Peggy Owen and Liberty Part 3

"Well, if thee won't be long," agreed Sally reluctantly.

Both girls pa.s.sed into the sitting-room, while Peggy proceeded to the kitchen. As has been said, the kitchen was attached to the main dwelling by a covered entry way. On one side of this was a door leading out to the west terrace, which, the girl noticed, was partly open.

"No wonder 'tis hard to keep the kitchen warm with that door open,"

she cried. "That must be some of Tom's carelessness. I must speak to him."

She put down the dish-pan on the wash bench, and went to the door to close it. As it resisted her efforts to shut she stepped outside to see what the trouble was. A startled e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n left her lips as the form of a man issued from behind it.

"What does thee wish, friend?" demanded Peggy sternly. "Why does thee not come to the door like an honest man instead of sneaking behind it? I shall call my father."

"Don't, Peggy," came in low tones from the man. "I was watching for you. Will you shelter an escaping prisoner, my cousin?"

"Clifford!" she cried in amazement. "Oh, Clifford!"

CHAPTER III

ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA

"Nature imprints upon whate'er we see, That has a heart and life in it, 'Be free.'"

--_Cowper._

"Yes, 'tis Clifford," he said in a low tone. "I have escaped from Lancaster, where I was a prisoner, and am trying to reach New York. I should not have troubled you, Peggy, but the storm is so severe that I can go no further. But, my cousin, it may be of risk to shelter me."

"Oh," she cried clasping her hands in dismay. "What shall I do? What shall I do? Why, Clifford, both father and Robert Dale are here. They are of the army, and may deem it their duty to give thee up."

"I see," he said with some bitterness. "I should not have troubled you, but I thought---- It did seem for the sake of our kins.h.i.+p that you would give me shelter at least for the night."

"Stop!" she cried, laying a detaining hand on his arm as he turned to go. "Thee is so hasty, Clifford. Of course I will help thee, but I must think how to do it. As I said, father and Major Dale are here; and Fairfax Johnson too. Of Virginia, thee remembers? Remain here for a moment, my cousin. I will send Sukey out of the kitchen, and then thee shall come in. 'Tis cold out here."

"After all," he said, his lips meeting in the straight line of determination that she remembered so well, "I do wrong to ask aught of you. There may be--nay, there is, risk in harboring me, Peggy. I must not get you into trouble. Is there not a barn where I could abide for the night?"

"Thee would freeze in the barn to-night," she cried. It had stopped snowing, but the wind had increased in violence, and it was growing colder. It would be bitter by night, the girl reflected, noticing the fact in a perfunctory manner. "I could not bear to think of thee there, my cousin. Thee is cold now. Thy lips are blue, and thou art shaking. Wait for a moment. Thee must."

She pushed him back behind the door, then catching up the dish-pan entered the kitchen hurriedly. Sukey, the black servant, was its only inmate.

"Sukey," said Peggy trying to speak naturally, "has thee seen to the beds yet? They should be well warmed for so cold a night as this will be. And the fires? Is there wood in plenty? I will set the kitchen in order if thee will look well to the up-stairs."

"Hit am done looked aftah," said Sukey drawing closer to the fire.

"Eberyt'ing's all right, Miss Peggy. Now yer kin jest go right erlong ter yer fren's, and let ole Sukey red up."

"Thee must take more wood up-stairs," spoke the girl desperately.

"There must be an abundance, Sukey. Does thee hear?"

"Yes'm; I heahs, Miss Peggy," answered the black rising, and giving her young mistress a keen glance. "I heahs, an' I'se gwine. Dem wood boxes am full, ebery one of dem, but I'se gwine. Ef yer want ter talk secrets yer might hab tole ole Sukey widouten makin' a 'scuse ter git rid ob hur."

"Oh, Sukey, forgive me," cried Peggy laughing in spite of her anxiety to get rid of the black. "Thee is the dearest thing that ever was. I do want the kitchen a little while. Go up to my room, and thee will find a string of yellow beads on the chest of drawers. Thee may have them, Sukey, if thee will stay up there for a little while."

"Yes'm," answered Sukey, preparing to take her departure. "I don't 'prove nohow de way you all takes on wid Miss Sally," she grumbled as she left the room.

Peggy sped to the entry as soon as the black had left it. "Come, Cousin Clifford," she called, and Clifford Owen stepped forth. "Sukey hath gone up-stairs, and thee can come in while I think what to do.

