“The man who will make your shoes is a great friend of the English soldiers. Your uncle thinks that he gathers up information about the American settlers and tells the English officers. Do not let him question you as to what your father thinks of American or English rule. For I must leave you there a little while to do an errand at the next house.”
Faith began to think that it was rather a serious thing to live near an English fort.
CHAPTER VIII
THE SHOEMAKER’S DAUGHTER
The shoemaker was the smallest man Faith had ever seen. She thought to herself that she was glad he was not an American. When he stood up to speak to Mrs. Scott Faith remembered a picture in one of her mother’s books of an orang-outang. For the shoemaker’s hair was coarse and black, and seemed to stand up all over his small head, and his face was nearly covered by a stubbly black beard. His arms were long, and he did not stand erect. His eyes were small and did not seem to see the person to whom he was speaking.
But he greeted his customers pleasantly, and as Faith sat on a little stool near his bench waiting for her aunt’s return, he told her that he had a little daughter about her own age, but that she was not very well.
“Perhaps your aunt will let you come and see her some day?” he said.
“I’ll ask her,” replied Faith, and before they had time for any further conversation the door opened and a tall man in a scarlet coat, deerskin trousers and high boots entered the shop.