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tu) [ALL RIGHTS RB8E&VM.]…
tu) [ALL RIGHTS RB8E&VM. ] yy/ ? THE MAN HUNT ? ([)) By TOM GALLON, ? ? Author of "Tatterley," "The Great Gay Road," &c. CHAPTER VI (Conthr..pd,. ABUXCHUFKEYS. Hut hia troubles were not over yet, by any means. It became evident presently that the -car had broken down so badly that the jour- ney must b? taken in a prosaic way by train. Indeed., just before the train was signalled, Slade and Litchfield hurried into the little booking'-haU and took their tickets; luckily they did uct notice the shabby man who stood, with a heart beatir.g uncomfortably, in the corner of the place, reading an adver- ttsement. Luckily also they travelled ilrat- d:ls&, after giving- directions to a porter to send up to the house and have the Clr looked after; Manners, at the last moment, dived out of the booking-ball into a third-clasa out of the bookin,I)all into a till, d-c,a s g He dodged his fellow-travellers success- fully when he reached the London terminus, and drifted out into the streets. He won- dered if it would be well for him to go to Wedgwood Square, but decided that even then by no possible chance could he go to the house and ask for Hetty his sole hone of meeting her must be by the merest accident. So for the rest of the morning he wandered about the streets, and found himself at last, almost without knowing it, near to a great, bustling railway station he looked about for a cheap place in which to have a meal. Avoiding by sheer instinct'any place with any appearance of popularity about it, he fumed mto a side street, and found a little old-fashioned eating-house, shut off into little wooden compartments; a dingy place, but quiet. There, with something 01 a sigh of relief, he seated himself at a table, and ordered a 'erv modest meal. The corn- artment in which he had seated himself happened to be empty he had chosen it for that reason. One or two of the others were occupied by poorly-dressed men, who were eating the coarse, plentiful food with the air of mer who had worked hard to gain it; they took no notice of a chance way- farer coming in for a meal. There was cniy one man '.vho appeared a lirtle unlike the others, and he sat in the compartment on the other side of the narrow lane- that ran up the centre of the shop. Perhaps because of his strange appearance Manners took notice of him. He was a very big man, clad in rough clothes th.t we'"e new and yet obviously ready-made. All about him was solid a;.J strong—from his boots with thick soles, to the easy soft collar round his throat, and Ilia eai!or-knoT tie. He had a large head, par- tially bald and this baldness was the m're noticeable from the fact that a great dark beard covered his cheeks and chin and swept It's breast. Altogether a noticeable figure Manners set him down for a countryman, paying a rxi'e visit to London en business. But presently, as he looked at him. Man- ners began to grow uncomfortable. For the big man wr.s watching him scrutinising him verv carefully, and with obvious interest. That scrutiny began to unnerve Manners he found himself "shifting uner.sily under it, and even taking pains to hide his face par- tially with a newspaper he had picked up. "I' shall have to watch myself, he thought. "This is growing to be an obsession with me I'm imagining that everyone is watch- ing rn e, whereas in all probability I look such a "furtive brut<; that I attract people's atten- tion. -Now I mean. to lower my paper, and look this fellow squarciv in the eye, and show him that he mustn't stare at people unreason- ab!v." He proceeded to carry out that pro- gramme at once. Tossing the paper astde with apparent carelessness, he looked across at the man in the opposite compartment with pome show of insolence; then picked up his knife r.nd fork, and resumed his meal. I:1i.1gine i1. horror when, a moment later, as though, that challenging look had been a direct invitation, the man picked up his I plate and tankard of ale, and strode across the intervening alley-way, and seated lum- sel' l immediately opposite Manners. Manners felt" his 'blood run cold; he knew !.hat his face had turned red and then white. The hand with which he lifted his fork to- wards his mouth shook absurdly; he felt the eves of the big man upon him, and for the life of him dared not raise his own. And then, startlingly'. and in s great, deep vic-e., that had no tr,-ic,,(, of aD" known accent in it, the big man spoke You'll excuse me, sir, but yours is a faco I seem to know somewhere. And I don't forget fa('t' easily." Manners raised hi6 head very slowly, and tooked at ? he big man; he looked at him sreadilv. Denial was the only thing