d soldier's coat; but
he stood erect, and his steps were measured with soldierly precision.
He had stopped for a moment to look, with keener scrutiny, up the
street which led to the station. Aleck stepped up on the platform and
approached him.

"Good evening, Colonel Butler!" he said.

The man turned and faced him.

"Good evening, sir!" he replied. "You have somewhat the advantage of
me, sir."

"My name is Aleck Sands," explained the boy. "My father has the
grist-mill here. Miss Grey, she is our teacher at the graded school,
and she gave me a paper--"

Colonel Butler interrupted him.

"A pupil at the graded school are you, sir? Do you chance to know a
lad there by the name of Penfield Butler; and if you know him can you
give me any information concerning his whereabouts this evening?"

"Yes, sir. I know him. After school he started for Drake's Hill with
some other Hill boys to go a coasting."

"Ah! Pleasure before duty. He was to have met me here prior to the
leaving of the train. I have little patience, sir, with boys who
neglect engagements to promote their own pleasures."

He had such an air of severity as he said it, that Aleck was not sure
whether, after all, he would dare to reapproach him on the subject of
the subscription. But he plucked up courage and started in anew.

"Our teacher, Miss Grey, gave me this paper to get subscriptions on
for the new flag. I'd be awful glad if you'd give something toward
it."

"What's that?" asked the man as he took the paper from Aleck's hand.
"A flag for the school? And has the school no flag?"

"No, sir; not any."

"The directors have been derelict in their duty, sir. They should have
provided a flag on the erection of the building. No public school
should be without an American flag. Let me see."

He unhooked his eye-glasses from the breast of his waistcoat and put
them on, shook out the paper dexterously with his one hand, and began
to read it aloud.

"We, the undersigned, hereby agree to pay the sums set opposite
our respective names, for the purpose of purchasing an American
flag for the Chestnut Hill public school. All subscriptions to be
payable to a collector hereafter to be appointed."

Colonel Butler removed his glasses from his nose and stood for a
moment in contemplation.

"I approve of the project," he said at last. "Our youth should be made
familiar with the sight of the flag. They should be taught to
reverence it. They shoul