Weekly Mail

CHAPTER in. **BANK FLAYS A LONE HAND. I yourself, if possible, the state of ^JJtonT*10 steadily bnilt upon one idea Vh and years, not airy castles alone, he deemed to be a substantial I *W}0!jr6—brick by brick—until it etood, a OaiytTv edifice in his imagination, waiting I ^cbL1* Peopled. to 6 yourself that the one being who ^v.^ople that gk>rious edifice—the jewel >0iHa lc" it •was to be the casket—was a °f whose lore he was sure; it was I diF *°r him, and he had but to go back .nd it as his by right. Then, against ^e °^^er: that of the man was his and being denied; bJ. th.64111 shattered, and his house of cards Thu dust. position of Prank Dome. He after three years. A miracle and this man, 6o long supposed ^adyT3^. -was back again among the living, haj Play the Fairy Prince to the girl ^0? *0v?d as a boy. In the romantic v ^hioh might have been expected of came back at night, to stand beneath %1 & Q?°w, like some modern. Romeo, and hj^"1 the tale that had been unuttered ♦ it 60 ^onS» waiting only for her to Jr And now, in a moment, she told him V, not love him, and that it had *°rl<L it? ^ddenly like a man in another Jy solid things of life had slipped •hat v 111 him; the humble little square, 1?> before his mind's eye bo often 8t,range lands, and in which he had that he would meet her, and talk fa/jD the silence of a summer evening, and gone; only a dingy place of squalid houses; the garden in the MtJi ^at had bloomed in his imagination flowers of Paradise, a dusty, grubby a_jj had no right to call itself a garden II -.¡. away aimlessly; it did not ^hat direction he went. The world tor him, and he did not care what °f him. Every street was like there was no Dora in any prospect 6 faced. hir, PllOthar and a better mood came upon lik^r a^' "ght had he to turn ^ayp^this, lijte a whipped dog, and run ?ot kn« €Te.masfc he some mistake; she had be him, or the shock of seeing him *ca!} *io° f?reat- and had unnerved her. ^h™«uid go back; everything would be lilb J&d civ^lrD6d through the deserted streets ^a°8f6<i the little square. Though the 1*1 h€p f.«My come, a pale light still burned 110 stood again beneath it. have seen him, for the light went Inhere hlind was drawn instantly, to "e was a mystery here-eomething not **&ht w^0med in the ordinary way. He *^preee ve expected, at least, that she would Of a &»a8(8116 sarpriae at this sudden return *OT^ had believed to be dead; ^ailf>».- ^Bqaprise she may have felt had been hixn* u~in the desire she had to get rid Ltll^a !augh and a shrug, he *0 1^ had waited too long already 4 littie longer11 fashion; he would wait jM da £ hght^last d people moving Nunu out with Sleepy servant-girls H falsetto voiced withand^ail1; ™il^ien' ^oclaiminti. 11 a break m them, jessed sie-fit +f eS ehrilly; then at last ^ticnlm. iv waiting man!—that one JV bhnd drawn tiP- )h^t +ai^? discreet half-hour, and then to the house and rang the Ijell. He v*^i r 8 ^rith. The staring servant, *lt a stranger to him, requested him to >ij} '0 the hall. As a matter of fact, the too used to importunate callers to th€m further into the house than was jtely necessary. ^^t, after some delay, Mr. Clement "Frith jauntily downstairs, bowed gravely to without noticing his outstretched fOoLa°^ requested that he would walk into the door of which he opened. Frank, and wondering more and more what jJJ^jPP^oed to change everyone so, found ^It}) a^on« in the room with Mr. Clement ijt the door closed. quite early this morning, sir," v hastily. "I only arrived in matter of a few hours ago; I have "°r nothing, until I could come S^tto Dora." The raised eyebrows of Mr. BU?Bested a question. repeated the young man firmly. lh in Frith, yoa could not have been t th« old days—three years ago—you jjjjoh understood that Dora and I loved] you must have known that 11 a«ross the world, to make a fortune! X "l tf".and for myself." most einoerely do I trust—that you h^p^ied," said Mr. Clement Frith. indeed; but that has nothing to do Diatter. I met Dora only a little she would have nothing to do Won't you tell me what it all Frith eigfaed and shook his «y young friend," he said, "you _8ttrely understand by this time that makes up her mind about a tt^t weaker vessels, must perforce U ■"oubtleas, my daughter knows best, years, I believes since you left us, have been reported to be, in a word, hlaane the lady if, in the I she has consoled hereof ?" n<^ helieve it!" exclaimed Frank K?0fe must hear it from her own lips believe it. I know that she would '4 <*L me through everything; nothing her. I want to see her." ahe has—er—formed other attach- v asked Mr. Clement Frith. 1!11au tell 1. > so herself," said Frank ''1 Jftj^^kly- You will be disappointed, but I will Ji persuade her to see you," said Hvqj^Jhent Frith. "Fine weather we are he added, as he went out of the Ielv moments Dora came in with her ^Perhaps Frank had hoped that he ?? the girl alone; in that he was to Mr. Clement Frith was not off. besran the yoimg man in a lo^ stood before him, a slim, quiet, 1^1 figure in black, "I want yoa to *&fcwVatHl only you, what this means. I j/^iiig. °Qght to have prepared you for my t}» OQ^ht to have let you know, at j at the story of my death was not j I ought to have told you t??8 doing in these years. Dear"— of Mr. Clement Frith, he J^*aii» °ttt his hands towards the girl jSrty-—"I was working hard in a j0J^nd—for you; for you I was building >af^ fi*iDe' ^°n't tell me that I have come 111 the grave aad worked for you in v*a ]_ has been a great mistake," she said, voice, without looking at him. "I «laeT?u he dead; I belong to—to some- 0l» ( b my "ear 8^r'" hroke in Mr. *rith airily, "my daughter, after jJ^for a decent time over the 6up- afie °' a lowr to whom her girlish C,8o^had been given, has turned, like <*r SeK 10 S1111, another. Not will- k cifcn^Taps' hut we are all the creatures .the^ttftances. Romance is all very well Vu »' hut when a girl OJlt dear," she broke in quickly, "I 40 Frank—to Mr. Dorne—for a ^ta. 'Will—will you leave us?" ,<3s well," said Mr. Clement Frith, a at >T ° "Having your welfare lery w. Bow^2art' my love, I certainly felt k.Wi ^Trv?r> doubtless you know best." ^,»+, he went out of the room, hum- r a himself. *?0Inent or two there was silence hem. Then Dora asked a question lb? »otWare yo? Bared' Frank?" Jl04ayBi in a small boat, and drifted Vftnali were Picked up by an outward- 1, and taken to Australia." 1^. a y°u were saved, Frank," she that voi^- "I wish with all my j.hy? ^you had come here yesterday." brnu- a,t do yon mean?" he asked. *aj^l«88ly n„j0vn the11, and began to cry soon ♦ helplessly. Perhaps it was l<y» ar his arms about her and words; g°°d to forget, °r two, that she was bound to had no right to have these at &U- taik to n»; yoa mwt euyt good-bye, and never see me any more as long as you live," she said. "I never intended to do it, Frank; I didn't understand what it meant. If any of that old love you had for me remains, will you promise to be my friend and to help me? For, God knows, I never needed a friend so much as I do now." "I don't understand," he replied, in a bewildered tone. "What has happened?" "I—I am married!" she exclaimed, and hid her face in her hands. For a moment he looked at her in astonish- ment; then he suddenly thrust her away, with an exclamation of repugnance. "Ah, I understand now," he said. "You thought I was dead; you were so ready to forget the boy who had loved you. You heard of someone richer than I was; you thought She was down on her knees before him, clinging to him, praying that he would listen to what she had to say. But he broke away from her and made for the door. There he looked back for a, moment, to give her a valedictory speech. "I suppose you're right," he said bitterly, "but it doesn't seem fair. I've been a fool, 1. know; but I thought you'd be certain, in your own heart, that I was not dead, and that I would come back to you. Well—I have; and I wish I hadn't! Good-bye!" When she rose from her kneee and looked about her he was gone; she was alone, to face that strange new life that had opened for her. Meanwhile, Mr. Frank Dorne went away from the house with two tery strong deter- minations in his mind-the first, to forget Dora Frith from that hour; the second, to go abroad again, without a moment's delay more than was necessary. "I won't stay here," he thought. "What's the use of money—what's the use of life itself -when a fellow hasn't anything to live for? I'll go back to the life I know and under- stand, and I'll never look kindly on a woman again as long as I live." Of course, that waa very excellent reason- ing, and quite proper, under the circum- stances; but Frank was young, and hopes are not killed so easily as all tha.t when one is young. He began to have' a remorseful feeling that he ought to ha.ve waited and listened to some further explanation from Dora. However, it was no use now; his busi- ness was to forget. The second part of the voluntary pro- gramme he had arranged for himself was easier of accomplishment; you can quite rapidly get out of England, unless the police ha,ve reasons for wishing to detain you. But even here Frank Dome found it harder than he imagined it would be to tear himself away from everything so hurriedly. He would have another day, at least, in Loudon; a great I How were you saved, Frank?" I many things might happen in twenty-four I hours. He drove down to the big hotel where he had taken a room, and there he got through the day somehow, in what fashion he might. There is always a certain amount of eating and drinking to be done in this world, even if one has made up one's mind that life is not worth living.. In the evening of the day he found himself in the huge smoking-room of the hotel. Not many people were there, and he chose a corner near a window, and sat there with his cigar, pretending to read, and thinking deeply. Raising his