Middletown transcript., 1908-06-06
STAYING BY THE FLAG
BY ADELINE KANPP

their use. This had been stored
in the one cell in the tribunal.
The famine was doing pitiful
work in the mountains, and every
day now half-starved people were
coming in from the outlying dis.
tricts. The town was full, and
the food supplies were nearly
exhausted. To make matters
worse, sickness had broken out
among the people. For nearly a
week Emily had not gone to bed.
Her days were spent in the
school; her nights were given to
the sick people, who had found
the American teacher ready and
skillful. Moreover, she had
drawn freely, if prudently, upon
her own store of rice, for such
as had the greater need.
But her hoard was running
low. Only two cabans were left
untouched, and no word had come
from Burnham. Emily had no
way of knowing whether he had
ever reached the coast alive. The
situation was becoming desper-
ate, and do what she would,
Emily could not keep her anx-
iety from spelling itself out be-
tween the lines OF the quantity
worded themes she was correct
ing.
Emily heard the outer door
| open, and looked up as Miguel,
her nearest neighbor and good
friend, entered, He was a slim
little man, with kindly, wrinkled
| face.
Manuela Solana's baby was in
| the grip of death-the convul-
sions were terrible-If the sem
orita could come-with the rem.
| edies. And almost before the
| tale was told Emily was ready.
She stayed only to draw in the
flag and secure the window. Then
| with her little medicine-case, she
| started. She had not had a hat
on her head in four months, and
the sun was already too low to
make an umbrella necessary.
She locked the schoolhouse door
and followed Miguel.
The baby lay on the bamboo
floor, writhing in infantile CEN
vulsions. The mother, in an
apathy of despair, squatted near,
watching the tiny sufferer.
Hot water was unattainable,
but Emily gathered the little one
up and began rubbing it swiftly
and skilfully. She forced her
remedies between the set teeth,
and got the baby warm as best
she could, while half a dozen
natives looked on, too dull to
helm.
| At last the little limbs relaxed,
and the danger was over. Emily
gave the baby into the mothers
arms again, and with one of the
school children to act as inter-
prefer, made her promise to come
to the teachers house for Cruel
for the little one. Then, mindful
of her own needs, she started
home.
| Just outside her door Miguel
was in earnest talk with the
dlcalde, or head of the village,
and two or three other F'ilipinos.
They were all much excited, and
at her approach all but Miguel
skunk away, the alcalde making q
gesture toward Emily as he de-
parted.
| What is it 4? she asked.
The old mans face was full of
trouble. Mariano's men are in
the village, he explained.
Emily gave a gasp of dismay.
Mariana, who called himself the
friend of the people, was the
leader of a band of ladrones, or
thieves, styling themselves an
army of revolution. They were
really bandits, who, while pre-
tending to wage war, in the name
of the Philippine people, upon the
government Of possession, act
ually lived by preying upon the
countryside.
They have come for rice, added
Miguel.
| But there is no rice in the vii
lage!
True, Miguel said, gravely.
Save for that which is in the
school. They have learned that
there yet remains there a supply.
| Emily began a disclaimer, then
thought better Of it. Not even
to Miguel was it best tc reveal
the actual state of her supposed
supply. If the people believed
it enough for their needs until
aid should come, thew might help