SCENE.--_The same. A fire is on the hearth, the cat by the fire. The window is open and the roses are seen climbing near the sill. It is an afternoon in June not long after the battle of Bunker Hill._ (_As the curtain rises, enter_ MISS B. _She is in summer dress. She carries a reticule or bag. She goes to door at_ L.) MISS B. Mandy! MANDY (_appearing in door_). Yes, missy. MISS B. Fetch me the parcel of old linen. We roll bandages this afternoon for those wounded at Bunker Hill. [_Exit_ MANDY. (MISS B. _sits down, takes the cat in her lap. She sighs._) MANDY (_entering with a roll of linen in her hand_). Here’s de linen for de poor boys in Bos’on. Dis war am dreadful. All de mens gettin’ killed and all de rest of us goin’ widout tea! Isn’t you hankerin’ for jus’ a leetle tea, missy? MISS B. (_looking embarrassed_). Why--why.... Oh, stop your chattering, Mandy! (_The knocker sounds._ MANDY _exits and returns with a letter_.) MANDY. De post left dis letter, missy. (MISS B. _opens letter, reads, looks thoughtful_. MANDY _gazes, all curiosity_.) MISS B. ’Tis from Judge Ingram at Boston. MANDY. Glory! Glory! De Judge am fighting de Britishers! MISS B. Stupid! You know the Judge is a Tory. I sent him to Boston to arrange my affairs in case I should return to England. He says (_taking up the letter_) that he is attending on young Dickinson who was badly wounded at Bunker Hill--while bearing the colors at the head of his company. Humph! He doth not lack bravery, ’twould seem. The Judge requests me to send word to the young man’s mother. Perchance neighbor Kellogg’s boy would bear the message to Mrs. Dickinson. I will go and see. (_Exit_ MISS B., _at_ R., _leaving letter on the table_. MANDY _exits at_ L.) _Enter_ BETTY _with knitting. Sits by the window which is open. She takes the cat and lifts it to the sill._ BETTY. Smell the roses, Salem. How sweet they be. You are a wise pussy; tell me if William has the rose and the letter I sent him some days since. The post is so tardy these days. (_Puts down cat; rises and goes to the mirror; pulls beads from their hiding-place under her kerchief; arranges them around her neck._) ’Tis a pity I cannot wear William’s keepsake openly. The beads become me well. _Enter_ MANDY _and_ BETTY _forgets to hide the beads_. MANDY _brings in the teakettle and hangs it on the crane_. MANDY. Oh, missy, missy! You’ William Dickinson am shot! (BETTY _screams and falls back horror-struck, then seizes_ MANDY _by the arm_.) BETTY. Not killed! Tell me instantly! MANDY. He am mortally wounded but will recover. De Judge say so in dat letter. (_Points to letter on table._ BETTY _seizes letter and begins to read_. MANDY _is horrified that she should read her aunt’s letter_.) Oh, missy, missy! You’ aunt would scalp you did she catch you readin’ her letter. She mos’ awful ’ticular ’bout her letters.