The admiral shut his window in a hurry, and the tea-party, with a laugh for the admiral, marched on. He was fond of a fight, but thought it best to decline this invitation. HOW THE WARNING WAS GIVEN[O] By MABEL NELSON THURSTON In this story an old-fashioned “courting-stick” in the hands of a quick-witted girl is the means of saving patriot lives and ammunition. The time was the year of Lexington and Concord, and the place, a little village not many miles away. Already men’s faces were stern and women’s eyes dim with sorrow; only the little children played on and knew no difference. Dolly Pearson scorned the name of child, yet the thought of war brought to her only a sense of exhilaration. She had no father or brother to lose; but neither had Elizabeth who had not smiled these three months. Why? John Thurlow had said no word of enlisting. A shame it was, too--thought Dolly--and he a strong man with naught to bind him! “Betty,” said Dolly, who was helping her sister to tidy the best room, “why does not John enlist? There, ’tis said now--I just had to! I’ve been waiting and waiting because I feared to hurt you by the question!” Elizabeth turned her quiet face to the saucy one, and smiled a little sadly down at the girl. “John will go soon,” she said. “He is but tarrying till the time be ripe.” “Well, right glad am I to know it!” cried Dolly. “I always liked John Thurlow, but had he been a coward----” She stopped, amazed at Elizabeth’s look. “Never name coward and John Thurlow in the same breath again!” she said, vehemently, with wrathful face. Dolly ran over to her sister repentantly. “Betty, I meant nothing. I could not understand his tarrying, that was all. It is because he is going that you have looked so sober lately.” “Yes,” said Elizabeth, burying her face in her blue apron. Dolly stared. She never cried herself, and never had she seen her sister cry, save when their father died. Something of the solemn feeling she had then had now silenced her, and she stood smoothing Elizabeth’s hand until the girl looked up. “There, Dolly, get to work,” she said, “and be glad you are not old enough to understand.” Dolly went pouting to her work--at fourteen she didn’t like being thought young! Presently something diverted her thoughts. It was a hollow rod, eight feet long and an inch in diameter, with a queer mouth and ear-piece at each end--an old-time courting-stick that had belonged to her grandmother. Dolly held it across to Elizabeth, her face dimpling with mischief. “Try it, Betty!” she pleaded. “I want to see if it sounds as well as ever.” Elizabeth held it to her ear, while Dolly’s saucy lips touched the other end. “Betty,” she whispered, “are you not glad that you and John don’t have to use this stick?” Elizabeth dropped it impatiently. “You heard,” Dolly said innocently. “That was what I desired to know. But you might have said something to me!”