ainst the rule of one who might
almost have been a sister.

But Susanna had no desire to rebel. Hannah's rule was a mild and
gentle one, although it was exercised with a certain amount of prim
decorum. Still the girl was shrewd enough to know that her father's
leanings towards the Quaker code had been greatly modified by the
influence of his wife, and that she was kept less strictly than he
would have kept her had he remained a widower.

Hannah bustled away to the kitchen, and Susanna, after one more
longing look out of the window towards the crowd assembled in the
open space beyond, followed her, and gave active assistance in the
setting of the supper table.

A young man in Quaker garb, and with a broad-brimmed hat in his
hand, entered the outer room, engaged in hot dispute with another
youth of different aspect, whose face was deeply flushed as if in
anger.

"Your Franklin may be a clever man--I have nothing against that!"
he exclaimed hotly; "but if he backs up the stubborn Assembly, and
stands idle whilst our settlers are being massacred like sheep,
then say I that he and they alike deserve hanging in a row from the
gables of their own Assembly House; and that if the Indians break
in upon us and scalp them all, they will but meet the deserts of
their obstinacy and folly!"

"Friend," said the other of the sober raiment, "thee speaks as a
heathen man and a vain fellow. The Lord hath given us a commandment
to love one another, and to live at peace with all men. We may not
lightly set aside that commandment; we may not do evil that good
may come."

"Tush, man! get your Bible and look. I am no scholar, but I know
that the Lord calls Himself a man of war--that He rides forth,
sword in hand, conquering, and to conquer; that the armies in
heaven itself fight under the Archangel against the powers of
darkness. And are we men to let our brothers be brutally murdered,
whilst we sit with folded hands, or wrangle weeks and months away,
as you Quakers are wrangling over some petty question of taxation
which a man of sense would settle in five minutes? I am ashamed of
Philadelphia! The whole world will be pointing the finger of scorn
at us. We are acting like cowards--like fools--not like men! If
there were but a man to lead us forth, I and a hundred stout
fellows would start forth to the border country tomorrow to wage
war with those villainous Indians and their more villainous allies
the crafty sons of France."

"Hav