ened, and Nancy Hanson appeared upon the door-step. She had dressed
herself carefully in her fine quilted petticoat and best flowered
over-dress, and looked as pretty and fresh as an April morning.

"Friend," said she, in a half-doubtful, half-timid voice. The young
officer whipped off his cocked hat, and bent stiffly, as you might bend
a jackknife.

"Madam, yer servant," he answered. He spoke with a slight brogue, for he
was an Irish gentleman.

"We have a friend with us," said Nancy, "who hath been compelled for a
time to keep his bed. He was brought here last night on account of the
battle, and was too weary to go further. Our neighbor Friend John
Stapler, across the street, hath thick stockings, and I desire to get,
if I can, a pair from him, as, thee may know, in cases of dropsy the
legs are always cold. I am afraid to cross the street with these
soldiers in it. Would thee escort me?"

"Madam, you do me infinite honor in desiring me escort," said the young
officer, bowing more deeply than before; for Nancy was very pretty.

Friend John Stapler was a very strict Friend, and as such was inclined
to favor the royalist side; still, he was willing to do a kindly turn
for a neighbor. He was a wrinkled, weazened little man, whose face, with
its pointed nose and yellowish color, much resembled a hickory nut.

"Hum-m-m!" ejaculated he, when Nancy, who had left the officer at the
door, stated the case to him--"hum-m-m! thus it is that intercourse with
the world's people defileth the chosen. Still, I may as well help thee
out o' the pother. Hum-m-m! I suppose my small-clothes would hardly be
large enough, would they?" and he looked down at his withered little
legs.

"I hardly think so," said Nancy, repressing a smile, as she pictured to
herself the tall dignified Colonel in little John Stapler's
small-clothes.

"Well, well," said he, "I'll just step out the back way, and borrow a
suit from John Benson. He's the fattest man I know."

He soon returned with the borrowed clothes, which they wrapped up in as
small a bundle as possible, after which Nancy rejoined the officer at
the door.

"'Tis a largish bundle of stockings," observed he, as he escorted her
across the street again.

"They are thick stockings," she answered, demurely.

When they reached home, she invited her escort and his brother officers,
who were gathered around the fire near by, to come in and take a cup of
coffee--an offer they were only too glad