de a glow of light along the
tables.

Nobody appreciated all this more than Jim. With his hands in his
pockets he stood looking about admiringly, and finally expressed his
opinion thus: "Gee, but it's pretty! Camp Fire Girls beat the Scouts
some ways, if they ain't so patriotic."

Instantly there was an outburst of reproach and denial from Miss Laura's
girls.

"O, come, Jim, that's not fair!"

"We're _just_ as patriotic as the Scouts!"

"Boy Scouts can't hold a candle to Camp Fire Girls _any_ way!"

"We'll put you out if you go back on Camp Fire Girls, Jim."

Jim, flushed and a little bewildered at the storm he had raised,
instinctively sidled towards Laura, while Jo, close behind him,
chuckled, "Started a hornets' nest that time, ol' feller."

Laura, her arm about the boy's shoulders, quickly interposed. "We'll let
Jim explain another time. I know he thinks Camp Fire Girls are the
nicest girls there are, don't you, Jim?"

"Sure!" Jim assented hastily, and peace was restored--for the time.

But the girls did not forget nor allow Jim to. The next night after
supper they swooped down on him.

"Now tell us, Jim," Lena Barton began, "why you think Boy Scoots are
more patriotic than we are."

"'Tisn't Boy _Scoots_--you know it isn't," Jim countered, flushing.

"O, excuse me." Lena bowed politely. "I only had one letter wrong, and,
anyhow, they do scoot, don't they? Well, Boy Scouts then, if you like
that better."

"They love the flag better'n you do--_lots_ better!" Jim declared with
conviction.

"Prove it! Prove it!" cried half a dozen voices.

"Er--er----" Jim choked and stammered, searching desperately for words.
"You've got an awful nice Camp Fire room at Miss Laura's, but you
haven't even a little teeny flag in it, and Scouts _always_ have a flag
in their rooms--don't they, Jo?" he ended in triumph.

"You bet they do!" Jo stoutly supported his friend.

"Ho! That doesn't prove anything. Besides, we'll _have_ a flag when we
go back," Lena asserted promptly.

"Well, anyhow, girls an' women can't fight for the flag, so of course,
they _can't_ be so patriotic," Jim declared.

"Can't, eh? How about the women that go to nurse the wounded men?" said
Mary.

"And the women that send their husbands and sons to fight?" added Elsie.

"And how about----" began another girl, but Laura's hand falling lightly
on her lips, cut short the question, and then Laura dropped down on the
grass pulling Jim down besid