CHAPTER III
ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA
"Nature imprints upon whate'er we see, That has a heart and life in it, 'Be free.'"
--_Cowper._
"Yes, 'tis Clifford," he said in a low tone. "I have escaped fromLancaster, where I was a prisoner, and am trying to reach New York. Ishould not have troubled you, Peggy, but the storm is so severe that Ican go no further. But, my cousin, it may be of risk to shelter me."
"Oh," she cried clasping her hands in dismay. "What shall I do? Whatshall I do? Why, Clifford, both father and Robert Dale are here. Theyare of the army, and may deem it their duty to give thee up."
"I see," he said with some bitterness. "I should not have troubledyou, but I thought---- It did seem for the sake of our kinship thatyou would give me shelter at least for the night."
"Stop!" she cried, laying a detaining hand on his arm as he turned togo. "Thee is so hasty, Clifford. Of course I will help thee, but Imust think how to do it. As I said, father and Major Dale are here;and Fairfax Johnson too. Of Virginia, thee remembers? Remain here fora moment, my cousin. I will send Sukey out of the kitchen, and thenthee shall come in. 'Tis cold out here."
"After all," he said, his lips meeting in the straight line ofdetermination that she remembered so well, "I do wrong to ask aught ofyou. There may be--nay, there is, risk in harboring me, Peggy. I mustnot get you into trouble. Is there not a barn where I could abide forthe night?"
"Thee would freeze in the barn to-night," she cried. It had stoppedsnowing, but the wind had increased in violence, and it was growingcolder. It would be bitter by night, the girl reflected, noticing thefact in a perfunctory manner. "I could not bear to think of theethere, my cousin. Thee is cold now. Thy lips are blue, and thou artshaking. Wait for a moment. Thee must."
She pushed him back behind the door, then catching up the dish-panentered the kitchen hurriedly. Sukey, the black servant, was its onlyinmate.
"Sukey," said Peggy trying to speak naturally, "has thee seen to thebeds yet? They should be well warmed for so cold a night as this willbe. And the fires? Is there wood in plenty? I will set the kitchen inorder if thee will look well to the up-stairs."
"Hit am done looked aftah," said Sukey drawing closer to the fire."Eberyt'ing's all right, Miss Peggy. Now yer kin jest go right erlongter yer fren's, and let ole Sukey red up."
"Thee must take more wood up-stairs," spoke the girl desperately."There must be an abundance, Sukey. Does thee hear?"
"Yes'm; I heahs, Miss Peggy," answered the black rising, and givingher young mistress a keen glance. "I heahs, an' I'se gwine. Dem woodboxes am full, ebery one of dem, but I'se gwine. Ef yer want ter talksecrets yer might hab tole ole Sukey widouten makin' a 'scuse ter gitrid ob hur."
"Oh, Sukey, forgive me," cried Peggy laughing in spite of her anxietyto get rid of the black. "Thee is the dearest thing that ever was. Ido want the kitchen a little while. Go up to my room, and thee willfind a string of yellow beads on the chest of drawers. Thee may havethem, Sukey, if thee will stay up there for a little while."
"Yes'm," answered Sukey, preparing to take her departure. "I don't'prove nohow de way you all takes on wid Miss Sally," she grumbled asshe left the room.
Peggy sped to the entry as soon as the black had left it. "Come,Cousin Clifford," she called, and Clifford Owen stepped forth. "Sukeyhath gone up-stairs, and thee can come in while I think what to do.Come!"
She led the way to the kitchen as she spoke, and her cousin followedher with visible reluctance. He brightened perceptibly at sight of thegreat fire of hickory logs that blazed in the fireplace.
"Sit here, my cousin," said Peggy placing a chair in the cornerbetween the dresser and the wall where the light was shaded. "Keep thybeaver on thy head as the Friends do, then if any one should come init will seem as though thou wert but a passer-by asking for somethingto warm thee."
"'Fore George, but that smells good," ejaculated Clifford as the girlplaced a bowl of smoking hot pepper-pot before him. "What is it,Peggy?"
"'Tis pepper-pot, Clifford. 'Tis made nowhere else in the states buthere in Philadelphia. It hath dumplings in it, which pleases mostboys. And now let me think while thee is getting warm."
Clifford regarded her anxiously for a moment, then the seductive aromaof the pepper-pot overcame whatever of uneasiness that he may havefelt, and he fell to with a relish. Meantime Peggy's brows werepuckered in thought. What should she do with him? she asked herself inperplexity. The temper of the people was such that it would not easilybrook any indulgence to the enemy. The penalty for harboring, oraiding and abetting an escaping prisoner was fine, imprisonment, andsometimes even public whipping. Should her father, pure patriot thoughhe was, be suspected of giving aid to one of the British prisoners itwould go hard with him. Not even his previous good record would savehim from the punishment. And so the girl found herself confrontedwith a serious problem. She could not let her cousin go forth in suchweather, and yet her father must not be implicated in his escape. Thehouse was full. Where could the lad stay?
At this moment her eye fell upon a trap-door in the ceiling. There hadbeen until of late a ladder leading up to it, but two of the roundshad been broken and it had been removed to the carpenter's shop. Thedoor opened into an airy apartment extending the whole length of thekitchen, which was used for drying herbs which were cultivated inample quantities in the garden. Indeed the Owen house was the onlyplace in the city at the time where herbs could be had, and it was apleasure to Peggy and her mother to be able to answer the demand forthem. Could Clifford but climb up there, she reflected, he would besafe for a time.
"Can thee climb, my cousin?" she cried eagerly. "Because if thee canthee can stay up in the kitchen chamber."
"Is it warm?" asked the youth, casting a longing glance at the fire.
