ance, heightening its
riches of color and somehow adding to its natural girlish expression an
audacious sweetness. The triumphant success of her undertaking lent the
dignity of conscious power to her look, a dignity which always sits
well upon a young and somewhat immaturely beautiful face.

Father Beret could not resist her fervid eloquence, and he could not
run away from her or stop up his ears while she went on. So he had to
laugh when she said:

"Oh, if you had seen it all you would have enjoyed it. There was Oncle
Jazon squatting behind the little swivel, and there were Captain Helm
and Lieutenant Beverley holding their burning sticks over the big
cannon ready to shoot--all of them so intent that they didn't see
me--and yonder came the English officer and his army against the three.
When they got close to the gate the officer called out: 'Surrender!'
and then Captain Helm yelled back: 'Damned if I do! Come another step
and I'll blow you all to hell in a second!' I was mightily in hopes
that they'd come on; I wanted to see a cannon ball hit that English
commander right in the face; he looked so arrogant."

Father Beret shook his head and tried to look disapproving and solemn.

Meantime down at the fort Hamilton was demanding the flag. He had seen
Alice take it down, and supposed that it was lowered officially and
would be turned over to him. Now he wanted to handle it as the best
token of his bloodless but important victory.

"I didn't order the flag down until after I had accepted your terms,"
said Helm, "and when my man started to obey, we saw a young lady snatch
it and run away with it."

"Who was the girl?"

"I do not inform on women," said Helm.

Hamilton smiled grimly, with a vexed look in his eyes, then turned to
Captain Farnsworth and ordered him to bring up M. Roussillon, who, when
he appeared, still had his hands tied together.

"Tell me the name of the young woman who carried away the flag from the
fort. You saw her, you know every soul in this town. Who was it, sir?"

It was a hard question for M. Roussillon to answer. Although his
humiliating captivity had somewhat cowed him, still his love for Alice
made it impossible for him to give the information demanded by
Hamilton. He choked and stammered, but finally managed to say:

"I assure you that I don't know--I didn't look--I didn't see--It was
too far off for me to--I was some-what excited--I--"

"Take him away. Keep him securely bound," sa