'/fr
 
 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 A TALE 
 
 BY 
 
 ALDEN W. QUIMBY
 
 Copyright, 1906, bjr 
 BATON & MAINS. 
 
 Printed in the United States of America 
 
 First Edition Printed October, 1006 
 
 Reprinted April, 1907; December, 1909; September. 1913; June, 191? 
 January, 1924
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter Page 
 
 I. Mars and Cupid i 
 
 II. The Vagaries of Vulcan 17 
 
 III. Cupid at Church 24 
 
 IV. A Bit of Buff-and-Blue 35 
 
 V. A Diplomatic Day 47 
 
 VI. A Screed of Scarlet 57 
 
 VII. A Tumult in Tredyffrin 69 
 
 VIII. Firing a Forge 78 
 
 IX. Loyalty and Love 86 
 
 X. A Tale of Trespass 100 
 
 XI. The Dilemmas of Diplomacy 119 
 
 XII. Crossing the Rubicon 132 
 
 XIII. The Bitter before the Sweet 144 
 
 XIV. The Romance of an Echo 156 
 
 XV. War and Wedding 170 
 
 XVI. Fortified Favor 181 
 
 XVII. The Humdrum of Honor 194 
 
 XVIII. A Horse Worthy of a Kingdom 209 
 
 XIX. Love's Labor Found 220 
 
 XX. A Valley of Humiliation 234 
 
 XXI. AMay Medley 254 
 
 XXII. An Overflowing Cup 268 
 
 2138089
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Home of Frances Jones (Howe's Headquarters). .Frontispiece 
 
 Abel Reese's (Cornwallis's Headquarters). . .Facing Page 48 
 
 Home of Havard Brown (General Knox's 
 
 Headquarters)' " " 94 
 
 Neilley's " " 150 
 
 Home of Isaac Potts (Washington's Head- 
 quarters) " 188 
 
 Where the Spy Was Caught " 362
 
 CHAPTER I 
 MARS AND CUPID 
 
 IT was a sunny Friday afternoon in the first fort- 
 night of September, in the year of grace seventeen 
 hundred and seventy-seven. The soft autumnal 
 breeze that coquetted with the broad green leaves of 
 Peggy Hambleton's ungainly but hospitable catalpas 
 was born in the southwest, as the lazy weather-vane 
 attached to the eastern gable of Neighbor Reese's 
 barn, just across the way, plainly indicated. The 
 idlers about the premises, who were more numerous 
 than usual, noted the direction of the wind, and 
 commented upon it ominously, regarding it as 
 portentous of disagreeable events that were likely 
 to have their inception in the southwest quarter. . 
 
 Peggy's log cottage of a story and a half occupied \ 
 the northeast angle of the (Old) Lancaster and 
 Howelltown roads, in that portion of Tredyffrin / 
 Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, which 
 comprises the northern suburbs of the present village 
 of Berwyn. The primitive structure faced toward 
 the south, and overlooked a fine area of table land. 
 The road from Howelltown crossed the Lancaster 
 road, and continued to Newtown, and beyond. A 
 mile south of Peggy's corner a branch led to the 
 mill on Darby Creek and to Saint David's Church.
 
 2 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 The ground to the north of the cottage sloped 
 rapidly toward a ravine abutting on the Valley, in 
 whose ferny recesses the waters flowing from a 
 dozen springs mingled merrily, and tumbled over 
 numberless tiny cascades on their way to Trout 
 Creek and the Schuylkill. 
 
 One could almost look into the open door of the 
 gleaming white cottage of James and Mary Neilley, 
 near the head of the ravine, and into that of William 
 Downey on the knoll above, as well ; and could make 
 himself heard without much effort at Balsam 
 Ringer's, on the hill to the right. 
 
 Looking eastward along the Lancaster road, 
 which traversed the ridge known as the South 
 Valley Hill, one saw a straggling hamlet reaching 
 for a full quarter mile to Squire Henny Bell's, where 
 was dispensed not only law, but also the ordinary 
 commodities of a country store. It were as well 
 not to preserve the popular but vulgar caption of the 
 incipient village at a somewhat later period it 
 became known as "Reeseville." 
 
 Miss Peggy Hambleton, with her buxom assist- 
 ant, Miss Nancy Mawhort, brewed such seductive 
 beer, and baked such tempting cakes, that they 
 never had cause to pine for patronage. Teamsters 
 and travelers paused at the humble cake-shop for 
 refreshment ; and certain men of the vicinage found 
 such attraction in the combined guest-room and 
 kitchen that occasionally their vigilant spouses sur- 
 prised them at their draughts, with an emphatic 
 admonition to return to their wonted tasks, and to 
 domestic fidelity in general.
 
 MARS AND CUPID 3 
 
 It was truly a warm and pleasant September 
 afternoon. Peggy's cakes and Nancy's beer were 
 quite up to their well-recognized standard ; yet this 
 fact scarcely accounted for the large gathering in 
 the house and about the door. Fully two dozen 
 men were eating, drinking, smoking, but especially 
 noisily disputing upon politics. A solitary Indian, 
 on his way from the Susquehanna to the City of 
 Brotherly Love with a load of baskets, who had 
 bartered some of his handiwork for Nancy's insidi- 
 ous refreshment, listened curiously to the animated 
 tones of the discussion, but evinced little interest in 
 its platitudes. The saddle horses, which were 
 fastened by their bridle straps to fence posts or rails, 
 turned their heads, as if in wonder at such protracted 
 leisure; and a gray squirrel squatted in a listening 
 attitude on a limb of the crookedest of the "bean 
 trees." 
 
 Of the group excluding the Indian all but one 
 shared in the strife of tongues. The exception was 
 a young man whose age was probably a year or 
 two short of thirty. He was somewhat above 
 medium height, and of intellectual expression. His 
 clothes were perceptibly more tasteful than those 
 worn by the remainder of the company; and that 
 they had not been frayed by labor was also evident. 
 As he tilted his chair against the wall his moving 
 eye wandered inquiringly from face to face, while 
 he keenly noted the opinions expressed by the con- 
 vivial company. Once or twice he was appealed to 
 for corroboration, but invariably managed to evade 
 any positive declaration.
 
 4 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 "Will ye no try a mug o' the new cider, Misther 
 Tryon ?" asked Miss Nancy, shrewdly noticing that 
 he who abstained so strictly from speech did not 
 emulate her other guests in devotion to beverages. 
 "My word for 't, it's jist got the right smack." 
 
 "Yes, Mister Will," urged Peggy, "take a 
 draught of the sweet apple juice. 'Twill put you in 
 heart for the rest of your journey, and prove to 
 you what sort of fruit grows on this slaty ridge." 
 
 Tryon suffered himself to be persuaded, and 
 quaffed from the thick, blue vessel into which Miss 
 Mawhort had hastened to draw the liquor. While 
 he drank, a stir in front of the house drew his atten- 
 tion, and he heard the words, "Why it's Havard 
 Brown, on Saladin." He paused, listened intently, 
 and then set the half-drained mug on the table, and 
 crept to the side of the door, where he could over- 
 hear what was said without, while remaining 
 invisible. 
 
 The loungers outside had descried down the Lan- 
 caster road the approach of a solitary horseman. 
 A single glance at steed and rider sufficed, and two 
 or three voices exclaimed simultaneously, "Why, it's 
 Havard Brown, on Saladin; maybe he can give us 
 some news !" Leisurely the traveler drew nigh. His 
 roadster evoked undisguised admiration from the 
 on-lookers, being a handsome pacer of medium size, 
 with a glossy coat shading between brown and 
 black, and a superb mane and tail. Rustic hyperbole 
 credited him with being "swift as the wind." The 
 impatient gossips, muttering complaints that a horse 
 of such phenomenal powers should be permitted to
 
 MAES AND CUPID 5 
 
 move so sleepily, eagerly assembled in the road, to 
 intercept the rider. 
 
 For the first time, apparently, the latter a tall, 
 well-formed young fellow of five-and-twenty 
 became conscious of his proximity to Peggy Ham- 
 bleton's, and, observing the purpose of its familiar 
 frequenters to parley with him, instinctively spoke 
 to his beast, and yet not without a slight display of 
 impatience, and a shrug of the shoulders, as he 
 glanced at the lounging place drew up opposite the 
 door. 
 
 "Any news, Havard ?" 
 
 Before Saladin's rider could reply a hasty excla- 
 mation upon the part of one of the questioners drew 
 the attention of the company to a "chair" coming 
 down the Lancaster road. It was almost upon them 
 when discovered, so intent were the gossips upon 
 communication with Brown ; and only the rattle of 
 its single pair of wheels, whose spokes were affected 
 by a long spell of dry weather, had announced it. 
 
 Not all the folk in the road knew the occupant; 
 but the young horseman, recognizing him at once, 
 courteously alighted, and, going to the side of the 
 "chair," saluted him with, "Good afternoon, Judge 
 Moore ; I hope you are well, sir." 
 
 "Thank you, Havard, I'm about as well as a man 
 may hope to be when he has lived three quarters of 
 a century and is tormented with gout. I can scarcely 
 shake hands with you, but there, I've accomplished 
 it now. I'm exceedingly glad to see you. How's 
 your mother?" 
 
 "Mother's as well as usual, thank you, Judge, and
 
 6 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 I know she would like to see you over at our house. 
 I regret that you are suffering so. Does nothing 
 give you relief?" 
 
 "No ; one might as well throw physic to the dogs, 
 for all the good it does in my case ; but, tell me, have 
 you any news from below? We are on different 
 sides of the controversy, I know ; but that need not 
 prevent our neighborliness. Lame as I am, I have 
 been over at the 'Turk's Head,' and I find that the 
 royal arms were completely victorious yesterday." 
 
 The venerable man was a stickler for etiquette; 
 yet his lustrous black eyes flashed with the fire of 
 youth, and his young friend could detect a shade of 
 personal triumph in the last sentence. The group 
 of idlers hung upon Brown's response, it being 
 exactly what they also desired to hear. The Judge 
 had nodded to them collectively upon his arrival; 
 and later to Peggy and Nancy, who now stood in 
 the doorway, profoundly interested in the colloquy. 
 The young man hesitated, as if doubtful of the 
 propriety of telling what he knew ; and then, evi- 
 dently persuaded that no harm could come from his 
 communication, remarked : 
 
 "They say that Washington expects to try it 
 again before long; there are movements on foot 
 that look as though something were up." 
 
 One of the bystanders impatiently interrupted 
 with the query, "What's said about the fight in Bir- 
 mingham? Were we licked all to pieces, as we 
 heard late last night?" 
 
 "Yes," answered Brown. "When Cornwallis 
 came over the creek by Jefferis's he fell upon Sulli-
 
 MARS AND CUPID 7 
 
 van and fought him up on the high ground, where 
 the marquis was wounded in the leg; and then, 
 when Sullivan couldn't hold the position any longer, 
 Greene came up from Chadd's, and saved him from 
 destruction." 
 
 "Well, did the whole army get away all right?" 
 
 "Pretty much so. If Sullivan had had pickets out 
 along the fords, to watch the redcoats, so as to be 
 sure that Howe's army was divided, Washington 
 would have crossed at Chadd's, and struck Knyp- 
 hausen, and finished him up with all the British 
 baggage, and then taken Cornwallis when he could 
 not help himself. We lost a smart lot, but still the 
 army got away to Chester last night, and went to 
 Darby early this morning : and, as they say, Wash- 
 ington's brisking up to face Howe once more." 
 
 In spite of his usual courtliness a scornful smile 
 illumined the pallid face of the Judge; and he could 
 nor forbear saying to his young friend: "Havard, 
 the cause of the rebels is wrong, and cannot prosper. 
 Besides, the trained men of arms are on the king's 
 side. Your Washington, I admit, has many fine 
 traits, but in military skill he is no match for the 
 royal generals. Take my word for it, Howe will 
 catch him one of these days ; or Cornwallis, who is 
 a very likely soldier, will bring him to with a round 
 turn." 
 
 "But, Judge, you forget how brilliantly Washing- 
 ton outgeneraled Cornwallis last winter, at Trenton ; 
 and if the scouts had only done their duty on the 
 Brandywine yesterday he would surely have 
 defeated Howe. I have not been brought up to
 
 8 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 understand the principles of strategy, but those who 
 know something of such things say that Washing- 
 ton's plan was an excellent one to cross at Chadd's 
 and attack the small army there while the larger 
 one under Howe and Cornwallis was miles away. 
 Only the carelessness of the mounted scouts spoiled 
 it."' 
 
 The Judge could not but recognize the force of 
 Brown's argument, and contented himself with 
 criticising the Revolutionary movement in general, 
 and prophesying its utter failure before spring. 
 Then, not relishing the fact that his remarks had 
 been made in the presence of a crowd that took no 
 part in the discussion, he gathered up his lines, spoke 
 to his trusty horse, and with a nod to the company, 
 and a friendly farewell to Havard Brown, deliber- 
 atively drove on to the store of his judicial confrere, 
 Squire Bell. 
 
 The gossips recovered their tongues as soon as 
 he departed, and vented their spleen upon "the old 
 Tory," charging him with being in league with 
 America's oppressors, and his home at Moore Hall 
 as constituting a rendezvous for the minions of the 
 king, and one zealot remarked, "He ought to be 
 mobbed!" 
 
 Havard Brown responded with some warmth. 
 "You well know," he said, "what sentiments I 
 entertain in this unfortunate quarrel. Yet I would 
 have you know that Judge Moore is a noble-spirited 
 man, and conscientious in his attitude. Although 
 we must disagree with him. he and many others all 
 around us are honest in their opposition to the Revo-
 
 MAES AND CUPID 9 
 
 lution ; and we certainly ought not to speak unkindly 
 of our neighbors. It is quite as difficult for them to 
 yield their opinions as it is for us." 
 
 How long he might have proceeded in this vein 
 is indeterminable; but at this juncture the involun- 
 tary orator caught sight, of a youthful feminine fig- 
 ure, with such a transfer of interest that he con- 
 trived to bring his remarks to a period; but not 
 before the young woman, who carried a basket, had 
 hurried by the excited group, keeping well on its 
 outskirts, and evidently shrinking from contact with 
 it. Then, edging away from his catechists, the 
 young man mounted his horse, and while their mur- 
 murs at his abrupt departure still sounded in his 
 ears, rode down the Howelltown road, into which 
 the maiden had turned. 
 
 It was no wonder that rustic gossips fed upon 
 the pabulum of war. The booming of the guns at 
 the battle of the Brandywine, the day before, had 
 been plainly heard on the high ground about Peggy 
 Hambleton's ; and one of the residents of the hamlet, 
 who happened to be at the "Turk's Head" during 
 the progress of the fray, had viewed from an eleva- 
 tion near the inn the brilliant array of men in scar- 
 let, with burnished arms, as they moved onward, 
 through Sconnelltown, and over Osborne's Hill, to 
 attack the Americans at Birmingham meeting-house. 
 What would next occur where the scene should 
 now be shifted were the uppermost themes in the 
 minds of the inhabitants along the important 
 "king's highway" between Philadelphia and Lan- 
 caster.
 
 io VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Saladin covered the distance between Peggy's 
 and the briskly walking maiden in a trice; and the 
 latter, half turning at the sound of hoof-beats, dis- 
 closed the face of a girl of twenty-three. A pair of 
 clear blue eyes shone out from a capacious sunbon- 
 net; while dimpled cheeks, soft with the charm of 
 maidenhood, and slightly tinged, mayhap, with the 
 abruptness of the meeting, supplied an admirable 
 background to rosy lips and an aquiline nose. A 
 mass of brown hair, neatly coiled, was hidden by the 
 primitive head covering. 
 
 "Frances!" 
 
 "Havard !" 
 
 The first name was uttered eagerly, the second 
 with an atom of reserve, yet cordially. 
 
 The horseman dismounted, thrust his left hand 
 through the bridle rein, and with his right heartily 
 grasped a plump little member that was willingly 
 extended. The basket, which contained a few pur- 
 chases at Squire Henny Bell's, was appropriated by 
 the young man, and the pair walked slowly onward 
 through woods of chestnut and oak to the verge of 
 the Valley. 
 
 The road soon sharply descended the South Val- 
 ley Hill, and as the primeval forest had been thinned 
 by the woodman's axe, glimpses of a blue beyond 
 flashed upon the friends. They came to a clearing 
 where the road forked, the branch to the left wind- 
 ing down to the Swedes' Ford road at Mary 
 Howell's, while the other, first swerving round to 
 the eastward, again turned nearly northward to 
 anticipate the same road a little east of Davis's.
 
 MARS AND CUPID n 
 
 The faint vista disclosed through the tree tops 
 having given place to an unobstructed view of a 
 portion of the Great, or Chester Valley, exclama- 
 tions of pleasure were indulged in by the pair. The 
 view was not extensive, the nearer woodland cir- 
 cumscribing it upon both the west and the east, while 
 it was scarcely three miles across the depression to 
 the foot of the North Valley Hill. But there are 
 few lovelier scenes than the modest vale that lies 
 so cozily between its inclosing ridges, narrowing, 
 widening, or curving with the slaty barrier on the 
 south, and the forest-crowned wall of sandstone on 
 the north. 
 
 The brilliant, slanting sunlight invested a gap in 
 the opposite hill with such artistic perspective that 
 its dreamy gates resembled Titanic lips unfolding 
 to salute the bashful southern ridge. The western 
 gate was styled "Mount Misery," while the eastern 
 was known as "Mount Joy" names that tradition 
 declares were bestowed by William Penn during a 
 search for his "Letitia Manor," he having lost 
 his bearings on the former and found them again 
 on the latter. 
 
 To the right of Mount Joy, over a fascinating 
 sweep of hill and dale, appeared the distant heights 
 of Philadelphia County, clad in that exquisite blue 
 that nature so freely employs in garnishing her 
 favorite bits of scenery. And just over the sleepy 
 portals that guarded the hidden Valley Forge and 
 the Schuylkill was a delicate crown of the same 
 tissuey tint, that told of ranges far beyond, which 
 skirt a wider valley reaching to the Susquehanna.
 
 12 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Havard Brown hitched his horse to a sapling that 
 stood by the roadside, that he might scale the rough- 
 rider fence into a field ; and, Miss Jones having been 
 helped over, the friends advanced to a spot in the 
 shade of a venerable chestnut, and scanned the Val- 
 ley in the direction of Diamond Rock. No village 
 was discernible, and the dwellings scattered over the 
 field of view were comparatively few. 
 
 The conversation of the couple was that of famil- 
 iars who were glad to meet again ; and after Brown 
 had explained his morning run toward Philadelphia 
 to secure information concerning the Brandywine 
 battle, Miss Jones remarked apologetically, "I fear 
 that mother will be alarmed unless I reach home 
 soon. I would, of course, have taken our wood road 
 near Peggy's, but that I must stop at Eliza Work- 
 hizer's." 
 
 Her companion insisted upon attending her, and 
 without further delay let down some bars leading 
 into Workhizer's lane, to admit her and Saladin, 
 and, having put them up again, led the way to the 
 farmhouse at the foot of the hill. Miss Jones's 
 errand being speedily accomplished, they availed 
 themselves of a private road on Abel Reese's prop- 
 erty to the eastward ; and in another quarter of an 
 hour approached the plain, snug dwelling that the 
 young lady called "home." 
 
 "You must put Saladin in the stable, Havard," 
 pleasantly commanded Miss Jones, "Mother will not 
 let you go home before tea." And, as her mother 
 now appeared in the yard, and seconded the invita- 
 tion, he consented to remain, but merely secured
 
 MARS AND CUPID 13 
 
 Saladin's bridle strap to a ring in the hitching post. 
 
 The stone house of Samuel and Mercy Jones lay 
 close to the foot of the South Valley Hill. It con- 
 sisted of two stories, embracing two rooms each, 
 and an attic. A brooklet ran through the yard, 
 and was used for general household purposes; 
 while a spring-house, containing a bubbling foun- 
 tain of limestone water, kept the milk and butter 
 cool, and furnished the table with a beverage. 
 
 The barn was of logs, and of good size. The 
 front of the dwelling looked out upon the wooded 
 South Hill, and an apple orchard lay between, while 
 directly in front of the house was a number of large 
 shade trees. At some distance to the west was 
 Mount Airy, a moderate eminence crowned with 
 a grove of oaks, from which an unusually open view 
 of the Valley was obtainable. One could locate 
 Saint Peter's up the Valley, and the eastward sweep 
 looked across the SchuylkiH, as well as down the 
 course of its pebbly banks. 
 
 Frances excused herself while she went to lay 
 aside her traveling dress, and soon reappeared ready 
 for kitchen and dairy service, but none the less 
 attractive in neat workaday garments. Her mother 
 begged that indulgence for lack of adequate 
 preparation for an esteemed guest which few house- 
 keepers of any era fail to request, but the supper 
 was delicious, and the exquisitely dean kitchen in 
 which it was served imparted an additional zest to 
 the meal. 
 
 No other topic could receive such close attention 
 as that of the political state of the country. Mr.
 
 14 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Jones, who arrived from an absence at Gordon's 
 Ford just in time for participation in the repast, 
 and who seemed pleased to greet Havard, dwelt 
 earnestly upon the embarrassing condition of affairs, 
 and expressed fears that grave local complications 
 would ensue. 
 
 Not every resident of the Great Valley was in 
 sympathy with the Colonies in their desperate con- 
 test. Indeed, the Tories were numerous, and many 
 a drove of fat cattle, and load of hay and grain, 
 found their way to the emissaries of Britain, who 
 were prepared to pay roundly for supplies that the 
 slender purse of the patriots could not compass. Mr. 
 Jones was not rashly outspoken in his approval of 
 the Declaration of Independence, but his secret 
 desires embraced the success of the Revolutionary 
 movement. 
 
 Havard Brown's views were crystallized in par- 
 tiality for the patriot cause. The repressive tenets 
 of his Quaker ancestry relative to military violence 
 had been potent in discouraging him from espousing 
 the profession of a soldier; yet there were times 
 when he seriously questioned the morality of neu- 
 trality, and felt a strong inclination to cast in his 
 lot with his countrymen, who were venturing their 
 all upon the success or failure of armed resistance 
 to the exactions of George the Third. 
 
 Havard paid his hostess an unmistakable compli- 
 ment in the heartiness of his appetite, and ate the 
 flaky rusk and appetizing ham and eggs, and sipped 
 the fragrant tea a great rarity in that year ! with 
 a relish that delighted her.
 
 MARS AND CUPID 15 
 
 The sun had already dropped behind the trees on 
 Mount Airy, and it was necessary for Havard to 
 turn his face homeward, since some chores needed 
 attention before night; so, excusing himself, he 
 mounted his now impatient horse, and, passing out 
 into the road connecting with the Swedes' Ford, 
 soon swung around to the Valley Creek, and, skirt- 
 ing it, came up steadily toward his home, which lay 
 at the head of the Valley Forge dam. 
 
 The fine hills that we have called the "gates" to 
 the Forge were in full view. Mount Joy directly 
 confronted the house, and far up its stony steeps 
 grew the abundant chestnut timber. The fertile 
 fields at its base lent a domestic charm to the attract- 
 ive picture, and this was enhanced by the peculiar 
 shade that the evening time imparts. Dusk was fast 
 affecting the meadowy ravine through which ran the 
 creek, and Mount Misery especially was taking on a 
 somber hue, when the young farmer rode up the 
 bank to the substantial barn and stabled his faithful 
 steed. 
 
 A matronly form now appeared upon the porch; 
 a mother voice, pure and sweet, uttered the words, 
 "Thee has come home at last, Havard a little 
 later than I could have wished. But thee has been 
 busy, and thee's tired and hungry. The supper's 
 been waiting this long time. What ! thee's had thy 
 supper at Mercy Jones's ! Then thee's had a bet- 
 ter than mine. And how is my Frances, whom I 
 love almost as I would a daughter?" 
 
 What a placid face it was that Rebecca Brown 
 presented beneath the little Quaker cap, that she per-
 
 1 6 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 sisted in wearing notwithstanding the fact that her 
 membership in the Society terminated when she 
 "married out of meeting." 
 
 As we have observed, Havard followed his father 
 in phrase, although sometimes in addressing his 
 mother he fell into the Friends' way. Resembling 
 that father in manly presence, his face largely par- 
 took of his mother's features; and many a rustic 
 maiden stole admiring glances at one whose herit- 
 age from both parents, in physical and psychical 
 respects alike, was so goodly. 
 
 Havard briefly explained to his mother the situa- 
 tion of affairs, so far as he had been able to deter- 
 mine it, and when the evening work was done no 
 time was lost by either in preparation for retiring.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 THE VAGARIES OF VULCAN 
 
 ON Saturday morning Havard Brown rose long 
 before the sun, to plow a field for wheat, whose 
 seeding had been postponed because of the dryness 
 of the soil. Finding, after several rounds, that his 
 gear required repair at the smithy, he took a well- 
 worn path close to the creekside in the ravine, that 
 led directly to the Valley Forge. The narrow strip 
 of meadow was unfenced on the hillsides, the steep 
 slopes of the gap, covered with loose, slippery stones, 
 furnishing no temptation to cattle to stray from the 
 green stretches at their base. 
 
 A ten minutes' walk brought Havard to the bend 
 in the creek, where, on a wider flat, stood the Val- 
 ley Forge. A bridge spanned the creek in front 
 of it, and just above it was the dam breast. To the 
 eastward, through an opportune depression in 
 Mount Joy, a wood road connecting with the Gulph 
 road offered means of transportation Philadelphia- 
 ward, while a similar glen on the opposite side of 
 the creek provided a rough thoroughfare by which 
 raw metal was brought from the furnace at War- 
 wick. 
 
 The fires of this young industry were already 
 aglow for their work of the day, when the plow- 
 man approached the smithy connected with it. The 
 
 17
 
 1 8 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 brawny blacksmith promptly undertook a little job 
 in accommodation of a neighbor's needs. Mean- 
 while Havard was saluted by Colonel William 
 Dewees, one of the proprietors ; and as a matter of 
 course the topic upon which both became absorbingly 
 engaged was the recent events in Bir-mingham. 
 
 "Pretty close work, Colonel!" suggestively 
 remarked the younger. 
 
 "Yes," responded the ironmaster, who held a 
 position in the militia service, "things are getting 
 as warm as yonder fires ; there's no telling what will 
 turn up in a very little while." 
 
 "Think that the trouble '11 swing round this 
 way?" 
 
 "Shouldn't wonder; all the more because Sam 
 Potts came up from High Street bridge last night 
 about eleven, and said he was sure that the army 
 would make in this direction." 
 
 "What, you don't mean that this neighborhood 
 is likely to see a battle, do you?" 
 
 "Well, not exactly that ; but, as far as I can make 
 out the situation, I shouldn't wonder if Washington 
 would creep out the Lancaster road and show him- 
 self to the reds pretty soon. It's altogether likely 
 that they'll come across from Birmingham, and try 
 the other door into town;" and the colonel picked 
 up a stone and scratched on the bridge planks a rude 
 plan of the probable position of the British forces 
 on the other side of the "Turk's Head," the present 
 county seat of West Chester. 
 
 "You see," said he, "the reds are somewhere over 
 about the 'Seven Stars,' at Village Green that is,
 
 THE VAGARIES OF VULCAN 19 
 
 part of 'em and the other lot can't be far from 
 Concord ; now they'll make for the 'Turk' sure, and 
 take the highroad for the Schuylkill, at one of the 
 fords, see if they don't ; and if so, then look out for 
 the big guns before long." 
 
 "Hang it," he continued, after a moment, glanc- 
 ing around to see who might be within earshot, 
 "Havard, we're in a pretty bad fix here." 
 
 His companion looked surprised; whereupon the 
 colonel motioned him to the side of a little spring 
 that trickled from beneath Mount Joy, and said in 
 a whisper, "Havard, you haven't heard any intima- 
 tions about ammunition and stores being kept here, 
 have you?" 
 
 "No," responded the other, astonished; and the 
 ironmaster, relieved, resumed: 
 
 "I guess it's been very well kept, after all ; we've 
 been mighty afraid that the Tryons would smell the 
 powder; and you know they are near relations of 
 that rascally governor over in New York." 
 
 Perceiving that all this was Greek to his auditor, 
 he proceeded : "For some time we have been stor- 
 ing arms and powder, and some other goods, in that 
 frame shed back of the Forge, and also in the grist 
 mill. It's been a ticklish thing to haul so much 
 stuff without exciting suspicion; and the teams 
 mostly get here about nine or ten o'clock at night 
 especially if their loads are much out of the ordinary 
 shape. Only yesterday Bill Tryon seemed curious 
 to know why we hauled so many supplies, and 
 judged we must be expecting to do a bigger busi- 
 ness."
 
 2O VALLEY FORGE 
 
 "Havard," he continued, "I've studied you for 
 some time, and while I know you've never taken 
 any part in the Revolution I think I can trust you 
 in an important matter;" and he looked searchingly 
 at the young man. 
 
 The latter flushed, but without hesitation replied : 
 "Colonel, you're right ; I have thought a great deal 
 about it, and haven't been quick to act, but of late 
 I've felt that I ought to be doing something for our 
 country, and I think you may trust me." 
 
 His bright, honest eyes evidently impressed and 
 satisfied his perturbed neighbor ; and after a few 
 moments, glancing around once more to be sure 
 that he could not be overheard, the colonel 
 exclaimed : "I think we'll have to be getting the 
 stores out of here. Washington is badly handi- 
 capped with undrilled men. I'm afraid if we do 
 have a battle in the Valley that he can't make it; 
 and if he should be beaten why, the reds will 
 pounce on us, sure. Now the Forge and the mill 
 will be in danger, if anybody smells the stock 
 it may be we'll be ruined anyhow, but if they get 
 wind of the stores, that will settle the matter. We'll 
 have to get the whole thing across the river to insure 
 safety from the reds." 
 
 The colonel stopped to drink from the spring, 
 using a calabash that lay at its brink ; then, resuming 
 his remarks, inquired, "Havard, will you help get 
 the stuff across ?" 
 
 It was a clear test, but Havard scarcely hesitated 
 before saying, "Yes, I'll do it for Freedom's sake. 
 It's hard to think of shedding blood, even in a con-
 
 THE VAGARIES OF VULCAN 21 
 
 test tor liberty; and perhaps this is no better, for 
 the ammunition will be used that way sometime ; but 
 still I should feel better not to pull trigger at a 
 human being, be he Britisher or not." 
 
 The colonel looked gratified, and responded : 
 ''Well, I'll let you know when it must be done; 
 most likely it'll have to be at night, but what- 
 ever can be done by day that won't excite suspicion 
 had better be looked after then. Leastways I'll 
 let you know when we make the strike." 
 
 The ironmaster moved as though to leave the 
 spot; but paused, and whispered, "I don't know 
 what to say about some more stores we have hidden ; 
 it's nip and tuck whether they ought to be removed 
 or not." 
 
 Havard was curious to know where these were 
 kept, but his sense of propriety smothered the 
 inquiry. 
 
 But the colonel had determined not only to reveal 
 the hiding place, but to ask Havard's opinion in the 
 case. 
 
 "You know the mill across the Valley in Hammer 
 Hollow?" 
 
 "Yes, very well; the Hollow's a sneaky place to 
 get into; a man might live in the neighborhood a 
 month of Sundays and never suspect its existence." 
 
 "Just so," laughed the colonel, "that's the very 
 reason we used it. Howe might pass the spot a 
 hundred times a day and not discover it ; the ques- 
 tion is, is it best to get the stuff away lest Howe find 
 it, or let it rest there ?" 
 
 Havard modestly said that his opinion was worth
 
 22 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 very little, but such as it was he would suppose that 
 it was as safe a place as could be found. 
 
 For some time longer they continued to discuss 
 the subject; and the grimy smith had finished 
 Havard's work, and resumed his regular labors, 
 when at last the conference was broken up, and the 
 two returned to the shop. Havard picked up his 
 harness, inquired the cost of the repairs, and then 
 hastened up the meadow path. A slide of stones 
 attracted his attention, and for a moment he fancied 
 that he heard footsteps among the loose fragments 
 far above him, but he dismissed the impression. 
 
 If the colonel had heard the sound referred to, 
 his military instinct would have led him to inquire 
 carefully into its cause. Yet, as he stood by the 
 bridge, lost in reverie, looking after the retreating 
 form of Havard, glad to have secured the help of 
 a young man of such good judgment, he fancied 
 he detected a moving figure on Mount Joy. It 
 was but for a moment that he perceived it, and now, 
 fully aroused from his meditations, he scanned the 
 hillside for a solution of the mystery. But he saw 
 nothing more. 
 
 By what chance was it that William Tryon, the 
 uncommunicative member of Peggy Hambleton's 
 choice company, and pointedly referred to in the 
 colloquy by the spring, had come across Mount Joy 
 that morning, from his home near the Valley Meet- 
 ing? In truth it was a simple domestic errand, 
 which was immediately abandoned when he dis- 
 covered the interview in the edge of the woods. 
 Only one word of the conversation reached his ears.
 
 THE VAGARIES OF VULCAN 23 
 
 It was when the ironmaster chuckled at the thought 
 of the security of the goods in Hammer Hollow, 
 and unguardedly uttered "stores." But it conveyed 
 a world of meaning. 
 
 Havard and his farm boy filled up the entire day 
 with their circuits of the fallow field. The partially 
 baked condition of the soil, together with the pres- 
 ence of refractory rocks, made it hard to plow, and 
 the ringing of the supper bell was a welcome sound.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 CUPID AT CHURCH 
 
 SUNDAY dawned rather prematurely, Havard 
 thought; and the weary farmer reluctantly flung 
 off the bed covers, and prepared to discharge the 
 light duties of the morning. Perhaps Saladin's 
 grooming was more particular than in common, 
 since he was to bear his master to Saint Peter's, up 
 the Valley. 
 
 Havard brought in an ample supply of wood, 
 built a fire in the huge fireplace, and put on the 
 swinging crane a kettle filled with fresh water from 
 the spring in the meadow. His filial eye took in 
 many little services whose thoughtfulness gratified 
 a mother's heart, and when Mrs. Brown a well 
 preserved widow of forty-five appeared in her neat 
 kitchen dress her beaming face attested her appre- 
 ciation. "Dear Havard," she murmured, "how kind 
 he has ever been just like his father !" and a tear 
 dimmed her eye. 
 
 Samuel Brown had been at rest for several years. 
 'A lung fever had carried him off, as his widow 
 sighingly said, "before the evil days" of the Ameri- 
 can Revolution. His body was among the first to 
 find interment in the little burying ground on which 
 was erected, a few years after the Treaty of Ver- 
 
 24
 
 CUPID AT CHURCH 25 
 
 sailles, the small stone structure known as "Eagle 
 School." 
 
 The elder Brown's educational advantages had 
 been slight, but he was a natural philosopher. The 
 shady nooks of the Great Valley provided him a 
 retreat for communion with nature. In his journey- 
 ings up and down the verdant vale he thought great 
 thoughts of life ; and if he had made no substantial 
 progress in solving its mysteries, he was at least not 
 outrivaled by the schoolmen. 
 
 Havard, at twenty-five, was, of course not as 
 mature mentally as was his father at forty-five; but 
 his views upon general matters bore a strong resem- 
 blance to those of his parent. The ripening of the 
 years was necessary to develop in him the fullness 
 of the elder philosopher, but the beloved wife and 
 mother had often remarked to some cherished 
 friend, "They are as alike as two peas !" 
 
 As Mrs. Brown preferred a quiet hour at home, 
 her son set forth to church alone, riding his favorite 
 black. His route led past Cousin Samuel Havard's, 
 and near the foot of Diamond Rock, on the North 
 Valley Hill, which had recently been bared of its 
 trees, its rugged gray masses, sown with crystals, 
 dully reflecting the yellow sunshine, and forming a 
 conspicuous landmark. Valley Creek, tumbling 
 saucily in its stony bed at Cedar Hollow, occasion- 
 ally disclosed a piece of pure white quartz, and sang 
 a cheery strain of nature's roundelay. 
 
 Ascending a gentle elevation, our horseman pur- 
 sued his way to Saint Peter's, which was regarded 
 as a model of ecclesiastical architecture. It was
 
 26 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 surrounded by shade trees, and from its mid-posi- 
 tion commanded a fine view up and down the Great 
 Valley. 
 
 It was still early in the forenoon, and not another 
 worshiper had arrived unless, indeed, the sexton 
 were considered apart from his official relation to 
 the edifice, wherefore Havard embraced the oppor- 
 tunity of examining the obituaries upon the fairly 
 numerous stones in the churchyard. 
 
 One of his former neighbors lay close by his feet. 
 Stooping to read the characters on the stone, he 
 found the personal injunction that has proved such 
 a universal favorite with mortuary versifiers : 
 
 " Remember Youth as you pass by, 
 As you are now so once v. r as I 
 As I am now so must you be, 
 Prepare for Death and follow me." 
 
 The eulogist of another departed consolingly testi- 
 fied: 
 
 " But tho* his Body is Laid in the Dust 
 His soul is in Heaven among the Just 
 Rejoicing Joines that Heavenly Choare 
 And Sing praises to God for Evermore." 
 
 Havard mused long and unsuccessfully upon the 
 meaning intended to be conveyed by 
 
 " Blest Door of Bliss to weary Saints 
 Thou art grim Death because 
 Secured as in a cabinet 
 Their Dust is in the Tombe " 
 
 and though it was scarcely his to indulge in literary 
 criticism, he could not but observe the lavish use
 
 CUPID AT CHURCH 27 
 
 of italics and capitals by the stonecutter in another 
 attempt of the poet : 
 
 " My Race is Run, my Life is done 
 
 And I lye in the Ground 
 Intomb'd in Clay Until the Day 
 I hear the Trumpet Sound." 
 
 Some of the stones were so crude and dingy that 
 their inscriptions were undecipherable. 
 
 While bending over one of the latter, Havard 
 became aware of the flutter of a dainty dress, and 
 of the momentary hiding of the sun by a passing 
 body, which cast a shadow on the headstone. Look- 
 ing up, he saw a young woman slowly moving about 
 the churchyard and casually scanning the little array 
 of grassy mounds. She had suddenly turned the 
 corner of the church, and had not yet observed him. 
 But the next moment her eye lighted upon him, 
 whereupon with a slight start she slowly came 
 forward. 
 
 A glance at the strikingly pretty face of the girl 
 was sufficient to inform the young man that it was 
 not a neighbor who stood before him. Her attire 
 alone would have indicated that. It did not require 
 a second look to determine that they had met before, 
 and that it was Miss Ethel Thomson, of Philadel- 
 phia. She was first to speak in recognition of the 
 meeting, and frankly extended her hand, which 
 Havard took rather shyly, but appreciatively. 
 After the exchange of a few sentences he noticed 
 two fine horses tethered in the shade of a tree in 
 the farther corner of the churchyard, and recognized 
 a young man who was approaching as William Bull. 
 3
 
 28 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Mr. Bull was upon the point of introducing 
 Havard Brown to the young lady, when he suddenly 
 remembered that they were not strangers, and con- 
 fined his opening remark to a hearty salute of his 
 friend and neighbor, and an inquiry after his health 
 and that of his mother. 
 
 Unversed in the precise etiquette of conventional 
 urban society, Havard Brown was, nevertheless, a 
 gentleman ; and his slightly grave manner favorably 
 impressed the girl, who was not at a loss to discern 
 his unfamiliarity with the easy usages of the draw- 
 ing-room. Her own manner and words were very 
 gracious at least so thought Havard, who was, to 
 tell the truth, just a trifle ill at ease. It wanted a 
 half hour to the time of service ; and as it was fully 
 ten minutes before the approach of any of the mem- 
 bers of the parish the three enjoyed a chat, during 
 which Havard learned that Miss Thomson was on 
 a visit to both her aunt, Mrs. John Bull, of near 
 the Swedes' Ford, and her uncle, Archibald Thom- 
 son, who resided some distance above it, and, like 
 his relative, to the east of the river. As her mother 
 had been an attendant upon the services at Saint 
 Peter's, in her own girlhood, a natural curiosity to 
 see the spot had induced her to ask her cousin to 
 attend her to the church, early enough to view the 
 premises before the assembling of the congregation. 
 
 But the conversation soon turned to the inevitable 
 theme of the British invasion ; and Havard learned 
 that Washington, who had retired to Germantown, 
 was already showing signs of a march ; and that 
 stirring events were imminent. By this time sev-
 
 CUPID AT CHURCH 29 
 
 eral of the regular worshipers drew near, a few on 
 foot, more on horses, while four arrived in two 
 chaises a vehicle for which the road was not well 
 adapted. The rector, too, making his appearance, 
 there was a general cessation of talk, and all entered 
 the cool house of worship with reverent demeanor, 
 and sat in the high-backed pews that stood on the 
 brick floor. 
 
 The clergyman's manner pleased Havard, and he 
 attentively regarded the devout forms of the Church 
 of England service. The sermon itself was brief, 
 and contained but little hint of the trial that was 
 upon the land. Havacd wondered why the sympa- 
 thies of the minister, who rarely preached nowadays, 
 were on the side of the loyalists. The time occupied 
 by the service was not long, and Havard was sur- 
 prised at its close. 
 
 There was no hurried departure from the church- 
 yard, but friends freely greeted each other, and 
 inquired concerning the health and happiness of the 
 various families represented. It was probably a 
 quarter of an hour before the sociable group dis- 
 persed, and the heads of the horses were turned 
 toward home. Mr. Bull insisted that Havard should 
 accompany himself and Miss Thomson to his 
 father's. 
 
 Havard's mingled devout and patriotic medita- 
 tions had suffered an intrusion. His eyes rested at 
 intervals upon Miss Thomson's face, and the con- 
 viction grew that she was a very charming girl. 
 Perhaps for this reason, although he demurred at 
 accompanying the cousins to the river, he evinced
 
 30 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 a willingness to escort them some distance down the 
 Swedes' Ford road. The party then made for that 
 main highway, and rode slowly down the center of 
 the Valley. The dust alone proved disagreeable, 
 which led Havard to remark that the signs indi- 
 cated rain. 
 
 "How unfortunate !" cried Miss Ethel. "It will 
 spoil my visit!" 
 
 But both the young men exclaimed, "The ground 
 needs it, it's very dry." And Havard added that 
 the fields had been suffering for want of moisture 
 for some time. 
 
 'The pretty Ethel protested that the weather might 
 remain propitious a little longer for her sake, with- 
 out doing any serious damage, and the wiser Ha- 
 vard tactfully said that he was agreed that her wish 
 should be gratified. But Mr. Bull vetoed the propo- 
 sition. 
 
 Past the Great Valley Presbyterian Church 
 jogged the horses ; down, past Mary Howell's tav- 
 ern a mile or more to Walkerville ; and there Ha- 
 vard would have excused himself, but his friend 
 urged that he go as far as the "King," at least. 
 As they turned to the right, in consonance with this 
 arrangement, Havard called Miss Thomson's atten- 
 tion to the meeting-house of the Baptists on the 
 slope of the South Valley Hill, and alluded to the 
 outspoken patriotism of its pastor. His fair com- 
 panion seemed to relish the society of the man who 
 was so little of her world. 
 
 "Now," said Bull, as they veered to the left, 
 "Havard, you may as well go the whole way with
 
 CUPID AT CHURCH 31 
 
 us. Mother will be glad to see you, and we can have 
 a pleasant afternoon. Ethel will enjoy her visit all 
 the better for your company." 
 
 Havard hesitated, when that young lady, who 
 appeared to consider that she had been brought into 
 the discussion and must take some part in it, 
 remarked that it would certainly be a pleasure to 
 have her cousin's friend accompany them to dinner 
 and this almost persuaded him. 
 
 "Will not your mother excuse you, Mr. Brown ?" 
 inquired Miss Thomson, who knew that he and his 
 mother constituted the "family." 
 
 Havard recollected his mother's unselfish injunc- 
 tion to accept an invitation to dinner, if one were 
 offered; then he smiled and said, "Yes; and she is 
 so good that she will probably be pleased to hear 
 of your kindness, but " 
 
 "Why, then," speedily responded both of his com- 
 panions, "surely the way is open after that!" And 
 truly it must have been; for under the potent 
 influence of beauty and a musical voice Havard 
 yielded. 
 
 Two or three miles more brought them within 
 view of "The King of Prussia" inn. To the east- 
 ward a crossroad led through the Gulph to Phila- 
 delphia, while the same highway, continued west- 
 ward, crossed Valley Creek just below the Forge. 
 The site of the hostelry had been wisely chosen, and 
 it was destined to a long career of "accommodation 
 for man and beast." As it had not yet completed 
 its first decade (it bore the date "1769") every- 
 thing about the premises wore a new air, that proved
 
 32 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 attractive to up-country wagoners, who flourished 
 their snapping leather whips over the heads of bell- 
 crowned teams attached to ponderous "Conestogas." 
 
 The royal equestrian on the double sign of the 
 "King" was also comparatively new, the gorgeous 
 pigments of his apparel being as yet but little faded 
 by the assaults of the weather. In fact, the Ger- 
 man monarch wore the mien of a conqueror in his 
 blue coat, yellow breeches and cocked hat. And yet 
 there was a jauntiness about the style in which he 
 sat the proud brown steed, with wondrously arched 
 neck and purple tail, that suggested the gallant. 
 
 As the trio approached the inn the loungers on its 
 porch found a new topic in the strange feminine 
 traveler. Ethel could not be unconscious of their 
 gaze, even if she did not overhear their hurried 
 exclamations and inquiries. But she affected to be 
 engaged in conversation with Havard, and thus ran 
 the disagreeable gauntlet. Nor did it occur to her 
 until the next day, when teased by her mischievous 
 cousin, that one may exchange the frying pan 
 for the fire. 
 
 Will was quick to perceive the success of his 
 impromptu scheme "to get Ethel and Havard 
 together," and laughed heartily; but the pleasant 
 conference was momentarily interrupted by the 
 approach on the road from the Forge of another 
 horseman. As the friends looked up they recog- 
 nized Will Tryon. 
 
 Since all three greeted the newcomer with the 
 usual courtesy, it was evident to Havard that Miss 
 Thomson knew him. The gentleman himself was
 
 CUPID AT CHURCH 33 
 
 surprised to find Ethel in the neighborhood, and to 
 observe that she was acquainted with Havard 
 Brown. 
 
 Will it be believed that something akin to jeal- 
 ousy stirred in Havard's heart as he cogitated upon 
 the significance of the simple incident ? It is ridicu- 
 lous, of course, to assume that he was in love, and 
 just as absurd to infer that he was jealous; yet a 
 queer influence controlled him. In harmony with 
 such perplexing emotions, Havard experienced 
 pleasure in the observation that Tryon's presence 
 was not grateful to either Will Bull or his cousin. 
 He did not know that Tryon had sought the young 
 lady's hand assiduously, and that he had become 
 annoying to her. 
 
 Tryon was heading for the Gulph; but would 
 gladly have changed his course for the Swedes' 
 Ford in association with Ethel; but the courtesy 
 of her cousin did not extend so far as to embrace 
 an invitation. But he would not have been baffled 
 by this lack had he not been so unwise as to have 
 said, at the moment of meeting, that he was 
 bound for the Gulph. He bit his lips as he per- 
 ceived how poorly he had played his cards, and 
 lost a coveted opportunity. 
 
 As it was, he was compelled to make the best of 
 it, and ride reluctantly away to the rugged hills just 
 appearing above the rise in the road a little farther 
 on. And the trio, soberly, as became the day, rode 
 steadily down the widening vale, passing at last 
 between a stone inn and its barn to the ford. The 
 horses paused in the swift stream, and eagerly
 
 34 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 plunged their nostrils in the bright waters, before 
 completing their journey across and upstream to 
 a mansion and estate where now stands the pleasant 
 borough of Norristown. 
 
 The reception and dinner, and the tete-a-tete of 
 the afternoon on the banks of Stony Creek, 
 strangely affected Havard Brown ; and although he 
 reproached himself for leaving his mother so long, 
 he was still reluctant to bid such attractive scenes 
 farewell, all of which Will Bull guessed, and 
 chuckled over. 
 
 On his return trip Havard scarcely noticed the 
 dense woodland on one hand, or the arable fields on 
 the other; and when he recounted the experiences 
 of the day to his mother he winced at the omission 
 of the most important particulars, which he was loth 
 to communicate lest her keen eye might detect a 
 cloud the size of a woman's hand. 
 
 The domestic work accomplished, mother and son 
 sat for a while upon the southern porch, and watched 
 the shadows deepen in the glen, and heard the ves- 
 pers of the little creatures that gave tone to the 
 darkness. The stars were struggling into vision, 
 but a bland breeze from down the river led Mrs. 
 Brown to predict a speedy change of weather.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 A BIT OF BUFF-AND-BLUE 
 
 ON Monday Havard was planning the consum- 
 mation of a task which would require a brief absence 
 from home, when, as he sat in the kitchen, that 
 opened toward the creek, he was aroused by a 
 knock at the door. Opening it, he saw Colonel 
 Dewees, whose face was flushed and manner flur- 
 ried, as he motioned Havard to the barnyard, 
 where, under the overhanging floor of the second 
 story, he whispered his communication. 
 
 "I have orders this morning about the stores, 
 Havard ; a battle is expected in two or three days, 
 and we must be prepared to take care of all we have 
 either for immediate use, or in case the gage goes 
 against us. I will trust to your keeping an open 
 eye, and being ready, when the time comes, to help 
 in whatever may be necessary." 
 
 Havard looked much, but said nothing more than 
 that he would not be found wanting at the critical 
 moment. The colonel interpreted his look of 
 inquiry aright, and said : "I have news that Wash- 
 ington is on his way up the Lancaster road, expect- 
 ing to head off Howe. Of course, they must meet 
 somewhere very soon, and then we'll have a fight." 
 
