“Take it, you pious, passimonious, cheese-parin', hair-splittin', back-bitin', flag-raisin' crew!” he roared. “Rebecca never took the flag; I found it in the road, I say!”
“You never, no such a thing!” exclaimed Mrs. Meserve. “You found it on the doorsteps in my garden!”
“Mebbe twas your garden, but it was so chock full o' weeks I THOUGHT twas the road,” retorted Abner. “I vow I wouldn't a' given the old rag back to one o' YOU, not if you begged me on your bended knees! But Rebecca's a friend o' my folks and can do with her flag's she's a mind to, and the rest o' ye can go to thunder—n' stay there, for all I care!”
So saying, he made a sharp turn, gave the gaunt white horse a lash and disappeared in a cloud of dust, before the astonished Mr. Brown, the only man in the party, had a thought of detaining him.
“I'm sorry I spoke so quick, Rebecca,” said Mrs. Meserve, greatly mortified at the situation. “But don't you believe a word that lyin' critter said! He did steal it off my doorstep, and how did you come to be ridin' and consortin' with him! I believe it would kill your Aunt Miranda if she should hear about it!”
The little school-teacher put a sheltering arm round Rebecca as Mr. Brown picked up the flag and dusted and folded it.
“I'm willing she should hear about it,” Rebecca answered. “I didn't do anything to be ashamed of! I saw the flag in the back of Mr. Simpson's wagon and I just followed it. There weren't any men or any Dorcases to take care of it and so it fell to me! You wouldn't have had me let it out of my sight, would you, and we going to raise it tomorrow morning?”
“Rebecca's perfectly right, Mrs. Meserve!” said Miss Dearborn proudly. “And it's lucky there was somebody quick-witted enough to ride and consort' with Mr. Simpson! I don't know what the village will think, but seems to me the town clerk might write down in his book, THIS DAY THE STATE OF MAINE SAVED THE FLAG!'”