eyes, after a time, from a paper he held before him, be found that those eyes were resting on the figure of a man lounging in a chair quite near to,him. A man obviously asleep, to judge by outward appearances, for his eyes were closed, and his hands were folded lightly before him. Coming tgiick from some dream he had had behind tra paper, Frank Dorne awoke to the fact that he knew this man intimately. For a few moments he looked at him with- out speaking. The sleeper was a handsome fellow, and the full length of him, stretched out in the chair, could not have been much less than six feet; his rather finely-modelled features were singularly handsome in repose; the colouring of his hair and slight mous- tache was dark. Frank Dorne, delighted at the prospect of having someone to talk to, leaned forward, and laid a hand on the arm of the sleeper. The man awoke in a moment, and turned as quickly and brightly towards Frank as though he had never been asleep at alL There was no blinking in his eyelids (which, by the way, shadowed very fine dark eyes*, and no stretching and yawning. He smiled in the most enchanting fashion, and held out his hand. "Why, Frank!" he exclaimed, in a curiously soft, slow, languid voice, "have you just dropped from the clouds, or am I dream- ing?" "You were asleep; but this is no dream, Jim," said Frank Dorne, with a laugh. "I've been sitting here ever so long." "And I've only just come in," replied the other. "I was not asleep; I was merely thinking hard about a matter that was troubling me." "I didn't think anything ever troubled you," said Frank. "And what are you doing now?" "What am I ever doing?" asked the other, with a faint smile. "Something or somebody hurled me into the world; Nature urged me to make a living. There being no moralist near at hand to hold up a warning finger, and tell me what to do, and what not to do, .1 have made that living." "Precariously?" suggested Prank. "Precariously—and sinfully," said the other calmly. "It's an ungrateful thing to say, but I sometimes regret, my dear Frank, that you ever had the goodness to fish me out of that remarkably evil-smelling river in India, and give me another lease of life. If you'd only let me alone, what a lot of mischief I might have been prevented from doing!" "Well, I suppose you're in clover now, from your quarters?" suggested Frank. "Oh, this is nothing," replied the other. "One must live somewhere, and this saves trouble." He closed his eyes again, and lay back in his chair for a few minutes without speaking. Presently he opened them, looked full at Frank Dorne, and began speaking again, let- ting his words drop out listlessly, despite the important matter of which he talked. "My dear Dorne, I am on the track of some- thing," be began, "and I'm nonplussed at the outset. Draw your chair nearer; I don't want to be overheard." Frank hitched up his chair, and bent nearer to the other man. "I came to England," he began, "on a quest. It'll sound like a fairy tale; but if kyou know anything of Jim Ooxel* by this-time to the other man. "I came to England," he began, "on a quest. It'll eound like a. fairy tale; but if kyou know anything of Jim Ooxel* by this-time you will know that he doesn't hunt fairy tåles, eh?" "Scarcely, I think," replied Frank. "Go on." "In order that you may understand (and I know I can trust you, because these matters don't concern your regular orderly life), I must tell you the story from the beginning— in fact, before I had anything to do with it. You must know, then, that far back in a time which is purely legendary there existed a certain wonderful diamond. Strangely enough, it has been, for some reasons that I will explain, in the private possession of certain individuals for many, many years past. Quite a long time ago the thing was stolen; I don't know by whom or from whom. I only know that a man died, and another went "rttt with the diamond and the brand of Cain upon him. Whether a curse was put upon the thing, or whether the knowledge of what it was and how it had been obtained carried its own curse with it I don't now; but from that time the long tXfcl* of lives sacrificed to it is unending." "How did you know all this?" asked Frank. "Oh, I'm in the hunt," replied the other, gaily. "I heard of the thing in the most accidental fashion; in fact, I slept in the same tent with it and its temporary owner one night in California. In the morning the temporary owner was dead, and the next man in succession was gone—goodness only knows where." "And you're after %um?" asked Frank, in a whisper. j? Jim Cowle shook his head slowly. "No," he replied; "he's gone under, too. It was a pity, because I almost came up with him once, and I was with the man who's now got it. That man gave me the slip, and I want to find him." "Is he in London?" "He was—last night; to-day he's moved on a stage," replied Mr. Cowle, pulling medita- tively at his thin moustache. "You see, the business is, my dear Frank, that this thing has hitherto been useless to all into whose possession it came. The original owners (who may, for all I know, have stolen it from someone else) have long since given up the search, apparently, and the thing is so enor- mously valuable that each man who gets it owns, for the time being, a veritable white elephant; he can't get rid of it, because the mere fact of trying to negotiate it would bring disaster upon him, and he knows he's a marked man while he's got it. So far as I can find out, no single soul who ever got hold of the thing kept it for long; he left the world with much suddenness. A woman got it once; she had it the longest of all; but even she shared the common fate." "And you really mean that you would— would steal it?" asked Frank. Jim Oowle held up a protesting hand. "Not for the world, my dear boy," he said; "I should merely take possession of it, as all the countless dead before me have done in turn. To my morality, the thing appeals as being the property of no one; it belongs to the man who can get it. The risk is frightful; but I love risks. It isn't so much the value of the stone, although I know perfectly well what to do with it directly I get it; it's the fine excitement of the thing that appeals to me. This man—Josiah Lagden-" "Is that the name of the last owner?" "Yes. He's an old ex-convict; the wariest and the smartest of the lot. If any man- barring myself—can do anything with this wonderful diamond, it is Mr. Josiah Lagden. And ten chances to one he'll hide it in such a fashion that it would be utterly impossible for anyone of ordinary capacity to find it. However, I've tracked him down, and I know where be is, or, rather, where he was." "In London?" asked Frank. "In London. Trust Lagden for that; there's no hiding-place like it. And what does my gentleman do when he gets to London, with three or foar after him, hot-foot and. ready to do murder for the sake of this diamond? Does he go to some obscure coffee-honee, or thieves' kitchen, or common lodging-house, I where half a dozen old fellow gaol-birds would recognise him? Not be; he knows too much. He goes, with his respectable grey hair and kindly face, to a lodging in North Kensington-a certain Diprose-square." Frank started violently, and est his teeth sharply into his cigar. It happened that Mr. Cowle had his eyes closed again, and did not see the movement. Frank began to listen more intently. "He gives no name, this Josiah Lagden; he never stirs out. Finally, he is run to earth; I call there, and can find nothing; someone else calls, and is repulsed in the same way. Then, afraid that he may actually be mur- dered in bed one night for the sake of the thing—he diœ "Dies? I don't understand." He gets a certain spurious doctor to come in and declare that he is dying; to give it loat abroad that he is dying. More than that, he persuades a young and apparently inno- cent girl to marry him-a sort of death-bed marriage. She marries him, and the wonder-j ful Lagden grows better in health at once, and disappears that night. Do you follow me?" Perfectly-up to this point. But I don't understand his motive," said Frank. "Nor do 1. It's a deeper same than I can fathom; I fail to see what part the girl is to bplay. Is it a blind? Ts she mixed up in it? Or is she a tool in the hands of Lagden ? By G-1" he whispered passionately, "I feel that I would like to beat in the door ( f No. 67, Diprose-square. Why, what's the matter, Frank?" "Nothing," said Frank Dorne, rising to his] feet suddenly. "Only this room is so fright- fully hot. Can I open the window?" "Why, of course, old man," replied Cowle. "You look quite white." Frank Dome thrust open the window, and leaned his head out into the night. He was trying desperately hard to think, and to think clearly. He had stood outside No. 67, Diprose-square that morning, and had talked to the girl he had come thousands of miles to see; she had told him that she wa^ married; he had seen her fear and her dis- tress. He saw here some dark conspiracy, with only this frail girl to light against it. He turned round into the room again, and faced Jim Cowle, with a faint smile. "That's better," he said. "Sorry I inter- rupted you; go on." "There's nothing more to tell," said Mr. Cowle slowly. "The girl is mixed up in it- she's the daughter of the house, you kpow-a Miss Frith-and I mean to find out what she's doing. The diamond is the very centra of everything; and a girl like that doesn't marry an old man—a mere lodger—for no reason. I put my money on little Miss Frith. That is to say, on little Miss Frith that was; now Mrs. Lagden." Frank said nothing; he only wondered, in a stunned fashion, what it all meant, and where this horrible diamond was. Perhaps, from that moment, he, too, determined to take up the chase of it, and to join himself as one more link to the long chain of men who had given their lives for it. (To be continued.)

