The Gentle Rebel (35 page)

Laddie knew what hardships the general had undergone from his fellow Quakers, and she asked, “Are you making any progress toward converting Friend Daniel to your views, General Greene?”

“I think the Lord is doing a little along that line. My sister will disown me for making a soldier out of her boy, I suppose.” Then he grew serious and said soberly, “It’s never easy to find God, Sergeant, and when a thing like this revolution comes along—a man can get pulled to pieces trying to render unto Caesar what’s his and unto God what’s His!”

Laddie spent much time with Molly. The Winslows had rooms with a family living in town, but Adam was busy training his men, and Molly had little to do. She had dropped by Knox’s bookstore, and the two of them had spent a pleasant
hour. The visit was repeated, and often Laddie would spend the evening with the older woman.

But as Laddie came to love Molly more and more, a strange sort of constraint grew up between the two women concerning Nathan. His announcement that he was engaged to marry Abigail had shaken Laddie, though it had not been unexpected. As she spent more and more time with Molly, she saw that the engagement was a grief to Nathan’s mother, and she wrote in her journal:

It cost Laddie dearly to write the words, but it brought some sort of relief, although not for long. Two days after she made the entry, Molly stopped by the bookstore late one afternoon to say, “Come along, Laddie. You’re having supper with us.” It was not the first time she had done so, and Laddie always enjoyed being with her and Adam—but this time when she walked into the private dining room at the inn and saw Abigail sitting there with Nathan, she wished fervently she had not come.

“Why, it’s Sergeant Smith!” Abigail said gaily, and she told
the story of Laddie’s theft of the pass as they ate. Her narration was witty, and it made the whole thing into some sort of romantic comedy. She ended by saying with a condescending smile, “Of course, Father had already seen to it that Nathan was in no danger.”

Laddie had stared suddenly at Nathan, who seemed embarrassed, but said only, “Laddie had no way of knowing that, Abigail.”

“Oh, I’m sure of that—I like to see young men have a little romantic flair—even if it gets out of hand at times.”

Adam and Molly said little, and it was a relief for Laddie to make her excuses and get away as soon as she could. But all night long she tossed and turned, anger rising in her like a red tide. She tried to pray but finally gave up the attempt, and when she got up at dawn, her eyes were red and her heart filled with bitterness.

She dressed and tried to work, but was too angry to think. Finally she decided to return a map for further revision to Jacob Goldman, a map-maker who had been of great assistance to her. She picked up the document and was fifty yards down the street when she heard someone call, “Laddie!” and turned to find Nathan hurrying to catch up with her.

He looked haggard, and as soon as he stood beside her, he said, “I’ve wanted to talk to you.”

“I’ve got to take this map to Goldman.” The sight of him stirred an anger in her breast, and she turned coldly and continued on her way.

He fell into step with her, saying, “Laddie, you weren’t very kind to Abigail last night. After all, she’s lost her father—and she’s all alone except for her mother—and you hardly said ten words to her.”

Laddie struggled to hold back the hot words that leaped to her lips, but did not succeed. “Oh, she’s got more than her mother, I think. She’s got
you,
Nathan Winslow!”

He stopped suddenly and forced her to halt by taking her arm. He said angrily, “What’s the
matter
with you?”

“Oh, nothing’s wrong with me! I just somehow get upset when good people like Adam and Molly Winslow have to stand by and watch their only son make an idiot out of himself!” The anger that she had struggled with made her face pale, and she whirled and half ran down the street. When she saw that he was beside her, his face stubborn, she said, “Leave me alone!”

“No, I won’t. I’m going with you; then we’ll go someplace and talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to you, Nathan!”

“That’s too bad, because you’re going to whether you like it or not!”

She was so angry that tears gathered in her eyes, and to keep him from seeing them, she walked down the street, ignoring him. He said nothing else, but when she got to Goldman’s he went inside with her.

Goldman was in the back of the shop talking to a tall bearded man, but he looked up and said, “Ah, Sergeant Smith!” and hurried over, a small, bald-headed man with a nervous smile. “You need more maps, is it?”

