raised off
the grandstand by it.

"It's like a dream!" sighed Peggy, "just like a dream."

"Now, don't get fainty, Peggy, or Miss Margaret Prescott," admonished
Jess; "as Jimsy says, 'brace up,' the best is yet to come."

A man came up to where they were sitting. In his hand he had a slip of
pink paper.

Roy reached out for it, but the man said that he had instructions to
hand it only to Peggy.

"It's the check for the prize-winning money," he explained.

Peggy took it and sat gazing at it for a minute.

"Oh, Peggy, what are you going to do with it?" asked Bess. "Buy some
dresses or hats or----"

"None of those things," said Peggy; "I made up my mind before I went
into the race as to what I would do with the money if I won."

"And what's that?" asked Miss Prescott.

"Why, it must go toward The Wren's education," rejoined the girl.

"Oh, Peggy, you darling!" cried Jess, flinging her arms round her chum,
in full view of the grandstand and the crowd below.

As for The Wren, she gazed up at the girl with wide-open brown eyes.

"You are too good to me--too good," she said simply; but there was a
plaintive quiver in her voice.

Mr. James Parker sat on the porch of his home, in the foothills of the
Big Smokies, gazing out over the landscape. Seemingly he was watching
for something.

"He done watch de sky lak he 'spected de bottom drap clean out uv it
pretty soon," said Uncle Jupe, his factotum, to his wife Mandy.

"'Gwan, you fool nigger, don' you know dat dem flying boys an' gals is
to be hayr ter-day?"

"Oh, dat's jes a joke, dat is," rejoined Uncle Jupe; "how's they all
goin' ter fly ah'd lak to know."

"I don' know, but dat's what Marse Parker says."

"Den he's been grocersly imposed upon by somebody. Ain't likely dat ef
de Lawd had meant us ter fly he'd have give us wings, wouldn't he?"

"Go 'long, now, Don' flossyfying roun' hyar. You git out an' hoe dat
cohn. Look libely, now. You git it done fo' dinner or dere'll be
trouble."

Uncle Jupe shuffled out of the kitchen, but in a minute he came rushing
back.

"Wha' de matter?" demanded his wife, noticing his wildly staring eyes
and open mouth; "you gone fool crazy?"

"M-m-m-m-mandy, it's true! It's true!" gasped Uncle Jupe.

"Wha's true,--dat you all's crazy?"

"Yes--no, it's 'bout dem flyin' things. Dey's comin'. Come and look wid
your own eyes."

Mandy shuffled out. There, sure enough, coming toward them, was a flock
of what at first sig