new all about how old
it was. The Old Veterans knew that great-grandfather had carried it,
and grandfather had hung it on a pole in front of his farm house. They
knew that father had taken it to Boston once to be mended.

The secret was that nobody knew who had put the Wolcotts' flag out for
Washington's Birthday.

SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY

THE VALENTINE BOX

Roger had planned to send a great many valentines to the girls and
boys he knew. There were beautiful valentines in the toy shop window,
red satin hearts in little heart-shaped boxes, painted post card
valentines, and little card-board figures holding baskets of flowers.

Roger had been saving his allowance for four weeks and he was quite
sure that he had enough money to buy a valentine for the little girl
next door, and one for the little girl across the street, and one for
the boy on the next block, and one for the boy who lived upstairs.

So, quite early the day before Saint Valentine's Day, Roger decided to
go out and buy his valentines.

Just as he was about to start, though, he heard a sound from the
playroom. _Peep, peep, peep_. Oh, it was Roger's pet canary who was
calling to him, "Wait a moment, little master! You have forgotten to
feed me."

Roger knew that he must not buy valentines if his pet bird was
hungry. He found that it needed fresh water to drink, and the cage
needed cleaning too. When he had done all this and filled the seed
box, his mother called him.

"I want two yards more of lace like this for the baby's dress, Roger.
Will you please go down to the store and buy it for me?"

"Oh, yes!" Roger said, for he thought that he should be able to go on
down to the toy store and buy his valentines at the same time. But
just as he was going out of the door his mother spoke again. "Come
right home, Roger, just as quickly as you can. I want to finish the
baby's dress so that she can wear it this afternoon when I take her
over to Aunt Lucy's."

Roger got the lace and hurried home with it, but he couldn't get the
valentines then. He had to amuse the baby while his mother sewed on
the lace.

"I can go for the valentines this afternoon," Roger thought. But right
after luncheon mother dressed the baby and started out for Aunt Lucy's
house.

"I may not be back until five o'clock, Roger," his mother said as she
kissed him good-bye. "You won't leave dear grandmother alone a minute,
will you?"

"No, mother," Roger said, but he could have