Barbara Winslow, Rebel

e of its owners. As Barbara tripped along the trim box-edged paths between banks of hollyhocks and proud-faced dahlias and sweet clusters of late roses, she looked, in her so

the steps of the dial sat Sorrow herself in the person of Cicely, her head leaning forlornly against the

ce, and was replaced by a look of the

hristendom," she exclaimed reproachfully. "Shame on you to sit there weeping li

arbara! I am t

in she continued coaxingly, "Come, tell me what ails thee, Cicely. Thou sayest Rupert has reached the coast in safety and to-morrow will take ship f

ferent with thee, Rupe

thy sweetheart, I still cannot see w

ce more, just once; and he says likewise he will not go without seeing me. Bethink you, we may not meet for years, and so he being but ten miles distant, he purp

her feet with a

d night and day by these scarlet-coated, scarlet-faced troopers, and they say yonder dark-visaged captain of theirs is a very dragon of vig

he is so near, so near, and I may not see him, feel his hand, hear his voice. Oh! I cannot endure it," a

with an expression of

lf in face and figure. I will kiss and cozen thee and call thee pr

uld not repress a smile at this

, Barbara, thou

ethinks it is but nonsense. Rupert is very well where he is and you shall see him in a year or two at most. What more

y wept the mor

his arms, and feel him near me. Barbara, you do not understand, but I shall die if I may not see him

eer desperation, then yie

cheerily and Rupert shall come. But now how to devise it." She clasped her c

ad it, an thou

the involuntary twitching of her lips as she read the tender epistle; it was so strange to her

e shimmer behind the leaves. She stared at the bush a moment in surprise and then passed on towards the foot of the garden still deep in thought. Here she paused long, gazing into

schievously, she gave a gasp at the very magnificence of the idea, and breaking into th

t plot, a very prince of plots. Thou shalt see thy Romeo to-night, my poor lovelorn Juliet, and I--faith! I will have the

her in undisgui

d solemnly, "I verily

so indeed an thou

hen, te

u content with thy beloved Romeo,

afraid. What if th

can we not fight our way out? Butcher is a mighty ally; I am well nigh as handy as Rupert with the rapier, and thou

, what have you in your mi

be trusted; he or little Jacky Marlow would carry our message to Rupert.

ftly, "didst not hear a rustle in yonde

very pansy face. 'Twas but a rat or a rabbit. Get thee

" said Cicely doubtfully, "for thou a

so thou shalt; now le

te attitude for thought, one foot tucked beneath her,

Once indeed her face grew grave and her eyes fearful, and she shuddered as she weighed the dangers before her, but presently with a lau

cule, and wrote a short note. Then gathering up h

few sprigs, glancing sharply through the leaves the while

tre of the path two roses and the little white not

out. The face was followed by the stout figure of Corporal Crutch, who crawled from behind the bush, pounced upon the pa