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WELSH NATIONAL LIBRARY. WHAT IT SHOULD CONTAIN ABERYSTWYTH'S CLAIMS. [BY SIR JOHN WILLIAMS, M.D., L.L.D.] Many years have passed since it was first proposed to found a Welsh National Library, for in 1873 a meeting was held in connection with "the National Eistedd- fod at Rhyl (the only, or, at least, the most national of our institutions), to con- sider the question of forming a Welsh National Library and the best way to set about it. At this meeting were Sir Hugh Owen, Mr. Stephen Evans, and others who took a foremost part in the national move- ment in its early stages, a movement which has spread over the whole of the Principality, even to its very borders. At that meeting it was resolved to collect Welsh books to form a national library, and to place it in the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. From that time until now the authorities of the college have acted upon this resolution, and they have secured a large and valu- able collection of W<_lsh books and manu- scripts, which are placed in one of the larger rooms in the college, known as the Welsh Library. Moreover, the friends of and those interested in the college have not been idle, for they also have collected libraries of Welsh books and manuscripts, which, when brought together at Aberystwyth, will make the library of the college stand without a rival as a national collection of Welsh litera- ture. This is not all that has been accomplished. The college authorities have not only been collecting books for thirty years, but they/ have also secured a plot of land (26 acres) upon which they propose to build a library and additional college buildings. More recently it has been suggested that a National Museum for Wales should be formed. The sug- gestion has been acted upon, and the Government approached with the view of obtaining a grant for its formation and up-keep. Meanwhile, some friends inte- rested in the town of Cardiff have taken up the idea, and are desirous that the museum should be located in that town. As soon as the friends of Cardiff took up the idea of a national museum warmly they became possessed by the notion that a national museum meant, not a national museum, but a national museum and a national library, and anyone who humbly holds a different view is regarded as a disturber of the unity," whatever that may mean. Whether those who have taken action with the object of getting the museum placed at Cardiff are aware of what was done at Rhyl in 1873 and of what has been done by the authorities of Aberystwyth College since that date I know not. I prefer to believe that they are not, and I shall continue in that belief until proof of its inaccuracy is fur- nished. Notwithstanding the convenient defini- tion of a museum adopted by those who advocate the placing of the muaeum and library in Cardiff, the fact remains that a museum and a library are two entirely different things—a museum does not mean a museum and a library. The oldest libra- ries in the kingdom were founded before museums were thought of (unless a musty cupboard containing the skull of a saint, or supposed saint, can be called a museum), for they were started in connection with some church, such as Canterbury, Dur- ham, or Glastonbury. Indeed, almost all libraries in the country have been founded independently of museums and museums of libraries. There is, however, one notable exception —the British Museum. Who gave it the name, or for what reason, it is difficult to discover, for at first it was a library with some curiosities. It afterwards became a great museum as well as a. great library. Now, however, it is rapidly losing its character as a museum, while retaining that of a library. The past, indeed, shows that libraries are institutions sepa- rate from and independent of museums. The question may be asked, What do you mean by a national library? The term has two meanings. One meaping of it is a library which is the property of a nation. We speak of the National Gallery because it is the art collection— the property—of the nation, and not because it represents the English School of painting. It is true that it repre- sents the English School, but it also represents the Italian, Dutch, French, and other schools. The other meaning of the term is a library which contains and is representa- tive of the literature of a nation. The library of an Empire is different from the library of a nation within such Empire. The former, besides including the litera- ture* of the component nationalities of the Empire, should aim at possessing also the literature of all civilised nations, while the aim of a small nation forming a part of an Empire must necessarily be more limited. Its first object should be to make its national library the one place wherein students may find all that which is known respecting its country, people, and language, and, therefore, to gatner together, first of all, and above all, a complete collection of its own literature. If it fail in this its library cannot be national, except in the sense of being its property. What, then, should the Welsh National Library contain ? It should contain: — 1. Books and manuscripts in the Welsh language. 2. Books treating of Wales, the Welsh f>eople and language, in whatever anguage and by whomsoever written. 3. Books in the allied languages; books on the allied races—the several branches of the Keltic race—in what- ever language written. 4. Books written by Welshmen upon any subject and in any language. 5. Other books. The five categories are placed in order of their importance to the national character of the library. Those books which form the first are essential. Without them no library can have any pretensions to the title "National." No institution, whatever else it may contain, which has not such books of the sixteenth century as "Yn y lhyvyr hwnn," Kynniver llith a ban," Testament Salesbury," "Beibl Morgan," the three editions of Y Uiver Gweddi," "Dosparth byrr," "Y Drych Cristiano- gawl," and Grammadeg John Dafydd Hhys" can be regarded as the Welsh National Library. The same is true of any library which does not contain a very large proportion of the Welsh books pub- lished during the seventeenth and eigh- teenth centuries, such as Psalmse v Brenhinol Brophwyd gann Gapten Wiliam Middleton," "Crynnodeb o addysg Cristionogawl," Gorsedd y Byd," "Eglur- had Helaethlawn," the several editions of the Beibl." "Llyfr Gweddi," Psalmau Edmund Prys," "Canwyll y Qymru,:i "Pattrwm y Gwir Gristion," Tri Aderyn," Carwr y Cymru, &c., &c. Second in importance are books which treat of Wales, the Welsh people, and language, in whatever language and by whomsoever written. Among these are the rare early editions of Gildas, Geoffrey, Giraldus, &c. Of almost equal importance with those in the second category are books written in the several Keltic languages, and those in other languages upon the Keltic peoples, languages, and countries. Of far less importance, but, still, of some national interest, are the works of Welshmen in other languages than Welsh and upon subjects not connected with Wales. Some such books were published as early as the sixteenth century. They have since appeared in increasing num- bers, and at the present time, on account it is not possible to trace or count them. of their number, and for other reasons, Each of these four categories, in pro- portion to the number of individuals in it, gives a more or less national character to the library in which it is found; the first gives the most marked and distinct, while the second and third add colour to it, and no library can be regarded as truly national unless the three be within it. As far as is known, some of the earlier published Welsh books no longer exist. Of some one copy only is known some exist in a fragmentary state, while of others there are several perfect copies. I have not referred to books published since the year 1800 for the reason that they are, speaking generally, easily pro- cured. As a rule, the earlier the pub- lication the scarcer the book, and the more difficult to obtain. While many of the earlier published are no longer procuraWe, most of the later can be secured by means of a little diligence, watchfulness, and an open purse. The real national library will be that library which contains among its trea- sures the laj-gest number of books and manuscripts which fall under Category I. This class outweighs all the others in importance, while the fourth class has very little weight, and the fifth none, from the point of view of a National Welsh Library. I should not wish the Aberystwyth Library to have the shadow unless it is in possession of the substance, and I feel sure that the advocates of Cardiff do not desire their town to have the name with- out the reality. The National Library must be that one which contains the largest and most representative collection of Welsh litera- ture.

