“THIS IS YOUR FRIEND ROBERT MORRIS”
There was an exclamation above, and the window closed hastily. The announcement by Mr. Morris was in a clear, round voice and in the quiet of the early morning it carried surprisingly. From across the way an anxious voice called:
“What news is it that you bring, Neighbor Morris? Good or bad?”
“Ah, did my knocking awaken you, Robert Chaney? Arouse you, then!” Mr. Morris had his face toward the place where the voice had sounded.
Apparently the rat-tat-tat upon the door of Friend Sharpless had brought others out of their warm beds to learn what was going forward. At any rate there came a full half dozen voices from as many different points, all charged with suspense:
“What say you, Morris? What is it?”
“Has a battle been fought?”
“Has Cornwallis crossed a state so soon?”
“How went the fight?”
“Did our troops give a good account of themselves?”