e me," and Mrs. Carew leaned over to kiss Faith
good-night.

"Oh, dear," Faith whispered to herself guiltily, as her mother went
down the stairs. "Here is another secret, the biggest of all. But I
can't tell mother."

The song of the brook seemed louder than ever before to the little
girl that night, as she lay watching the April stars shine through her
window. She remembered that her mother had said that perhaps a little
girl could help. "Mother dear is sure to be glad when she knows that
Colonel Allen had to be told about Nathan," thought Faith; and then
the brook's song grew softer and softer and she was fast asleep.

Faith was down-stairs the next morning almost as soon as her father
and mother. She had on her brown dress and her moccasins, and the
letter was safely hidden in her pocket. She could hardly keep still
long enough to eat her breakfast.

"Esther wanted me to come early, mother dear, and I promised,"
she urged; so her mother bade her be off, and stood in the door
and watched the little girl run down the slope, feeling a little
disappointed that Faith should be so eager to be with Esther instead
of remaining at home.

But early as it was Faith found Esther waiting for her.

"Did you bring anything to eat?" asked Esther.

"I never thought of it!" replied Faith, "and I don't believe I could,
anyway."

"Well, I thought of it. I have a fine square of corn cake, a piece of
cold venison, and a square of molasses cake," said Esther, holding up
a small basket. "Now, creep along on the edge of the trail until we
are well up the ridge. Then we can walk as we please."

Faith obeyed. She thought to herself how fortunate it was that Esther
had come to live in the Wilderness, and that she was ready to help
carry the message.

"Isn't it lovely in the woods!" said Esther, as they reached the
summit of the ridge, and turned to look back down the winding trail.
"Father said this morning that the spring was early, and 'tis surely
warm as summer."

As they rested for a little while on a bank of firm green moss Faith
told Esther of "Nooski's" sudden appearance when she and Kashaqua
were on their journey to the lake.

"Goodness!" exclaimed Esther, peering anxiously into the underbrush.
"I hope we shan't see any bears to-day, not even a tame one."

The sun was high in the April skies when the two little girls came in
sight of Lake Dunmore. The trail led near the lake; and Esther was
very sure that she knew just