A Little Maid of Ticonderoga

								

responded her mother; "but I do not understand about the food," she
added, half to herself, wondering if Esther could really have eaten it
all.
Faith looked about the kitchen. "It looks just the same. Just as if
the bear had not come in," she said.
Mrs. Carew brought her a bowl of milk and a plate of corn bread, and
another plate with two of the pumpkin cakes.
"I'll run back to the mill while you eat your supper, Faithie, and see
if Esther has been found. When I come back you must tell me what you
were turning syrup into the kettle for."
Faith was hungry, but as she ate her bread and milk she felt very
unhappy. She remembered her promise to Esther not to tell Mrs. Carew
about the syrup.
"I don't know what I shall do," she said aloud. "I guess I'll go and
rest on the settle until mother dear comes," so she opened the door
and entered the sitting-room. As she lay back among the cushions of
the settle she heard a faint noise from the further side of the room.
"I guess it's 'Bounce,'" she thought.
Then the noise came again: "Gr-r-r! Gr-rrr!" Faith sat up quickly. She
wondered if another bear had made its way into the house. The big
black bearskin rug in front of the table was moving; it was standing
up, and coming toward the settle.
"It's you, Esther Eldridge! You can't frighten me," said Faith, and
Esther dropped the rug from her shoulders and came running toward the
settle. Her black eyes were dancing, and she was laughing.
"Oh! I've had the greatest fun! I ate all your dinner, and I hid under
that bearskin and your mother and father hunted everywhere for me.
Where have you been?" concluded Esther, looking down at Faith. The
little girls did not notice that, just as Esther began speaking, Mrs.
Carew had opened the sitting-room door.
"I've been way off in the woods, and my mother has asked me to tell
her about the maple syrup," replied Faith accusingly.
"Well, Esther!"
Both the girls gave an exclamation of surprise at the sound of Mrs.
Carew's voice. "You may go to the mill and tell Mr. Carew that you are
safe, and then come directly back," she said a little sternly, and
stood by the door until Esther was on her way. Then she crossed over
to the settle and sat down beside Faith.
"I will not ask you about the syrup, Faithie dear," she said,
smoothing Faith's ruffled hair. "And you had best go up-stairs to bed.
I will have a talk with Esther, and then she will go to bed. It has
been a difficult day, has it not, child? But to-morrow I trust
everything will go pleasantly, without bears or trouble of any sort."
"But Esther will be here," said Faith.
"Never mind; I think Esther has made mischief enough to-day to last
all her visit," responded Mrs. Carew; and Faith, very tired, and
greatly comforted, went up to her pleasant chamber which Esther was to
share. She wondered to herself just what her mother would say to
Esther. But she did not stay long awake, and when Esther came