A Little Maid of Province Town

by Alice Turner Curtis

  CHAPTER XIII

  ANNE FINDS HER FATHER

  It was just daybreak when Captain Enos, carrying a basket of provisionsfor his cruise, made his way to the shore and pushed off his dory.

  "Not a soul stirring," he said, as he stepped aboard the sloop, fastenedthe dory, which he intended to tow, and then carried the basket of food tothe little cabin.

  As he pushed open the door Anne awoke, but she did not stir, and CaptainEnos did not look in the direction of the upper bunk. She heard himhoisting the big mainsail, then came the rattle of the anchor chain, thesloop swung round, and Anne knew that at last she was really on her way tofind her father.

  "I must keep very still," she whispered to herself, "or Uncle Enos might'bout ship and sail straight back to Province Town," so she did not move,though she wished very much that she might be out on deck with CaptainEnos, feeling the salt breeze on her cheeks and enjoying the sail. Sheknew by the way the sloop tipped that they were going very fast. "Seems asif it was sailing right on its side," thought Anne; "if it tips much moreI do believe I'll slide out of this berth."

  "A fine wind, a fine wind!" Captain Enos said with a satisfied nod, as hisboat went flying along; "I'll make Boston Harbor before nightfall at thisrate, in time to get my fish ashore by dusk, if I can slide into a landingwithout the British stopping me. My cargo will be welcome," and CaptainEnos smiled to himself as he thought of the praise he would get from hisfriends and acquaintance for his brave venture in such troublous times.

  Toward noon Anne carefully let herself down from the bunk, and peered outthrough the door, which Captain Enos had left open. She could see the lowsandy shores of Cape Cod, and here and there a white-sailed boat. "I guesswe must be 'most to Boston," she thought; "the sun is way up in the middleof the sky, and I am so hungry." She came a little nearer to the cabindoor and put her head out. "Uncle Enos!" she said softly.

  But the captain was singing to keep himself company, and did not hear thefaint voice. His head was turned a little away from Anne, but just as shewas about to call again his song came to an end and he turned his glanceahead.

  "Bless my soul!" he exclaimed.

  "It is I, Uncle Enos!" said Anne, stepping out of the cabin.

  The captain was almost too surprised to speak. Anne clambered along theside of the sloop until she was close beside him, and reaching out tookfast hold of his rough coat sleeve, and repeated:

  "It is I, Uncle Enos."

  "Where on earth did you come from?" he exclaimed.

  Anne pointed toward the cabin.

  "How did you get there?" questioned Captain Enos. "Weren't you abed andasleep when I left the house this morning?"

  "No, Uncle Enos," said Anne, creeping a little closer; "I slept in the topbunk in the sloop."

  "Well, this is a nice affair. I can't take you back now. I'll make BostonHarbor before dusk with this wind. But how came you in the sloop?"

  "Jimmie Starkweather rowed me out last night after you were sound asleep.And he is going to tell Aunt Martha all about it this morning. He told meto tell you that he didn't want me to go aboard, but that I would," saidAnne.

  Captain Enos's face was very sober, but he did not say any harsh word.

  "What did you hide in the sloop for, child?" he asked.

  "To go to Boston with you, Uncle Enos, and find my father," said Anne.

  Then the captain's face grew even more sober.

  "Then you do not like living with us?" he said; "but I thought you seemedhappy, Anne. Your Aunt Martha will miss you, child. But if your heart isso set on being with your father I must do my best to find him for you.How a soldier can manage to care for a small girl like you is more than Ican tell," and the captain sighed.

  "I brought my scarlet stockings and new shoes to show him," said Anne.

  Captain Enos nodded.

  "And I can tell him about my kitten and the coral beads, and about goingto school."

  "Did you not bring the coral beads?" asked the captain.

  Anne shook her head.

  "Oh, no," she answered. "I heard you tell Aunt Martha that you would beaway but a day or two, and I thought I could tell my father about thebeads."

  "Then you mean to go home with me?" asked the captain, a little smilecreeping about his mouth.

  "Why, yes," said Anne. "I do but want to see my father and tell him allthe pleasant things that have befallen me."

  "Well, well," said Captain Enos, "now I must scold you, Anne. Your AuntMartha will not be pleased at this."

  "But you are not angry?" asked Anne. "I do see little wrinkles about youreyes that mean you will soon smile. And it is long since I have seen myfather."

