“I shall not tell her,” said the child shrewdly, “but I am going to pray for the devil each night, whether any one else does or not.”

“As you cannot work any longer on the sampler, you had best go to Miss Pamela for your writing lesson,” said Miss Bidwell.

“Pamela is out in the orchard with Josiah Huntington,” said Moppet, “and she would send me forthwith into the house if I went near her.”

“Then find Miss Betty and read her a page in the primer.  You know you promised your father you would learn to read it correctly against his return.”

“Betty is gossiping in the garret chamber with Sally Tracy; surely I must stop with you, Biddy, dear;” and Moppet twined her arms around Miss Bidwell’s neck, with her little coaxing face upraised for a kiss.  When Moppet said “Biddy dear” (which was her baby abbreviation for the old servant), she became irresistible; so Miss Bidwell, much relieved at dropping so puzzling a theological question as the propriety of supplications for the well-being of his Satanic majesty, proposed that she should tell Miss Moppet “a story,” which met with delighted assent from the little girl.

Miss Bidwell’s stories, which dated back for many years and always began with “when I was a little maid,” were never failing in interest besides being somewhat lengthy, as Moppet insisted upon minute detail, and invariably corrected her when she chanced to omit the smallest particular.  That the story had been often told did not make it lose any of its interest, and the shadows of the great elm which overhung the sitting-room windows grew longer, while the sun sank lower and lower unheeded, until Miss Bidwell, at the most thrilling part of her tale, where a bloodthirsty and evil-minded Indian was about to appear, suddenly laid down her work and exclaimed:—­

“Hark! surely there is some one coming up the back path,” and rising as she spoke, she hurried out to the side porch, closely followed by Moppet, who said to herself, with all a child’s vivid and dramatic imagination, “Perhaps it’s an Indian coming to tomahawk us in our beds!” which thought caused her to seize a fold of Miss Bidwell’s gown tightly in her hand.

As they came into the hall they were joined by Miss Euphemia, who had also heard the sounds of approach; and as they emerged from the house two tall figures, dusty and travel-worn, confronted them, with Reuben following in their rear.

“Oliver!” exclaimed Miss Euphemia, as she recognized her youngest nephew in one of the wayfarers, “whence come you, and what news?  Where is your honored father?”

[Illustration:  Miss Euphemia meets Oliver and his prisoner]

“My father, madam,” said Oliver Wolcott, uncovering his head as he motioned to Reuben to take his place near his companion, “my father is some thirty miles behind me, but hastening in this direction.  What news?—­Fairfield burnt, half its inhabitants homeless, but Tryon’s marauders put to flight and our men in pursuit.”