pos- sible, and he had the comforting thought to help him that, so far as he could recollect, he had never s?en this man before in all his life. He smiled a. little, and slowly shook his head. You're quite mistaken," he said. I, too, have a good memory for faces, and I have certainly never before had the pleasure of meeting you." It isn't likely you have," said the man. with a laugh, seeing that I haven't been in England longer than twenty-four hours. But I'd swear to that face of yours, if I was put in the dock for it." "I tell you you're quite wrong, said Man- ners, a little impatiently, and I would rather not continue this conversation." "There's nothing to Sy into a passion iboiit," said the big man, southingly. I'm not the one to force my conversation upon any one, and if I speak at all it's only for your good. It struck me, if you'll excuse my say"ing it, that you looked a bit lo" down—a bit down on your luck, I mean- and might need a friend." I have all the friends I need, thank you," said Manners, stifny. "We can't none of us be sure of that," retorted the other easily. One other ques- tion, and I'm done, and I won't trouble you any more. Well, what's the question," asked Man- ners, looking at him squarely. MignT your name happen to oe Manners?" Manners looked at him for a long moment in silence then forced a laugh from a throat that was dry. Certainly not," he said. I never heard the name in my life." Then all I ca.n say is thai I ask yunr pardon, and I nay no more," said the b)g man. I've been mistaken—and I say nc more." He picked up his tankard, and buried in it a face that was decidedly troubled and perplexed. Manners went on with his meal, stealing furtive glances now and again at' the man, and striving to remember whether by any chance in the past he had come across him; banishing that idea from his mind almost immediately, on recollecting tha.t the man had said that he had but just arrived in England. It occurred to Manners that he had' better get out of the place as soon as possible, and out of the man's company; at the same time he did not want to appear to hurry. While these thoughts were passing through his mind, the big man was ('vi-: dcntly making up his mind on another matter which he presently voiced; "I know it's Inking a liberty, in a manner of speaking." said the big man, leaning across the table, and dropping his voice to a mere hoarse whisper, but it strikes n'e you're a bit out of luck, and if you should want the price of a meal——" Manners face nushed, and for the moment he felt like making a sharp retort. But the face before him was such a genial, honest on<% and was withal so sympathetic that he felt that to snub the man wns impossible. So he merely shook his head, and made answer: I'm very much obliged to you, but I Tn not quite as low down as all that, and I don't need to borrow from a stranger." The man said nothing more; s-nd Man- ners paid for his meal and left the place. He noticed, with a little feeling of annoyance. that the big man paid for his meal also, and was close on his heels when he reached the Rtreet. That might, however, be merely ac- cidcntal; he turned away, and began to walk quickly towards a. broader thorought'al'c, Reaching It, and looking back ovr his shoulder for a moment, he glanced into the face of the other man, not ten yards behind him. He stopped, and the big man, alter a moment's hesitation, came up. "Why ar<' you following me?" asked Manners, sharply. I couldn't exactly any," said the man. Only I want to find cut something more about you, that's all." If you follow me all day you won't find out anything about me," retorted Manners. Moreover, I don't want to be offensive, but I can assure you that there will be trouble if you haven't the sense to go your own way and leave me to go mine." The man shrugged his shoulders, and laughed quite genially. Well, if you put' it that way, I suppose I must give you u p, he said. Good-bye for the moment; I don't doubt we shall meet again." He turned sharply on his heel, and walked rapidly away, leaving Manners staring after him. That's a queer fellow," said the latter, with a laugh. And then, more gravely, he added to himself, "but I confess I don't like it; there's something uncanny about it —an utter stranger springing up, and know- ing my name. I don't like it at all." He. was vaguely disturbed, not knowing what hidden forces were a.t work against him, and feeling, as he had done from the first, that he was shut out from all sources of information. He began to think again about that bunch of keys that had lain with his other property before the coroner; he imagined all sorts of people searching about among his enects. and making