his comrades needed them as well as he. Why not ask
Daphne to help? Why not ask all the girls to do something? So she
thought the matter over through the long winter nights, planning a
soldiers' sewing and knitting society.

Pleasant gatherings they had in the vestry of the church on Wednesday
afternoons working for the soldiers. Azalia's cheeks were flushed with
rare beauty when she read Paul's letters to them with trembling voice.
There were many moist eyes, for all felt that, if he and his comrades
were undergoing such hardships and dangers for them, that they might
have a home and a united country, they ought to do all they could in
return; and so, while knitting stockings for the soldiers, their hearts
were knit in deeper love and devotion to their country.

But they had something besides Paul's adventures to talk about; for one
Monday morning when Mr. Bond, the town treasurer, opened his office, he
found that it had been entered by robbers, who had stolen all the
money,--several thousand dollars. It was soon discovered that Philip
Funk was missing. The sheriffs and constables set themselves to hunt
him up. They got upon his track, followed him to the Ohio River, and
across into Kentucky; but he was too swift for them, and succeeded in
getting into the Rebel lines with the stolen money. Notwithstanding he
was a robber, his sister Fanny held her head as high as ever. She did
not attend the soldiers' aid society. She hoped that the South would
succeed in establishing its independence, and was glad that Philip had
gone to help the Southern soldiers. "I hope he will come across Paul,"
said Fanny to Daphne Dare one day.

"So do I, and I hope that Paul will shoot him," said Daphne, with
flashing eyes. She had the spirit of her father, and added, "He is a
traitor and a robber, and I hope somebody will shoot him."

Fanny spit at the flag which hung over the street every time she passed
it, to show her hatred of it. Daphne was very indignant, and proposed to
her associates that they should compel Fanny to wave the stars and
stripes; but Azalia said it would be a severer punishment to take no
notice of her. "We might make her wave the flag, but that would not make
her love it, and such forced loyalty would be of no value."

So, acting upon Azalia's advice, all of the girls passed her by, taking
no notice of her on the street, at the Post-office, or in church, not
recognizing her by word or look. Fanny bore it awhile with