Polly sprang to her feet and spoke proudly: “But I did not wish to be married to one of his young men!”
“No, poor child,” said the other, with great gentleness. “’Twas a feeling that did you credit, as all thought. But since Ezra Todd was willing to take the chance—you see the importance of getting you married, and quickly, too! A fine, upstanding fellow, Ezra! Look what he’s done already: cleared his land, planted it to corn and orchard, bought you a good stout nigger to do the work many a housewife has to do for herself, built this comfortable cabin, given you clothes such as any town lady might envy. Ah, Polly, have you no gratitude?”
“Yes,” said the girl.
“Well, I should hope so! And what a wedding it was! The liveliest I ever saw, though I’ve seen a-plenty of gay ones, had a few myself, for that matter. Neighbors riding in from miles about, Simon Kenton and all his hunters to help with the roof-raising, Master Boone himself come to do honor to my grandchild—for Dan Boone knows well what it is to lose a girl to the savages, and get her again. Such dancing and eating and drinking—and courting! I vow there wasn’t a sober man in our neighborhood for the whole week. And even some of the women.”
She chuckled reminiscently. “’Twas more than just a wedding, you see, ’twas a public rejoicing, a real triumph—for everyone, it seemed like, except the bride. Not that people didn’t understand, my dearie! More than one said to me, ‘Poor maid, she’s mazed yet with her own good fortune, thinking on the horrors she’s escaped.’ But now”—the old voice grew stern—“they don’t understand. Ezra himself, your husband, don’t understand⸺ Polly! Are you listening to me?”
The girl was alert, rigid, her eyes fixed on the window. She lifted a cautious hand.
“Ssh! There! Something moves outside.”
Granny rose vigorously, though with the aid of her cane, and went to the window.
“Who’s there?” she demanded. “Oh—you, black Ben! What are you doing tiptoeing around, startling people? Didn’t the master tell you to stay in the lean-to after dark, until he gets back?”
A voice spoke from without.