mination. He turned
toward his mother abruptly.

"Mother," he said, "these girls must go home. New Jersey is no place
for them."

"You never spoke a truer word, nevvy," chimed in his uncle. "They must
go home; the sooner they start, the better 'twill be. So long as the
snow lasts, the riding will be easy. Now, if you are willing to risk
another encounter with the robbers, we will start with them Tuesday."

"But would not Friend Nurse and thy wife be left unprotected while ye
were away?" questioned Peggy in troubled accents.

"Now, Peggy, don't wherrit over that," spoke Nurse Johnson. "The first
thing to attend to is getting you girls home. I should never have
another minute's peace if anything befell you. I ought never to have
brought you into such danger, but I knew not that things were as they
are here. Mary and I can take care of ourselves."

"It won't do, Hannah," said Thomas Ashley decidedly. "The girls must
go of a truth, but you and Mary must have protection, too. Capable ye
both are, but 'twould not do to leave ye alone. The journey to
Philadelphia would take all of six days, there and back. That would
mean fast going at that. Should there come a thaw there's no telling
when we'd get home."

"Friend," broke in Peggy eagerly, "if thee could get us to Trenton
there would be no need for thee to go on to Philadelphia. Both Sally
and I have friends there who would see that we reached home safely.
Beside, the stage runs thrice a week from that point to our city, and
should other means fail, we could take that."

"Come! that's well thought of," he cried quickly. "'Twould be but a
day's travel to Trenton, if the snow holds. Mary and Hannah could bide
in Freehold until our return; so we'll call the matter settled. Nevvy,
we will start Tuesday."

"Then on Tuesday ye will both be gone," said Fairfax with such a sigh
of relief that Sally, despite the gravity of the situation, could not
forbear a little laugh.

"Oh, Peggy!" she cried, "why weren't we named Betty? Had we been
Captain Johnson would not wish us gone as soon as we arrived."

"'Tis not as you think, Mistress Sally," he protested earnestly.
"Indeed, in truth "--he faltered, then continued manfully--"did I
regard your friend as your words imply I would not consent to wait
until Tuesday to take her back."

A puzzled look spread over Sally's face.

"Doth he mean that he is indeed fond of Betty?" she whispered to Peggy
under cover of Thomas Ashley's la