Toliver's Secret by Esther Wood Brady

Author:Esther Wood Brady [Brady, Esther Wood]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-553-53536-5
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2014-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

Higgins did not answer her question right away. At last he leaned down and said in a low voice that only she could hear, “Well, son, I’ll answer you true as I would answer my own son back home. Sometimes.”

He nodded his head. “Sometimes I am afraid—as many men are. Being afraid is nothing to be ashamed of.” He threw a sidelong glance at her. “But when something has to be done,” he said firmly, “don’t wonder and wonder about being afraid. If it’s important to you—do the best you can.”

Ellen stared up at the white sails. This trip was important. At first it had been important to her because it was very important to Grandfather. But now she had seen the British soldiers with their guns and bayonets—hundreds of them—going to fight the Patriots’ army. Now she was eager to help General Washington. Now she was glad to be part of the chain of people who wanted the Patriots to win, and would get information to him. Important information, her grandfather had said. She was impatient to get to the Jolly Fox Tavern and deliver the loaf of bread.

At last she could see on the right the church spires and the frosty roofs of a town white against the pine trees. Some of the houses and taverns were built on the street that ran along, the waterfront and some on top of the bluff behind them. Everywhere the lines of marching men looked like busy ants on an anthill. As the boat came closer she strained her eyes to see a sign of the Jolly Fox Tavern.

“I hope the Shannons have a crackling fire and a hot meat pie,” Ellen thought.

With sails flapping noisily, their boat headed toward a dock and glided in for a landing. Ropes were tossed to the dockhands who waited to pull them in.

“All ashore!” shouted the officer in the stern. “And step smartly.”

The men stood up and stretched. Ellen was glad the officer could not see her. She quickly scrambled up on the dock and when she was well out of Dow’s reach she turned and grinned at him. “Goodbye, Mr. Dow!” she cried happily.

“Hold your tongue,” growled Dow.

“Goodbye, Mr. Higgins,” she called to him. “I’ll remember the things you told me.”

“I’ll remember you, Toliver.”

Ellen’s brown eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were red as winter apples. She slipped the blue bundle out of her jacket and swung it jauntily around her head as she turned to run.

Dow grunted. “Pert little beggar,” he said to Higgins. “Too pretty for a boy, to my mind.”

But Ellen didn’t hear that. She was racing to the Jolly Fox Tavern.

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