Part 10 (1/2)
”Stand aside there,” said another voice impatiently, as an officer dismounted from his horse, and flung the rein to one of the men. ”If you are bound to a city occupied by the British, you must have safe-conduct, madam, else we are compelled to search and detain you.”
For answer, Mrs. Seymour drew out a folded paper, which the officer, straining his eyes in the fast-fading daylight, read aloud, as follows:--
”After the expiration of eight days from the date hereof, Mrs. Seymour and maid have permission to go into the city of New York and to return again.”
”Given at Morristown this second day of December.
”G. WAs.h.i.+NGTON.”
”From the commander-in-chief,” said the officer, raising his hat, as he motioned his men to stand back. ”Madam, permit me to present myself as Lieutenant Hillhouse of the Connecticut Rangers, and pray command my services.”
”Oh,” gasped Betty, from the other side, ”our own troops, thank Heaven!”
”Truly you are a welcome arrival,” said Mrs. Seymour, with a light-hearted laugh. ”Betty and I have pa.s.sed a bad five minutes, fancying you were Hessians. I am on my way to the city to intercede for my brother, Captain Seymour's exchange, and, for the once, I do not mind telling you that my companion is Mistress Betty Wolcott, consigned to my care by her father, General Wolcott, as her sister, Mrs. Verplanck, lies ill in New York, and she goes there to see her, but she travels as my maid.”
”I met Lieutenant Hillhouse last summer at my father's house,” said Betty, as the young officer came around to her side of the coach, ”and right glad I am to see you now, sir, instead of the redcoats whom Caesar, our coachman, has been imagining would start from every bush as we near White Plains.”
”You are not above a mile from a little settlement called Ridgefield,”
answered the officer; ”and while there is no tavern there, my men and I found fairly comfortable quarters to-day. If I may suggest, you should get there as soon as may be.”
”We would be glad to,” said Mrs. Seymour ruefully, ”but one of my horses has cast a shoe, hence our slow progress. I am more than glad my servant has not mistaken the way.”
”Madam oughter to know Caesar better,” grumbled that worthy from the box.
”How long will it take you to drive the remaining mile?” said his mistress soothingly. ”We may perhaps have your escort, lieutenant?”
”I am on my return there, madam; permit me to send my men in advance to arrange for your comfort, and I will with pleasure ride beside you until we arrive. Ridgefield lies beyond that turn,” raising his whip to direct Caesar. ”If it were not for the growing darkness, you would see the smoke from the chimney of the house where I am quartered;” and closing the door of the coach, the officer gave directions to his men, who marched quickly down the road, as he mounted and pursued his way with the ladies.
Just beyond the farmhouse which Lieutenant Hillhouse had pointed out as his temporary quarters stood a low, wooden structure, with a lean-to in the rear, and there Caesar drew up his tired horses. A rather cross-looking spinster stood in the door of the house, and as Betty and Mrs. Seymour alighted she said snappishly:--
”I don't own much room, as I told your men, Mister Lieutenant, but so long as you're not Hessians I'm willing to open my door for you. It won't be for long, will it?”
”Oh, no,” replied Mrs. Seymour, with her pretty, gracious smile, ”we are simply in need of a night's lodging. I think we have food enough in our hampers, and if you can give us hot milk I have coffee ready for making.”
”I don't begrudge you nothing,” said the woman in a softened tone, as Betty bade her a pleasant good-day, ”but it's a poor place, anyhow,”
gazing up at the bare rafters, ”and as I live here all alone I have to be precious careful of my few things.”
”But it so neat and clean,” said Betty, pulling a three-legged stool toward the fire, and surveying the recently scrubbed floor; ”we are cold and weary, and you are very good to take us in.”
Evidently the woman was amenable to politeness, for she bustled around and insisted upon making the coffee, which Caesar produced in due time from his hamper under the box-seat, and she laid a cloth on the pine-wood table, and at last, after disappearing for a few minutes into the darkness of a small inner room, reappeared with three silver spoons and two forks in her hand, which she laid carefully down beside the pewter plates on the table with an air of pride as she remarked, addressing no one in particular:--
”The forks was my grandmother's, and my father fetched the spoons from a voyage he made on the Spanish main, and he always said they was made of real Spanish dollars.”
Thereupon Mrs. Seymour and Betty fell to admiring the queer-looking articles (which from their workmans.h.i.+p were really worthy of admiration), and the spinster relaxed her severe air sufficiently to accept a cup of the coffee they were drinking. And then Mrs. Seymour induced her to give consent that Caesar should have a shake-down in a corner of the kitchen, and although the bed which Betty and the pretty matron had to share was hard, it was clean, and the pillows soft, and they slept soundly and well amid their rough surroundings, and, to confess the truth, enjoyed the novelty of the situation.
Lieutenant Hillhouse aroused them early in the morning by a message; and as Mrs. Seymour was not ready to receive him, Betty ran out and met him at the door.
”You look so fresh and bright that I am sure your night spent upon the roadside has not harmed you,” said the officer, bidding her good-morning. ”I am off at once, as I carry an order to General Wolcott for quartermaster's stores in Litchfield. What shall I say to your father for you?”