Produced by Juliet Sutherland, D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net PEGGY OWEN AND LIBERTY _BY_ LUCY FOSTER MADISON AUTHOR OF "PEGGY OWEN" "PEGGY OWEN, PATRIOT" "PEGGY OWEN AT YORKTOWN" ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY H. J. PECK The Penn Publishing Company PHILADELPHIA MCMXIII COPYRIGHT 1912 BY THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY [Illustration: "WHY, IT'S FATHER!"] "The motto of our father-band Circled the world in its embrace: 'Twas Liberty throughout the land, And good to all their brother race. Long here--within the pilgrim's bell Had lingered--though it often pealed-- Those treasured tones, that eke should tell Where freedom's proudest scroll was sealed! Here the dawn of reason broke On the trampled rights of man; And a moral era woke Brightest since the world began." Introduction In "Peggy Owen," the first book of this series, is related the story of a little Quaker maid who lived across from the State House in Philadelphia, and who, neutral at first on account of her religion, became at length an active patriot. The vicissitudes and annoyances to which she and her mother are subjected by one William Owen, an officer in the English army and a kinsman of her father's, are also given. "Peggy Owen, Patriot" tells of Peggy's winter at Middlebrook, in northern New Jersey, where Washington's army is camped, her capture by the British and enforced journey to the Carolinas, and final return home. "Peggy Owen at Yorktown" details how Peggy goes to Virginia to nurse a cousin, who is wounded and a prisoner. The town is captured by the British under Benedict Arnold, the traitor, and Peggy is led to believe that he has induced the desertion of her friend, John Drayton. Drayton's rescue from execution as a spy and the siege of Yorktown follow. In the present volume Peggy's friends rally about her when her Cousin Clifford is in danger of capture. The exciting events of the story show the unsettled state of the country after the surrender of Cornwallis. Contents I. A SMALL DINNER BECOMES A PARTY 11 II. PEGGY IS SURPRISED 26 III. ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA 40 IV. THE SEARCH 53 V. FRIENDS IN NEED 69 VI. APPEARANCES AGAINST HER 81 VII. DAVID OWEN IS INFORMED OF THE FACTS 94 VIII. BEFORE THE COUNCIL 108 IX. OUT OF THE FRYING-PAN INTO THE FIRE 120 X. A RACE FOR LIFE 134 XI. THE CHOICE OF FAIRFAX 144 XII. "THEY MUST GO HOME" 163 XIII. A WOMAN'S WIT 176 XIV. MARCHING ORDERS 194 XV. THE ATTACK ON THE BLOCKHOUSE 215 XVI. "OF WHAT WAS HE GUILTY?" 227