A heroine of 1812 : $b A Maryland romanceBlanchard, Amy Ella
History
A heroine of 1812 : $b A Maryland romance
Blanchard, Amy Ella
Maryland -- Juvenile fiction; United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Juvenile fiction
Lettice felt that it was good to have this lost brother to soothe and
comfort her, albeit his return brought no joy, for the shadow was too
great. She was confused and heart-broken, so that no explanations were
offered that night. Lettice had but asked, “Are you safe here, Brother
Tom?” and he had replied: “Safer than elsewhere. They have searched
here once and have not found me; they will not come again at once,
and we shall be gone before another day. I cannot leave you here to
be exposed to these dangers, little sister, and we must get off to
Baltimore as soon as ever we can.”
Even the next day they asked no questions, for in the evening, at
sunset, they laid Jamie to rest in the old graveyard, and in one corner
they buried, too, the British soldier who had met his death through
Jamie’s last effort for Rhoda. Friend and foe, the service was read
over them, and they were left asleep, with all differences forever
stilled.
Rhoda, in her self-control and reticence, gave little evidence of what
she felt, and it was only when Lettice saw the anguish in her eyes that
she realized that Rhoda’s best love was buried with Jamie; and when she
returned to the house she remembered the packet which Jamie had given
her. She followed Rhoda to her room to give it to her. The girl was
lying, face down, upon the floor, in tearless grief. She did not hear
Lettice’s light tap at the door, nor did she heed her entrance. “Jamie,
oh, my darling!” she moaned. And Lettice, with eyes overflowing, put
her arms around her. “Dear Rhoda,” she said, “he left something for
you.” And into her hand she gave the little packet.
Rhoda’s cold fingers closed over it, and in a minute she sat up.
“Stay with me, Lettice,” she begged. “We will open this together.”
She reverently undid the little box. On top lay a paper on which was
written: “For Rhoda, from one who loved her with all his heart. God
bless you and keep you and make you happy, my darling. From Jamie.”
There was a case underneath. Rhoda lifted it out and touched the
spring, to disclose a lock of curly auburn hair and a miniature of
Jamie. As his bonny face smiled up at her, Rhoda gave a great cry and
shed the first tears her eyes had known since that moment when his
spirit passed.
“It is so like, so like,” she murmured. “How I shall treasure it,
Lettice. My bonny Jamie, how shall I live through the long years? And
you will never know how much I loved you.”
“He knows now,” said Lettice, softly. And she went out, leaving Rhoda
more comforted by this than by anything that could have come to her.
CHAPTER XV.
_Jubal._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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