"Does he know about this letter?"
"Not from me. I offered to show it to him but he wouldn"t look at it."
"Aleck, there"s something strange about this. I don"t quite understand it. Is Pen outside?"
"Yes; he was when I came."
"Call him in, please; and return with him."
Aleck went to the door, his resolution to stand by his conduct growing stronger every minute. He called to Pen.
"Miss Grey wants to see you," he said.
"What for?" inquired Pen.
"She"ll tell you when you come in."
Both boys returned to the teacher.
"Pen," she inquired, "have you obtained any subscriptions to your paper for the flag fund?"
"Yes, Miss Grey," he replied. "I think I"ve done pretty well considering my grandfather"s not home."
He handed his paper to her with a show of pardonable pride; but she merely glanced at the long list of names.
"Did you know," she asked, "that Colonel Butler has decided to give the flag to the school?"
Pen opened his eyes in astonishment.
"No," he said. "Has he?"
"Read this letter, please."
She handed the colonel"s letter to him and he began to read it. His face grew red and his eyes snapped. He had been outwitted. He knew in a moment when, where and how it had been done. He handed the paper back to Miss Grey.
"All right!" he said. "But I think it was a mean, underhanded, contemptible trick."
Then Aleck, slow to wrath, woke up.
"There was nothing mean nor underhanded about it," he retorted. "I had a perfect right to ask Colonel Butler for a subscription. And if he chose to give the whole flag, that was his lookout. And," turning to Pen, "if you"d been half way decent last night, you"d have known all about this thing then, and maybe saved yourself some trouble."
Before Pen could flash back a reply, Miss Grey intervened.
"That will do, boys. I"m not sure who is in the wrong here, if any one is. I propose to find out about that, later. It"s an unfortunate situation; but, in justice to Colonel Butler, we must accept it." She handed Pen"s paper back to him, and added: "I think you had better take this back to your subscribers, and ask them to cancel their subscriptions. I will consult with my a.s.sociates at noon, and we will decide upon our future course. In the meantime I charge you both, strictly, to say nothing about this matter until after I have made my announcement at the afternoon session. You may take your seats."
The school bell had already ceased ringing, and the pupils had filed in and had taken their proper places. So Aleck and Pen went down the aisle, the one with stubborn resolution marking his countenance, the other with keen resentment flashing from his eyes.
And poor Miss Grey, mild and peace-loving, but now troubled and despondent, who had thought to restore harmony among her pupils, foresaw, instead, only a continued and more bitter rivalry.
Notwithstanding her admonition, rumors of serious trouble between Aleck and Pen filtered through the school-room during the morning session, and were openly discussed at the noon recess. But both boys kept silent.
It was not until the day"s work had been finally disposed of, and the closing hour had almost arrived, that Miss Grey made her announcement.
With all the composure at her command she called the attention of the school to the plan for a flag fund.
"Our end has been accomplished," she added, "much more quickly and successfully than we had dared to hope, as you will see by this letter which I shall read to you."
When she had finished reading the letter there was a burst of applause. The school had not discovered the currents under the surface.
She continued:
"This, of course, will do away with the necessity of obtaining subscriptions. Honors appear to be nearly even. A prominent citizen of Chestnut Hill has given us the flag--" (Loud applause from the Hilltops;) "and a pupil from Chestnut Valley has the distinction of having procured the gift." (Cheers for Aleck Sands from the Riverbeds.) "Now let rivalry cease, and let us unite in a fitting acceptance of the gift. I have consulted with my a.s.sociates, and we have appointed a committee to wait upon Colonel Butler and to cooperate with him in fixing a day for the presentation of the flag to the school. We will make a half-holiday for the occasion, and will prepare an order of exercises. We a.s.sume that Colonel Butler will make a speech of presentation, and we have selected Penfield Butler as the most appropriate person to respond on behalf of the school. Penfield will prepare himself accordingly."
By making this appointment Miss Grey had hoped to pour oil upon the troubled waters, and to bring about at least a semblance of harmony among the warring elements. But, as the event proved, she had counted without her host. For she had no sooner finished her address than Pen was on his feet. His face was pale and there was a strange look in his eyes, but he did not appear to be unduly excited.
"May I speak, Miss Grey?" he asked.
"Certainly," she replied.
"Then I want to say that I"m very much obliged to you for appointing me, but I decline the appointment. I"m glad the school"s going to have a flag, and I"m glad my grandfather"s going to give it; and I thank you, Miss Grey, for trying to please me; but I don"t propose to be made the tail of Aleck Sands" kite. If he thinks it"s an honor to get the flag the way he got it, let him have the honor of accepting it."
Pen sat down. There was no applause. Even his own followers were too greatly amazed for the moment to applaud him. And, before they got their wits together, Miss Grey had again taken the reins in hand.
"I am sure we all regret," she said, "that Penfield does not see fit to accept this appointment, and we should regret still more the att.i.tude of mind that leads him to decline it. However, in accordance with his suggestion, I will name Alexander Sands as the person who will make the response to Colonel Butler"s presentation speech. That is all to-day. When school is dismissed you will not loiter about the school grounds, but go immediately to your homes."
It was a wise precaution on Miss Grey"s part to direct her pupils to go at once to their homes. There is no telling what disorder might have taken place had they been permitted to remain. The group of Hilltops that surrounded Pen as he marched up the street and explained the situation to them, was loud in its condemnation of the meanness and trickery of Aleck Sands; and the party of Riverbeds that walked down with Aleck was jubilant over the clever way in which he had outwitted his opponent, and had, by obtaining honor for himself, conferred honor also upon them.
Colonel Butler returned, in due season, from New York.
Pen met him at the station on his arrival. There was no delay on this occasion. Indeed, the boy had paced up and down the platform for at least fifteen minutes before the train drew in. During the ride up to Bannerhall, behind the splendid team of blacks with their jingling bells, nothing was said about the gift of the flag. It was not until dinner had been served and partly eaten that the subject was mentioned, and the colonel himself was the first one to mention it.
"By the way, Penfield," he said, "I have ordered, and I expect to receive in a few days, an American flag which I shall present to your public school. I presume you have heard something concerning it?"
"Yes, grandfather. Your letter was read to the school by Miss Grey the day after you went to New York."
"Did she seem pleased over the gift?"
"Yes, very much so, I think. It was awfully nice of you to give it."
"A--was any arrangement made about receiving it?"
"Yes, Miss Grey appointed a committee to see you. There"s to be a half-holiday, and exercises."
"I presume--a--Penfield, that I will be expected to make a brief address?"
"Of course. Miss Grey"s counting on it."
"Now, father," interrupted Aunt Millicent, "I do hope it will be a really brief address. You"re so long-winded. That speech you made when the school-house was dedicated was twice too long. Everybody got tired."