d. "Why, I'm a Dutchie, so is Phares, so's most of the
people round here. Ain't so, Phares?"

"Yes, guess so," the older boy assented, his eyes still upon Phoebe.
"D'ye know," he said, addressing her, "when you were cross a few minutes
ago your eyes were almost black. You shouldn't get so angry still,
Phoebe."

"I don't care," she retorted quickly, "I don't care if my eyes was
purple!"

"But you should care," persisted the boy gravely. "I don't like you so
angry."

"Ach," she flashed an indignant look at him--"Phares Eby, you're by far
too bossy! I like David best; he don't boss me all the time like you
do!"

David laughed but Phares appeared hurt.

Phoebe was quick to note it. "Now I hurt you like that lady hurt me,
ain't, Phares?" she said contritely. "But I didn't mean to hurt you,
Phares, honest."

"But you like me best," said David gaily. "You can't take that back,
remember."

She gave him a scornful look. Then she remembered the flag in the
Hogendobler garden and became happy and eager again as she said, "Oh,
Phares, David, I know the best secret!"

"Can't keep it, I bet!" challenged David.

"Can't I?" she retorted saucily. "Now for that I won't tell you till you
get good and anxious. But then it's not really a secret." The flag of
growing flowers was too glorious a thing to keep; she compromised--"I'll
tell you, because it's not a real secret." And she proceeded to unfold
with earnest gesticulations the story about the flowers of red and white
and blue and the invitation for all who cared to come and see the
colors of Old Glory growing in the garden of Old Aaron and Granny, and
of the added pleasure of hearing Old Aaron tell his thrilling story of
the battle of Gettysburg.

"I won't want to hear about any battle," said Phares. "I think war is
horrible, awful, wicked."

"Mebbe so," said the girl, "but the poor men who fight in wars ain't
always awful, horrible, wicked. You needn't turn your nose up at the old
soldiers. Folks call Old Aaron lazy, I heard 'em a'ready, lots of times,
but I bet some of them wouldn't have fought like he did and left a leg
at Gettysburg and--ach, I think Old Aaron is just vonderful grand!" she
ended in an impulsive burst of eloquence.

"Hooray!" shouted David. "So do I! When he carries the flag out the pike
every Decoration Day he's somebody, all right."

"Ain't now!" agreed Phoebe.

"Been in the stores?" David asked her, feeling that a change of subject
might be w