"O mother, what can it be? Hark at that noise in the street below!
People are crying out in a great rage. What can it be? It was so
that day a week agone, when news was brought in that some poor
settlers had been murdered by Indians, and the Assembly would do
nothing but wrangle with the Governor instead of sending out troops
to defend our people. Do you think something can have happened
again?"

The mother's face turned a little pale.

"Heaven send it be not so!" she exclaimed. "I am always in fear
when I hear of such things--in fear for my old father, and for my
brothers. You know they live away there on the border. I pray
Heaven no trouble will fall upon them."

Susanna's eyes dilated with interest, as they always did when her
mother talked to her of these unknown relations, away beyond the
region of safety and civilization.

To be correct, it should be explained that Susanna was not the real
daughter of the woman whom she called mother; for Benjamin Ashley
had been twice married, and Susanna had been five years old before
Hannah Angell had taken the mother's place. But she never thought
of this herself. She remembered no other mother, and the tie
between them was strong and tender, despite the fact that there was
not more than thirteen years' difference in age between them, and
some girls might have rebelled against the rule of one who might
almost have been a sister.

But Susanna had no desire to rebel. Hannah's rule was a mild and