 "Do you think the meeting '11 be anywhere in this 
 part of the county?" 
 
 35
 
 36 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 "It's impossible to say, for it all depends upon 
 where the redcoats are moving at present. Of 
 course, they're coming toward the river, to try to 
 cross at one of the fords, and Washington will head 
 them on the best ground he can find. The general 
 must have some reason to believe that they are on 
 the march over this way, or he wouldn't be moving 
 up the Lancaster, you see." 
 
 Havard scratched his head in perplexity, and then 
 awkwardly and shyly said, "Do you think I could 
 be of use in the battle ?" 
 
 The colonel intuitively comprehended the case. 
 The young man who was conscientiously opposed to 
 violence and the taking of life, entertained such 
 ardent sentiments of duty to his country, that at the 
 crisis he was willing to put his life in the scale. 
 Admiring him for his noble impulse, the colonel 
 replied thoughtfully, "Havard, I think that, perhaps, 
 it would be better not to enter into it, if one comes 
 off. What you will do afterward must depend upon 
 your best judgment ; but at present you have your 
 mother to look out for. Beside, if any of us are 
 known to be in the fight, and the thing should go 
 the other way, the whole settlement '11 be burned 
 out. You know there are some about here that are 
 on the watch, and nothing's safe unless we are very 
 careful." 
 
 Havard was relieved by this expression of the cool 
 judgment of his neighbor, himself a military man 
 and patriot ; but something like a sigh escaped him 
 as he abandoned the high resolve of a minute before. 
 
 The colonel spoke again : "I'm going over toward
 
 A BIT OF BUFF-AND-BLUE 37 
 
 Peggy Hambleton's to scout a bit, and see what's 
 up ; do you feel like riding over with me ?" 
 
 "Yes, indeed, I will gladly go with you. I will 
 tell mother ; she's upstairs doing up the rooms." 
 
 Mrs. Brown discovered a spice of danger in the 
 trip, but consented to Havard's absence, "especially 
 in the company of so experienced a man as Neigh- 
 bor Dewees." 
 
 It required but a minute or two to bridle Saladin, 
 and throw the saddle on his back; then away they 
 sped to cross the valley and climb the southern 
 ridge. 
 
 The news had spread but meagerly; besides, the 
 population of the valley was sparse; yet at several 
 farmhouses by the way they found anxious faces, 
 and heard inquiries for tidings of the progress of 
 affairs. The colonel, without disclosing the source 
 of his information, gave all to understand that it was 
 reported that Washington was on his way west- 
 ward, and thus kindled a flame of excitement 
 throughout his route, undestined to be speedily ex- 
 tinguished. 
 
 The two horsemen learned the real situation 
 before they reached the summit of the South Valley 
 Hill. A party of the Continentals, under the com- 
 mand of Colonel Theodoric Bland, was exploring 
 the byways bordering on the Lancaster road ; and a 
 detachment with which was that active commander 
 of light horse, in person, was carefully scanning the 
 region along the Swedes' Ford road. The pair would 
 probably have been subjected to an overhauling 
 but for the fact that the two colonels were well
 
 38 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 acquainted, and the leader of the cavalry cordially 
 greeted his comrade. After supplying considerable 
 information relative to the country, the intersection 
 of various leading roads, the fords, etc., Colonel 
 Dewees and Havard pressed on over the road by 
 which the light horse had come down into the val- 
 ley, and as they turned the corner where stood the 
 catalpas they met another squadron of the advance, 
 which was followed closely by Maxwell's light 
 infantry. 
 
 Next there appeared a brigade in which Havard 
 proved particularly interested. It was the Penn- 
 sylvania Line, and at its head rode the redoubtable 
 Wayne, whose birthplace was scarcely two miles 
 westward of the spot. This beau ideal of a 
 military officer halted as he recognized Havard's 
 companion, and when the young man was intro- 
 duced to him courteously saluted him, and alluded 
 to the fact that they had been fairly acquainted 
 before the opening of the war. 
 
 Wayne's every movement indicated the dashing 
 general; his brilliant eye swept the region about 
 him restlessly during the brief conversation that 
 ensued, and he seemed to be anxious to get at the 
 enemy. 
 
 "I tell you, Dewees," he said, as he caught up 
 the reins to press on, "if those scouts had only 
 attended to their duty down on the Brandywine, 
 we'd 'a' had the day. We pummeled 'em right and 
 left at Chadd's, and we could have easily finished 
 'em if we'd gone over in force, as the general 
 intended. But we'll have 'em yet, see if we don't."
 
 A BIT OF BUFF-AND-BLUE 39 
 
 Havard scanned the ranks for familiar faces ; nor 
 did he look in vain, for presently he saw Hampton 
 and Wersler, Buzzard and Rapp, Mattson and Bean, 
 and others.of the vicinity who had obeyed Wayne's 
 flaming summons to defend their country. He could 
 hardly tell how he felt, as he gazed upon these ill- 
 clad patriots marching with eager step, despite the 
 defeat of a few days previous. His soul was stirred 
 to its depths, and he was unable to speak; but in 
 his tear-stained face, twitching with an agitation 
 that he could not conceal, his soldier friends read 
 his sympathy and admiration. 
 
 Another cloud of dust heralded the approach of 
 the Virginians under Muhlenberg and Weedon. 
 Havard was fortunate in his association with the 
 colonel; for the latter knew all the general officers 
 and not a few of the regimental commanders, and 
 was able to anticipate his inquiries. Although the 
 former brigadier had been in a sense a neighbor, 
 Havard had never met him; and the romance of 
 his espousal of the colonial cause made him an object 
 of interest. It was at the Trappe, not more than a 
 dozen miles distant, that this clergyman was born; 
 but it was in a Virginia parish that he electrified 
 his congregation by a martial sermon, after which, 
 throwing back the gown of his sacred office, and dis- 
 closing a Continental uniform and sword, he called 
 upon his hearers to enlist in the cause of freedom. 
 
 Procter's artillery or what was left of it 
 possessed a curious fascination for Havard. The 
 grim thunderers of battle rolled heavily along in 
 the company of wagons laden with ammunition and
 
 4O VALLEY FORGE 
 
 other stores. Following this important arm of the 
 service appeared several officers that Havard sus- 
 pected of being of the highest rank. At this time 
 the colonel and Havard were posted in a lane lead- 
 ing south of the highway near Squire Henny Bell's ; 
 but there was quite an air of excitement mingled 
 with a forward movement upon the part of the 
 colonel as he surveyed the distinguished group. 
 "Hist," he said to Havard, in a low whisper, "that's 
 the commander-in-chief ; Armstrong's on one side, 
 and Greene's on the other." 
 
 But with the colonel's desire to advance was also 
 exhibited a diffidence, in which Havard fully shared. 
 When the generals approached, riding a little in 
 advance of the various aids, Dewees removed his 
 hat, in respect to the general-in-chief. Immediately 
 the central figure, tall, stately, and riding his horse 
 with consummate ease, responded. 
 
 In a moment the general recognized the man who 
 saluted him by the wayside, and, pausing, beckoned 
 him to his side, and closely questioned him in an 
 undertone regarding the accumulation of stores at 
 the Valley Forge. What passed was unknown to 
 Havard; it was some minutes before Dewees 
 returned to him, after riding with the commander 
 up the road. 
 
 The little army occupied a considerable while in 
 passing the viewpoint of our horsemen. The road 
 was narrow, and the men marched four abreast, 
 with distinct intervals between the brigades. Who 
 could surmise what was before them, either on the 
 present day or on the morrow !
 
 A BIT OF BUFF-AND-BLUE 41 
 
 The colonel and Havard found their way down 
 the abrupt ridge by way of the Church road through 
 Walkerville to their home. As they were passing 
 the Baptist meeting-house, a log structure less than 
 thirty feet square that stood on the west side of the 
 road the graveyard being across the way Dewees 
 remarked that Davy Jones looked well to-day on 
 his big gray, and that it was rarely that a combin- 
 ation of preacher and soldier could be found in the 
 same person ; but that when Jones was pastor of the 
 church they had just left behind them, he declared 
 that he was a member of the church militant, and 
 expected to fight when the time came. 
 
 Soon they crossed a little brook called by the 
 Welsh settlers "Nant yr Ewig" ; and when Havard 
 mentioned this to his companion the latter reminded 
 him that the township also bore a Welsh name, 
 "Tre-yr-Duffryn," or "Tredynrin" "Tre," or 
 "Tref," standing for "town" or "township," and 
 "Dyffrin" for "broad, cultivated valley." 
 
 Before separating, the colonel recalled the matter 
 of the stores, and again requested Havard to be 
 ready for instant service. 
 
 It was but a fitful slumber that fell to the lot of 
 either mother or son that night; and the leaden 
 clouds that settled about the horizon when the sun 
 went down, increasing the ordinary gloom in the 
 recesses of Valley Creek, might have been regarded 
 by a superstitious mind as an augury of misfortune 
 and disaster; and when Tuesday was added to the 
 calendar, the dull skies spoke no word of comfort 
 to the hearts that were beating with anxiety.
 
 42 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 The warm breath of the previous day had van- 
 ished, and the air was saturated with moisture. 
 For want of appetite breakfast was late, and yet it 
 was so dark in the usually bright kitchen that the 
 time seemed two hours earlier. 
 
 Havard attempted nothing more than imperative 
 attentions to the stock. An uneasy feeling was con- 
 suming him a desire to witness, if not, indeed, 
 participate in, the events of the day. In fact, he was 
 debating the propriety of leaving his mother to the 
 care of the boy in order to hover near the crisal 
 spot, but filial fondness conquered. Long before it 
 was light his companion of the previous day had dis- 
 appeared from the vicinity of the Forge, his absence 
 being known only to a trusty employee, for fear 
 of complications where unfriendly eyes were ever 
 on guard. 
 
 A bright thought struck Havard ere long. Mount 
 Joy why not climb it and obtain a view of the 
 valley? It might be that nothing could be discerned, 
 after all, but it would be worth the effort to obtain 
 satisfaction. There was his father's spyglass, which 
 would show much more than the unaided eye could 
 hope to view. 
 
 It was in truth a poor atmosphere through which 
 to gaze at distant objects, but by dint of patient 
 looking Havard succeeded in making out moving 
 masses on the hills beyond the "Admiral Warren," 
 a tavern that stood near the junction of the Lan- 
 caster and Long Ford roads. There was every 
 reason to believe that these were the Continentals ; 
 and it was certain that no combat was in progress,
 
 A BIT OF BUFF-AND-BLUE 43 
 
 there being an absence of smoke and of the sounds 
 of battle. 
 
 If Havard could have likewise swept the region 
 south of the Valley with his telescope he would have 
 discovered the forward movement of the British. Up 
 the Chester road from the "Seven Stars" came 
 Cornwallis's division, ripe for what might prove a 
 decisive encounter. The victory of Brandywine 
 elated the English troops and their Hessian mercen- 
 aries, and nerved them for the approaching battle, 
 when they would be unhampered by any stream of 
 which the enemy could take advantage. 
 
 The various forces under the British general's 
 command were skillfully handled. Knyphausen, who 
 had so long amused the Americans at Chadd's Ford, 
 while Howe and Cornwallis swiftly moved upon a 
 circuitous flanking route, advanced through the 
 embryo village of West Chester, passing the "Turk's 
 Head." There some resentful civilian, burning with 
 the recollection of the disastrous day at Birming- 
 ham, sped a brace of bullets on an errand of revenge, 
 and two soldiers fell. 
 
 General Matthews proceeded to the vicinity of 
 the "Indian King," encamping on the farm of David 
 Dunwoody, overlooking the Great Valley. Donop, 
 at the head of his Hessians, arrived by way of the 
 "Boot," near the "Ship" tavern, while near the 
 "Three Tuns" the other wing of the redcoats pre- 
 pared for battle. 
 
 Washington selected for his headquarters the 
 house of Joseph Malin, his forces being encamped 
 between the "Admiral Warren" and the "White
 
 44 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Horse" taverns. The lesson of the Brandywine had 
 been salutary, and the pickets were now disposed 
 with unusual care. Every road was rigorously 
 guarded, and the utmost precaution taken to prevent 
 a surprise. 
 
 Wayne, to whom the ground was familiar, had 
 been selected to lead in the fast approaching 
 encounter. Washington reposed high trust in his 
 lieutenant, who reciprocated the feeling by an ardent 
 reliance upon the wisdom and skill of his com- 
 mander. The dashing but prudent brigadier cast 
 uneasy glances at the clouds, and chafed because 
 the attack could not be made immediately. 
 
 At last, near the Goshen meeting-house, the 
 crackle of musketry announced that the skirmishers 
 were intent upon their work. It was only feeling 
 the way toward a general engagement, but a dozen 
 Americans found graves there. 
 
 Donop's men came into play on the Meredith 
 farm, and several of the troops on both sides were 
 killed or wounded. The high ground south of the 
 Valley became the theater of action, and each com- 
 mander arrayed his army for the clash. As the 
 critical moment drew near the elements interposed. 
 
 It was a rich agricultural country in which the 
 rival armies were about to contend for the mastery. 
 The wheat had long since been garnered, but well 
 set grass was occupying its place. Fields of tall 
 Indian corn were seen on every hand, the stalks 
 a little withered from the advance of the season 
 and the lack of rain, and concealed beneath them 
 were yellow pumpkins in profusion. The plenti-
 
 A BIT OF BUFF-AND-BLUE 45 
 
 ful woodland was burdened with foliage, to which 
 the dense moisture of the morning seemed to impart 
 new life and freshness. 
 
 The lowering skies began to weep. The wind 
 that blew softly at first soon gathered strength, and 
 gusts swept down upon the devoted heads of the 
 waiting combatants. The porous, ruddy soil speedily 
 succumbed to the watery wooing of the clouds, 
 and the roads became a puddle, every impression, 
 whether of the human foot or of a horse's hoof, 
 being speedily filled with yellow water. The clover 
 fields were so wet that the shoes of the soldiers were 
 literally soaked, while from their headgear, mus- 
 taches, beards, noses, and eyelids little streams ran 
 down upon weapons that could not be protected. 
 The stalks of corn looked bedraggled, but not more 
 so than the respective followers of Howe and 
 Washington. 
 
 Woodland and clearing, road and field, fared 
 alike. The water not merely dripped, but ran off 
 tree and fence to the thirsty ground. The whish of 
 the wind produced mournful notes in the forest ; and 
 here and there, under the rapidly increasing strength 
 of the blast, trees were uprooted and thrown to the 
 ground. 
 
 The aggressive Wayne made a personal inspec- 
 tion of the condition of things. The hillside was 
 slippery, the mire deepening. What if the British 
 should make an advance under such circumstances? 
 The prospect was not reassuring, the general fear- 
 ing that Procter would lose his artillery if attacked. 
 Worst of all, the ammunition was almost spoiled.
 
 46 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 The situation was truly critical. If an attack 
 should be made by Howe, there could be little 
 practical resistance. Washington recognized the 
 embarrassment, and gave orders to change position, 
 gradually withdrawing to the high hills in the rear 
 of the "White Horse." 
 
 The hours wore on monotonously until four in 
 the afternoon. The storm did not abate. It was 
 clearly that disturbance of the elements which popu- 
 lar belief confidently ascribes, although without war- 
 rant, to the occurrence of the equinox, which was 
 then close at hand. The Valley was flooded, the 
 small streams it fostered having overflowed their 
 banks ; and sheets of rain concealed all but a small 
 portion of it from the view of those who sought to 
 penetrate its disguises. 
 
 Thereupon Washington gave the order to retire 
 to the vicinity of the Yellow Springs, a group of 
 waters slightly impregnated with minerals. It was 
 a dreary march filled with discomfort, and the night 
 brought no mitigation. In the morning the alarm- 
 ing discovery was made that not only was the supply 
 of powder ruined, but that most of the gunlocks 
 refused to perform their office; and so another 
 march was undertaken to the furnace among the 
 Warwick hills, where cannon had been cast for the 
 army, and there some sort of replenishment in 
 ammunition and arms was had. 
 
 None of these things, however, became known to 
 Havard Brown, in his tree, because very soon after 
 he took possession of his observatory the mist and 
 rain hid the entire panorama from view.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 A DIPLOMATIC DAY 
 
 IN spite of the weather, the British effected their 
 change of base, constantly getting nearer the region 
 of the Forge ; and on Thursday all doubts as to their 
 intentions were removed by the disposition of their 
 forces along the Swedes' Ford road, the encamp- 
 ment resting on the southern rim of the Valley. 
 
 It was an imposing spectacle, to behold the 
 column of veteran soldiers marching with precision 
 on the floor of the charming vale, now washed from 
 its dust and fresh as a rose garden. Light intrench- 
 ments were constructed at various points, and 
 the available houses in the vicinity were impressed 
 into service as headquarters for the general officers. 
 
 The incursion was readily viewable from Havard 
 Brown's improvised observatory on Mount Joy; 
 but there were some elevations on the other side 
 of Valley Creek that furnished a viewpoint less 
 tedious to attain by the feminine members of the 
 various households, and some of these fair ladies 
 almost forgot possible peril in the splendor of the 
 scene upon which the sun was again gracious 
 enough to shine. 
 
 The staid farmers above Walkerville were under- 
 going experiences of which they would fain have 
 been relieved. Abel Reese was summoned from 
 
 47
 
 48 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 the cellar, where he was constructing a potato 
 bin, to meet a short, stout man in a general's uni- 
 form, who announced himself as the Earl Corn- 
 wallis. The sturdy tiller of the soil could not have 
 conjured up a more unwelcome personage; still, 
 the appearance of the dreaded officer was prepos- 
 sessing. His face was attractive, and a slight gray- 
 ish tinge of his hair invested it with a benevolent 
 aspect. His manners were those of a perfect gentle- 
 man, and tended to relieve the family of their fears. 
 The earl deprecated the fortunes of war, which com- 
 pelled him to request the use of the farmhouse 
 as his personal headquarters for a while "not very 
 long/' he said with a smile, which the worthy 
 farmer did not comprehend; but the titled soldier 
 was indulging in a dream of a more congenial resi- 
 dence in the City of Brotherly Love at an early 
 day. 
 
 At the James Jones homestead, a half mile or 
 more to the east, Knyphausen politely took posses- 
 sion. The medium-sized, slender, straight German 
 had sharp features, but his manners were affable. 
 Yet the tidy housewife was amazed to see this 
 soldier of high rank spread butter with his thumb- 
 nail! 
 
 The same day also introduced a company of 
 officers to the yard in front of the Samuel Jones ' 
 residence, a field or two west of that of James Jones. 
 In the background was a tall figure some six feet in 
 height, well proportioned, and bearing a slight 
 resemblance to that of the commander of the Con- 
 tinental army. It was quite a coincidence, for the
 
 A DIPLOMATIC DAY 49 
 
 personage was none other than Sir William Howe, 
 who, when the notice of appropriation had been 
 served by his aid, came forward, to acknowledge 
 "the courtesy of the family." 
 
 The encampment extended from the Baptist 
 meeting-house to a point above Mary Howell's, and 
 when the timidity of the Valley folk was some- 
 what spent they sallied forth to see the unique 
 spectacle. The few grist-mills of the vicinity were 
 at once pressed into service by the conquerors; 
 among these was one on the Joseph Walker place. 
 
 Where was the American army? Should the 
 British have undisputed possession of the Great 
 Valley, with access to Philadelphia? The larger 
 part of Washington's force was guarding the fords 
 of the Schuylkill; Smallwood lay at the "White 
 Horse" ; and Wayne, with some fifteen hundred men 
 and four cannon, was watching the enemy. It 
 was supposed that at the first opportunity Howe 
 would seek to slip across the river and enter Phila- 
 delphia, and Wayne expected to strike his rear 
 divisions while on the march. One of the spies of 
 the latter brought him word that this movement 
 would come off on the morning of the twenty-first 
 at two o'clock, and Wayne sent a messenger to 
 Smallwood directing him to join him, with a view 
 of making the desired attack. "Mad Anthony" had 
 been within a half mile of the enemy's camp restless 
 to strike ; but, while the redcoats were cooking, and 
 washing their clothes, they were in decidedly too 
 great numbers safely to admit of an engagement. 
 
 Early in the afternoon of the twentieth Havard
 
 50 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Brown approached Knyphausen's lines in a rude 
 conveyance containing a large cask. Stopped by 
 the picket, he smiled, pointed to the cask, and 
 uttered the single word "Sauerkraut !" 
 
 It was the "open sesame" of AH Baba, and in a 
 trice the young man was admitted, and surrounded 
 by eager purchasers of the autumnal delicacy. The 
 delighted Hessians wondered at the unusually early 
 preparation of their favorite viand, and counted 
 themselves happy to taste the new cabbage of the 
 season. Some of their exclamations of pleasure 
 were more forcible than reverent. The vendor felt 
 it his duty to remonstrate with his rough custom- 
 ers, who looked fierce in their plaited hair and hel- 
 mets; and this resulted in a wordy war, in which 
 the theme changed to the questions at issue between 
 the Colonies and the mother country. "Ach !" said 
 the best linguist among them, "we beats de Yankees 
 odder day, and drives dem away, so dat dey don't 
 come back again. But all de same dere's some of 
 dem not fery far away, and dey'll get in trouble 
 soon enough." 
 
 The single disputant on the other side appeared 
 to pay but slight attention to this remark, and to 
 be absorbed in the disposal of his vegetable com- 
 modity : yet his response was such as to still further 
 arouse his loquacious purchaser, who slowly shut 
 one eye, looked very knowing, and continued sig- 
 nificantly, "Wait till to-night, I dells you: dere'll 
 be trouble ahead. You see if dere won't !" 
 
 If any curious eye was turned upon the farmer 
 when he left the camp, it observed him lethargically
 
 A DIPLOMATIC DAY 51 
 
 driving up the Swedes' Ford road to the cross- 
 road leading to Saint Peter's, in which secluded 
 locality the easy-going driver discovered a dell, 
 where, out of the view of any person who might be 
 traveling the road, he secured his ancient horse, 
 and disappeared in the woods. 
 
 Two hours later a man in his prime made his way 
 into the encampment of Wayne, and was at once 
 ushered into the presence of the Pennsylvania briga- 
 dier. 
 
 The American troops detached to watch and 
 harass the British rear were posted in a coppice 
 two miles west of the "Paoli" inn. The utmost 
 caution had been observed to conceal the encamp- 
 ment, for the service was perilous, in view of the 
 great numerical superiority of the enemy. The 
 place chosen was on a bit of table-land some 
 distance from the road. 
 
 An unusual quiet prevailed in the camp, the result 
 of stringent orders. The men were lounging about 
 under the trees, talking in low tones ; and the gen- 
 eral was satisfied that entire success had attended 
 his effort to preserve secrecy. 
 
 "Hello, Dewees," exclaimed General Wayne, 
 "how did you get through the lines?" 
 
 The colonel saluted, and replied, "Well, general, 
 it wasn't the easiest thing, I can tell you; but as 
 luck would have it I managed to slip by the picket 
 in the woods above the Warren. It doesn't often 
 happen that one gets so good a chance." 
 
 "Did you see anything of Grey's men as you 
 came through ?"
 
 52 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 "Not to-day, but I got a good squint at them 
 yesterday afternoon ; but I've been in Knyphausen's 
 camp to-day by proxy." 
 
 The response of the general expressed astonish- 
 ment; and he commented, "You and your proxies 
 will get your necks stretched one of these days, if 
 you don't take care." 
 
 But, continuing in the surprised tone of his 
 ejaculation, he inquired, "How did your proxy get 
 into their camp?" 
 
 Dewees laughed and replied : "Havard Brown 
 went to sell the Deutschers some sauerkraut; I 
 knew they couldn't resist that. We had to be in a 
 mighty hurry to pound it, though, and it wasn't 
 anything like stale enough." 
 
 The general looked grave. "Dewees," he said 
 at length, "you and that young fellow he's a pretty 
 likely one, by the way, I think are running a big 
 risk. Take care of yourselves, or else you'll dangle 
 in the air from the end of an oak limb. But tell 
 me, what did you gather? What do you know of 
 the disposition of the British army?" 
 
 The colonel seized a pencil and piece of paper, 
 and roughly sketched the Hessian encampment, 
 locating the earthworks and pickets, the headquar- 
 ters of each division commander, and the general 
 arrangement of the British forces. He gave a 
 pretty accurate estimate of their strength, and in 
 short acquainted Wayne with about all the informa- 
 tion that could possibly be accumulated by obser- 
 vation. 
 
 The general was accordingly grateful, and said
 
 A DIPLOMATIC DAY 53 
 
 with spirit, "Colonel, I think we have them; they 
 don't know we're in the neighborhood, and to-mor- 
 row when they move, as I expect, I'll strike them." 
 
 "General, I'm sorry to say they do know where 
 you are; and I've come on purpose to warn you 
 to be lynx-eyed." 
 
 The general seemed disconcerted. He was dis- 
 posed to pooh-pooh Dewees's warning communica- 
 tion, but he recollected that there was no more 
 trusty scout, and that he enjoyed the favor of 
 Washington himself. After a moment's reflection 
 he inquired of the colonel upon what he based his 
 conclusions. Then his informant explained the 
 circumstances of Brown's visit to Knyphausen's 
 camp, his encounter with his garrulous Hessian 
 customers and the telltale sentences that leaked out 
 in the discussion. 
 
 Wayne's countenance now wore a grave expres- 
 sion, and sending for an aid, he gave orders to 
 exercise redoubled vigilance. He directed that 
 additional pickets and sentinels be stationed well 
 out, and patrols pushed forward on the roads com- 
 ing from the Valley. 
 
 Purposing putting additional cautionary arrange- 
 ments into effect when night should ensue, the 
 general turned his attention to Dewees once more, 
 and inquired, "By the way, Colonel, what are you 
 doing about your stores over there?" 
 
 "Well, up to within a week I had been feeling 
 that all was right, but something's got into my bones 
 that we are under suspicion, and I'm uneasy. Of 
 course I shall keep a sharp eye on the reds; for if
 
 54 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 they get scent of the stores, and mix me up in it, 
 I'm done for they'll clean out the place." 
 
 For some time the two patriots discussed the 
 situation, but at length Dewees arose, and, saluting, 
 said, "General, I'll have to be going. Pardon me 
 for the remark, but I feel as though you are in great 
 peril; I am almost satisfied that to-night will bring 
 an attack." 
 
 "Thank you, Dewees, for your kindness. I hope 
 it isn't so bad, but of course I'll be on the lookout. 
 To-night I shall set a strong picket in every direc- 
 tion, and if they come they'll get a hot reception. 
 I think I can take care of my men even if we get 
 whipped; for all the country around here is home, 
 you know." 
 
 "Yes, I'm sure if anyone can keep the British at 
 their distance you will. What I fear is that some 
 Tory in the neighborhood keeps Howe informed of 
 what's going on and where you are. If that's the 
 case it'll operate against your own familiarity with 
 the locality. All those rascals know where Waynes- 
 borough is, and I have feared more than once that 
 they'll try to nab you there." 
 
 "Never cook a hare till you catch him, Dewees," 
 good-humoredly replied the general, "but at all 
 events I'll look out carefully." 
 
 Wayne grasped his guest cordially by the hand 
 and bade him farewell, and soon the colonel was 
 pressing his way among the thick chestnuts toward 
 the dell where Brown had left his horse and wagon. 
 He succeeded in evading the British sentinel as 
 dexterously as a few hours before, and in due time
 
 A DIPLOMATIC DAY 55 
 
 he worked his way to the spot where the young man 
 was awaiting him. Then both approached the place 
 where the patient horse awaited the return of its 
 master. They cast many a glance around, feeling 
 more apprehensive now than at any other time. 
 Nor was their caution ill-timed, for as they neared 
 the vehicle they observed a man peering into the 
 empty cask. 
 
 The colonel, who was naturally the leader, per- 
 ceived that it was a person in civilian's dress who 
 was thus making free. Whether to advance or 
 remain hidden was the problem he now sought to 
 solve. It might prove dangerous to reveal them- 
 selves ; and, what was of more importance still, the 
 military plans might be frustrated by an imprudent 
 revelation. He concluded to try the mettle of the 
 intruder by a feint. 
 
 But as he took a step in this direction the attentive 
 ear of the stranger caught the movement, and with- 
 out stopping to see who the person might be he 
 scurried away. 
 
 Only once, as the man turned slightly to avoid an 
 obstruction in his path, did Dewees catch a glimpse 
 of him. "Why," he whispered to Brown, "that's 
 Will Tyron, sure as I'm alive." 
 
 Havard led his beast out of its retreat into the 
 road, descended into Cedar Hollow, climbed slowly 
 up the North Valley Hill in a depression close to 
 Diamond Rock, turned eastward over a secluded 
 road where excavations had been made for stone 
 and gravel, and, passing a number of charcoal pits, 
 wended his way toward the Forge.
 
 56 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Threatening clouds urged the comrades forward 
 along the rocky, rude wood road to the Valley 
 Creek ; but the superannuated horse, which had been 
 chosen for the day's service to avoid suspicion, 
 stumbled painfully among the ruts and rocks. It 
 was almost dusk, and the travelers had barely 
 escaped the breaking of a storm, when they reached 
 home.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 A SCREED OF SCARLET 
 
 IT was the evening of Saturday, the twentieth 
 of September. The slowly deepening blue sky 
 became suddenly overcast, and black clouds raced 
 with fearful velocity down the Great Valley. An 
 ominous white edging attended them ; and the whir 
 of the wind was heard in the tree-tops that lined 
 the rim of the vale. A lurid light enveloped all 
 objects, causing uneasiness to beholders, while the 
 roll of thunder swept hill and plain. The blue hills 
 across the Schuylkill were speedily obliterated from 
 the panorama, and a violent storm raged down that 
 sinuous stream. Trees were uprooted in its major 
 course, while their congeners on the Tredyffrin hills 
 trembled, and paid tribute in the shape of innumer- 
 able twisted limbs and branches. Very little rain 
 fell perhaps but a few drops but the majesty of 
 the tempest made itself felt in both the British camp 
 and that of its adversary. 
 
 General Wayne, more impressed with the prophe- 
 cies of Colonel Dewees than he was willing to 
 admit, made thorough preparations for repelling 
 an hypothetical attack. Several new pickets were 
 established, and a number of videttes were sent 
 out to watch jealously the slightest movement of 
 the enemy. 
 
 57
 
 58 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 The troops had been ordered to sleep on their 
 arms, their ammunition carefully shielded under 
 their coats. The watchword had been imparted, 
 and none who could not immediately pronounce, 
 "Here we are, and there they go," was to be 
 admitted within the lines. Thus constantly on the 
 alert, they saw the early hours of the night pass by. 
 
 To pickets and videttes alike the evening was 
 uncanny. The tempest, though comparatively 
 stilled, occasionally fanned the recesses of the woods 
 with its dying energies; and, to a superstitious 
 soldier's ears, there were strange noises coming up 
 the cool ravines, while the damps of the night 
 brought a chill to his bones. 
 
 In the glen opening on the Lancaster road, some 
 two miles west of the "Paoli," stood a picket whose 
 vigilance was not suffered to relax despite the 
 weirdness of the night. A brook, fed by two or 
 three springs on the hillside, flowed at his feet and 
 kept him company; for it reminded him of a dancing 
 rill in the vicinity of his father's house. It was not 
 so lonely, because he was familiar with the region, 
 and knew some of its inhabitants. Had it not been 
 for the proximity of the enemy he would have 
 applied for a brief furlough to visit some friends 
 at the Valley Forge. But that could not be in the 
 presence of the foe. How he wished that the war 
 were ended! Its hardships were extreme, and the 
 outlook anything but encouraging. 
 
 He was in the midst of a muse upon his father's 
 fireside when he detected a form stealing up the 
 road, whereupon, bringing his piece to a "ready,"
 
 A SCREED OF SCARLET 59 
 
 he softly but firmly called, "Halt ! Who goes there?" 
 
 Quite as mildly was the answer given, "A 
 friend." "Advance, friend, and give the counter- 
 sign !" 
 
 The figure came near, bearing something in one 
 of its hands. It would have approached nearer still, 
 but the picket sternly forbade, and insisted upon the 
 countersign. Something in the tone of his voice 
 produced a singular effect upon the obtruder, who 
 inquired, "Is that you, Dick Epright ?" 
 
 "Yes," answered the picket; "who are you?" 
 
 "Why, don't you know me Tryon, your old 
 playmate ?" 
 
 And then Epright recognized the voice, and 
 inquired what its owner was doing there. Tryon 
 replied that he had been engaged by some of the 
 boys to supply them with fresh cider from Peggy 
 Hambleton's, and was going to meet them to 
 deliver it. 
 
 The wily fellow endeavored to ingratiate himself 
 with his old-time comrade sufficiently to procure 
 the countersign, for without it he could not hope 
 to pass other pickets; but, true to his duty as a 
 soldier on guard, Epright refused either to pass him 
 or furnish the important key. Tryon offered him 
 the jug, but Epright declined to taste its contents, 
 and bade him begone, with a rebuke about the 
 impropriety of his act. 
 
 "If you were not an old neighbor, Will Tryon, 
 I'd call for the officer of the guard, but you may 
 go your way if you will leave the picket line 
 altogether."
 
 60 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 This Tryon promised, said "Good-night," and 
 then stole away, as if to go home. But soon, wheel- 
 ing about, he sought a more vulnerable avenue of 
 approach for his nefarious purpose. 
 
 Alas! the very next picket he hailed not the 
 immediate neighbor of Epright yielded to the 
 seductions of the jug, whose contents unintoxicat- 
 ing, of course, because expressed that very day 
 awoke thoughts of home and comradeship. The 
 story was plausible, and as a man of the vicinity 
 Tryon was given the precious secret, and permitted 
 to pass. Within an hour he returned to the same 
 spot, and after a little chat, in which he succeeded 
 in gaining valuable information, he departed, appar- 
 ently for his home. 
 
 It was past midnight. Such of the soldiers as 
 were awake congratulated themselves that the 
 threatened danger was also past. Drowsiness was 
 upon nearly all but the sentinels. The faithful 
 Epright down in the ravine, expecting to be relieved 
 shortly, heard a sound that alarmed him. It was 
 the trampling of human feet. Already upon his 
 guard, he stood at his post manfully, and challenged 
 the approaching party. One came forward, evi- 
 dently an officer, who responded with the counter- 
 sign. Epright was troubled; and the officer, as if 
 he expected him to exhibit some embarrassment, 
 hastily explained, "We're General Smallwood's 
 party come to reinforce the camp, for a British 
 attack is apprehended." 
 
 Epright involuntarily touched his cap, and the 
 officer passed on.
 
 A SCREED OF SCARLET 61 
 
 How strange the whole thing seemed, thought the 
 worthy sentinel. How could Smallwood be com- 
 ing from the enemy's direction, without immense 
 risk of being trapped or had he been lucky enough 
 to miss the British picket? He was bewildered, 
 and these queries rapidly spun about in his brain. 
 Should not he fire his gun and bring the cor- 
 poral of the guard ? He raised his piece for that 
 purpose, when an agonizing pain seized him, and 
 he tottered and fell to the ground dead ! A bayo- 
 net had been thrust into his heart, and his warm 
 lifeblood gushed out on the damp soil of the ravine. 
 "Relief" had come in strange guise. 
 
 A form turned away in horror lest in spite of the 
 darkness it might witness the awful scene ; a man 
 averted his face and placed his hand upon his closed 
 eyes to make assurance doubly sure. It was Will 
 Tryon, who had been compelled to accompany the 
 midnight detachment of General Grey, the "no flint" 
 leader of night attacks. The British commander, at 
 the head of three thousand veteran troops, had come 
 up from Mary Howell's as noiselessly as possible, 
 capturing all persons found along the Swedes' Ford 
 road, in or out of a house, and compelling them to 
 proceed with the soldiers, lest one should escape 
 and give the alarm. The Long Ford road was 
 reached, and a left wheel made for the "Admiral 
 Warren," the same course being taken in the case 
 of inmates of the premises ; and now, with one gate 
 open, there was abundant reason to hope that the 
 raid would be successful. "Here we are, and there 
 they go," did its work well. Every sentinel was
 
 62 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 bayoneted where he stood, after the countersign 
 was given ; for the discharge of a single gun might 
 bring the expedition to naught with such a man as 
 Wayne for the opposing leader. 
 
 One wary picket, catching a glimpse of accouter- 
 ments distinctly British, fired his gun, and the sound 
 reverberated through the hollow, but, strangely 
 enough, it did not effect a general firing of the 
 guns of the picket ; moreover, it could not penetrate 
 to the encampment. The poor fellow bit the dust 
 immediately afterward, a curse accompanying the 
 vicious thrust that felled him. 
 
 Up through the glen crowded the exultant 
 soldiers. Tyron led the way, which was familiar 
 to him alone, himself under the constant scrutiny 
 of an officer who would have run his sword through 
 him if he had faltered in the slightest in his course, 
 or evinced any suspicious tendency. He was har- 
 rowed with emotions. Loyalist that he was, the 
 deadly meanness of the transaction overwhelmed 
 him. The sale of his neighbors and their estates, 
 the bargaining away of freedom and life almost 
 suffocated him. 
 
 Hark! A gunshot, and then another and 
 another, very close at hand. The general had been 
 sleeping but lightly a soldier's ear is always ready 
 to hear a signal. Wayne hurried out of his tent, 
 and immediately formed his division. Relentlessly 
 the silent host came on, Musgrove's command 
 from near the "Paoli" closing in the eastern door 
 of the Americans. Wayne himself said afterward 
 that the British did some firing, but the main attack
 
 A SCREED OF SCARLET 63 
 
 was with the bayonet. In extreme haste the Penn- 
 sylvanians were drawn up by Colonel Humpton in 
 the light of the campfires, and a capital aim was 
 thus afforded the British marksmen. It was some- 
 what like the tornado of the afternoon, the way they 
 marched up the little elevation. The onward rush 
 swept away the feeble barrier, and men fell in all 
 directions under the remorseless bayonet. 
 
 Many a deed of daring was done on that dread- 
 ful night. But perhaps none excelled the perform- 
 ance of the gallant general. Threatened by an 
 advancing line of his enemies, he cleverly turned 
 about his army cloak, which was lined with red, 
 and thus resembling a British officer, dashed up to 
 the line and commanded it to halt, actually gaining 
 time for an important maneuver. 
 
 The general's skill and promptness averted a 
 greater disaster. He directed Colonel Humpton 
 to wheel the division, while he, with the light 
 infantry, covered the retreat to a tenable position 
 a short distance away. 
 
 The British did not pursue their advantage. 
 Either they had had enough of carnage, or else 
 they were afraid to venture into the presence of an 
 aroused lion. Gathering up the spoils, burning the 
 camp, and retiring with some seventy or eighty 
 prisoners, they triumphantly marched back to their 
 camp in the small hours of the holy day, rejoicing 
 over their success. 
 
 The Sabbath sun, looking down through the 
 branches of the forest trees upon the spot where 
 the encampment had been, saw smoldering fires, and
 
 64 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 heaps of camp equipage scattered in confusion ; but 
 it also saw more than a half hundred manly forms 
 stark in death, and pools of gore everywhere. 
 
 A single soldier had hurriedly crept into a brush 
 pile. An English bayonet was thrust into it once 
 or twice, but it missed the trembling fellow, who 
 escaped unharmed. 
 
 After the night of terror the people of the vicinity 
 assembled upon the spot consecrated by the blood 
 of patriots and buried the poor victims, whose bodies 
 lay so thickly beneath the overarching trees. It was 
 a day of mourning to the simple, peaceful folk. 
 
 At the same time a sergeant in the Hessian 
 ranks was boasting to his companions who had not 
 been detailed to the sickening work, of his own 
 part in the shocking affair. He declared that while 
 the Americans ran about barefooted, and half 
 clothed, he had helped to kill three hundred of them 
 with the bayonet, and that he "stuck them one after 
 another until the blood ran out of the touchhole of 
 his musket." 
 
 At the side of General Grey rode a young man of 
 twenty-six, in the uniform of a captain one of the 
 handsomest figures in the entire British establish- 
 ment. His mental endowments were of a high order, 
 and he was equally facile in drawing pictures or 
 writing rhymes. The Lancaster road was not 
 unfamiliar to him, for his trained eye had taken 
 note of its environment while traversing it as a 
 prisoner. At Saint John's on the Sorel he had 
 been captured by the gallant but ill-fated Montgom- 
 ery, and sent to Lancaster.
 
 A SCREED OF SCARLET 65 
 
 What Captain John Andre thought as he acted 
 as aid to the commander of the ruthless midnight 
 raid will never be known. Doubtless, however, 
 he sighed as he dwelt upon the darker features of 
 war. 
 
 A universal expression of horror was extorted 
 from the people of the vicinage, and some of them 
 were ready on slight provocation to denounce to 
 the British officers what they termed "a cold- 
 blooded slaughter." The commander-in-chief was 
 not spared in the reflections of the angry country- 
 side, and received from his hosts a significant 
 opinion of the affair. 
 
 "Why so grave, Miss Jones?" he inquired of 
 Frances. "Your expression is unusually solemn." 
 He little dreamed that his light and thoughtless 
 remark would evoke so spirited a reply. 
 
 "It is time, General Howe, to be solemn, when 
 our brothers' blood cries to us from the ground. 
 We are in mourning for the noble men who were 
 slain at midnight without chance to defend them- 
 selves." 
 
 "You allude to the attack on Wayne last night, 
 I suppose; but you forget that this is but the fortune 
 of war. Sometimes it falls to one side to endure 
 defeat, and sometimes to the other." 
 
 "Yes, war is always horrible. I hate it with my 
 whole soul, and do not see why it need be; but 
 these poor men were fighting for their liberty, in 
 a war thrust upon them by the king." 
 
 The courteous chieftain admired the fire in the 
 eyes of the fair rebel, and sighed once or twice
 
 66 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 before he ventured to say, "But, Miss Frances, 
 your friends were in rebellion against the estab- 
 lished authority, and they could expect nothing- eise 
 but the use of violence to subject them to obedience 
 to the laws." 
 
 "I suppose we should never agree about that, 
 sir/' said Frances ; "but I have heard that there are 
 rules in warfare that are observed by civilized 
 nations. For instance, when men surrender they 
 are taken prisoners, and not injured." 
 
 "True," said the general, "and this is the course 
 his majesty's troops invariably pursue." 
 
 "But, General Howe, if reports be true, our poor 
 men were killed with the bayonet even while they 
 were pleading for mercy." The girl drew herself 
 up disdainfully, and continued : "Some of them were 
 sick; and even on their knees begged that their lives 
 might be spared. I feel that they were massacred!" 
 
 The cheeks of the British commander mantled. 
 It may have been partly from anger the fearless 
 girl was indisputably angry it may have been from 
 shame; but after a moment's hesitation he 
 responded: "Miss Jones, believe me, nothing of 
 the nature of a massacre is ever contemplated by a 
 servant of George the Third. Humanity ever 
 characterizes the officers of his armies. It is true 
 that excesses are possible in the heat of passion and 
 the excitement of the moment ; besides, in a night 
 attack unfortunate occurrences are less preventable 
 than in the dayHght. But be assured that if any- 
 thing barbarous marred the engagement last night, 
 it was involuntary."
 
 A SCREED OF SCARLET 67 
 
 But Frances was not appeased. The rumors 
 which had reached her were too painful to be 
 endured in silence, and the vision of the fallen in 
 the corpse-strewn coppice nerved her to scathing 
 words. 
 
 "I myself heard a brutal sergeant boasting of 
 his bloody work, and laughing at the cries of his 
 victims. He was using the grindstone to sharpen 
 his bayonet, which he said had been dulled by 
 striking so many bones." 
 
 "If you could point him out to me, Miss Jones, 
 I would undertake to teach him a lesson he will not 
 be likely to forget." 
 
 She responded with spirit : "There are too many 
 like him, sir; besides I could scarcely be expected to 
 hunt through the camp among men whose resem- 
 blance to each other is so strong." 
 
 The general was nettled; but he allowed his 
 respect for the young woman to restrain him from 
 any ungallant remark, and contented himself with 
 gravely saying: "My dear young lady, you must 
 not forget that war is war, and that it cannot be 
 conducted on the exact principle of pure civiliza- 
 tion. If people will shoot at each other somebody 
 will be killed. In this case your feeling is aroused 
 because your own countrymen have suffered, but 
 to-morrow we may be the sufferers; will you then 
 feel as you do now ?" 
 
 It was a specious, searching question. But 
 Frances was equal to the emergency. "I should be 
 ashamed of the American commander who would 
 suffer such a thing to happen; and I would
 
 68 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 denounce him everywhere as a disgrace to his 
 country and to civilization." Frances observed that 
 the shaft struck deep, and, feeling that she might 
 have been unjust to the general, she added : "Par- 
 don me, sir, I do not mean to reflect upon you, 
 although my words might seem to bear that con- 
 struction. I believe that if you had been present 
 last night you would not have permitted the mas- 
 sacre for such I am compelled to term it." 
 
 The general looked relieved, and was grateful 
 to the girl for her opinion of himself. He remarked, 
 graciously, "I thank you, Miss Frances, for your 
 kind personal words; I hope that I may prove 
 worthy of them." 
 
 At the distance of more than a century and a 
 quarter it is difficult to pronounce judgment upon 
 the incident. To a large extent the bloodshed may 
 have been unavoidable, the success of the attack 
 depending upon the promptness of the tactics 
 employed. It is probable, however, that the con- 
 sensus of popular opinion relative to the affair will 
 ever be signified by its usual historical caption, "The 
 Paoli Massacre."
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 A TUMULT IN TREDYFFRIN 
 
 HAVARD BROWN was fighting another sort of 
 battle. It would seem utterly incongruous that the 
 tender passion should develop amid such exciting 
 scenes; but Havard was awaking to the recog- 
 nition of a tempest swaying his own nature, and, 
 though he philosophically impeached its genuine- 
 ness, yet he returned to it so inevitably that he was 
 at last compelled to admit that he was in love with 
 Miss Ethel Thomson! 
 
 But what about Frances Jones ? Had not Havard 
 thought of her more frequently and intknately than 
 one simply thinks of a fair neighbor? Of all the 
 countryside there was none among the young girls 
 whom he liked so well. While no explicit tender of 
 affection had ever been made, there were times 
 when his expressions of friendship had been signifi- 
 cant, and when manner spoke louder than words. 
 Often had he acted as her escort to the parties of 
 the neighborhood, and oftener still had he visited 
 her. There was something about her that pleased 
 him immensely, and yet he could not have defined 
 it. She was not a "beauty," and was innocent of 
 the arts which are sometimes attributed to politic 
 fair ones. 
 
 It was indeed a predicament. He did not ques- 
 69
 
 70 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 tion his love for Ethel, apparently taking that for 
 granted. And yet an obtruding, warning voice 
 whence did it spring? reminded him of observa- 
 tions he had made regarding her. Now and then 
 a trifle came to the surface in conversation that 
 savored of self-love or a dearth of concern for 
 others, a trace of vanity, perhaps just a gleam. 
 
 But Ethel was unquestionably lovely to the eye. 
 Art had heightened her natural charms until she 
 became a picture. Her headdress made her face 
 fairly captivating, her gowns dazzled the vision of 
 the simple-hearted farmer, and her shapely hands 
 exercised over him a magic spell. 
 
 Frances Jones and Havard's thoughts would 
 revert to her was so different. Her needlework was 
 excellent, and, unlike Ethel, she depended almost 
 entirely upon domestic manufacture for her ward- 
 robe. But her personal presence was not to be 
 compared with that of the city girl. Constant serv- 
 ice in the kitchen of a farmhouse interfered with 
 those delicate charms which require release from 
 manual toil to bring them to their highest perfec- 
 tion. Her fingers were marred with the pricking 
 of the needle, or with the rough work of the dairy. 
 Frances milked the cows, baked bread, made butter, 
 swept and scrubbed, and sewed the most of the 
 clothes used by the household. In all these respects 
 she was a true artist, but of such homely things the 
 dainty science of aesthetics takes no cognizance. 
 
 And yet Havard bore witness to himself that he 
 had found it very pleasant to touch those service- 
 able little hands in assisting their possessor to dis-
 
 A TUMULT IN TREDYFFRIN 71 
 
 mount from her horse. He could not recall a time 
 when the sight of Frances had not given him real 
 pleasure and brightened the hour ; and, while it was 
 easy to persuade himself that he was in love with 
 Ethel, it was a little difficult to remove an impres- 
 sion that he had been affectionately inclined to 
 Frances. 
 
 And what about Frances herself? Ah, noble 
 girl, while upon such a theme the veil of her medi- 
 tations would not be lifted, were it never so lightly, 
 she did dwell at times upon the personality of Ha- 
 vard Brown. True woman that she was, she could 
 not but regard his character with approbation. 
 Their lives had been so intertwined that she had the 
 best of opportunities for estimating his real charac- 
 ter and ambitions; and if there had sprung up a 
 genuine affection for him the fact was complimen- 
 tary to Havard, for so discerning a spirit as hers 
 would not have yielded the holy sentiment unless 
 his personality had been built upon a satisfactory 
 foundation of moral worth. 
 
 On the afternoon of the day of rest so fearfully 
 desecrated by the sanguinary occurrences near the 
 "Paoli," Mrs. Jones suggested to Frances that they 
 go over to Abel Reese's for some homemade soap 
 for the morrow's wash, the demands of the soldiers 
 having exhausted both their own stock and that of 
 Aunt Lydia. Taking a small basket, they crossed 
 the fields to the westward, toward the whitewashed 
 stone house of their neighbor. As they looked at 
 the batteries crowning Mount Airy, and saw the 
 sentinels parading beneath the tall trees, Mrs. Jones
 
 72 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 sighed and uttered some plaintive sentences. She 
 glanced timidly at the detachments occupying the 
 high ground on their left, up against the woods 
 along their own short road to Peggy Hambleton's 
 corner, and said, "When will we be free from the 
 presence of the king's army? Shall we ever be at 
 peace again?" 
 
