A Little Maid of Ticonderoga Part 23

Nathan added handsomely.

All this made Faith a very happy little girl; but when, a few weeks later, a messenger brought her a letter from Ethan Allen himself, she felt that no other little girl in all the American Colonies could be as proud as Faith Carew. She confessed to her mother that, after all, some secrets were worth keeping. Colonel Allen invited her to make a visit to the fort, and it was arranged that her father should take her to Ticonderoga and that she should stay for a few days with Aunt Prissy.

So once again she went over the trail and crossed the lake, and on a pleasant June morning with her father and Aunt Prissy, she stood again at the entrance to Fort Ticonderoga. This time she was not left alone, as on her first visit, a frightened deserted child. For it was Colonel Allen himself, tall and handsome, who met the little party at the entrance and escorted them about the fortifications.

"'Faith,'" he said kindly, as he bade them good-bye, "'tis indeed the best of names for a little American girl; a name that I shall ever remember."

Faith was very quiet as they walked toward home. She was thinking to herself of all the happy experiences of the past weeks; and not until she saw Louise waiting for her at Aunt Prissy's gate did her face lose its serious expression. She ran ahead of the others and called out: "Louise! Louise! You will be Aunt Prissy's little girl, won't you?

Because then you'll really be an American."

Louise nodded happily.

"Yes; and father is going to be an American, too. Didn't Aunt Prissy tell you?" she responded; "and it's all because you were my friend, Faith," she added more soberly, as the two girls entered the house, and stood hand in hand at the door where, but a few months ago, Louise had entered a ragged, unhappy child.

"We'll always be friends, shan't we!" said Faith, and Louise earnestly responded:

"Always."

The stories in this series are:

A LITTLE MAID OF PROVINCE TOWN A LITTLE MAID OF Ma.s.sACHUSETTS COLONY A LITTLE MAID OF NARRAGANSETT BAY A LITTLE MAID OF BUNKER HILL A LITTLE MAID OF TICONDEROGA A LITTLE MAID OF OLD CONNECTICUT A LITTLE MAID OF OLD MAINE A LITTLE MAID OF OLD NEW YORK A LITTLE MAID OF OLD PHILADELPHIA A LITTLE MAID OF VIRGINIA A LITTLE MAID OF MARYLAND A LITTLE MAID OF MOHAWK VALLEY A LITTLE MAID OF MONMOUTH A LITTLE MAID OF NANTUCKET A LITTLE MAID OF VERMONT