once. But mayhap Mistress Williams will permit ye to accompany her to Mistress Harrison's!"
And the good lady's voice rose as her son touched his horse with his heels, to move away at a trot. Sally, seeing the look of wicked amusement upon his face, knew that he had enjoyed making his mother gasp out her words as she was jounced along. "What a tease he be!" she thought indulgently. "I verily believe age will not cure him, either! But I think I like Uzal the better—old sobersides that he be!"
"Did Mistress Ball leave a message for me?" inquired Mistress Williams curiously, when Sally, returning, took the baby from her arms and hugged the little fellow silently to her. Sally nodded. Then in a low voice she gave Mistress Ball's message to the other.
"Eh?" Mistress Williams put out a restraining hand toward little Nathaniel, who had commenced to crow and jump in Sally's arms. "Nay, I cannot hear, sweetheart!" she admonished the little fellow tenderly. "Now, what said ye, Sally?"
"I said," repeated Sally, in a louder voice, "that Mistress Harrison doth desire your company to-morrow morn—that the women are to meet to help wi' the bullet moulding and"
The girl stopped suddenly. This time there could be no doubt that someone was eavesdropping. For facing hostess upon threshold, Sally
