“You bet they do!” Jo stoutly supported his friend.
“Ho! That doesn’t prove anything. Besides, we’ll have a flag when we go back,” Lena asserted promptly.
“Well, anyhow, girls an’ women can’t fight for the flag, so of course, they can’t be so patriotic,” Jim declared.
“Can’t, eh? How about the women that go to nurse the wounded men?” said Mary.
“And the women that send their husbands and sons to fight?” added Elsie.
“And how about——” began another girl, but Laura’s hand falling lightly on her lips, cut short the question, and then Laura dropped down on the grass pulling Jim down beside her. Holding his hand in both hers, and softly patting it, she said, “Sit down, girls, and we’ll talk this matter over. Jim’s hardly big enough or old enough to face you all at once. But, honestly, don’t you think there is some truth in what he says? As Camp Fire Girls, do we think as much about patriotism as the Scouts do? Elsie, you have a Scout brother, what do you think about it?”
Elsie laughed but flushed a little too as she answered, “I hate to admit it, but I don’t think we do.”
“Time we did then. We can’t have any Boy Scouts getting ahead of us,” Lena declared emphatically.
Jim, gathering courage from Miss Laura’s championship, looked up with a mischievous smile. “Bet you can’t tell about the stars and stripes in the flag,” he said.
“Can you? How many can?” Miss Laura looked about the group. “Elsie, Frances—and Mary—I see you can, and nobody else is sure. How does it happen?” There was a twinkle now in her eyes. “Is there any special reason for you three being better posted than the others?”