Page:The adventures of Ann; stories of colonial times.djvu/65

Rh God trimly shod. Ah! these beautiful, new peaked-toed, high-heeled shoes of Ann's — what would she have said to walking in them all the way to meeting! If that Sunday was an eventful one to Ann Wales, so was the week following. The next Tuesday, right after dinner, she w^as up in a little unfinished chamber over the kitchen, where they did such work when the weather permitted, carding wool. All at once, she heard voices down below. They had a strange inflection, which gave her warning at once. She dropped her work and listened: "What is the matter?" thought she.

Then there was a heavy tramp on the stairs, and Captain Abraham French stood in the door, his stern weather-beaten face white and set. Mrs. Polly followed him, looking very pale and excited.

"When did you see anything of our Hannah?" asked Captain French, controlling as best he could the tremor in his resolute voice.

Ann rose, gathering up her big blue apron, cards, wool and all. "Oh," she cried, "not since last Sabbath, at meeting! What is it?"