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14 Patrick Henry Patrick Henry 15

a lout fisherman, not fit for Tom Jefferson to asso- true man of God, was still under the spell of tha~
ciate with, but as a dartgerous element in himself, giant of the courtroom. Had there been watchers
against the King. A man with such power as Pat- ten hours before Doxey was to become a lady at
rick Henry had demonstrated was an undeniable the little church, they would have seen Doxey de-
power for either good or evil, and must be reckoned scending a ladder in the moonlight; they would
with. have seen her clasped in the arms of the backwoods-
man, and shortly afterward in a little dearing light-
;
Now, more than ever, was Doxey's father deter- ed by the rays of the moon, they would have seen
mined that his daughter should marry Lord Lester. Doxey united in holy wedlock to the man of her
In ordinary times and under ordinary circumstances choice by the Rev. Dr. MacFarland, their one wit-
Doxey's father would have demurred at such a mar- ness being a rangy, roan horse.
riage, for Doxey's father, hard-headed old Tory th~t
he was, was a man of sense, and, like all publicans Nor was this the only moonlight meeting that
of his time, had a true reverence for class, and was was held beneath the branches of those forests.
. not this young gallant a lord? But, under stress of Near by was the cabin that Patrick built for his
present circumstances, he hailed with joy the event Doxey with his own hands. And around this cabin
that would save his daughter from a marriage with shadowy figures were often seen to congregate, and
a good-for-nothing lout, a man that would surely stern-visaged men did often in secret session con-
be hanged for treason and his family · and all con- fer, and among them George Washington, Tom
nections be forever disgraced, if, indeed, they did Jefferson and the lout, Patrick Henry, with the fire
not share his fate with him. The young gallant was of the patriot in his eyes. And while Patrick's sta-
much in love and agreed to hasten the marriage. tion in life had not changed, Patrick was held in a
The day was set, the hour 10 o'clock on the Sab- far different view by his fellow countrymen. His
bath morning. The little church was simply and power of speech was on all sides recognized and
tastefully decorated, for it was to be the wedding among the Tories he was the most feared man in
of a lord. But when the bridesmaids went to assist the Colonies, such had been the rise of Patrick Hen-
Doxey in her wedding attire, they found the dresses ry in those troublesome times when America was
but they did not find Doxey. Doxey was gone. battling for her independence. The tap room of the
For Doxey had met Patrick at their forest retreat, tavern had long since been abandoned. There was
and Patrick knew all. Whatever Patrick's short- no need of further secret meetings.. It was almost
comings were in many respe·cts, Patrick was no lag- open war between the Tory subjects and the free-
gard where affairs of the heart were concerned. dom-loving British-Americans. The Tories now
Patrick had gone to the Reverend Dr. MacFarland held meetings at the Governor's house, where the
and pleaded his case to him, who, besides being a_ term treason against the King was openly applied