 Frances gently detained her while they were 
 climbing a fence, and bade her rest a moment while 
 they surveyed the scene, and then, assuming a cheer- 
 ful tone, replied, "O, mother, it does seem hard that 
 we must submit to this, but I hope that we will 
 soon see the end of it. Besides, if the British 
 can be kept out of the city, and the way of the 
 Congress, it will be worth while to bear with them 
 here." 
 
 The sentries along the path looked at the pair 
 curiously, but did not disturb them until they neared 
 the Reese house, which was then the headquarters 
 of Earl Cornwallis. Here they were detained 
 briefly, but were eventually permitted to call upon 
 their neighbors. 
 
 Abel Reese's house stood in a small glen, and 
 the barn was at its western side. The dwelling was 
 a substantial structure, in which large pieces of 
 stone abounded, and was built upon thick, staunch 
 foundations. It had several diminutive windows 
 on its various sides some of them only large 
 enough to permit the occupants to thrust their rifles 
 through them to ward off an attack of Indians. 
 Both the Reese and Jones families had a large col- 
 lection of arrowheads, spearheads, fishing flints, and
 
 A TUMULT IN TREDYFFRIN 73 
 
 battle-axes, picked up from time to time by the plow- 
 men as they upturned the soil. 
 
 On the west gable of the house, in a sort of arched 
 panel, was engraved the date of its erection 
 "1742." In front was a flagstone pavement, and the 
 interior was divided into two downstairs rooms and 
 three upper apartments. Poplar beams formed the 
 ceilings. Some distance to the east of the house 
 was an arched and sodded springhouse ; where were 
 kept certain table indispensables ; and from which 
 flowed a moderate run. 
 
 Into the living room to which the family was 
 now practically confined the two ladies entered, and 
 were cordially greeted, for neighborly courtesies 
 were particularly appreciated during the British 
 incursion. Naturally their remarks avoided any 
 references to the disagreeable situation, for Corn- 
 wallis and his aids were in the front room. 
 
 The object of the errand was announced, and 
 Mrs. Reese produced some blocks of soap, of which, 
 happily, she still possessed a store, and then the 
 company allowed themselves such chat as was 
 proper under the circumstances. 
 
 Humor was not wanting, nor a bit of raillery, 
 and the ladies chaffed each other about the humor- 
 ous experiences of impromptu hospitality. 
 
 Miss Jennie Reese, a maiden of Frances's age, 
 was very vivacious, and, being possessed of various 
 items of rural gossip, generously spread her social 
 board with them. 
 
 "Frances," she remarked, "you haven't been 
 up at Saint Peter's lately. You won't know
 
 74 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 what's going on in the world if you don't go 
 to church." 
 
 "No," responded that young lady, "I have missed 
 several services there, but I went with Betsy Ross 
 who was visiting us, you know to Saint David's. 
 She has some friends buried there, and felt 
 like seeing their graves, so of course I took 
 her over." 
 
 "Mr. Currie preached a right good sermon last 
 Sunday; I don't remember just what it was about, 
 but all said it was capital. By the way, Will Bull 
 was up from the Ford, and Ethel Thomson with 
 him. I hadn't seen her for a long time. She's 
 just fascinating." 
 
 Frances was about to make some reply, but Jennie 
 rattled on about Ethel's gown, and the putting up 
 of her hair, and a string of minor matters, and 
 whatever Frances would have said was thus lost. 
 
 Presently the gossipy girl remarked: "Frances, 
 you'll have to be looking out sharp, I can tell you. 
 Do you know who was at church and went home 
 with Ethel?" 
 
 Now Miss Jones became aware of an uneasiness. 
 She was ready to chide herself because of it, and 
 yet that did not affect the fact. But without any 
 change of color, and with a smile that was perhaps 
 just a little hypocritical, she calmly answered, 
 "No." 
 
 "Well," said the lighthearted and mischievous 
 girl, "it was just Havard Brown. Will Bull was 
 with them out in the graveyard I saw that while 
 I was coming up to church ; and when the service
 
 A TUMULT IN TREDYFFRIN 75 
 
 was over Havard rode along with Will and Ethel 
 down the Swedes' Ford road, and I just believe that 
 he went home with them, for Harry Rossiter met 
 them far below the 'King.' " 
 
 Frances tried to persuade herself that this was 
 uninteresting; yet her womanly perception could 
 not but recognize it as a speck upon the horizon 
 which might or might not prove of importance. 
 But with good sense she endeavored to dismiss the 
 matter from her mind, by calling Jennie's attention 
 to other themes. But the malicious young lady, 
 who was shrewd enough to guess that the topic was 
 embarrassing to Frances, persisted in reviving it, 
 until with a woman's tact the latter turned the 
 tables on her friend by referring to love affairs per- 
 tinent to herself, whereupon Jennie laughingly 
 vacated the field. 
 
 The elder ladies had been discussing affairs less 
 sentimental, and soon Mrs. Jones intimated that it 
 was time to return home, and she and Frances pre- 
 pared to resume the path in the fields. They had 
 scarcely reached the foot of the little slope leading 
 to the run, when they met Lord Cornwallis, who had 
 been walking probably for exercise along the 
 lines on the front hills. Very gracefully did he 
 remove his chapeau, and with a profound bow 
 remark, "Good afternoon, ladies." 
 
 The earl's name had not yet become so conspicu- 
 ous as at a later day; yet his high rank induced 
 Frances to scan his features and observe his manner, 
 which was ingratiating. He seemed to be the em- 
 bodiment of courtesy, and quite impressed his
 
 76 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 youthful observer, who understood little of the 
 qualities essential in the case of a military leader. 
 
 The earl paused deferentially, as though wishing 
 to converse, and, when the ladies halted, remarked : 
 "You have a most beautiful country; I have been 
 examining it from these hills, and find it charming 
 in the extreme. I congratulate you upon such an 
 attractive home." 
 
 Mrs. Jones murmured some appreciative words, 
 but Frances bravely took it upon herself to tell 
 the earl that one of the very finest of views could 
 be had on the road from Peggy's corner to Reese's 
 lane, where the Forge hills came into full view ; and 
 that other pleasing viewpoints were on the other 
 side of the Valley, on the North Valley Hill. 
 
 His lordship acknowledged the kindness of the 
 information, but said, smilingly, "I must not venture 
 so far away as the opposite points you name ; for a 
 very troublesome gentleman, named Mr. Washing- 
 ton, might prevent my speedy return to the shelter 
 of these hills." 
 
 "I believe that we have the pleasure of addressing 
 Lord Cornwallis?" inquiringly remarked Frances. 
 
 The earl bowed. 
 
 Frances's eye twinkled merrily the earl, who 
 was an acute observer, thought very finely as she 
 said, "I could indeed wish you, sir, the hospitality 
 of General Washington." 
 
 The earl, far from being displeased, showed his 
 appreciation of the girl's wit by a hearty laugh ; and 
 then spoke of the Continental commander in terms 
 of high respect for his personal character.
 
 A TUMULT IN TREDYFFRIN 77 
 
 The earl continued : "I regret that you should be 
 subjected to experiences like these, which cannot 
 but be annoying. Naturally, we view affairs in an 
 entirely different light, for you are of the Colonies 
 and I am a devoted servant of George HI. But I 
 could wish that the delicate matters involved in this 
 quarrel between the mother and the daughter were 
 settled, that peace might again reign." 
 
 Mrs. Jones devoutly acquiesced in this desire, but, 
 thinking that perhaps the courtesy of the earl was 
 detaining him against his convenience, now indi- 
 cated her purpose to proceed ; and once more the earl 
 bowed, and, with expressions of pleasure at having 
 met them, bade the ladies farewell. 
 
 It took but a little while to reach the gate that led 
 into the yard of the Jones homestead, and the ladies 
 soon found themselves occupied with the usual eve- 
 ning duties. To some extent perhaps the extraor- 
 dinary environment dissipated certain unpleasantly 
 obtrusive thoughts, but it must be admitted that 
 Frances found herself reverting more than once or 
 twice to the badinage of the flighty Miss Reese, 
 relative to Havard Brown. "Pshaw," she solilo- 
 quized, "why should I pay any attention to the idle 
 words of that busy girl ? It was perfectly right for 
 Havard to go to Bull's. He does not often 
 get away from the farm. Besides, it was quite 
 natural." But in her heart that center of the soul 
 where we rarely deceive ourselves she found 
 opposition to that last sentiment ; it was not natural, 
 she found the hidden monitor insisting.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 FIRING A FORGE 
 
 THE stately hills between which Valley Creek 
 in its last reach flows to the Schuylkill do not quite 
 extend to the river at least, their elevation breaks 
 off rapidly on the northern side, leaving a strip of 
 comparatively level ground at the mouth of the 
 tributary. 
 
 Under the river bank, a little distance below the 
 junction of the creek with the greater stream, a 
 number of men were busily engaged upon an unusual 
 task. A variety of beams and timbers was being 
 fashioned into a species of raft, care being had 
 to make it both light and substantial. The leader 
 of the party was Colonel Dewees, and among his 
 efficient assistants was Havard Brown. To any 
 casual spectator it would have been patent that 
 the proceeding was conducted with a view to the 
 prevention of unnecessary publicity, for all who par- 
 ticipated in the crude ship-joinery constantly stole 
 uneasy glances about them, as though apprehensive 
 that their work might meet an unfriendly or critical 
 eye. 
 
 Nor did the workmen trust to their own survey of 
 the river or the creek, for a small guard of Conti- 
 nentals was posted in such a fashion that an enemy 
 could not approach without being seen. 
 
 Two persons hovered about the little company 
 78
 
 FIRING A FORGE 79 
 
 who wore the uniform of officers. That they were 
 fast friends, as well as comrades in special service, 
 might have been inferred from their freedom in 
 personal address. 
 
 "Colonel" (it was customary to bestow the full 
 title upon a lieutenant-colonel), "you'll gain rank 
 and fame as an amphibious Continental if you suc- 
 ceed in navigating this "Noah's ark" across the 
 stormy Schuylkill. Have you laid in a supply of 
 instruments for the voyage?" 
 
 The superior officer was quick at repartee : "Harry 
 Lee," he said, "your own light horse shall be hitched 
 to the craft, and made to pull it over to the haven." 
 
 But the quick eyes of Alexander Hamilton relaxed 
 none of their vigilance because of banter. Over the 
 stone house of Isaac Potts, across the clearing to 
 the high timber, they roved perpetually, seeking any 
 lurking spy or vidette intent upon discovery. In the 
 same manner Captain Lee supplemented the service 
 of the sentries, by peering along the creek, on both 
 sides of the stream, to detect any human figures in 
 the low woodland. 
 
 Fortune seemed to favor the daring, and the 
 uncouth structure was about ready to receive its 
 burden. Then a careful reconnoissance was made 
 in all directions, while all who could be spared has- 
 tened to the Forge shed and the grist mill, in whose 
 dusty bins precious army stores had been concealed. 
 To transfer these to the raft was the duty of the 
 hour, for a rumor was prevalent that the British 
 purposed a thorough examination of the neighbor- 
 hood.
 
 8o VALLEY FORGE 
 
 It was not a sedate young Quaker selling sauer- 
 kraut, to whom information of the state was confided 
 in the present case ; but the peripatetic barber, who 
 gained admission to the camp, and cut the hair of 
 most of the life guard about the headquarters, 
 could have told a very interesting tale of the con- 
 nection between events had he been found; but it 
 might have been noticed that when he was heard 
 of anywhere Colonel Dewees was invariably missing, 
 and when the latter was visible nothing was known 
 of the barber. 
 
 As hurriedly as possible the work went forward. 
 Considerable quantities of valuable goods were col- 
 lected from bins and corners and chests and recesses, 
 where they had been so cleverly concealed as not to 
 excite suspicion upon the part of those who visited 
 the Forge or the mill on business. For the first time 
 the majority engaged in the work were made aware 
 of the existence of the stores. 
 
 Crack! crack! upon the early afternoon air. A 
 brace of musket shots rang out sharply and clearly ; 
 for the wind was from the south, a fact that Hamil- 
 ton had already noted. The sound actually brought 
 him relief; for he had been straining his sense of 
 hearing to catch these very signals during the whole 
 of the time consumed in the enterprise. It seemed 
 almost miraculous that molestation by the enemy 
 had been so long delayed. Two videttes had been 
 posted on the southern slope of Mount Joy, with 
 instructions to be vigilant in detecting the approach 
 of a British scout, and it was their signals that gave 
 notice of danger.
 
 FIRING A FORGE 81 
 
 Strenuously the toilers bent to their task ; the last 
 load was taken to the raft, and the slow craft headed 
 for the eastern shore of the Schuylkill, before the 
 appearance of the foe. The videttes had reloaded, 
 stationed themselves at a narrow pass in the road, 
 and delivered a fire with sufficient effect to delay the 
 progress of the enemy. Then, retiring upon their 
 own party, they could only hastily report the appar- 
 ent strength of the squadron to Hamilton before it 
 was upon them. As the numbers of the British 
 were superior to those of the Americans, the latter 
 prudently dispersed, but not without firing a vol- 
 ley, which again retarded the advance of the squad- 
 ron. But in a few moments a second party, which 
 had come circuitously over Mount Misery, swept 
 down the ravine to the creek, across to the Forge, 
 and proceeded to join the first detachment. It was a 
 mystery to the patriots in general how this obscure 
 route became known to the enemy, thus enabling 
 them to effect so timely a junction; but the iron- 
 master had picked up enough information through 
 secret channels to convince him of the complicity of 
 Will Tryon. 
 
 It was Hamilton's object to divert attention from 
 the raft, which as yet had not attracted the notice of 
 the British. Signaling his men to wheel up the hill 
 on the down-river road, he drew after him the 
 united British force. It was not possible to reach the 
 ford at Fatland and escape to the other side, for the 
 chase was hot ; and Hamilton and Lee, hastily con- 
 ferring, concluded to retreat down a lane to the rear 
 of Mount Joy.
 
 82 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 The enemy's pursuit at this point lost some of its 
 vigor, as they were suspicious of an ambush; and 
 while they'halted and debated a dragoon caught sight 
 of the raft, now well on its way to the eastern bank. 
 At once the squadron wheeled about and fired at 
 the receding craft. The pattering of bullets about 
 the ears of the polers showed that they were within 
 range ; but the only loss sustained was that of a horse 
 belonging to Colonel Dewees. Before another vol- 
 ley could be given the unwieldy vessel was guided 
 into a little sheltered bay or indentation in the shore. 
 
 Baffled of their principal prey for it was the 
 capture of the munitions of war that drew them to 
 the vicinity of the Forge the troopers debated the 
 propriety of searching for the mounted Americans. 
 But the officer in charge determined to examine 
 instead houses and other buildings in which stores 
 might be concealed. Drawing from his pocket a 
 map, he made a mental note of three or four resi- 
 dences, looked about him for certain landmarks, 
 and then led his men to the sack. 
 
 The information of the marauders must have been 
 accurate, for, while effectually ravaging the entire 
 settlement, their chief spite was directed upon the 
 Waters homestead. Thomas Waters was the father 
 of Mrs. Dewees, and a member of the rafting party. 
 Upon him were visited some of the sins of his son- 
 in-law. 
 
 The devastation of property in general was very 
 great, and evoked deep maledictions upon the heads 
 of the ruthless band, who in some cases spared noth- 
 ing in the wreaking of their vengeance and cupidity.
 
 FIRING A FORGE 83 
 
 Great age had not yet invested the well-built stone 
 grist-mill that stood on the banks of Valley Creek, 
 near the river. Its wheels rumbled on in "a sort of 
 runic rhyme," not exactly melodious, and yet afford- 
 ing an agreeable clack to the rustic ear. The dusty 
 miller with his bags and block-and-fall was highly 
 picturesque. A small corner had been roughly 
 boarded off for an office, and the mill boy found 
 gratification in placarding the walls with rude wood- 
 cuts. 
 
 The hasty exit of the patriots had left the mill 
 tenantless. Its wheels were idle, its doors open, and 
 a general air of guilt hung about it to the eyes of 
 the invaders. Perhaps, could it have been heard 
 or rather understood in a renewed rumble, it 
 would have declared its pride in its service to the 
 American Republic. 
 
 A half mile up the creek was the Forge, destined 
 to become immortal. The sooty stone walls, the 
 capacious chimney, the ponderous hammer, the 
 cheerful glow when the iron brought down from 
 Warwick, and made white-hot in the charcoal fur- 
 naces, was transferred to the massive anvil to be 
 beaten into tough fiber, the roar of the bellows all 
 these together invested "the Valley Forge" with a 
 conspicuous locale, and evoked a species of rough 
 affection for the grim and grimy workshop of 
 Vulcan. 
 
 One could imagine that between the Forge and 
 the mill existed a certain tender attachment. Lovely 
 and pleasant had they been in their lives, and now in 
 death they should not be divided. No, for even then
 
 84 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 the avenger was upon their thresholds. The mill 
 was able to display its generosity even in its death 
 throes; for there still remained sufficient meal and 
 unground grain to sweeten the supper of many a 
 British soldier, while the Forge had in it many tools 
 that were eagerly snatched by foreign hands. The 
 work of demolition began, and the demon, having 
 become aroused, grew reckless ; and costly machinery 
 was ruined utterly and hopelessly, with abundant 
 curses upon the fugitive colonel. 
 
 Soon everything was ready for the application 
 of the torch, and the two structures were fired. In 
 the mill the wooden framework and floors and bins 
 were dry and highly inflammable; and the tongues 
 of flame ran and leaped and twirled, until they 
 aspired to the roof, whence they soon issued with 
 such roar and blast that the scene, but for its wanton- 
 ness, might have been termed sublime. Every 
 window was wreathed in scarlet; and the body of 
 flame was so intense, that the surrounding trees were 
 charred. 
 
 It was much the same with the iron workshop, 
 only it was not so completely furnished with wood- 
 work. Yet the framing, the floor overhead and 
 the roof furnished fair competition in providing a 
 blaze. The few farmers who were present stood 
 at a respectful distance viewing the catastrophe, and 
 lamenting silently at the fate of these industries. 
 It was only one of a thousand instances where 
 patriotism sacrificed freely to attest its fidelity. 
 
 At last, their revenge and cupidity having been 
 fairly glutted, and it being by no means certain that
 
 FIRING A FORGE 85 
 
 some of the adventurous Yankees would not be 
 found stealing upon their flank, the band that burned 
 the Forge prepared to follow the steps of those 
 that had driven off the stock of the farmers. Little 
 did they guess that their actions had been closely 
 watched by the little guard of light horse they had 
 first encountered. 
 
 The rafting party, safe from molestation on the 
 eastern shore, observed some of the doings of their 
 adversaries. The burning gristmill was in full view, 
 and the dense smoke that rose behind it, between the 
 folds of the ravine, proclaimed to Colonel Dewees 
 the fate of the Forge. However painful the spec- 
 tacle, it was borne with his unfailing philosophy. 
 His loss amounted to eleven thousand dollars!
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 LOYALTY AND LOVE 
 
 HOWE and Washington had been playing at 
 checkers, and the former had succeeded in crowning 
 a man, while blinding the eyes of the latter with a 
 subordinate move. The wily Englishman, pretend- 
 ing to have a design on the Continental depot at 
 Reading, marched his army up the west bank of 
 the Schuylkill, whereupon Washington, moving on 
 a much longer line on the east bank, attempted 
 to anticipate him. Then the redcoats turned rapidly 
 downstream, and on September twenty-third, at 
 Gordon's Ford 1 and Fatland Ford, 2 crossed their 
 Rubicon, and, presto ! the Quaker City was theirs. 
 
 The depredations at the Forge did not comprise 
 all the evil wrought by foraging parties and scouts 
 of the royal army. Down the Swedes' Ford road 
 these birds of ill omen moved, intent upon plunder 
 and the apprehension of militiamen, and everywhere 
 the baleful influence of some secret ally was discern- 
 ible. They paused to drink the liquors in the cellar 
 of the "King of Prussia." Thence they wandered 
 to the "Bird in Hand" and the Gulph. Others 
 scoured the country below the mouth of Valley 
 Creek, while the eastern shore of the Schuylkill was 
 by no means overlooked. 
 
 As after the disposal of the cargo of the raft it 
 
 1 Phcenixville 2 Valley Forge 
 
 86
 
 LOYALTY AND LOVE 87 
 
 was deemed best that the crew should separate, and 
 each man look out for himself, Havard Brown 
 determined to work his way down the river to the 
 Swedes' Ford; and, gathering such information as 
 he could, he prepared to take advantage of an oppor- 
 tunity to cross unmolested. At worst he could pick 
 his way over Fatland Ford in the darkness of the 
 night. 
 
 How strangely war and love are blended in 
 human experience ! Havard had another reason for 
 turning his gaze downstream Miss Ethel Thom- 
 son was probably at her uncle Archibald's; and, 
 as the political sentiments of that gentleman were 
 decidedly repugnant to the royalists, there was little 
 doubt that a heavy hand would be laid upon one 
 who bore a colonel's commission in the militia. 
 
 The mansion and inn of Colonel Thomson occu- 
 pied a site on a high ridge, three or four miles 
 northwest of the Swedes' Ford. It was invariably 
 cool in summer, offering its guests a pleasant 
 retreat from the heat of the city. Miss Thomson 
 divided her visit between her uncle's and the home 
 of her aunt, Mrs. Bull, which was within a mile of 
 the Ford, and on the banks of Stony Creek. 
 
 Havard was undecided about visiting the young 
 lady in his present plight, for there was no oppor- 
 tunity to make himself presentable ; and yet, on the 
 other hand, he did not wish to return home without 
 some knowledge of events in that quarter. 
 
 Considerable woodland was to be traversed, and 
 the position of the Thomson mansion was obscured ; 
 but when the now self-confessed lover attained a
 
 88 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 spot whence a distant view of the premises could be 
 had, he saw, to his alarm and consternation, volumes 
 of smoke ascending from the roof and bursting out 
 at the windows. 
 
 Calm and self-possessed as Havard usually was, 
 he broke out into a bitter execration of the cruelty 
 of the spirit of war; and at that particular moment 
 he might have wrought severe retaliation if the 
 means had been within reach. 
 
 Though renewed caution was imperatively neces- 
 sary, Havard purposed a thorough inquiry into the 
 condition of affairs. Stealing along the road with 
 eyes before and behind him, alternately, he studied 
 every suspicious turn and possible hiding place. He 
 crossed two or three transverse ravines, where he 
 half feared he should come upon enemies, but for 
 a full quarter of an hour detected no signs of danger. 
 
 But at the next turn he saw a sight that caused his 
 heart to rise to his mouth, and brought a curious 
 feeling to the roots of his hair. A pillaging band, 
 apparently intently searching for some object, was 
 coming along the highway. To leap into the woods 
 was Havard's first impulse, and he immediately 
 obeyed it, plunging deep in the shadows, and rather 
 irresolutely descending a slope to a thicket, in which 
 he would have hidden but he immediately recoiled, 
 startled at the apparition of a fold of scarlet. Ha- 
 vard expected that a gleaming bayonet would be 
 protruded, or a stream of flame announce the watch- 
 fulness of a redcoat, but he determined not to be 
 taken by a single man. The next moment he found 
 himself face to face with Ethel Thomson !
 
 LOYALTY AND LOVE 89 
 
 Hie surprise was mutual and great. Ethel at 
 once recognized the intruder, and, forgetful of the 
 surroundings, Havard would have expressed his 
 supreme satisfaction at seeing her; but she quickly 
 put her finger on her lips and motioned silence. Still, 
 she extended her hand, which, in the excitement of 
 the moment, presumably, he pressed nervously. 
 
 Mayhap she did not notice that, for she pointed 
 up the hill, and whispered, "They're after me, and 
 are right close. I fear that they'll find us yet." 
 
 "O, Mr. Brown," she continued tearfully, "the 
 wretches surprised us, when uncle was away from 
 home, and robbed aunt of all the money they could 
 find, and then threatened to beat her unless she 
 would furnish more. She had to give them all her 
 jewelry, and then they spread through the house, 
 ruining everything. At last they set fire to the dear 
 old home, and drove us out; and when they got 
 the stock and the grain out of the barn they burned 
 that, too. O, it's dreadful !" 
 
 "But where is your aunt?" 
 
 "I got separated from her in the smoke and con- 
 fusion, and and some of the soldiers were drunk 
 and behaved rudely to me, and I ran away. Poor 
 aunt, I wonder how she fared !" 
 
 Havard hardly knew what to say or do. He 
 might take Ethel home to his mother, but it would 
 never do to leave her aunt to the mercy of intoxi- 
 cated and brutal men. 
 
 "Miss Thomson," he inquired softly, "would it 
 not be best for me to seek the officer officers are 
 mostly gentlemen and put you in his care?"
 
 90 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 But Ethel shook her head, while a look of deep 
 repugnance spread over her face. "Not for all the 
 world," she replied, shuddering; "it was he who 
 insulted me, and he is grossly intoxicated." 
 
 Havard's first hope grew brighter. "I will be 
 frank with you, Miss Ethel : I meant from the first 
 to take you home to my mother; only I felt that I 
 ought to see what could be done for your aunt. I 
 have it; I will reconnoiter about the house, while 
 you stay in this thicket. Be sure to keep your cape 
 hidden I took it to be a uniform and I'll be back 
 very soon. If you should be discovered whoop three 
 times, and I'll come at once." 
 
 Havard could not forbear pressing her hand 
 again, when he noiselessly left her side; and the 
 young lady, somewhat restored to presence of mind, 
 noticed the warmth of the act, if one could judge 
 from a bit of color that tinged her cheek. But per- 
 haps she attributed it to Havard's flurried condition ! 
 
 The latter made his way to the top of a knoll, but 
 sufficiently under cover of the woods to avoid being 
 discovered by the party in the road ; although these 
 were so drunk that they were practically helpless. 
 Passing on farther, he came to a point where he 
 secured a fair view of the house; and to his great 
 relief noticed that Mrs. Thomson was not only 
 unharmed, but was under the protection of a royalist 
 relative. 
 
 When Havard returned to Ethel's side, and told 
 her what he had learned, she expressed her purpose 
 to accompany him home, only regretting that her 
 aunt would have to be worried about her safety for
 
 LOYALTY AND LOVE 91 
 
 a little while. "Still," she said, "she will expect 
 that I went over to Corson's, for we talked about it 
 this very morning; besides, nothing would induce 
 me to go back among those villains again." 
 
 The young man was overjoyed. What pride he 
 took in piloting her away from the dangerous 
 locality, through the woods, often within sight of 
 the river, which supplied a pleasing vista through 
 the trees. Ah me, how love ripens with such a 
 background ! 
 
 Havard had made up his mind that whether 
 a British guard was stationed about Fatland Ford 
 or not, he would cross it with Ethel. There was 
 small likelihood that they would be molested, and, 
 in truth, it was the only feasible plan. 
 
 Having arrived at this conclusion which also 
 embraced the prospect of a meeting with his mother 
 sometime that night he roved for a few fleeting 
 hours the Islands of the Blessed! Ethel was not 
 left to guesses as to the state of mind of her provi- 
 dential escort, and before they emerged from the 
 leafy shade of the river woodland, the shy, 
 restrained, philosophical Havard had made an 
 avowal of his affection. 
 
 It was truly a day of great surprises to Ethel, 
 but as regarded Havard's declaration of love her 
 intuition had put her slightly on guard; so that, 
 while the profession was certainly made much earlier 
 than she dreamed, it was not totally bewildering. 
 
 Whether or not a corresponding regard had 
 sprung up in Ethel's heart may be left to the reader 
 to determine. Few young women would have
 
 92 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 treated a young man like Havard Brown lightly. 
 His character would have secured him respect and 
 deference; and his tall figure, unconventionally but 
 neatly attired, showed a face in which mental and 
 moral strength and kindness of heart were strongly 
 marked. 
 
 These things had made an impression upon Ethel. 
 The manliness of the young farmer had struck her 
 at their first meeting, and had been emphasized at 
 the interview in Saint Peter's churchyard. The 
 afternoon at her uncle's had deepened the impres- 
 sion, while the events of the present day magnified 
 it immeasurably. She was keen enough to perceive 
 that her rescue by Havard was not an accident, for 
 he had unquestionably been drawn to the scene of 
 pillage by his devotion to herself. 
 
 Ethel could not be expected to decide so important 
 a matter in such haste. Mr. Brown would see that 
 it was a very great surprise, and that several things 
 would need attention and consideration before she 
 could determine. She appreciated so estimable an 
 offer, and yet it were wiser to permit a little season 
 of delay in order to think it over. Thus the young 
 girl parried the momentous proposal. 
 
 But Ethel reckoned without her lover. The bash- 
 ful, quiet man became importunate, and then, 
 naturally, he became eloquent. He scarcely knew 
 himself, so fervid was his pleading. In fact, his 
 auditor was astonished and proud! There was a 
 realism in the circumstance that contributed an 
 unusual spice to the occasion. Neither of the chief 
 personages of the chapter had had recent opportunity
 
 LOYALTY AND LOVE 93 
 
 to eat a morsel of food; and thus hunger flavored 
 this romantic wooing, and affected for weal or for 
 woe the decision of the fair one. At last Ethel, 
 moved by the intense expressions of this remarkable 
 and resistless suitor, intimated that she would give 
 favorable consideration to the suit. 
 
 This crumb made Havard radiantly happy, and 
 he painted Ethel's final answer in the most roseate 
 of hues. But now our hero was obliged to pay 
 attention to the method of crossing the Schuylkill. 
 He recollected that a boat was usually kept in a 
 little cove on the eastern shore, some distance below 
 the mouth of Valley Creek. If this could not be 
 found, nor any other means of ferriage, he was sure, 
 giving rein to his imagination, that he could carry 
 Ethel across the stream at the ford. This would 
 be as romantic an incident as true love ever 
 embraced, to be sure; but fortunately the boat was 
 found, and Havard rowed it across the river, its 
 fair passenger sitting in the stern. 
 
 The evening was now well advanced. Luna in 
 her first quarter was riding through cirrus clouds. 
 Vega was on the meridian and nearly overhead ; the 
 Northern Cross and the Eagle near by; and in the 
 east the Great Square of Pegasus was halfway up 
 from the horizon. Here and there the brighter stars 
 of other constellations shone through the cloudy 
 veil, and in the north the outlines of the Dipper were 
 visible below and west of the pole. 
 
 It was just such a scene as must entrance a hope- 
 ful lover; and into this character Havard seemed 
 to have been suddenly and mysteriously trans-
 
 94 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 formed. The bewitching sky above and the be- 
 witching girl in the boat exercised a spell upon him, 
 and evoked the poetic in his nature. He seemed 
 to have forgotten the peril of the day, and to have 
 ignored the uncertainties of the night. 
 
 The little island they passed was silvery in the 
 moonlight, but its trees cast dense shadows that lent 
 weirdness to the spectacle. The light waves pro- 
 duced by the movement of the oars reflected the 
 glancing of the moon on a myriad gleaming ripples. 
 
 As they reached the western shore its shadows 
 disclosed no enemy, single or plural, waiting to dis- 
 pute their landing; and when Havard had carefully 
 secured the boat to a stout sapling that grew by 
 the water's edge he took a route perfectly familiar 
 to him on fishing excursions when a mere lad up 
 over the hill, across the river road, on through 
 woods to the Gulph road, thence to the heights of 
 Mount Joy, and then down to the comfortable home 
 on its southern side, where he was delighted to see 
 a lamp burning in the window. It was but a little 
 while before he was clasped in the arms of his 
 mother. 
 
 What the mystification of Mrs. Brown was, when 
 she noticed the graceful figure and beautiful face 
 of Ethel Thomson, may be imagined. But she 
 waited in patient dignity until Havard introduced 
 the young lady and explained the circumstance. The 
 most cordial of welcomes was given, and then Mrs. 
 Brown proceeded to prepare a substantial supper. 
 Ethel noticed how neat all the table furniture was, 
 and tasted with satisfaction the simple dishes.
 
 LOYALTY AND LOVE 95 
 
 It took a long time to recount the experiences of 
 the day on both sides. Mrs. Brown had been 
 troubled at Havard's absence; yet she thought his 
 share in the care of the stores was so little known, 
 if at all, that he would not be in much danger there- 
 from. The British had not passed them by in their 
 general visitation, and the farm had been made to 
 contribute freely of its stock and products to the 
 predatory bands. She relieved her son's solicitude 
 by explaining that no indignities had been shown 
 her; and that nothing had occurred to cause her 
 any personal alarm. 
 
 It had been remarked that Havard was a philoso- 
 pher. The soldiers had carried away valuable 
 effects, and he had lost Saladin, but he was grateful 
 to Providence that the torch had not been brought 
 into requisition. Besides he was disposed to find 
 present and great solace in the fact of Ethel's pres- 
 ence, brought about so singularly. What a favor, 
 to have her so near, where he could feast his eyes 
 upon her, hear her voice, and bask in her radiance 
 in general ! He realized that very soon word must 
 be got to her friends, and that she would probably 
 insist upon returning home on the morrow ; but the 
 interval should be a season of refreshing, of which 
 he would cherish every moment. 
 
 Mrs. Brown was seated at the tea table with her 
 face turned toward the rear kitchen window, when 
 she gave a start, which in turn alarmed her son. 
 Divining that something that she had seen had 
 frightened her, he turned about, but perceived noth- 
 ing.
 
 96 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 "What's wrong, mother?" he inquired, quickly. 
 
 "O," answered she, "I saw a face at the window !" 
 
 Havard ran to the door and gazed into the dark- 
 ness, but nothing met his eye except the familiar 
 trees, and the domestic articles scattered about the 
 yard by the marauders. He explored the yard quite 
 thoroughly, looked into the barnyard and the road, 
 but saw no person. The moon was still shedding 
 its gentle light upon the eastern hills, but it was 
 now behind Mount Misery, and the gates of the 
 gap were only semi-visible. The smell of burnt 
 wood was very noticeable, but there was not even a 
 dull glare above the sites of the ill-fated forge and 
 mill. 
 
 He could but return into the house with the report 
 that he had seen no person, and was inclined to 
 think that his mother had been nervously unstrung 
 by the happenings of the day, and that she had 
 imagined the face. He was too courteous to suggest 
 this surmise, but his questions conveyed a hint of 
 it to her. She mildly said : 
 
 "Havard, I saw a man's face at the window. It 
 was not close against the pane, and I think the fel- 
 low supposed it could not be seen at the distance he 
 kept it ; but I am sure that it was the face of a man." 
 
 "Perhaps, mother, you can tell if it was that of 
 a stranger, or whether it resembled a face known to 
 us." 
 
 "I cannot tell whose it was ; but it bore a strong 
 resemblance to a face we know." 
 
 Quite aroused, Havard bent toward his mother, 
 and inquired, "Whose?"
 
 LOYALTY AND LOVE 97 
 
 "Mind, I cannot say certainly, for resemblances 
 go astray very often, but the features were exceed- 
 ingly like those of William Tryon." 
 
 Now indeed was Havard electrified; and there 
 flashed upon him the recollection that he had fancied 
 a figure hovering about the landing place of the 
 boat that evening, which he had dismissed from his 
 mind, because he saw it no more. 
 
 He was puzzled to know what it could mean. 
 That there were grave doubts of Tryon's loyalty 
 to the Colonial cause Havard was well aware ; sinis- 
 ter rumors had spread relative to his connection 
 with certain information secured by the British, 
 but granting that they were true, there was some- 
 thing very strange in this nocturnal and secret, pry- 
 ing visit. 
 
 Havard's eyes were not long off Ethel's face, 
 and while he was stealing a glance at it during this 
 conversation he thought he recognized a meaning 
 expression on it if not indeed a faint smile. 
 
 A lover's eyes, though often blind, are sometimes 
 keen, and Havard asked Ethel what was passing in 
 her mind. She evaded the query, which made him 
 still more curious. Again she parried the inquiry, 
 but it escaped her at last that she knew Tryon 
 quite well, and could have recognized him had she 
 seen the face at the window. 
 
 Havard's perceptions became more acute. "Pos- 
 sibly," he thought, "he has been a suitor of hers!" 
 And Havard was jealous. 
 
 Perhaps Ethel thought it scarcely seemly to tell 
 of Tryon's attentions, but Havard managed to infer,
 
 98 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 from the little she hinted, that Tryon had sought her 
 favor. 
 
 But the sensations of the evening were not yet 
 ended. A half hour after the incident a tap was 
 heard at the kitchen door, and when it was opened 
 there stepped into the room, to the especial astonish- 
 ment of Havard Brown, the person of Colonel Alex- 
 ander Hamilton. 
 
 "So it was you who looked in at the window, 
 was it, Colonel ?" 
 
 The officer smiled. "No," replied he, "at least 
 not at the time to which I presume you refer." 
 
 Havard recovered from his amazement sufficiently 
 to introduce his guest to his mother and Miss Thom- 
 son, both of whom received him with quiet grace, 
 and then resumed his inquiries. 
 
 "We have been concealed to-day in the enemy's 
 land," said Hamilton. "There was no way of 
 escape after the dragoons came down on us in such 
 force, and they have been scouring the whole 
 country. We saw the burning of the forge and the 
 mill from yonder high hill." 
 
 Mrs. Brown exclaimed that she had noticed mov- 
 ing forms near that spot from which her son had 
 sought to view the battle ground of the previous 
 week, but she had taken them to be those of the 
 enemy looking for more victims. 
 
 The colonel explained that his little band had kept 
 vigilant watch upon the movements of the various 
 groups of the British during the day, and that the 
 coming across the river of Havard and Miss Thom- 
 son was known to them, as also the presence of a
 
 LOYALTY AND LOVE 99 
 
 stranger near the stream. The latter had been fol- 
 lowed because his movements were suspicious, and 
 he had been seen to look in at the kitchen window. 
 Havard's search had also been observed, but it was 
 deemed best to follow the spy, if spy he was, to a 
 thoroughly safe distance before making any dis- 
 closures. This had been done, and the scout had 
 returned, reporting the fellow far on his way to the 
 eastward. 
 
 Mrs. Brown hospitably invited the colonel to 
 remain for the night. But that officer explained that 
 it was necessary to cross the river and rejoin Wash- 
 ington before the enemy could prevent. If the 
 crossing were unguarded by the British to-night, as 
 he thought it was from his reconnoitering, he would 
 get his detachment across. But he gratefully ate 
 the supper which Mrs. Brown hurriedly provided. 
 
 Havard suggested the boat in which he had 
 brought Ethel from the opposite shore ; but Hamil- 
 ton responded that he would try the ford, in view 
 of the fact that they were mounted and had some 
 baggage. 
 
 An hour later it was now midnight, and the 
 moon had sunk behind the Schuylkill hills a little 
 company of horsemen pierced the river shadows at 
 Fatland Ford, and passed safely over into liberty.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 
 
 THE morning uncurtained new thoughts. Mrs. 
 Brown and her son were brought face to face with 
 the realities of the situation. The stock had van- 
 ished, Havard's much prized Saladin included. 
 The barn had been practically emptied of its con- 
 tents, the whole constituting a heavy loss. For- 
 tunately, the fall seeding had been accomplished, and 
 a rick of hay remained undisturbed, while one cow 
 at pasture in a secluded field had been overlooked. 
 
 Foreseeing the possibility of such a calamitous 
 circumstance, Havard had taken care to secrete a 
 sum of money sufficient to temporarily reassure him 
 and his mother in time of need. It was in shining 
 guineas, and was hidden in a hole in the foundation 
 of the house. Even the burning of the premises 
 could not have endangered the treasure, for the cel- 
 lar rocks were of remarkable thickness, and the 
 receptacle was cunningly concealed from view. 
 
 At breakfast the abnormal doings of the day 
 previous were not so fully discussed, with the con- 
 sequence that both Havard and Ethel now neces- 
 sarily more self-conscious were somewhat embar- 
 rassed. Mrs. Brown perhaps became a factor in 
 producing this feeling. 
 
 "Do you think that it will be safe to attempt to
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 101 
 
 go home to Uncle John Bull's to-day?" asked Ethel 
 of Havard before the meal had proceeded far. 
 
 Havard was disposed to prolong a stay so agree- 
 able to him as much as possible, and responded that 
 there might be troops lingering in the neighborhood 
 who would give them annoyance, possibly the very 
 band that had behaved so rudely yesterday. 
 
 Ethel, feeling that her friends would be in a great 
 fright concerning her safety, appeared so determined 
 to make the effort, that Mrs. Brown came to her 
 rescue, and advised that Havard take some steps 
 toward ascertaining the actual state of affairs. 
 
 The sound of iron-shod hoofs was heard on the 
 stones outside, and when Havard rose to learn the 
 cause, his heart sinking at the prospect of meeting 
 some redcoats, to his unfeigned pleasure he saw 
 Saladin, saddled and bridled, but with broken rein 
 and riderless. Whence he had come could not be 
 ascertained, of course, but the horse received a 
 welcome that was almost an ovation. He came up 
 to his master with eagerness, as though his intelli- 
 gent brain comprehended it all, rubbed his nose upon 
 Havard's face, and whinnied in superlative delight. 
 
 The animal had doubtless been out all night, and 
 as burs were attached to his unkempt hide Havard 
 supposed he had broken away on the other side of the 
 river, while picketed, and found his way through 
 rough country to the Swedes' Ford, crossing there 
 early in the morning. 
 
 Havard noticed that the saddle was of fine work- 
 manship, and the saddlebags plump. He did not 
 hesitate to open the latter, in which he found some
 
 IO2 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 papers and a substantial sum of money, which, if 
 not reclaimed, would partially compensate him for 
 his losses. 
 
 He was astonished to discover that the papers 
 consisted of memoranda of the settlement, the loca- 
 tion of certain houses, names of property owners, 
 and data regarding each that none but a resident 
 could furnish. No name was signed, but Havard 
 fancied that he could identify the penmanship. 
 Nor was it any impeachment of his conclusions, 
 when, later, he found a letter referring to the infor- 
 mation that "Tryon" had supplied, and its relia- 
 bility. "Enough to hang him, if Washington knew 
 it," he said to himself. 
 
 It was bitter to believe that a man could turn 
 upon his neighbors after this fashion. Havard was 
 just, and conceded to everyone the right to think 
 and conclude upon the question of loyalty to the 
 Crown. He found no fault with his neighbor for 
 his Tory principles, but could not comprehend how 
 he could become an informer upon those whom he 
 had known from childhood. Into this analysis did 
 not enter the feature of personal relationship with 
 reference to Ethel, although Havard could not help 
 wondering if that increased Tryon's enmity to him. 
 
 As Ethel insisted upon going to Colonel Bull's, 
 Havard made such preparations as were necessary. 
 He knew no other plan than to put his mother's 
 saddle on Saladin for the fair traveler, and to walk 
 at her side unless she would occupy a pillion behind 
 him. But Ethel stoutly persisted in walking, for 
 she feared that the petted horse was in danger of
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 103 
 
 being retaken. She trusted that some mode of 
 transit of the ford would turn up. 
 
 But Ethel was not destined to essay her pedes- 
 trian powers that day, because of the communication 
 of a peddler to whom both Mrs. Brown and her son 
 paid respectful attention. 
 
 Heinrich Kichenheim, merchant, bore upon his 
 back a pack which would have been the despair of 
 an ordinary man; yet, though he perspired freely, 
 and constantly wiped his brow with a red handker- 
 chief, he carried it cheerfully. 
 
 "Goot mornings, Miss Brown; it was wery hot 
 to-day efen in the shade of the pig oaks !" 
 
 Mrs. Brown smiled and said: "Yes, the day 
 promises to be quite warm before we get through 
 with it. What has thee to-day in the way of tempt- 
 ing things?" 
 
 "Efferytings, Miss Brown, that a person needs 
 for a house. Combs, brushes, looking-glasses, shav- 
 ing muks, buttins, thread, needles, pins, pocketbooks, 
 handkerchiefs, linen, tablecloths, covers, shoes, tin- 
 ware, caps, scissors, shawls, ruks, stockings, knives 
 most anydings you want." 
 
 "But, Friend Kichenheim (she pronounced it 
 Kickenheim), how are we to pay for goods now, 
 since the soldiers have taken all we have?" 
 
 "Yah, yah," responded the honest peddler, "I 
 know dat you have suffered mooch yesterday ; it was 
 bad, bad, indeed. But den you haf not suffered so 
 much as some odders. Dere was Squire Bull, he 
 was purned out yesterday, and all his goots go away 
 mit dem soldiers."
 
 IO4 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Havard pricked up his ears, looked at his mother, 
 and then at Ethel, who had not caught the remark. 
 
 "What, has Squire Bull been hurt?" 
 
 "Ach, no, not de squire himself, because he no 
 stay at home to be hurt; he clear himself away 
 before de British come, but dey burn his house and 
 barn, and dey carry away all de stock mit dem." 
 
 Ethel comprehended, and this fact annihilated the 
 possibility of finding refuge at her aunt's. 
 
 Very thoughtfully Mrs. Brown inquired, "Where 
 are the family ?" 
 
 The peddler answered, "Dey are gone oop to de 
 Treppe, to de old prediger Muhlenberg's, where de 
 Thomson family too is gone. Dey were, too, 
 burned out yesterday, but some neighbors took dem 
 oop dere, all but de young lady as wisited dem from 
 Philadelphy. She runned ofd to de nachbar's, to 
 get out of de road of de scamps." 
 
 The itinerant merchant was a reliable encyclo- 
 pedia on all subjects that related to the countryside. 
 His statements were invariably accepted, because he 
 was careful to obtain credible data and transmit it 
 as particularly. 
 
 Havard was sure that if there had been any 
 anxious concern entertained about Ethel by her 
 uncle's family it would have been circulated, and the 
 peddler would have mentioned it; but he inquired 
 still further of the man of the pack, who responded 
 that it was expected by the family that Ethel would 
 return to the city with the Corsons, the friends with 
 whom she had taken shelter, and who often went 
 to town. For the present, he said, the road on the
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 105 
 
 other side of the river was occupied by the 
 soldiers, and that there would be scarcely any 
 use of it by civilians until the army found quarters 
 in town. 
 
 So it eventuated that Ethel was obliged to spend 
 a few days in the home of her lover. 
 
 The good peddler was made happy by the sale of 
 some household articles, and, rearranging his pack, 
 took up his line of march for the Potts house, down 
 the creek. 
 
 But Havard escorted him to the road, and held 
 a long confidential conversation with him, in which 
 the name of Tryon could have been distinguished by 
 one close at his elbow. The peddler declared that 
 Tryon aided and abetted the enemy, for he had had 
 his eye upon him for some time; and as he visited 
 the British camp with impunity, to sell his wares, 
 he had personally seen him in close consultation with 
 leading officers. 
 
 There seemed to be no doubt of Tryon's guilt 
 unless, as Havard charitably conceived, he might be 
 an agent of Washington in disguise. But Havard 
 determined to keep his thoughts to himself, lest they 
 might do harm. 
 
 It need not be said that he did not regard it as 
 an unfavorable dispensation that permitted him to 
 enjoy several days more of Ethel's society. 
 
 His mother could not but observe the state of 
 affairs. In a sense it was not a surprise, for it was 
 to be expected yes, it was to be hoped that Ha- 
 vard would some time "fall in love." But the sud- 
 denness did surprise her. Having come to mature
 
 io6 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 years, when she could distinguish the glamour and 
 glitter from the substantiate, she had come to expect 
 that her son would be gifted with the same dis- 
 cretion. She forgot the impulsiveness of youth, and 
 the power of a first affection. 
 
 She was all kindness to Ethel, and yet she did not 
 know what to decide about her. That the girl was 
 lovely in person there could be no denial. In fact, 
 to the eye she was faultless. And yet Mrs. Brown 
 wondered if she were altogether suited to Havard. 
 They had been brought up in different channels of 
 thought, with variant likings and leanings that 
 was very evident. The ways of the fashion-world 
 were attractive to Ethel, the deeper things of life 
 had not yet fastened upon her. True, maturity and 
 experience might confer a taste for them, but to 
 commence a union under such circumstances was 
 not auspicious so mused the motherly heart. 
 
 It was but a little while, to be sure, that Ethel 
 spent beneath the roof of the Browns, and one 
 needed a longer period to pass upon so grave a mat- 
 ter. But Ethel herself evinced so little of that tender 
 regard that we call love that Mrs. Brown was per- 
 plexed. Her son's manner left no room for doubt 
 as to the status of the case as far as it related to 
 him ; but Mrs. Brown could perceive no deep answer- 
 ing tone in the words or conduct of Ethel. 
 
 However, that was perhaps to develop more 
 slowly. Havard had evidently been in a hurry to 
 exhibit his preference for Mrs. Brown could not 
 recall any instance of their meeting previous to that 
 Sunday at Saint Peter's. Maybe Ethel's love if
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 107 
 
 it unfolded at all would be all the richer and more 
 enduring for its slow growth. 
 
 But there was another factor in Mrs. Brown's 
 philosophy. She had almost counted it as a cer- 
 tainty that Frances Jones would become her 
 daughter some day. She was an admirer of this 
 lovable girl, and having known her from infancy 
 was well acquainted with the fixed traits of her 
 character. She had been well pleased to observe 
 the childish intimacy between her boy and Frances, 
 and rejoiced that it seemed to strengthen as the years 
 grew. Therefore she was disappointed, and per- 
 haps this prejudiced her somewhat against Ethel. 
 Thus reasoning, the good maternal mind and heart 
 endeavored to show both Havard and Ethel fair 
 play. 
 