"Of a verity. It could not be otherwise, being above the kitchen.Thee must not linger, Clifford. Some one is apt to come in at anymoment. See the door up there? Well, thee will have to get on thetable and I will hand thee a chair. Standing on that thee must try topush the door open, and then draw thyself up into the room above. Withthe door closed thou wilt be safe from prying eyes, yet thou wilt beable to hear all that goes on below."
"That is fine, Peggy," commented the youth, his eyes lighting up. "Youare a cousin worth having, and have thought to some purpose."
He vaulted lightly upon the table as he spoke, and taking the chairthat Peggy handed him placed it firmly upon the table, mountingthereupon. With a creek that set the girl's heart to beating thetrap-door was swung open, and the youth drew himself slowly into thechamber above.
"I say," he said, peering down at Peggy, laughingly, "this is jolly.It's as warm as toast and there is a fur robe up here. If I don'tanswer you at any time you will know, my cousin, that I have gone tosleep."
"CLOSE THE DOOR."]
"Close the door, Clifford," exclaimed Peggy. "I shall be uneasy untilthou art hidden."
"Don't be that, little cousin," he said almost gaily. "I feel likeanother man already. I shall do royally, and I doubt if any one wouldthink of looking up here for an escaped Englishman."
He closed the door as he finished speaking, and heaving a sigh ofrelief Peggy lifted the chair from the table and set it against thewall. She had scarcely resumed her task of washing the pots and panswhen the door opened and Sally entered. She glanced about expectantly.
"I thought I heard thee talking to some one," she remarked. "Isn'tthee ever going to get through with those pots and pans, Peggy? Let mehelp thee. We want thee to come in with us."
"Now you all jest go right erlong," spoke Sukey, who had followedSally into the room. "Yer ma, she come up and she say, 'Tell MissPeggy dat she am wanted in de sittin'-room right now.' Jest go righterlong, chile. Sukey'll finish up heah."
"All right, Sukey." Peggy relinquished the task to the black, andstarted for the door, saying in a tone that Clifford might hear: "Iwill be out presently to see how thee gets along."
&
nbsp; "Ef I doan git erlong any fas'er dan you all dese dishes gwine ter beheah twel Chrismus," grumbled the darkey. "An' some-body's muss'd myfloah."
Peggy gave a startled glance at the sand, where telltale traces of hercousin's presence were plainly in evidence. From the entry door to thekitchen were tracks of snow, and on the sand in the kitchen there werewet spots where the snow had melted. Clearly they must be obliterated.
"I'll fix the floor, Sukey," she said, beginning to brush up the wetsand. "Sally, bring some dry sand from the box, please, and we willhave this fixed in a jiffy. Thee must not expect thy floor to keepjust so, Sukey, when there is so much company."
Presently, the floor resanded and the entry way swept, the two girlsstarted for the sitting-room. Peggy was thoughtful and Sally too, forthe nonce, was silent.
"Clifford will be all right where he is for a short time," musedPeggy. "If he has to stay there for any length of time, though, 'twillbe most uncomfortable. I wonder if it would not be best to consultwith mother? Perchance she could think of some way out of thedifficulty."
She brightened at the thought, and just then Sally opened the door ofthe sitting-room. Mr. Owen was in his great easy chair with his wife,and Mrs. Johnson sitting near, interested listeners to some narrative.The young people had withdrawn to the far side of the apartment andformed a little group by themselves, of which Betty was the center.She was giving an animated account of a recent assembly, and theyouths were so absorbed in the recital that they did not hear the twogirls approach. A smile came to Peggy's lips.
"Why, Betty is in truth a belle, Sally," she whispered. "How prettyshe hath grown! That gown doth indeed become her as thee said. It maybe that we tease her too much, for she is of a certainty entertaining.I have never seen Fairfax so interested."
Betty caught sight of them before Sally could reply.
"Have ye come at last?" she cried. "I thought thee was never coming,Peggy. It is not treating us right to leave us alone so long. And whatdoes thee think? Sally talks of going home. Has she told thee?"
"Oh, Sally!" uttered Peggy reproachfully. "Thee can't mean it? Why,mother and I expect all of you to stay the night. Beside, 'tis toocold for thee to go out."
"The very thing I told her," exclaimed Betty. "And she said," and anote of indignation quavered into Betty's voice, "that if it were warmenough to need a fan it was warm enough to go out."
"But, Betty, why do you use a fan in such weather?" questioned RobertDale laughing. "Here it is so cold that we can scarce keep warm, andMistress Owen hath called Sukey twice to attend the fire. Yet thereyou sit and wave that fan. I have wished to ask you about it all day."
"Why, Robert, does thee not know that a fan is to a woman what a gunis to a soldier--a weapon of offense and of defense?" explainedBetty airily. "When one is conversing should a pause occur in theconversation one may offset any embarrassment by fanning slowly. So!"She plied the fan to and fro as she explained.
"And do you need it often, Betty?" he asked slyly.
"Now that is mean, Robert. I would not have thought it of thee,"pouted Betty. "I shall tell no more secrets anent the use of the fan,sir. Thee would not insinuate anything so ungallant, would thee,Captain Johnson?"
"No," answered the youth blushing deeply at being so appealed to, andspeaking with difficulty. "I would not, Mistress Betty. You--youmean--there would be no pause, would there?" He stopped short as aburst of merriment in which even Betty joined broke from the others."What did I say?" he asked in alarm. "What is it?"
At this moment there came the sound of many feet in the hallway, andSukey's voice was heard protesting loudly:
"Dar ain't nobody heah but de fambly, Mistah Officah. De fambly andder company. 'Tain't no mannah ob use disturbin' dem. Der ain't noBritisher 'roun' heah nohow."
"Why, what does this mean?" ejaculated Mr. Owen, rising and going tothe door. "What is the matter, Sukey?" he asked as he threw it open.