  "We must make the best of it now," said the captain, "but I do blame theStarkweather boy for setting you out to the sloop. He should have sent youstraight home, and let me know of your plan."

  Anne looked at Captain Enos in surprise.

  "Jimmie could not help my coming," she said. "I should have found some wayto get to the sloop. And he would not tell a secret."

  "So you did not mean to run away from us?" said Captain Enos. "I am gladof that, but how I will manage with you in Boston I know not, nor if I canfind your father."

  Captain Enos's sloop ran safely in among the islands, sailed across BostonHarbor without being noticed, and made fast at a wharf well known toCaptain Enos, and where he was welcomed by an old acquaintance. Beforedusk he had sold his cargo of fish at a good price, and Anne, wearing herscarlet stockings and new shoes, and holding fast to the captain's hand,walked with him up the street to the house of the man who had been at thewharf when the sloop came in.

  "They are good people, born in Wellfleet," said the captain to Anne, asthey walked along, "and I shall ask them to keep you over night. I shallsleep in the sloop, and to-morrow we will find out all we can about yourfather."

  The Freemans, for that was the name of Captain Enos's friends, gave Anne awarm welcome Their house seemed very large and grand to the little girl.There was a carpet on the sitting-room floor, the first Anne had everseen, and pictures on the walls, and a high mantel with tall brasscandlesticks.

  The room in which she slept seemed very wonderful to Anne. The bed was sohigh that she had to step up from a footstool to get in it, and then down,down she went in billows of feathers. In the morning one of the Freemangirls came in to waken her. She was a girl of about fifteen, with pretty,light, curling hair and blue eyes. She smiled pleasantly at Anne, and toldher that there was a basin of warm water for her to bathe her face andhands in.

  "I will brush out your hair for you, if you wish," she said kindly.

  But Anne said she could brush her own hair. Rose Freeman waited till Annewas quite ready for breakfast and went down the broad flight of stairswith her. Anne watched her new friend admiringly.

  "She looks just like her name, just like a rose," she said to herself, andresolved that she would remember and walk just as Rose did, and try andspeak in the same pleasant way.

  Before breakfast was finished Captain Enos came up from the wharves. Hesmiled as he looked at Anne's bright face and smooth hair, and noddedapprovingly. Then he and Mr. Freeman began to talk about the soldiers, andthe best way to find John Nelson.

  "Come, Rose," said Mr. Freeman; "the captain and I will walk up nearKing's Chapel and see what we can find out, and you and the little maidcan come with us."

  Rose went up-stairs and came down wearing a little brown jacket and a hatof brown silk with a green feather on it. In her hands she brought a bluecape and a blue hat with a broad ribbon bow.

  "Mother says you are to wear these," she said to Anne, with a littlesmile; "'Tis a cape and hat that I wore when I was a little girl, and Iwould like to have you wear them."

  "I never wore a hat before," said Anne.

  "It is very becoming," said Rose, and the little party started out.

  Mr. Freeman stopped here and there to ask questions, and Anne, holdingfast to Rose Freeman's hand, looked wonderingly at the houses and thepeople.
They went into a shop, and Captain Enos bought a fine warm brownshawl to take home to Mrs. Stoddard, and asked Rose Freeman to help Anneselect a pretty stuff for a dress. The girls decided upon a small plaid ofdark blue and brown, and the stuff was carefully wrapped up and CaptainEnos took the package.

  "I have news at last," said Mr. Freeman, who had been talking with a manat the door of the shop. "We will walk up to the Common and see if wecannot get sight of your father. He was here yesterday."

  Anne listened eagerly, almost forgetting Rose Freeman, whose hand shestill held tightly, in the thought that her dear father might be very nearand that she would soon see him.

  They walked toward the Common, and Mr. Freeman told the others to standnear the big elm while he went to make inquiries. He was gone but a fewmoments, when Rose Freeman felt Anne's hand slip from her own, and saw thelittle girl running swiftly across the grass calling out, "Father!Father!"

  John Nelson heard the voice and stopped.

  "Anne, Anne!" he answered, and in a moment the little girl in scarletstockings and blue cape and hat was gathered into the close clasp of thedark, slender man.

  Then how much there was to say! How eagerly Anne told him all the pleasantnews! How warmly Captain Enos shook his hand, and called him a bravefellow; and John Nelson tried to thank the captain for all his kindness toAnne.