discoveries. He knew that his business would be in the hands of men who would realise all that there was to realise, but it was the thought of his private keys that troubled him. And that took him late that night a solitary, lounging*' figure into the neighbourhood of BIoomsbury. He had paced the street three or four times, with glances up at the windows of the place he must not enter, when, aa he was burning away, a womam came swiftly round the corner and almost ran into his arms. He heard an exclamation of gladness and re- lief, and saw that it was Hester Wake. "Fate is good to me to-night." exclaimed the girl quickly. "I did not know where to find vou; I came back to the old place, won- dering if by chan<.)e you would be attracted here also." "Why do you call it the old place? he asked, struck by the tome in which she bad spoken. "I've always called it that in my mind— just the o!d place," she said softly. "I'm giad it's dark; you can't see that I am blushing. Many and many a night, when you have sat in your rooms up there, I have been in the street outside here, just for th'' sake of being near you-just because I loved you. He took the little gloved hand and drew it up to his lips. You make me ashamed that I never knew and never understood," h<? said. They walked for a long v.'hHe. talking earnestly, even going so far in their talk a;-) to make indefinite plans for a wholly in! pos- sible future. And &t last she "peke of their meeting that night. "What brought you back to the place?" ehe asked. "My darling, the thought that I can't get inside and get money, and perhaps even steal ? a suit of my own clothes, maddens me," he ? replied energetically. "The rôoms are sure to be empty, and even if Eirbv is there j (though I don't think that's at all likely, as ? he has probably found other service) he sleeps like the proverbial top, nnd I could move about without waking h ni." "Who has the keys? she asked quickly. "SIade," he repHcd. "Slade> .tuok posses- S Iq d ?-, p o F, s eF, s;on of them, and of everything that was found, on the preten.ce of being my friend, alH1 oÎ IO'Jking aftcr mv int.rû"b. Eitllcr he or Boyd Litchnetd has them at the present time." "I will get them for you." said IIettv quietly. "It will be a little diiHcult. perhaps. but if Slide or Mr. Litchfield has them I can manage it. We all came ur) from the country this morning, after they had started off in the motor-car." He told her how it had happened that he had travelled ir.1 the same train with SIade and the other man to London, and how he had watched the house before that, httle knowing that Hetty was there all the time. And then, having walked with her as far as he dared in the direction of Wedgwood Square, he stopped fit, parting to ask her a question. "I don't like the idea of your mixing your- self up in such a matter as tins. How will you get the keys, in any ease? "I don't know yet, but I shal! get them," she answered hizy;4,sioidilv. "Oh. my dear, doesn't it seem to you that I've gone too tar in this business to turn back? It's all dark before me, and I scarcely know where 1 am walking; but I don't mind that. so that I know that you are walking with me." "Heaven b!cs3 you, my darting," said Manners fervently. "1 will E:lY no more." "I will bring the keys to you <)!: the- second day from this—that is Sunday," she said quietly, as though everything had been arranged clearly in her own mrnd, and she knew how to set about her work. "At haJf- past three I will be in the long Egyptian room at the British Museum. I know you have no settled home, you poor thing."she added tenderly, "and so we must mec: some- where where it is warm and quiet. And now wlipi-e where it is wir?-ii and quiet. A?ld iiow It was =><1, very quiet corner where they parted, for there are parts of London that are very quiet indeed, and they s',¡"nllJly kissed, with no one to see them. Thoi ho watched the little, light, fluttering figure Hit down. the street, and turned away, happier in mind than he had been for some time. And Hester Wake went to work. In the first place it was utterly impossible for her to know where that particular burch of keys was, and, as Murdoch SIade was merely a chance visitor to the house, she cculd not, of course, make any active search. She was re- solutely determined to meet Rodney in two davs' time, and then to have the keys in her possession); so much was clear as dav. In her resolute little soul she felt that tno opportunity would be given to her, or that she would make it for herself. On the following day nothing happened; Murdoch SIade did not even call at the house. The girl began to wonder if it would be possible for her to invade his rooms, and by some trick