“Good, Anne!� said Black Mayo. “Sweet William is a dove of war, and so are all you dear children and all you good and lovely people here and everywhere. Doves of war, harbingers of real peace that can only come from winning this war and securing freedom and human rights.�
“Come, come, Mr. Osborne!� called Mr. Martin, who was in charge of the County Corn Clubs: “Mr. Jones and I are waiting for you. We judges must get to work. And we’ve got no easy job,� he said, looking around at the exhibits.
The garden produce was arranged in two groups. No one except the contestants knew which was the girls’ and which was the boys’. The judges went from one to the other—looking, admiring, considering, reconsidering. At last they announced their decision: Both exhibits were highly creditable, but this was the better.
There was a shout of joy from the girls. They had won, they had won! After a little pause, the boys—for they were generous rivals—joined in the applause and congratulations.
Anne Lewis, who had suggested the war gardening, was deputed by the girls to receive the silver cup presented by Black Mayo Osborne, and the blue ribbon; and David received the red ribbon for the boys.
Dick Osborne looked so forlorn that David said: “Cheer up, old boy! If you hadn’t been busy about something else when we started the garden, you’d have been in it with us.�
“I’m not much forwarder about that than I was in April,� Dick confessed. “I’m going to keep on trying, though. But if there’s a war garden next year I’ll be in it.�
“There isn’t any ‘if’ about it,� declared David. “We are going to keep on gardening, to help win the war. And we’ll get that cup back from the girls next year; see if we don’t.�
“We’ll see—you don’t,� said Patsy.
Just then there was a little stir at the door. Mr. Mallett, who had been to Redville on business, came in and said something in an excited undertone to Black Mayo Osborne. Mr. Osborne asked a quick question or two, and then jumped on a table and caught the big flag draped over the mantelpiece and waved it above his head.