mother has asked me to tell her about the maple syrup,” replied Faith accusingly.

“Well, Esther!”

Both the girls gave an exclamation of surprise at the sound of Mrs. Carew’s voice. “You may go to the mill and tell Mr. Carew that you are safe, and then come directly back,” she said a little sternly, and stood by the door until Esther was on her way. Then she crossed over to the settle and sat down beside Faith.

“I will not ask you about the syrup, Faithie dear,” she said, smoothing Faith’s ruffled hair. “And you had best go up-stairs to bed. I will have a talk with Esther, and then she will go to bed. It has been a difficult day, has it not, child? But to-morrow I trust everything will go pleasantly, without bears or trouble of any sort.”

“But Esther will be here,” said Faith.

“Never mind; I think Esther has made mischief enough to-day to last all her visit,” responded Mrs. Carew; and Faith, very tired, and greatly comforted, went up to her pleasant chamber which Esther was to share. She wondered to herself just what her mother would say to Esther. But she did not stay long awake, and when Esther came up-stairs shortly after, very quietly, and feeling rather ashamed of herself after listening to Mrs. Carew, Faith was fast asleep.

But Esther did not go to sleep. She wondered to herself what her father would say if Mrs. Carew told him of her mischief, and began to wish that she had not deceived Mrs. Carew about the dinner. She could feel her face flush in the darkness when she remembered what Mrs. Carew had said to her about truthfulness. Esther’s head ached, and she felt as if she was going to be ill. Down-stairs she could hear the murmur of voices. Ethan Allen would sleep on the settle, and be off at an early hour the next morning. It seemed a long time before the voices ceased, and she heard Mr. and Mrs. Carew come up the stairs. Esther began to wish that she had not eaten the fine pumpkin pie and all the cakes. It was nearly morning before she fell asleep, and she was awake when Faith first opened her eyes.

“It’s time to get up. It always is the minute I wake up,” said Faith sleepily.

Esther answered with a sudden moan: “I can’t get up. I’m sick,” she whispered.

Faith sat up in bed and looked at Esther a little doubtfully. But Esther’s flushed face and the dark shadows under her eyes proved that she spoke the truth.

“I’ll tell mother. Don’t cry, Esther. Mother will make you well before you know it,” said Faith, quickly slipping out of bed and running into the little passage at the head of the stairs.

In a few moments Mrs. Carew was standing beside the bed. She said to herself that she did not wonder that Esther was ill. But while Faith dressed and got ready for breakfast Mrs. Carew smoothed out the tumbled bed, freshened the pillows and comforted their little visitor.

“Run down and eat your porridge, Faithie, and then come back and sit with Esther,” said Mrs. Carew.

When Faith returned Mrs. Carew went down and brewed some bitter herbs and brought the tea for Esther to drink. The little girl swallowed the unpleasant drink, and shortly after was sound asleep. She had not awakened at dinner time, and Mrs. Carew was sure that she would sleep off her illness.

“The child must be taught not to crave sweet foods,” she said, as she told Faith to run down to the mill and amuse herself as she pleased. “Only don’t go out of sight of the mill, Faithie,” she cautioned, and Faith promised and ran happily off down the path. She was eager to ask her father about Mr. Ethan Allen.

Mr. Carew was busy grinding wheat. There were few mills in the Wilderness, and nearly every day until midwinter settlers were coming and going from the mill, bringing bags of wheat or corn on horseback over the rough trail and carrying back flour or meal. When Mr. Carew had tied up the bag of meal and his customer had ridden away, he came to where Faith was sitting close by the open door and sat down beside her.

“Why do you call Mr. Allen a ‘Green Mountain Boy’?” asked the little girl, after she had answered his questions about Esther; “he is a big man.”

Mr. Carew smiled down at Faith’s eager face, and then pointed to the green wooded hills beyond the clearing. “It’s because he, and other men of these parts, are like those green hills,—strong, and sufficient to themselves,” he answered. “Every settler in the Wilderness knows that Ethan Allen will help them protect their homes; and no man knows this part of the country better than Colonel Allen.”

“Why do you call him ‘Colonel’?” asked Faith.

“Because the Bennington people have given him that title, and put him in command of the men of the town that they may be of service to defend it in case King George’s men come over from New York,” replied her father; “but I do not know but the bears are as dangerous as the ‘Yorkers.’ Do you think Esther will be quite well to-morrow?” concluded Mr. Carew.

Faith was quite sure that Esther would soon be as well as ever. She did not want to talk about Esther. She wanted to hear more about her friend Colonel Allen. “I heard him tell mother that he slept in a cave one night on his way here,” she said.

“Oh, yes; he can sleep anywhere. But you must talk of him no more to-day, Faithie,” answered Mr. Carew; “and here is ‘Bounce’ looking for you,” he added, as the little gray kitten jumped into Faith’s lap.

CHAPTER IV

A NEW PLAN

Esther was much better the next morning, but she was not well enough to come down-stairs for several days, and when her father appeared he agreed with Mrs. Carew that the little girl was not fit to undertake the journey on horseback along the rough trail to Brandon.

Mrs. Carew was able to assure him, however, that he need not be anxious about his little daughter, and he decided to go directly home, leaving Esther to regain health and strength in Mrs. Carew’s charge.

“I will come for you the first Monday in October, three weeks from to-day,” he told Esther, “and you must mind Mrs. Carew in everything she bids you.”

Esther promised tearfully. She did not want to stay, but she resolved to herself, as she watched her father ride away, that she would do everything possible to please Mrs. Carew and make friends with Faith. She could hardly bear to think of the first day of her visit.

As she lay on the settle comfortably bolstered up with the soft pillows, and a little fire crackling on the hearth, Esther looked about the sitting-room and began to think it a very pleasant place. Faith brought all her treasures to entertain her little visitor. Chief of these was a fine book called “Pilgrim’s Progress,” with many pictures. There was a doll,—one that Faith’s Aunt Priscilla had brought her from New York. This doll was a very wonderful creature. She wore a blue flounced satin dress, and the dress had real buttons, buttons of gilt; and the doll wore a beautiful bonnet.

Faith watched Esther a little anxiously as she allowed her to take Lady Amy, as the doll was named. But Esther was as careful as Faith herself, and declared that she did not believe any little girl that side of Bennington had such a beautiful doll.

“I think your Aunt Priscilla is the best aunt that ever was. She gave you this lovely doll, and your blue beads——” Esther stopped suddenly. She had lost the beads, and she did not