k, was not to blame. Under any circumstances, now that he had
gone so far in the matter, he would not yield an inch nor make a
single concession. On that course he was fully determined.

On the walk, as he approached the school-house door, Pen was standing,
with a group of Hill boys. They were discussing the accident that had
occurred on Drake's Hill the day before. They paid little attention to
Aleck as he passed by them, but, just as he was mounting the steps,
Pen called out to him.

"Oh, Aleck! You wanted to show me your subscription paper last night.
I'll look at it now, and you look at mine, and we'll leave it to the
fellows here who's got the most names and the most money promised. And
I haven't got my grandfather on it yet, either."

Aleck turned and faced him. "Remember what you said to me last night?"
he asked. "Well, I'll say the same thing to you this morning. I'm not
interested in your paper. It's none of my business. You get your
subscriptions and I'll get mine."

And he mounted the steps and entered the school-room.

Miss Grey was already at her desk, and he went straight to her.

"I've brought back my subscription blank, Miss Grey," he said, and he
handed the paper to her.

She looked up in surprise.

"You haven't completed your canvass, have you?" she asked.

"No. If you'll read the paper you'll see it wasn't necessary."

She unfolded the paper and read the letter written on it. Her face
flushed; but whether with astonishment or anxiety it would have been
difficult to say.

"Did Colonel Butler know," she inquired, "when he wrote this, that Pen
also had a subscription paper?"

"Yes. I met him at the station last night, when he was starting for
New York, and I told him all about it."

"Was Pen there?"

"No; he didn't get there till after the train started."

"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,