'PC MR. "PICKWICK" DAVIES. AMUSING SKIT ON THE MEMBER FOR CARMARTHEN BOROUGHS. "Punch" last week had the following amusing skit on Mr. Alfred Daviee, the mem- ber for the Carmarthen Boroughs. It appears in Essence of Parliament," and is from the versatile pen of Toby :— Mr. Pickwick Davies (christened Alfred) is going to prison. There is a precedent for the procedure to be found in the life of his illus- trious prototype. Mr. Pickwick went to prison as the result of the famous case of Bardell v. Pickwick. A passive re&ister of MR. PICKWICK IN THE POUND. Mr. Alfr-d D-v-s, as a Passive Register, refuses to pay something in the pound. (Re-produced by permission of the Proprietors of Punch.") what he regarded infamous demand of costs put brward by Dodson and Fogg, he sub- mitted to incarceration rather than pay. You may try, and try, and try again,' said Mr. Pickwick regarding the discomfited attorneys, as the member for Carmarthen was accustomed to look across the floor at the er-Cokmial Secretary, smiling on the Treasury Bench; "but not one farthing of costs or damages do you ever get from me, if I speud the rest of my existence in a. debtor's prison." "Our Mr. Pickwick's approaching retirement does not arise in connection with a breach of promise case, or as the result of counter- machinations on the part of Don Jose. Con- vinced of the iniquity of the rate levied under the recent Act for the support of denomina- tional education, he has refused to pay it. An unsympathetic bench gave him a. fortnight to think the matter over. If at the termination of that date he" is still recalitnant, be will be haled to prison, perhaps have his hair cut. This prospect to be realised in mid-holiday season, whilst other legislators are enjoying themselves in town or country. The member for Carmarthen faces his fate with the serene dignity and the unconquerable courage with which in an earlier age John Hampden resisted the demand for ship-money."