“No, I want to talk to you about this one. It won’t take but a minute.”

Nathan lounged back against the wall, and Laddie spread the map out on a table. For several minutes she carried on a conversation with Goldman, the two of them disagreeing over several points. Finally, Goldman said, “All right, I agree that the elevations are probably incorrect. Leave it with me and I’ll make the changes from the 1743 chart.”

Laddie said, “I think that will be much better. I’ll drop by tomorrow, Mr. Goldman.”

She turned to go, but there was someone standing right behind her. It was the customer Goldman had been talking with, and saying, “Pardon me,” she moved to go around him.

When she stepped to one side, his hand shot out and caught her by the arm. “What are you doing?” she cried; then she
looked up at the man—and found herself looking into the face of Aaron Sampson!

He looked very different, for he had grown a full beard—but the eyes were the same, and there was a smile of triumph on his full lips. “Well, now, I knew I’d find you someday, Julie, but I didn’t think it’d be like this! Now I know why you’ve been able to keep yourself hidden from me!”

“You—let me go!” she cried out, and tried to break away, but his fingers bit into her arms like steel.

“Not likely!” he laughed loudly, and began to pull her toward the door.

“What the devil are you doing? Let go of him!” Nathan had stepped forward and his blue eyes glared angrily at the big man.

“Get out of the way. This is none of your affair,” Sampson growled.

Nathan reached out and grabbed a handful of Sampson’s coat. “Take your hands off him or I’ll break your neck!”

Sampson looked up at Nathan, and the impulse to fight was in him, but he shook his head, saying, “Sergeant, I won’t fight you—I won’t have to, because the law will see to it that you mind your own business.”

Nathan said hotly, “I don’t know what the devil you’re talking about—and I don’t give a hang! This is Sergeant Laddie Smith of Colonel Henry Knox’s staff, and I’ll tell you just one more time—if you don’t take your hands off him, I’ll break your neck!”

Sampson shook his head and said, “You’re wrong. This is my ward, Miss Julie Sampson of Philadelphia.”

Nathan stared at him. “You’re insane! Come along, Laddie!”

Sampson said at once, “I see that you have been deceived by this girl, Sergeant. But I can prove what I say with no trouble.”

Laddie was standing there, fear washing over her, so weak that she could barely stand. She had had nightmares much like this, but she knew that there would be no awakening
from this scene. She looked at Nathan, who was red with anger, and then she heard Sampson say, “Julie ran away last winter, and I’ve spent a lot of money trying to find her.” He pulled a paper out of his pocket, handed it to Nathan, saying, “I’ve put these in every major city in the country—but I see now why they brought no results. I never thought she might become a man!”

Nathan read the description, and when he raised his eyes and looked at Laddie, he said, “You’ve made a mistake, Sampson.”

“That’ll be simple to prove, as I said.” He looked at Laddie and said with a sly look in his eyes, “All you have to do is take your coat and your shirt off. A young fellow wouldn’t mind doing that, now would he? Of course—a young lady
would
object.”

Nathan glared at him, then said, “He doesn’t have to do
anything!
We’re leaving here.”

“You’re in Knox’s force?” Sampson said. “I’m sure the colonel would ask the sergeant to do this very simple thing—because if he doesn’t, I’ll be right there with civil law to get it done! But there’s a simpler way.”

“And what’s that?”

“Why, just look at her, Sergeant!” Sampson said with a smile. “It’s written all over her face!”

“Laddie . . . ?” Nathan started to speak, but then he looked full in the white face of Laddie, and stopped abruptly. He had not for one second considered that Sampson might be telling the truth, but as the silence ran on, he seemed suddenly to be outside of himself, looking down from somewhere on the scene—seeing the three of them in a frame—and the look of guilt on the face of the person he’d been calling Laddie Smith was unmistakable!

He swallowed and could only whisper, “Laddie . . . ?” And then he saw the dark eyes fill with tears.

“It’s true, Nathan, but . . . !”

