cried, flushed and anxious when she was out of
sight of Uncle John and Joe. "I WISH I'd given 'em to Col. Barrett when
he was here before daylight, only, I WAS afraid I should never get sight
of them again."

She drew off one of her stockings, filled it, tied the opening at the
top with a string-plunged stocking and all into a pail full of water and
proceeded to pour the contents into the well.

Just as the dark circle had closed over the blue stockings, Joe Devin's
face peered down the depths by her side, and his voice sounded out the
words: "O Mother Moulton, the British will search the wells the VERY
first thing. Of course, they EXPECT to find things in wells!"

"Why didn't you tell me before, Joe? but now it is too late."

"I would, if I'd known what you was going to do; they'd been a sight
safer, in the honey tree."

"Yes, and what a fool I've been--flung MY WATCH into the well with the
spoons!"

"Well, well! Don't stand there, looking," as she hovered over the high
curb, with her hand on the bucket. "Everybody will know, if you do,
there."

"Martha! Martha?" shrieked Uncle John's quavering voice from the house
door.

"Bless my heart!" she exclaimed, hurrying back over the stones.

"What's the matter with your heart?" questioned Joe.

"Nothing. I was thinking of Uncle John's money," she answered.

"Has he got money?" cried Joe. "I thought he was poor, and you took care
of him because you were so good."

Not one word that Joe uttered did the little woman hear. She was already
by Uncle John's side and asking him for the key to his strong box.

Uncle John's rheumatism was terribly exasperating. "No, I won't give
it to you!" he cried, "and nobody shall have it as long as I'm above
ground."

"Then the soldiers will carry it off," she said.

"Let 'em!" was his reply, grasping his staff firmly with both hands and
gleaming defiance out of his wide, pale eyes. "YOU won't get the key,
even if they do."

At this instant, a voice at the doorway shouted the words, "Hide, hide
away somewhere, Mother Moulton, for the Red-coats are in sight this
minute!"

She heard the warning, and giving one glance at Uncle John, which look
was answered by another, "no, you won't have it," she grasped Joe Devins
by the collar of his jacket and thrust him before her up the staircase,
so quickly that the boy had no chance to speak, until she released her
hold at the entrance to Uncle John's room.

The idea of being taken pr