steal the keys and get away with them; when the evening arrived, and there seemed no chance that the man would come to the house, she actually started out to walk across the Park to his rooms at the other side of it. But when she got to the great building her courage failed her; she could not meet this man. nor the servant who guarded his nat. There must be some other way; dejectedly enough she had turned away, when she heard a, quick sl.n behind her, and realised almost bv instinct that the mam had come out of the" building. Spurred by that instinct she quickened her pace, as though by the merest c hance she had been passing through the street. doch SIade overtook her, and raised his hat. "So it's httle Hetty Wake, is itt" he said in a familiar tone. "And what is little Hetty Wake doing wandering about at this time of night?" I:> She answered him quite demurel'y. "My duties keep me to the house lor so many hours during the day, Mr. SIade, that I am glad to g'et out sometimes in the evening. Nobody misses me." "Dear nte—how very modest and bumble we are!" said the man, slipping a hand under her arm as they w&)ked n.Iong. "Aa you're going back, pprhxps I may v&lk with vou. And then it was that Hetty made a dis- -ove:-y. The man wore a light overcoat, and in the pwket of it nearest to her something !:s.d every now and then knocked against hpr hand and rattled. She knc\v that it. was a bunch of keys: and the sudden thought i Hashed th'-ough her mind that no man \Yuulr1 carry his own personal bunch of keys in t(, a r c, c, fashion in an <)v.t.si(io pocket. Alllille she walked' along her heart was beating euffocatingly up into her throat. and she was wonderins" if by anv chance it would be possible for her together hand into that pocket and take out the keys. Once she tried, and the man shifted his position the better to talk to her, and her opportunity was lost. A second time site tried, and almost as her hand touched the rocket Sladc rde'l her arm, and slipped his own hand jJl;) that outer pocket where the keys were. And so they came to the house, and the opportunity was gone. Hester Wake actually saw a servant takf that coat and hang it up; she saw Siade dis- appear into the drawing-room. She lingered on the stairs for a moment, and then, when the servant had disappeared, and all doors were closed, she began to tiptoe down very slowly, step by step, with eyes only for that coat. And at the laat moment, when her foot was on the last stair, the drawing-room door was opened sharply, and Murdoch Slade came out. She had just time t-o turn off with seem- ing naturalness into the little room nt the end of the hall. when SIade crossed the hall and made for his overcoat. Watching him through the partially-opened door, she saw him turn the coat this way and timt, M though searching for something; dive his hand into one nocket after another. Obviously he was not looking for the keys, because when presently his hand slipped into that pocket he drew them out, and looked at them for a moment with a puzzled frown, as though striving to recollect where they came from; then his face cleared, as though the recollection had come to him and to Hetty's dismay he dropped them into a pocket of his trousers. Then he found in another pocket of his overcoat the cigar-case for which he had been looking, and went back into the drawing-room. Hetty realised one thing clearly: that if the man went out of the house now witn those keys in his pocket she would never see them again. She went up to her room, and stood there thinking desperately, and won- dering what she should do. A sudden thought struck her, and she pulled out her own bunch of keys, and after looking at them carefully for a moment or two, took oR the slimmest key of all, and contrived with some difficulty to bend and twist it until it was almost shapeless. Then, with her heart beating fast, she went down to the drawing s room. "I'm so very sorry," she eaid, in that de- mure little voice of hers, as she walked into the room, "but I've had an accident." "What's the matter, mv dear? said Mrs. LitchHeld. "It's only a troublesome key," said Hester. It's rather 'an important box of mine, and I've been trying to open it, and this is the result." She held up the twisted key. "If anybody would lend me their bunch of keys for a moment, perhaps I might find one that would fit the lock." Mr. Litchfield slapped himself all over, and finally found three keys on a ring Mr. Litchfield was not a business man, and did not require many. Hetty shook her head in dismay, and declared that those three keys were all too large for tbo purpose. By this time Murdoch Slade tilled out a bunch of keys; but Hetty saw with a sinking