 Was there no obtrusion of Frances Jones in Ha- 
 vard's mind during this season of bliss ? I trow not. 
 There had been, as we have seen, a slightly uncom- 
 fortable thought of her ; but Havard was fascinated 
 with a present object, and all else was forgotten. 
 It cannot be surmised what he might have thought 
 had he chanced to meet Frances, but the commotion 
 of the British occupation, and the unexpected 
 rencontre with Ethel, sufficed for the time at least 
 to banish Frances altogether from his mind. Per- 
 haps he would have to pay up for it sometime, but 
 for the ethereal present all else was sacrificed to his 
 adoration of Ethel Thomson. 
 
 All the time that could be devoted to the enter- 
 tainment of so cherished a guest was given by Ha- 
 vard. Noticing that her eye was pleased by the
 
 loS VALLEY FORGE 
 
 romantic haunts about Mount Joy, he took pains 
 to point out to her the most attractive of them. The 
 walk along the creek seemed to be the favorite. 
 The narrow stream, winding through the graceful 
 gap, had an especial charm for her. There were 
 spots where she paused to catch the effect of the 
 sunshine upon the sides of the chasm, and others 
 where the curving hills seemed to tower in wild 
 beauty. 
 
 The ruins of the forge and the mill were a blur 
 upon the fair scene. The forge had lent a certain 
 picturesqueness to the gorge, for its sooty frame 
 comported with the dark stone that so plentifully 
 covered both hills, and the mill did not offend the 
 eye because of its general quaintness. But now the 
 blackened debris about the roofless walls testified of 
 desolation. 
 
 Down by the stone dwelling of the Potts family 
 they strolled ; sometimes they crossed the creek and 
 ascended the long slope that led westward. There 
 were bypaths veering off to the south up the North 
 Valley Hill, where channels were cut in the sand- 
 stone by the flow of crystal springs gushing out from 
 the hillside. There were also viewpoints where 
 the distant hills could be seen, with the blue 
 haze perpetually hanging upon them and a low 
 range of mountains crossing the Schuylkill far 
 above. 
 
 There was a pleasing walk by the river, and little 
 dells opening upon it. Up the stream was the mouth 
 of the Perkiomen, where afterward Audubon lived 
 and sketched; and here birds collected in great
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 109 
 
 numbers, and made the shady haunts in the thick 
 groves vocal with their melody. 
 
 Before the week was ended Havard was dismayed 
 one afternoon to hear the clatter of hoofs in the 
 roadway. His sense did not deceive him it was a 
 body of dragoons. An officer dismounted and 
 approached the house. Havard met him, and civilly 
 invited him into the parlor. 
 
 "I am Captain John Andre," said the officer, 
 whose suavity made an agreeable impression. "I 
 am on the hunt of some property I have lost, and 
 will be indebted to you for any information you can 
 give." 
 
 Havard suspected what was coming, but he 
 calmly inquired, "What sort of property was it, 
 sir; and how have you lost it?" 
 
 "A horse which I had recently obtained broke 
 away from me, and carried with him a saddle and 
 bags, the latter containing a roll of guineas." 
 
 "Have you visited the place where you purchased 
 the animal?" 
 
 The officer's manner was now uneasy. "The fact 
 is," said he, "the animal was confiscated as belonging 
 to a person in rebellion against his majesty. I 
 appropriated him to my own use, as suited to my 
 purpose. I understood that he had been taken in 
 this vicinity that is, within two or three miles of 
 this place, and supposed that he might have escaped 
 to his home." 
 
 Havard looked hard at the captain without 
 responding. Probably the officer divined his 
 thoughts, for he said : "Of course, if the animal has
 
 no VALLEY FORGE 
 
 been taken unjustly I will restore him, if I find him ; 
 although I would prefer to have him for my own 
 use. But I expressly want some papers that are in 
 the saddlebags, and also the money contained in 
 them." 
 
 "Sir," said Havard, "we have suffered much in 
 this quarter from the doings of your soldiers. Our 
 stock has been taken away, our valuables seized, 
 and our grain and hay have been confiscated." 
 
 Captain Andre interrupted him : "I regret to hear 
 such an account as this, and trust that your state- 
 ment is a little stronger than the circumstances war- 
 rant. It was not the intention of Sir William Howe 
 to confiscate the property of any but avowed rebels 
 against the Crown. If any wrongs have been perpe- 
 trated I promise you that they shall be righted upon 
 application to him." 
 
 Havard inquired, "Shall I have redress for the 
 stock taken from my farm?" 
 
 "Certainly ; if you have not been in arms against 
 the king. General Howe will pay your claim for any 
 depredations upon the part of foragers. He is 
 extremely careful about such matters." 
 
 "Well," said Havard, "upon the assurance of such 
 redress I will give you information concerning your 
 property. My own horse was taken from the stable 
 by some of your men, and next day he returned 
 with a strange saddle and bridle, and a pair of 
 saddlebags containing the articles you speak of. I 
 will take pleasure in returning what belongs to you." 
 
 So saying Havard went to the attic and procured 
 the saddle, which he laid upon the floor, and then
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS in 
 
 requested the captain to examine the contents. The 
 latter hastily glanced at the papers, and, opening 
 the roll of coin, discovered that all was right. 
 
 "I thank you exceedingly," he said to Havard, 
 "and shall be your debtor in any way you require.'' 
 
 But Havard responded, "I wish no other recog- 
 nition than that you first mentioned the restora- 
 tion of what was taken from me by the soldiers, or 
 compensation for it." 
 
 The captain opened a little blank book and 
 inquired the value of the abstractions, which Havard 
 gave with scrupulous care, so as not to exceed the 
 proper amount. Andre noticed this, and, affixing 
 the same sums, he cast up the entire amount, more 
 than two hundred pounds, asked if it were satis- 
 factory to Mr. Brown, and then, drawing up an 
 order upon the paymaster, he handed it to him, 
 and was about to pass away, when he suddenly 
 turned on his heel and said : "Mr. Brown, are you 
 sure that an offer for your horse would be unavail- 
 ing? I should greatly like to possess the animal." 
 
 But Havard shook his head. He could not part 
 with Saladin, especially in view of his latest 
 service. 
 
 With a polite bow the young officer left the 
 premises, and rejoined his body of horse. Soon 
 he was speeding away toward the social attractions 
 of the Quaker City. 
 
 It was a godsend to Havard, and through him 
 to other sufferers ; for he took care to tell the neigh- 
 borhood of Howe's willingness to meet all claims 
 for trespass, except of course, in the cases of those
 
 H2 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 in open rebellion. And yet the ruin wrought in 
 Tredyffrin township was so great that the combined 
 claims of its citizens for reimbursement by the 
 Congress amounted to a round ten thousand 
 pounds ! 
 
 On Saturday Havard had occasion to run up to 
 a neighbor's, residing on the road to Gordon's Ford. 
 As usual Saladin accompanied his master, who pat- 
 ted his treasure endearingly, in self-gratulation at 
 the remarkable restoration of his lost favorite. Up 
 the rise to the west of Valley Creek they climbed, 
 and then descended again toward Jug Hollow, 
 where Saladin was accustomed to plunge his nostrils 
 in a fine stream flowing from the North Valley 
 Hill. While the horse drank, his rider scanned the 
 mountain side for such it seemed to him who had 
 never gazed upon greater elevations. He was now 
 on the north side of the Hill, having emerged from 
 the gap at the ford over Valley Creek ; and even the 
 extraordinary adventures of the last week could not 
 make him oblivious to the beauty of the deep concave 
 curve of Mount Misery. 
 
 He recalled the pleasurable emotion of his recent 
 climb with Ethel to the sandstone spring far up on 
 the heights, and the beautiful view of the Never- 
 sinks near the town of Reading. He was disposed 
 to dream during these days, and he regretted his 
 inability to remember in which of the "Fortunate 
 Islands" he was luxuriating, when the more prac- 
 tical Saladin, who could drink no more of his 
 favorite brook, pricked up his ears and snorted a 
 ^challenge to an approaching cavalcade. His mas-
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 113 
 
 ter's return voyage to the land of the real was 
 exceedingly expeditious, and not unaccompanied 
 with dismay, since he supposed that he should have 
 to encounter some lingering redcoat troop. But 
 what was his astonishment to discover a motley 
 crowd of farmers and laborers, armed with weapons 
 of all sorts, some of them approved instruments of 
 warfare, and others as unmilitary as the scythe, or 
 pitchfork. 
 
 The surprise appeared to be mutual, nor did the 
 improvised soldiery exhibit an over-readiness to 
 announce their mission. Havard saw that the more 
 substantial men of the neighborhood were sparsely 
 represented, and divined that some mischief was 
 brewing. The self -nominated leader of the party, 
 a man who had only within a year or two come up 
 from the southern border, accosted Havard with an 
 air of familiarity : 
 
 "I say, Brown, ye'll want to turn in and have a 
 whack at this job, now, won't ye?" 
 
 Where had Havard heard that voice before? 
 It seemed to him but a little while since it had 
 sounded in his ears. While he was endeavoring to 
 recall the circumstance the fellow spoke again : 
 
 "Ye're right in with us, I reckon, Brown. The 
 Britishers haint let you go scot free, I'll be bound, 
 'en ye kin settle up the score with a bit o' interest to 
 boot." 
 
 Havard was inclined to be reserved in manner 
 with the rude partisan, whose free style of address 
 was all the more obnoxious because it was evident 
 that the speaker had been wetting his whistle with
 
 ai4 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 potations much stronger than those of the sandstone 
 spring. But he responded : 
 
 "I do not know what business calls you out to-day, 
 so I cannot tell what interest I may have in it" 
 
 "Dang it, Brown, have ye forgotten th' old man 
 in his 'ristycrat gig t'other day, up 't Peggy's?" 
 
 Havard saw it all now, he thought. Yes, he 
 recollected how when Judge Moore stopped to con- 
 verse with him at Peggy's corner this loud fellow 
 declared the Tory ought to be mobbed. He could 
 guess the motive for the movement then in progress. 
 
 "I suppose you allude to Judge Moore." 
 
 "The very same old codger, dang his old beard. 
 We're going to wipe him up, sure 's persimmons. 
 We haint got no room f'r that kind o* varmint in 
 this yer kentry. Will ye jine the band?" 
 
 Havard was in a predicament. The very fact 
 that such a fellow was at the head of the enterprise 
 was proof that his followers were of no better 
 material, and would probably not submit to reason. 
 Yet he thought it unwise to say, "No," for he might 
 yet prove of some use to his old friend. While he 
 hesitated to reply, he was informed that the move- 
 ment began at Peggy's after the party had been well 
 plied with beer and ardent spirits. Perhaps, because 
 Peggy was aware that certain sinister transactions 
 had linked her name with that of Will Tryon in 
 the gossip of the neighborhood, she felt it policy to 
 urge on the tipsy patriots to punish a British sym- 
 pathizer. Her voice and that of Nancy Mawhort 
 had been loudly exerted in this direction: and, 
 whether Tory or Whig prevailed, the till of the
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 115 
 
 "inn" would be all the richer, she cunningly 
 reasoned. 
 
 A closer scanning of the company showed Havard 
 that it must have been reinforced materially after 
 starting from Peggy's; for some of his compara- 
 tively near neighbors were numbered with it, among 
 them men who were of much better grade than the 
 habitual bibulous loungers under the catalpas on the 
 Lancaster road. It occurred to him that it were well 
 to cultivate these latter ; and so, with a remark that 
 included no committal to the purposes of the Vigi- 
 lantes, he brought up their rear. 
 
 At least two miles of roadway were yet to be 
 traversed before Moore Hall would greet the eyes 
 of the noisy civilians: and while riding over the 
 comparatively level ground after ascending the first 
 hill whose red soil was dry and dusty Havard 
 felt his way in argument with the better people of 
 the party. Unfortunately, these were rankling with 
 the recollection of their losses at the hands of 
 Howe's foragers, and were in no mood to be merci- 
 ful. Yet Havard made a helpful point now and 
 then, and in the main strengthened his cause. He 
 was encouraged to believe that with more time at 
 his disposal he would be able to defeat any vengeful 
 steps. However, the crowd having received some 
 more accessions among the Judge's own neighbors, 
 it was not long ere it came in sight of the sought-for 
 mansion on the other side of Pickering Creek; and 
 when it was pointed out to the ignorant leader he 
 called a halt and exclaimed : 
 
 "Yon's the foul nest of the old British hawk;
 
 u6 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 now, boys, ye know yer duty. Le's make the old 
 man sweat!" 
 
 Moore Hall stood on the right bank of the 
 Schuylkill, and commanded a pleasing view of a 
 great curve of that ever-winding stream, and of the 
 North Valley Hill. It was an ambitious residence 
 for that day ; and its handsome exterior was supple- 
 mented with many interior comforts that had been 
 transported across the Atlantic. 
 
 It was the Judge himself who opened the door 
 when the Falstaffian band made its appearance upon 
 his lawn. He had seen it approach, and surmised 
 trouble. 
 
 "Well, gentlemen," he said, with a fine sneer, 
 "you have done me the honor to call upon me, I 
 perceive. May I ask you to receive the hospitalities 
 of my home ?" 
 
 The crowd were taken aback by this unlooked-for 
 salute. Unaccustomed to close contact with men of 
 the Judge's rank, and above all feeling uncomfort- 
 able upon such novel business, they might have 
 retired abashed, but that their rough leader held 
 them to the issue. Coarsely the borderer opened 
 his mission, and, the blaze once started, the 
 fire burned hotly enough. The Judge, who was 
 furious at the insult and outrage, threw no water 
 upon it; but excoriated the band, holding it up to 
 contempt, and, declaring his loyalty to the king. But 
 when it developed that by some he was being held 
 to account for complicity in the Paoli Massacre. 
 he indignantly turned upon his tormentors with 
 emphatic denials and maledictions.
 
 A TALE OF TRESPASS 117 
 
 O, but it was a brave sight to see the venerable 
 man confronting his enemies ! His appearance was 
 leonine, and truly he was a lion at bay. Well on 
 his way to fourscore, his eyes were undimmed, and 
 now they fairly blazed with wrath. His long beard 
 was patriarchal and twinges of pain made his face 
 more haggard than usual. 
 
 Havard pressed his way through the throng, and 
 approached the Judge, who seemed amazed to 
 recognize him in such company. "You here, Ha- 
 vard !" he exclaimed. "Is it possible that you have 
 joined in this insult?" 
 
 "I'm only here, Judge Moore, to protest against 
 this act, and to do what I can to prevent so great a 
 wrong/' 
 
 The Judge extended his hand. Your pardon, my 
 boy," he said; "I spoke too hastily. I might have 
 known that none of your blood would consent to 
 such dastardly doings. I thank you, my dear fellow. 
 Forgive my quick words." 
 
 "I need not tell you, Judge Moore, that my 
 sympathies are with the Colonies, as yours are with 
 the king. These men know it also ; and I beg them 
 to give up their unholy purpose to harm you or your 
 possessions, and return to their homes. Certainly 
 they will only regret the wrong after it is done." 
 
 Two or three of the cooler heads stood at Ha- 
 vard's side, but they were called "milksops" by the 
 remainder of the band, and as the great majority 
 were bent upon pillage their counsel was of no avail. 
 
 It was agreed that no harm should be done to the 
 Judge's person, but that his possessions should be
 
 n8 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 overhauled and certain confiscations made. A dra- 
 matic incident occurred, when a sword of rare work- 
 manship and highly ornamented handle was discov- 
 ered by one of the ransackers. The Judge snatched 
 the weapon from the hand of its finder, and, bending 
 to the floor in a spasm of pain, stepped upon the 
 beautiful blade and snapped it at the handle. Fling- 
 ing the blade upon the floor he thrust the handle in 
 his pocket, and told the rabble that they might 
 possess the weapon if it signified disloyalty, but they 
 should not practice thievery. 
 
 Proud, uncompromising character that the Judge 
 seemed, a humble heart beat in his bosom; and 
 several generations have gratified his pious wish by 
 treading upon the slab that covers his remains, 
 while passing in and out of the door of Old Saint 
 David's at Radnor. 
 
 The crowd finally dispersed, Havard lingering to 
 the last to put a brake upon the wheels of pillage, 
 and carrying to his home the blessing of the old 
 man, who was brave enough to assert his con- 
 scientious convictions regardless of personal cost.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 THE DILEMMAS OF DIPLOMACY 
 
 ETHEL'S return to Philadelphia was arranged for 
 the following Tuesday, and Havard rejoiced that 
 Sunday would still be spent in her company. That 
 they would attend divine service somewhere seemed 
 to be assumed; but the place was not selected until 
 the morning of the holy day. 
 
 Havard thought that it would be peculiarly pleas- 
 ant to visit Saint Peter's ; but a specter arose in the 
 path whose influence was almost as potent as that of 
 the angel that appeared to Balaam's patient and 
 humble steed. He thought for the first time during 
 these days of unalloyed sweetness of Frances Jones ; 
 and the disquieting interrogatory crept in, "Shall I 
 meet her, if we go to Saint Peter's?" There was 
 even a slight but unmistakable tingling about his 
 ears as he reverted to their happy friendship, and his 
 sudden indifference to it. But he argued, "My duty 
 to Ethel is a higher duty, because I love her more 
 than any other person." 
 
 It was not particular to Ethel whether she went 
 to Saint Peter's or to some other house of worship. 
 Perhaps she would have remained in the farmhouse 
 just as willingly. Candidly, there was little to 
 amuse her in this plain country life, and she craved 
 
 119
 
 I2O VALLEY FORGE 
 
 the excitement of the city. The edge of rural 
 pleasures had been almost worn away; and the 
 British occupation of Philadelphia promised much 
 in the way of novelty. Occasionally she had a 
 serious thought regarding a possible residence in 
 this lonely spot with its humdrum life and duties, 
 and she half rebelled against a union involving such 
 a strain upon her predilections. 
 
 Havard managed the affair very ingeniously, con- 
 triving to create some curiosity in Ethel's mind rela- 
 tive to the Valley Friends' Meeting; and thither 
 they went, a horse being borrowed from Cousin 
 Samuel Havard. 
 
 Out into the bright sunshine and crisp air rode 
 the light-hearted pair. Mount Joy never seemed 
 more engaging; it was a superb sweep from south- 
 east to south. On the Church road there was a swell, 
 from which, looking back, the foot of the great hill 
 was seen largely enhanced in beauty. At the forks, 
 they turned down the Swedes' Ford road and 
 traversed the gently rolling floor until they reached 
 the turn to the meeting-house. 
 
 Ethel would fain have wandered among the 
 graves, but their uniformity, and the absence of 
 quaint inscriptions, disappointed her. After but little 
 delay especially as it was near the time for the 
 opening of the meeting they entered the primitive 
 place of worship. 
 
 Havard, who had explained to Ethel the division 
 of the meeting-house into two parts, escorted her 
 to the door used by the women, when she followed 
 some of her sex who were passing in, and found a
 
 THE DILEMMAS OF DIPLOMACY 121 
 
 seat midway of the room. Havard's bench was 
 nearer the door. 
 
 It wanted but a short while of the hour fixed for 
 the meeting, and very soon there rested upon the 
 company that perfect quiet characteristic of Friends' 
 gatherings. The ministers and the officers, male and 
 female, sat upon high seats facing their brethren, 
 and a serious expression pervaded their faces. 
 
 The eyes that were bent upon the floor were 
 apparently oblivious of terrestrial scenes. The faces 
 of the women, half hid by their plain bonnets, wore 
 a saintly aspect ; and an air of gravity sat upon the 
 broad-brimmed, venerable countenances of the men 
 preachers as they engaged in silent meditation and 
 prayer. 
 
 It was perhaps a quarter of an hour before the 
 quiet was broken. Then Havard noticed the meet- 
 ing rising, whereupon he, too, stood up. He 
 observed that a minister was moved to offer sup- 
 plication, which he did upon his knees. It was a 
 brief, humble petition for light and power. Soon the 
 congregation rose again. This time a woman was 
 kneeling. In a voice of singular sweetness she 
 besought the divine blessing. Havard was thrilled, 
 and wondered if many people lived so close to God 
 as this choice spirit. He noticed that she quoted 
 passages from the Bible with unusual pathos and 
 power. The burden of her supplication was "that 
 the illumination of the Spirit might be given to all 
 who were out of the ark of safety, that they might 
 accept the true Light that lighteth every man that 
 cometh into the world."
 
 122 VALJ.EY FORGE 
 
 The voice hushed it seemed as though an angel 
 had vanished and the people resumed their seats. 
 The benches were stiff and plain, in keeping with 
 the entire apartment ; but the house was faultlessly 
 clean. Havard kept comparing this simplicity with 
 the elaborate externals of the Church service, and 
 came to the conclusion that each alike seemed to 
 influence the heart divinely. Presently a venerable 
 form arose, pronounced a passage of Scripture, 
 and presented a message brimming with simplicity, 
 plainness, and spirituality. It was quite brief, but 
 pointed and apposite. 
 
 Havard had rarely given such undivided atten- 
 tion to a sermon. Perhaps its brevity held him, or 
 its exceeding plainness interested him ; perhaps the 
 touching of his heart chords by the finger of Cupid 
 had put him in tune for all good things. He began 
 to survey the meeting. He wondered if all Friends 
 walked in such an exalted spirituality. His eye 
 scanned those in front of him whom he was able 
 to recognize, until he had mentally enumerated and 
 classified them. Then it wandered to the other side 
 of the house, and he thought of this and that one 
 whose sweet ways and words made religion very 
 attractive to those who knew them. Soon his gaze 
 rested on Ethel. How different she looked from 
 these plain people ! What a thing of beauty she was 
 compared with them! And yet he was not quite 
 sure in his honest heart that her customary toilet 
 did not compare somewhat unfavorably with their 
 simple garb. 
 
 But O ! ah ! there ! who was that other worshiper
 
 .THE DILEMMAS OF DIPLOMACY 123 
 
 not clad like the Friends on the farther side? 
 There was something familiar about the hat and 
 light shawl yes, it must be Frances Jones! 
 Havard's spiritual meditations were unexpectedly 
 interrupted. He had suddenly come down from 
 his paradise, having heard words that it was not law- 
 ful for him to utter. 
 
 The remainder of the exercises was lost upon him. 
 He would have been glad if they had lasted longer, 
 so that he could have collected his wits. But by- 
 and-by the old men on the front seats reached out 
 their hands for a fraternal clasping, and as if by 
 instinct the meeting arose and did similarly. 
 
 The quiet was ended, men and women became 
 secular again, smiling, chatting about the health of 
 the various families, inviting each other to visit, 
 talking about the weather and those other trite 
 topics that human nature will never cease to confer 
 about till time shall be no more. 
 
 Havard would have given much to escape from 
 the embarrassment of a certain meeting. An 
 Aladdin's lamp to touch, and therewith summon 
 immediate transportation to the shades of Mount 
 Joy, would have gratified him immensely. But the 
 ordeal must be met. 
 
 But it came about naturally enough. Ethel made 
 her exit slowly, not lingering, because she was unac- 
 quainted with the worshipers. At the door Havard 
 introduced to her various Friends of the women's 
 side; and while they were talking Frances came out 
 with a cousin, who wore the customary plain clothes 
 of the Society. For the first time she recognized
 
 124 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 the presence of Havard, greeted him unaffectedly, 
 and introduced him to her cousin. Then she became 
 aware of Ethel's presence, and Havard begged to 
 make his friends acquainted. It was really an awk- 
 ward moment, for Havard was ill at ease, Ethel 
 scarcely aroused into conversation, the cousin a little 
 shy, and Frances slightly perplexed. But the latter 
 rallied at once, and, perceiving that she was the 
 natural hostess of the occasion, made it very pleas- 
 ant for Ethel and greatly gratified Havard. 
 
 It was Havard who brought the horses for 
 Frances and her cousin, and they rode away 
 together. Frances invited Ethel and Havard to 
 dinner at her mother's, but this was heaping coals 
 of fire on Havard's head, although the amiable 
 girl did not dream it. The invitation was grate- 
 fully acknowledged, but not accepted; and at the 
 proper turn Ethel and Havard bent their way north- 
 ward, while Frances and her guest kept on for the 
 little distance that still separated them from the 
 Jones homestead. At the parting,- however, Frances 
 obtained the promise of an afternoon call. 
 
 Although Mrs. Brown had been unwilling to go 
 to meeting with her son and their guest, she appeared 
 quite ready to accompany them to Mrs. Jones's. 
 
 Ethel thought she had never received a more 
 cordial greeting than that which Frances extended 
 upon their arrival, and which was as heartily sec- 
 onded by her mother. Mr. Jones, in a farmer's Sun- 
 day best, did the honors of a host, and Lydia Dar- 
 rach, Frances's cousin, contributed to the sociability 
 of the occasion.
 
 THE DILEMMAS OF DIPLOMACY 125 
 
 The latter, like Ethel, had been detained in the 
 vicinity because of the military occupation and 
 derangements of travel. The afternoon proved too 
 brief to permit a thorough discussion of the war 
 excitement, and the narration of the various inci- 
 dents that had come under the notice of each par- 
 ticipant. 
 
 Mrs. Jones and her daughter were prompt to 
 award General Howe a meed of praise for the 
 admirable conduct of his troops so far as personal 
 behavior was concerned, albeit their loss by confis- 
 cation and waste approached two hundred pounds. 
 
 Mr. Jones, supposing that Havard would be 
 interested in the science of war, invited him to 
 survey the lines occupied by the British during their 
 brief stay. Together they traversed the fields, and 
 inspected the points chosen for the posting of the 
 batteries, and the location of the different battalions, 
 the body-guard, and other divisions of the army. 
 
 They crossed the meadow with its murmuring 
 brook, and ascended the South Valley Hill, where 
 the upper post had been maintained. Immediately 
 behind it was the short road to Squire Henny Bell's 
 and to Peggy's corner, used by the Joneses. It 
 struck up into the woods, soon bore to the right for 
 a few rods, and then, turning again to the left, 
 joined the Lancaster road an eighth of a mile, or 
 less, east of Peggy's. 
 
 When the men returned to the house they found 
 the ladies engrossed in conversation, in which all 
 appeared fairly at home. Havard was not much dis- 
 posed to talk, but enjoyed the opportunity of listen-
 
 126 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 ing to the laughing disputes and merry arguments 
 of the fair ones. 
 
 Now he could not but observe the contrast 
 between Ethel and Frances. It was marked, for 
 Ethel was without question of an unusual type of 
 beauty, while Frances made no pretensions in that 
 respect. Yet Frances was possessed of an attractive- 
 ness of feature that was indisputable. In addition, 
 her manner was so gentle, her conversation so intel- 
 ligent, and her amiableness so evident that many a 
 bright memory was recalled to Havard as he silently 
 looked and listened. 
 
 But it must be said that Ethel shone brilliantly 
 both in beauty and in intellect that afternoon. She 
 could not know that Havard had ever entertained 
 any feeling other than that of a simple friendship 
 for Frances; and yet, as though some little bird had 
 whispered to her that it lay deeper, she took upon 
 herself a degree of power that made her seem fairly 
 dazzling in Havard's eyes. 
 
 And what of Frances? Did the little bird tell 
 her, too, of a change that had come over her play- 
 mate of childhood ? Ah, she did not need the min- 
 istry of the feathered songster ! Skillful is the man 
 who can hide from the penetrating gaze of a woman 
 the fact that he is in love. 
 
 For Frances knew Havard better than he knew 
 himself. She could read his thoughts in the olden 
 days, the bashful tokens of love that never got into 
 words but shone from his eyes and hung on his 
 deeds ; and in more mature years she recognized the 
 riper symptoms. In ignorance of the progress of
 
 THE DILEMMAS OF DIPLOMACY 127 
 
 events she plainly perceived that Havard had 
 deserted her. This beautiful girl from the city had 
 bewitched him and taken him captive perhaps 
 innocently enough. 
 
 There was a tumult in her soul while she main- 
 tained a perfect outward calm in attendance upon 
 these lovers. She never had loved Havard more 
 than at this moment when he seemed to be far 
 away. 
 
 How rarely we recognize the heartaches that lie 
 concealed under sunny smiles. The afternoon was 
 especially pleasant to Havard. "Why," said he to 
 himself, "Frances seems to enjoy it; I guess she 
 never had any serious thoughts of me, after all." 
 What would he have said had he known the truth? 
 Still, his conscience was not perfectly clear. 
 
 The men conversed of Tryon, who had been seen 
 very little since the coming of Howe. He appeared 
 to avoid his neighbors, with the exception of two or 
 three who agreed with him in Tory sentiment ; but 
 there existed a general opinion that he had given 
 aid and comfort to the enemy, and he was darkly 
 considered by some as a full-fledged spy upon 
 patriots. 
 
 After a while Mr. Jones said slowly, "Do you 
 know what Balsam Ringer says about Will ?" 
 
 Havard responded, "No; what is it?" 
 
 "It is a dreadful impeachment, if true. It seems 
 that on the night of the massacre Bill Wersler 
 had trouble with a horse ; it had the colic, and Bill 
 was up the most of the night with it. I think the 
 beast got into the cornfield and ate a good bit of
 
 128 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 grain off the stalk. You know it was a pretty 
 stormy, darkish night, and nothing much could be 
 seen, but at midnight Bill heard some awful far- 
 away screams. About four o'clock he went out for 
 a drink of water, and while he was drinking every- 
 thing being quiet he thought he heard a moaning 
 and groaning near the gate, and somebody say, 
 'Help !' There he found a man down on the ground, 
 weak's a cat, and complaining that he was in great 
 pain. Bill helped him in the gate, and was going 
 to get him in the house or the barn, but the man 
 begged him not to move him. He wanted water, 
 which Bill ran and got for him; and then he told 
 Bill that he was stuck with a bayonet back of the 
 Taoli.' " 
 
 Havard listened with breathless interest. Seeing 
 that Mr. Jones hesitated, he inquired, "But what 
 had Tryon to do with it ?" 
 
 'That's the strange part of it. He told Bill that 
 he was on picket down near the hollow as you go up 
 from the 'Warren' ; and that Will Tyron was sneak- 
 ing round with cider that night, and got the pass- 
 word from one of the boys ; and that he came with 
 the soldiers when he was run through with the 
 steel." 
 
 "But how could he know Will Tryon?" asked 
 Havard in amazement. 
 
 "O, I forgot to tell you that Bill went and got his 
 candle, and looked him in the face, and saw that he 
 was a fellow who used to work over on Nutt's 
 road, and afterward enlisted in Wayne's brigade. 
 He had worked a spell or two over this way, and
 
 THE DILEMMAS OF DIPLOMACY 129 
 
 got acquainted with Bill and some other fellows. 
 It seems he knew Will Tryon pretty well." 
 
 "Why, this is indeed horrible," said Havard, 
 "but then the man may have been mistaken. You 
 know it was very dark, especially in the hollow. I 
 don't see how he could tell about its being Will." 
 
 "Yes, it was dark enough, but then the chap said 
 that Tryon talked to him, and he knew his voice, 
 and Tryon knew he knew him. He stuck to it that 
 Will got some of Peggy's cider off on the boys, and 
 that afterward he came along with the soldiers and 
 showed them the way. The poor fellow was badly 
 cut up. He could hardly talk, but called for water 
 the whole time couldn't get enough." 
 
 "What became of the picket did the redcoats 
 get him ?" 
 
 "No, he died in two or three hours. Nothing 
 could be done for him. How he dragged himself 
 away to Bill's I don't see. But I guess he was 
 afraid they would kill him over there; and anyhow 
 he didn't want to be taken prisoner. Bill would 
 have gone over to Stephens's down the road from 
 the Forge but he saw that it wasn't of any use. 
 So he just made him as easy as possible, and cared 
 for him till the end. The poor fellow said he had 
 enlisted for his country's sake, and he guessed that 
 he could as well give up his life as anybody, seeing 
 he had no family; but he didn't like losing it in that 
 mean fashion what he called *a scurvy trick of 
 one's own neighbors.' ' 
 
 For a moment Havard was lost in thought. Then 
 he inquired, "Didn't the picket have any friends?
 
 130 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 "None in this part of the country. He came 
 from down east a few years ago, and worked around 
 wherever he got a job. Bill tried to find some one 
 that was related to him, but it was no use; and so 
 in two or three days he buried him out in the field 
 under a walnut tree. There wasn't anything on 
 him, in his ragged pockets, except a knife and two 
 or three little trinkets that Bill saved if anybody 
 should want them." 
 
 Havard shuddered at the narrative. It admitted 
 of little doubt, evidently, that Tryon had perpetrated 
 the blackest treachery. He could understand how a 
 man might favor the king's side of the controversy, 
 and yet abide the issue, without turning against 
 his neighbors in acts of savagery. 
 
 Mr. Jones continued : "When morning broke Bill 
 Wersler saw a big pool of blood where the man lay 
 by the gate, and all along back you could track him 
 by the same sign. He must have just dragged him- 
 self along across by Saint Peter's. Perhaps that's 
 why the British missed him. He got far enough 
 away while they were up the hill, and then they 
 did not travel his way when they got back again. 
 
 But Tryon was the uppermost thought in the 
 minds of both of them. They looked at each other. 
 as though each read the other's innermost medi- 
 tations, and still they forbore remark. Both 
 were just men, anxious to be careful and exact in 
 their estimate and criticisms of their fellow-men. 
 Perhaps the result was most significantly expressed 
 in a deep-drawn sigh on the part of Havard, and a 
 rubbing of the brow by his host.
 
 THE DILEMMAS OF DIPLOMACY 131 
 
 Socially it was a very pleasant visit. The tea 
 a very precious article was of Mrs. Jones's best 
 brewing. Mrs. Brown and Ethel bestowed high 
 praise upon the simple, tempting repast that mother 
 and daughter were able to conjure from sources not 
 exhausted by foreign exactions, as they smilingly 
 remarked. 
 
 In the yet early evening, before the gloaming 
 deepened in the glen where Valley Creek girded 
 itself for the passage of the ravine, the Browns 
 and Miss Thomson returned to the house on the 
 Mount Joy slope. 
 
 Havard was grateful to Frances for the rare 
 unselfishness of her hospitality, but he little recked 
 of the cost to her. That night, while Lydia Dar- 
 rach slept peacefully by her side, dreaming of the 
 little city on the Delaware, Frances watched the 
 stars through the panes of her small window; and 
 their slow movement seemed sympathetic with the 
 dragging pain at her heart, her face, meanwhile, 
 being wet with tears.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 CROSSING THE RUBICON 
 
 TUESDAY was the last of the September calendar, 
 and a suggestion of October characterized the cool 
 air of the early morning. Mrs. Brown was stirring 
 at least an hour earlier than common, that Ethel 
 might be provided with breakfast in season for a 
 propitious start. Havard, too, was busy, getting 
 ready for the journey, and was both sorry and 
 glad; for, while he regretted to lose so precious 
 a prize, he expected to enjoy a certain privacy of 
 association for several hours. He was self-reproach- 
 ful at not having proffered his escort to Lydia Dar- 
 rach in an invitation to return to the city in the 
 company of Ethel nowadays he was catching him- 
 self in the performance of many minor delin- 
 quencies but it would have been too great a con- 
 cession, especially as he would not be likely to see 
 Ethel for some time to come. 
 
 To that young lady the farewell was not 
 burdensome. Accustomed as she was to the gayer 
 life of the town, the crickets and the katy-dids con- 
 stituted but indifferent society, when Havard and his 
 mother were out of sight. The pastoral scenery 
 became monotonous, and a general air of lonesome- 
 ness enveloped the house and the glen below, with its 
 glancing waters. 
 
 She found herself revolving more frequently the 
 132
 
 CROSSING THE RUBICON 133 
 
 serious feature of her engagement to Havard. She 
 was sure that the manly fellow was well worth 
 having. He was certainly of better fiber than the 
 majority of the young men she knew; and there 
 could be no doubt of his affection for her. His 
 devotion struck her as something remarkable. And 
 yet there were times when she wondered if she 
 truly reciprocated so ardent a love. The relation- 
 ship was so rapid in its development that she could 
 scarcely believe in its reality; it was so unconven- 
 tional to her mind. 
 
 All was ready. Mrs. Brown bade Ethel farewell, 
 with a warm invitation to return soon. She pre- 
 sented the girl with a luncheon to be eaten as the 
 morning wore on, and threw over her shoulders a 
 light shawl to protect her from the moisture and 
 coolness that hung about the glen. Havard assisted 
 his sweetheart to her seat upon the horse borrowed 
 for the occasion, and, lightly mounting Saladin, 
 waved farewell to his mother. 
 
 They rode up the easy grade to the Gulph road, 
 when they turned southeasterly. Havard called 
 Ethel's attention to the peculiar setting of the hills, 
 and remarked that they would present a formidable 
 defense against a hostile army. 
 
 Some distance beyond they noticed a puff of 
 smoke, followed immediately by the crack of a gun 
 which startled the horses. Riding nearer, they saw 
 a young man of about eighteen picking up a rabbit 
 that he had struck. Havard recognized him as 
 Dewalt Beaver, and introduced him to Ethel as a 
 neighbor and friend, and took occasion to praise
 
 134 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 his skill with the weapon. Dewalt, rather shy in 
 the presence of so fine a lady, modestly told of his 
 exploits with his favorite weapon, and Havard 
 remarked that it would be dangerous for a man to 
 get within range of it. 
 
 The "King" greeted them with his usual cavalier 
 air, as they rode by ; and then they slowly cantered 
 onward to the gates of the Gulph and its picturesque 
 hills. At least to Havard the transit of the defile 
 from the "Bird in Hand" to the deep basin on the 
 east was exhilarating. Far up on the right the tall 
 hill stood gray and dark with its masses of rock 
 topped with symmetrical trees, and on the left vari- 
 ous rocky folds, with cross ravines, assembled to 
 please the eye, while the murmurous music of the 
 Gulph Creek fell agreeably upon the ear. 
 
 Ethel warmed into expressions of pleasure as 
 there came into view a large overhanging rock on 
 the left, where Havard said they might find shelter 
 from rain. A more politic lover would have pro- 
 nounced it a trysting bower, and proceeded to 
 exhibit the proof of his pudding in the eating, but 
 Havard had not yet gained complete victory over 
 his bashfulness. 
 
 Their road led to the Middle Ferry, which was 
 carefully picketed by the new occupants of the 
 Quaker City. The floating bridge, built by General 
 Israel Putnam the previous year, had been carried 
 away, and concealed, after the battle of the Brandy- 
 wine. The British engineers were already preparing 
 a convenient passageway, but for the present the 
 more ancient ferry was in requisition. A scow was
 
 CROSSING THE RUBICON 135 
 
 found, fastened to a post on the western shore, 
 and the horses of Havard and Ethel were led into it. 
 The animals were suspicious of its security, and 
 trod its planks with apprehensive caution. Havard's 
 quick eye observed the progress of some military 
 movement of magnitude. It transpired that the 
 British had in view an attempt to reduce Forts 
 Mercer and Mifflin. 
 
 The scow was slowly hauled across the stream 
 by a rope, and its passengers landed, to undergo the 
 inspection of the guard. This safely passed, they 
 again mounted their horses and turned their faces 
 toward the city, which was bounded by Callowhill 
 Street on the north, Christian Street on the south, 
 and at its widest extended between Arch and Wal- 
 nut Streets, from the Delaware River to Ninth 
 Street. 
 
 All the ferries were guarded by an ample force, 
 although the main body of the British lay at German- 
 town. Havard sighed as he contemplated this 
 foreign possession, and found himself wondering 
 why Howe had been permitted to blind the eyes 
 of the Continentals. 
 
 Ethel's parents resided on South Second Street, 
 not far from the Loxley house, then the home of 
 William and Lydia Darrach. In passing this resi- 
 dence of quaint construction Havard remarked to 
 Ethel that there were signs about it of military 
 occupation, and that Lydia might find an unpleas- 
 ant surprise on her return. 
 
 The afternoon was fairly advanced when the 
 leisurely travelers reached their destination. The
 
 136 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 welcome they received was unaccompanied by any 
 expressions indicative of previous uneasiness, for 
 no tidings of the spoliation about the Swedes' Ford 
 had come to the attention of Ethel's family. Mr. 
 Brown was not a total stranger in the home, and 
 was bidden to be at ease. Mrs. Thomson refreshed 
 the travelers with a luncheon, of which they were not 
 loth to partake. 
 
 Ethel's narrative caused considerable surprise 
 and concern, and the details were anxiously insisted 
 upon. In return, her mother told of the conster- 
 nation of the people when Howe's advance marched 
 down Second Street after its entry of the city, and 
 of their anxiety when the American ships attacked 
 the batteries. A number of the most inviting dwell- 
 ings had been already impressed as quarters for the 
 officers, and everybody was looking forward to a 
 long season of British military domination. 
 
 Apart from chagrin at the triumph of its strategy, 
 the presence of the army was not devoid of inter- 
 est on account of its novelty. Soldiers were per- 
 petually seen in the streets, and officers were busily 
 riding to and fro; for a task of some magnitude 
 confronted the army in making its preparations 
 for the winter, and also in laying siege to the stub- 
 born forts in the Delaware; since, without the free 
 navigation of the river, and the receipt of supplies, 
 which must come up from the capes in the men-of- 
 war and transports, the victory would be but partial. 
 
 Havard sought the army paymaster, and had 
 Captain Andre's order cashed ; after which he spent 
 an hour or two in rambling about the town and
 
 CROSSING THE RUBICON 137 
 
 observing the artillery park in the State House 
 square. The Walnut Street prison attracted his 
 attention it had been built only two or three years 
 previously, and the promenade ground possessed a 
 morbid interest, for it had been turned into a Pot- 
 ter's Field, and hundreds of Washington's soldiers 
 who had died of smallpox or other diseases were 
 interred there. 
 
 The early evening brought Mr. Thomson home 
 from his tallow chandlery, and supper was partaken 
 of with vivacity in conversation and a full discus- 
 sion of politics. Havard was to remain under Mr. 
 Thomson's roof for the night, and return the follow- 
 ing afternoon. 
 
 It happened that the prearranged engagements of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thomson left Ethel and Havard 
 wholly to themselves for the remainder of the even- 
 ing, and now the lover pleaded his suit with fervor. 
 He was unable to perceive any tangible grounds for 
 delaying a union he thought so desirable, and urged 
 that an early day might be selected for the wedding, 
 but Ethel was disposed to dally. 
 
 The hours flew by all too rapidly, the good-nights 
 were spoken, and Havard Brown slept in the city 
 of Penn garrisoned with an armed foe. Dreams 
 of future bliss crowned his slumbers, and a smile 
 illumined his face. 
 
 What had occurred to sway Ethel's judgment was 
 not made manifest, but during the morning's inter- 
 view Havard had with her she so far relented as to 
 accede to his importunity to permit an early day to 
 be chosen for their nuptials. Sanguine as he had
 
 138 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 been, the young man had hardly expected such good 
 news so soon, and accordingly he was in raptures. 
 When the early noonday "piece" was eaten, and 
 Saladin was brought to the door, Havard strate- 
 getically availed himself of the momentary absence 
 of Mrs. Thomson to appropriate a token of affection, 
 which brought blushes to Ethel's cheeks, and nearly 
 exposed the circumstance to her mother's eye upon 
 her return. The tall farmer was a little awkward 
 in his caresses, but his ardor was unmistakable. 
 
 With mutual understandings as to a future meet- 
 ing, Havard bade his love good-by, and, comfort- 
 ably astride of Saladin, and leading Ethel's bor- 
 rowed steed, he rode away toward the Middle Ferry 
 on his homeward journey. 
 
 Once over the ferry, Havard stimulated the bor- 
 rowed horse into a lively pace, Saladin being already 
 eager for the Gulph Hills and the well-kept stable 
 that lay beyond them. The return trip had the 
 flavor of emptiness, for it seemed as though he had 
 left some essential behind. The leading thought 
 he indulged was his agreeable relationship to Ethel. 
 Yet this was dreamlike, lacking the semblance of 
 reality. It was such a new world in which to live 
 that he found it difficult to reduce it to a practical 
 everyday level. 
 
 Through all his meditations, however, ran a 
 thread of unpleasant reflection. It was in reference 
 to Frances Jones. Whenever he thought of her he 
 invariably found his view of Ethel beclouded. Yet 
 he could not analyze the peculiar feeling; for, main- 
 taining that no engagement of affection had actually
 
 CROSSING THE RUBICON 139 
 
 occurred between them, he cleared himself from 
 reproach, and could not comprehend why he should 
 be thus disquieted. Still, when he conjured up the 
 sweet face of Frances, and her gentleness and 
 charm, he found himself wondering how he came 
 to be oblivious of its spell. 
 
 The horses trotted on for several miles without 
 any check from their master, and without his observ- 
 ing the objects along the highway. It was not until 
 they reached the Merion meeting-house that Ha- 
 vard became aware that other hoof-beats were re- 
 sounding in his rear. Then, glancing backward, he 
 saw Will Tryon. 
 
 It was Tryon who spoke first. Havard had come 
 to entertain such an aversion for him that he would 
 have found it difficult to utter the first word of greet- 
 ing. The dark clouds that hung about the fellow 
 could not be explained away ; and the story that Mr. 
 Jones told about the wounded picket bore hard upon 
 him. Wersler was an honorable man, highly 
 respected, and Havard could conceive of no motive 
 for slander upon the part of a dying man. The only 
 alternative was the possibility that the picket was 
 mistaken in the darkness. 
 
 "Good afternoon, Brown," said Tryon, as he rode 
 by the side of Havard, "we're having a fine spell of 
 weather for the fall work." 
 
 "Good afternoon," stiffly responded Havard, 
 "yes, the weather's favorable to farmers' jobs but 
 then" and he glanced at the other's face "there's 
 something else to count these days beside weather." 
 
 There was nothing alarming, or even unpleasantly
 
 140 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 suggestive, in this remark, but Tryon discovered an 
 allusion in it that induced a suffusion of his temples 
 and caused him to lose his equanimity in his next 
 remark. "Ah, well, yes, there are some unpleasant- 
 nesses that are due to ah to the state of affairs." 
 
 Havard perceived his confusion, and increased it 
 by a more direct reference to the times : "It's a great 
 pity that we have to bear this trouble, and that we 
 can't be let alone to enjoy our rights in peace. It's 
 scandalous, the things we've had to suffer in our 
 neighborhood, but then " turning abruptly and 
 looking at his neighbor full in the face "I suppose 
 you haven't lost very much by these doings." 
 
 "No, I can't say that I've lost much, for your 
 politics and mine are a little different, you know. I 
 think it was a very great mistake for the Colonies 
 to set up against the king, and I've only been loyal. 
 
 "Well, to my mind there's a difference between 
 being loyal and taking a hand in persecuting one's 
 neighbors. I give every man a right to his own 
 way of thinking sometimes it's hard to tell which 
 way is right, and I don't blame a man for being true 
 to the king ; but when it comes to spotting out one's 
 own neighbors, that he's been brought up with, and 
 getting them into trouble, I think it's more like 
 treason than if he had rebelled against the king." 
 
 To the guilty conscience of Tryon the words 
 revealed a volume. "How much does Brown 
 know?" he asked himself. It was patent that he 
 was suspected of collusion with the troops in their 
 late incursion ; but how much had Havard dis- 
 covered, and how ?
 
 CROSSING THE RUBICON 141 
 
 "It don't follow that because one is loyal he 
 should persecute his neighbors," he said, evasively; 
 and then, evidently connecting the events in his 
 mind, he continued : "There are always agents used 
 by a general to inform him of the state of affairs, 
 and of the feelings of the people. That can't be 
 escaped." 
 
 "Agents! spies, you mean. No commander of a 
 foreign army could find out the feelings of the peo- 
 ple unless some spy among them some snake in 
 the grass would inform him." Havard waxed 
 warm, and finally said: "Tryon, there's no use 
 mincing matters about this thing. You're the spy 
 that told Howe about your neighbors, and gave him 
 a plan of the country and the location of the farms. 
 How much did Captain Andre give you for the 
 information ?" 
 
 Tryon was amazed. Deep in subtleties, he never 
 for a moment imagined that his secrets were known 
 to a single patriotic soul. It was inconceivable how 
 Brown had become possessed of this intelligence. 
 He vouchsafed no reply, but his countenance showed 
 that the bolt had struck home. 
 
 "Tryon," resumed Havard, rising higher in feel- 
 ing, and yet speaking with solemnity, "There are 
 worse sins than robbing people and burning their 
 buildings; there is such a thing as stealing watch- 
 words and guiding an enemy to attack one's own 
 countrymen. That's black treason, and there's no 
 forgiveness for it. I hope you have not been guilty 
 of that." 
 
 Tryon was overwhelmed. Fear and rage wrestled
 
 142 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 for the mastery in his bosom. If he could he would 
 have torn Havard to pieces. The latter had aptly 
 described him as a serpent, slyly concealing himself, 
 and striking at the favorable moment. What he 
 should answer was difficult to decide; but at last, 
 with a show of anger and virtuous indignation, he 
 exclaimed against "such monstrous injustice." 
 
 But Havard was not to be brushed aside so 
 lightly. 
 
 "After that dreadful night at the Taoli' " here 
 Tryon visibly trembled "a poor soldier on picket, 
 stabbed and bleeding, found his way across the 
 valley, and died in an hour or two, but he told before 
 he died who brought cider for the soldiers, found 
 out the watchword, and then brought the redcoats. 
 Do you know who that was, Tryon?" 
 
 The miserable man was quaking in an agony of 
 fear. Drops of perspiration stood upon his fore- 
 head, and he nervously fingered his bridle rein. 
 His very silence proclaimed his guilt in fact, he 
 was unable to utter a word. 
 