Come!"

She led the way to the kitchen as she spoke, and her cousin followed her with visible reluctance. He brightened perceptibly at sight of the great fire of hickory logs that blazed in the fireplace.

"Sit here, my cousin," said Peggy placing a chair in the corner between the dresser and the wall where the light was shaded. "Keep thy beaver on thy head as the Friends do, then if any one should come in it will seem as though thou wert but a pa.s.ser-by asking for something to warm thee."

"'Fore George, but that smells good," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Clifford as the girl placed a bowl of smoking hot pepper-pot before him. "What is it, Peggy?"

"'Tis pepper-pot, Clifford. 'Tis made nowhere else in the states but here in Philadelphia. It hath dumplings in it, which pleases most boys. And now let me think while thee is getting warm."

Clifford regarded her anxiously for a moment, then the seductive aroma of the pepper-pot overcame whatever of uneasiness that he may have felt, and he fell to with a relish. Meantime Peggy's brows were puckered in thought. What should she do with him? she asked herself in perplexity. The temper of the people was such that it would not easily brook any indulgence to the enemy. The penalty for harboring, or aiding and abetting an escaping prisoner was fine, imprisonment, and sometimes even public whipping. Should her father, pure patriot though he was, be suspected of giving aid to one of the British prisoners it would go hard with him. Not even his previous good record would save him from the punishment. And so the girl found herself confronted with a serious problem. She could not let her cousin go forth in such weather, and yet her father must not be implicated in his escape. The house was full. Where could the lad stay?

At this moment her eye fell upon a trap-door in the ceiling. There had been until of late a ladder leading up to it, but two of the rounds had been broken and it had been removed to the carpenter's shop. The door opened into an airy apartment extending the whole length of the kitchen, which was used for drying herbs which were cultivated in ample quant.i.ties in the garden. Indeed the Owen house was the only place in the city at the time where herbs could be had, and it was a pleasure to Peggy and her mother to be able to answer the demand for them. Could Clifford but climb up there, she reflected, he would be safe for a time.

"Can thee climb, my cousin?" she cried eagerly. "Because if thee can thee can stay up in the kitchen chamber."

"Is it warm?" asked the youth, casting a longing glance at the fire.

"Of a verity. It could not be otherwise, being above the kitchen.

Thee must not linger, Clifford. Some one is apt to come in at any moment. See the door up there? Well, thee will have to get on the table and I will hand thee a chair. Standing on that thee must try to push the door open, and then draw thyself up into the room above. With the door closed thou wilt be safe from prying eyes, yet thou wilt be able to hear all that goes on below."

"That is fine, Peggy," commented the youth, his eyes lighting up. "You are a cousin worth having, and have thought to some purpose."

He vaulted lightly upon the table as he spoke, and taking the chair that Peggy handed him placed it firmly upon the table, mounting thereupon. With a creek that set the girl's heart to beating the trap-door was swung open, and the youth drew himself slowly into the chamber above.

"I say," he said, peering down at Peggy, laughingly, "this is jolly.

It's as warm as toast and there is a fur robe up here. If I don't answer you at any time you will know, my cousin, that I have gone to sleep."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "CLOSE THE DOOR."]

"Close the door, Clifford," exclaimed Peggy. "I shall be uneasy until thou art hidden."

"Don't be that, little cousin," he said almost gaily. "I feel like another man already. I shall do royally, and I doubt if any one would think of looking up here for an escaped Englishman."

He closed the door as he finished speaking, and heaving a sigh of relief Peggy lifted the chair from the table and set it against the wall. She had scarcely resumed her task of was.h.i.+ng the pots and pans when the door opened and Sally entered. She glanced about expectantly.

"I thought I heard thee talking to some one," she remarked. "Isn't thee ever going to get through with those pots and pans, Peggy? Let me help thee. We want thee to come in with us."

"Now you all jest go right erlong," spoke Sukey, who had followed Sally into the room. "Yer ma, she come up and she say, 'Tell Miss Peggy dat she am wanted in de sittin'-room right now.' Jest go right erlong, chile. Sukey'll finish up heah."

"All right, Sukey." Peggy relinquished the task to the black, and started for the door, saying in a tone that Clifford might hear: "I will be out presently to see how thee gets along."

"Ef I doan git erlong any fas'er dan you all dese dishes gwine ter be heah twel Chrismus," grumbled the darkey. "An' some-body's muss'd my floah."