They lost no time in telling Faith that their father was an English officer, stationed at Fort Ticonderoga; and this made Faith look at them with even more interest. Both the sisters were rather scornful in their manner toward the other school children. As Faith was a newcomer, and a stranger, they were more cordial to her.
“You must come to the fort with us some day,” Caroline suggested, when the little girls had known each other for several weeks; and Faith accepted the invitation with such eagerness that the sisters looked at her approvingly. Their invitations to some of the other children had been rudely refused, and the whispered “Tories” had not failed to reach their ears.
“We like you,” Caroline had continued in rather a condescending manner, “and we have told our mother about you. Could you go to the fort with us to-morrow? It’s Saturday.”
“Oh, yes; I’m sure I may. I have wanted to go to the fort ever since I came. You are real good to ask me,” Faith had responded gratefully, to the evident satisfaction of the English girls who felt that this new little girl knew the proper way to receive an invitation.
It was settled that they would call for Faith early on Saturday afternoon.
“I may go, mayn’t I, Aunt Prissy?” Faith asked, as she told her aunt of the invitation, and was rather puzzled to find that Aunt Prissy seemed a little doubtful as to the wisdom of permitting Faith visiting the fort with her new friends.
“It is a mile distant, and while that is not too long a walk, I do not like you to go so far from home with strangers,” she said; but on Faith’s declaring that the sisters were the best behaved girls in school, and that she had promised to go, Mrs. Scott gave her consent; and Faith was ready and waiting when Caroline and Catherine arrived, soon after dinner on Saturday.
“Is your father an officer?” asked Caroline, as the little girls started off.
Faith walked between her new friends, and looked from one to the other with admiring eyes.
“No, my father is a miller. And he owns a fine lot of land, too,” she answered smilingly.