as my Danna," declared Rebby loyally.
"After all, what harm did you do?"

But Anna was not so easily comforted. "I tried to make fun of Melly for
not knowing anything. I tried to show off," she said, "and now probably
she will never want to see me again; and oh, Rebby! the worst of it all
is that Melvina is just as brave as she can be, and I like her!" And
Anna's brown eyes brightened at the remembrance of Melvina's enjoyment
of their sport together.

"Don't you worry, Danna; Father will make it all right," Rebecca assured
her; for Rebecca thought that her father could smooth out all the
difficult places.

Anna did not speak of the excursion to the forest; she did not even
think of it until that evening, when her father came home with a roll of
fine birch-bark, soft and smooth as paper, on whose smooth surface she
and Rebecca with bits of charcoal could trace crude pictures of trees
and Indians, of birds and mice, and sometimes write letters to Lucia
Horton or Luretta Foster.

"You must take good care of your feet, Dan, for I must start after the
liberty tree in a few days," said Mr. Weston, "and I want your company."

Anna's face brightened, but Rebecca looked troubled.

"Why must we have a liberty pole, Father?" she asked fretfully.

"We have good reasons, daughter. And to-day tidings have come that the
brave men of Lexington and Concord, in Massachusetts, drove the British
back to Boston on the nineteenth of April. 'Tis great news for all the
colonies. I wish some British craft would give Machias men a chance to
show their mettle," said Mr. Weston, his face flushing at the thought of
the patriotic action of the men of Massachusetts.

Rebecca sighed. She, too, wished that her home town might do its part
to win a victory for America; but, remembering what Lucia Horton had
told her, the very mention of a liberty pole made her tremble.

When Anna hobbled up-stairs that night she was in a much happier frame
of mind.

"My father is the best father in all the world, and my mother is the
best mother, and my sister is the best sister," she announced to the
little group as she said good-night. But the shadow of Mrs. Lyon's
disapproval was not forgotten; Anna wondered to herself if there was not
some way by which she could win the approval of Mr. and Mrs. Lyon, and
so be allowed to become Melvina's friend.

"Mrs. Lyon doesn't like me because my hair is short, for one reason,"
thought Anna. "I'll let it grow; but '