PAG) DAY: 433 
every shrub and to gather a bunch of delicately pencilled 
pansies of lilac, mauve, and royal purple to fasten in the 
belt of her soft gray muslin gown. 
As the pair came out from the shadow of the over- 
hanging vines of the garden walk, a low murmur and 
the distinct words ‘‘here she comes”? made Gray Lady 
pause and look toward the rustic gate of Birdland. As 
she did so, the gate opened, and inside she saw the school 
children drawn up in line on either side of the grass path 
that formed a natural aisle to the middle of the orchard, 
where several of the old trees had crumbled away, leav- 
ing an open space. 
“We must walk right on,’ whispered Goldilocks, 
clutching her mother’s hand and almost pulling her 
along. So, wishing every one good day right and left 
as she went, Gray Lady allowed herself to be led, the 
children closing in and following. 
At first the bright light in the open space blinded 
Gray Lady, and then she saw that a tall flagpole was 
planted in the centre of the open,—a slender pole, 
flawless from bottom to top, polished and smooth as 
glass. On the top was perched a gilded eagle with wings 
wide-spread; in the halyards on the pole a loosely 
folded bundle was caught, and the end of the line was 
in the hands of Jack Todd. 
Gray Lady stood quite still looking from one to the 
other, her breath coming fast. Then Jack jerked the 
line, and out of the bundle, fold on fold, fell a large flag; 
slowly it rose to the top of the pole and floated in the 
breeze, while at the little click of Miss Wilde’s tuning- 
fork twenty-five fresh young voices broke into song. 
25 
