The shoemaker was the smallest man Faith had ever seen. She thought to herself that she was glad he was not an American. When he stood up to speak to Mrs. Scott Faith remembered a picture in one of her mother’s books of an orang-outang. For the shoemaker’s hair was coarse and black, and seemed to stand up all over his small head, and his face was nearly covered by a stubbly black beard. His arms were long, and he did not stand erect¹. His eyes were small and did not seem to see the person to whom he was speaking.  
But he greeted his customers pleasantly, and as Faith sat on a little stool near his bench waiting for her aunt’s return, he told her that he had a little daughter about her own age, but that she was not very well.
 
“Perhaps your aunt will let you come and see her some day?” he said.
 
“I’ll ask her,” replied Faith, and before they [Pg 82]had time for any further conversation the door opened and a tall man in a scarlet² coat, deerskin trousers and high boots entered the shop.
 
“Any news?” he asked sharply.
 
“No, captain. Nothing at all,” replied the shoemaker.
 
“You’re not worth your salt, Andy,” declared the officer. “I’ll wager³ this small maid here would have quicker ears for news.”
 
Faith wished that she could run away, but did not dare to move.
 
“Well, another summer we’ll put the old fort in order and have a garrison⁴ that will be worth while. Now, what about my riding boots?” he added, and after a little talk the officer departed.
 
It was not long before Mrs. Scott called for her little niece and the two started for home.
 
Faith told her aunt what the shoemaker had said about his little girl, and noticed that Aunt Prissy’s face was rather grave and troubled.
 
“Do I have to go, Aunt Prissy?” she asked.
 
“We’ll see, my dear. But now we must hurry home, and sew on the new dresses,” replied Aunt Prissy, and for a few moments they walked on in silence.
 
[Pg 83]
 
Faith could hear the musical sound of the falls, and was reminded of the dancing mill-stream, of the silver fox and of her own dear “Bounce.” Every hour since her arrival at Aunt Prissy’s had been so filled with new and strange happenings that the little girl had not had time to be lonely.
 
“What is the name of the shoemaker’s little girl, Aunt Prissy?” she asked, as they came in sight of home, with Donald and Philip, closely followed by “Scotchie,” coming to meet them.
 
“Her name is Louise Trent, and she is lame⁵. She is older than you, several years older,” answered Aunt Prissy, “and I fear she is a mischievous⁶ child. But the poor girl has not had a mother to care for her for several years. She and her father live alone.”
 
“Does she look like her father?” questioned Faith, resolving that if such were the case she would not want Louise for a playmate.
 
“Oh, no. Louise would be pretty if she were a neat and well-behaved child. She has soft black hair, black eyes, and is slenderly built. Too slender, I fear, for health,” replied Mrs. Scott, who often thought of the shoemaker’s [Pg 84]motherless little girl, whose father seemed to resent any effort to befriend her.
 
“Why, that sounds just the way Esther Eldridge looks. Only Esther isn’t lame,” responded Faith; and, in answer to her aunt’s questions, Faith described Esther’s visit to the cabin, omitting, however, the fact that she had given Esther the blue beads⁷.
 
Faith did not think to speak of the red-coated soldier until the family were gathered about the supper-table that night. Then she suddenly remembered what he had said, and repeated it to her uncle, who was asking her about her visit to Mr. Trent’s shop.
 
“So that’s their plan. More soldiers to come another summer! ’Twas a careless thing for an officer to repeat. But they are so sure that none of us dare lift a hand to protect ourselves that they care not who knows their plans. I’ll see to it that Ethan Allen and the men at Bennington get word of this,” said Mr. Scott, and then asked Faith to repeat again exactly what the officer had said.
 
In a few days both of Faith’s new dresses were finished; and, greatly to her delight, Aunt Prissy had made her a pretty cap of blue velvet⁸, [Pg 85]with a partridge’s wing on one side. She was trying on the cap before the mirror in the sitting-room⁹ one afternoon when she heard a queer noise on the porch and then in the front entry. Aunt Prissy was up-stairs, and the boys were playing outdoors.
 
“I wonder what it is?” thought Faith, running toward the door. As she opened it she nearly exclaimed in surprise, for there, leaning on a crutch¹⁰, was the queerest little figure she had ever imagined. A little girl whose black hair straggled over her forehead,............