CARDIFF DISPENSARY. TERMS OF NEW APPOINTMENT DISCUSSED. The Rev. J. E. Buckley (vice-chairman of the Cardiff Board of Guardians) presided on Satur- day at the weekly meeting of the boand, The committee reported that, having been asked by the board to consider the steps to be taken to fill the vacancy in the office of dis- penser at Charles-street outdoor dispensary, a letter was laid before them. which had been received from the Cardiff and District Phar- maceutical Association, suggesting that the board should not appoint another dispenser, but should arrange to have medicines dis- pensed in each district by one or more JocaJ chemists.—The committee, having considered the matter, did not see their way to recom- mend suoh a change in the board's arrange- menta. They recommended that the Looal Government Board be asked to sanction the appointment of a dispenser being made for one year only at a. time; that the salary com- mence at £80 a year, with rooms and gae, but that it be intimated that if the duties were sa,tiefactorily performed and the appointment was renewed at the end of the year the salary would be increased by E5 and so on each year until the maximum of £100 was reached.—It was further resolved that the hour of ckeiag on Saturdays be one p.m., instead of two p.m. Mr. C. F. Sanders asked if a salary of zM a year was sufficient. He moved that the salary be £ 100 instead of JE80. Mr. Robert Sutherland (chairman of the committee) said L80 per annum WM the salary offered when Mr. Taylor was engaged, and it must be remembered that besides the salary there were rooms and gas, which the com- mittee valued at zM. The Chairman: It was thought then that JE80 would be, sufficient? Mr. Sutherland: Yes. Mr. David Brown considered that it would be far preferable to appoint a respectable married woman to fill the post. t Mr. F. J. Beavan: I should prefer the pro- position to take the form of sending the suggestion back to the committee, and I move an amendment that it be so referred back. Mr. Evan Jones, in supporting the amend- ment, pointed out that the duties now were heavier than when Mr. Taylor was appointed. It was agreed that the point raised be sent back for further consideration. Mrs. Norman believed that the proposal to change the dispensary hours on Saturday would inflict a hardship upon the poor. Rather than close an hour earlier it would be better to keep open an hour later. Mr. Sutherland: On Saturday afternoon nobody turns up. We have acted upon past experience. Mr. J. J. Ames said they were of opinion that the dispenser should have one haJf-day every week. Mrs. Norman did not press her suggestion under the circumstances, and, on the motion of the Chairman, the report was adopted as amended.

MISSING MONEY. ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMENT BY SUB- POSTMASTER. The Monmouthshire magistrates, sitting at Newport on Saturday, had before them a couple of ssrious charges against Mr. Fredk. Jonea (32), residing at Pontymiater. who was until recently sub-poetmaster at Risca. He appeared on remand charged with embezzling two sums of £ 10 each, one on February 13, 1903, and the other on June 5, 1903, the moneys of the Postmaster-General. Mr. Lyndon Moore appeared to prosecute for the Postmaster- General, and Mr. Frank Lewis wa.s for the defence—Mr. Moore said the bench would not be called upon to go into the case that day, as counsel had been retained for the defence, and he would ask that the case might be adjourned so that the barrister might be in attendance. In addition to the two charges of embezzlement, there would also be a charge preferred against the defendant of falsification of accounts as postmaster. Be would on this occasion only give evidence of arrest, and then ask for an adjournment.—Mt. Charles William Whitehurst, one of the chief clerks in the Inquiry Department of the General Post Office, stated that the defendant was sub-postmaster at Risca until January 2 last. As a result of an investigation of the accounts witness charged him with embezzling the two sums of £ 10, and asked him to accom- pany him to the polioe-statioti. where he was handed over to the custody of Polioe-sergeant Smith.—M<r. Moore suggested an adjournment till Friday. April 15, at noon, when he would have witnesses present from London.—The case was adjourned till the date mentioned, and Mr. Jones was admitted to the same bail as before, viz., himself in JE50 and two sureties ) of J525.

