Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-08-26

"Touch that flag If you dare"
Both men looked and were startled to
find themselves confronting the danger
Gus end of a gun barrel, which in the
hands of the plucky little teacher looked
cold and unsympathetic. A hasty glance
was sufficient to assure johnson that he
was in an undesirable locality. His
courage might be equal to forcing an en-
trance into deserted school building in
the night, but it did not stand the test of
a rifle in the hands of the little teacher,
who handled it as though she knew how
to use it, and he skunk toward the gate.
Welsh, however, stood his ground He
had come there to take down the fagI
and level the pole with the ground and
he hated to be thwarted. He looked
into the resolute face of Miss Fenton,
and his eye caught the CLINT of the
cleaning barrel. He fiinched as he met
her steadfast gaze and stood irresolute. '
Leave here at once!' ordered MissI
Fenton.
He heard the command and dared notI
disregard it. He turned, and with an
attempt at a defiant air moved toward
his companion, who was already skulk-
ing down the road.
Miss Fenton watched them until they
had put considerable distance betweenX
tltllotlNcS anu lllt lldS. I1tT lace WAY
pale and her agitation showed how
great had been the strain upon her
Trembling, she turned toward the littld|
school building, dazed by what had &C
Cured during the last few minutes.
The pupils had in the meantime como
into the yard and the girls huddled
around her, while the boy who frs
espied the intruders, true to the boy
nature, proceeded to take to himself th}
glory of their defeat.
The news was not long in reaching
the town, where the theft of the frs
flag still furnished a topic for specula
ton.
johnson and Welsh were seen no NOR
in the neighborhood.
The people in Columbia Corner
found many ways in which to expires
their appreciation of Miss Fenton
worth. Her heroism had captured tn
hearts of the people. She not only hal
gained the confidence of the parents an
the devoted allegiance of the pupils, bu
she also found herself the recipient
various sorts of testimonials from tn
several orders and organizations of TIN
neighborhood, who fell into way
outdoing one another in evidence
! their admiration for her courage.
The story of her undaunted confron
| ing of the ruffians in the defense of I'll
| flag travelled through the newspapers
all the states, often given, 1t must
admitted, with original variations
coloring. But she had become her
inc of the people. The unique oppo
| tunity which had been thrust upon Ind
of doing a really daring thing for Il
national emblem was of the sort th
appealed to the imagination. and mad
for her happy fame, But in spite
desirable invitations to other schoo
Miss Fenton remained at her humb
desk at the Corners for two year
Then the principalship of the Auro
Literary Institute for young ladies WI
pressed upon her in such terms that s.
could no longer refuse to accept q
larger responsibilities.
Mr.. Williams is still member of
school committee of Columbia Corner
and he never drives by the school hou
without stopping to look at the stars a.
stripes which are raised every morni
of the session. If friend is with hi
he always relates the story of Miss Fe
tons school flag movement and her
Tense of it. And now the Young on
get out and cheer old Glory every da
And when there is an anniversary
anything big in the history of the cou
try they have to have a time over
around the fagpole. Columbus Day
coming, and were not going to be o.
done here by any school in the sta
All the folks round in the district
going to come here and help the sch,
celebrate old Columbus. We've got
get new flag for that day, reckon Il
one is getting to look like one of our
battlehags." Then he goes back to NJ
Fenton, who started it all, and at
wildly describing how the mild look
teacher baked the two ruffians, usu
~ winds up by remarking, You
member JOSH Billings says you can't
ways tell how far a toadll jump by 10
ing at him." HAROLD ROBERTS