that, oddly enough, rose to her sweet eyes as she lifted them to the
quietly critical yet placid glance of her interlocutor.

"I can readily conceive the motive of this visit, Miss Thankful,"
continued Washington, with a certain dignified kindliness that was more
reassuring than the formal gallantry of the period; "and it is, I
protest, to your credit. A father's welfare, however erring and weak
that father may be, is most seemly in a maiden--"

Thankful's eyes flashed again as she rose to her feet. Her upper lip,
that had a moment before trembled in a pretty infantine distress, now
stiffened and curled as she confronted the dignified figure before her.
"It is not of my father I would speak," she said saucily: "I did not
ride here alone to-night, in this weather, to talk of HIM; I warrant HE
can speak for himself. I came here to speak of myself, of lies--ay,
LIES told of me, a poor girl; ay, of cowardly gossip about me and my
sweetheart, Capt. Brewster, now confined in prison because he hath
loved me, a lass without polities or adherence to the cause--as if
'twere necessary every lad should ask the confidence or permission of
yourself or, belike, my Lady Washington, in his preferences."

She paused a moment, out of breath. With a woman's quickness of
intuition she saw the change in Washington's face,--saw a certain cold
severity overshadowing it. With a woman's fateful persistency--a
persistency which I humbly suggest might, on occasion, be honorably
copied by our more politic sex--she went on to say what was in her,
even if she were obliged, with a woman's honorable inconsistency, to
unsay it an hour or two later; an inconsistency which I also humbly
protest might be as honorably imitated by us--on occasion.

"It has been said," said Thankful Blossom quickly, "that my father has
given entertainment knowingly to two spies,--two spies that, begging
your Excellency's pardon, and the pardon of Congress, I know only as
two honorable gentlemen who have as honorably tendered me their
affections. It is said, and basely and most falsely too, that my
sweetheart, Capt. Allan Brewster, has lodged this information. I have
ridden here to deny it. I have ridden here to demand of you that an
honest woman's reputation shall not be sacrificed to the interests of
politics; that a prying mob of ragamuffins shall not be sent to an
honest farmer's house to spy and spy--and turn a poor girl out of doors
that they might do it. 'T