Page:Arthur Stringer-The Loom of Destiny.djvu/159

Thicker than Water did n't know so much about it as Freckles did, or as he did himself, for he remembered that Washington had beaten King George, and Perry had met the enemy and made them his. The consciousness of that old-time defeat of his countrymen lay on Georgie as a sort of personal disgrace. Still, he felt there must have been some good reason why England had let Washington win. There must have been something behind Perry's victory on Lake Erie!

"Why," said Freckles, "you two kids seem to think England's the only thing that ever happened! Aunt Mary says that when it is n't raining in London you can't see your hand for fogs."

"Fogs are great fun, truf'ly, Freckles," gravely declared Mary Edith.

"And rain is rather nice—in England," said Georgie.

"And it's awf 'ly cold and blowy here in the winter," claimed Mary Edith.

"And you can't buy brandy-balls here," added Georgie.

"And, Georgie, is n't it terrible! They 147