The dog whirled around with delight.
“Annie, my own Annie, life of my life, heart of my heart! Annie, how came you here?” exclaimed the farmer.
“I wished to see you, father, and all of my kin on this day, and mother—poor mother——”
“Don’t say that. I’m not worthy that you should say that, but my hard heart is gone,” faltered Mis’ Overfield.
“I got Albert to prepare the clock-case so I could stand here and move the planets around so that I could see you through the circles made for the planets. You can never dream how I felt here. My heart ached to know if any one to-day would think of me, and when you talked of me my heart made the old case tremble.”
“Annie, come here,” said Farmer Overfield.
“But I was not invited, father. I did not intend to make myself known to any one but Albert. I have been here before in the disguise of a soldier.”
“Annie, you are Annie, if you did marry a Tory sailor!” and the family heart was one again.
The story illustrates the family feeling of the time both as regards patriots and Tories.