 Havard continued : "/ only know about that affair 
 of Andre's. I have not told anybody about it, and 
 do not expect to. That affair of the 'Paoli' is sus- 
 pected by other people, but I shall not help it on. 
 I recommend you to settle it with your God. I 
 wish you no harm, and do not want to punish you 
 for what I think is one of the greatest sins a man 
 may commit. Remember it's one thing to fight when 
 the blood is hot, about principles one believes to 
 be right, and another thing to betray in cool blood 
 the friends and neighbors you've been intimate with
 
 CROSSING THE RUBICON 143 
 
 from childhood. But, I say, settle it with your 
 God." 
 
 Tryon's jaw hung in his distress. Yet he was 
 grateful to Havard for the mercy of his last words ; 
 for during this conversation the craven fear had 
 possessed him that retribution would follow the dis- 
 covery of his evil deeds, and he was a coward. But 
 in the clear and beautiful patriotism of Havard 
 Brown, combined with his freedom from revenge- 
 fulness, he saw himself as a Judas, for considerable 
 gain had accrued to him as the result of his baseness. 
 
 But after a fashion Tryon was relieved; for 
 visions of a summary vengeance upon the part of 
 outraged neighbors in the form, of a noose and a 
 barn rafter, or the limb of a tree, had been flitting 
 across his brain. However, there was nothing that 
 he could say in reply what justification was there? 
 And at the first convenient road to the right he 
 turned ofT the Gulph road, the very picture of guilt. 
 
 Much perturbed, Havard rode on, lost in moral 
 reflection, until Saladin paused at the gate of his own 
 barnyard.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 THE BITTER BEFORE THE SWEET 
 
 IT was not until the following Sunday that Ha- 
 vard opened his heart to his mother. The task was 
 far from being easy, for he felt that she would be 
 disappointed in his confidences, because of her warm 
 affection for Frances Jones. But, with a mother's 
 tenderness, guessing his predicament, she diplomati- 
 cally opened the way with the query, "How does 
 Ethel like country life?" 
 
 Havard hitched about uneasily, blushed, and 
 stammered that he thought she was not enamored of 
 the country, but if she had a real taste of it, and got 
 to understand country ways, she would be likely 
 to enjoy it. Now it seemed to him that his oppor- 
 tunity had come, and in a sort of desperation he 
 said, "Mother, I've asked Ethel to be my wife." 
 
 There was a silence so profound that Havard 
 thought he could hear his heart thump. Mrs. 
 Brown made no remark, and it was left for Ha- 
 vard to say, anxiously, "I hope, mother, that you can 
 take her into your heart and receive her as a 
 daughter." 
 
 Another silence, that was almost cruel to Havard ; 
 but it was only because his mother was touched with 
 the pitiful tone of her boy, and then she said, 
 gravely but kindly, "I hope that I shall not be want- 
 ing in a mother's duty to her son and his wife. I 
 
 deeply wish thee happiness." 
 
 144
 
 THE BITTER BEFORE THE SWEET 145 
 
 But Havard well knew that it was a tension upon 
 his mother, and could not refrain from saying, 
 "Perhaps a city girl is not so welcome to you as 
 one brought up in the country. Perhaps you think 
 Ethel will not be contented in this quiet spot." 
 
 "Havard," she responded, "I believe that true 
 hearts are found in the cities as well as in the 
 country, and that there are false ones in our own 
 quiet life. Time only can tell in any case what 
 people will do and be; and some who were bred in 
 the city have been very happy in a purely country 
 home." 
 
 She wondered whether she ought to say what was 
 welling up to her lips ; but after a moment's hesita- 
 tion she continued : "Havard, I always supposed that 
 Frances Jones would some day become my daughter. 
 I have long loved her with a mother's affection, and 
 hoped that thee might come to look upon her as a 
 lover would. Indeed, I felt pretty sure that this 
 was thy feeling for her; and if I am not mistaken 
 she has so understood it. It is this that casts a 
 shadow upon the announcement thee has just made." 
 
 Havard was experiencing unpleasant sensations; 
 but he had had premonitory twinges of conscience, 
 and could not complain. "Why, mother," he said, 
 "there has been nothing of an engagement between 
 Frances and me. I always liked her, and thought 
 a great deal of her, and always shall, for that mat- 
 ter; but it was never understood that we should be 
 married." 
 
 "No, Havard, not in so many words, perhaps; 
 but thee knows Frances has never had any other
 
 146 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 company, and thee has always attended her to the 
 parties, and visited her at home. There is such a 
 thing as leading people by our actions, if not by 
 our words, to believe certain things; and I should 
 be surprised if Frances has not long entertained the 
 belief that thee felt toward her as a lover." 
 
 Havard realized the force of these remarks, and 
 could have enlightened his mother with the narra- 
 tion of many positive expressions of friendship 
 which would appear rather remarkable unless they 
 were understood as explanatory of a particular 
 affection. But he did not illumine her mind with 
 such details, and before he could frame a reply she 
 proceeded : 
 
 "Friendships between young men and young" 
 women are not like those which spring up between 
 men or between women. No one should tread care- 
 lessly on this ground, for if affection is awakened 
 and afterward ignored the results may be cruel. 
 Of course, I do not know what Frances's feelings 
 are; but, judging from many things, I think she 
 has looked upon thee as her lover, and must feel 
 sadly cut to see thee bestow thy heart upon another." 
 
 And now Mrs. Brown experienced a revulsion of 
 sentiment. It had seemed her duty to speak thus, 
 but she pitied her son's embarrassment, and she now 
 purposed to smooth the way for the gratification of 
 his wishes. Perhaps her tone was more conciliatory 
 and affectionate; at all events, he felt grateful for 
 the change. 
 
 "Has thee decided yet when thee will be 
 married ?"
 
 THE BITTER BEFORE THE SWEET 1471. 
 
 "No, not exactly ; but it will most probably be 
 about New Year's." 
 
 He was too shy to ask if that date would be 
 convenient to his mother; but she anticipated his 
 thoughts, and remarked that all things could be made 
 ready to suit the time mentioned. Then they dis- 
 cussed the little and large matters associated with so 
 important an event, and the animation displayed by 
 Havard drove away the unpleasantness attending 
 the introduction of the theme. 
 
 A diversion as welcome as it was unexpected now 
 occurred. A long-deferred visit to the Browns was 
 made by Miss Jennie Reese and her chum, Miss 
 Rebecca Neilley. The latter young lady had gone 
 over to Reese's and did not demur when the viva- 
 cious Jennie proposed a call upon the Browns. The 
 pair proceeded to the Jones homestead with the view 
 of persuading Frances to accompany them, but found 
 her curiously unwilling. They could not understand 
 her grounds for declining, but, persisting in the trip 
 to Mount Joy, they were obliged to leave her behind. 
 
 A month before, Frances would have found it 
 quite to her mind to accede to the request of her 
 friends ; for the society of Mrs. Brown was grateful, 
 and familiar intercourse with Havard did not detract 
 from the agreeable features of such a visit. But 
 now it could only result in pain, and she felt that 
 she was unequal to the effort. For that matter, a 
 sense of suffering attended her waking hours almost 
 constantly, for her mind would dwell upon hopes 
 that seemed well-nigh extinguished. 
 
 The girls burst in upon Mrs. Brown with a liveli-
 
 148 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 ness that was completely antithetical to the somber- 
 ness associated with the early part of the morning. 
 Neither fair brow was clouded with care, and Jennie 
 especially was sparkling with merriment and youth- 
 ful spirit. If she entertained for that young farmer, 
 Robert Ringer, more than a passing sentiment, she 
 took care to prevent it from preying upon her fresh 
 and pretty face, and was quite able to allude to 
 the fact of his escort to churches and parties. 
 
 All young company circled about Mrs. Brown, 
 probably for the reason that it was always agreeable 
 to her; and her brow cleared and her spirits rose 
 when she saw the light-hearted girls on the porch. 
 
 "Why, girls ! what a pleasant surprise this morn- 
 ing! Come in at once. How does thee each do, 
 and how are all the folks at home? To think that 
 I have a namesake to-day!" 
 
 It was the irrepressible Jennie who first replied : 
 "O, Mrs. Brown, we're so glad to call, and we're 
 going to stay to dinner with you, so get our names 
 in the pot. Mind that you have some of your 
 famous jelly on the table, or we'll not come soon 
 again." 
 
 Rebecca looked shocked at this presumptuous 
 speech, but Mrs. Brown responded that she would 
 put before such princesses the very best that was to 
 be had in the land, "which," she said, "you know 
 is nothing to brag of since our cousins from over 
 the water paid us a visit." 
 
 "Ah, but," said Jennie, "you ought to have seen 
 what a perfect gentleman General Cornwallis was! 
 I half believe I made Rob Ringer jealous of him,
 
 THE BITTER BEFORE THE SWEET 149 
 
 when I told him how fine he was." Here Jennie 
 giggled, and then laughed outright, until the tears 
 came into her eyes. "But I told Rob he needn't be 
 envious of him, but rather of that handsome young 
 fellow, Andre. The captain was full of fun, and 
 cutting up and all that ; and he actually plagued me 
 for a kiss the last time I saw him, as he was going 
 away from the door. When I told Rob that, he 
 looked green. I know he wanted to find out if I 
 gave the captain the kiss, but I just kept him dang- 
 ling on the end of the line, and gave him no satis- 
 faction." 
 
 The voluble young lady laughed as though there 
 were no more enjoyable sport than worrying a lover. 
 Mrs. Brown shook her head deprecatingly, but there 
 was a twinkle in her eye as she reproved Jennie for 
 trifling with so worthy a young man. 
 
 "Now, Jennie, thee is doing very wrong to excite 
 such unpleasant feelings in Robert's head and heart. 
 I know very well that thee would not permit the 
 captain to do such a thing, and I suppose he was only 
 indulging a love of fun, and meant nothingserious." 
 
 Miss Neilley turned the tide of the conversation 
 by asking if their hostess had put up many artichokes 
 in the spring, she having noticed the plentiful stalks 
 in the garden corner. 
 
 "Yes, and thee shall try some at dinner, and have 
 a jar to take home with thee, if thee likes." 
 
 In the happy social life of the times there was 
 a generous interchange of the dainties prepared in 
 country homes, and these crisp tubers, pickled in 
 honest cider vinegar, proved an acceptable relish.
 
 150 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 "But where is Havard?" suddenly asked Miss 
 Reese, as she noticed that his face did not appear. 
 "We can't do without him, and I've a notion to 
 carry him away from you, he's such a likely young 
 man. But perhaps he's down in town visiting that 
 handsome Miss Thomson!" 
 
 At that moment the door from the kitchen was 
 opened, and in stepped Havard, quite surprised, and 
 pleased withal, to greet his fair neighbors. The 
 badinage went on, however, although under different 
 conditions; but Jennie did not venture to say all 
 that was in her mischievous mind, for Havard was 
 hardly of the same make-up as Robert Ringer, and 
 she was somewhat in awe of him. 
 
 The British occupation was still too recent to be 
 ignored in the conversation of the morning. The 
 incidents of interest were almost numberless, from 
 the call of the mounted pickets for water from the 
 springs on the Neilley estate, to the sentinel posted 
 in the cherry-tree top on the Jones farm. The say- 
 ings and doings of the officers and the men, the 
 cockney accent of the ordinary British soldiers, and 
 the unintelligible parlance of the Hessians, furnished 
 a collection of interesting matter which has unfor- 
 tunately nearly all vanished, because of neglect to 
 record it. But then, and for many succeeding years, 
 it served to spice the small talk of the fireside, and 
 warm the hearts of the aged survivors of the Revolu- 
 tion. When their hair was white with the frosts 
 of seven or eight decades, Jennie and Rebecca 
 recited to their grandchildren the stirring incidents 
 of '77.
 
 THE BITTER BEFORE THE SWEET 151 
 
 The garrulous Miss Jennie proved an acquisition 
 to her hostess, for she assumed a full share of the 
 labor of preparing the dinner. She handled the 
 utensils and procured the various viands from their 
 several cellar shelves with as much familiarity as 
 though she had never known any other home. 
 Meanwhile the more demure Miss Rebecca hob- 
 nobbed after a fashion with Havard in the sitting 
 room. 
 
 The dinner was in marked contrast with the 
 breakfast, so far as mental comfort was concerned, 
 and Havard felt really grateful to the girls for 
 banishing the dismal air that surrounded the first 
 meal of the day. 
 
 The artichokes were pronounced delicious as 
 indeed was the whole of the dinner; and as the 
 girls' appetite had been provoked by their walk, 
 and that of the Browns was effectively stimulated 
 by the general atmosphere of cheer, the noonday 
 spread was so effectually disposed of that Mrs. 
 Brown smilingly said there would be no dishes to 
 wash; but Jennie and her companion assumed the 
 offensive, and bustled the hostess to one side while 
 they "red up." 
 
 Presently it was proposed to take a walk in the 
 glen, and the entire company descended to the creek- 
 side, and wandered along the shimmering stream 
 until they entered the ravine. The temptation to 
 scale the steep shoulder of Mount Joy was not 
 resisted. The girls scrambled up the rough corner, 
 assisting themselves by seizing the slight saplings 
 and lesser undergrowth; but occasionally some of
 
 152 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 these supports that were not firmly rooted gave way, 
 and then with mingled screams and laughter, and 
 many a contortion of their bodies, they struggled 
 to maintain their footing. 
 
 The exercise was good for soul and body, but Mrs. 
 Brown recalled the climbers, when they had attained 
 a point a third of the way to the summit of the sugar 
 loaf, saying that she would be lost if thus left to her- 
 self. When the return had been accomplished the 
 party walked along the path leading to the burnt 
 forge with more leisurely steps, the scrambling on 
 the hillside having slightly wearied the ambitious 
 young ladies. 
 
 When they came within sight of the ruins even 
 Miss Jennie's spirits were sobered at the contempla- 
 tion of the baleful imprint of war. Comment upon 
 the transaction was quite free, and much sympathy 
 was expressed for Colonel Dewees. As there was 
 now no particular motive for concealing the incident 
 of the removal of the stores, Havard spoke of the 
 colonel's engagement in that enterprise, and his nar- 
 row escape from capture. The narrative of the 
 pursuit of the party, and the firing upon the raft 
 by the dragoons, was absorbingly exciting to the 
 girls. 
 
 But their surprise was marked when a rustling 
 in the bushes behind them caused them to turn their 
 heads, for they beheld the identical person of whom 
 they were speaking. He had overheard their 
 remarks, and came forward, smiling. Havard had 
 not seen him, or known of his whereabouts since 
 the moment they had parted, when Havard sallied
 
 THE BITTER BEFORE THE SWEET 153 
 
 down the Schuylkill to scout about the Thomson 
 place. 
 
 The ironmaster entertained the company for a 
 half hour with reminiscences of the day so fatal to 
 his business, and of his subsequent adventures. 
 
 "While I was trying to keep out of the way of 
 the redcoats," said the colonel, "I felt like finding 
 out all I could ; so I hung on their rear guard, and 
 watched them well. You know Wayne expected 
 to fall on their rear when they were moving across 
 the ford, but missed it, and the tables were turned. 
 Well, I was skirting round the Swedes' Ford, when 
 a squadron came along and picked me up. I was 
 pretty well put to; for they could see that I had no 
 work on hand, and seemed to be keeping quite close 
 to their army, and I had to scratch my head to get 
 clear of them. You see, I hadn't been expecting 
 any of them along, for I thought the very last 
 detachment had come in. But, as luck would have 
 it, they were Hessians, and were too thick-headed 
 and too poorly acquainted with our ways to catch 
 me up. Still, I was a good deal afraid, for the 
 lieutenant that led them was the very fellow you 
 dealt with when we sold the Deutschers sauerkraut. 
 If he had suspected me of a hand in that it would 
 have been all up with me. They did get some wind 
 of that affair, I think, because of some things I 
 overheard; but I guess they were not thinking of 
 it at that time, for they did not refer to it, but they 
 questioned me sharply enough." 
 
 "What did you say, Colonel?" eagerly asked Miss 
 Jennie.
 
 154 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 "O, you know all tales pass in war time. I told 
 them a live one, of course. I explained that I lived 
 up the river several miles, and that I had some pro- 
 visions to sell to General Howe, but that the Conti- 
 nentals were very strict about such things, and that 
 I was trying to find some way of getting my prod- 
 uce into their hands. That got them away from the 
 scent they might have stumbled on, and they let me 
 go, urging me to slip through or around the 
 American lines with my wagon, and they would pay 
 me well." 
 
 The girls, recognizing that the day was waning, 
 announced their purpose to go home, whereupon 
 they retraced their footsteps to the house, Havard 
 and the colonel accompanying them as far as the 
 turn in the glen for Havard requested the iron- 
 master to lend him a portion of his time. 
 
 When the girls were out of sight Mrs. Brown 
 having stopped at her home Havard opened his 
 mind about the Tryon affair to the colonel, taking 
 care to request secrecy. 
 
 The conference lasted fully an hour, and Mrs. 
 Brown had become uneasy, when she saw the miss- 
 ing men returning slowly homeward. The colonel 
 was mournfully impressed with Havard's story, 
 but expressed himself as being far from surprised; 
 for the glimpse of Tryon in the dell on the day of 
 the slaughter at the "Paoli" had awakened his sus- 
 picions. 
 
 "I will think about the matter, Havard, and we 
 will confer again," was the colonel's last remark, 
 after he had called attention to the lateness of the
 
 THE BITTER BEFORE THE SWEET 155 
 
 hour and the shadows in the ravine; and then he 
 shook hands with his neighbor, and walked rapidly 
 toward the home of his first wife's brother, Isaac 
 Potts the square stone house by the mouth of the 
 creek.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 THE ROMANCE OF AN ECHO 
 
 THROUGH October the Valley waxed glorious in 
 the gorgeous tints of autumn. Its rim blazed with 
 color, and meadow and grain field vied with each 
 other in exhibiting the delicate hues characteristic 
 of the season's decadence. The knife had been put 
 into the corn, and the shocks of this golden grain 
 reminded straggling old soldiers of the wigwams of 
 the red men in other days. Mellow pumpkins over- 
 spread the cornfields, and custards from that savory 
 vegetable were beginning to appear on many a rustic 
 table. 
 
 The status of affairs along the Swedes' Ford 
 closely resembled the conditions prior to Brandy- 
 wine's bloody battle ; but small detachments of Con- 
 tinental troops patrolled the entire region to prevent 
 the purveyal of farm products to the luxurious 
 British, who were indolently killing time and care 
 in the chief city of Pennsylvania. These had too 
 many sympathizers, and their cash was too ready, 
 to cause them to go begging for supplies ; therefore 
 strict measures were adopted by Washington to cut 
 off as much of this traffic as possible. 
 
 The latter had marched from Pottsgrove to the 
 banks of the Skippack, where he kept vigilant watch 
 of his enemy posted at Germantown. Howe 
 was not yet master of his movements, for naviga- 
 
 156
 
 THE ROMANCE OF AN ECHO 157 
 
 tion of the Delaware was obstructed by the Ameri- 
 can forts at Mud Island and Red Bank, and 
 chevaux-de-frise at Bylling's Point. Howe's 
 brother, the admiral, was in command of the Brit- 
 ish fleet that lay between Reedy Island and New 
 Castle; and Sir William, in the fraternal desire to 
 assist him in reducing the troublesome redoubts, 
 dispatched part of his forces into New Jersey. Then 
 it was that Washington perceived his opportunity, 
 and at dusk of the third of October left the Metuchen 
 Hills for a long march of fifteen miles over trying 
 roads, to attack his ancient enemy. 
 
 At daybreak of the foggy morning that succeeded, 
 Captain Allen McLane, an enterprising Marylander 
 at the head of the patrol, struck the British outposts 
 at Chestnut Hill. Then quickly ensued the rattle of 
 musketry and the roar of artillery; and Wayne, 
 burning with the desire to retrieve his losses at the 
 "Paoli," scattered the enemy's light infantry almost 
 in a moment with an impetuous charge of his 
 brigade, and, when they rallied once and again to 
 resist him, punished them severely with the bayonet. 
 
 The steady Sullivan pressed upon the enemy's left 
 wing with such vigor that for a time it seemed as 
 though the entire British line must give way, and 
 had his movement been seconded immediately disas- 
 ter would doubtless have overtaken the army of 
 Howe; but part of the American force unwisely 
 lingered to dislodge those British who had cast 
 themselves into Mr. Chew's stone mansion on the 
 lower slope of Mount Airy, and the slight delay was 
 sufficient to permit the alarmed British commander
 
 158 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 to rally his flanks, and not only to escape from 
 capture, but to drive back his adversaries in confu- 
 sion. At one time he had conceded that the engage- 
 ment was lost that his encampment was sur- 
 rounded. For five miles the retreat of the Ameri- 
 cans was contested vigorously; but General Greene 
 displayed his strategic skill, and Wayne's cannon, 
 planted near the church at White Marsh, furnished 
 unanswerable arguments for a halt upon the part 
 of the British. 
 
 It was mortifying that so gallant an engagement, 
 thoroughly victorious at first, and promising an 
 unexampled Continental triumph, should be dissi- 
 pated by lack of cooperation; but the patriots for 
 miles around who heard the sounds of battle on that 
 dark morning understood ; and were overjoyed that 
 Washington had so nearly attained a signal victory. 
 
 October communicated battle tidings from down 
 the Delaware, also. Bylling's Point had suffered 
 from the attack of the vessels ; but Fort Mercer, at 
 Red Bank, and Fort Mifflin were still standing 
 against the assaults of Howe's men-of-war. These 
 fortifications had been strengthened by troops sent 
 by Washington from his new post at White Marsh, 
 and Colonel Christopher Green at the former and 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Smith at the latter presented a 
 stout front to the imposing naval foe. 
 
 Late in the month a land force of Hessians under 
 Colonel Donop assaulted Fort Mercer with spirit, 
 but was defeated, and its brave leader slain. The 
 attack, at the same time, upon Fort Mifflin was 
 resisted by its commander, and by Commodore
 
 THE ROMANCE OF AN ECHO 159 
 
 Hazelwood of the American galleys ; and it was not 
 until the middle of November that Cornwallis, at 
 the head of a much superior force, took the fort at 
 Red Bank ; and a powerful armament on shore, aided 
 by a formidable fleet, compelled the evacuation of its 
 fellow on Mud Island. Then, only, had the British 
 ships free range of the Delaware. Once more it 
 was the delay in sending reinforcements, and the 
 necessarily tedious movements of ragged, shoeless 
 men, that lost the day to the patient commander-in- 
 ch ief. 
 
 The surrender of Burgoyne electrified the 
 patriots, for no familiarity with military science was 
 necessary to make them understand its significance. 
 Their hopes beat high that Howe would fall into a 
 similar trap, and expectations were indulged that 
 Washington would crush the redcoats by some bril- 
 liant maneuver. Such a movement was contemplated, 
 and in a council of war it was fully discussed. Only 
 a few of the generals, however, among whom was 
 Wayne, favored an attack upon the strongly 
 intrenched regiments of Howe; and the sagacious 
 Washington, at the very time when intrigues against 
 his influence and position were rife, and when he 
 might have won glory by valor, even if misdirected, 
 was steadfastly guided by the promptings of pru- 
 dence. Formidable indeed was the line of British 
 forts stretching from the Schuylkill to the Delaware, 
 and there is little probability that an attack would 
 have been successful. 
 
 The early days of December originated a romance 
 in which at least one family in the valley was par-
 
 160 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 ticularly interested. Frances Jones, having occasion 
 to make some purchases of cloth, arranged to spend 
 a week with her cousin Lydia Darrach. She was 
 not aware that her estimable cousin was embarrassed 
 by the presence in her home of the adjutant-general 
 of the British army, else she might have deferred 
 her visit until the convenience of her cousin, and her 
 own inclinations, could have been more distinctly 
 favored. When she reached the house on Second 
 Street, with its curious protruding windows on the 
 sides, and airy porch above, which Whitefield 
 employed as a pulpit, she was startled at meeting 
 the officer, who at once recognized the pleasant-faced 
 girl whom he saw at his general's headquarters in 
 the Chester Valley. 
 
 Lydia made her guest welcome. It was a special 
 satisfaction to have her under the peculiar circum- 
 stances, although the officer and his callers were 
 thorough gentlemen. The house was large, and 
 able to accommodate a goodly number of visitors, 
 and the circumstance that it was "out of town," 
 being across Second Street bridge, caused it to be 
 selected for various councils of war. So Frances 
 was brought for the second time into approximately 
 close contact with distinguished personages. 
 
 Her stay at Lydia's was on the whole very pleas- 
 ant, the bracing air of the first winter month proving 
 delightful for walks about the town, and explora- 
 tions of "Bathsheba's Bower," a retreat of springs 
 on her cousin's property. 
 
 Among the charms of Penn's city, of which 
 Frances never wearied, was the water front; and
 
 THE ROMANCE OF AN ECHO 161 
 
 many an hour found her gazing at the broad stream, 
 the Jersey shore beyond it, and the vessels that lay 
 at anchor. It must be confessed, too, that notwith- 
 standing her horror of warfare she found some- 
 thing fascinating in the soldierly bearing of the 
 veterans under Howe's command, and admired their 
 evolutions in the streets or on the parade ground. 
 
 Mr. Darrach's pedagogical duties required him 
 to be absent frequently, and Frances was then even 
 more particularly valued by Lydia, who grieved 
 when the time for her guest's departure approached. 
 Frances had chosen Wednesday as the day of her 
 farewell, and despite her cousin's remonstrance 
 insisted upon keeping the time. Lydia consequently 
 prepared a special supper for Tuesday afternoon. 
 
 While thus engrossed Lydia begged her cousin 
 to attend the door, her hands being plunged in 
 flour ; and this duty was accepted by Frances. The 
 adjutant-general seemed to have an unusual num- 
 ber of callers. 
 
 It was scarcely more than six o'clock but of 
 course quite dark at that season of the year when 
 Frances was summoned by another visitor. A candle 
 dimly burning shed a faint light in his face, and 
 Frances felt sure that she had seen him before, but 
 she could not identify him. As for the man, he 
 started sensibly at seeing her. He was not in uni- 
 form, and did not have a military bearing. His 
 words were very few, and his vocal chords seemed 
 to be strained. He appeared uneasy, and lost no 
 time in seeking the adjutant-general. But Frances 
 kept wondering who the young man could be. One
 
 1 62 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 thing attracted her attention singularly. The beard 
 that he wore was unnatural, and she suspected that 
 it was a disguise. Yet it had sufficient effect to 
 bewilder her concerning the stranger's identity. 
 
 While she was battling with the puzzling 
 problem a knock at the kitchen door preceded the 
 appearance of the adjutant-general, who accosted 
 Lydia with the request that she would get a room 
 in readiness to receive a number of guests, about 
 whose departure she should feel no concern, since 
 they would probably stay late. 
 
 Lydia, absorbed in baking her biscuit and other- 
 wise preparing for her cousin's enjoyment, was dis- 
 concerted by this communication, which, of course, 
 amounted to a command; but Frances volunteered 
 to complete the arrangements, leaving the hostess 
 to her flour tray. After her departure from the 
 kitchen the officer returned, and said that he desired 
 all the family to retire very early that night. 
 
 Mrs. Darrach replied somewhat deprecatingly : 
 
 "Thee's pretty hard upon me, to-day. My cousin, 
 the young woman thee sees with me this week, is 
 going to leave me; and I'm getting some little things 
 ready for her, against her going. We thought to 
 stay up a little later to-night, rather than to retire 
 earlier ; but I suppose thee must be obeyed." 
 
 "Yes, Lydia, matters of importance require that 
 the family shall be in bed early to-night. I regret 
 to disturb your intercourse with Miss Jones; there 
 are not too many such young women as she, but it 
 is necessary. Still, you need not send the family 
 to bed before nine."
 
 THE ROMANCE OF AN ECHO 163 
 
 "I thank thee for that, friend, and I will do as 
 thee bids me ; see what a plight thee has caught me 
 in " here she held up her hands "I shall have to 
 get a pass from thee to get some more of this staff 
 of life from the mill." 
 
 "Very well," said the officer, "you shall have a 
 pass to-morrow." 
 
 The worthy woman was about to say that she 
 would not need it quite so soon, but the officer had 
 turned on his heel and gone to the company of his 
 latest caller. 
 
 When nine o'clock came all the family were duly 
 in bed, Lydia alone remaining downstairs to admit 
 the expected callers. She fancied that they would 
 be late in arriving, but they appeared with surpris- 
 ing promptness. General Howe had come from 
 his home on High Street, and with his arrival Lydia 
 was informed that she might retire until she was 
 needed to attend the departing guests. 
 
 Lydia sought her room, but not to sleep. Some- 
 thing peculiar in the manner of the adjutant-general, 
 and the aspect of his visitors, led her to suspect that 
 a crisis was at hand; and her restlessness was so 
 great that she mused upon the propriety of trying 
 to discover the nature of the conference. 
 
 Fortunately, Frances was not asleep. The 
 thought of home made her wakeful, and her mind 
 reverted to the incidents of her stay in town. 
 Besides, she pondered upon the mystery connected 
 with the disguised caller, being still quite at sea in 
 her guessing. 
 
 "Frances," exclaimed Mrs. Darrach, "I want thy
 
 164 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 wise opinion concerning an unpleasant thing. Does 
 thee think one may ever do evil that good may 
 come ?" 
 
 Her cousin replied, "I should say 'No/ without 
 better understanding your question." 
 
 "I am in trouble concerning my duty to myself 
 and to my country. I think and perhaps the Spirit 
 has moved me to think it that the council of the 
 officers to-night means much harm to Washington 
 and the country ; and I feel it borne in upon me that 
 I must try to hear what may be said. Yet it is 
 repugnant to me to play the part of a spy, or 
 eavesdropper I never did such a thing in my life- 
 time. What does thee think of it?" 
 
 To the ingenuous Frances the query was a hard 
 nut to crack; nor did she attempt it rashly, for she 
 loved conscientiousness. But without answering 
 directly she reverted to the original form of the ques- 
 tion, and said, "Are you sure, Lydia, that it would 
 be doing evil, if by that means you could serve your 
 country ?" 
 
 "That is the very question I want thee to help me 
 to decide. It seems so mean a thing to listen to 
 the private conversation of others, or to pry into 
 their affairs in any way. Now I am sure thee can 
 give me some good advice." 
 
 "I am not so sure of that, Lydia, and I look upon 
 your conscience as being a better guide than mine, 
 because it is so well cultivated. Really, Lydia, while 
 I sympathize with you in your feeling, I think that it 
 may be you can serve your country greatly by yield- 
 ing to this prompting. It would always be wrong to
 
 THE ROMANCE OF AN ECHO 165 
 
 do evil, that good may come ; but in a case like this 
 I should think it would not be doing evil, to listen 
 with patriotic motives. If evil men conspire to do 
 wickedness, surely the righteous are at liberty to 
 overhear their conspiracies, so as to save themselves 
 from the lion's jaws. I could not say that it would 
 be right to tell an untruth to escape injury, but 
 there is very little doubt that it would be right simply 
 to listen with the view of preventing evil." 
 
 "Thee has made a distinction that helps me; yet 
 I shrink from putting my ear to a keyhole, to hear 
 what the officers may say." 
 
 The scrupulous woman sighed, and a moment 
 after remarked, "Perhaps I will do well to sacrifice 
 my feelings to the good cause." Then she said, 
 "If it is to be done I had better do it without delay." 
 
 She kissed Frances and stole away toward the 
 room of the council so noiselessly that she might 
 have been classed with the fairies. No light shone 
 in the entry, but Lydia could feel hot blushes suffus- 
 ing her cheeks and temples as she bowed her head 
 to the keyhole. 
 
 It was an uncomfortable posture, and her con- 
 scientious qualms were so marked, that she was on 
 the point of giving up the attempt when her ear 
 caught a word that entirely changed the current of 
 her feelings. A new wave of emotion swept over 
 her, and she was thrilled with the conception of a 
 duty speedily opening to her mind. 
 
 In the midst of her listening a step approached 
 the door. Lydia was frightened, for she had not 
 thought of the door being opened until the conclusion
 
 1 66 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 of the council. But she flew to her room with 
 incredible swiftness. Just after she had softly closed 
 the door she heard voices in the entry, and a merry 
 laugh from several persons at the expense of 
 another, who protested that he had heard hard 
 breathing, and supposed that some one was either 
 standing at the door or passing it. Lydia was now 
 dubious as to what course to follow. Greater cour- 
 age was required to attempt the risky feat the sec- 
 ond time. But again the call of patriotism sounded 
 in her ears, and she tremblingly trod the floor of the 
 entry in thick stockings. No further alarm occurred 
 in the council, and perhaps the sharp-eared officer 
 felt mortified at his apparent mistake ; but Lydia took 
 the hint and controlled her breathing. This time 
 she listened profoundly and long, while her heart 
 beat fast at the revelations made by the deep voices 
 in the room. 
 
 At last she heard the familiar voice of the adju- 
 tant-general read an order of attack upon Washing- 
 ton's camp for the following night, which appeared 
 to have the approval of all present, with assurances 
 of cooperation. The remarks that were now made 
 were of such a nature that Lydia perceived that the 
 business was effected, and that it was unnecessary, 
 if not perilous, to remain any longer at the door. 
 She glided off to her room, and lay down. In per- 
 haps twenty minutes a knock was heard at her door, 
 which she was slow in answering. Upon respond- 
 ing to a second or third call she dallied some 
 minutes, and then appeared, and led the visitors 
 out into the street. A few incautious remarks at part-
 
 THE ROMANCE OF AN ECHO 167 
 
 ing convinced her that no change had been made 
 in the program, and she sought her room in a whirl 
 of excitement previously unknown to her, not to 
 sleep but to counterplot. 
 
 In a whisper she communicated to Frances, who 
 lay at her side, the gist of what she had overheard, 
 and asked what she ought to do. But before any 
 definite procedure suggested itself Lydia referred to 
 a startling feature that came to her attention during 
 the eavesdropping. 
 
 "I heard them talking about thy home, Frances, 
 and the name of that young man who visited thy 
 mother with his mother was mentioned, I am sure. 
 The man who spoke most about the country seemed 
 to know it as well as though he lived there, and he 
 did not talk like an officer." 
 
 It flashed upon Frances that it might be that 
 strange civilian she admitted early in the evening. 
 Who could he be? 
 
 "The same voice spoke of the maker of iron at 
 the Valley Forge, and of his being a spy something 
 about sauerkraut and peddling, and how he had 
 discovered his tricks." 
 
 Then Frances understood it. The familiar but 
 muffled voice the features disguised with a beard 
 yes, it was now clear enough; it was Will Tryon. 
 And Frances groaned at the treason. 
 
 Little sleep came to the eyelids of the cousins that 
 night ; and with the morning light Lydia had settled 
 on a plan by which she might hope to baffle the 
 tactful Howe. 
 
 She had already persuaded Frances to remain two
 
 1 68 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 days more ; and when breakfast was ended, and the 
 dishes put away carefully, Lydia rapped at the door 
 of the drowsy adjutant-general and said, "I will 
 thank thee for that pass, that I may procure the 
 flour of which I spoke last evening." 
 
 "All right, Lydia, you shall have it as soon as I 
 can stir about. We made a night of it last night ; and 
 I'm as sleepy as a hedgehog in winter." 
 
 But the polite officer aroused himself, prepared the 
 pass, and dropped it outside the door, with the hope 
 that Lydia might have a safe and speedy trip. 
 
 Far up to Frankford, through the snow that 
 inaugurated an early winter, plodded the heroic 
 woman, bag in hand. At the mill, full five miles 
 distant, she left her bag, and hastened with eager 
 steps toward Washington's camp. Fortunately for 
 the excited heroine's weary frame, she met Lieuten- 
 ant-Colonel Craig, on his way to gather items of 
 information respecting the enemy. To him she told 
 her discovery, and begged him while laying it before 
 the commander-in-chief to withhold her name, which 
 he promised to do. 
 
 Then the faithful creature returned to the mill and 
 secured her heavy bag of flour, but walked home 
 relieved of a heavier mental burden. Frances 
 rejoiced with her at the success of her simple plan, 
 and both women anxiously awaited the consum- 
 mation. 
 
 That night they observed the march of the British 
 troops toward White Marsh, and knew that they 
 were confident of success. But the ubiquitous 
 Captain McLane with a small force attacked them
 
 THE ROMANCE OF AN ECHO 169 
 
 on the Germantown road about eleven o'clock, and 
 harassed them until daybreak, when they encamped 
 at Chestnut Hill. There was now no possibility of 
 effecting a surprise, and a three days' skirmish 
 showed Howe that he could not advantageously 
 give battle ; so he stole away to the comforts of the 
 fireside, and resigned himself to the indolence of an 
 inactive winter. 
 
 And Lydia rejoiced when her redcoat guests 
 returned, empty of spoil and grumbling at their bar- 
 ren adventure. The adjutant-general closely cate- 
 chised her as to the whereabouts of her family on 
 that important evening, and was assured that all 
 of them were in their beds. 
 
 "As for yourself, Lydia, I know that you were 
 in bed, for you took so long to answer when I 
 knocked at your door. Alack-a-day ! how could the 
 thing leak out !" 
 
 And Lydia answered neither yea nor nay. But 
 she was glad that she had mentioned the need of 
 flour before the council met, and that the officer had 
 not heard her explanation that she did not require 
 it immediately. 
 
 Frances Jones, in the care of a casual visitor liv- 
 ing near her home, rode on to the snowbound Valley, 
 pondering in her heart the strange incidents of her 
 visit, and wondering what episode would be next.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 WAR AND WEDDING 
 
 THE impatience of a lover triumphed in the selec- 
 tion of an early date for the wedding of Havard 
 Brown and Ethel Thomson. The middle of Decem- 
 ber was the very earliest that Ethel would concede, 
 and she affected to pout about that; but Havard 
 urged that the honeymoon should anticipate the 
 absorbing labors of the spring. 
 
 The annals of love-making need not be burdened 
 with an enumeration of the details of the marriage 
 preparations. Ethel's time was fully occupied ; and 
 Havard was surprised at the trifles that called for 
 his own attention. There were also necessary some 
 arrangements of greater importance, and his mother, 
 who superintended these, was certainly sufficiently 
 busy. 
 
 Somber tints succeeded the flashing hues of 
 autumn in the Great Valley. But not even winter 
 chill and drear could obliterate the natural beauty 
 of the sentinel hills that guarded the charming vale ; 
 and the purple background of the Forge gap was not 
 the least of its varied charms. 
 
 On the last of Havard's trips to the home of his 
 ladylove he performed the duty from which lovers 
 invariably shrink, the engagement of the officiating 
 clergyman. Ethel, although not a member of Christ 
 Church, was an attendant upon its services, and as 
 a matter of course its rector was chosen for the 
 
 170
 
 WAR AND WEDDING 171 
 
 celebration of the nuptials. The church itself had 
 greatly interested Havard by its style, and the inci- 
 dents of its erection. It was already three quarters 
 of a century since the first small edifice was built, 
 and a half century since the larger structure had been 
 built around it, public worship in the meanwhile 
 continuing. The simplicity of the times was shown 
 in the use of a tree as a tower for the old bell while 
 the remodeling proceeded. Mrs. Thomson told with 
 a relish the story of the efforts made to finish the 
 church in accordance with Dr. Kearsley's plans, and 
 the naive employment of the livery of a nameless 
 personage with which to serve the Lord of Hosts, 
 in the erection of the second steeple, and the pur- 
 chase of a chime of bells and a clock. "The Phila- 
 delphia Steeple Lottery" was entirely successful, 
 measured by its accumulation of funds, and for a 
 quarter century the edifice had been complete. 
 
 But its chimes did not tintinnabulate upon British 
 ears ; and their melody was also lost for a season to 
 the patriots. The American commissary-general, 
 foreseeing the entry of Howe's army, dispatched the 
 bells to Trenton, to be hidden there until the invaders 
 could be dispossessed of their urban prize. 
 
 Havard had attended Ethel to the church service, 
 and had closely remarked the great front window 
 and the sounding-board that canopied the minister, 
 as in his canonicals he read the lessons and the 
 homily of the day. 
 
 The rector was the Rev. Jacob Duche, whose 
 fame had both reached its zenith and suffered an 
 inglorious eclipse. Not only Philadelphia, but the
 
 172 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 whole country, rang with his praises, when, at the 
 first meeting of the Continental Congress, he offered 
 a prayer for the divine blessing upon its perilous 
 project. It was on Monday, the fifth of September, 
 1774, when that simple yet august body of lovers 
 of their country met in Carpenters' Hall. Mr. 
 Gushing, of Massachusetts, moved that the session 
 be opened with prayer, but objections were made on 
 the score of divisions in religious sentiment. Mr. 
 Samuel Adams, broad in his views, proposed that 
 the Rev. Mr. Duche, a man of piety and virtue, and 
 a devoted friend of America, be requested to read 
 prayers on the following morning. The motion car- 
 ried, and Peyton Randolph, president of the Con- 
 gress, called upon Mr. Duche, and preferred the 
 request, which was granted. 
 
 At the opening hour next morning the reverend 
 gentleman appeared with his clerk, and read several 
 prayers of the established order of service, followed 
 by the Psalter for the day, including the thirty- 
 fifth psalm. Coming upon the heels of the rumor 
 of a cannonade in Boston, it seemed divinely direct- 
 ed, and suited to the distressful situation. Then the 
 rector, as if inspired by the occasion, burst into an 
 extempore prayer of such pathos and sublimity that 
 the entire Congress was electrified. The Rev. Mr. 
 White, afterward Bishop, noted however, that of 
 all the body of statesmen only George Washington 
 knelt. 
 
 In 1776 Mr. Duche was elected chaplain of Con- 
 gress, but resigned in October, directing his salary 
 to be given to the families of officers who had fallen
 
 WAR AND WEDDING 173 
 
 in battle. But, alas! when the British came into 
 Philadelphia like a cloud, the good man's faith 
 failed, and he wrote to the American commander- 
 in-chief recommending that the patriotic cause be 
 abandoned as hopeless. When the latter sent the 
 offensive letter to Congress it was answered by the 
 minister's own brother-in-law. 
 
 It seems scarcely appropriate that such vulgar 
 matters as relate to food and drink should enter 
 into the holy demesne of matrimonial topics; but 
 Ethel's mother took solace to herself in the relief 
 that had lately come to housekeepers from the open- 
 ing of navigation in the river. It was her design 
 that the wedding feast should be as elaborate as 
 custom enjoined. But the Continental Cerberus at 
 Red Bank and Mud Island had very effectually 
 blockaded the passage of relief ships, on one hand, 
 while on the other the vigilance of Washington's 
 scouting parties had sadly interfered with Howe's 
 foragers, with the consequence that provisions had 
 become extremely scarce and costly. Though a 
 thrifty housekeeper carried coin to market, it cost 
 her a dollar per pound for beef, while ordinary 
 barnyard fowls brought ten shillings apiece, and 
 plebeian potatoes as much as sixteen shillings per 
 bushel. 
 
 Now, however, for two or three weeks the 
 markets had become swollen with the good things 
 of the table, and, small as such a circumstance may 
 appear in comparison with the weightier matters 
 of the marriage law, it lifted a burden of some 
 importance from the maternal mind. So the prepa-
 
 1/4 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 rations for the wedding dinner went forward with 
 much of the usual smoothness. 
 
 The news of the approaching event duly spread 
 in various directions; and through Lydia Darrach 
 in the city, and Jennie Reese in the valley, it came 
 to Frances Jones's ears. Later a chance meeting 
 between Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Jones brought confir- 
 mation of the rumor. No invitation was received 
 by Frances or her mother, for Ethel decided that 
 the wedding should be confined to the immediate 
 family, which was greatly to the relief of Havard, 
 who would have found it perplexing to dispose of 
 Frances in the event of the issue of invitations. 
 The thorn of past relationship pricked him, but more 
 than this he felt a manly desire to free so true a 
 friend from embarrassment. 
 
 It was the eighteenth of December the marriage 
 Thursday. Dawn found the young groom already 
 far upon his preparations. Not having replenished 
 his stock as yet, he had procured an extra horse from 
 Cousin Samuel Havard the same which Ethel rode 
 into Philadelphia after her stay at the farm to 
 bring her back again, happy omen ! 
 
 There was danger that, riding Saladin, he might 
 be mistaken for a gallant officer of the enemy by 
 some scouting party of British, for he was sprucely 
 dressed in a well-fitting, rich suit of blue, with white 
 waistcoat and greatcoat ; and his mother was afraid 
 that the soil of travel would bedim his luster. 
 
 Passing underneath the signboard of the "King," 
 Havard observed the roads patrolled by Continental 
 guards, who, he supposed, were connected with the
 
 WAR AND WEDDING 175 
 
 late movement of the army from White Marsh. As 
 he rode through the Gulph ravine, the trees bare, 
 and the ground beneath them strewn with the fallen 
 foliage, he perceived a line of sentinels, from which 
 he inferred that he should soon see an encamp- 
 ment. 
 
 Emerging from the ravine, he found the army 
 clustered upon the hillside, and in the basin at its 
 foot. The breath of winter was apparent, yet the 
 soldiers had but flimsy tents in which to imagine a 
 shelter from the blasts that soughed in the branches 
 of the oaks and chestnuts. Their wretched clothing 
 and lack of blankets touched the young man to the 
 heart. 
 
 Havard was sufficiently interested in the encamp- 
 ment to scan it in every direction. It was an unusual 
 number of men of war; and the officers who rode 
 about, and the cannon, impressed him. As he 
 journeyed on he found that the picket line extended 
 for several miles to the eastward. It was nearly 
 eleven o'clock when Havard rode up to the house of 
 his beloved, and it was but turned the hour when his 
 steeds were transferred to the care of a nearby 
 hostler, and he knocked at the front door. 
 
 It was Ethel who met her affianced, and escorted 
 him into the parlor. To his delight it was unoccu- 
 pied, and he emphasized that fact by bestowing upon 
 her a tender caress, while he whispered his joy that 
 the long-looked-for day had come at last. But the 
 roguish girl reminded him that he had really been 
 so precipitate in his lovemaking that it could not 
 have been long looked for, whereupon he responded
 
 176 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 in another salute, which she declared would compel 
 her to readjust her toilet for the ceremony. 
 
 Havard had been present in the Valley meeting- 
 house when William Walker and Sarah Wells 
 solemnized their nuptials. He remembered well the 
 sunny day in May in the midweek meeting, when the 
 congregation, sensibly increased by the knowledge 
 of the event, and numbering many not exactly of 
 Friends' faith and practice, gathered in the plain 
 structure built amid the rolling dales of the eastern 
 section of Chester County. 
 
 Quietly all sat in the simple benches; while 
 through the open windows came the fragrant scent 
 of spicewood and shrubs. The white blossoms of 
 the cherry trees were driven by occasional breezes 
 into the house of worship, and fell at the feet of the 
 waiting congregation, while the carolings of 
 feathered songsters furnished a natural music to the 
 place from which instruments of art and vocal har- 
 monies were alike banished. 
 
 Presently a subdued thrill passed through the 
 apparently impassive gathering, and William and 
 Sarah entered the room. How touching it was to 
 witness their demeanor as they bravely moved up 
 to the front seats and faced the company ! Happily 
 it was not staring eyes that met their own eyes 
 full of vulgar curiosity, determined to daunt the 
 timid bride and, if the truth were known, the equally 
 timid groom. Rarely did their eyes meet those of 
 any in the congregation ; for with becoming modesty 
 and reverence, the latter usually directed their gaze 
 to the floor ; but it was not in human nature not to
 
 WAR AND WEDDING 177 
 
 glance occasionally at the interesting pair, yet the 
 look was always so kindly and sympathetic that it 
 gave no umbrage when detected. 
 
 A comparatively long silence was at last broken 
 by a Friend in the elevated seats, who appeared in 
 supplication, the congregation standing while he 
 knelt. After another pause a visiting minister was 
 moved to preach upon the sweetness of fellowship, 
 and especially of the sacredness of the marriage 
 relation. No doubt the contagious inspiration of 
 the moment would have moved others to speak or 
 pray, but the young couple determined to terminate 
 the lesser ordeal by courageously confronting the 
 greater; and they arose, and, facing each other, 
 William took Sarah's hand, and said, "In the pres- 
 ence of the Lord, and this assembly, I take Sarah 
 Wells to be my wife, promising with divine assist- 
 ance to be unto her a loving and faithful husband, 
 until death shall separate us." 
 
 There was a silence that could be felt when he 
 concluded, and Sarah, copying the action, tremu- 
 lously but clearly responded, " In the presence of 
 the Lord, and this assembly, I take William Walker 
 to be my husband, promising by divine assistance 
 to be unto him a loving and faithful wife, until death 
 shall separate us." 
 
 Then a certificate was brought by the elders, 
 which was signed by the contracting parties, and 
 also by the majority of those who were present. 
 
 It seemed like a dream to-day, as Havard fancied 
 it enacted again. His feeling toward Ethel was 
 affected by the pathetic beauty of that simple cere-
 
 178 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 mony in the Valley; and, while he felt himself 
 scarcely equal to it, he almost longed for the privi- 
 lege of taking Ethel by the hand and in token of 
 his deep affection addressing her as William did 
 Sarah. 
 
 After a greeting from Mr. and Mrs. Thomson, 
 and Ethel's girl friend, Miss Polly Reed, who now 
 appeared, fresh from active but invisible duties, Ha- 
 vard was conscious that but a little while would 
 probably intervene before the arrival of the minister ; 
 and now a trifling uneasiness seized him lest some- 
 thing might detain him. But in ample time Mr. 
 Duche was seen through the window approaching 
 the house, and his knock was not required to admit 
 him. 
 