He did not grasp the rest of her words, but wheeled and
plunged out of the shop. As he fled blindly down the street, he thought he heard a voice crying his name.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

JULIE GOES TO A BALL

The story of a young woman masquerading as a soldier in the Continental Army spread like wildfire through Boston, and the soldiers themselves spawned ribald jokes. If Aaron Sampson had taken his ward away, it would have been easier for Nathan, but that didn’t happen. As soon as Molly Winslow heard that Laddie had been discovered, she told Adam the whole story. The two of them had gone to Knox. He was thunderstruck by the affair, but after Molly gave him the extenuating circumstances, he had agreed to help. He had called Sampson to his office and told him that he would have to present legal proof of his relationship with the girl.

“But—I’ll have to go to Philadelphia! The wench will run away again!” Sampson was livid with anger. He had been on the verge of leaving with Julie as a prisoner, and he glared at Knox.

“I’ll have her detained. She’s officially a member of my staff and under my authority. She’ll be here when you get the evidence. That’ll be all!” Knox snapped. He did not care for Sampson’s looks, and after the man left, he stared at the small figure before him and shook his heavy head. “Well, by Harry! I never thought I’d be taken in by a snip of a girl!”

Julie looked up at him and saw that he was grieved, but not angry. “I’m so sorry, Colonel Knox,” she whispered, and tears glittered in her eyes as she said, “Will you let him take me when he comes back?”

Knox was a gentle man, giant though he was, and he hated
to hurt the girl anymore—but he had to tell her the truth. “I think the law will be on his side, Laddie—Miss Sampson, I mean.” He came over and put his hand on her shoulder, adding, “Before he gets here your friends will think of some way to help you, I’m sure.” Then he said briskly, “Now, I’ve talked this over with Mrs. Winslow, and since you have to stay somewhere, you can stay with her and Captain Winslow.”

He had sent her to the Winslows, accompanied by Lieutenant Wilkins, who had given her a curious glance, but said only, “I hope things work out for you, miss.” Molly had met her and when the door closed, she opened her arms and instantly Julie fell into them, the tears she had held back flowing freely. The older woman held the weeping girl, and finally said, “Well, that’s done! Now we’ll have some tea and talk.”

Her matter-of-fact manner did as much as anything to calm Julie, and by the time Adam came in, she was able to greet him without a sign of distress. He took her hands, and there was a fondness in his dark eyes as he said gently, “This has been pretty bad, hasn’t it?” Then his eyes twinkled and a smile touched his lips. “Going to be a little hard to get used to having a young woman around—Julie, is it? You must think all the Winslows are blind as bats, eh? Can’t tell a young woman from a man!”

She knew he was trying to find some way to make her feel better, but the mention of Nathan disturbed her. “I don’t think Nathan will ever forgive me, Captain Winslow.”

“Nonsense! Of course he will,” Adam said quickly. “He just needs a little time, child.”

But three days went by, and while Julie grew to love the Winslows more than ever, Nathan did not come once to the house. Daniel, who was there every day, commented on it only once. “He’s taking it pretty hard, Julie. Thinks the whole world sees him as a fool. But he’ll come around—worse luck for me!”

But two more days went by, and Julie said sadly to Molly,
“Nathan’s never going to forgive me, and I—I love him so, Molly!”

“I know, Julie.” Molly wanted to give some comfort, but doubt had filled her own heart, and there was nothing she could say.

But that evening before supper, Adam had come in and Molly saw at once that he was disturbed. “What’s the matter?”

“Nathan—he’s coming here tonight.”

“How do you know, Adam?”

“Because I
ordered
him to come!”

“Oh, Adam, you shouldn’t have done that!”

“I know it, Molly, but he’s going to get himself in bad trouble if he doesn’t pull out of this. I’ve tried to talk to him several times, but he just freezes up and says nothing. This morning one of the sergeants from the Maryland brigade made a remark about this thing—a dirty remark, and Nathan just about killed him! The man doesn’t have a tooth left in the front of his head!—and it would have been all the same to Nathan if it had been an officer!” He shook his head and added, “He’s acting like a child about this, Molly! He’s got to act like a man—and like a Christian.”