n," said Bellman Grey. "You'll find the dust
settled in the committee-room. I'm cleaning house a little extra
to-day for the expected visitor."

"For the coming heir?" said Mr. Adams.

"When Liberty comes, She comes to stay," said Mr. Jefferson,
half-suffocated with the dust; and the two retreated to the
committee-room.

Blue-Eyed Boy was polishing with his silken duster the red morocco of
a chair as the gentlemen opened the door. He heard one of them say,
"If Caesar Rodney gets here, it will be done."

"If it's done," said the boy, "won't you, please, Mr. Adams, won't
you, please, Mr. Jefferson, let me carry the news to General
Washington?"

The two gentlemen looked either at the other, and both at the lad, in
smiling wonder.

"If what is done?" asked Mr. Adams.

"If the thing is voted and signed and made sure," (just here Blue-Eyed
Boy waved his duster of a flag and stood himself as erect as a
flagpole;) "if the tree's transplanted, if the ship gets off the ways,
if we run clear away from King George, sir; so far away that he'll
never catch us."

"And why do you, my lad, wish to carry the news to General Washington?"
asked Mr. Jefferson.

"Because," said the boy, "why--wouldn't you? It'll be jolly work for
the soldiers when they know they can fight for themselves."

Just here Bellman Grey shouted for Blue-Eyed Boy, bidding him come
quick and be spry with his dusting, too.

Before the hall was cleared of the accumulated dust of State-rooms
above and Congress-rooms below, in came members of the Congress,
one-by-one and two-by-two, and in groups. The doors were locked, and
the solemn deliberations began. Within that room, now known as
Independence Hall, sat, in solemn conclave, half a hundred men, each
and every one of whom knew full well that the deed about to be done
would endanger his own life.

On a table lay a paper, awaiting signatures. A silver ink-stand held
the ink that trembled and wavered to the sound and stir of John
Adams's voice, as he stated once more the why and the wherefore of the
step America was about to take.

This final statement was made for the especial enlightenment of three
gentlemen, new members of the Congress from New Jersey, and in reply
to the reasons given by Mr. Dickinson why the Declaration of
Independence should _not_ be made.

In the meantime Bellman Grey was up in the steeple, "seeing what he
could see," and Blue-Eyed Boy was answering knocks at the entrance
doors