 Salutes followed, and after a brief chat the rector 
 discovered that all was ready, when, calling upon 
 the company to stand up, he proceeded to read the 
 marriage service of the Church of England. 
 
 Ethel was apparently entirely self-possessed, but 
 a regal air characterized her as she stood in the 
 center of the parlor. A strange nervousness took 
 possession of Havard, which he felt unable to con- 
 trol. Whether it was due to hyper-timidity, or to 
 the rector's manner in the service, cannot be said. 
 But when the groom repeated after the minister the 
 words of holy betrothal he took courage. The 
 prayer and the benediction were so reverent and 
 sympathetic in tone, that an actual spiritual gift 
 seemed to have been imparted by the rector, in 
 whom already was working that curious mysticism 
 which afterward became so marked a characteristic.
 
 WAR AND WEDDING 179 
 
 There were suggestions of tears in the eyes of 
 the little company of spectators, for joy as well as 
 sorrow has its times of weeping. And at the con- 
 clusion of the ceremony Ethel's mother was momen- 
 tarily overcome as she pressed her daughter to her 
 heart. Nor was it an unworthy sign that the bride 
 wept freely also. But smiles dissipated the momen- 
 tary sadness, and a freedom that was unknown dur- 
 ing the repressive period before and through the 
 service ensued, wherein all participated, and the final 
 arrangements of the feast were consummated. A 
 rather long wedding journey was still to be taken 
 by the happy couple, and it was expedient that delay 
 should not operate to their disadvantage, and 
 darkness augment the ordinary discomfort of 
 travel. 
 
 The rector remained to the wedding dinner, and, 
 though dignity was never wanting in his manner, 
 his naturalness of expression and cordiality con- 
 tributed to its enjoyment. Wit and humor were 
 -not lacking, and Havard's ideas of ministerial 
 character and habits underwent some change but 
 not at all to the detriment of the cloth. 
 
 Some expressions upon the part of both groom 
 and bride exhibited their desire to lose no time in 
 departure, and this fact induced a comparatively 
 early close of the pleasant meal. Ethel wished to 
 complete the journey before nightfall, because 
 of possible contact with the roving parties constantly 
 sent out by both armies. 
 
 In due time the bride was arrayed in traveling 
 costume, and the horses, with certain pieces of bag-
 
 180 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 gage attached, were brought to the door for the 
 wedded pair. 
 
 Farewells were spoken, not without emotion on 
 either side; and, amid good wishes and fervent 
 prayers for long life and happy relationship, the 
 horses' heads were turned out High Street, and the 
 clattering of their hoofs soon ceased in the hearing 
 of the little group that gazed after the pilgrims. 
 
 To avoid the army at the Gulph, the happy pair 
 kept the Lancaster road without change, until they 
 struck the Church road. The "Buck," the "Plough," 
 and the "Spread Eagle" displayed the usual quotas 
 of idlers, who stared at them, but, compared with an 
 encounter with the troops, the annoyance was slight. 
 Nightfall was but slightly advanced when they 
 reached Mount Joy, and received such a welcome as 
 only a solicitous mother can bestow upon her son 
 and his bride. 
 
 Ethel remarked upon the excellence of the supper 
 at which Mrs. Brown caused her to be seated. Deli- 
 cacy and thoughtfulness manifested so naturally 
 appealed to her gratitude, and augured well. The 
 tea was relished by both the travelers, the excite- 
 ment of the wedding being over, and the ride having 
 induced a substantial appetite. The trio lingered 
 long over the good cheer, for no duty pressed upon 
 them. Pleasant projects were discussed, and plans 
 for the future lightly and cheerfully dwelt upon : 
 and after they had forsaken the table, and gathered 
 by the blazing logs in the great fireplace, each built 
 in the bright flames that played about the burning 
 pile the castle in the air that was to be.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 FORTIFIED FAVOR 
 
 THE December honeymoon was rudely disturbed 
 before it was quite twenty-four hours old. Havard 
 and Ethel, in consultation about some minor adorn- 
 ments in the sitting room, were summoned by Mrs. 
 Brown to the front door, where she had observed a 
 squad of soldiers engaged, as she supposed, in tak- 
 ing down that guardian of privacy. But when Ha- 
 vard opened it he discovered that marks were simply 
 being put upon it, and the sergeant in charge 
 informed him that the American army was coming 
 forthwith to the vicinity of Mount Joy, and that 
 the various houses adjacent to it would be required 
 for the quarters of the general officers. In view of 
 the location of the artillery park, the Brown mansion 
 had been selected as the residence of General Knox, 
 the chief of that arm of the service. 
 
 Even a joyous bridegroom thwarted in his plans 
 may prove a philosopher, and we must give Havard 
 Brown the credit of having become an intelligent 
 patriot. Besides, whatever reluctance to entertain 
 military strangers was experienced by the Browns 
 was shared by the entire community, who were 
 decidedly averse to the presence of the army. To 
 those who favored the Colonial cause and many 
 were only lukewarm therein American occupation 
 
 i8t
 
 1 82 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 was preferable to British, but only as a matter of 
 sentiment; for the drain upon their resources was 
 heavier thus than when their supplies were pre- 
 empted by the redcoats, who gave in exchange 
 except in cases of recognized active "rebels" the 
 yellow coin of the English realm, which was vastly 
 superior in purchasing power to the flimsy parody 
 known as "Continental money." 
 
 An hour after sunrise on the eleventh of the 
 month the van of the Continental army took its 
 departure from its stronghold in the hills about the 
 Marsh. At Matson's Ford it crossed the Schuylkill, 
 and got into conflict with scouting parties of Corn- 
 wallis's advance which happened to be in the neigh- 
 borhood, and then retired to the east side, where it 
 was joined by the remainder of the troops that 
 struck their tents later in the day. 
 
 On the following day, in a severe snowstorm, the 
 army ascended the river to the Swedes' Ford, where 
 it prepared to cross upon thirty-six wagons backed 
 into the stream, and covered with a platform of 
 fence rails. All that night the uncertain bridge 
 shook under the tread of the slowly moving and 
 chilled patriots, and at sunrise they took up their 
 line of march for the nearby Gulph, whose important 
 pass it was desirable to fortify against the occupation 
 of the enemy. It was here where Havard saw them 
 on the last day but one of their stay, which covered 
 six days. On the road to the Gulph the prints of 
 bloody feet were discernible, and in several cases 
 men perished from exposure. 
 
 Now a ragged army came up the Gulph road,
 
 FORTIFIED FAVOR 183 
 
 divided, crossed the fields here and there, to places 
 arranged for by the engineers who had reconnoitered 
 the locality, and took post upon the elevated ground. 
 To the wondering eyes of the comparatively few 
 citizens who saw the unwonted sight it appeared as 
 though a swarm of mammoth bees had settled upon 
 the roads and the fields. The fences were taken 
 down, and the trampling of hundreds of men over 
 the most direct route to designated points speedily 
 converted the gray fields into highways. 
 
 But the elevations were mostly covered with 
 forests, and some of the trees were of noble girth 
 and height. Among the sturdy followers of Wash- 
 ington were men of considerable practice in clear- 
 ing land, and these attacked the trees in every direc- 
 tion, until hundreds of giants were prone upon the 
 ground. The Browns, with many others, groaned 
 at this consumption of the woods, but looked with 
 curiosity upon the progress of the work of fortify- 
 ing and hutting the soldiery. 
 
 For the moment, however, interest was trans- 
 ferred to the personal side, for before night the officer 
 whom they were involuntarily to entertain arrived 
 and took possession of his quarters. It was a stout, 
 compact man whom they saluted as General Knox. 
 Havard recollected to have heard, that he was 
 formerly a Boston bookseller, and had distinguished 
 himself as a volunteer at the engagement on Breed's 
 Hill. His movements and manner were essentially 
 those of a business man, and Havard was favorably 
 impressed with his methods of administration in 
 connection with his own command. There were
 
 184 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 frequent opportunities for conversation between the 
 general and his host, and the former was not averse 
 to speaking upon authors and their productions, and 
 thus conferred upon Havard some valuable favors. 
 
 The general's comparative youth was another 
 element which created a species of bond between 
 himself and his host, for he still lacked three years 
 of being thirty. His close relation to Washington, 
 who reposed an affectionate confidence in him, 
 was a circumstance that brought gratification to 
 Havard, who thereby enjoyed an occasional 
 glimpse of the illustrious commander-in-chief. 
 
 Far up on the southern slope of Mount Joy, fac- 
 ing the Brown mansion, the troops commenced a 
 long intrenchment. The hard picking in the stony 
 soil, though very wearisome, had at least the bene- 
 ficial effect of keeping the workmen warm while 
 engaged in it; for the intense cold was already 
 unfavorably affecting them. Their toil continued 
 until, in an unbroken line, several thousand feet of 
 embankment stretched away to the eastward and 
 northward. 
 
 Below, in front of the western portion, lay Wood- 
 ford's Virginians. Farther to the east was a 
 redoubt named after the commanding general, while 
 across the Church road, on an eminence well suited 
 to the control of the adjacent country, though not 
 so high as Mount Joy, another line of intrenchments 
 extended toward the river, at a point two and a half 
 miles below the Forge. Scott and Wayne and Poor 
 lay upon this rising ground, while beyond them 
 Glover, Learned, Patterson, Weedon, and Muhlen-
 
 FORTIFIED FAVOR 185 
 
 berg held the line of resistance to the encroachment 
 of the British. Knox's artillery was stationed a 
 little to the west of the Gulph road, while the 
 remainder of the troops found positions on the road 
 parallel with the river, commanding Fatland Ford. 
 
 The hutting of the troops proceeded as rapidly as 
 possible. Havard learned some lessons from the 
 ingenuity of these crude architects. Each hut was 
 fourteen by sixteen feet, and was made of logs, 
 those of the roof being closed with split slabs. The 
 sides were made more compact with clay, and a fire- 
 place was provided of wood covered with clay. The 
 slab door fronted the street. In the rear of the huts 
 of the private soldiers were those of the officers. The 
 population of a hut of the rank and file consisted of 
 a round dozen men. 
 
 The generous chieftain called so providentially 
 to the command of the army was touched by the 
 sufferings of his men, and exhibited his sympathy 
 by pitching his tent beneath a fine oak in the vicinity 
 of the artillery, where he remained until the hutting 
 was accomplished, when he requested that the Potts 
 mansion be granted him for general headquarters. 
 
 It was some time before Havard's desire to see 
 the entire cordon of the encampment was gratified, 
 for a great snow fell upon the land, and those who 
 had no urgent business to call them from their 
 homes were only too glad to remain there in snug 
 comfort. Havard was returning one day from an 
 errand some distance up the river, when light flakes 
 dropped from the leaden clouds that canopied the 
 hills and river, and soon the feathery messengers
 
 1 86 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 fell in myriads. By the time he reached Valley 
 Creek the ground was white, and on the limbs of 
 the leafless trees was a thick and increasing stratum 
 of snow. The rare beauty of the winter scenery 
 struck Havard anew as he turned up the little stream 
 and saw the falling host outlined against the back- 
 ground of the hills on both its sides. At the bend 
 near the site of the burnt forge the ravine was 
 imposing in its winter dress, and the soft rustle of 
 the vapory particles, as they fell upon leaf or bush, 
 added to the impressiveness of the scene. Faster and 
 faster they were scattered by the invisible reservoirs 
 of the upper air, and the forms of the sentinels, as 
 they paced their beats at the foot of Mount Joy, along 
 the creek road, were only dimly visible at even a 
 little distance. The picture was one that Havard 
 long remembered, for many a slumber in after years 
 was obtruded upon by penumbral figures, bearing 
 muskets, pacing wearily back and forth in the 
 recesses of the ravine. 
 
 The snowfall continued until the country was 
 immaculate in a bridal dress. The forests were full, 
 the few roads the country knew were filled, and the 
 roofs of the houses and barns that dotted the locality 
 were groaning under white burdens. Anon the 
 sun came out of his cloudy bed, and the effect of 
 his golden beams upon the snowy hills and vales 
 was bewitching. 
 
 But the privations of the soldiers could not be 
 concealed by aesthetics in either nature or art, and 
 the hard times of the encampment waxed worse. 
 Both food and clothing were very scarce, and it
 
 FORTIFIED FAVOR 187 
 
 .hilled Havard to the heart to see sentinels scantily 
 clad, with feet wrapped in rags, patrolling their 
 stations of duty. But he saw many such sights. 
 
 It was a splendid struggle in which these worthy 
 souls endured during the long and severe winter. 
 But human nature exhibited its propensities at 
 times, and men wandered away in all directions in 
 the search after food. Some of them roamed for 
 miles around, often in danger from foraging parties 
 of the British. The hospitable home of the Neilleys, 
 in the glen near Peggy Hambleton's, entertained 
 many a half-starved soldier with the best it could 
 afford, which was usually a large platter of boiled 
 mush, served in the cellar upon a great rock that 
 had not been excavated from its position. Here, 
 secure from curious eyes, the nearly famished strag- 
 glers ate for once to repletion and blessed the kind 
 hearts of the donors for their practical sympathy. 
 
 "Ethel," said Havard one afternoon, "do you 
 remember that young fellow we saw gunning when 
 we rode into town after the burning of your uncle's 
 house?" 
 
 "Do you mean the one who shot a rabbit in the 
 road?" 
 
 "Yes, young Beaver, the crack shot." 
 
 "O, yes, I recollect him very well; he seemed a 
 very slender young man." 
 
 "Well, he's in trouble now, because he shot a 
 soldier this morning." 
 
 "Shot a soldier! Why, is he British in his 
 affiliations?" 
 
 "No, his family sympathize with the Colonies;
 
 1 88 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 but the soldiers have been very troublesome over at 
 his home, especially in milking the cows, and to-day 
 Dewalt shot one, who was caught at the job." 
 
 "What will be done with him? Surely it will 
 go hard with him !" 
 
 "There is very little chance for him unless his 
 story be believed. When the soldiers got so trouble- 
 some he went to see General Wayne over at 
 Walker's, who said, "Why don't you shoot the ras- 
 cals? The next time they bother you, give them a 
 bullet !" To-day Dewalt saw a man milking theirfine 
 old Brindle, and he leveled his musket at him and 
 killed him. He thought, when he fired, that it was a 
 strange soldier, but he found that it was the very 
 sentinel himself. This man, too, it seems, slyly 
 helped himself to anything he could get to eat, and 
 while Dewalt's father was very sick, and Dewalt 
 waiting on him, the fellow thought he would take 
 advantage of their absence to refresh himself, and 
 then this dreadful thing happened. If Wayne 
 remembers that he told him to shoot it may turn 
 out all right, 1 but it must shock him very much, 
 anyway." 
 
 Ethel had not yet visited the Potts house. One 
 day, when it became feasible to take a short trip 
 about the country, Havard took her on the pillion 
 of his saddle, and they rode up to the pleasant stone 
 mansion in which the general of the American 
 armies found shelter during the dreary winter of 
 1777-78. With innate delicacy they refrained from 
 any undue exhibition of curiosity, and yet Ethel 
 
 1 He was exonerated, but with a heavy fine.
 
 FORTIFIED FAVOR 189 
 
 took care to secure as good a view of the premises 
 as a hasty glance could encompass. But an 
 unlooked-for incident occurred. 
 
 Pacing up and down before the front door was a 
 sentinel, whose face indicated that hunger and cold 
 were preying upon him. Evidently the commander- 
 in-chief had noticed his pitiful pallor, for the door 
 opened and he approached the soldier, who, recog- 
 nizing the person, halted and saluted. 
 
 "My man," said a full, mature, and sympathetic 
 voice, that clearly reached the ears of both Havard 
 and Ethel, "you look very cold and uncomfortable; 
 have you had your breakfast?" 
 
 "No, sir, your excellency," responded the sentinel, 
 very much embarrassed, and scarcely knowing what 
 to say; "no, sir, General that is, not since yester- 
 day morning." 
 
 "My poor fellow, this is too bad too bad 
 entirely," groaned the kind-hearted chieftain ; then, 
 smiling he continued : "You must do me the honor 
 to breakfast at my table. I have no doubt that there 
 is something that the cook can furnish you, although 
 I could wish to offer my brave men much better 
 fare." 
 
 The bewildered soldier protested that he would 
 be overwhelmed with such attention, and that he 
 could not think of intruding in the house; but the 
 general insisted, and when the man, driven to his 
 last recourse, explained that he must not leave his 
 post without a representative, the great leader of 
 the Continental armies stepped into the house, put 
 on his army cape and chapeau, and upon emerging
 
 190 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 relieved the sentinel of his gun, and, bidding him 
 warm himself thoroughly before coming back from 
 his breakfast, began to walk back and forth with a 
 military bearing and precision that would have won 
 applause from a martinet. 
 
 The unwonted sight profoundly touched Havard 
 and brought tears to the eyes of his wife. They were 
 lingering near, feeling awkward, and not knowing 
 whether to precipitately retire or utter some word of 
 respect. The general must have divined their state 
 of mind, for, raising his chapeau, he saluted the 
 young lady gravely, and then most engagingly bade 
 her and her companion "Good morning." The ice 
 being broken, Havard came forward and begged the 
 favor of introducing himself and his wife to the 
 general. As he had mentioned his name, the latter 
 said: 
 
 "You forget, Mr. Brown, that the lady is under 
 all circumstances the person to whom the greater 
 respect is to be shown, and that gentlemen, when 
 privileged, are to be introduced to her. I shall be 
 highly favored if you will present me to Mrs. 
 Brown." 
 
 The simple-hearted farmer was so completely 
 embarrassed that he could only stammer some feeble 
 words of introduction; but Washington politely 
 ignored his helpless blundering, and entered with 
 freedom upon his usual charming vein when in con- 
 versation with the fair sex. Whether he saw in 
 Ethel some faint reflection of the "lowland beauty" 
 whom he had admired in his youthful days we can- 
 not tell, but his address was pleasing. To Havard's
 
 FORTIFIED FAVOR 191 
 
 astonishment he discovered that his name was not 
 unknown to the general, who distinctly spoke in 
 appreciation of the service he had rendered in 
 securing valuable information in the camp of 
 Knyphausen, and in the removal of the stores ; which 
 led him to believe that the general-in-chief knew 
 much more about the minor operations of the army 
 than he could have supposed possible. 
 
 Presently, warmed and filled after the scriptural 
 fashion, the sentinel reappeared, gratitude swim- 
 ming in his eyes, and a ruddier glow tingeing 
 his cheeks than he had displayed for several weeks. 
 He seemed too affected to utter his thanks, but 
 Washington anticipated his expressions and turned 
 the tide of feeling by humorously bestowing upon 
 him his weapon of war. 
 
 Then, turning to his new acquaintances, the 
 general remarked that he would be pleased to have 
 them call upon Mrs. Washington when she came 
 to share the comforts of his winter home; and 
 though he smiled at the allusion it was not cynically, 
 for his appreciation of the provision made by the 
 Pottses was sincere. Learning, in response to his 
 inquiries, that they would be glad to take a little 
 tour of inspection down the river road, he begged 
 to be excused for a moment, and very shortly 
 reappeared bearing a pass. Then, again raising his 
 military hat, he bade them adieu. 
 
 As there was plenty of time at their disposal for 
 such a trip, the pair rode slowly up the hill, and, 
 after passing the turn at the Gulph road, saw on 
 the right the troops of Mclntosh's Georgia brigade.
 
 192 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Down the Gulph road could be discerned Conway's 
 Pennsylvanians, while over to the left, close to the 
 river, was Washington's body-guard. 
 
 Farther down the road, on the brow of the hill, 
 was stretched the inner line of intrenchments ; the 
 "Star Redoubt," or "Fort Platt," stood exactly in 
 the highway, and beyond it to the right was a sub- 
 stantial redoubt known as "Fort Huntingdon." To 
 the left lay Sullivan, and preparations were already 
 making under that general's supervision for a 
 bridge across the Schuylkill. After crossing the 
 military street that led down to the river, Varnum's 
 Rhode Islanders were encountered, on the right. 
 A row of huts for officers was next seen on the left, 
 and from these high grounds the general arrange- 
 ment of the camp ground could easily be distin- 
 guished the only obstacle in any case being the 
 thick growth of trees. 
 
 Altogether, even to a civilian's eye, the ground 
 had been well selected to protect an army from 
 attack. The supine Howe was not likely to bestir 
 himself to assault such hills of forest and stone ; but 
 the grip of winter was upon the devoted army, and 
 there were already entertained serious questions of a 
 successful combat with the bleak winds, the depleted 
 larder, and the lack of clothing and shoes. 
 
 The ice-locked river, covered with snow, lay like 
 a winding sheet in the soft white landscape, its 
 beautiful curves refining the scenery of the deep 
 hills that bordered it. Hillocks here and there, 
 knolls and knobs, and little vales, diversified the 
 view, and over all was spread the ermine robe of a
 
 FORTIFIED FAVOR 193 
 
 princess. The effect of the sunshine was fascinating, 
 and every tree and bush seemed arrayed in a sort 
 of Christmas holiday attire. And yet the tenantry 
 of the hills by armed men, who had sprung up as 
 if by magic, like the host from the dragon's teeth 
 sown by Cadmus, imparted to it all a novel appear- 
 ance that completely transformed the rural neigh- 
 borhood. 
 
 While still traveling eastward the pair met a 
 guard who was a resident of the Valley and an 
 acquaintance, who informed Havard that General 
 Varnum's headquarters were at David Stephens's, 
 General Huntingdon's at Maurice Stephens's, and 
 General Muhlenberg's at Moore's, beyond the 
 redoubt known as "Moore's Fort" ; while the com- 
 missary-general occupied a house on Mordecai 
 Moore's farm, somewhat in front of "Fort Folly" 
 a redoubt at the east end of the outer line of intrench- 
 ments. 
 
 It was a fruitful and invigorating ride, and as 
 Havard turned his horse's head homeward he felt 
 that his scope of military knowledge was widened. 
 His return was by a shorter route, that took him 
 past the artillery park, where Ethel received the 
 salute of General Knox, who was inspecting the 
 arrangement of the guns. He also noted the strong 
 commanding position of "Fort Washington," and 
 the almost impregnable line far above, where no 
 phalanx would be apt to venture in the teeth of can- 
 non and a well-directed musketry fire.
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 THE HUMDRUM OF HONOR 
 
 CHRISTMAS DAY, 1777, possessed few externals 
 with which to cheer the hearts of the men of Valley 
 Forge. The wretched condition of the commissary, 
 the dearth of clothing suited to the rigor of the sea- 
 son, together with the dreary mental atmosphere, put 
 to the severest test the faithful followers of the star 
 of liberty now, alas ! of such faint magnitude. And 
 yet hogsheads of shoes, socks, and warm garments 
 were spoiling in various localities for lack of teams, 
 or money to provide transportation. 
 
 Upon the commander-in-chief fell even a deeper 
 shadow than that which obscured the cold huts of 
 the common soldiers. Their faith in their general 
 was still unshaken, although their miseries were 
 great. But upon him rested the accumulated 
 burdens of the campaign, and in addition the bitter- 
 ness of the knowledge of a shameful conspiracy. 
 The "Conway Cabal" was tugging away at his 
 great heart like a cancer; yet, notwithstanding its 
 attempt upon his reputation and position, he stood 
 firm in the performance of his duty to his bleeding 
 country. 
 
 Although he was well aware that Gates's victory at 
 Saratoga would strengthen the hands of the abettors 
 of the mischievous scheme to supplant him in rank, 
 
 194
 
 THE HUMDRUM OF HONOR 195 
 
 his manner upon learning the glorious tidings was 
 described by Colonel Timothy Pickering as "ecstat- 
 ic." The quivering of his lips, the failure of his 
 utterance, the clasping of his hands, and his upward 
 gaze indicated his powerful feeling of joy at the 
 moment, and exhibited the patriot in all his moral 
 grandeur. 
 
 But the shadows had deepened, and in the gigan- 
 tic struggle with fate Washington's soul was har- 
 rowed with anxiety. He might have relieved him- 
 self of much of his load by resigning his military 
 position, but he knew that the peril of his country 
 would only be increased thereby. And in the full 
 knowledge of the contemptuous words that were 
 spoken and the scornful letters that were written 
 about him he bore and forbore in a fashion that 
 constitutes one of the brightest gems in the crown 
 awarded him by posterity. 
 
 Havard Brown called one day at Isaac Potts's 
 to borrow a crowbar, and was obliged to wait for 
 the householder's appearance. When he came in 
 he appeared greatly agitated, and for a few moments 
 could scarcely speak. But, controlling his emotions 
 with some effort, he responded to the anxious 
 inquiries of his wife: 
 
 "Thee knows I went up the creek to get some 
 wood piled on the hill across from the forge. Thee 
 knows, too, that the rotten oak fell across the creek 
 last week. I thought I would go around that way 
 and see about cutting it up for firewood, but when 
 I turned aside into the grove by the stream I was 
 startled by a voice speaking in a different way from
 
 196 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 that used by people in conversing. I could not tell 
 the words, and, wondering what it meant, I went 
 farther in its direction until I heard someone say, 
 'It is by Thy strength alone that this great work can 
 be wrought, and the liberty of Thy people brought 
 to pass. Thou knowest that I am unable to lead 
 them out of bondage into happiness and peace, and 
 that enemies are risen up against me such as breathe 
 out cruelty.' I went still farther toward the spot 
 whence the voice appeared to proceed, and soon I 
 observed, deep in the woods, the kneeling form of 
 our guest. I could see that he was in tears, and that 
 he shook as if his burden were too great to be borne. 
 His voice trembled, and indeed I thought he would 
 be overcome." 
 
 The good Mrs. Potts caught the contagion of her 
 husband's emotion. Her pious soul a few years 
 earlier had been made to rejoice at her husband's 
 awakening interest in religion. He had gone with 
 a funeral party to bury one of his slaves, and while 
 all were collected around the grave he was strangely 
 moved of the Spirit to utter warning words to the 
 little group. This was all the more remarkable 
 because until that time, although much esteemed 
 for his kind, social qualities, he had been reticent 
 upon spiritual matters. 
 
 Isaac Potts had not yet completed his remark. 
 Heretofore he had been strenuously opposed to the 
 contention for independence, and especially to its 
 martial features; but now, while still deprecating 
 armed resistance to the mother country, he had been 
 convinced by the pious fervor of the commander-in-
 
 THE HUMDRUM OF HONOR 197 
 
 chief that his cause was righteous; and he was led 
 to say, "I am now firmly persuaded that George 
 Washington is a good and great man, and that the 
 interest he represents is just. I cannot doubt that 
 he will prevail against his enemies, and that heaven 
 will answer his prayer, and bless this distracted land 
 with liberty and peace." 
 
 It was reserved for this young man for he was 
 now only twenty-seven years old to speak upon the 
 character of Washington in the Friends' meeting 
 at Philadelphia, when the news was received that 
 that preeminent patriot had passed away. 
 
 As the winter grew an unwelcome subject 
 attracted the attention of the young bridegroom. 
 It lay, originally, the merest penumbra upon his 
 thoughts; yet, slight though it was, it refused to 
 remove, and remained an intangible yet realistic 
 dream or illusion. Exceedingly vague in the begin- 
 ning, it became intensified, if slowly, yet surely, and 
 though sometimes lessening indeed, often almost 
 vanishing nevertheless gathering substance and 
 body, until it became positively painful to entertain. 
 
 The original hesitancy attending Havard's court- 
 ship, and the uneasiness associated with his thought 
 of Frances Jones, have already been noticed. It was 
 honor rather than love that produced this vacillation 
 at least Havard imagined so. The obtruding 
 unpleasantness at that time ensued from the fancied 
 twinges of conscience at permitting Frances to cher- 
 ish the view that his affection for her was more 
 than that of mere friendship, and that honor 
 required an offer of himself to her. But he had
 
 198 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 succeeded, at least for a season, in satisfying the 
 arguments advanced by his troublesome monitor, 
 and the flattering result of his siege of Ethel's 
 heart had dimmed his vision to the obtruding 
 element. 
 
 The serious feature in the present case was Ha- 
 vard's growing suspicion that he had been mistaken 
 in the gauge of his own feelings. Struggle against 
 it though he might, he came again and again to the 
 verge of the disagreeable conviction. Nor could he 
 explain it to himself. It humiliated him to impeach 
 himself of criticising his wife. She retained prob- 
 ably as much personal charm in his eyes as ever, 
 nevertheless there was somewhere a lack, which, 
 while it might not be exactly defined, constituted a 
 genuine deprivation. 
 
 Perhaps no word could better express the state 
 of mind thus developing in the young groom than 
 the simple but significant one of "disappointment!" 
 
 It was not a sudden revelation, but the slow 
 growth of an impression so delicate as to be almost 
 impalpable. And it was only after much ebb and 
 flow of thought and feeling, the waves slightly but 
 steadily encroaching higher upon the beach, that 
 Havard became unable to shake it off. He was 
 puzzled to understand himself, and began a merci- 
 less inquisition of motive, the result of which was 
 generally uncomplimentary to himself; but still the 
 strong though indefinable feeling developed stead- 
 ily toward maturity. 
 
 There was one circumstance for which he now 
 blamed himself unmistakably the haste with which
 
 THE HUMDRUM OF HONOR 199 
 
 he had brought the affair of the heart to a con- 
 clusion. He could now perceive, and rightly value, 
 the advantage of an extended season of reflection 
 before making a declaration of love ; and his cheeks 
 burned at the recollection that Ethel had hesitated 
 and recommended a longer delay. He was forced 
 to confess to himself that she was really the wiser 
 of the two, and that time is imperatively necessary 
 to permit us to become acquainted with ourselves, 
 to say nothing of others. 
 
 By one of those curious intuitions which are quite 
 unaccountable, Havard suspected that his mother 
 was privy to his thoughts. He did not know how, 
 but he would have needed to be an adept in disguise 
 to prevent his mobile face from proclaiming his 
 secrets. He was not aware that the deepening 
 penumbra had settled on his countenance. As for 
 Ethel, she found in the society of Mrs. Knox, who 
 had come to share camp life with her husband, so 
 much solace for her deprivation of city experience 
 that her vision was dulled to anything strange in 
 the manner of her husband. 
 
 Ethel had intelligently anticipated something like 
 monotony in the rural surroundings that offered in 
 connection with her approaching wedding; but she 
 hoped that Havard could be aroused to more interest 
 in society, and that certain compensating pleasures 
 would come to her in exchange for the loss of 
 prized conveniences especially in the recreations 
 of the open summer season. While, however, the 
 presence of the army imposed some restrictions, 
 Ethel's inclinations found a larger gratification in
 
 2OO VALLEY FORGE 
 
 the social privileges growing out of the establish- 
 ment of various headquarters in the houses nearby. 
 
 The interchange of visits upon the part of the 
 general officers and their staffs gradually made Ethel 
 acquainted with quite a number of the gentlemen 
 and their wives, and also with the ladies in the 
 families of those who entertained them. Two 
 homes within comparatively close reach furnished 
 unusual attractions. The first was that of the Rev. 
 William Currie, a half mile or more across the 
 creek, and lying on the hillside. 
 
 The learned and venerable rector, who was of 
 Scottish birth and a graduate of the University of 
 Glasgow, was highly esteemed for his fidelity to 
 clerical duty. But for a year and a half he had 
 ceased to sustain a direct pastoral relation to the 
 people at Radnor, Saint Peter's and Saint James's, 
 because of his unwillingness to omit prayers for the 
 king, upon which his congregation insisted. He 
 already had attained fourscore years, but was des- 
 tined to complete another decade of service. He 
 died aged ninety-three years. 
 
 There was something fascinating about the house 
 itself, with its great fireplaces and immense chim- 
 neys, the two pairs of stairs one in each end for 
 the accommodation of two families, the odd style 
 of window in the western gable, and the quaint little 
 panes of glass. The stout oak floors also witnessed 
 to the substantialness of the dwelling, while the 
 spring-house in the rear, the bakehouse, and the 
 barn in front strengthened the impression of con- 
 venience and plenty.
 
 THE HUMDRUM OF HONOR 201 
 
 The hospitalities of the house were dispensed by 
 the rector's granddaughter, Margaret Currie 
 Walker, who, being the grandmece of two signers 
 of the Declaration of Independence, was, as might 
 have been expected, an ardent well-wisher of the 
 American cause. But she still maintained her love 
 for the ancient service of the Church of England, 
 and related with much piquancy how her husband, 
 Thomas Walker, was disciplined by the Society of 
 Friends for marrying her. 
 
 Ethel became sincerely attached to Mrs. Walker ; 
 and the ex-rector's fund of conversation was 
 instructive and entertaining. But his spirit was 
 saddened by the illness and death, in February, of 
 his second wife, whom he laid at rest in the church- 
 yard of Saint David's. 
 
 Lord Stirling had taken up his quarters here, and 
 this nobleman's wife, a daughter of Philip Living- 
 ston, of New York, added materially to the social 
 circle. The patriotism of the general was marked, 
 and he had resigned his claims to the peerage to 
 serve his country. His record in Shirley's campaigns 
 in the French and Indian war was shining, and his 
 exploits in the revolt against the mother country 
 extended his reputation. Notwithstanding the dif- 
 ference in their political views, the man of war and 
 the man of peace enjoyed their lengthy chats. 
 
 The other home to which we have referred was 
 situated on the same side of the creek with that of 
 Havard Brown, and belonged to his second cousin, 
 Samuel Havard. A winding road led up to the 
 house, which stood on a knoll overlooking the creek.
 
 202 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Chimney and fireplace resembled those of the Currie 
 house. To look through its rear windows upon the 
 pretty stream flowing through the meadow was 
 much enjoyed by Ethel. 
 
 Two adjoining rooms on the first floor were 
 monopolized by that youthful general, the Marquis 
 de Lafayette, whom Cornwallis contemptuously 
 styled "the boy." His staff shared with him the 
 shelter of the stout walls against the boreal blasts 
 of the dispiriting winter. But the general was not a 
 constant resident of the house. He had received 
 some lay surgical treatment at Abijah Stephens's, 
 and afterward he was summoned a way upon a manu- 
 factured mission by the designing plotters of the 
 "Cabal," who hoped to use him for their own base 
 ends by weaning him from Washington. Here, 
 too, congregated the foreigners who served in the 
 army; the attraction naturally arising from greater 
 familiarity of language being emphasized by the 
 unpleasant circumstance that some of the native 
 officers regarded them with coldness and suspicion. 
 In due season General Duportail, Count Pulaski, and 
 the Barons De Kalb and Steuben paid their respects 
 in this same home to the young Marquis. 
 
 To Havard Brown's inexperienced eye the state 
 of discipline in the army was not only depressing 
 but alarming. Besides, rust covered the arms of 
 the soldiers, fully half of the muskets being without 
 bayonets, and many of them could not have been 
 discharged. All the accouterments were in shocking 
 condition, and under other circumstances the appear- 
 ance of the troops would have excited ridicule.
 
 THE HUMDRUM OF HONOR 203 
 
 Havarcl was first made aware of the arrival of 
 Baron Steuben, and of his rank, by seeing him fac- 
 ing the troops in the drill, which proceeded from 
 early morning until night, without intermission, dur- 
 ing all the weeks succeeding his coming. It was up 
 on the high, level ground beyond the Star Redoubt, 
 and near the officers' huts. 
 
 It was the peculiar language of the inspector- 
 general for such was Steuben's appointment that 
 drew Havard's attention to the drill. Looking up, 
 he noticed the motley ranks standing at "attention." 
 Uniforms they had none indeed, it might be said 
 that clothing some of them had none, for they were 
 almost literally naked. A few of the officers had 
 coats, in which all colors were represented. Even 
 on grand parade officers were glad to have a rude 
 gown constructed of ancient blankets or bed covers. 
 
 The poor privates were variously supplied with 
 firearms; some had muskets, some shotguns, some 
 rifles, and some carbines. Many had tin boxes in 
 place of the usual pouches, and some had powder 
 horns. 
 
 The baron, who was not yet fifty, was full of 
 energy, and proved extremely efficient. But this 
 Prussian drillmaster was irascible, and the awk- 
 ward attempts of the soldiers to obey his com- 
 mands excited him to such a degree that he could 
 hardly control his rage. It was very difficult to 
 understand his orders, for his knowledge of English 
 was almost nil; yet he seemed to expect that his 
 wishes would be intuitively comprehended. Since 
 they were not, his disappointment found vent in
 
 2O4 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 expletives of extraordinary range and vehemence, 
 and this it was that startled Havard. The men were 
 bewildered by his anger ; and their stupidity, as the 
 baron termed it, waxed greater rather than less, until 
 the indignant man, in sheer inability to swear any 
 more, begged one of his staff to procure someone 
 who could employ the code of cursing more 
 effectually ! 
 
 But this was the greatest of his infirmities. His 
 work soon told in the discipline of the ragged army. 
 Rising before daylight, making a careful toilet, 
 and refreshing himself with a single cup of coffee, 
 it was his habit to mount his horse before sunrise, 
 when he expected to meet his men. And in every 
 battle that followed these long weeks of tiresome 
 repetition of the manual of arms, never again did 
 his disciples of the drill lose a battle in which their 
 numbers were equal to those of the enemy ! 
 
 Havard was interested at the same time in the 
 building of the bridge across the Schuylkill. 
 Sullivan's men lay between Fatland Ford and Isaac 
 Potts's, and his New Englanders were called upon 
 to span the river. Piers were placed in the stream 
 at regular intervals; and on these were stretched 
 pieces of timber that supported the slab flooring. 
 Wooden pins fastened the whole. When the bridge 
 was finished, in the spring, a number of the resi- 
 dents were invited to walk over it with the 
 officers who examined it. Havard heard David 
 Stephens telling General Sullivan that the first 
 freshet would carry it away, and, sure enough, not- 
 withstanding the general's indignant denial of the
 
 THE HUMDRUM OF HONOR 205 
 
 possibility of such a circumstance, the breaking up 
 of the ice in the river in the early spring of 1779 
 resulted in the sweeping off of all the material rest- 
 ing on the top of the piers. 
 
 The particular social event of the season was the 
 arrival, early in February, of Mrs. Washington. 
 Cheerfully she wrote to her friends of the discom- 
 forts of army life, and naively acknowledged her 
 satisfaction with the log addition to the house, built 
 by the general's orders, to provide a "dining room." 
 It was a great day at the Browns' when she accom- 
 panied her husband to call upon Mrs. Knox, for 
 they too, were included in the simple sociability of 
 the occasion. 
 
 Upon several Sabbaths the distinguished couple 
 rode over to Saint David's, and sat in the little room 
 afterward to be made famous by the pen of Long- 
 fellow. The cheery mistress of Mount Vernon 
 insisted upon climbing the exterior staircase, to see 
 the arrangement of the gallery, which could not be 
 entered from the inside of the building. 
 
 As if there were not enough variety in the novel 
 state of affairs about the burnt forge, Havard 
 experienced a curious rencontre one dark evening, 
 while on his way to the headquarters of Dr. 
 Jonathan Potts, the medical director of the army. 
 Mrs. Knox had suffered during the day with severe 
 pains in her head, but felt unwilling to disturb the 
 physician, whose labors were known to be exacting. 
 But when bedtime was near her spasms of pain 
 increased to such an extent that she consented to 
 have the doctor summoned. It was the general's
 
 206 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 purpose to dispatch an aid, but Havard's greater 
 familiarity with the roads on so obscure a night 
 caused his ready proffer to be accepted; and he at 
 once set out for the chief hospital, where the doctor 
 was believed to be. 
 
 A singular presentiment took possession of him 
 as he prepared to leave the house. His greatcoat 
 hung in the kitchen, and, as he put it on, and faced 
 the window opening upon the yard, he recollected 
 how he had once seen through it the face of Will 
 Tryon. So powerful was the impression made at 
 that time, and so keenly did he remember it, that he 
 now seemed to see with the utmost clearness, 
 through the very same pane, the face of that dis- 
 turber of the peace. 
 
 He also fancied, as he halted a moment by the 
 horse block, and looked up at the threatening sky, 
 that he heard the tramping of feet in the dry leaves 
 which were gathered in a pile in the barnyard, to be 
 used as bedding for the cattle. This, too, however, 
 was attributed to the influence of the night and of 
 recollections. 
 
 Havard found the doctor, after successfully pass- 
 ing the guards, and delivered the message of the 
 general's wife. The worthy Galen, a brother of the 
 owner of the general headquarters, responded at 
 once to the call, and accompanied the young man 
 home. 
 
 On the way Dr. Potts startled Havard with the 
 information that of the eleven thousand troops in 
 the encampment few more than five thousand were 
 fit for duty, and that if Howe had a tithe of Wash-
 
 THE HUMDRUM OF HONOR 207 
 
 ington's courage and persistence the issue of an 
 attack could scarcely be doubtful. The communi- 
 cation was made in a whisper. 
 
 In the same low tone he continued: "We have 
 hundreds sick of smallpox at this moment in the 
 eleven hospitals we are using; nothing can be done 
 to prevent the spread of this loathsome disease 
 but perhaps" and the doctor chuckled with the 
 careless ease of a man who is familiar with dangers 
 "Howe would not like to tackle us." 
 
 "Who comes there?" rang out the call from a 
 sentinel, who could not have seen or heard their 
 approach. Evidently there was someone else abroad 
 that dark and lowering night. Havard heard the 
 response, which he recognized as coming from 
 Colonel Dewees, who had been absent from the 
 vicinity so long as to have excited his wonder. 
 
 Pressing forward, Havard revealed himself to the 
 colonel, who begged pardon of the doctor for 
 whispering to his friend, and then informed Havard 
 that he had been engaged in secret service of which 
 he might not speak in general, but now was looking 
 up matters relating to Will Tryon. Havard 
 involuntarily started, and told of his strange 
 impression earlier in the evening. The colonel felt 
 convinced that it was not an hallucination, for he 
 had strong reason to believe that Tryon had come 
 into the neighborhood recently, by stealth. His 
 house had been closed for some time, and his where- 
 abouts were unknown, but a straw or two indicated 
 his harboring in the vicinity. 
 
 "By the way, Havard," remarked the colonel, "I
 
 208 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 guess you remember our little talk about the stores 
 at Hammer Hollow. I got them off the other day 
 so nicely that not even Tryon could have smelled a 
 mouse. Not a soul but the picked men I took with 
 me was about, and nobody could guess where the 
 wagons were loaded. You wouldn't have known 
 me, I'm sure. If ever we need a secret place for 
 stores again we can use the quiet old Hollow." 
 
 Cautioning Havard not to mention his presence to 
 anyone, the colonel bade the two gentlemen good- 
 night, and they proceeded to the house, where, after 
 an examination, the physician administered some 
 medicine, which in another half hour brought relief 
 to his patient. Then, refusing the escort which Ha- 
 vard tendered, he returned to his quarters to seek a 
 little rest ere the incessant duties of the hospital 
 again drew upon his energies.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 A HORSE WORTHY OF A KINGDOM 
 
 As Mrs. Knox was decidedly better in the morn- 
 ing, Havard determined to ride over to Abijah 
 Bartram's, near Newtown Square, stopping by the 
 way at a picket post commanded by Captain Harry 
 Lee, about a mile south of Peggy's corner, estab- 
 lished in the substantial stone house of John Scott. 
 Soon Saladin and his master were threading their 
 way thither. When within a half mile of the post 
 Havard was halted by a sentinel stationed under a 
 gigantic oak at the foot of a hill. But soon he was 
 in the presence of the captain of light horse. 
 
 The civilian's fidelity to the Continental cause had 
 been so well attested by his service upon more than 
 one critical occasion that Lee did not hesitate to 
 inform him of his own latest military performances. 
 He had been engaged in cutting off British foraging 
 parties, and had been quite successful in securing 
 army supplies that had cost the redcoats considerable 
 pains to gather together. This was a serious disad- 
 vantage to Howe, and the captain remarked humor- 
 ously that "he supposed the British would be in 
 his wool one of these days," as a checkmate to his 
 annoying interference. His force at present was 
 very small, and he had dispatched the quartermaster 
 and several men to collect forage, which was not 
 
 209
 
 2io VALLEY FORGE 
 
 easy to procure in a country that was necessarily 
 despoiled by both the contending armies. The 
 quartermaster's detachment had gone down toward 
 Newtown, which was believed to be freed from the 
 impressments of Howe. "But," observed Captain 
 Lee, "you know, Mr. Brown, we must always be 
 upon the lookout for the enemy, who may pounce 
 upon us before we are aware of his nearness." 
 
 Captain Lee invited Havard to share a soldier's 
 fare with him, intimating that it would not be 
 luxurious, but his visitor declined the hospitality, 
 declaring that he must push on toward Newtown. 
 Suiting the action to the word, he bade the young 
 officer good-bye, and in a few minutes had made a 
 circuit of the knob to the west of the house, and 
 faced again to the south. 
 
 At the "Square" Havard naturally let his eye rest 
 upon the public house known as "Pratt's," where 
 travelers found entertainment. It had been the 
 home, for several of his childhood years, of a young 
 man named Benjamin West, who, it was intimated 
 in the news received from England, was gaining 
 high reputation as an artist; and there was a cur- 
 rent tradition that in that house his mother found 
 him one day, when but seven years old, painting a 
 very tolerable likeness of the baby of the household, 
 with a brush made from "Tabby's" tail. 
 
 Havard thought less about the tavern and the 
 brick house diagonally opposite, which had also been 
 West's home for a while, than about some incidents 
 in the career of James Fitzpatrick, a Tory outlaw, 
 suggested by the inn.
 
 A HORSE WORTHY OF A KINGDOM 21 n 
 
 This native Chester County brigand, after enter- 
 ing the Continental service, deserted, but, being 
 apprehended, reenlisted, only however, to desert 
 again. For a while he pursued his trade of a 
 smith, but upon the advance of Howe's army acted 
 as a guide. Then he made private war upon rich 
 Whigs, and often secured large sums of money, 
 which he hid in various haunts. In a gloomy cavern 
 at Castle Rock, two miles west of Newtown, a vast 
 mass of enstatite, crowning a hilltop in the woods, 
 "Captain Fitz" was suspected of having a den, 
 wherein part of his ill-gotten gains was secreted; 
 and there were similar caves along the Brandy- 
 wine, and in the Chester Valley, where he found 
 convenient refuge when the pursuit of sheriffs and 
 constables became warm. 
 
 One of the latest exploits of this disturber of the 
 public peace was his appearance at the "Pratt 
 House," at the very time of the assemblage of a 
 large number of farmers with a view to his appre- 
 hension, and his masterly daunting of the entire 
 company while he coolly drank at the tavern bar 
 and departed without molestation. 
 
 Havard stopped for a moment at the tavern cor- 
 ner to exchange a few words with the hostler, who 
 paid much attention to Saladin. Havard noticed 
 that his glances restlessly fell upon some distant 
 point, as though he were expecting an arrival. It 
 was a little difficult to get away from the inquisitive 
 fellow, who would have had Havard in to drink ; but 
 the young man said, "Good-day" politely, and passed 
 on to Abijah Bartram's.
 
 212 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 He was, however, doomed to disappointment, for 
 Deborah Bartram informed him that her husband 
 was absent in Birmingham, and would not return 
 until late. She invited him to remain, at least to 
 dinner, but with appreciative excuses Havard 
 turned homeward. Once more he passed Pratt's, 
 and again he saw the hostler still strangely scanning 
 the country. Not halting on this occasion, Havard 
 leisurely ascended the long easy grade to the north. 
 From this watershed he next descended into a hol- 
 low thickly wooded, where he found Lee's quarter- 
 master and his squad of foragers. They lounged 
 carelessly upon the gray, turfy banks at the side of 
 the road while eating a luncheon. They were hospit- 
 able enough to invite the traveler to partake of their 
 fare, but Havard declined, stopping, however, to 
 converse with them. Probably he lingered ten or 
 fifteen minutes in their company, meanwhile dis- 
 mounting. Then, springing on his horse, he 
 ascended to the next hilltop. Why he looked back 
 he could not explain to himself; but just when on 
 its brow he turned and glanced at the group, only to 
 discover an astounding transformation. The road 
 was literally full of redcoats, mounted, and brandish- 
 ing sabers that flashed in the sun! The surprised 
 foragers had sprung to their feet, and were 
 endeavoring to gain their horses, but in an instant 
 they were surrounded and captured. 
 
 Havard trembled with excitement, not knowing 
 what to do. In another moment he thought of the 
 post at Scott's, and recollected Captain Lee's remark 
 about an attack. The dragoons were making with
 
 A HORSE WORTHY OF A KINGDOM 213 
 
 hot haste for the place he occupied. The road fairly 
 swarmed with them! It might not do him much 
 harm to meet them, perhaps none; yet he preierred 
 their room to their company. And clearly Lee was 
 in peril. He recollected how small a force the 
 captain had, and while no doubt he would be on the 
 alert, yet disaster might overtake him if this large 
 body were permitted to surprise him. A noble 
 resolve took possession of him, that thrilled him until 
 his brain seemed on fire. He would carry the news 
 to Lee ! But what if he were seen and pursued ? A 
 queer sensation affected him, but his soul swelled 
 within him. He looked down at Saladin, and lov- 
 ingly patted his neck, and stroked the fine flowing 
 mane. He knew more than anyone else the powers 
 of his splendid horse, and was not afraid to pit him 
 against the best-blooded mount of any of the British 
 officers. But then they might shoot, and kill the 
 equine beauty he valued so highly. He did not think 
 of himself until Ethel and his mother, and their 
 dependence upon him, came to his vision. 
 
 Havard tarried but to observe that the dragoons 
 were coming up the hill at full speed, a sufficient 
 guard being left for the foragers, and then, speak- 
 ing to Saladin as if the noble animal could compre- 
 hend human speech, he started for the post. But 
 he had seen that a short, thickset man, probably as 
 young as himself, led the advance with impetuosity. 
 
