CHAPTER III--AN OLD TIME ADVERTISEMENT
"Now goes the nightly thief prowling abroad For plunder; much solicitous how best He may compensate for a day of sloth, By works of darkness and nocturnal wrong."
--"The Task," Cowper.
It was Thursday morning, and Mrs. Owen and Peggy had been very busybringing the house and grounds into something like order. Now, however,both mother and daughter were surveying ruefully a pile of garments thatconstituted the remains of their depleted wardrobes. Presently the ladylaid down a gray gown of tabby silk with a sigh.
"There is no help for it, my daughter. Thee must have a new frock. I seenot how thou art to go to General Arnold's tea otherwise."
"Oh!" breathed Peggy a look of pleasure irradiating her face. Then as athought came to her: "But are not goods very high, mother? How can weafford it?"
"We must, my child. Thou hast had no new frocks since Lexington, and'tis quite time for others."
"But neither hast thou, mother. Does thee not remember that wecovenanted together that whatever we had to spend on clothes should begiven for garments for the soldiers? Now if I have a new gown, thee mustalso."
"We will see, Peggy. But a gown thee must have. We will go to themercer's to-day; but stay! Did not Sally speak of coming for thee to goto see a tree of some sort? That will delay us for another day."
"How thee remembers, mother! She did, and 'tis nine of the clock now. Ifshe is coming 'tis time she were here. Does thee not hear horses,mother? Perhaps that is she now."
She ran to the window just in time to see a party of youths and maidensdraw rein before the door. Sally Evans dismounted and ran quickly intothe dwelling.
"Art ready, Peggy?" she cried. "We are going now to see the aloe tree."
"What aloe tree is it, Sally?" queried Peggy. "I have lived inPhiladelphia all my life, yet never before did I ever hear of one."
"'Tis because it hath only of late become remarkable," answered Sally."Mr. Dunlap hath an account of it in the last 'Packet.' This is the onlyone in the whole state, and every one is going to see it."
"But I don't understand, Sally. Why should every one go? How is itremarkable?"
"Oh, Peggy! Peggy! That comes from staying on a farm and not reading thepapers. Know then," assuming a didactic tone, "that the morning afterthe arrival of the French Ambassador this tree shot forth its spire,which it never does but once in the course of its existence, and in someclimates not less than a hundred years. This one has been planted aboutforty-five years in the neighborhood of this city, and heretofore hasproduced every year four leaves, but this spring early it spread forththirteen. And the spire," concluded Sally impressively, "is thirteeninches round, and hath grown thirteen feet in thirteen days."
"But that is marvelous!" exclaimed the amazed Peggy.
"Is 't not? 'Tis regarded as a wonderful omen anent the French allianceand the thirteen states. Now do get ready, Peggy. Have Tom to bring Stararound at once. The others are waiting."
"Shall I wear a loo-mask or a vizard, mother?" questioned Peggy, givingan anxious glance at her reflection in the mirror.
"The loo-mask, Peggy. 'Tis easier held in place. Not thy gray duffleriding frock, child. 'Tis o'er warm for that. Methinks that a safeguardpetticoat over the gown that thee has on with a short camlet cloak willdo nicely. I will tell Tom to bring Star around for thee."
"Sally, what does thee think? I am to have a new frock for GeneralArnold's tea," confided Peggy as her mother left the room. "I did notdream that we could spare money for furbelows, but mother insists that Ishall have it."
"Oh, but that is _charmante_!" exclaimed Sally. "Would that my motherthought likewise, but I fear me that I shall have to wear the samemuslin frock that I've been wearing. Hey day! Thee is a fortunate girl,Peggy."
"Am I not?" said Peggy gaily. "I have had no new one for so long that itquite upsets me. I think of nothing else, and long for the time to cometo choose it."
"Yes; but do hurry now," cried Sally impatiently. "Thou art sufficientlysmart for a country lass."
"Thee is saucy, Sally," answered Peggy giving her a playful push. "Don'tcall me a country girl. Thou art not so citified."
"Well, I haven't spent a whole year on a farm," retorted Sally. "Peggy,if thee gives another stroke to thy hair thy cap will slip off. 'Tis assmooth as satin now."
"There! I am ready at last," declared Peggy adjusting her riding mask."Oh, Sally, 'tis so good to be home again!"
"And 'tis so good to have thee, Peggy," returned her friend. "Nothing isthe same without thee. Why, when the city was under Sir William Howe----"
"Something hath happened," interrupted Peggy hastily, bending her headto listen. "Mother is calling, and she seems upset. Come, Sally."
They hurried out of the room, and went quickly to the eastern piazzawhere Mrs. Owen and Tom, the groom, stood.
"What is it, mother?" asked Peggy noting their disturbed looks.
"Peggy," said her mother going to her, "thee must be very brave, mychild. Star is gone. She hath been stolen from the stable."
"Star! My pony stolen!" cried the girl as though unable to believe herears. "My pony! Oh, mother, it can't be true!"