heart that it was not the bunch she required. Nevertheless, there were so manv small keys u'x'n it that she could do nothing else but thank him, and walk to the door with them. Once again she had failed. The knob of the door was in her hand, when SIade called to her. "Stop a moment. I've got a second bunch somewhere," he said. "You may as well trv the lot." As she turned quickly she saw him put his hand into that pocket into which he had dropped the bunch of keys that had been in his overcoat. "Thank you very much, Mr. Sla-de," she sr.id, and went out of the room. Five minutes afterwards she came back, Five m i nutes afterw trim two bunc h es -of and gravely handed him two bunches of keys they were his own private bunch, together with her own, from which she had I tr.ken the hey which had been twisted and bent. That third precious, bunch that had tingled and rattled in his overcoat pocket all ) the way across the Park, maddeningly enough for Hetty, was now in her posses- sion. "I found a key that suited very well, thank you, said Hetty. There was still the question in her mind whether or not, after all, she had not made a and perhaps taken Slide's own private keys instead of those belonging to Rodney Manners; but she could know nothing of that until the morrow. The tune seemed to crawl along until at last she crossed the big courtyard leading to the British Museum and went up the steps and into the place. She walked down the length of the great Egyptian gallery and there on a bench at the end sat Manners. He rose to his feet, a.nd they faced each other with- out a word. Hetty was so nervous lest she should have made a mistake that she slipped the keys into his hand without a word. He gave a glance at them, an d laughed softly, and dropped them into his pocket. (To be Continued.)
I A MARVELLOUS AUTOMATON.…
I A MARVELLOUS AUTOMATON. I Mr. Hcnjamin F. Miessner, &n ardent dia- ?iple of Prof. Nikola Tesia, has perfected a wonderful piece of mechanism. This is no- thing more nor less than a.n electric dog. The contrivance cozi6ists of a rectangula-i box about three feet long, one and one-hali feet wide and cne foot high, This box eon. tains all the instruments and mechanism, and is mounted upon thrco .wheels, two oi wh-ich are gca.red to a driving motor; the third, on the rear end, is so mounted that its bearing's can be turned in a horizontal plane for steering, much like the front v.'heel of a child's velocipede. Two large gla&s lenses on the forward end, separated by a protruding, nose-like partition, appeal very much ]ike huge eyes. If a pocket nash light be turned on the machine rt will immediately spring- into notion, but will etop as suddenly if the light be snapped off or turned a-way. If the light he held stationary and directed upon the dog it will amble up until its own motion causes it to come directly under the light, and therefore into such a position that the !;g-ht will not shine in its glass eyes: there it stops and the whimng of its driving motor aJao ceases. Should the nnah]ight be turned into its ''yes and the holder walks <ibout the room, the dog will immediately respond and follow the moving light wherever it goes, with a loud meta-Ilic cla.nk at each .wag of its steer- ing-wheel tail. So long as the light reaches both eyes in "qual intensity, as when the source is directly ahead, the rear wheel is in the ceTitral position, and the dog moves ahead without turning. By turning over a switch, the dog can be ma-dc to back away from the light in a most surprising manner.
I WOMEN BULLFIGHTERS I
I WOMEN BULLFIGHTERS I Those who have visited Spain will remem- ber their feelings when first witnessing a hnU-hght. To admit that there are WOlTIf'l"i huH-ughters one would have to agree that to cuter into combat with a bull demanded more courage than any member of th<< gentler sex possesses, yet even this danger- ous caning' has had its female follower. Johauna Maestrick was the name of the lady in question, who, at an early age, v.as taken to see a bull-fight in Portugal. Her feminine susceptibilities, far from revolting at the spectacle, were aroused to a keen de- sire and determination to emulate the orowess of the toreador. A teacher of the art so struck with her keenness, physique, and beauty that he offered to become her instructor and to train her as a torera. She made her first appearance in the arena at Oporto. The trial proved that her agility ad skill were equal to her courage, for she (juicldy laid out two furious bulls and rode oft' in triumph amid thunders of applause. One can picture the fine bull-ring at San ScbastiaJt and wonder what crowds would be attracted were a "torera" to be billed foi the next 'performance!
