The Adventures of Ann | Page 6

hoofs
behind her. She began to run faster, but it was of no use. Soon Captain
Abraham French loomed up on his big gray horse, a few paces from her.
He was Hannah's father, but he was a tithing-man, and looked quite
stern, and Ann had always stood in great fear of him.
She ran on as fast as her little heels could fly, with a thumping heart.
But it was not long before she felt herself seized by a strong arm and
swung up behind Captain French on the gray horse. She was in a panic
of terror, and would have cried and begged for mercy if she had not
been in so much awe of her captor. She thought with awful
apprehension of these stolen indentures in her little pocket. What if he
should find that out!
Captain French whipped up his horse, however, and hastened along
without saying a word. His silence, if anything, caused more dread in
Ann than words would have. But his mind was occupied. Deacon
Thomas Wales was dead; he was one of his most beloved and honored
friends, and it was a great shock to him. Hannah had told him about
Ann's premeditated escape, and he had set out on her track, as soon as
he had found that she was really gone, that morning. But the news,

which he had heard on his way, had driven all thoughts of reprimand
which he might have entertained, out of his head. He only cared to get
the child safely back.
So, not a word spoke Captain French, but rode on in grim and
sorrowful silence, with Ann clinging to him, till he reached her master's
door. Then he set her down with a stern and solemn injunction never to
transgress again, and rode away.
Ann went into the kitchen with a quaking heart. It was empty and still.
Its very emptiness and stillness seemed to reproach her. There stood the
desk--she ran across to it, pulled the indentures from her pocket, put
them in their old place, and shut the lid down. There they staid till the
full and just time of her servitude had expired. She never disturbed
them again.
On account of the grief and confusion incident on Deacon Wales' death,
she escaped with very little censure. She never made an attempt to run
away again. Indeed she had no wish to, for after Deacon Wales' death,
grandma was lonely and wanted her, and she lived, most of the time,
with her. And, whether she was in reality, treated any more kindly or
not, she was certainly happier.

II
Deacon Thomas Wales' Will
In the Name of God Amen! the Thirteenth Day of September One
Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty & eight, I, Thomas Wales of Braintree,
in the County of Suffolk & Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New
England, Gent--being in good health of Body and of Sound Disproving
mind and Memory, Thanks be given to God--Calling to mind my
mortality, Do therefore in my health make and ordain this my Last Will
and Testament. And First I Recommend my Soul into the hand of God
who gave it--Hoping through grace to obtain Salvation thro' the merits
and Mediation of Jesus Christ my only Lord and Dear Redeemer, and

my body to be Decently interd, at the Discretion of my Executer,
believing at the General Resurection to receive the Same again by the
mighty Power of God--And such worldly estate as God in his goodness
hath graciously given me after Debts, funeral Expenses &c, are Paid I
give & Dispose of the Same as Followeth--
Imprimis--I Give to my beloved Wife Sarah a good Sute of mourning
apparrel Such as she may Choose--also if she acquit my estate of
Dower and third-therin (as we have agreed) Then that my Executer
return all of Household movables she bought at our marriage & since
that are remaining, also to Pay to her or Her Heirs That Note of Forty
Pound I gave to her, when she acquited my estate and I hers. Before
Division to be made as herin exprest, also the Southwest fire-Room in
my House, a right in my Cellar, Halfe the Garden, also the Privilege of
water at the well & yard room and to bake in the oven what she hath
need of to improve her Life-time by her.
After this, followed a division of his property amongst his children,
five sons, and two daughters. The "Homeplace" was given to his sons
Ephraim and Atherton. Ephraim had a good house of his own, so he
took his share of the property in land, and Atherton went to live in the
old homestead. His quarters had been poor enough; he had not been so
successful as his brothers, and had