"I fear that it is only too true," answered the lady sorrowfully.
"But stolen? Who would steal Star? Tom,"--turning quickly to the negrogroom,--"when did thee see her last? Didn't thee feed her this morning?
"No'm; I ain't seed her dis mo'nin'," answered Tom who seemed stupefiedby the occurrence. "I fed her las' night, Miss Peggy, but when I kum outdis mo'nin' she wuz gone. De back doah wuz open, an' I know'd she wuzstole, kase I fas'n'd dat doah my own sef las' night."
"Oh, but she can't be," cried Peggy with a sob. "Maybe she has juststrayed away. Has thee looked in the garden, Tom? Or through theorchard?"
"I hab looked ebberwhar, Miss Peggy," declared the black with dignity."Torm warn't gwine ter take any chances ob not seein' dat are mare whenshe de onlyest piece ob hoss-flesh dat we has dat mounts ter a row obpins. No'm; she stole. Dat's all dere is to it."
"Peggy, Peggy!" called Robert Dale who, grown tired of waiting, had comein search of the girls. "What keeps you so long?"
"Oh, Robert!" wailed Peggy bursting into tears. "My horse is stolen! Mypretty, pretty pony that father gave me!"
"Star stolen?" cried the youth aghast. Tom told his story again.
"And the door was fastened last night, you say? How about the door intothe yard, Tom?"
"I lock hit wid a padlock," declared Tom. "Dey wuz both fasten'd,Marster Dale. 'Clare ter goodness dey wuz! I did it my own sef. Ifastens de inside doah on de inside, an' de outside one on de outside.De front one wuz locked dis mo'nin', but de back one wuz wide open."
"Then some one must have been hiding inside," declared Robert. "I willtake a look through the barn."
With Sally's arm about her, Peggy and her friend followed the youth tothe stables. The lad mounted the ladder that led to the mow, andpresently called down excitedly:
"There hath been some one here of a truth. Here is a place where he hathlain concealed in the straw, and the remnants of food that hath beeneaten. 'Tis all as plain as day!"
"But Star?" questioned Peggy with quivering lips as Robert descended theladder and stood once more beside them.
"We'll do everything we can to find her, Peggy," answered the boy ascheerfully as he could. "Now let us tell the others. They will bewondering what the matter is."
"Oh, Peggy, what will you do for a horse to go with us?" cried BettyWilliams as the party of young people heard the news.
"She may take mine," suggested Robert. "I will stay here to see what canbe done about Star."
"That is good of thee," said Peggy, wiping her eyes. "Do thou, Sally,and all the others go on as planned. If Robert will stay to do whatevercan be done there is no need of any one else. 'Twould be mean to spoilthy pleasuring just for my sake."
And so, despit
e their protests the young people were sent on, and Robertturned to Peggy.
"Weep no more," he entreated, "but give me your aid in writing anadvertisement. This we will put in 'The Packet,' as that paper willappear before 'The Gazette,' and that may bring some result. That willbe the best thing to do, will it not, Madam Owen?"
"I think so, Robert. And offer a reward also. It may meet the eye of theperson who took the mare and induce him to return her. I like not tothink of any taking her, though. Philadelphia is changed indeed."
"It is, madam. Naught is safe though General Arnold strives to enforcestrict military rule. War doth indeed cause sad havoc with the morals ofpeople. How much shall the reward be?"
"One hundred dollars," answered the lady, after a moment's calculation."What a help thou art."
"'Tis a pleasure," returned he gallantly. "Beside, is not your husbandin the field while we who dally here have naught to do? 'Tis good tohave something beside pleasuring to divert the mind. And theadvertisement? 'Tis highly fashionable to have it writ in verse. I likeit not, but anything in the mode commands more attention. If you willhelp me, Peggy, perhaps I can compass it, though straight prose is moreto my liking."
So, drying her eyes, Peggy brought forth inkhorn and quills, and the twoevolved the following advertisement, which followed the fashion of theday:
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD!
Last night was stole away from me A likely jet-black mare was she Just four years old this month or nigh, About fourteen and half hands high; She's in good order and doth trot, And paceth some, I'm sure of that; Is wondrous pretty; a small star In her forehead there doth appear; Her tail was waved three days ago Just like her mane, you'll find it so; Above her eyes, if you come near, She's very hollow, that is clear; She has new fore shoes on, this I know-- I had her shod a week ago. The above reward it will be sure To any person that secures Said thief and mare, that I may see My mare again restor'd to me. Or Fifty Dollars for the mare, If the thief should happen to get clear; All traveling charges if brought home Upon the nail I will pay down.
"There!" declared Robert Dale when the two had completed their labor."There will be no more elegant effusion in the paper. 'Tis finely writand to the point. I'll take it at once to Mr. Dunlap, so that he may putit into Saturday's 'Packet.' If that doesn't fetch your mare back,Peggy, I don't know what will."