Read Online Toliver's Secret by Esther Wood Brady - Free Book Online Page B

Ellen.
    â€œElizabeth’s north. I go west to go home. Hardly get there before dark as it is.”
    Her hopes fell to her feet like a china cup breaking in a hundred pieces.
    â€œI suppose I could walk,” she said forlornly. But she knew she never could do that. Not ten miles—all alone. When she had walked ten miles before, she and Mother had kept each other company and given each other strength.
    â€œCan’t walk on that road!” cried the man. “That’s a right busy road—out past the soldiers’ camp. Lots of redcoats on horses. They’d run you down!” Ellenremembered the officers on horses in New York. She was sure they’d run down anyone who got in their way.

    â€œPerhaps,” she said stubbornly, “some woodcutter who goes north would give me a ride—”
    â€œSmall chance of that,” the man snorted angrily. “Nobody picks up strangers in these times.” He spat at the tree and wiped his mouth with a thin claw of a hand. “Too risky to pick up strangers who might rob you—or even kill you. Don’t you know there is a war on, boy?”
    â€œYes, I know, but—” Ellen began.
    â€œPeople around here used to be friendly. But no more.” He stopped his work and squinted at her. “You’re a runaway, ain’t you?” he said as he leaned over to look at her more closely. “Better go back home, boy. No good running away now. Things are bad everywhere.”
    â€œI’m
not
running away from home!” Ellen was so angry her brown eyes flashed and her words came out like hot sparks. “My home isn’t here! And I must go to Elizabeth-town. Can’t you understand me?”
    The man stared at her in surprise and bewilderment. Then he shrugged and said. “Well, can’t be done. Not in these days.” He turned his back and bit off a hugepiece of bread. All Ellen could see was the scrawny tail that hung from his cap.
    â€œToliver!” she heard someone call out. “Hey, Toliver!”
    It was Higgins. The men from the boat were marching past the inn with their muskets on their shoulders. They seemed like old friends in this town full of strangers. “How you faring, Toliver?” Higgins cried out eagerly.
    Dow was marching by also. “Toliver!” she heard him shout. “Hope the old gizzard likes squashed bread.” He gave her a big grin and marched on laughing.
    â€œWhy,” thought Ellen, “Dow thinks this queer old man is the friend who had the birthday. This funny old man, with his toothless mouth so full he could hardly chew!”
    Ellen started to laugh. Clutching the bread beneath her jacket, she ran to catch up with Higgins and march along beside him.
    â€œYou’re a mighty cheerful little scamp,” he said as he smiled down at her.
    â€œI’m so happy to see you, Mr. Higgins,” she said laughing. She thought to herself, “Higgins is my good friend—even if he is one of the enemy.” She feltfunny thinking it, but it comforted her to have a friend in this strange and frightening place.
    â€œThere are soldiers here wearing short skirts!” She could hardly stop laughing when she thought of them. “Their knees are bare and their legs are hairy. I should think they’d be cold when the wind blows.”
    Higgins laughed to see her so merry.
    â€œAnd there are Hessians too!” Ellen shuddered. “I know they are Hessians. They look so fierce they scare me.”
    Suddenly she could feel tears splashing down on her jacket and all her efforts to be brave broke down. She was laughing and crying at the same time. Laughing and crying both together. What had happened to her?
    Higgins’s kind dark eyes were filled with concern as he looked at her. “What’s amiss with you, Toliver?”
    Ellen took a deep breath before she blurted out, “I wanted to go to Elizabeth-town and the boat brought me to