ought Betty Hastings was the
most fortunate of girls that her birthday came on the first day of May.

"How would you and Winifred like to sit with Jason on the front seat,
Ruth?" asked Mrs. Hastings, and the two little friends smiled at each
other, and replied that they would like it very much, and so were lifted
to the high seat beside the good-natured Jason.

"I almost spoiled everything," Ruth whispered to Winifred, "but Betty
made it come out all right. I like Betty."

"So do I," responded Winifred, and they smiled at each other again, both
quite sure that they would never again come so near to a quarrel as they
had that May-day.

As they drove past a square stone house whose gardens sloped down to the
river, Black Jason pointed toward it with his whip and said: "Dat de
house where Capitan Delancy live, an' he an' de oder fine English
soldiers are gettin' up a great party, a kind of show like."

The girls looked well at the house from which Betty had so skilfully
made her escape on the night following Gilbert's play.

"Are they going to have the party in that house, Jason?" asked Ruth.

"Landy! No, Missie. It's to be out to Master Wharton's fine place in
Southwark. Folks do say as General Sir Willem Howe be Gwen to leave dis
place. They certain do say so," and Jason chuckled with satisfaction at
the thought.

"Then will General Washington and Lafayette come here, Jason?"
questioned Ruth eagerly.

"I dunno, Missie. But I reckon de English Gwen to have a mighty fine
party. Deere gwine to have bands o' music in boats on de river. Yam,"
and Jason chuckled at the thought of all the great preparations that had
already begun for the most splendid pageant that America had seen, and
about which the people of Philadelphia were wondering, for the English
officers were making elaborate plans.

"I wish I could drive two horses," said Ruth, looking a little longingly
at the reins and whip that Jason so skilfully held in one hand.

"Landy, Missie! Yo' Jes' take hold de reins like dis," responded Jason,
at the same moment clasping Ruth's hands over the leather reins. "Now
hole 'em study."

Ruth obeyed Jason's instructions to "look straight ahead, an' hole 'em
up study," and it was the happiest part of all that happy May-day to be
driving Jason's brown horses, with the other girls singing and laughing
on the seats behind her. But as they turned from the river road into the
town Jason again took the reins. The girls wer