The
wind took it, and the Stars and Stripes blew out over the lawn just as
they should on Washington's Birthday.
"If we can't go to the parade, we can guard the flag here at home,"
Betty said. "Let's salute it, first."
So Billy and Betty saluted Old Glory, just as they had been taught to
in school. Then Billy brought down his drum and stood on one side of
the flag, and Betty tied her red muffler over her blue coat for a
belt, and put on her white tam-o'-shanter cap, and stood on the other
side of the flag, playing that she was Liberty.
"Listen; what's that!" said Billy and Betty just then.
Oh, there was a crash of bands and the shouts of people as they
cheered. Down the street came the parade in khaki, and blue, and red.
The line of march had been changed and it was going by Billy's and
Betty's house. They all saw the flag, and the band played the Star
Spangled Banner as they passed.
Suppose the flag hadn't been up! The Home Guard knew 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.
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