Tom Slade with the Colors

, but he went to the Temple Camp office early in the morning

at her desk, and she greeted

he celebrities," she said, busying

he what?"

'll even look at poor me to-morrow.-I was down in the bank

stamme

s,

, not knowing what to say or

coe was down there, did y

with that same mysterious smile, as she tidied up her desk.

ther. "I thought you-maybe-kind of

did

re, nor engaged in such familiar discourse with her.

hink a feller can tell if a girl kind

ll, then, perhaps you can

moment with his embarrassment, but he was in

irls," said he; "they

I should tell you that I never noticed any such thing.-A gi

a scout that m

ing strong," observed Miss Elli

ean," said Tom. "I

y. "I didn't mean exactly that," she said. "I meant i

strangely happy, yet very uncomfortable. At lengt

inder like Ros

r her typewriter and be

e persisted, g

l you?" she asked

scout oath. Evidently the girl meant to leave early herself, and see something of the day's festivities, for she was very prettily attired. Perhaps this, perhaps the balmy fragrance of that wonderful spring day which Provi

ked. "I got a badge here maybe you'd lik

d, taking the little patriotic emblem which

He stood for a few moments longer and then, as he could think

Miss Ellison said. "You look li

pressed it for me yeste

ks very

denly at the ground floor it gave him exactly the same feelin

t he did not think much of that, for it was early in the day and the sprightly Roscoe might

sk in his sumptuous office and motioned Tom to one of the big leather chairs, the luxu

e, as he opened his mail. "I want to get this matter off my mind before I forg

mmittee was try

the governor's going to be h

idn't," said

carefully, my boy, for I've only a few minutes to talk to you. This thing necessitates some eleventh-hour preparation. The plan is to have

see-the churches and the Home Defense and the Red Cross and the

om felt f

mittee. I had Mr. Ellsworth on the phone this morning and told him he'd have to

scout of all of

st," retorted Mr. Temp

many merit badges

r. Temple, "and Mr. Ellsworth says you're the re

-m

committee. Reverend Doctor Wade will be looking for you, and he'll take you in hand and tell you just what to do. There won't be much. I think the idea is to meet the governor and the general with automob

of,

ly. "Mr. Ellsworth's right, no doubt; if the scouts are to be represented at all they should be represented by a scout. Don't be nervous; just do as the others do, and you'll get

" said Tom. "It had a stain, bu

for

t would be all right

d Cross for life-saving, I'd wear it, and I'd have an electric light next

He was nervous, almost to the point of p

ed Mr. Temple. "Go along n

e. His cup of joy was overflowing. He had been through the ordeal of more than one generous ovation from his comrades in the troop; he h

Sam's famous generals. The Boy Scouts were to be represented because the Boy Scouts had to be reckoned with on these oc

my suit presse

said that if he made up his mind to do a thing he would do it. He remembered the very words. Then he had gone downstairs and received this overwhelming news from Mr. Temple. What if he had planted

him first, for the bank was an awesome place to him; but to-day he was not afraid, and

" he asked, stopping

called t

ted in

ed a voice from

eller, and added: "Asleep

which chilled his elation and troubled him. Irresistibly there rose in his mind a pi

just stopped to regi

ng or other, evident

Mr. Temple's sec

brisk little man, came out

lations,"

ng to-night," said Tom, "but I was kind of flustered and forgot about it. I could get them later, I

retary, in genial acquie

arkened by any growing shadow of apprehension, he put the unpleasant thought away

ffice, Margaret Ell

t it was?" he

new, and isn't

oing to give them to Roscoe and tell him to take-to ask you to go. But he's-he's late-I guess he

to him and say y

id hesitatingly; "t

rha

ng to dictate his mail, and Tom strolled over to the big window which o

state. Over there to the left, next to Barrey's junk shop, was poor Ching Wo's laundry, into which Tom had hurled muddy barr

over the whole business now and of where the

onderful morning, the flags which waved gayly here and there, seemed to

he said to himself. He could not have sa

there to see him on the stage, a conspicuous part of that patriotic demonstration, with t

Margaret Ellison would be sitting there in the third row, looking ever so p

wore it to the o

and fine airs, would see where this good scout

," he said to himself; "it's

ubbed his eyes. Perhaps the bright