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More than 3G,0(K) demobilised soldiers took part in Belfast's pca.ce celebrations. Hitchiu. Burial Board lnis prohibited the erection cf wooden crosses in the Iccal cerae- {e..y. ;,ir Frs.ncis Viniers has presented his fresh credentials as Am Da,.ador to Belgium to Kina' Albert.
PENSION PROBLEMS:I HOW TO…
PENSION PROBLEMS: I HOW TO SOLVE THEM. I By AN EXPERT. I ?he F)fLhcoming and Theit Generat Effect Statutory Pensions Appeat Tribunats to be Set Up Some Noble Words That Are Worth Con- siderat!on. FREE ADVICE r<9 OMP READERS. I Now I have had time to consider more carefully the decisions of the Cabinet with regard to the recommendations of the Sckct Committee on Pensions, I am more th.:M ever impressed by the far-reaching improvements that will come about in consequence. The general enect of the accepted recommenda- tions works out like thi6: the present Hat rate pension of N.C.O.s and men will have the existing 20 per cent. bonus slightly more than doubled. Such bonus will then form part of the pension, thus increasing the present flat rate without bonus by over 40 per cent. AYidows' pensions and children's allowances are also to be increased, as I pointed out last week. The increases will be subject to revision in three years time. But no matter how much the cost of living may fall, no reduction be- low the now-existing not rate ;ca,le, with the existing- 20 per cent. bonus added, will take place. On the other hand, if the cost of living has gone up at the time of the first revision, the new and increased rates will be further increased. \Yhile the Committee re- commended that the automatic revibion of the increased rate-, according to any increase or fall in the cost of living-should take place every year, the Government decided that it should take place every third year. And no- thing could be fairer than that. Furthermore, Statutory Pensions Appeal Tribunals are to be set up in place of the -Existing Pensions Appeal Tribunals. They will be as independent of the Pensions Minis- try a.s th<- County Courts. Each tribunal \viK consist of one legal representative a", chairman, a disabled omcer (in officers' cases), and a disabled man (in men's ca-es), and a duly qualified medic-al practitioner. Appeals will be. ag-amst the rejection of claims to pension by men, widow' and motherless children on the ground that dis- ability or death was not attributable to or aggravated by'.war service, or wag due to serious negligence or mi scon duct. Whe'!i the regional organisation, is complete—that is, the delegation of powers to various separate areas outride London Medical Apper.I Boards will be get up to decide oppeala against assessments of the amount of dis. ablement by medical beards. The setting up of what is cabled Statu. tory Appeal Tribunals means this: There will be granted a right to assert a claim to pension, and a Statutory Court, hidepeu- dent entirely of the Ministry, will be the ()le and nnal judge of whether the right exists in a particular ca0. This course has been taken because some amount <f 'h satisfaction has been expressed with the constitution of the existing Tribune's. It seems to have teen felt in some quarters that because they arc a part of depart mental administration, they arc unt q".ite doing what they were expected to do. :0' the Government have taken steps to rf-- move that suspicion by jirrarging to set up independent Tribunals, with which the Pen- sions Ministry will have no more to do than with the rising and setting of the sun. <. There are passages in some of the f'pefol':Je made recently in the House cf Commons, expressing the thanks of the nation to the cervices, which deserve a more abiding phict than the columns of a new;-p<'pc-r. Said the Prime Minister: "Thet'e is no c?.n point the linger of re proach at another. AH