[Illustration: “_You’d do well to come out here, Aunt Martha._”] A Heroine of 1812 _A Maryland Romance_ BY AMY E. BLANCHARD _Illustrated by Ida Waugh_ [Illustration] W. A. WILDE COMPANY BOSTON CHICAGO _Copyright, 1901_, BY W. A. WILDE COMPANY. _All rights reserved._ A HEROINE OF 1812. To My Brother THE GRANDSON OF AN “OLD DEFENDER” I LOVINGLY DEDICATE THIS STORY OF HIS MARYLAND AND MINE A. E. B. Contents. CHAPTER I PAGE WHEN THE SHIP CAME IN 11 CHAPTER II THE WORK OF A MOB 25 CHAPTER III ON THE BAY 41 CHAPTER IV THE BARN FROLIC 56 CHAPTER V SOME COQUETRIES 71 CHAPTER VI A BALL 86 CHAPTER VII CAPTURED 100 CHAPTER VIII FIRST BLOOD 115 CHAPTER IX LOVE AND POLITICS 129 CHAPTER X SUSPICIONS 144 CHAPTER XI AN INTERRUPTED DUEL 161 CHAPTER XII ESCAPE 178 CHAPTER XIII CONFIDENCES 193 CHAPTER XIV “SORROW AN’ TROUBLE” 209 CHAPTER XV JUBAL 226 CHAPTER XVI A TIME OF REST 244 CHAPTER XVII A DAY OF DISASTER 262 CHAPTER XVIII A TIME OF DREADFUL NIGHT 280 CHAPTER XIX THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER 300 CHAPTER XX HER VALENTINE 318 Illustrations. PAGE “‘You’d do well to come out here, Aunt Martha’” _Frontispiece_ 1 “‘It is plain to see why you like to come to market’” 30 “‘Come on,’ she yelled” 123 “‘What yuh doin’ hyar dis time o’ night?’” 185 “‘How he has grown!’” 248 A HEROINE OF 1812. CHAPTER I. _When the Ship Came In._ A warm evening in early June of the year 1812 showed the streets of Baltimore city gay with groups of people crowding the steps of the houses, or sauntering up and down from corner to corner. Slender girls with arms around each other, circles of children merrily piping out some ring-around-a-rosy, young men stopping before this or that door for a few minutes’ chat,--all served to make a lively scene. Lettice Hopkins, in short-waisted gown of sprigged muslin, stood with one slippered foot tapping impatiently the marble step before her uncle’s door. “Is yuh see him, Miss Letty?” asked a little colored boy who stopped his occupation of sliding down the cellar door to make his inquiry.