A Little Maid of Ticonderoga

								

up-stairs shortly after, very quietly, and feeling rather ashamed of
herself after listening to Mrs. Carew, Faith was fast asleep.
But Esther did not go to sleep. She wondered to herself what her
father would say if Mrs. Carew told him of her mischief, and began to
wish that she had not deceived Mrs. Carew about the dinner. She could
feel her face flush in the darkness when she remembered what Mrs.
Carew had said to her about truthfulness. Esther's head ached, and she
felt as if she was going to be ill. Down-stairs she could hear the
murmur of voices. Ethan Allen would sleep on the settle, and be off at
an early hour the next morning. It seemed a long time before the
voices ceased, and she heard Mr. and Mrs. Carew come up the stairs.
Esther began to wish that she had not eaten the fine pumpkin pie and
all the cakes. It was nearly morning before she fell asleep, and she
was awake when Faith first opened her eyes.
"It's time to get up. It always is the minute I wake up," said Faith
sleepily.
Esther answered with a sudden moan: "I can't get up. I'm sick," she
whispered.
Faith sat up in bed and looked at Esther a little doubtfully. But
Esther's flushed face and the dark shadows under her eyes proved that
she spoke the truth.
"I'll tell mother. Don't cry, Esther. Mother will make you well before
you know it," said Faith, quickly slipping out of bed and running into
the little passage at the head of the stairs.
In a few moments Mrs. Carew was standing beside the bed. She said to
herself that she did not wonder that Esther was ill. But while Faith
dressed and got ready for breakfast Mrs. Carew smoothed out the
tumbled bed, freshened the pillows and comforted their little visitor.
"Run down and eat your porridge, Faithie, and then come back and sit
with Esther," said Mrs. Carew.
When Faith returned Mrs. Carew went down and brewed some bitter herbs
and brought the tea for Esther to drink. The little girl swallowed the
unpleasant drink, and shortly after was sound asleep. She had not
awakened at dinner time, and Mrs. Carew was sure that she would sleep
off her illness.
"The child must be taught not to crave sweet foods," she said, as she
told Faith to run down to the mill and amuse herself as she pleased.
"Only don't go out of sight of the mill, Faithie," she cautioned, and
Faith promised and ran happily off down the path. She was eager to ask
her father about Mr. Ethan Allen.
Mr. Carew was busy grinding wheat. There were few mills in the
Wilderness, and nearly every day until midwinter settlers were coming
and going from the mill, bringing bags of wheat or corn on horseback
over the rough trail and carrying back flour or meal. When Mr. Carew
had tied up the bag of meal and his customer had ridden away, he came
to where Faith was sitting close by the open door and sat down beside
her.
"Why do you call Mr. Allen a 'Green Mountain Boy'?" asked the little
girl, after she had answered his questions about Esther; "he is a big