MUSICAL CONDUCTOR HONOURED. Mr. John Thomas ("loan Alaw"), the veteran conductor of Welsh cymanfaoedd, was presented on Saturday evening by the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Churches of Llansauilet District with an illuminated address, purse of gold, a large^siae portrait of himself, and a hymnal, the lasUmentioned being a gift of Mr. Jordan, Parcyderi, Llan- qfl.mw. Speeches were made by Alderman Jordan, Mr. A. H. Thomas, J.P., Mr. Bees lAewelyn (architect), Mr. £ Thomas (pohcpl- master), Jfatfagyoro, other*, a

THE REVENUE OF THE YEAR. DEFICIT OF TWO AND THREE- QUARTER MILLIONS. The Treasury on Thursday night issued the account of the revenue of the United King- dom for the financial year which closed that day. The late Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Ritchie) last April estimated the revenue for the year at £ 144,270,000, and Thursday night's return shows that the total paid into the Exchequer during the twelve months was £ 141,545,579, thus falling short of the Chan- cellor's forecast by £ 2,724,421. In the pre- vious financial yea.r the deficit amounted to £ 633,502. The following are the individual amounts contributed during the past year by the twelve heads of revenue, together with the increases or decreases, compared with the preceding year:- Increase. Decrease. £ £ Customs. £33.850,000 — 583,000 Excise, £31,5:1:>.000 — 550,000 Estate, Ac., duties, £13,000,000 — 850,000 Stamps, £ 7,500.000 — 700,000 Land-tax, £725,000 — — House duty, £ 1,925,000 100,000 Property and Income-tax, £ 30,800,000 — 8,000,000 Poafc Office, LIL,450,000 700,000 — Telegraph service, £3,700,fXYj 70,000 — Crown lands, £ 460,000 5,000 — Receipts from Suez Canal Shares and sundry loans, £ 962.475 24,476 — Miscellaneous, £ 1.60^,104 — 222,595 Totals S93.476 10,905,595 Total net decrease, £ 10,006,119. The quarterly comparisons with the previous year show net decreases in each of the four quarters of the financial year, as follows: First quarter, £611,446; second quarter, £ 495.070; third quarter, £ 2,592,8%: last quar-! ter, £ 6,306,711. The reduction in the income-tax made in the last Budget from Is. 3d. to lid. in the JE, of course, accounts for the fcig difference in the yield from this impost between this and the previous year's return; but it is interest- ing- to note that, while Mr. Ritchie anticipated a loss of eight and a half millions, the actual diminution is only eight millions. The remis- sion of the corn and flour dutiss, which took effect on the 1st of July last, partly explains the decrease in the Customs receipts for the year, which, however, fell short of the Chan- cellor's estimate ( £ 34,640,000) by £ 790,000. The Excise returns are even more unsatisfactory, for, while Mr. Ritchie calculated on an expan- sion of £ 600,000, the difference between the actual sum received and the estimate ( £ 32,700,000) is £ 1,150,000 on the wrong side. The estimate for the estate, Ac., duties was £ 13,300,000. and here, again, there is a deficiency of L&T,Ca). Stamps failed to yield the estimate of £ 8,400,000 by exactly £ 900,000. The land-tax is less than the estimate by £ 25,000, but the house duty is £ 75.000 better than the estimate. The Post Office revenue is £ 150,000 in advance of the estimate, but, on the other hand, the telegraph revenue is £ 100,000 out. Crown lands are £15,000 better than the estimate. The Suez Canal share reoeipts are £47,000 above the estimate, but the miscellaneous receipts are £ 47,000 below the estimate. During the past year the sum of £ 9,666,920 raised by Parliamentary taxation was paid to the Local Taxation Account, made up as follows:—From Customs, £ 203,105; Excise, £ 5,396,387; Estate. Ac., Duties, £ 4,067,428. This money, however, being earmarked for local taxation purposes, is not included by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his estimate, and is independent of the payments into the Exchequer as particularised above. The estimated expenditure for the financial year now closed, including the Supplementary Estimates, was £ 144,186,000. The official state- ment now issued deals only with receipts, and there is accordingly no authoritative information as yet as to the actual total expenditure during the year.

GLOOMY PREDICTION BY LORD WELBY. Lord Welby, who was formerly Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, sends a gloomy forecast of the Budget to the Westminster Gazette." He says, summing up the finan- cial year which ended on Thursday last, that he thinks the following figures will prove fairly correct: — £ Revenue for the year 1903-4 141,546,000 Expendituro 146,961,000 Deficit for the year 1503-4 5,415,000 This deficit appears to have been met- (1) By a temporary loan which will be paid off In the new financial year 2,000,000 (2) By a draft on the cash balance in the Exchequer 2,315.000 (3) By a sum rather more than a million t&fcen from the sum of £3,000,000 repaid by the Transvaal Government. It seems not unlikely," adds Lord Welby, that this re-payment of RZ,000,000 will. in spite of Mr. Chamberlain's promises and bar- gains, be the only contribution which we sha-11 receive from the Transvaal, and it should at least be applied in reduction of the war debt. If so, the new year will not only have to meet the deficit which must appear on the Budget of 1904-5, but it will have to make good £ 3,000,000 of last year's deficit, even if no part of the draft on the Exchequer balance is re-placed, and many persons will think that that balance is unduly reduced. This, however, is not all. A lax House of Commons, negligent of its trust, has per- mitted an extravagant Government to pro- vide by loan a considerable part of the current expenditure of the State under the head of naval and military works, public buildings, Ac. This expenditure amounted last year to over £ 7,000,000. The true deficit of 1903-4 was, therefore, between £ 12,000,000 and £ 13,000,000." 1

