E-text prepared by Roger Frank, Neville Allen, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 22370-h.htm or 22370-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/3/7/22370/22370-h/22370-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/3/7/22370/22370-h.zip) A LITTLE MAID OF OLD PHILADELPHIA by ALICE TURNER CURTIS Author of A LITTLE MAID OF PROVINCE TOWN A LITTLE MAID OF MASSACHUSETTS 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 Illustrated by Edna Cooke [Illustration: SHE LOOKED UP TO FIND LAFAYETTE SMILING AT HER] The Penn Publishing Company Philadelphia 1921 Copyright 1919 by The Penn Publishing Company A Little Maid of Old Philadelphia Introduction Ruth Pernell and Winifred Merrill lived in Philadelphia. The city had been for some time in the hands of General Howe and the British army. Ruth's father was with Washington at Valley Forge, and the little girls were ardent supporters of the American cause, and admirers of the gallant young Frenchman, the Marquis DE Lafayette. Children in 1778 were much like those of to-day, and Ruth and her friends, eager as they were for the war to end successfully, were fond of dolls and pets, and games and little plays. Yet they kept their ears open, and when Ruth overheard what two British soldiers said she knew how to make good use of her knowledge. In each of the other "Little Maid" books is the story of an American girl during the Revolution. The other stories are: "A Little Maid of Province Town," "A Little Maid of Massachusetts Colony." "A Little Maid of Bunker Hill," "A Little Maid of Narragansett Bay," "A Little Maid of Ticonderoga," "A Little Maid of Old Connecticut." Contents I. HERO IS LOST 9 II. GILBERT AND LAFAYETTE 19 III. RUTH VISITS GENERAL HOWE 28 IV. AUNT DEBORAH IS SURPRISED 37 V. RUTH DECIDES 43 VI. A DIFFICULT DAY 53 VII. GILBERT'S PLAY 62 VIII. BETTY RUNS AWAY 72 IX. BETTY'S ADVENTURE 84 X. THE LOST PROGRAMME 92 XI. A LONG ROAD 102 XII. A LONG RIDE 113 XIII. HOME AGAIN 123 XIV. THE CANDY DISAPPEARS 133 XV. A FAIRY STORY 142 XVI. BETTY AND ANNETTE 151 XVII. QUEEN BETTY 161