmeal and Faith and her father had the sitting-room to themselves.There was so much to say that Faith hardly knew where to begin, aftershe had listened to all her father had to tell her of her mother.
"I would have come before, but I have been waiting for Kashaqua tocome and stay with your mother," said Mr. Carew. "She appeared lastnight, and will stay until I return. And your mother could have nobetter protector. Kashaqua is proud enough since we proved ourconfidence in her by sending you here in her charge."
Faith told him about Louise, and was surprised to see her father'sface grave and troubled. For Mr. Carew had heard of the shoemaker, andwas sure that he was an English spy, and feared that his daughter'sfriendship with Faith might get the Scotts into some trouble.
"She is my dearest friend. I tell her everything," went on Faith.
"I'm afraid her father is not a friend to the settlers about here,"replied Mr. Carew. "Be careful, dear child, that you do not mentionany of the visitors who come to your uncle's house. Your friend wouldmean no harm, but if she told her father great harm might come of it,"for Mr. Scott was doing his best to help the Americans. Messengersfrom Connecticut and Massachusetts with news for the settlers came tohis house, and Mr. Scott found ways to forward their importantcommunications to the men on the other side of Lake Champlain.
"Aunt Prissy likes Louise; we all do," pleaded Faith; so her fathersaid no more, thinking that perhaps he had been overanxious.
"Your mother sent your blue beads. I expect you would have beenscolded a little for being a careless child if you had been at home,for she found them under the settle cushion the very day you lefthome," said Mr. Carew, handing Faith two small packages. "The largerpackage is one that came from Esther Eldridge a few weeks ago," headded, in answer to Faith's questioning look.
"I wonder what it can be," said Faith; but before she opened Esther'spackage she had taken the blue beads from the pretty box and put themaround her neck, touching them with loving fingers, and looking downat them with delight. Then she unfastened the wrapping of the secondpackage.
"Here is a letter!" she exclaimed, and began reading it. As she readher face brightened, and at last she laughed with delight. "Oh,father! Read it! Esther says to let you and mother read it. And shehas sent me another string of beads!" And now Faith opened the otherbox, a very pretty little box of shining yellow wood with "Faith" cuton the top, and took out another string of blue beads, so nearly likeher own that it was difficult to tell them apart.
Mr. Carew read Esther's letter. She wrote that she had lost Faith'sbeads, and had been afraid to tell her. "Now I am sending you anotherstring that my father got on purpose. I think you were fine not to saya word to any one about how horrid I was to ask for your beads.Please let your mother and father read this letter, so they will knowhow polite you were to company."
"So it was Esther who lost the beads! Well, now what are you going todo with two strings of beads?" said her father smilingly.
When Aunt Prissy came into the room Faith ran to show her Esther'spresent and the letter, and told her of what had happened when she hadso rashly promised to give Esther anything she might ask for. "I am soglad to have my own beads back again. And most of all I am glad not tohave the secret," she said, thinking to herself that life was muchhappier when father and mother and Aunt Prissy could know everythingthat she knew. Then, suddenly, Faith recalled the fort, and thedifficult climb down the cliff. "But that's not my secret. It'ssomething outside. Something that I ought not to tell," she thought,with a little sense of satisfaction.
"But which string of beads did Esther send you? I can't tell themapart," she heard Aunt Prissy say laughingly.
When the time came for Mr. Carew to start for home Faith was surethat she wanted to go home with him. And it was only when her fatherhad promised to come after her early in March, "or as soon as Marchstirs the fire, and gives a good warm day," he said, that Faith couldbe reconciled and persuaded to let him go without her. She was gladindeed that it was a Tuesday, and that Louise would come to stay allnight. Faith was eager to tell Louise the story of the blue beads, andto show her those Esther had sent, and those that Aunt Prissy hadgiven her. Faith was sure that she herself could tell the beads apart,and equally sure that no one else could do so.
Louise was waiting at the gate when Faith came from school. At thefirst sight of her Faith was hardly sure that it was Louise; for thelittle girl at the gate had on a beautiful fur coat. It was made ofotter skins, brown and soft. On her head was a cap of the same fur;and, as Faith came close, she saw that Louise wore fur mittens.
"Oh, Louise! Your coat is splendid," she exclaimed. "And you look sopretty in it; and the cap and mittens." And Faith looked at Louise,smiling with
delighted admiration.
Louise nodded happily. "My father sent to Albany for them. A manbrought them last night," she said. "You do truly like them?" shequestioned, a little anxiously.
"Of course! Any girl would think they were beautiful. Aunt Prissy willbe just as glad as I am," declared Faith. "What's in that big bundle?"she added, as Louise lifted a big bundle from beside the gate.
But if Louise heard she made no reply, and when Faith offered to carrythe package she shook her head laughingly. Faith thought it might besomething that Louise wanted to work on that evening, and was sointent on telling of her father's visit, the blue beads, and thepromised visit to her own dear home in March, that she did not reallygive much thought to the package.
Aunt Prissy was at the window watching for the girls, with the threelittle boys about her. They all came to the door, and Aunt Prissyexclaimed, just as Faith had done, over the beauty of Louise's newpossessions. "But what is in that big bundle, Louise?" she asked, whenthe little lame girl had taken off coat, cap and mittens, and stoodsmiling up at her good friend.
"Once you said to me that a present was something that any one oughtto be very happy to receive," she said.
"Yes, I remember. And I know you are happy over your father's gift,"replied Mrs. Scott.
Louise nodded, and began unwrapping the bundle.
"This is my present to Faith," she said, struggling to untie the heavystring.
"Let me, Louise; let me," and Donald was down on his knees and in amoment the bundle was opened, and Donald exclaimed:
"My! It's a coat exactly like Louise's."
"There's a cap too, and mittens," said Louise eagerly. "Do try it on."
Donald stood holding the coat; and Faith, as excited and happy asLouise, slipped on the coat, put the cap on her head and held out herhands for the mittens.
"Oh, Louise! They are lovely. I may keep them, mayn't I, Aunt Prissy?"she asked, turning about for her aunt to see how nicely the coatfitted.
Neither of the little girls noticed that Mrs. Scott looked grave and alittle troubled, for she was thinking that this was almost too fine apresent for her little niece to accept from the shoemaker's daughter.But she knew that to refuse to let Faith accept it would not only makeboth the girls very unhappy, but that Mr. Trent would forbid Louisecoming to the house, and so stop all her friendly efforts to helpLouise; so she added her thanks to those of Faith, and the two littlefriends were as happy as it is possible to be over giving andreceiving a beautiful gift. Faith even forgot her blue beads in thepleasure of possessing the pretty coat and cap.