have borne their bhare; the glon cf a common achievement ehine" on all ranks 11' this land. The 'shadow of a alone dims the lustre of cur glory, and a nation whose men and women have for shown such qualities in the hour of 1.1i,ir country's need, will show it yet again if the need come." with a NI1i>tler, and mor'- formidable pcrilj to save the IoU' 1'1'- land from danger. Mr Donald Maclean al,qo paid a 1l01J1c tribute, in the course of which he s.iid: "Those who went forth to return no mere to shattered homes and the hearts of tho", whr loved them gave their lives—they did not lose them—they gave them. a precious ?ii'< and heritage to this country and to the world's freedom. If a man die, shall he live again?' Truly, those men and those women live to-day. Sowing theirs had been; what the hirve.-t .,s,aould be w:\s icr us. And Mr. Adamson, the leader of the Labour Party, had the House with him w hen he declared his conviction "that had not our men made such a magnificent stau'l during the five years of war, thi. nation as we had known it would not have. continued to exist." <t <t Now, all the worM has to work hard in -order t« -mak c. !!{)od the rnvage'! of the p3st nve years. Concord, unity, should be out watchword, for difcord is as much a.n enemy I to our national well-being as were the Ger- mans. I ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. I J. Y. (CleIaudL—I think the decisicqi IF-, correct according to regulations. li you still feel in dcubt, put the question di'cct to y(-j-.ir pay headquarters. j. S. (Capce, near Folkestone).—A fat- rate pension not exceeding 5s. a week is o-ranted to parents w ho::J< non was under the age of 2G at the outbreak of war, or at the date of his joining up for duty, had not married, and has left no child or other dependent in receipt of, or elig'ible for, pen- sjon. Thi.s will -I-,ot !x' granted to the mctiier of a soldier if she has married after tlie, dat-o of his mobilisation or enlistn)e'it (if later). Write to the Secretary of ycur nearest Local War Pensions Committee (the I)ost Offiw, -%i-ill give you theaddrem)nnd t', ,I yo;t wish to claim a parent's pen.iou. L?t me knov.- what happens. C. B. (Dover).—A.T)ply to the Secretary, War Office, Park-buildings, St. Ja'ncs's Park, London. S.W.I. If.asnefmstobc yor case., the application for release is [)iisc,d en compassionate grounds, any .state- ment as to the sole dependence of the ap- plicant on the soldier concerned should be nubsta.ntiatedbya clergyman or jutic.c of the peace. Our Pensions Expert id anxious to a,,slst cailors and soldiers and their wives and de- pendents in dealing with intricacies oi the War P<'nBions System. Addrcos your queries to Pensions Ex- pert,"e/o Editor of this paper. All essen- tial facts should be stated as briefly as pos- Bible, such as name, number, rank, regi- ment of soldier, nnrie and rating of s.ulor, particulars of families and separation al- lownnce and (in enquiries concerning civil liabilities) pre-war or pre-cniistmcnt iTi- come, present or war income, and full Ii: bilifiea. Do not send any documents, birth certificates, or discharge papers, etc. Will correspondents please make a point of sending their regimental P-uiubci, rank, name, and regiment?
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Twenty-three so[diers,eacK minus cither I a Ie, or nrm, aud cue mitUis both too!: parl; at Brig'htou in t). third of a mile swim- ming 1'10C, and :11, except one, cc:ap:ptcd the course. Elood pci60ning set up by runuing- the end of a pea-,stalk under his thumb-null whi!e t:he!]ittg pet)6 fau'-ed the death of Gecrg-c Atkins. 5C, kitehp'n nort<'T at a Ijcnd'c.r:, KiDcd i-ii a street ;'£cir.k'rt, H.iv.r.. CC, of ,]cc" He i.'ttR h:iiik 1) o f) o,,v I I hook' € it atthe ii: th0 .j.wii'cwho did.uottxist.
I S THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN.?
