United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction
An hour later, as she stood at the open window of her room, drinking in
the fresh morning air, still bearing the odor of fallen leaves wetted
by the night damps, she saw her brother, with Captain Southorn and
several other men, chatting together a short distance away.
Jack was the first to turn his eyes in her direction, and seeing her,
he smiled and waved his hand, at which Captain Southorn turned about
and hurried toward her.
He was soon standing under the window, and reaching up took possession
of one of the small hands resting upon the sill.
For an instant neither of them spoke, but Dorothy's dark eyes smiled
shyly into the blue ones uplifted to her face.
"And it is really true," he said at last, with an air of conviction.
"Do you know, little one, that when I awakened this morning, I was
fearful at first that I 'd been dreaming it all. But knowing now what
I do, how can I have the heart to go away and leave you again? Cannot
you come to Boston with me now--this very day?"
She shook her head. "No, no,--I must not do that. I must go back to
Dorchester, to see Mary and Mistress Knollys once more. And,
too"--with a blush--"I could not go without any raiment besides this."
And she touched the folds of her riding-habit.
He stood a minute as if thinking, and then asked if she would come out
for a short walk.
"Most assuredly," was her smiling response; and turning from the
window, she was not long in putting on her hat.
As she was about leaving the room, she noticed her riding-whip lying on
the table where she had tossed it upon her arrival the previous
evening. It was a gift from her father, and one she prized very
highly; and fearing that the sight of it might excite the cupidity of
some of the servants, she picked it up, and then passed quickly out to
the porch.
Here she encountered several of the officers whom she had seen talking
with her brother a short time before. They now drew aside to let her
go by, which she did hurriedly, her eyes lowered under the shadowy
plumes of her riding-hat, and oblivious of the admiring glances they
stole at her.
Many of the inmates of Washington's headquarters had become acquainted
with her little romance; and so, unknown to herself, she was an object
of much interest. It was for this reason also, as well as on account
of the responsibility assumed with regard to him by Washington himself,
that the English captain was occupying a somewhat unusual position
amongst the American officers.
Finding her brother and husband together, the two coming to meet her at
the porch, Dorothy asked after Hugh, and was told by Jack that he had
gone with a message to some of the outposts, but would return shortly.
"And is he well this morning, Jack?"
"Oh, yes," her brother answered lightly. "You will not go far away, of
course," he added, "nor stay long, else I shall have to come or send
for you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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