Wait and Hope Part 27

"Why? Are you afraid of getting killed?"

"Yes."

"There is no danger. It is over a hundred years since there was any fighting there."

Just then the car stopped, and a new pa.s.senger got on and sat down just opposite Ben and his young charge. Ben did not take special notice of her, and was surprised to hear a familiar voice.

"I declare, if it ain't the little gal,"

Looking up, he recognized the old lady, his fellow pa.s.senger.

"How do you do, ma'am?" he said.

"Putty well. Where be you goin'?"

"Over to Bunker Hill."

"I'm goin' to Charleston, myself. My son is away with his wife, and I'm goin' over to stay with my niece till he comes back. How do you do, little gal?"

"Pretty well," said Emma.

"You don't know me, do you?"

It was an unfortunate question.

"Yes, I do. You're the lady that takes snuff," said Emma.

Some of the pa.s.sengers t.i.ttered, and the old lady turned red in the face.

"Well, I never did!" she exclaimed, in mortification. "You're a bad-behaved little gal."

"She didn't mean to offend you, ma'am," said Ben. "She's very young."

"She's old enough to behave. Children didn't use to sa.s.s their elders like they do now. If one of my children was to behave so, I'd shut 'em up in a dark closet for twenty-four hours, with only dry bread to eat."

The old lady shook her head vigorously, and glared at Emma over the top of her spectacles. It was just as well, perhaps, that Emma was absorbed in looking out of the window, and did not listen to what the old lady was saying. Being a high-spirited and free-spoken young woman, she would have been likely to reply, and that would have made matters worse.

The ride was not a long one, for but a narrow bridge separates Boston proper from the historic town of Charleston.

"You get out here," said the conductor. "Go up that street to the monument."

Ben could see the great stone pillar standing up against the sky in plain sight, and he ascended the hilly street toward it.

"That is the monument, Emma," he said.

"It looks like a big chimney," said Emma; "only chimneys are made of brick."

"It would take a big house to need such a chimney as that," said Ben.

They reached the top of the hill, and stood beside the monument, which looked immensely tall, now that they were close to it.

"This is where Warren fell," said Ben, repeating to himself a piece of information which he had heard.

"Did he fall?" inquired Emma.

"Oh, no; he was killed in the battle here."

"Are you going to ascend the monument?" asked a gentleman who had come up the hill another way.

"I didn't know you could," said Ben.

"There is a spiral staircase inside. Most visitors ascend it. There is a splendid view from the top."

"I should think there would be."

"Will you go? I think of going, and would like your company."

"No, I guess not," said Ben. "It would be too much for Emma. She is only a little girl, and could not stand the fatigue."

"I wouldn't dare to go up so high, Ben," said Emma timidly.

Here a well-dressed lady, who had heard the discussion said: "If you would like to go up, young man, I will take care of the little girl till you come down. Will you stay with me, my dear?"

She smiled pleasantly, and Emma's confidence was won.

"Yes, Ben, I will stay with her," she said; "only don't be gone too long."

Ben hesitated. He wanted to go up, and was not sure when he would have another opportunity. He could see no reason to doubt that Emma would be entirely safe under the care of the stranger.

"I don't like to give you so much trouble," said Ben.

"It will be no trouble," said the lady politely. "I am fond of children."

It was twenty-five minutes before Ben descended. He looked for Emma, and his heart gave a great bound of dismay.

Neither Emma nor the lady was to be seen.

Chapter XVII

The Strange Captor

This was what had happened.

When Ben was fairly on his way up the monument, the lady addressed Emma.