Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-03
The Daily Story
HIS FLAG-BY cLARIssA MAcKIE.
Copyrighted. 1913. by Associated Literary Bureau

partly opened door He felt something
soft and silky thrust toward him, and
he grasped 1t thankfully, together with
the little hand. whose fingers terminal
ed in long, shell-Iike mills.
He held the struggling hand long
enough TO slip the diamond ring upon
one finger, and then he let it go. and
as the door closed he heard the same
delightful giggle that assured him that
maidens were the same the world over,
whether of the east or west.
If any one of Dick Terry's college
mates had seen him that night they
would have found him employed in
strange task If Monroe had looked
in upon him he would have discovered
that the careless youth of FIVE years
ago had departed and that here sat
stern faced man calling upon his coun-
try TO save his life.
In the dim light of an i'll smelling oil
lamp which he had found by diligent
search and lighted with matches from
his pocket Dick examined the offering
of the Chinese girl and found that she
had indeed exceeded his widest hopes.
There were several lengths OF rich silk
one of blue. one of red and third
of white. Wrapped in the folds were
needles and skeins Of sewing silk.
His penknife was sharp. bat it did
not entirely take the place of a pair
of scissors His fingers were clumsy,
and he had not the least knowledge of
the mystery of needle and thread, but
he learned by experience. And when
morning dawned gray and cold in the
prison cell he blew out the lamp and
looked at the product of his hands with
eyes whose lids were stiff with weari-
ness.
He had made fiag-the flag Of his
country. 1t was a strangely wrought
emblem. The red and white stripes
were curiously zigzag in their mean
behring's and the stitches were beyond
mention. 1t is sufficient to say that
they were strong On the rich blue
field in the upper corner he had sewed
oddly pointed white stars, jagged from
the silk with his knife. 1t mattered
not that this flag of his bore ong the
thirteen stars representing the original
thirteen states of the Union. He made
as many as he could and stopped.
| AS he looked at the product of his,la.
! bors and realized what this flag meant
| to him now when his life was at stake
| he flushed holly in remembrance of his
! witless speech to Monroe years before.
| What was it he had said with that SUI
perior smile Of his youthful. conceited
self?
"0h, of course. I've got plenty OF re-
+! spect for the grand old rag, but one
can't throw n fit every time it breaks
| to the breeze"
AZ guess I'll have story to tell Mon
roe if ! ever get out of this alive" he
muttered as he fell to concealing about
his person all the bits of silk that were
left from the flag. He had no wish to
implicate the girl in this matter.
A manseryant brought his breakfast
and when the meal was concluded the
American was led to the magistrates
| audience chamber. Beneath his coat
WINS wrapped the American flag which
be had made during the. night.
The hearing was a farce. Not one
present understood word of anything
save Chinese. and none of them ap.
peared to recognize the different native
dialects with which Dick was familiar
and all of which he tried upon them
without success. 1t was plainly evil
dent that they wished to railroad him
through to speedy execution, and he
had not the slightest doubt that they
could concoct crime against him as
we'll as prove that he committed it.
The magistrate was a large, sleepy
eyed, indifferent individual, who ap-
peared bored by the whole proceeding.
He waved Dick aside when the young
man tried to speak and listened i'm
novably to the complaints of the half
dozen rascally looking men who had
captured him. When they had con-
cluded the magistrate uttered few
sharp words and waved his hand In
dismissal.
As eager yellow hands were out
stretched TO grasp him Dick opened his
coat. flashed out the silk flag and wrap.
ped the stars and stripes about his
shoulders.
Touch that If you dareT' he yelled,
and so eloquent was his voice and ges.
ture that they understood and shrank
back, looking uneasily at the magis-
trate.
That individual scowled unpleasant
~ and pondered awhile. Then he Ut
tered more sharp commands, and. In
accordance with the Chinese custom of
supplying some sort Of victim for ev-
cry sacrifice, the vociferous complain.
ants were hustled forth to execution
while Dick Terry was reluctantly es
corted to the river bank and permitted
to exchange several pieces OF good Eng
lish gold for a dilapidated little sam
pan. in which he eventually reached
a treaty port, where he took a train
for Shanghai
The silk flag occupies place Of hon
. or in Dick Terry's home. and he neyel
loses an opportunity to point mora
I by relating the story OF how that fal
. was made.
. 1t is needless to say that whatever
occasion finds the stars and stripes dis
, played II is always Dick Terry wht
Z yells. Three cheers for the red. whit,
! and blue Then Tiger