Tommy and Sarah, to whom it had fallen to explain the occasion in a little speech of Miss Wilde’s wording, stepped forward, then looked at each other and seemed struck dumb. Sarah found her tongue first and also her own wording for the speech; clasping her hands nervously, she began: “Last fall when we had the orchard party, you said ‘some day Birdland must have a flagpole of its own,’ so we thought we would all do it and Miss Wilde said, ‘yes.’ The big boys cut the pole in Haines’ woods (he let them), and they shaped it out and polished it all themselves, and Jacob helped set it yesterday. We were awfully afraid you wouldn’t go to New York so’s they could do it without being seen. “Miss Wilde fitted the music to the words, and Mrs. Wilde cut out the flag, and the rest of us all sewed on it, the little boys too. The stripes were easy, but some of the stars wiggled in the points, because it’s hard turning sharp corners. “We all bought the eagle, not in a store,—they cost too much,—but of the junk pedler, and it’s been done over. It’s a good strong one, better than they make nowadays, grandma says.” Then, as Sarah realized that she had forgotten all the expressions of thanks for the happiness that had come to them at “the General’s” which Miss Wilde had so carefully worded and drilled them to pronounce correctly, she gave a despairing look at their friend and, seeing something in her face that invited her, cast herself into Gray Lady’s arms. * * * * * After the flag had been lowered, duly examined, and praised, and the crooked stars declared to be quite natural, because, as Goldilocks truthfully remarked, “real stars twinkle and always look crooked, you know,” Gray Lady said: “Now that I know the beautiful surprise you had for me, I will tell you a little secret of my own. It is true, as rumour says, that Miss Wilde is going to leave Foxes Corners school at the term end, but _not_ to go to Bridgeton. “She is going to have a little school all of her own in the big room at Swallow Chimney, with Goldilocks and as many of you for pupils as wish to go to the High School by and by and are ready for the eighth grade. Yes, I have arranged it with the school committee, and it is perfectly satisfactory to them. Oh! children, do not smother me!” Then Tommy Todd suddenly realized that he had not only thought of following Sarah’s example and hugging Gray Lady, but that he had actually done so! THE END INDEX Birds, Travels of, 136-153. Blackbird, Red-winged, 333-340. Bluebird, 313-317. Bobolink, 21, 34, 147, 226-228, 403. Bob-white (Quail), 145, 199-202.