ered Mrs. Allison in a seemingly heedless manner. She was
seated by the side window in her old rocker, intent only on her three
needles and the ball of black yarn. "Judge not, that you may not be
judged!" she reminded him.

"He is too imprudent. Only today he contemptuously dismissed the Colonel
and the secretary; later he requested them to dine with him. We don't
like it, I tell you."

As a matter of fact, there was no more staunch defender or constant
advocate of the cause of the Colonists than Matthew Allison himself; and
when the proclamation of the new Military Governor ordering the closing
of the shops and the suspension of business in general until the
question of ownership was established, had been issued, he was among the
first of the citizens to comply with it. True, his sole source of income
had been temporarily suspended. But what matter? It meant order and
prevented the wares from falling into the hands of the enemy. His small
shop had enabled himself together with his wife and daughter to eke out
a comfortable existence. Their cozy home while unmistakably plain and
unadorned with the finer appointments indicative of opulence,
nevertheless was not without charm and cheeriness. It was delightful in
simplicity and neat arrangement.

Allison had welcomed the entry of General Arnold into the city as a hero
coming into his own, but he was not slow in perceiving that the
temperament of the man rendered him an unhappy choice for the
performance of the onerous duties which the successful administration of
the office required. Readily and with genuine satisfaction did he yield
to the initial mandate of the Governor; but when the scent of luxury
from this same Governor's house, the finest mansion in the city and the
identical one lately occupied by the British commander, was diffused
throughout the city causing murmurs of criticism and dissension, Matthew
Allison forgot for the moment his oath of fealty and gave expression to
pain and dissatisfaction.

"Why allow yourself to be disturbed at his manner of living?" asked his
wife, picking up the conversation at the point where he had left it.

"And you and I and the vast majority of us sacrificing our all. Why they
tell me that his quarters abound in luxury to a degree never excelled by
Howe himself."

"Well!" was the simple reply.

"And the Massachusetts Regiment has been appointed his guard of honor;
and that two armed soldiers have been stationed at the door