 It was not his purpose to rush down the hill 
 toward the north unless his pursuers should follow 
 at breakneck speed. But to his dismay he observed 
 to his right, coming over a crossroad from Saint
 
 214 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 David's and Cabbagetown, another company of red- 
 coats. At their head rode a subaltern, and at his 
 side a civilian, who seemed to possess an air of 
 leadership superior to that of the officer. 
 
 Afterward Havard learned from a prisoner who 
 was one of the participants the history of the 
 maneuver. The civilian was the celebrated "Captain 
 Fitz," the youthful commander of the dragoons, the 
 notorious Banastre Tarleton, once an English law- 
 yer, but now commencing his unenviable American 
 military career. Fitzpatrick and the hostler at 
 Pratt's were chums, unknown to the community. 
 The latter kept the bandit informed of all opportu- 
 nities to plunder, which were disclosed by garrulous 
 frequenters of the barroom, and had furnished infor- 
 mation of the weakness of Lee's force that led 
 Tarleton to the attack. He was anxiously awaiting 
 the latter's appearance when Havard halted on his 
 way to Bartram's, and his personal cupidity was 
 aroused at the sight of Saladin. It was his object 
 to detain Havard until he should be entrapped, when 
 his outlaw chief would probably secure the animal. 
 It was therefore with a definite object that Tarleton 
 pressed up the hill, and his subaltern undertook to 
 cut off escape by his flank movement. 
 
 So Havard was obliged to give Saladin rein. 
 It was what the faithful steed had been waiting for. 
 His intelligence was a byword among Havard's 
 neighbors, and to-day instinct taught him that there 
 was something at fault. His gentle dark eyes 
 glimpsed the strange chargers speeding along the 
 crossroad ; his sharp ears heard the galloping hoofs
 
 A HORSE WORTHY OF A KINGDOM 215 
 
 behind him; his delicate nostrils, expanding in 
 blooded play, snuffed the strangers swarming on 
 the highway. Havard was not afraid of his pur- 
 suers, but he was uneasy about the other party. 
 There was no time to estimate the relative distances 
 to be traversed to the meeting of the roads, and 
 Havard could see that the civilian was well mounted. 
 
 Saladin was pacing magnificently. How those 
 clean limbs kept up their marvelous movement! It 
 might have been supposed that the black horse had 
 a soul like his master, and that it was thrilled with 
 the crisal occasion. Tarleton wavered between anger 
 and admiration as he saw the fleeing steed slip 
 easily away from him, despite all his urging of a 
 courser of which he was proud. His fiery oaths 
 were now of vexation, and anon of delight, as he 
 saw the long streaming tail or caught a flutter of 
 the glossy mane. 
 
 But the subaltern and Fitzpatrick were edging up 
 to the crossroads, the latter on the lead. Would 
 Saladin reach it before them ? His pace was already 
 a surprise to the subaltern's party, and Havard was 
 not sure afterward but that it would have carried 
 him through safely ; but he could not afford to take 
 any risks with the fate of the post in his hands, so, 
 leaning close to the neck of his dumb comrade, he 
 whispered a certain word. Then did Saladin put 
 forth his fabulous powers. Captain Fitz and the 
 subaltern were using their spurs, but Havard dis- 
 dained to touch his gallant horse, as though, having 
 never laid the whip upon him, it would be an 
 indignity to do so now.
 
 216 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 What was that dark streak passing the junction, 
 that flight of a great arrow, that whisk of the wind ? 
 The subaltern and his companion, considerably 
 ahead of their followers, were amazed to find them- 
 selves minus their prey, and could scarcely credit the 
 fact that Havard had escaped them. But, baffled and 
 disappointed as they were, Captain Fitz could 
 scarcely restrain himself from throwing his hat in 
 the air and hurrahing for the finest equestrian effort 
 he had ever witnessed. 
 
 But the dragoons hesitated not, pressing on in 
 eager pursuit, the plan of action having been com- 
 municated to the subaltern, who merely glanced back 
 at Tarleton for his nod to go ahead. A well-directed 
 shot might have killed or maimed Saladin, but it 
 would have aroused the post now comparatively near 
 at hand. Havard groaned at the thought that 
 Saladin might be ruined by this ride, yet duty a 
 favorite beacon with him shone clearly. Never- 
 theless he gently checked the flying animal to his 
 former steady, even pace. Up the next grade he 
 quickly flew, down again to the hollow where a 
 brook crossed the road, up another grade, and then- 
 victory! victory! around the corner in the shadow 
 of the big knoll, just a few rods more to the gate 
 of the stable yard. Already Lee had heard the 
 sound of hurried hoof -beats, and was looking out of 
 a window; instantly he recognized the rider, and 
 understood Havard's warning shout, "The dra- 
 goons!" Quickly he ordered the sentry to admit 
 Havard; quite as rapidly the latter threw himself 
 from his horse and opened a stable door, closing it
 
 A HORSE WORTHY OF A KINGDOM 217 
 
 hysterically when Saladin was safely within it, and 
 drawing the heavy bolt. Then he would have sunk 
 to the floor of the stall with the fatigue of excite- 
 ment but for the battle storm that almost immedi- 
 ately enveloped the premises. 
 
 Lee had sharply commanded the barricading of 
 the doors and lower windows of his impromptu 
 fortress, and this was barely effected when Tarleton 
 swept up with his two hundred picked men and cut 
 the sentry to pieces. But it was too late to surprise 
 the garrison. 
 
 At first Havard gave his entire attention to his 
 horse. There seemed but a slim chance of saving 
 either himself or it. But, whatever was to be the 
 upshot, he would preserve Saladin from taking cold. 
 With bunches of straw he rubbed his shining coat, 
 which was wet with perspiration, until it was dry, 
 when he carefully blanketed him with a horse 
 cover belonging to Mr. Scott. 
 
 Only then did he try to discover how the battle 
 was progressing. He scarcely expected that Lee's 
 small garrison could repel so large a body of trained 
 soldiers. Lee's report to Washington, rendered a 
 few days afterward, embodied the fact that he had 
 not a soldier for each window ! 
 
 Havard had no conception of the safety of his 
 temporary quarters until he climbed into the mow 
 and surveyed the exciting scene through a ventilator. 
 
 The dragoons evidently had bullets to spare ; for 
 these pattered incessantly against the doors, lintels, 
 window frames, and stone walls, but most of them 
 wide of the mark. The devoted little band within
 
 218 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 had no anmunition to waste, and every shot of 
 theirs told ; but now, alas ! two of them were wound- 
 ed, one mortally. 
 
 Tarleton became anxious. He knew it would not 
 do to linger, for a detachment from the American 
 encampment might fall upon him, surprising him in 
 turn. He had already fruitlessly lost several of his 
 men. As a dernier ressort he led an assaulting 
 party. But Lee was ready, and the young cavalry 
 commander narrowly escaped death. The dragoons 
 now turned their attention to the stable, but the 
 guard enfiladed the attack in that direction, and it 
 failed. 
 
 Havard heard shouting ! He ascended to a point 
 on the east gable, and saw a subaltern of Lee's com- 
 pany waving his flag out of a north window of the 
 house, and calling as if to soldiers at some distance. 
 It was only a ruse de guerre, but the dragoons were 
 afraid of Continental reinforcements, and their fir- 
 ing did not disconcert the young officer, who only 
 cried the louder. 
 
 Tarleton perceived that his men could not be 
 rallied again to close quarters with the garrison. 
 Perhaps a window or door might yet be carried, 
 but the men had lost spirit. So, in some disorgani- 
 zation, having marched up the hill, King George's 
 men marched down again, leaving a dozen bodies 
 to be buried by the foe in the little Welsh graveyard 
 at the corner, and several wounded besides. 
 
 When the coast was perfectly clear Havard 
 emerged from his shelter, not without some timidity. 
 But he found that the enemy had really vanished,
 
 A HORSE WORTHY OF A KINGDOM 219 
 
 and this was confirmed later by the appearance of 
 the foragers, who had managed to escape while the 
 dragoons in their vexation stopped to wreak 
 vengeance on a farmhouse. 
 
 Lee was profuse in his expressions of gratitude to 
 Havard, and applauded him and his faithful steed 
 without stint. The latter, well baited, carried his 
 master swiftly home, ere nightfall, without further 
 incident, and in his comfortable stall quite as. 
 speedily forgot his high honors.
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 LOVE'S LABOR FOUND 
 
 THE indisposition of Mrs. Knox proved to be 
 only temporary, but Ethel's assiduous attention to 
 her for a few days, including loss of sleep, 
 resulted in such weariness that Havard considerately 
 proposed an outing. The offer was appreciated, 
 especially as the weather for the latter part of Febru- 
 ary was genial, the sun tempering the coldness of 
 the air and causing it to be invigorating to the lungs. 
 Havard had purchased another horse, and his plan 
 embraced a ride up to the "Massacre" ground, from 
 which the principal tokens of the night struggle had 
 been removed. He had at first shrunk from seeing 
 the bloody field, whose incidents were repugnant to 
 him ; but latterly he had come to entertain a desire 
 to understand the tactics practised by the British. 
 
 It was a time of the ebb of unpleasant feelings 
 with Havard, and his old feeling of pride in the 
 beauty of his wife possessed him strongly as he rode 
 at her side, and studied her graceful form and the 
 aesthetic mold of nose and lip and cheek. He still 
 suffered mental uneasiness at times, while debating 
 the curious questions that would experience a resur- 
 rection, do what he might; but to-day found him 
 admiring his bride as much as ever. Havard was 
 profoundly perplexed, for beneath all his difficulties 
 lay the greater mystery of himself.
 
 LOVE'S LABOR FOUND 221 
 
 However, for the moment he dismissed disagree- 
 able obtrusions, and called Ethel's attention to the 
 winter charms of the vale in which they rode. Halt- 
 ing upon a little elevation near his cousin's, he bade 
 her look back at the purple hills embossed in white 
 and the snowy gates of the gap glistening in the 
 sunbeams. Then he guided her eye up along the 
 North Hill, from Mount Misery westward, and 
 across the valley to the South Hill. Up the Swedes' 
 Ford road they trotted, occasionally breaking into 
 a canter, past the Presbyterian church, and out to 
 the Long Ford road, where they turned to the left, 
 and briskly passed the "Admiral Warren." The 
 ascent of the ravine to the high ground on the south 
 was soon accomplished, and in a few minutes more 
 their willing horses placed them on the spot where 
 Wayne's command was assailed at midnight in the 
 previous September. As the snow completely cov- 
 ered the ground the floor of the woods was not 
 visible, yet there remained traces of an encampment; 
 and many of the trees bore evidence of musketry fire 
 in the shape of bullet holes, while occasionally 
 scarred bark was eloquent of the energetic use of 
 the bayonet, or sword, in the hand-to-hand conflict. 
 
 A brief stay was quite sufficient, for the memories 
 of the place were harrowing to both and sickening 
 to Ethel. Two miles to the eastward stood the resi- 
 dence of the Waynes, and Havard proposed a call 
 there, where he was fairly acquainted owing to some 
 transactions with General Wayne in ante bellum 
 days. 
 
 The visit was quite agreeable to Ethel, who was
 
 222 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 charmed with the grace of her hostess. The mansion 
 itself, which was one of the finest of country resi- 
 dences, two and a half stories high, fronted to the 
 south ; and the view in this direction from the par- 
 lor, though slightly obstructed by woodland, was 
 pleasing. Mrs. Wayne showed her guests the sur- 
 veying instruments used by the general, and enter- 
 tained them with merry narratives of his courtship. 
 
 As the general was believed to be at headquarters 
 that day he was frequently absent to secure sup- 
 plies for the army and as Havard had mentioned 
 his purpose to visit the Walkers, with whom the 
 general had his official home, Mrs. Wayne took 
 advantage of the opportunity to send him a personal 
 message. 
 
 Riding out to the Lancaster road, and down past 
 the "Blue Ball Inn," they presently came to Peggy's 
 corner; and immediately Havard thought of that 
 September day when he rode through the hamlet and 
 caught up with Frances Jones on her homeward way 
 from the store. What a flood of memories it 
 evoked! Ethel wondered why he was so suddenly 
 silent and absorbed in thought, but made no remark ; 
 and thus they rode onward, until they came to the 
 Church road crossing northward to the valley. 
 
 When they passed the Baptist meeting-house they 
 saw a figure in the graveyard opposite which Havard 
 recognized as that of its former pastor, Chaplain 
 Jones, who came forward to greet the travelers. 
 Havard had heard much of his patriotism and devo- 
 tion to the sick soldiers. In addition to his spiritual 
 ministrations, his practical acquaintance with minor
 
 LOVE'S LABOR FOUND 223 
 
 surgery was such as to make him eminently service- 
 able in physical respects. Capital at dressing a 
 wound, or at an amputation, he was also possessed of 
 strategic skill in reconnoissances, and often risked 
 his life in them. When he learned from Havard that 
 he and Ethel had just visited the "Paoli" field, he 
 narrated the events of that fearful night with such 
 vivid eloquence, albeit with perfect naturalness, that 
 Ethel's flesh fairly crept. He had barely escaped 
 with his life. Although in an entirely different vein, 
 his account of life in the camp, and especially in 
 the hospitals, was deeply interesting. He spoke of 
 having visited that morning the hospital established 
 in the Valley Friends' meeting-house, of the suffer- 
 ings of the soldiers, and the scarcity of suitable pro- 
 visions for the sick. It was not needful for Havard 
 to remark that dainties were very scarce with the 
 majority of the people, for the fact was well known. 
 Mrs. Brown had supplied the hospitals as generously 
 as her slender resources would permit, and was 
 grieved at her inability to do more. The presence 
 of the British after Brandywine had been like the 
 invasion of the Egyptian locusts that ate up every 
 green thing. 
 
 The chaplain rode with his newly met friends to 
 Wayne's headquarters, and as they passed through 
 a lane extending from the Swedes' Ford road to 
 the rear of the property called their attention to the 
 fine springs gushing from beneath a bank to the 
 right. They added materially to the little stream 
 that supplied power for the mill near by, which was 
 run to its utmost capacity to grind grain for the
 
 224 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 army, and about their margin were beds of water- 
 cress so green and crisp that the chaplain determined 
 to secure a bunch of it for some of his wards. 
 
 The worthy parson knew what trivial circum- 
 stances of war were sometimes interesting to civil- 
 ians, and asked Ethel if she had seen the bullet hole 
 in the staircase of Jacob Walker's house mean- 
 while pointing in that direction. Upon her con- 
 fessing that she had not even heard of it he advised 
 her to ride around that way and view it. It was 
 the work of a Hessian who pretended that rebels 
 were concealed in the building. It was now General 
 Potter's headquarters, while General Poor occupied 
 the house of Benjamin Jones. 
 
 Soon they were at Joseph Walker's door, and in 
 a few moments more were admitted to the presence 
 of General Wayne. The energetic young briga- 
 dier was attended by his staff. Colonel Robin- 
 son, Majors Fishbourne and Ryan, and Dr. Black- 
 well. 
 
 The huge fireplaces of the reception rooms were 
 blazing with logs that had been dragged into the 
 house by a horse. Afterward Ethel was taken down 
 to see the heavy arched foundations of the chimneys. 
 The "Hessian closet," a cupboard in the hall, 
 embedded in the solid wall, large enough to hold 
 several persons who could stand upright in it, proved 
 a curio. 
 
 While the general was still extending courtesies to 
 his callers two more were announced. These proved 
 to be Baron De Kalb and General Daniel Morgan. 
 The former was considerably past middle life,
 
 LOVE'S LABOR FOUND 225 
 
 although usually taken to be twenty years younger, 
 the reflection of his abstemious habits; the lat- 
 ter was about forty, and had recently returned from 
 the north, where Lafayette's request for a coadjutor 
 had sent him. The scheme concocted by Gates and 
 Conway to get the young marquis away from Wash- 
 ington by pretending to send him upon a Canadian 
 expedition had collapsed, and the two stalwart sup- 
 porters of the commander-in-chief were once more 
 at his side. 
 
 To the joy of all sincere patriots the conspiracy 
 against Washington known as the "Conway Cabal" 
 was fast melting into air ; and the edge tools at first 
 handled with such skill by the ambitious schemers 
 were beginning to severely wound their own hands. 
 The general's efforts with Congress for the better- 
 ment of the army were making substantial progress. 
 His representations that some part of his troops 
 were deprived of meat for an entire week, and that 
 the other part did not receive it oftener than once 
 in three or four days, finally awoke the sluggish 
 legislators to the performance of their functions. 
 The committee appointed to investigate the diffi- 
 culty reported the distress and misery of the soldiers, 
 and inspired measures to alleviate it. 
 
 The Baron De Kalb acknowledged the presence of 
 Mrs. Havard Brown with the grace characteristic 
 of that amiable foreigner. Tall and erect, swarthy 
 of countenance, with dark blue eyes and finely 
 shaped gray head, he exercised authority over his 
 men so kindly that they blessed the day when he 
 became the successor of General Weedon. Abijah
 
 226 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Stephens, in whose house he resided for several 
 months, was fond of telling of the simplicity and 
 urbanity of this excellent soldier. General Morgan, 
 in command of the outposts and moving about con- 
 tinually, but part of the time a resident of John 
 Moore's house, was a tall, muscular man celebrated 
 for his skill with nature's weapons as well as with 
 the rifle. He had done great work at Saratoga, 
 but was practically ignored by Gates in his reports 
 of that battle. 
 
 The afternoon was wearing away, and perhaps 
 it was the mental excitement of the day, or quite 
 as likely the rather extended ride she had taken a 
 feeling of languor had taken possession of Ethel, 
 coupled with general discomfort. Her head ached, 
 and she suggested to Havard that they proceed 
 homeward. Paying their parting respects to 
 General Wayne and his company of officers, the 
 pair were soon in the saddle, and twenty minutes of 
 easy riding brought them to the familiar horse 
 block in front of their home. 
 
 In the morning it seemed certain that a spell of 
 sickness was impending. Ethel's skin was hot and 
 dry, and the unfavorable sensations of the previous 
 day continued, perhaps even more marked in inten- 
 sity. Havard exhausted his medical knowledge in 
 examining his wife's tongue, which he found heavily 
 furred, and in feeling her pulse, which was much 
 quickened. 
 
 Ethel still refused to see a doctor, but Havard 
 exclaimed that if she were no better on the morrow 
 he would bring one without her permission. She
 
 LOVE'S LABOR FOUND 227 
 
 seemed dull and heavy during the entire day, and 
 to gratify her mother-in-law drank freely of 
 a "panacea." It was hot and strong, and, in spite 
 of the wry aspect her face assumed when she swal- 
 lowed it, it appeared to soothe her into slumber. 
 The next morning she felt somewhat relieved, but 
 a scarlet rash had made it appearance, and when 
 Mrs. Brown saw it she dispatched Havard for the 
 doctor. The nearest physician at the time was Dr. 
 Potts, who, though his time was usually completely 
 absorbed by his army duties, might be willing for 
 acquaintance' sake to examine Ethel and prescribe 
 treatment. So Havard went over to the hospital, 
 and fortunately found the doctor-general, who will- 
 ingly agreed to accompany Havard to his home, 
 "and breathe a little fresh air" ; but his merry, jest- 
 ing manner changed when he saw the patient. A 
 very slight examination confirmed his suspicions, 
 and he prepared the medicines which he judged it 
 best to prescribe. 
 
 His stay was brief, nor was he communicative 
 until he left the room; and then, turning to Mrs. 
 Brown, who had followed him, he pronounced the 
 disease smallpox. It was a realization of her fears, 
 but the intelligence was very sore. Still she ventured 
 the inquiry, "May it not be scarlet fever, Doctor?" 
 
 "No," said he very firmly, "I have had too many 
 cases to be mistaken. There have been hundreds 
 of them over there" pointing to the camp grounds. 
 "I have been afraid of a general outbreak in the 
 neighborhood, but it has not come yet. We must 
 keep this case well isolated, and you must do your
 
 228 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 best to prevent it from spreading. However, keep 
 cool, don't be afraid of it, and perhaps we can confine 
 the miserable disease to Mrs. Havard." 
 
 It was his way of referring to Ethel. The doc- 
 tor's eyes twinkled as though it were but a trifling 
 thing, annoying, to be sure, but not worth worrying 
 about. 
 
 Mrs. Brown was uneasy about the matter of medi- 
 cal attendance, for she feared that the doctor would 
 not be able to give Ethel attention. When she 
 expressed her anxiety, the doctor smiled, and said, 
 "I shall stand by you, Mrs. Brown, you may be sure. 
 You will really not need me very often, if you will 
 keep the directions, as I am sure you will. But I 
 will come over each day, if possible, and oftener if 
 any complication should arise. I am afraid that I 
 am to blame for this case, by my coming to the 
 house to attend to Mrs. Knox, and since I have got- 
 ten you into the scrape I must get you out of it!" 
 Havard, sorely stricken, heard this announcement 
 gratefully. 
 
 Besides concern for Ethel's recovery there were 
 other matters to be considered. The use of the house 
 by General Knox was now peculiarly embarrassing. 
 The Browns scarcely knew where to turn. How- 
 ever, it was temporarily agreed that Havard alone 
 should wait upon his wife, unless there should be 
 grave developments, and also give attention to the 
 stock, while his mother would preside as usual in 
 household affairs. 
 
 Pains were taken to isolate the room in which 
 Ethel lay, and exactness in carrying out the direc-
 
 LOVE'S LABOR FOUND 229 
 
 tions of Dr. Potts was observed. Certain additional 
 prescriptions suited to the case had been dispatched 
 by the kind physician. 
 
 The fever, which had at first promised to abate, 
 increased, and the alarm of both Havard and his 
 mother grew with it. The young husband was now 
 suffering intensely, for his natural tenderness came 
 into perfect play, and he bent over his wife in the 
 deepest solicitude. The doctor observed his intelli- 
 gent handling of the patient, and commended him, 
 rallying him with the inquiry whether he could not 
 be induced to take an assistant surgeon's position 
 in the army. "The boys," he laughingly declared, 
 "would cry out for you if they knew of you." 
 
 But the doctor saw that Ethel was gravely ill. 
 He had a fashion of indulging in fun at the most 
 critical moments, and, though very few knew it, the 
 more amusing and unconcerned he seemed to be, 
 the gloomier was the outlook. But this choice spirit 
 was not only thinking of cheering the spirits of his 
 patients in the hour of peril ; he whistled to keep up 
 his own courage when perplexed with deep-seated 
 disease. 
 
 The doctor did not say so, but he expected Ethel 
 to become delirious, and so it eventuated. Havard, 
 strong and brave and tender, had his hands full. 
 His spirit was tried, and the strain upon soul and 
 body was fast becoming greater than he could bear. 
 Help was out of the question, for the scourge was 
 dreaded by the most humane. 
 
 It was the evening of the fifth day, and the fever 
 continued. After a hard afternoon Havard had
 
 230 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 come downstairs for a mouthful of fresh air. While 
 his mother relieved him at Ethel's bedside he put 
 on his hat and greatcoat and walked out into the 
 yard. It was a clear, cool night, not intensely cold, 
 but bracing and invigorating. The trees around the 
 house would have shut it in but for the fact that they 
 were leafless, and Havard looked up at the glim- 
 mering company of the sky with the feeling that he 
 would like to call them to his aid. He could see 
 Sirius shining in the southeast, and above it the 
 bright but inferior Procyon. In the south Orion 
 blazed conspicuously. 
 
 He leaned upon the gate that opened into the 
 road, and pondered upon the strange events that had 
 come to pass in the last few months. He dreamed 
 of his work on the farm, the jingling music of the 
 plow and harrow and the farm wagon, the songs 
 of the birds in the undisturbed freedom of the field, 
 the lazy movements of the cattle and the gambols 
 of the calves. He thought of the forge and the mill, 
 of the familiar nooks in the valley, the tall hills, 
 the sparkling streams flowing through the green 
 meadows, the friends of childhood and of later 
 years. He saw the panorama repeating itself, and 
 awaited with some dread the remaining unfolding. 
 He thought of the first time he had met Ethel, of 
 the renewal of acquaintanceship at Saint Peter's, 
 of the growth of affection, of his marriage; and 
 inevitably his thoughts would tend to his own ques- 
 tionings of himself. And, whether he would or 
 would not, in all his troubled visions the image of 
 Frances Jones, child, maiden, woman, arose to his
 
 LOVE'S LABOR FOUND 231 
 
 gaze as the moon's reflection riding on the waves of a 
 restless sea shines in the eyes of one who looks over 
 the ship's rail into the billowy deep. 
 
 How long he would have continued to linger, lost 
 in thought, cannot be surmised ; but the figure of a 
 woman bearing a bundle suddenly appeared before 
 him. If he was at first startled at the apparition, his 
 brain subsequently reeled for a moment with abso- 
 lute surprise when he saw who it was that 
 approached him. It was almost a gasp with which 
 he stammered the single word "Frances !" 
 
 She, too, was startled, at seeing Havard by the 
 gate, for she did not perceive him until he spoke. 
 But it was only a momentary and perfectly natural 
 surprise on her part, and the feeling immediately 
 subsided. But not so with Havard. He could 
 scarcely command himself to speak. The impulse 
 was strong to invite Frances into the house at once, 
 but he recollected the horrible nightmare, and 
 immediately cried out, "O, Frances, I cannot ask 
 you to come in. Ethel my my wife is sick 
 with a dangerous disease, and you must not come 
 near us." 
 
 It was with a wrench that he said it, for it gave 
 him infinite pain. Even in the confusion of the 
 moment, the inexplicable something that radiated 
 from Frances Jones made itself recognized, and 
 her voice breathed a calm like that of the skies he 
 had just been scanning. 
 
 But Frances, now perfectly self-possessed, said in 
 that soft tone that through the years had always 
 proved a species of music in his ears, "Havard, I
 
 232 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 know it, and I've come to help you nurse" here 
 she faltered, being about to say "Mrs. Brown," but 
 she at once controlled herself and said "your wife." 
 
 Havard was great enough to argue the case with 
 her. What he answered at first, in his deep bewil- 
 derment and gratitude he could never recall, but it 
 was grateful to Frances. But he could have suffered 
 any hardship rather that permit Frances to run 
 the risk. That he actually craved her ministry in 
 the hour of danger he did not conceal from himself, 
 but he felt that duty required him to reject such reck- 
 less unselfishness. But Frances proved the stronger 
 in argument, told him that her determination was 
 deliberate, and that Freeman, the farm boy, had 
 brought her over prepared to stay until the danger 
 was past. 
 
 What was there then to do but to escort her to the 
 house? However, before reaching it Frances 
 hastened to say the only thing that required an 
 effort. She said it very lightly, but it cost her 
 heavily, and she was thankful to escape the beams 
 of the candle. It was an apology for not having 
 called on Mrs. Brown she used that term this time 
 to wish her happiness, and bid her welcome to her 
 new home. 
 
 The words perforated the already sore heart of 
 Havard like a needle ; but before he could frame any 
 response Frances relieved him of embarrassment by 
 continuing: "With God's help, Havard, we'll bring 
 her yet to a condition of health where those wishes 
 shall be fulfilled." And the grief-stricken man at 
 her side felt that she had been carrying his burdens
 
 LOVE'S LABOR FOUND 233 
 
 all unknown to him, and successfully transferring- 
 the heaviest to the Everlasting arms. 
 
 As they entered the house they met Mrs. Brown, 
 who had just stepped downstairs for a minute, 
 leaving Ethel asleep. She recoiled at the danger to 
 Frances, whom she loved next to Havard himself, 
 and was amazed at her son's carelessness in permit- 
 ting her to come into the house ; but in an instant she 
 divined the true state of affairs, and in a flood of 
 tears clasped the girl to her bosom, while Havard, 
 no longer able to contain himself, slipped out of the 
 house. Frances was too affected by the warmth of 
 her reception to utter any words, but she playfully 
 swung her bundle about as a token of her purpose 
 in coming. "Just like the men," Mrs. Brown found 
 voice to say, in an attempt to dispose of the agitation 
 humorously, "they are always blundering. To think 
 that Havard didn't carry it in !"
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 
 
 THE advent of Frances Jones breathed a new 
 atmosphere into the home of the Browns. From 
 that very moment hope glimmered in the hearts of 
 Havard and his mother. Even the sick Ethel 
 noticed a change in her surroundings, and when she 
 opened her eyes half inquiringly at the fresh, sweet 
 face that bent lovingly over her she seemed to appeal 
 for more of the grateful touches of her new nurse's 
 hand. The mysterious and loathsome disease tri- 
 umphed in pursuing its natural course, but relief 
 was afforded the sorely tried patient, while Frances 
 anticipated her wants by a ready interpretation, and 
 poured out such attentions as brought a flush of 
 gladness to her cheeks. 
 
 It was a unique experience for Havard; often 
 he doubted its reality, and designated it an illusion. 
 Yet the facts were daily before him, and he help- 
 lessly floated along with the current of fate. Ethel 
 looked so different in many other respects than that 
 of the tint and disfigurement of her skin that she 
 seemed quite another person. Her luxuriant hair 
 was cut close, and the contour of her face had 
 changed. Her eyes were unnaturally bright, and 
 looked out of deep hollows. But Havard thought 
 of her with vastly more devotion than he might have 
 
 234
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 235 
 
 deemed possible after being racked with morbid 
 doubts and fears for several weeks. Very tenderly 
 he performed the numberless little services that eased 
 her body or gratified her mind. 
 
 Frances was a wonder to him. He was still dazed 
 to think of her amazing self-sacrifice for his sake 
 as he could not but feel. Doubtless she would have 
 nobly offered her services to any neighbor, but he 
 felt that personality also entered into the trans- 
 action the personality of old time friendship and 
 it both solaced and grieved him. It was pleasant 
 to think that her regard for her childhood playmate 
 still existed ; it was humiliating to receive so great a 
 favor when he had turned away from her for 
 another. 
 
 There was a gleam of womanliness in one of 
 Frances's ministries that both amused and delighted 
 Havard. When the inclination to find relief from 
 the itching sensation connected with the development 
 of the pustules became overmastering, and Ethel 
 would have sacrificed her future facial charms to 
 appease it by scratching, Frances, appreciating the 
 imperiled beauty of her ward, continually anointed 
 her skin with the oil of olives so successfully that 
 when the disease reached its omega none could sur- 
 mise that she had ever been a sufferer with the 
 most dreaded of all contagions. 
 
 The shadow which had rested so long upon the 
 household was slow in dispelling. All were devoutly 
 grateful to the Higher Power that it did not enlarge, 
 and that Ethel remained the only sufferer. Frances 
 would have returned home as soon as convalescence
 
 236 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 seemed well established, but that was strongly vetoed 
 by the Browns. Ethel regarded her as an angel, 
 Havard's heart echoed the estimate, and his mother's 
 affectionate feeling toward her was intensified a 
 hundredfold, if that were possible. Their expostula- 
 tions were effective, and Frances remained until it 
 appeared reasonable to believe that the work of 
 disinfection was thoroughly accomplished, and that 
 she might return without risk to her own family. 
 
 The thirtieth of April arrived, and since the 
 day was in every respect propitious Frances was 
 escorted to her home, her mother having insisted 
 upon her return by that time, unless prevented by 
 storm. The mildness of spring was upon the land, 
 the vivid green of the carpet of the Valley being 
 matched by the delicate tint of the forward foliage, 
 while the air was sweet with balmy odors. 
 
 It was thought best not to permit Ethel to under- 
 go the fatigue of the ride to the Jones's, and so it 
 fell to Havard's lot to ride at Frances's side as in 
 the olden days. Mrs. Brown fancied that the cir- 
 cumstance was a little trying to the girl, and that 
 she exhibited some symptoms of awkwardness 
 because of it. Havard was conscious that she was 
 ill at ease, and the effect upon himself was not 
 encouraging. 
 
 It was a loving farewell that Mrs. Brown and 
 Ethel gave their departing guest ; nor was it accom- 
 plished in a moment. Over the latter came so keen 
 a sense of what she owed to Frances that she sobbed 
 her words of gratitude, and clung to her feebly, 
 as though unwilling to let her go. Frances, too,
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 237 
 
 was deeply affected, but attempted to rally the con- 
 valescent with compliments upon her appearance. 
 Through her assiduous attention Ethel had escaped 
 all permanent markings upon her face except a single 
 small pit, so situated that Frances told her it would 
 heighten her beauty in Havard's eyes, since it simu- 
 lated a dimple. But this was venturing upon ground 
 whereon her own heart was very sensitive, and she 
 was really glad when Mrs. Brown folded her in her 
 arms and wept as she said good-bye. It afforded 
 her own overcharged feelings an escape. 
 
 Then by a common revulsion all smiled, affirming 
 that it was not a farewell like that attached to a 
 journey across the sea, for they were separated by 
 but a mile or two, and that under other and brighter 
 auspices they must often meet. Mrs. Brown prom- 
 ised to take Ethel over to visit Frances and the 
 remainder of the folks as soon as it should be advis- 
 able ; and so they parted. 
 
 The ladies of the house escorted Frances to the 
 horse block and saw her mount, and then gayly 
 waved their handkerchiefs as she rode away. Down 
 the slope the equestrians went to the creek side, 
 and wound around its curving elbow beneath the 
 fringing chestnuts. The ride through the woods 
 was inspiriting, and when they emerged from them, 
 and neared the home of Cousin Samuel Havard, 
 they perceived the scent of early lilacs on the zephyrs 
 that blew from the creek. 
 
 Both Frances and Havard were shy. It was 
 scarcely possible to suggest any theme upon which 
 they could be perfectly unconcerned, unless, indeed,
 
 238 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 it was the trite one of the war, and Havard accord- 
 ingly called attention to the prospects of the army, 
 taking his cue from a squad of soldiers they met. 
 But that led to a reference to Howe's use of the 
 Jones homestead, which in its turn recalled the last 
 time they had been out together. 
 
 It was decidedly trying to the young man, and yet 
 if he had so much as grazed the latch of the gate of 
 recollections he would have found it an immeasur- 
 able relief to say all that was in his heart. He was 
 tempted to try to explain what his conscience told 
 him needed explanation ; but in spite of the strength 
 of his emotions, now much quickened by Frances's 
 presence and a flood of memories, he refrained, for 
 reason and a sense of justice in another direction 
 providentially intervened. 
 
 As they emerged upon the Swedes' Ford road, 
 and were about turning toward Frances's, they met 
 Jennie Reese's father riding up from the river. He 
 had a mournful tale to tell after the usual greetings 
 of the day had been exchanged. 
 
 "They buried an officer at the Valley meeting- 
 house this morning," said Mr. Reese ; "he was mor- 
 tally wounded in a duel, and died very soon after- 
 ward." 
 
 Both Frances and Havard expressed horror at 
 the fact, and were naturally anxious to know its 
 occasion. 
 
 "Couldn't learn any particulars," said Abel Reese ; 
 "it was Lieutenant-Colonel Green, and the man who 
 shot him was Lieutenant White. Green was from 
 down East somewhere, and the other from the
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 239 
 
 South. I was just coming up from the ford, and 
 when I reached the meetinghouse lane I heard 
 drums beating slow and muffled like, and saw a 
 procession about the graveyard. So I went up, and 
 found that they had wrapped the dead officer in a 
 blanket they got from Mary Pugh, because they 
 couldn't get a sheet. They buried him near Captain 
 Speer you recollect how they put him away in 
 February, when there were so many officers there. "" 
 
 Havard spoke of the excessive loss of Continental 
 officers, and referred to the recent burial, in Maurice 
 Stephens's field, of Commissary John Waterman and 
 the marking of his grave with two common red 
 stones bearing his initials something new in the 
 history of the encampment. 
 
 Mr. Reese passed up the Swedes' Ford road, 
 while Frances and Havard turned off at the corner. 
 Soon they met Aunt Lydia Jones, who teasingly 
 called out, "Looks like old times to see you together 
 again. How's Mrs. Brown, Havard?" 
 
 The reference was rather a home thrust, alike 
 unwelcome to both ; but the inquiry afforded a loop- 
 hole of escape, and Havard was happy to answer 
 that his wife was almost well again. 
 
 "Glad to hear it," cheerily said the sociable house- 
 keeper. "Saladin's in good spirits to-day. Wasn't 
 it wonderful you got him back again after the red- 
 coats stole him ?" 
 
 After more chat they rode on to Frances's home, 
 and in the spacious yard in front of the log barn 
 Havard helped Frances from her saddle, and after 
 tying the horses accompanied her to the house. But
 
 240 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Mrs. Jones had noticed their approach, and, hasten- 
 ing to the gate, met them, when, after familiarly 
 addressing Havard, she nearly smothered her girl 
 with embraces. 
 
 Then, turning to the young man again, she said, 
 "Come, Havard, you must put your horses in the 
 stalls and stay to dinner. Here, Freeman," she 
 called to the farm boy, "come and attend to Mr. 
 Brown's horses." 
 
 That youth had been skulking in the background, 
 perhaps afraid of encountering representatives from 
 a house that had experienced the invasion of a fell 
 disease; but he complied with the directions of his 
 mistress, and relieved Havard. But the latter pro- 
 tested that he must return forthwith. 
 
 "Not a bit of it, Havard; your mother knows 
 well enough that I will not let you go back until 
 after dinner. I hoped your wife would be well enough 
 to come with you. She's almost sound again, isn't 
 she? I'm so glad she's been spared to you. I sup- 
 pose your mother couldn't leave her all alone, to 
 come with you. I'm real disappointed that neither 
 of them has come. No, you must not go home: 
 I've got a chicken ready, and you must taste some 
 of my gravy." 
 
 Unfortunately, Mr. Jones was absent, but his 
 place was supplied by another visitor, who knocked 
 at the door when the family was about to be seated 
 at the table. It was not a stranger, but the travel- 
 ing merchant, laden with a stock of household indis- 
 pensables. There were few houses on his regular 
 route where Heinrich Kichenheim was not welcomed
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 241 
 
 to the best the house could afford. Perfectly honest 
 in his dealings, and irreproachable in his social 
 behavior, he was quite a convenience to those people 
 who lived remote from the stores; and he always 
 acknowledged the gift of food and lodging by the 
 present of some trifling article in his pack, or a 
 concession in the price of his wares. 
 
 Havard had not seen him since the episode of the 
 burning of the Thomson house, and was glad to 
 meet him again, and hear the tidings from the city. 
 
 The itinerant merchant was generously newsy. 
 "De Pritish folks ish shtill taking it easy down 
 dere," he said. "But dere is sOmedings on foot dat 
 means much. De soldiers haf somehow heard dat 
 Howe is to go home soon ; and dey is sorry, for de 
 next man may be a fighter and get dem into plenty 
 of trouble. Dere is to be a grand party, soon, for 
 de general ; and it is exshpected dat it will beat any 
 ding of de kind dat ever was before." 
 
 Havard wondered how the peddler got so much 
 information, and why the British permitted him to 
 wander so freely in their camp. He gave expres- 
 sion to this surprise, but Heinrich vouchsafed no 
 explanation. Havard spoke of running off the stores 
 at the Forge, and casually referred to Tryon. At 
 mention of this man the peddler seemed considerably 
 interested, and asked a number of questions, being 
 apparently more intimate with the subject than Ha- 
 vard might have supposed. But he had nothing to 
 communicate, apparently, for he was reticent about 
 answering any of Havard's inquiries. 
 
 The dinner proceeded to the satisfaction of all,
 
 242 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Mrs. Jones expressing her regret that neither of the 
 Mrs. Browns was present. "You must bring your 
 wife and mother very soon, Havard," she insisted, 
 "and spend the day with us. It will do your wife 
 good ; and your mother, I am sure, likes to spend a 
 little while with her old crony." 
 
 Havard promised to bring them at the first favor- 
 able opportunity. He had already taken occasion 
 to tell his hostess how deep was his obligation to 
 Frances for her splendid service that of a sister, 
 he would have said, but the word choked him. 
 And he felt that with the ice thus broken it would 
 be very pleasant to have the old intimacy continue, 
 even in its new dress. 
 
 Among the dishes was one of early radishes, and 
 another of scullions. Mrs. Jones was proud of 
 these crisp vegetables, and Havard said the chicken 
 was perfect, and that the gravy was even better, 
 which created a laugh. The dessert consisted of 
 rhubarb pie, which Mrs. Jones recommended as 
 heartily as she had done the relishes. 
 
 Havard felt that he ought not to remain long 
 after dinner, because of Ethel's "donciness," and 
 therefore begged to be excused soon after the con- 
 clusion of the meal. And the peddler, who had been 
 contributing not a little zest to the repast, sometimes 
 of a thoroughly humorous nature, waited only to 
 display his stock in its most inviting aspect before 
 departing in search of other patrons. 
 
 "De chicken ish goot enough for dat gormandizer. 
 General Howe, hisself," he remarked, when he had 
 disposed of a generous portion of it. "Dere general
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 243 
 
 would never disturb dere General Washington so 
 long as he get such goot eatings." And when he 
 tasted the pie he seemed to have found the third 
 heavens of gastronomical delight. As though he 
 were revealing a secret, he said to Mrs. Jones, "It 
 ish always mealtime when I comes to you mit 
 goots; perhapsh it seems strange, but I like to get 
 mine eatings here mit you." But Mrs. Jones had 
 been shrewd enough to have noticed that fact 
 before. 
 
 Havard's good-byes were grateful, and he rode 
 away leading the horse that had carried Frances. 
 He felt that he had sustained an irreparable loss that 
 day, and that the vacant saddle stood for much in 
 his household and heart. But on the whole he felt 
 better; his burden was lightened considerably, and 
 the dainty cherry bells that dropped upon him 
 whispered comfort. 
 
 Above all, the star of Duty shone in the empyrean, 
 undimmed by the bright rays of the vernal sun. The 
 winter of anxiety and mental perplexity was giving 
 place at last to the genial influences of spring. 
 
 Consequently it was with a light step that Havard 
 pressed the doorsill of his own home, and saluted 
 both his wife and his mother with a kiss. 
 
 "I knew thee would not get home in time for 
 dinner," said Mrs. Brown. "How is Mercy Jones?" 
 
 And Havard, in a refreshingly gay mood, told of 
 the excellent dinner, upon whiich his mother 
 remarked, "Ethel, thee and I shall have to be look- 
 ing after our laurels." He also narrated the gossip of 
 Philadelphia received from the peddler, and Ethel
 
 244 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 was entertained at hearing from the long-lost mer- 
 chant. 
 
 That peripatetic was making across the fields to 
 the Reeses, well knowing that Miss Jennie would 
 require some of his finery. 
 
 Mr. Samuel Jones came home before nightfall, 
 and embraced his daughter with fond pride, 
 although he had never given full consent to her 
 service of love. But both he and his wife wore an 
 anxious expression, that each perceived in the other, 
 but of which nothing was said until privacy per- 
 mitted the exchange of feeling and opinion ; and 
 then it was the father who suggested, "Frances does 
 not look well." 
 
 "It may be that she is merely pale from long con- 
 finement in the sick room without exercise," 
 answered Mrs. Jones; "but still I fear that some- 
 thing is wrong." And the mother's eyes filled with 
 tears. 
 
 "Cheer up, wife," said the good man, "she has 
 suffered a great strain, but we will make her go out 
 and visit her friends and take long rides, and her 
 color will change when she gets the sun/' 
 
 But Mrs. Jones for women are more intuitive 
 than their husbands and brothers had noticed 
 something amiss throughout the winter, and, more- 
 over, she was pretty sure she could put her finger 
 on the cause; but being a wise woman, as one might 
 expect Frances's mother to be, she remained mute. 
 
 Calm and steady as Frances was, her service had 
 proved a great tension ; and now that she was back 
 again in her beloved home, in the shelter of the
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 245 
 
 South Valley Hill, and in the lee of Mount Airy, 
 the brooklet flowing through the yard, the spring 
 effervescing in its sandy bed, and the orchard sweet 
 with its fresh blossoms, she was overcome with the 
 restfulness of home ; and that night in her own little 
 room that looked out on the orchard, and beyond it 
 to the southern ridge, she felt so weary that she 
 scarcely noticed the fleeting constellations that 
 lingered last of all of the winter host now fast 
 sweeping away to the southwest, before she sank 
 to rest. 
 
 That same night Ethel seemed very wakeful. 
 Her restlessness was apparent to Havard, who 
 could not discern its cause. She was unusually 
 quiet, yet he fancied that she had something to com- 
 municate. Still he said nothing to evoke remark, 
 being himself absorbed in busy thought. But after 
 quite an interval she crept up to his side, lightly 
 leaned her head upon his shoulder, and gently patted 
 his cheek, while sobs shook her frame. Surprised 
 at her action, Havard quickly gathered her into his 
 arms, and, kissing the caressing hand, tenderly 
 inquired the cause of her distress. 
 
 He always remembered the startling impression 
 of her reply. It was some moments before Ethel 
 could command herself sufficiently to pronounce the 
 words, but between her sobs she finally managed 
 to say: "Dear Havard, I am not worthy of you. 
 I have never been to you what you deserve. Your 
 love has been so rich, and mine so poor. How could 
 you ever give me such affection, when I lack so 
 much?"
 
 246 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Havard did his utmost to soothe her, but nothing 
 that he could say availed. He presumed that weak- 
 ness and nervelessness had induced lovvness of 
 spirits; but she responded to all his well-meant 
 assurances that her expressions were not the impulse 
 of the hour, but rather the deep-set convictions of 
 the last few weeks. 
 
 "Dear Havard," she said, with a sweetness of 
 tone he had never before observed in her conversa- 
 tion, and with a depth of affection that seemed 
 entirely new, "only since I have known Frances 
 Jones have I come to understand what I ought to be 
 in character. God knows there is a great gap 
 between mine and that of that lovely girl. I think, 
 though, that she has taught me the secret of love. 
 I often wonder, Havard," she proceeded, "why you 
 never sought her for your wife, when you knew her 
 so well. I know that she could have given you 
 to the full the love that so noble a husband 
 deserves." 
 
 There was such plaintiveness in Ethel's tones, 
 such unselfish love and tenderness, that Havard was 
 overcome. It was his turn to stroke a face he could 
 not see, and press with manly strength a weak form 
 to his bosom. His chin trembled, and his lips 
 refused their office, while tears freely bathed his 
 cheeks. The impulse to tell Ethel all his former 
 musings was strong. It seemed to him that it was 
 his duty to make a confession of all his thoughts. 
 The paroxysm of grief his wife had exhibited, and 
 above all her loving, self-abnegating words, had 
 pierced his very soul, and made him appear mean
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 247 
 
 beyond all description. He loathed himself as he 
 reflected upon his vacillations. Yet, was it wisest 
 to reveal his shortcomings ? 
 
 Condemned as Havard felt, he yet perceived that 
 a confession of all his imaginings must only confer 
 exquisite pain upon Ethel, and that while the relief 
 he might secure to himself would be great it would 
 be a species of selfishness to attain it at the expense 
 of his wife. He could truthfully assure her of his 
 deep affection, for he had never loved her so ardently 
 before, even when he called her, in the bliss of his 
 wedding day, his "very own." 
 
 Whatever philosophers and moralizers may say 
 in criticism, Havard never regretted his disobedience 
 to his first impulse ; and in the evening time of life, 
 when the shadows grew deep about him, he felt 
 comforted to remember that he had only folded his 
 wife closer, kissed away her accusations of herself, 
 and overwhelmed her with love. 
 
 And he succeeded in his consolations. Expres- 
 sions of relief fell from her lips, expressions of hope 
 and joy, a sweet murmur of happiness and peace. It 
 was a new Ethel that was born on that memorable 
 night, a woman transformed by love. 
 
 Well aware that such excitement was perilous to 
 the weak form that rested beside him, Havard strove 
 to tranquilize Ethel, and induce her to resign herself 
 to slumber. But it was long before she ceased to 
 talk, and Havard never knew whether or not she 
 was asleep when his own eyelids refused longer to 
 be on guard ; for when the morning broke she still 
 lay with her cheek against his breast and her hand
 
 248 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 resting upon his face, but both so cold that Havard 
 started upon realizing the touch. 
 
 A nameless dread possessed him as he hurriedly 
 examined the form that lay so still. It could not be, 
 he thought, and yet it was death! Lightly he 
 touched the white brow with his lips; fondly he 
 kissed those pale portals of speech that but a few 
 hours previously had uttered such gracious words. 
 But they were unresponsive, and in his agony Ha- 
 vard recognized that Ethel's heart had ceased to 
 beat. 
 
 A piteous cry brought his mother into the room, 
 and Havard's worst fears were confirmed. Mrs. 
 Brown was shocked inexpressibly; for Ethel's sick- 
 ness had rapidly matured motherly love, and the 
 suddenness of the event bore heavily upon her. But 
 it was the living that now seriously claimed the 
 judicious woman's attention, and Havard became a 
 boy again, while his mother comforted him as of 
 old. 
 
 Dr. Potts said that the strain of illness had proved 
 too much for a heart that was constitutionally weak, 
 and that it had given way a little earlier, perhaps, 
 by reason of some unusual stimulus, but that under 
 the best of circumstances it was probable that Ethel 
 would not have rallied. 
 
 Sacred grief is not exempt from the obtrusions of 
 duty. Havard was compelled to think of the burial 
 of his wife. Where should she be laid away? Why 
 not at Saint Peter's? His thoughts ran upon their 
 meeting in that churchyard not for the first time, 
 but on the day when love awoke in his heart. Yes,
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 249 
 
 it was fitting that she should be buried there. And 
 his mother was wisely willing, although to her the 
 Eagle or the Valley Friends' yard seemed more 
 appropriate, since Havard, through herself, was 
 partly of Quaker blood. 
 