RETURN OF THE DISCOVERY INTERESTING RESULTS: A MYTHICAL LAND. The following details ha.ve been obtained concerning the experiences of the Discovery Antarctic Expedition. Last winter was spent under much easier circumstances than the previous one. The principal sledging expedi- tion undertaken was made to the west, where the explorers discovered that the barrier was a floating one. and that a vast continent existed over the ice-cap of Victoria Land. The work of extricating the Discovery from the ioe proved a gigantic task. and at one time was almoat abandoned, but the ice was partly broken up by heavy weather, and with the assistance of explosives the eighteen miles between the ice and the sea were over- come. Besides geographical discoveries of immense value, other scientific results of importance were also obtained. Wilkes Land was found to be non-existent, the Discovery sailing over the region where it has been charted. Since Ross's time the ice is alleged to have broken back thirty miles from the barrier, which, it has been definitely ascertained, is moving northward at the rate of a quarter of a mile a year. It is also stated that one primitive form of insect life was secured and much information obtained as to the higher forms of a-nimial life. The latter consisted mostly of birds. The only species of vegetable life secured were mosees and lichens. The trend of biological evidence shows that Antarctic fauna and flora are composed of elements similar to those which once existed throughout the Antarctic regions, and that an immense continent once connected the Antarctic land and Australasia. It is not known when the expedition will return to England. or whether further exploration work will be conducted on the way.-Press Association Foreign Special.

CHRONIC ALCOHOLISM AND DEATH. In St. Pancras Coroner's-oourt Mr. W. Schroeder, Deputy coroner, made in- quiry into the circumstances of the death of Annie Helmsley, aged 34, a single woman, liv- ing in Stanhope-street, Regent's Par1., N.W. It appeared that Helmsley was formerly assis- ta-nt manageress of an hotel in Southsea, bur for the past year had been living alone at the foregoing address. She had means of her own, and left a banking account with about JB70. On a friend calling to see her on Tues- day afternoon last, she was found lying dead in bed, with her head enveloped in a shawl. —Dr. Griffiths gave evidence that death was due to syncope, caused by pneumonia, and aeoelerated by chronic alcoholism.Witneas had advised her to go into a home for inebriates, but she declined. — A verdict in accor- dance with the medical testimony was returned.

A ROMANCE RE-CALLED. A link with the romantic weddings of Gretna Green has been scvered by the death of Mrs. Margaret Parker, ot,Clifton Hall, near Pen- rith, in her eighty-ninth year. It is 61 years since she went off with her husband to Gretna Green, though he had been there before. Mr. Parker, the story goes, was coachman for Colonel Youngson, a gentleman whose daughter Elise married the twelfth Earl of Kellie. Another daughter was to have gone to India to be married. This she resented, and. preferring the affections of the coach- man. she eloped and married him at Gretna Green. The colonel gave chase, but arrived too late to prevent the marriage. He forcibly took the bride from her husband, but he had to release her, and when he disowned his daughter she set up a successful school at Penrith. After her death Parker married again, at Gretna. Green, thp lady whoee decew -to now r^poTt^L

COMPENSATION PROBLEM. THE DEMANDS OF THE LICENSED VICTUALLERS. At a special meeting of the Parliamentary Committee of the Licensed Victuallers' National Defence League, the president (Alderman E. Morrall. ma.yor of Bridgnorth) occupying the chair, the correspondence with the Prime Minister in regard to the Govern- ment Bill and his replies thereto were read, and resolutions were unanimously passed recording appreciation of the Premier's infcts> tion to introduce the Licensing Bill imme- diately after the Eastsr vacation, a.nd troaU ing that the Ministerial measure would pro- vide on a permanent basis security of teoavs for the licence-holder, would ensure the pro- tection of licensed property from confiscation for which there is no moral or statutory jus- tification, and would disqualify justices of tfcA peace whose bias against the licensed *<>>» was notorious from acting as licensing jus- tices. The committee were strongly of opinion that M.P.'s who are known to be in favour of compensation being paid where a licence is refused renewal or transfer simply on the ground of non-requirement should be appealed to at once to support any reason- able and just attempt to legislatively end the serious wrong from the results of which all sections of the 'icensed trade are suffering. It was decided to allow the question of hold- ing a mass meeting in London to remain In abeyance until after the publication of ths details of the Ministerial measure.

FRIENDLY SOCIETY'S FUNDS. OFFICIAL VALUATION SHOWS A LARGE DEFICIENCY. The results of the quinquennial valuation of tHe assets and liabilities of Friendly Societies have been published in a Blue Book. They will give serious cause for anxiety to the millions of persons interested in the wel- fare of these great institutions. For the figures issued by the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies show that a very large number of societies are, from a strict actua- rial point of view, insolvent, in that their liabilities exceed their aesets. The following table summarises the posi- tion Societies. Members. £ 1,071 6,424,165 1.500,862 surplus. 2,688 1,539,087 5,739,941 deficiency. The valuations a.re dated from 1981 to 1903, but most of them are not older than 1898. It will be seen that the large societies are in the safer financial position. FuU details are given in the Blae Book of the state of each society's affairs.

EMPIRE COTTON-GROWING. The British Cotton-growing Association is for- warding its work with great vigour. A further batch of experts left Liverpool on Saturday by the West African steamer Nigeria, among them being Mr. F. S. James, Divisional Com- missioner in Southern Nigeria, who is return- ing to assist in tbe work of the association on the Sobo Plains. Mr. H. T. Greenstead, a Kent farmer, and Mr. E. Murray, a Cheshirs farmer, have gone out to take charge of the draught animal. A large quantity of agricul- tural implements, donkeys, and stores are being taken out. At Las Palmas the steamer will pick up Mr. Best? who went out recently to oollect draught oxen and mules.

