Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1913-11-07
His Flag
How It Saved His
Life
By cLARIssA MAcKIE

Dick Terry waved his hand careless
" toward the stars and stripes dutter-
ing from a neighboring iugpole.
"Oh. OF course. I've got plenty Of re-
spect for the grand old rug. but one
can't throw fit every time it breaks
to the breezet'
Dash it all. Dick" exclaimed Mon
roe irritably. you're almost Insuffera-
bic since you took that trip abroad. OF
course one doesn't want the engle to
scream all the time. but no American
has got red blood in his veins If be
doesn't feel a thrill Of patriotic love
every time he salutes his country's
dag wait until you've knocked around
the world us much us have and you'll
tind that Gag the sweetest sight you
ever witnessed. It's the thing In your
college set to make light Of these
things-but waitr'
Five years afterward Dick Terry
found himself stranded In a remote
Chinese village. whose inhabitants
were excited over the reports of the
impending revolution. Ignorant and
superstitious and hating all foreigners
Of whatever nationality. they fell upon
the luckless American and clapped
him Into flthy lookup. to await what
ever punishment the local magistrate
should inilict.
It was quite useless for Dick to as
sert that be was a harmless American
citizen. who had attempted to shoot
the rapids Of the upper Yangtze river
in motorboat without guides or com.
panions and had met with disaster In
the attempt 1t was vain for him to
protest that be meant no harm 10 the
villagers and that he did not possess
the evil eye. nor did he wish to steal
their children for the disseeting room
Of Shanghai hospital
They merely listened politely. shook
their round heads md locked him up.
The prison cell was q small stone
room IN the magistrates yamen. and
after Dick had made horriiied exami.
nation Of the dirty walls and floor and
the moldy bnilt in bed be sat down on
the edge Of the latter and admitted III
was worse thnn he had expected
Il don't believe those fellows under
stood word | said" he muttered dis
consolately IF they really knew that
was an American and the son Of a.
banker In Shanghai they would let me
go, For all they know may be a Ger
man
Just then he thought Of his country's
flag What would 1t not mean il he
had carried. as many Americans did
when travelling abroad, small silk
flag to toss in their yellow facesl But
Dick had never felt the real need OF
his country's protection before. and SC
he was unprepared to call upon her.
He looked disconsolateiy at his cloth
ing If he had possessed the necessary
materials OF the right colors he would
have hastily manufactured a flag lIisI
tweed suit was gray. his shirt a white
drill and his necktie a brilliant red
''lf ! only had some Of the ris.i kind
Of blue. believe I'd try 1t" he nut.
tered But. Of course. there wasn't a
scrap. so he stared moodily at the rap
idly disappearing patch of sunlight OF
the dirty door
just as II vanished. leaving the cell
cold and gray. a key grated in the lock
and the door was pushed timidly In
ward
Dick looked mp and saw Chinese
maiden fitting toward him with a
small tray on which were set bowl Of
steaming rice and pot of tea.
He smiled as be got up and took II
from her hands. He bowed courteous
ly and said thank you" several times
until she understood what he meant
and giggled delightedly- She was "A
pretty girl according to Asiatic stand
ards. and Dick was impressed by the
rich quality Of her garments. She
wore handsome coat Of some ricb
blue satin embroidered in dull silver
butterflies.
The satin was the color of the blue
field in the flag of the United States of
America.
Dick Terry had daring thought
With charming smile he pointed to
her robe and lifted his eyebrows ques-
tioninsly He pointed TO himself. and
then drawing of a diamond ring that
he wore he offered it to her in ex
change for her beautiful gown
He had to repeat this pantomime
several times before the girl under
stood his meaning. and, although she
looked longingIy at the jewel. she
shook her shining black hair and edged
timidly toward the door
Then Dick became mutely eloquent.
He gesticulated and smiled and nod
ded and pointed to his red necktie and
extended his hands in appeal for a
piece of cloth Of that color and repeat
ed the performance with plea for
some blue mnterial of the tint of her
robe, with sewing implements.
At last she appeared to understand
and closed the door after her vanish
ing form.
For long dark hours after that Dick
was alone. He was waiting for the
temperance of the Chinese girl
whom he suspected to be a member OF
the magistrates household II she
brought the required materials be
might clumsily stitch a flag together.
and that would save bis life on the
morrow. without the protection Of
the flag whose stars and stripes would
explain so much TO the hostile vii