  Anne held fast to his hand as they walked together to the wharf where thesloop lay. Captain Enos said that he must start for home the next morning,and there was a great deal for them all to talk about. Rose Freeman andher father left them at the wharf, after Captain Enos had promised that hewould bring Anne to their house in time for supper.

  "I have a plan, John," said Captain Enos; "when we have settled with theBritish, and that must be soon now, you must come to Province Town andlive with us. How would you like that, Anne?"

  Anne smiled happily.

  "Best of anything!" she declared.

  "I need help with my fishing," went on Captain Enos, "and there's an emptyloft next to Anne's room, where you can sleep. So think of Anne's home asyours, John. You'd not break Mistress Stoddard's heart by taking away thechild?"

  "It was good fortune led her to your door," said John Nelson gratefully."I can see for myself that she is content and happy. And I'll be afortunate man to come into your house, Enos Stoddard."

  "How soon will you come, father?" asked Anne, hopefully.

  "I think 'twill not be longer than another spring before the British leaveus in peace," replied her father. "But we need more soldiers to let themknow we are ready for war."

  Captain Enos nodded. "There's a half dozen good Province Town men ready tocome, and as many more from Truro, if a dozen would help," he found achance to whisper.

  "We'll talk of this later," said Anne's father. "I only hope you'll getsafe back to Province Town harbor from this trip."

  "No fear," laughed Captain Enos. "General Gage is doing his best to starveBoston out. Maybe we Province Town men can do the cause of Liberty goodservice if we can bring in loads of fish for the people."

  "It's hard to have British troops quartered on us," replied Nelson."General Gage is taking rough measures with everybody who opposes him. Dr.Joseph Warren tried to stop the fortifications on Boston Neck, but 'twasno use. And word is being sent to settlements to be ready to furnish men.We've got supplies in Concord, and Americans have been drilling for sometime. We'll be ready for war if war comes. I've a message for theNewburyport men to be ready to join us, but I see no way of getting out ofBoston. You're a brave man, Captain Stoddard, to come into harbor."

  Captain Enos's face brightened as he listened to John Nelson.

  "I'd find no trouble in slipping down the coast to Newburyport," he saideagerly.

  "Maybe," responded Nelson, "tho' there's no need for my telling you thatthere's British craft cruising all about, and a man caught with a messageto 'rebels,' as they call us, stands no chance."

  "I'd keep my message to myself," answered Captain Enos.

  "So you could, a message by word of mouth; but this is written, and has adrawing as well. I have it under the lining of my coat. But there's no wayfor me to get out of the town. I'm well known by many of the English."

  "Let me take it." Captain Stoddard's voice was eager. "'Tis ill-luck thatwe Province Town men are to have no part in this affair. I'll get thepaper safe to Newburyport. Tell me to whom I am to give it."

  But John Nelson shook his head. "You'd be caught, and maybe sent toEngland," he answered.

  "I'll not be caught. And if they catch me they'd not find the papers," hepromised, and before they parted Nelson had agreed to deliver the packagethat day. "I'll give it to Anne," he promised. "It will not do for me tomeet you again. There are too many eyes about. Let Anne walk along, withthat tall girl yonder, about sunset toward the South Meeting House, andI'll give it to her."

  Captain Stoddard nodded, and walked away.

  "Anne," he said when they met in the Freemans' sitting-room just beforedinner, "you can be of great help to your father and to me. But you mustbe wise and silent. When you walk with Rose this afternoon your fatherwill meet you and hand you a flat package. Thrust it inside your frock,and say nothing of it to Rose, or to any one, and bring it safe to me."

  "Yes, indeed, Uncle Enos," the little girl answered. "Am I to ask Rose towalk with me?"

  "Yes, toward the South Meeting House," answered Captain Enos, "about anhour before sunset."

  "If I keep silent and bring the package safely, will you forgive me forhiding in the boat?" pleaded Anne.

  "Indeed I will, child, and take you for a brave girl as well," hereplied.

  Anne was joyful at the thought of another word from her father, and Rosewas quite ready to go for another walk.

  They had just turned into King Street when John Nelson met them. Anne worethe pretty cape Rose had given her and her father slipped the packet intoher hand without Rose seeing it. She grasped it tightly, and held it underthe cape. "Be a good child, Anne, and do whatever Captain Stoddard may bidthee," her father said as he bade her good-bye.