in evidence, and
Mr. Simpson suddenly regretted his chivalrous escort of Rebecca;
especially when, as he neared the group, an excited lady, wringing her
hands, turned out to be Mrs. Peter Meserve, accompanied by Huldah, the
Browns, Mrs. Milliken, Abijah Flagg, and Miss Dearborn. "Do you know
anything about the new flag, Rebecca?" shrieked Mrs. Meserve, too
agitated, for a moment, to notice the child's companion.

"It's right here in my lap, all safe," responded Rebecca joyously.

"You careless, meddlesome young one, to take it off my steps where I
left it just long enough to go round to the back and hunt up my
door-key! You've given me a fit of sickness with my weak heart, and
what business was it of yours? I believe you think you own the flag!
Hand it over to me this minute!"

Rebecca was climbing down during this torrent of language, but as she
turned she flashed one look of knowledge at the false Simpson, a look
that went through him from head to foot, as if it were carried by
electricity.

He saw that he had not deceived her after all, owing to the angry
chatter of Mrs. Meserve. He had been handcuffed twice in his life, but
no sheriff had ever discomfited him so thoroughly as this child. Fury
mounted to his brain, and as soon as she was safely out from between
the wheels he stood up in the wagon and flung the flag out in the road
in the midst of the excited group.

"Take it, you pious, stingy, scandal-talkin', flag-raisin' crew!" he
roared. "Rebecca never took the flag; I found it in the road, I say!"

"You never, no such a thing!" exclaimed Mrs. Meserve. "You found it on
the doorsteps in my garden!"

"Mebbe 't was your garden, but it was so chock full o' weeds I thought
't was the road," retorted Abner. "I vow I wouldn't 'a' given the old
rag back to one o' you, not if you begged me on your knees! But
Rebecca's a friend o' my folks and can do with her flag's she's a mind
to, and the rest o' ye can do what ye like an' go where ye like, for
all I care!"

So saying, he made a sharp turn, gave the gaunt white horse a lash and
disappeared in a cloud of dust, before the astonished Mr. Brown, the
only man in the party, had a thought of detaining him.

"I'm sorry I spoke so quick, Rebecca," said Mrs. Meserve, greatly
mortified at the situation. "But don't you believe a word that lyin'
critter said! He did steal it off my doorstep, and how did you come to
be ridin' and consortin' with him? I believe it would kill