Lydia the Patriot by Susan Martins Miller

Author:Susan Martins Miller [MILLER, SUSAN MARTINS]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-62836-216-9
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2004-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

Important News

“Stephen! Over here!”

Stephen blinked into the bright sunlight outside the school-house a few days later. William was waiting for him with the horse and cart that he used for delivering newspapers in the afternoon.

“What are you doing here?” Stephen asked. He walked to-ward William, glancing over his shoulder for Lydia. His usual afternoon routine was to wait for Lydia, who liked to dillydally after school, and the two of them would walk home together. Sometimes they would stop by their father’s print shop.

“Where’s Lydia?” Will asked. His eyes scanned the school yard. He was in a hurry.

“She’s still inside,” Stephen said. “She likes to talk to her friends after school. What’s happening?”

“She doesn’t have time for gossiping today,” Will said. “We’ve got to get going.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Will was not answering his questions, and Stephen was getting more anxious by the moment.

“Go back in and get Lydia,” Will said, “and tell her to hurry.”

“William! Tell me what’s happening. Is Mama all right? Papa?”

Lydia appeared in the doorway. At the sight of William, she forgot all about her friends and dashed toward him.

“William!” Stephen was certain his sister’s screech could be heard for blocks.

“Quickly, get in the cart. Both of you.” William gestured that they should hurry.

“You mean we don’t have to walk home today?” Lydia clambered up into the seat in front of the cart, while Stephen jumped into the open back. William took the reins and immediately started the horse in a quick trot.

“William, you’re scaring me,” Stephen called from the back.

“I’m sorry, Stephen. Everybody is fine. No one is ill.”

“Then why have you come for us?” The cart rumbled along. Stephen held tight to the side to keep from falling over.

“While you were in school today, the grand jury met.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that Captain Preston and eight soldiers will stand trial for the massacre last week. The prosecuting attorney believes he has enough evidence to convict them of murder.”

“Oh,” Stephen said, and he leaned back against the side of the cart.

Lydia was thrilled with the news. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it, William?”

“It’s the first step toward justice,” William said. He slapped the mare’s rump to make her go even faster.

“I still don’t understand,” Stephen said. “Why would you come all the way over to the school to tell us that?”

“I need the two of you to do the deliveries this afternoon.”

Lydia groaned. “I hate delivering newspapers. They’re so dirty and heavy. And they smell funny.”

“That’s the ink,” Stephen said matter-of-factly.

“You can do this,” William said. “Kathleen and I used to do this when we were your age. Use the map that I drew for you a few months ago. This is the kind of emergency the map is for. I marked an X on all the corners where you need to leave papers.”

“But where will you be?” Lydia asked.

“I have some important business to take care of.”

Lydia’s eyes widened with excitement. “Sons of Liberty business?”

“Never mind what the business is. Just deliver the papers.

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