eater adventure than any
Amos Cary would encounter on the "Sea Gull."

"Is it in that package, Rose?" he asked eagerly.

"How did you guess?" and Rose looked at her small brother in surprise.

"Come on out to the carriage-house, and tell me when you want me to
start," and Frederick grasped Rose's arm and hurried her along. "When do
you want me to start?" he asked.

"Why, right away," answered Rose in rather a puzzled tone.

The brother and sister entered the carriage-house, and Frederick led the
way to the corner where his work-bench stood, and they sat down.

"Nobody will hear us here," said Frederick in a mysterious whisper,
looking sharply about the room.

"Oh, Fred! I do believe that you are making believe that you are a Tory
spy in danger of capture," laughed Rose.

"Indeed I'm not! I wouldn't make believe be a spy," responded the boy
scornfully. "I'm a loyal messenger, ready to carry news to General
Washington!"

"Here is the message," and Rose handed her brother the package.

Frederick took it with shining eyes, and held it closely.

"Oh, Rose, is it truly? And where am I to take it?" he asked.

"Why, Fred, you 'pretend' splendidly," said his sister. "I suppose you'd
really like to be messenger for Washington, but that isn't it, you know.
Just unroll that package and tell me how good a doll you can make."

"Make a doll!" Fred flung the little bundle to the floor and looked
ready to cry. "I suppose you think it's funny to make me believe I could
do something to help Washington, when you really just had an old wooden
doll to show me."

"Now, Fred," and Rose put her hand on her brother's shoulder, "own up
that I didn't say a word to make you imagine such a thing. You know I
didn't! I asked you if you would do something for me, and not let any
one know."

"Well, I might have known nothing interesting would happen to me," said
Frederick. "Nothing ever does," and he regarded poor "Martha Stoddard"
with scornful eyes.

"I want you to make a wooden doll as nearly like this one as you can,"
said Rose. "Millicent has taken possession of this one, and it's the
only doll Anne has, and I'm sure that she doesn't want Millicent to have
it. I thought if you could make one just like it that Millicent would
like the new one better, and then Anne could have her own."

"All right," but Fred's voice was a little surly.

"And as for nothing happening to you, Fred, you ought to be thankful
that nothing does happen