PICTURE PUZZLE SOLUTIONS. £4,000 TO BE WON BY COM. PETITORS. SUGGESTED BY AN OXFOUD M-A. REGIMENT. 1 Tokar; Z, Nile; 3, Elandslaagte; 4, Arootf 5, Sliiioh; 6, Nag pore. T.A.T. Ninth æt.-1, Round; 2, Corner; 3, Jew; 4, Hall; 5, Lot; 6, Old. Tenth Picture.—1. Slim: 2, Kent; 3, Blan«; 4, Grin; 5, Broad; 6, Wear. SUNDAY CIRCLE. 29. Greaves; 30, Butler; 31, Laidlaw; 3% Begg. YES OR NO. 1. Yes; 2. No; 3, No; 4, No; 6, No; 6, Nea 7, No; 8, No; 9, No; 10, No. II. No; 12, No; 13. No; 14, Yes; 15, No; 16, No; 17, Yes; 18, No; 19, No; 20, No. COMIC HOME JOURNAL 70. Butcher; 71, Boulder; 72. Huntar; V& Roadman; 74, Bulrush; 75, Farmer. COMIC LIFE First List.—1, Leg of chair missing; 2, Btnd) on right arm; 3. Right hand on left arm; 4, No trigger: 5, Hoofs should be clowea; Stroke on bow sidse. HOME NOTES. 49, Heroic; 50, Salad-; 51, Chestnut; 52, Vol- cano 63. Pendulum; 54. Ideal; 55, Melao- cholily; 56, Upright; 57, Flaxen; 58, Wheediej 59, Launch; 60, Seaside. SCRAPS Fifth List.—1, News; 2. Needs; 3, Weeds; C Wee; 5, Ween; 6, Dene; 7, Dense; 8, Send. WEEKLY TELEGRAPH P.-1, Sterile; 2. Gullet; 3, Elaborate; 4, Elbow; 5, Icicle; 6, Bull's-eye. SHORT STORIES 13. Chas. Whit-combe; 14. A. P. Speakmauy 15. R. E. Pattinson: 16. Jno. Yivyan; 17, H. Craven Gilbert; 18, S. Morganti. 19, H. E. Keen; 20, Norman Forbes; 21, J. P. Greencroft; 22, Joseph Schneider; 23,"T. W. IlCtS or F. Wills. BOYS' REALM. 49, No rails; 53, All places except Londo* wrongly marked; 51, Horse eating meat: 52, Horse pulling motor-car; 53, Wrong date on coin; 54, Wrong reflections in water. MARVEL 1, Goldfinch: 2. Sti^t: 3, Turnstone; 4, Emu: 5, Sea-crow; 6, Sunbird; 7, Skna; 8, Swan; Pintail. WOMAN'S LIFE. Race of Feople: Japanese; Domestic Pets: Dog, Mice, Pigeons, Cat., Rats; Vegetables: Pea, Bean, Potato, Radish, Cress. WOMAN'S WORLD. 65, Guy; 66, Kay; 67. Flowers; 66, Lionel; 69, GunD; 7Q, Achurch; 71, Aubrey; 11, Griffiths. COMIC CUTS 141. Perkins; 142, Foot; 143, Bigden; 144- Wa.ll; 145, Woodford; 146. Beaker; 147. Reader; 148, Rigg; 149, Summerecatee; IStL Spicer. PEARSON'S WEEKLY 58. Gunter's. 109, Stitch; 110. Regally or Gallery; 1U. Operation; 112. Bucolic; 113, Therein; 114, Aggregate; 115, Pneumonia; 116, Friendly: 117, Zenith; 118, Chancellor; 1(9, History; 120. Vanishing. I, No; 2, No; 3, No: 4, Yes; 5, No; i» Yes; 7,Yes; 8, No; 9, Yes; 10, No; 11, YflSj 12, Yes. CASSELL'S SATURDAY Fourth set—10, For good reason his atreo- tion for his wife had cooled; 11, I swore I'd help him if soever he should have need of me; 12, They go, out on to the platfoca together and separated. TIT-BITS. Missing Title: Tit-Bite. Torn Message: Come at once and make arrangements. Composite Portrait: Chamberlain, Kitchener, Roberts, Kubelik. Hidden Name: Ted. What he bought: Hat, coat, collar, tie, stick, hand kerchief, spats, buttonhole, gloves. SPARE MOMENTS 11. Chicken; 12, Evident; 13, Mart, Tram; 14, Struggle: 15, Winsome; 16, Worker; d. Picture; 18, Blossom; 19, Content; fls. Success. 21. Promise; 22, Institute; 23. Activity; 24. Property; 25, Pleasant; 26, Meat; 27, Domino; 28, Education; 29, Gleaner; Whimsical. WEEKLY BUDGET. Seventh List.-49. The receiver is as bad Sfl the thief; ro. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: 51. You cannot ma.ke a silk purse out of a sow's ear; 52, Thinking is very far from knowing; 53, A Small spark makes a great fire; 54. Youth is the season for im- provement; 56, Labour brings pleasure, idle- ness pain. BOYS' LEADER Colonial Competition.—1, Snn; 2, Birds: 3- Trees; 4, In~• 5, Eggs; 6, Boys; 7, Wrecked; 8, Before; 9, Brooding; 10, Bridge; 11, Lin<W.; 12, Saw. 25. Blackboard stand is unsupported be- hind; 26, Singing to the air; 27, No spokes to wheels; 28, No oork in bottle; 29, No handls to ba.gl; 30, Revolver in wrong hand. New competition.—1, Cashier; 2, Matador? 3, Battle-axe; 4, Penitent; 5. Bowline. NUGGETS Sixth list.-41, First King's Dragoon Guards; 42. Second Dragoons, Soots Greys, Second to None; 43, Leicestershire Regiment, Lilly- white's Bengal Tigers; 44, King's Own Lane*- shire (prob. intended for 'Lancaster') Regi- ment, the Lions: 45, Honorable Artillery Com- pany of London; 46, Prince of Wales's Twelfth Lancers; 47, Fourth Hampshire Vol. talion; 48, Royal Army Medical Corpe.

Gwilym Evans' Quinine Bittern Is the Boot BMnedy for Depression of Spirita and. Melancholy. Betas • vegetable "picfc-m«-op," it is strongly ncomuMadBd for Nervoai Diseases of an tbtda aad eocta. Bold. where in botUea 2a. 90. sad 4a. Si. each. Anil IrtW"