Sarah put the finishing stitches in the quilt and spread it out to study it carefully. All winter long, she painstakingly cut pi
eces out of scrap material and stitched them together by lamplight. Seeing the finished quilt made her heart pound with both pride and fear. It was some of her best work yet, but the pattern was a symbol of the danger lurking outside her cabin door.
2
The bright patchwork design was called Solomon's Puzzle, and its zigzag pattern was understood by the slaves working on Southern plantations. It meant that slave catchers were near, and that runaways should travel in zigzags to avoid leaving an obvious path for the hounds to follow. There were other secret codes, like the Evening Star pattern, which told runaways that the coast was clear and to follow the North Star. Sarah liked the intricate arrangement of Solomon's Puzzle best, even though it sent the most fearful message. Following instructions Granny had given her that morning, she hung the quilt in the window of their cabin with shaking hands. Granny said that such quilts gave many unfortunate souls the information and courage they needed to continue their journeys.
3
"What if someone else deciphered the message concealed in the pattern?" Sarah wondered as she sat and waited. Granny said it was not likely and that it was always better to hide something in plain sight. Most people did not look closely at ordinary, commonplace items, but the runaways would know what the quilt meant. Granny told Sarah that she was brave, but Sarah felt that Granny was the courageous one. Sarah could not count the times she'd awakened in the night, afraid, hearing hushed conversations and surreptitious movements. Sarah knew what it all meant: Granny was helping runaways escape to the North.
4
Sarah stared out the window and felt apprehension streak through her body when she heard a soft moan and a little cough from beneath the cabin floor. "I wish Granny would hurry up," said Sarah with a start. Then she realized that she didn't want to cause any alarm, so she added, "She's bringing supplies from town and should be here very soon." Granny should have been home from town by now and Sarah was worried because slave catchers were in the area. Granny warned Sarah to never go out alone; some slave catchers did not always care if you had free papers. Granny didn't always take her own advice, though.
5
Sarah heard the cheerful jingle of the harness before she saw the wagon, and a big, broad smile of relief spread across her face. "She's here!" Sarah shouted and ran to the window. She strained to see around the trees that blocked her view of the road, and waved when Granny's crimson bonnet came into sight. She couldn't wait to show Granny her finished quilt; she knew it'd be needed tonight and hoped it would do somebody some good.
“What if someone else deciphered the message concealed in the pattern?”
What does the following quote from Sarah reveal about her character?
A.
It reveals that Sarah does not think making the quilt was a good idea.
B.
It reveals that Sarah doesn’t understand the dangers faced by runaways.
C.
It reveals that Sarah believes she is going to get caught helping runaways.
D.
It reveals that Sarah is worried about runaways who need the message in her quilt.
