ight uniform, with stars upon his breast, Colonel Hardman,
accompanied by the members of his staff, knocked at the door of the
Brandon home. Mark Antony was unceremoniously pushed aside, and the
officers entered the hall.

"You can inform the lady of the house, nigger, that Colonel Hardman
and staff have come to take possession of the premises and"--

The sentence was not finished, for Berinthia, queenly in her dignity,
stood before him. Colonel Hardman, obedient to etiquette, removed his
hat. It was not an old woman, wrinkled and toothless, but a young
lady, calm and self-possessed, confronting him.

"Is this Colonel Hardman?"

"I have the honor to bear that name, lady."

"You have come to take possession of my house?"

"That is my errand. I trust it will not greatly inconvenience you. I
see you have my order of yesterday in your hand, and so are not
unprepared for my coming."

"It is your order, and I am not unprepared, as you will see," she
said, handing him the paper.

He read the writing, bit his lips, grew red in the face, returned the
document, bowed stiffly, and left the hall, followed by his astonished
suite.

"Outwitted by a petticoat," he muttered, with an oath, as he passed
down the street.

XXIII.

SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS.

It was as if one had risen from the dead, when Robert Walden once more
entered the old home. Father, mother, Rachel, all, had thought of him
as lying in a grave unknown,--having given his life for liberty. It
was a joyful home. All the town came to shake hands with him. His
father and mother were older, the gray hairs upon their brows more
plentiful, and sorrow had left its mark on Rachel's face; but her
countenance was beautiful in its cheerful serenity.

A few days at home, and Robert was once more with the army,
commissioned as major upon the staff of General Washington. Colonel
Knox the while was transporting the cannon captured by Ethan Allen at
Ticonderoga across the Berkshire Hills to Cambridge--fifty guns
mounted on sleds, drawn by one hundred oxen.

The commander of the army had not forgotten what Major Walden had said
about the military value of Dorchester Heights. The cannon were placed
in position, but not till winter was nearly over were the preparations
completed for the bombardment of Boston.

When the sun set on the afternoon of March 2d little did Lord Howe
and the ten thousand British soldiers imagine what was about to
happen. Suddenly fro