wanton hands on it is a traitor to it. And whoever
insults or defames it in any way, deserves, and will receive, the open
scorn and lasting contempt of all his countrymen. Ladies and
gentlemen, I have done."

The colonel resumed his seat amid a roar of applause, and when it had
subsided Miss Grey arose to introduce the respondent.

"This beautiful flag," she said, "will now be accepted, on behalf of
the school, in an address by one of our pupils: Master Alexander
Sands."

Aleck arose and made his way to the platform. The Riverbeds applauded
him vigorously, and the guests mildly, as he went. He started out
bravely enough on his speech.

"Colonel Butler, teachers and guests: It gives me pleasure, on behalf
of the Chestnut Hill public school, to accept this beautiful flag--"

He made a sweeping gesture toward the right-hand corner of the
platform, as he had done at rehearsals, only to discover that the flag
had, at the last moment, been shifted to the left-hand corner, and he
had, perforce, to turn and repeat his gesture in that direction. There
was nothing particularly disconcerting about this, but it broke the
continuity of his effort, it interfered with his memory, he halted,
colored, and cudgeled his brains to find what came next. Back, in the
rear of the room, where the Hilltops were gathered, there was an
audible snicker; but Aleck was too busy to hear it, and Miss Grey,
prepared for just such an emergency as this, glanced at a manuscript
she had in her hand, and prompted him:

"So graciously given to us--"

Aleck caught the words and went on:

"--so graciously given to us by our honored townsman and patriotic
citizen, Colonel Richard Butler."

Another pause. Again Miss Grey came to the rescue.

"No words of mine--" she said.

"No words of mine," repeated Aleck.

"Sure, they're no words of yours," said some one in a stage-whisper,
far down in the audience.

Suspicion pointed to Elmer Cuddeback, but he stood there against the
wall, with such an innocent, sober look on his round face, that people
thought they must be mistaken. The words had not failed to reach to
the platform, however, and Miss Grey, more troubled than before, again
had recourse to her manuscript for the benefit of Aleck, who was
floundering more deeply than ever in the bogs of memory.

"--can properly express--"

"--can properly express--"

Another pause. Again the voice back by the wall:

"Express broke down; take local."

T