 The preparations for a funeral at that early day 
 were elaborate. Cousin Samuel Havard superin- 
 tended the notification of the relatives and friends, 
 sending Abel Reese up the Valley, and Balsam 
 Ringer over to the northward, to "warn" the people 
 in those sections, while he reserved to himself the 
 more painful duty of acquainting Mr. and Mrs. 
 Thomson with the sorrowful tidings, associating 
 with it tell it not in the modern Gath the pur- 
 chase of certain supplies for the larder! 
 
 But he took home from the grief-stricken mother 
 a message that was mournfully grateful to Havard, 
 to the effect that once, while speaking of burial 
 places, Ethel had expressed a wish to be buried at 
 Saint Peter's, its quiet graveyard, environed with 
 hills and guarded by the Valley ridges, proving to 
 her the most attractive of all the cemeteries she had 
 visited. 
 
 There was no dearth of women helpers in the 
 house of mourning. These kindly neighbors, utiliz- 
 ing the materials commonly found in abundance in 
 well-to-do farmhouses, together with the groceries 
 procured by Cousin Samuel, made extensive prepa- 
 rations for the entertainment of friends. Much of 
 this was repugnant to the feelings of Mrs. Brown 
 and her son, but both were particular to be hospit- 
 able, and they quietly submitted to custom. It was
 
 250 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 not a light luncheon, but publish it not in the streets 
 of the modern Askelon a full meal of roast and 
 boiled meats, fowls, vegetables, relishes, pies, and 
 custards, that was got ready against the funeral day ; 
 and every worker found her time fully absorbed in 
 her self-imposed duties. 
 
 Sunday afternoon at two had been selected as 
 the hour of service. By that time a large number 
 of neighbors and friends, together with the relatives, 
 were gathered at the Brown homestead, their horses 
 being hitched to convenient posts or trees, while the 
 men folk stood around the house and whittled bits 
 of wood, and talked about crops and prospects, as 
 was their wont. Yet there were unmistakable signs 
 of appreciation of the suddenness and sadness of 
 the event that had brought them together, and of 
 hearty sympathy with a favorite neighbor. The 
 tearfulness of the women and girls was eloquent of 
 their interest and pity. 
 
 An unusual solemnity rested upon the gathering 
 when Parson Currie began the burial service, the 
 men outside coming close to the open doors and 
 removing their hats. The rector read the familiar 
 sentences with impressiveness and feeling. "I am 
 the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in 
 me, though he were dead, yet shall he live !" sounded 
 thrillingly in all ears, but especially so in the case 
 of the nearest mourner. Lighthearted Jennie 
 Reese and Rebecca Neilley were crying in a cor- 
 ner, and the eyes of their young companions were 
 not dry. The psalm and the New Testament lesson 
 were read with such reverence that they voiced the
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 251 
 
 aspirations of the bereaved hearts, and imparted a 
 measure of consolation. 
 
 The brief discourse which followed was discrimi- 
 nating and practical. Far from attempting to com- 
 fort the mourning ones, the rector admitted the 
 vanity of human endeavor in such a direction, and 
 strove but to prepare the way for the divine ministry. 
 He felt such a keen sense of Havard's sorrow that 
 his clerical duty was flavored with personal affection, 
 and laid his hearers under hearty obligations. 
 
 Then occurred the pathetic incident of the last 
 parting. Serenely beautiful in death, Ethel's face 
 fascinated all who surveyed it. The scene became 
 a Bochim long enough before the parents looked 
 upon their child in final farewell. Havard lingered 
 last, craving each moment of view, and unwilling to 
 give up his dead. But presently he yielded to the 
 old-fashioned carpenter and undertaker, who stepped 
 forward, laid the lid upon the coffin a grim and 
 forbidding ancient pattern unsoftened in its out- 
 lines screwed it into place, and directed the pall- 
 bearers to transfer the sacred burden to the rude 
 hearse. Following the family and the immediate 
 relatives came the neighbors. 
 
 Travel being chiefly by horseback, the procession 
 was a cavalcade, which moved with decorous slow- 
 ness toward the Swedes' Ford road, and up that 
 highway, in the face of a brilliant sun. Nature had 
 not donned her mourning robes, but there were few 
 in the large company who were not touched with 
 the sadness of the journey. 
 
 The grass in the churchyard was already tall.
 
 252 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 Bees were merrily humming about the tempting- 
 sweets that grew all unmindful of death in the 
 sacred inclosure ; and the birds in the tree tops sang 
 as blithely as though to some who were present on 
 that peaceful Sabbath afternoon the heavens were 
 not darkened. 
 
 Friendly hands assisted the undertaker to lower 
 the coffin into its narrow cell. Every hat was 
 removed, while the rector read, "Man that is born 
 of a woman hath but a short time to live " 
 When he reached the sentences of the committal 
 the sexton and gravedigger an old man, who had 
 known Havard's father when a boy stooped and 
 picked up some of the red, gravelly soil, and at the 
 words, "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust !" 
 dropped it softly upon the coffin. Then followed the 
 prayer and benediction and all was over, save the 
 filling of the grave accompanied with the harrowing 
 thud of clods and stones that fell upon the coffin 
 lid. 
 
 There were subdued social greetings in the 
 churchyard for ten or fifteen minutes, and then, in 
 response to a well-understood custom, the majority 
 of the friends returned to the house to "partake of 
 refreshments." Incongruous as it certainly seems, 
 the dismal loneliness of the hours immediately suc- 
 ceeding the interment was somewhat lessened by 
 the diversion of a chatting company that talked of 
 anything but death. Besides, the simple country 
 folk cherished such pronounced views of hospitality, 
 and were so rigid in their adherence to long-estab- 
 lished usage that they would have been wounded
 
 A VALLEY OF HUMILIATION 253 
 
 at the non-observance of this familiar feature of a 
 funeral, and perhaps would have resented the 
 fancied slight. 
 
 It was a sad, sad day for Havard ; yet the bitter- 
 ness was tempered with sweetness. His sorrow was 
 deep, but it was mingled with the joy of his last 
 recollections of Ethel. The interval since her death 
 had not been unimproved, and clearer views of life 
 had been vouchsafed him. He was learning to appre- 
 ciate the commodities of the world at their true value 
 both the gold and the tinsel and there had 
 sprung up in his soul a confidence that henceforth he 
 should walk in a diviner light. 
 
 Mrs. Brown proved very precious to her son in his 
 darkest hours. Her presence and manner, even more 
 than her words, which were few but judicious, 
 strengthened and comforted him. Next to her per- 
 haps he valued Mrs. Mercy Jones, who with her hus- 
 band spoke consolatory words, and gently pressed his 
 hand at parting. Frances was unable to attend the 
 funeral, but Havard knew that her sympathetic heart 
 did not lack in respect of pity. 
 
 Ethel's parents consented to remain a day or two 
 in the bereaved home, and their presence was grate- 
 ful to the Browns, dulling slightly the edge of their 
 grief. But when they were gone an unutterable 
 loneliness afflicted Havard, for the house seemed so 
 vacant and quiet !
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 A MAY MEDLEY 
 
 THE miracle month opened in the Great Valley 
 with one of its pristine transformation scenes. Blos- 
 soms garnished the orchards with their dainty fab- 
 rics, and exhaled a fragrance surpassing the trophies 
 of the perfumer's art. The wan and wasted soldiers 
 marshaled upon the summit of Mount Joy and its 
 supporting hills took new courage and heart, and 
 forgot the iciness of the past winter in the warm 
 breath of Maia. From the four-petaled white blos- 
 soms of the dogwood of the forest to the snowy 
 viburnums and swelling thyrses of the lilacs in good 
 housewives' yards, that later burst into odorous 
 bloom, forest and field and garden were arrayed in 
 bridal costume, in anticipation of the coming of the 
 sky groom, already tremulous with eagerness, 
 though still measurably distant. But the crowning 
 witchery was the exquisite shade of the vernal 
 green! 
 
 The spirits of the patriotic people of the country 
 were revived with the resurrected vigor of the sea- 
 son, and this was augmented by cheering news from 
 over the sea. Franklin and his coadjutors had at 
 last succeeded in negotiating a treaty with France, 
 and henceforth the banners of the fleur-de-lis 
 might be expected to wave in battle by the side of 
 
 254
 
 A MAY MEDLEY 255 
 
 the stars and stripes. It was as though the sun 
 had suddenly shone out of heavy banks of mist, 
 and the foggy envelope was vanishing with the 
 quickness of magic. General Knox's eyes sparkled 
 with pleasure as he informed Havard Brown one 
 evening that he should hear a chorus next day from 
 the deep bass voices of his dogs of war ; and at nine 
 in the morning the heroes of the hills paraded with 
 an alacrity to which they had been strangers since 
 the previous autumn. The brigade chaplains evinced 
 unusual fire as they addressed their martial congre- 
 gations, but Parson David Jones seemed inspired as 
 he flamed upon his cherished theme of loyalty to 
 liberty at the head of Wayne's Pennsylvania Line. 
 
 At ten a solitary gun in the Artillery Park 
 sounded, and the entire army grounded arms after 
 loading. An hour and a half later the signal was 
 repeated, the soldiers marched to their alarm posts, 
 and the modest, patient man, whose military fame 
 was to grow side by side with that of his moral 
 excellence and statesmanship, reviewed his faithful 
 troops as they stood in two lines. From the extreme 
 right of the front line he moved to its extreme left ; 
 then, ranging along the rear line from left to right, 
 he stepped upon an elevation in the background and 
 gave the signal for a feu de joie. Thirteen pieces 
 of cannon thundered forth a salute to the treaty, and 
 from right to left of the front line ran a fire of 
 musketry, immediately followed by the similar fire 
 of the rear line from left to the right ; and then once 
 more the metallic throats of Knox's command 
 sounded in honor of French assistance. Then the
 
 256 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 salute was repeated. After the return of the bri- 
 gades to their encampments the day was given over 
 to jollity and such feasting as the camp cuisine could 
 afford, the general officers dining with Washington. 
 
 This was on the sixth of May. Two days later 
 Sir Henry Clinton arrived at Philadelphia with 
 orders to relieve Howe, and the following day the 
 event was known in the quiet retreat of Valley 
 Forge. In the city on the Delaware there ensued 
 an immediate stir, for the admirers of Howe deter- 
 mined to send away their late commander in a 
 blaze of glory, and commenced elaborate prepara- 
 tions for the event. Mrs. Thomson often told of the 
 doings, including the gorgeous decoration of the 
 Wharton mansion near the Swedes' church. At 
 half past four of the afternoon of the eighteenth a 
 regatta started from Knight's wharf near Vine 
 Street, consisting of galleys and flat boats hand- 
 somely embellished with flags and decorative stuffs, 
 containing high officers and representative Phila- 
 delphia beauties. The river was full of boats, and 
 these would have seriously interfered with the per- 
 formance had not official barges warned them to 
 keep at a distance. Multitudes upon the shores 
 witnessed the river parade ; and the men-of-war, at 
 anchor in the stream, literally covered with flags and 
 streamers, saluted the regatta with numerous 
 sulphurous discharges. 
 
 The shore pageant was quite magnificent in the 
 eyes of the spectators, and illustrated Captain 
 Andre's spectacular ingenuity. This part of the 
 "Mischianza." or "Medley." exhausted the resources
 
 A MAY MEDLEY 257 
 
 of the occasion. A grand avenue lined with troops 
 and bounded by two triumphal arches invited the 
 Howes to advance; and the admiral and the general 
 marched at the head of their coterie, attended by the 
 "Knights of the Blended Rose," and those of the 
 "Burning Mountain," while maidens arrayed in 
 Turkish habit smiled upon their squires. 
 
 A tournament followed, in which the knights 
 strove desperately with swords and spears and 
 pistols; but in the nick of danger they were com- 
 manded by their fair ladies to desist, whereupon 
 to merry music they gayly marched to the garden 
 of the mansion and the hall of entertainment, and 
 amid festoonings and flowers, and flashing reflec- 
 tions from nearly a hundred mirrors, they ate and 
 drank until ten, when fireworks illumined the sky. 
 At midnight a saloon, splendidly adorned, received 
 the favored guests possessing cards of admission, 
 which were graven with a vignette inclosing a 
 shield that displayed the setting sun, and banners 
 and other insignia of war. Black slaves in Oriental 
 dresses, wearing silver collars and bracelets, minis- 
 tered to the wants of the company, who feasted 
 amid harmonious strains of music, and afterward 
 danced until the dawn. 
 
 Mr. Heinrich Kichenheim, like another Lazarus, 
 ate the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. 
 He must have enjoyed them exceedingly, for he 
 smacked his lips decidedly more than once during 
 the evening. Then, strange to say, instead of linger- 
 ing about the kitchen where he was so well fed, he 
 industriously set forth with his pack for the sparsely
 
 258 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 settled rural region along the Schuylkill. By morn- 
 ing he was far on his way. 
 
 This time, however, he did not tarry long at the 
 few houses that claimed his attention, but showed 
 an unusual desire to make headway in his journey. 
 When not under the direct observation of anyone 
 the peddler straightened up under his load as though 
 it were but light, and hastened onward at high 
 speed; in truth, an examination of the pack would 
 have disclosed the fact that its contents were exceed- 
 ingly bulky but remarkably lacking in weight. 
 
 When at a fair distance from the British environs 
 Heinrich did not call anywhere, but marched rapidly 
 over the neutral ground, until he entered the Ameri- 
 can lines at Rebel Hill or slightly beyond. The 
 sentinels jested with him about the hurry that 
 characterized him, merely to gain a few dollars ; and 
 circumstances seemed to warrant their gibes, for he 
 was profusely perspiring, the day being of an 
 ordinary summer temperature. 
 
 Perhaps the quality of goods in the well-worn 
 pack was unusually fine; for the peddler made his 
 way up the Gulph road to the general headquarters 
 and insisted with the guard upon showing his stock 
 to his Excellency. But the real wonder was that the 
 grave chieftain was willing to examine the fabrics. 
 The guard thought, a half hour afterward, when the 
 peddler withdrew, that his eloquence had been 
 expended in vain, for the pack had not visibly 
 shrunk in size as the result of the interview. But 
 he forgot the peddler entirely in his surprise at the 
 subsequent appearance of a squad under the com-
 
 A MAY MEDLEY 259 
 
 mand of Colonel Hamilton, accompanied by an aid 
 in civilian dress, that marched resolutely out along 
 the creek. 
 
 It was obvious from the manner of the party that 
 something of importance was on foot, but the curi- 
 osity of the guard was not gratified by the discovery 
 of its purpose. When they arrived at the site of the 
 burnt forge the colonel halted his men and divided 
 them into two parties, instructing those of one divi- 
 sion to be subject to the orders of his aid and to ren- 
 der implicit obedience. The rest proceeded with 
 him up the path in the direction of Havard Brown's, 
 while the civilian led his men up the steep ravine to 
 the west of the creek, and over Mount Misery. The 
 first detachment worked its way across the country 
 at fair speed, notwithstanding the frequent bits of 
 woodland and marsh that it encountered, until it 
 arrived at a farmhouse nestling in a dell on the 
 banks of Valley Creek, a mile or less above the house 
 occupied by General Lafayette. Not quite so soon, 
 possibly, and yet but little behind these, arrived 
 their companions in arms who took the hill route, 
 but these tarried in the timber without disclosing 
 their presence except by a secret sign to Colonel 
 Hamilton. 
 
 The house, which was that of David Havard, a 
 second cousin to Havard Brown, served as head- 
 quarters for General Charles Lee, and was also 
 tenanted by Thomas Bradford, of the commissary 
 department. The general was quite surprised at 
 an afternoon call of such a character, and his wonder 
 increased when he was informed of the object of the
 
 26o VALLEY FORGE 
 
 visit. By his permission Colonel Hamilton made 
 a strict search of the house, but without satisfactory 
 result, and then turned his attention to the barn. 
 The most careful investigation failed to develop any 
 discovery of moment, although a dark corner of the 
 mow, situated under the eaves, and unlikely to be 
 disturbed by the farmer's man, looked as though it 
 had recently afforded a retreat for somebody. All 
 the outbuildings were likewise examined without 
 success, and the colonel was about to vent his 
 disappointment in a grumble or two about the lack 
 of accuracy upon the part of "these civilians," when 
 a shout from one of his men drew him to the spring- 
 house. 
 
 Private Andrew Gardiner was perfectly acquainted 
 with the well-watered farm that lay so snugly 
 beneath the North Valley Hill, and many a draught 
 had he obtained from the never-failing spring that 
 supplied the farmer's kitchen. The day was warm, 
 as we have shown ; and Gardiner, being athirst, 
 stepped familiarly into the little stone structure that 
 inclosed the spring, and dipped a cup into the pellu- 
 cid pool at his feet. Again and again did he quaff 
 the cool water, ruminating the meanwhile upon his 
 early days and his associations with the farm. For 
 a few moments he sat upon the stone at the door, 
 looking around at the rough whitewashed walls, 
 when, letting his gaze rest upon the overhanging 
 shelf, he thought he observed a peculiar reflection 
 coming through a wide crack between two boards. 
 
 Perhaps the average man would not have given 
 heed to the circumstance, but Andrew Gardiner was
 
 A MAY MEDLEY 261 
 
 to teach in years to come in the "Eagle" schoolhouse, 
 where he was accustomed to illustrate to his various 
 classes the value of an observant habit by the events 
 which succeeded. The recollection of the errand 
 upon which the detachment was engaged may have 
 keyed his curiosity, but at all events he determined 
 to examine into the circumstance more closely. It 
 might have been a bit of glass or glazed ware that 
 sent back some tiny beams of light that the sun 
 flashed into the little stone house, and which were 
 reflected by the pool, but it was not ; for when Gar- 
 diner rose to his feet and looked still closer at the 
 phenomenon it ceased, and a human eye the sec- 
 ondary mirror that quite comprehended the pur- 
 pose, although not understanding the occasion, 
 reported to a wily brain the imminent danger that 
 had already been observed and thus far ingeniously 
 avoided. Then a human form dropped down upon 
 Gardiner with such energy, unexpected as the 
 assault was, that the soldier could only snatch at the 
 obtruder and cry out, while the very person of whom 
 the party was in search broke away abruptly and 
 ran for the forest. 
 
 Hamilton and his band comprehended all that 
 was necessary when they saw the fugitive, and they 
 hastened after him. But fear lent wings to the 
 hunted man, and he sped through the Valley Creek 
 well in advance of his pursuers. The colonel did 
 not seem willing to order a fire upon his person, 
 but directed one of his men to discharge his piece 
 in the air, while the remainder kept up the pursuit. 
 
 The friendly shade of the forest was now
 
 262 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 extended to the panting .stranger, who fled from 
 Hamilton and his followers. He wondered why 
 more shots were not fired, and congratulated himself 
 on his escape from a bullet, while yet he shuddered 
 at a dark reason that suggested itself. But above 
 all he ran, and had just scaled the last fence that 
 bounded the farm on the north, with a growing feel- 
 ing of exultation at the prospect of evading capture, 
 when right in his path uprose several uniformed 
 men, who quietly surrounded him ; and he half 
 fell, half ran into the arms of a civilian, whom he 
 recognized at the same instant that his own fea- 
 tures impressed themselves upon his captor's 
 brain. 
 
 "I'm sorry," said Colonel Dewees, for it was he 
 who had led the second detachment, "but it is my 
 duty to arrest you." 
 
 The prisoner was ashy pale, for he now compre- 
 hended why he was not fired upon ; and he did not 
 even deem it advisable to ask the reason for his 
 apprehension. He perceived the futility of any 
 further attempt at escape, and walked on quietly, 
 but not until Hamilton had made sure of him by 
 manacles. Then, indeed, did he inquire the meaning 
 of such harsh usage, to which Hamilton responded 
 not unkindly, but solemnly, and in tones that carried 
 no hope to the prisoner, "Because you are charged 
 with being a spy." 
 
 The squad returned past Havard Brown's; 
 and the young farmer, observing that something 
 extraordinary was transpiring, scrutinized the 
 group. The prisoner bowed his head as he passed
 
 A MAY MEDLEY 263 
 
 Havard, but the latter saw with awe that the 
 shackled man was Will Tryon! 
 
 The hiding place of this misguided man, and 
 persistent Tory spy, was the crumb that the peddler 
 picked up under the table of the Mischianza. The 
 itinerant merchant, like some of his fellow trades- 
 men, was in the Continental service, and ran an 
 enormous risk in the prosecution of his patriotic 
 duty. He had been on the track of Tryon for several 
 months, and had furnished information upon which 
 Dewees had nearly caught the elusive spy; and his 
 haste after the famous Medley was due to his desire 
 to secure the fellow before he could vacate the hid- 
 ing place he had just been reliably informed he was 
 occupying. Yet it was the merest accident that 
 brought him to bay. 
 
 A court-martial was promptly held. The evidence 
 was overwhelming, and within twenty-four hours 
 a primitive and grim scaffold erected under a tree 
 near the Artillery Park told the gloomy story of 
 military reprisal, while a little later a human body 
 was buried in a lonely spot near by, apart from the 
 unmarked graves of the gallant men who had given 
 their lives for their country in succumbing to 
 disease. 
 
 It was whispered that British dominion in the 
 City of Brotherly Love was drawing to a close. 
 The signs of approaching evacuation were growing 
 positive and numerous. Foraging parties went 
 hither and thither between the Delaware and the 
 Schuylkill; a party dispatched up the Delaware 
 burned a large number of small ships; stores were
 
 264 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 captured and loss of life inflicted. Washington 
 determined to be upon the alert for whatever favor- 
 able opportunity might offer, and ordered the youth- 
 ful Lafayette to cross the Schuylkill with a force 
 of some two thousand troops and five cannon. The 
 very day of the Mischianza the marquis led his little 
 army to Barren Hill, and encamped about Saint 
 Peter's Lutheran Church a fortress in itself 
 and stationed his artillery on the adjacent elevations. 
 
 But it was at the house of a recreant citizen that 
 Lafayette established his headquarters, and this 
 Tory immediately caused Clinton to be informed of 
 the movement. The next night five thousand choice 
 troops under Grant and Erskine marched toward 
 Frankford, turned to the left through White Marsh, 
 and passed to the Swedes' Ford in the rear of the 
 [Americans ; while Grey led a strong force across the 
 river, and halted some distance below a point 
 opposite Barren Hill, and Clinton marched another 
 part of his army through Germantown to attack 
 Lafayette in front. 
 
 It required brilliant maneuvering upon the part 
 of the marquis to avoid the toils of the enemy, but 
 his strategy and the gallant McLane's vigilance and 
 energy ensured success. Lafayette was arranging 
 with a young lady of the neighborhood to go to 
 Philadelphia to procure information while visiting 
 her friends, when an intimation of the presence of 
 scarlet uniforms in the woods near White Marsh 
 was brought to him. He perceived the danger of 
 being surrounded, for the road by which he had 
 come from Valley Forge was already in the posses-
 
 A MAY MEDLEY 265 
 
 sion of the enemy. To deceive them for a while, 
 until he could hurry his troops to Matson's Ford, 
 was now his object; and he conducted the retreat 
 with such skill that he escaped to the other side with 
 a loss of fewer than a dozen men, in the skirmish 
 that ensued at the river. 
 
 High on the hills above the Forge stood Wash- 
 ington, anxiously awaiting developments. Barren 
 Hill was in full view a dozen miles away, and the 
 alarm guns of the morning had made him expectant. 
 Great was his joy when his young companion in 
 arms marched his men safely into camp, while 
 the cheers of the soldiers in generous greeting to 
 their imperiled comrades were hearty and prolonged. 
 
 Residence upon the heights bordering upon the 
 Schuylkill was pleasant enough now for those who 
 had suffered so keenly during the winter ; yet there 
 was a quiver of expectancy in the camp after 
 Lafayette's encounter with Clinton. The days were 
 too precious to be wasted, and still the British general 
 seemed in no haste to be gone. Washington was 
 prepared to harass him, if nothing more, upon his 
 venturing out of his well-fortified camp, and 
 anxiously awaited the opportunity. The countryside 
 partook in some degree of the feeling of the army, 
 and all looked forward to the results which might 
 be anticipated from the alliance with France. 
 
 The weeks passed slowly under such nervous 
 tension, and June came and dispensed its benedic- 
 tions. The early fruits gladdened the hearts of house- 
 keepers, while the meadows and grainfields cheered 
 the men of the Valley with prospects of an abun-
 
 266 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 dance of hay and cereals. Havard Brown, who had 
 been busied in May preparing his corn ground, saw 
 with satisfaction the growth of the thrifty shoots. 
 His mother noted this awaking interest, and was 
 glad; for she perceived that nature's remedies for 
 minds diseased were beginning to slowly assert 
 themselves. 
 
 It was a great day in the Valley when, suddenly, 
 the tents of the Continentals were struck, and Wash- 
 ington's refreshed and reinforced host marched forth 
 to active duty. Clinton had succeeded in concealing 
 his plans, and it was not until he had actually crossed 
 the Delaware at Gloucester that the patriot com- 
 mander comprehended his destination. The British 
 general had contemplated going to New York by 
 sea, but, recollecting Washington's swift movements 
 in the past, and fearing that that strategist might 
 anticipate him and capture the future metropolis, he 
 marched his men across the Jerseys. 
 
 It was the eighteenth of June when the move- 
 ment began, and as the vanguard crossed the river 
 before dawn the rearguard was safe upon the eastern 
 shore by ten o'clock ; so the same night saw Clinton's 
 men encamped at Haddonfield. 
 
 The news was not long in spreading to Valley 
 Forge. A cool-headed patriot residing in the 
 Quaker City shouted the tidings across the Schuyl- 
 kill, that there might be no delay, and George 
 Roberts galloped to the Forge with the welcome 
 message. At once the Continentals commenced their 
 march across Sullivan's bridge. Benedict Arnold, 
 still suffering from his Saratoga wound, was
 
 A MAY MEDLEY 267 
 
 assigned to the command of the division that entered 
 Philadelphia, while the main body marched rapidly 
 toward the Delaware at a more northerly point. 
 Greene and Wayne led the van, while the remainder 
 followed in two days. 
 
 It seemed incredible to their citizen neighbors that 
 the army had removed, but the hills so long tenanted 
 by the suffering soldiers were absolutely deserted. 
 
 The earthworks and the huts remained intact, 
 but the big guns were wanting. Perhaps the depar- 
 ture of the soldiers was realized most in those house- 
 holds from which the general officers had gone. Few 
 indeed were the homes, within a radius of two or 
 three miles, that had not entertained official guests. 
 The majority of the latter were of high character 
 and agreeable manners, conferring social benefits; 
 still, it would have been unnatural if this involuntary 
 entertainment had not been regarded as irksome, 
 and the company an incubus; and there was an 
 unequivocal and universal sigh of relief when the 
 army crossed the Schuylkill, and hastened after its 
 opponent on its way to New York. 
 
 As General Knox had been anticipating for weeks 
 the hour of removal, his effects were in order for 
 instant departure. His parting remarks as well as 
 those of Mrs. Knox, were appreciative of the many 
 kindnesses of the Browns; and the soldier's lady 
 presented the widow with acceptable souvenirs. 
 Then, with feeling farewells upon the part of both 
 hosts and guests, the latter quickly passed from 
 view.
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 
 
 ON the afternoon of Friday, the day after the 
 evacuation of the encampment, Mrs. Brown was 
 busied with the re-arrangement of furniture in the 
 rooms so long used by General and Mrs. Knox. 
 The apartments had suffered somewhat in appear- 
 ance by the removal of their temporary occupants, 
 for Mrs. Knox's fine taste had led her to make the 
 best of the meager furnishings that army life per- 
 mitted. 
 
 Havard had gone down to the creekside, to wash 
 some wagon wheels, and had chosen a spot beneath a 
 large willow, whose shade was grateful. Absorbed in 
 his work, he did not observe the approach of any- 
 one, and was startled by and by to find a mounted 
 visitor in front of him. It was Mr. Jones's helper, 
 Freeman. 
 
 Havard was struck with his melancholy appear- 
 ance. The young man said nothing for a moment, 
 but looked so sad that Havard inquired if anything 
 were wrong. A tear stood in his eye, and it was 
 several moments before Freeman could say, "Yes, 
 Massa Brown, dere's a good deal de matter. Poor 
 Missie Frances am bery sick, 'n I swan I don' expec' 
 dat she'll eber get well 'gain. She done send me to 
 tell yo' she lake for to see yo' dis a'ternoon, 'n for 
 yo' to come ober wid me. But Missus Jones, she 
 
 268
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 269 
 
 tell me not to wait for yo' ; but to come right home, 
 'n for yo' to come soon's yo' can git 'way." 
 
 A sense of a new impending calamity was upon 
 Havard. Ever afterward he had an impression as of 
 a sudden eclipse of the sun the darkening, at least, 
 of his mental sky. It was a crushing blow ; for the 
 message, combined with the extraordinary manner 
 of the messenger, hinted the very worst. He could 
 only stammer that he would go over at once, and 
 then he turned away toward the house. He felt 
 physically weak while climbing the slope that inter- 
 vened, and his mother was amazed at the pallor of 
 his face when she met him on the porch. He could 
 scarcely control himself to inform her of the over- 
 whelming tidings, which affected her almost as 
 much as himself ; and then, telling her that he would 
 go to see Frances without delay, he hastened up the 
 stairs to make some slight changes in his dress. 
 
 Saladin may have wondered at the manner of his 
 master that afternoon. He was accustomed to his 
 rider's moods, and Havard fancied that the intelli- 
 gent beast even sympathized with them. But Saladin 
 had never borne his master in just such a tumult of 
 feeling. The latter now saw only a little stone 
 house beneath the South Valley Hill, and a face 
 of wondrous fairness and sweetness; and he 
 actually urged his good steed to greater effort, as 
 he sped by the side of the stream and up the hill 
 toward the Swedes' Ford road. 
 
 Freeman had preceded Havard but a few minutes, 
 and had accomplished little more than to report his 
 reply before Saladin's lathered form showed at the
 
 270 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 barnyard gate, when the boy was sent to care for the 
 faithful animal, and Mrs. Jones met Havard at the 
 door of the house. The young man noticed how 
 careworn and frightened she appeared as she drew 
 him into a chair and pointing upward whispered, 
 "She's very low!" Then overcome with grief, she 
 buried her head in her apron. 
 
 The strain upon Havard's heart was too great to 
 permit the relief of tears. He did not attempt to 
 speak, but helplessly awaited Mrs. Jones's fuller 
 communication. Anticipating the inquiries he would 
 have made, she presently managed to tell him in 
 broken sentences that Frances had been unwell for 
 several weeks she did not say since her return 
 from waiting upon Ethel; she delicately forbore to 
 wound him by such an allusion but that a collapse 
 had taken place unexpectedly, within the last day or 
 two, so alarming to them all that they did not need 
 the doctor's guarded intimation that it might prove 
 fatal. 
 
 Mrs. Jones further explained that Frances had 
 been lying very weak, but free from pain, since her 
 breakdown, and that she had expressed a wish to 
 have Havard come over and see her. "I'm so glad 
 you've come, Havard; I'm sure it will do her 
 good. I think she's dreaming of the old days 
 when you were children together; for she smiles 
 sometimes, and says she was so happy. You had 
 better go up now she's not asleep. Just go through 
 the room overhead to the front one that looks out on 
 the orchard. I'll not go up till I can steady myself 
 a little O, it's too hard, too hard !"
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 271 
 
 Havard softly ascended the steps, and gently 
 rapped at the door leading into Frances's room. 
 "Come in," said a voice that made his heart chords 
 vibrate, though it was exerted very feebly. He 
 stepped into the room, and, turning to the left 
 saw Frances resting on her pillow, while her hand 
 lay helpless on the counterpane. Her face was 
 indescribably pale, but it seemed to shine with a 
 celestial light, and a faint smile played about the 
 clear eyes that had so often haunted him. 
 
 It was a mercy that the fountain of tears in the 
 strong man's head was unsealed at last. It seemed 
 as though his heart would burst under the strain, 
 but drops of relief flowed freely as he took the 
 wasted hand in his own large brown ones, and 
 pressed it convulsively, as though he would grind 
 it to powder. It was a moment of revelation to 
 him ; the old-time affection, deeper seated than ever 
 he had understood, beginning in the intimacy of 
 childhood and expanding with the years, and yet 
 strangely obscured for a season before its full import 
 was comprehended by him, was coming over him as 
 a flood; and, yielding to the passionate impulse of 
 the moment the more vehement because of its 
 utter hopelessness he carried the hand to his lips 
 and kissed it again and again. Frances was too 
 weak to resist, yet Havard remembered gratefully 
 that he did not notice even a feeble negative effort 
 upon her part. 
 
 It was at a climax of his emotion that, unable to 
 restrain himself any longer, he sank upon his knees, 
 and, still clasping the member so dear to him, sob-
 
 272 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 bingly exclaimed, amid a rain of tears, "O, Frances, 
 I have always loved you; but not until now have I 
 known how much !" 
 
 Intensity of utterance was gone from Frances, 
 but the womanly heart felt at the full this spontane- 
 ous though long-delayed avowal of affection, and her 
 eyes were moist with an expression of tenderness 
 and love that Havard rightly interpreted. 
 
 Under the pressure of varying emotions, he said 
 no more for a few moments, when the silence was 
 broken by Frances, who said in staccato, and in a 
 tone so low that it seemed but an echo, "I have 
 always loved you Havard." 
 
 What a reproach hung upon these words, he 
 thought, though Frances could not guess it. Now 
 he understood a thousand little things that had but 
 faintly excited his attention ; how dull he had been 
 not to comprehend them before, and in season! 
 Yes, far back in childhood the little tokens of affec- 
 tion had been manifested; and this noble girl, 
 beloved and cherished by all who knew her, might 
 have been nay, was his ; and yet he had been as 
 blind as a bat ! 
 
 A more delicate occasion could not be conceived. 
 Havard's devotion to the past was flawless, and had 
 he not believed that the atmosphere of the invisible 
 country was fast settling about Frances his confes- 
 sion would not have been made. And she, believing 
 that her feet were already laved by the water of the 
 dark river, did not hesitate to receive a declaration 
 that brought balm and peace even in the valley of 
 the shadow of death.
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 273 
 
 Everything about the room was indelibly photo- 
 graphed upon Havard's memory. It was a little 
 apartment, unceiled, and the bare beams almost 
 grazed his head as he stood erect. One small win- 
 dow looked out upon the yard, and beyond this to 
 the south was a fine orchard stretching toward the 
 South Valley Hill, whose slope and summit were 
 crowded with chestnut trees. The window was 
 open, for the day was warm; yet a pleasant breeze 
 toyed with the curtains. 
 
 Poor Havard! The fragrance that penetrated 
 the apartment from the exterior, the little articles 
 collected on the bureau, the clear bright mirror above 
 the washstand, the simple color-prints on the spot- 
 lessly white wall all disappeared from his view 
 for a moment as Frances resumed, "It is a comfort 
 to think that you will remember me Ha- 
 vard when I'm gone." 
 
 But while it was crushing to be reminded of her 
 approaching death, there was a sweetness in the 
 remark that transformed it into a benediction; and 
 an ineffable peace stole over the face of the gentle 
 girl in whom the tide of life seemed fast ebbing, as 
 Havard told her of his awakening, his struggles, 
 and his bitterness, concluding with a profession of 
 affection that should endure through the ages. 
 
 It was several minutes before Frances spoke 
 again ; but a slight pressure of her hand convinced 
 Havard that he had not spoken too late. After 
 another interval she languidly pronounced the 
 words, "Mount Airy." 
 
 "You are thinking," faltered Havard, "of our
 
 274 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 standing up there overlooking the Valley." "Beauti- 
 ful Valley," murmured Frances; "I wish that you 
 and Ethel and I were up there to get the air 
 and see the hills. Wouldn't we be happy?" The 
 faintest playfulness stole over her face; then she 
 said wearily again, "But by and by we'll hope to 
 meet no sickness no weakness no pain happy, 
 happy forever!" 
 
 Havard could only tremblingly kiss her hand, 
 and fold it up as though he would never loose it 
 more; and shortly afterward, fearing that he was 
 exhausting her, yet hardly able to tear himself 
 away, suggested that she go to sleep. Then, rising 
 from his knees, he stood sobbing uncontrollably for 
 a few moments, when he bent over the sick girl, 
 and, managing to utter brokenly the words, "Kiss 
 me, Frances!" touched her brow, her cheeks, and 
 lastly her lips, with the kisses of despair. He 
 received a response so faint that only the yearning 
 of love could detect it; but it was enough, and in 
 its strength he went many days and nights. 
 
 Once more he pressed that dear hand, once more 
 he bent over the fair face, and kissed brow and 
 cheek, and hung lingeringly upon lips that would 
 probably never more respond ; and then he tottered 
 to the stairs. 
 
 As he descended to the kitchen Mr. Jones met 
 him, and, putting his hand affectionately on his 
 shoulder, expressed gratification at the call; but 
 agitation obstructed further utterance. The young 
 man could endure no more, and, scarcely knowing 
 what he did, left the house.
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 275 
 
 Havard rode home physically and mentally over- 
 balanced. It was a while before he could frame a 
 sentence, and his mother embraced and soothed him 
 as she was accustomed to do when he was a child. 
 Her own grief was intense, but pity for him stimu- 
 lated her to its concealment. Presently however, 
 she extracted from his disjointed exclamations the 
 information that Frances had not yet passed away, 
 when he left Mrs. Jones's. This astounded her, as 
 she had naturally inferred that all was over, but 
 quickly as a flash of lightning illumes the sky a 
 thought surged through her brain that perhaps could 
 only have revealed itself to a woman's mind a 
 woman who had experience of the depth and power 
 of love. 
 
 Saladin was still tied at the gate. Mrs. Brown 
 heard his impatient taps upon the ground, and they 
 suggested a course of action. 
 
 "Take me behind thee at once to Jones's!" she 
 addressed Havard. He looked at her in a sort of 
 stupefaction, but mechanically obeyed, half compre- 
 hending that his mother purposed rendering some 
 assistance that he could not offer. Mrs. Brown tar- 
 ried not for change of dress, or aught else. Saladin 
 nobly carried his double burden at his best pace, and 
 soon Mrs. Brown was set down at the barnyard gate 
 of the Jones homestead. She bade Havard go home, 
 and be of as good cheer as possible, nor to look for 
 her until morning, and then hastened into the house. 
 
 It was a full hour before Havard saw even the 
 faintest gleam of the light that shone upon his 
 mother. But when it penetrated his temporarily
 
 276 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 dulled brain it affected him as it must have affected 
 the man with the withered hand to feel life coursing 
 through his dry veins. Then his hopes were as 
 fagots of pitch pine to the blaze, and a terrible 
 anxiety for tidings possessed him. Never had he 
 passed such a night as that which followed. If he 
 slept he knew it not, and with earliest dawn he was 
 astir. He could scarcely control himself to await 
 the probable hour of his mother's return. Nor did 
 he, for when he could wait no longer he threw the 
 bridle upon his horse and rode over toward the 
 Swedes' Ford road. 
 
 Whose was that form, far away, half hidden by 
 high bushes? Could it be his mother? Havard 
 hastened onward, Saladin responding to his master's 
 mood. Yes, it was she, surely, and in a few 
 moments more Havard had flung himself from the 
 horse's back, while his wistful eyes searched her 
 face. He saw nothing to dread there, unless it 
 might be her own fear to tell him good news; but 
 she determined to risk it. 
 
 "Frances is still living, Havard, and by the divine 
 blessing will not die, I think. We must not be too 
 sure, my boy, but I believe that we may hope." 
 
 Havard fell against the radiant woman, but 
 reviving hope and joy did not kill him. He blessed 
 his mother, believing that her opportune attendance 
 upon Frances had averted the shadow ; but now Mrs. 
 Brown crowned her glad communication with the 
 smiling words : 
 
 "It was not I who brought Frances back from the 
 margin of the waters, but thyself, dear Havard.
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 277 
 
 Something that thee said yesterday destroyed the 
 disease that brought her low; and if we can only 
 contrive to build up her weak body for a few days 
 all may yet be well." 
 
 Then the best of mothers as Havard called her 
 told something of her interview with Frances, 
 and how she found her apparently just lingering 
 on the brink of the dark stream ; how she nursed her 
 and encouraged her, and how the faint tide of life 
 that had almost ebbed forever had halted, and then 
 slowly returned, at first so feebly that it could 
 scarcely be perceived, but by-and-by so surely that 
 Dr. John Davis, who had called this morning, 
 expecting to find her gone, had said she was already 
 much better, though not at all out of danger. He 
 thought it a miracle, and could not conceive its 
 cause, for Frances's condition was unquestionably 
 beyond all medical relief. 
 
 Havard nervously indicated his purpose to visit 
 Frances again, but his mother gently restrained 
 him. "Not for a few days, Havard," she said. 
 "Freeman is to come over and inform us of her 
 progress, or decline, if that must be, so wait 
 patiently. And, Havard" her voice lowered per- 
 ceptibly "thee may pray for Frances, if thee would 
 help her most." 
 
 So they went home together, hopeful even 
 happy. 
 
 Freeman brought word that very evening that 
 Frances was noticeably improved, and each succeed- 
 ing day strengthened hope. Within a week Mrs. 
 Brown again rode over this time alone and when
 
 278 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 she returned her countenance was beaming ; but she 
 said no more than that Frances was growing better 
 fast. 
 
 It was a month before Havard saw the convales- 
 cent, and then for but a little while, when accom- 
 panying his mother. For the first time in their 
 relationship there was a strange reserve upon the 
 part of Frances, and a curious fluttering in the 
 breast of Havard. It was actually a relief to the 
 latter to have his mother present at the meeting. 
 Yet, in view of all the remarkable features of the 
 case, Havard would have been disconcerted by 
 Frances's apparent coldness if he had not perceived 
 a faint pressure of his hand, and a mantling of 
 Frances's cheeks and brow, that belied her restrained 
 manner. 
 
 How beautiful the Valley appeared that midsum- 
 mer day as mother and son departed homeward ! 
 
 With the season Frances grew in strength so 
 rapidly that by the beginning of August she could 
 renew a few of her daily duties with little fatigue. 
 Occasionally she accepted Mrs. Brown's invitations 
 to a ride, or took tea with her old friends. But 
 Havard observed that the air of restraint never 
 wholly vanished, and, not yet understanding the 
 reason, nor comprehending the philosophy of a 
 woman's affection, was troubled. 
 
 A few weeks passed, and one day Havard, having 
 an errand at Neilley's, rode around by Peggy 
 Hambleton's on his way home, to get the weekly 
 mail at Squire Henny Bell's, but as he reached the 
 Lancaster road he observed a familiar form close
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 279 
 
 to the turn of the wood road that led to Samuel 
 Jones's. 
 
 It disappeared in a twinkling, like a phantom. 
 Havard was irresolute for a moment only a 
 moment. Should he go on to the store, or turn 
 into the woods ? His quickened heart-beats decided 
 the matter. Soon he was at the side of the light 
 figure walking so quickly into the depths of the 
 timber. 
 
 It was a shy, averted face, richly crimsoned, when 
 it appeared to Havard's view. Perhaps had it not 
 been so he would have been infinitely more embar- 
 rassed. But for once he was master of the situation. 
 "Frances," he simply said, after their first words of 
 greeting, "do you know what day this is ?" 
 
 She seemed surprised at the question, and unable 
 to surmise. 
 
 "It is the twelfth of September, the anniversary 
 of the day after the battle of the Brandywine." 
 
 Now Frances understood. Vividly did she recall 
 that last walk together, and their view of the 
 cherished Valley. 
 
 Tactfully but courageously did Havard approach 
 the weighty theme that lay at his heart. It is true 
 there were awkward embarrassments to be encoun- 
 tered, but they were surmounted or skillfully swept 
 aside. The trunk of a great oak was prone but a 
 short distance from the road; somehow Havard 
 persuaded Frances to be seated on it, while he tied 
 Saladin to a sapling. 
 
 If it was the diplomacy of a courtier, it was also 
 the delicacy of a lover, that brought into view the
 
 280 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 revelations of that sacred hour when both were cer- 
 tain that Frances's life was flickering to extinction. 
 Her true womanly nature shrank from the allusion, 
 and begged to be spared it ; but Havard pleaded with 
 powers once unknown to his diffident temperament. 
 Nor did he take any unfair advantage of Frances's 
 avowal when an exchange of worlds seemed immi- 
 nent. His plea took full cognizance of all that had 
 preceded it, and was permeated with heartfelt sor- 
 row and abiding penitence. 
 
 If the soft rustle of the dead leaves from the fal- 
 len oak was produced by the footfall of Ethel's 
 peaceful spirit, the heart of the loved and lost one 
 rejoiced to hear the tender references to her that 
 fell from the lips of both the speakers who dis- 
 coursed in such low accents. Sorrow was mingled 
 with joy, and painful memories with chastened 
 hopes. But the unexpected interview could have but 
 one fruition, and it was understood that the renewed 
 friendship should be permitted to grow onward to 
 perfection. 
 
 There were no passers-by to be avoided, and only 
 the angels looked down as Havard claimed the dear 
 pledge of betrothal. He folded Frances to his heart 
 in a tearful rapture, and kissed her until she faintly 
 struggled to be free. But it was sweeter still to 
 receive her answering caress, and to feel the pressure 
 of her warm lips in response to his own ardent 
 tokens. 
 
 It did not excite any remark when Frances 
 returned home in Havard's company, and Mrs. 
 Brown understood when her son put his arm about
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 281 
 
 her and tenderly kissed her. No word was spoken 
 at that time on either side. 
 
 How events progressed through another year need 
 not especially be recorded. When the community 
 became aware that an old fellowship had been 
 revived, gossip was kindly, and the trite jests passed 
 upon second courtships were unheard. In fact, the 
 Mrs. Grundy of that day had concluded that it was 
 just the right thing. 
 
 It was not by chance for Havard insisted upon 
 it that the wedding day fell upon the twelfth of 
 September, 1779. 
 
 Of that happy Sabbath afternoon, in the little best 
 room of Mrs. Mercy Jones, with doors and windows 
 open to the sweet warm air without, the apples mel- 
 lowing on the trees, the grapes on the long trellises 
 purpling deep with the kisses of the sun, the South 
 Valley Hill still green and glorious, the little stream 
 dropping from its wooden spout in its transit of the 
 yard, and the small company of intimate friends 
 who gladly responded to the invitation to be present, 
 it is not necessary to write at large. 
 
 It was a Quaker wedding at least the traditions 
 of the Society were observed, even if the participants 
 were not in active relationship to it. 
 
 It was sweetly solemn when the bride and the 
 groom rose to declare their vows. None of that 
 company forgot the manly tenderness of Havard or 
 the gentle yet firm bearing of Frances when they 
 plighted their troth in the touching confession of 
 the Friends. And Mr. and Mrs. Jones and Mrs. 
 Brown seemed almost as happy as they, and con-
 
 282 VALLEY FORGE 
 
 gratulated each other on this auspicious union of 
 the families. 
 
 There was no bridal tour except to Havard's 
 home. Why should there have been? There are 
 taller hills, and wider vales, and statelier streams 
 than those of Chester's emerald sweep; but where 
 love reigns hills are magnified into mountains, 
 creeks expand into rivers, and a tranquil Valley is 
 metamorphosed into Beulah. No more attractive 
 home in all the land could be found for two young 
 spirits sacredly united for life than that just without 
 the Valley Forge gates a lodge by the portals of 
 Elysium. 
 
 Of the year of bliss that followed a year of 
 increasing love and intimacy of fellowship the 
 romancer has naught to narrate, save that both Ha- 
 vard and Frances were satisfied that Cowper's 
 couplet of Providence, 
 
 "The bud may have a bitter taste, 
 But sweet will be the flower " 
 
 was abundantly illustrated in their own experience, 
 and that their joy was unspeakably deeper because 
 of the trials of the past. 
 
 There is, however, one final note of importance to 
 the reader : The twelfth of September, 1780, brought 
 to the Brown mansion a wee maiden of singular win- 
 someness. How happy the father was, how tenderly 
 he waited upon the young mother, how he crept into 
 the room on tiptoe and listened, with his ear right 
 at the babe's lips, to be sure that it was breathing 
 not even this is to figure in the tale; but one day, 
 when "Baby Blue" as they called her on probation
 
 AN OVERFLOWING CUP 283 
 
 was two weeks old, Frances introduced the subject 
 of the babe's proper naming 1 . 
 
 There was a strange yearning in Havard's heart 
 concerning a cherished name whose original posses- 
 sor was sleeping beneath the grassy turf of Saint 
 Peter's. Often had he and Frances visited the spot, 
 and lavished flowers upon it. But still he gave no 
 sign of his desire. But Frances said, "Havard, my 
 precious husband, gives me my way and wish in 
 everything; yet I want one thing more to name 
 our 'Baby Blue/ ' She let her plump hand rest upon 
 the innocent's cheek, never so lightly, and archly 
 continued, "Have you any objection to my doing 
 so?" Havard looked wistful, but he promptly 
 responded, "You have given her to me, Frances 
 dear, you shall give her to me name and all." 
 
 "Then," said Frances, "in memory of our lost 
 one I name her 'Ethel.' ' 
 
 "Baby Blue," at this abrupt transition in her 
 nomenclature, sputtered a little, as babies will; 
 whereupon her father, both tearful and triumphant, 
 seized her and pressed her to his bosom ; and when 
 Frances declared that his unshaven chin would rasp 
 the little thing's velvet cheek he turned upon the 
 mother with a caress of such emphasis that the joy- 
 ous invalid was obliged to ask him to desist. 
 
 But Havard's cup was full at last even to 
 overflowing! 
 
 THE END