"Why?"
"On account of what happened."
"Did I hurt Aleck much?"
A sudden fear of worse things had entered Pen's mind.
"No, not much. He limped home by himself."
"Then, what is it?"
Pen knew, well enough, what it was; but he could not do otherwise than ask.
"Why, it's because of what you did to the flag. Everybody's talking about it."
"Let 'em talk. I don't care."
But he did care, nevertheless. He went back home in a fever of apprehension and anxiety. Suppose his grandfather should learn the whole truth, as, sooner or later he surely would. What then? Pen decided that it would be better to tell him now.