ife.

"Bosh! Who wants to be any nearer? My mother says 'tis a silly and
foolish performance," replied Lucia. "But perhaps 'twill be cut down
before the _Polly_ comes into harbor."

Rebecca jumped up from the window-seat, her face flushed and her eyes
shining.

"No one would dare, Lucia Horton. And if it is cut down I'll know you,
or someone in this house, planned it; and I will tell my father just
what you told me and what we did," she exclaimed, starting toward the
door.

"You can't tell, ever, Rebecca Weston! You promised not to," Lucia
called after her, and Rebecca stopped suddenly. Lucia was right. No
matter what happened she could never reveal what Lucia had told her,
because of her promise; and a promise was a sacred thing.

Without a word of good-bye Rebecca went slowly down the stairs. This was
the second time she had left the Horton house in anger. "I won't come
here again," she thought, a little sadly, for she and Lucia had been
"best friends" ever since Captain Horton had brought his family to the
remote settlement.

"There's Rebby," Anna called joyfully, as holding her father's hand, and
with her mother walking close behind, she came along the path toward
home. Rebby was walking slowly along a short distance in front of the
little party, and Anna soon overtook her.

"Oh, Rebby! Was it not a splendid sight to see the liberty tree set up?"
Anna exclaimed eagerly, "and all the men taking off their hats and
cheering?"

"Yes," responded Rebby briefly; and then looking at Anna she said: "Oh,
Danna! I wish, more than anything, that I could do something to protect
the liberty tree."

"Perhaps you can, Rebby, sometime, you and I together," replied Anna
hopefully; "anyway, isn't it lovely that I am home to stay?"

And to this Rebby could agree smilingly, but she kept in her heart the
wish she had just uttered.

CHAPTER XII

WILD HONEY

Anna went singing about the house quite satisfied now to be herself; and
Rebby and her mother smiled at each other at the happiness of the little
girl.

"I doubt not you have learned many things, Danna," said Rebby, a little
wistfully, as the sisters sat on the broad doorstep after supper
looking down at the broad flowing river.

"Yes, indeed!" replied Anna confidently. "Why, Rebby, I know all about
history. The minister told me that a hundred and fifty years ago there
were English traders living