I S THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN. ? "Fruits that blossom first will first be ripe.Othello. i; Hydrangea.—August is the month to in serf cuttings of the Hydrangea if a single head of nov.'ers next .summer is the culti- vatcr's aim. tnc-ert selected ?tron? grvv.-tb. singly in small pots. These wilt root and remain in the pots until e"r1y spring, when a move into 5in. 'wide pots (4-S si.n) ia nCC'5- sajy. Spare the Seedling'—Self-sown seedlin?-! have a habit of appearing in fhe most un- expected spota, and they should be spared where possible. Apart from the fact that such seedlings usually develop into very Cne plants, they may be choice varieties new to the particular garden in Y.'hieh they appear, the seeds having been conveyed by bird,; or other natural agencies. The Butterny Flower.—Schizanthun Wi.-e- t(/nnsis, a good greenh011f;e or conservatory nower, lasts for a very Ion? time in water when cut. Seeds may be oN%-ii in paus, pots. or hoxes now, and these receptacles -toed in a shady corner of the greenhouse until ger- mination is over. When they are large enough to handle, prick them on' in boxe- or pot them singly into thumbs. If pricking off is delayed, they soon become lanky and weak. When nice plants have developed, and the pots are full of roots, pot them on int.o 60'a and again into 43's. The la&t dze is generally -itfficieitt for single r-pecimens. If they are clumped three in a pot, 32'.s or even 34's may be provided for them. Good loam, leaf-mould, old manure, and :1TId form a good compost in which to grow thi" Sower. Feed before the period of tiov.eriug Da.n'odil&.—It is seldom convenient to plant bulbs -of daffodiL. during Augu<l, but if the ground is vacant remember that early planting and a long season of growth do much towards securing the best nower-, par- ticularly with the early tiûrb M.)vz Ila r; Golden Spur, Henry Irving. maximna, pallidus praec?x, and Telamonius plenus. p,illi,du.s praec-ox, ind Telamol-li "IS p l eiii-,s. Fuchsia Cuttings.—It 13 time to begin the mcreafe of fuchsias for thebedjs. borders. window boxes, and vasen. Plants grown from cuttings inserted now have a much Mrmer foundation than tl1Ct'E' propagated in pariv spring. If grown quietly ai';ug on a shelf in the greenhouse during the winter. excellent material is available in -pring. ? Doubk Primroses.—Because of the diS. culty iti supplying adequate moisture during the hot day,, of early suminer, the increase 'f the old-fashioned' double primroses is best held over until the second half of August. The same positions are given frequently to the plants again, so that it is simply a matter of lilting, dividing, and replanting the roots, working in a little ireah &oil. Black Currants.—Those who wish to keep their bushes in beet order will, now that the crop is gathered, pay attention to pruning. It is a good plan to look over the bushes and remove all the old growths which can be spared. This he!pa the young fruit-bear- ing branchee to mature. Peaches.—Now that the early varieties have been gathered the trees can have a washing to clear off insects. This is especi- allv nccassary when red spider or aphis have be-en troublesome. Later, treeo 'will need tc have growth regulated and the fruit exposed to the eunlig'ht. As the fruit is gathered. remove gupcrnuous growth, allowing suS- cient to remain for cajrying next year's crop. < Laterals on reaches.—Amateurs fre- quently confine the disbudding of peach<?!- and intetarines to the growths pr<)duced on the fruiting wood, whilst the lateral growths emnating from the new .season' growths are left -untouched instead of being i rubbed off immediately after they appear Failure to remove the"e creates an unneces- sary tax upon the trees 8-lld they do not bear fruit, sÍI{ce it hinders energy in the production of iirst buds and its complete ripening. Those to whom thio may apply should "'e<.> -that this is rectined at once. Do Not Thin Yocr Apples Too Soon.— When apples "set" thickly on the trees, as they did this year..amateurs ar& often in a great hurry to -cajry out the advice given in the text-books and thin them consider- ably. In most seasons, however, it will pay better not -to be iu too great a hurry: Nature often -doeo eH that is nece&sary. Gathering Fruit.—-&omB of the early apples and pears nmet be gathered, or there will be losses from many falling to the crround. The early dessert oorts of apples, such as Beauty of Bath and Lady Sudeley, are of little value if allowed to become over- ripe. Cleaj- off plums as they ripen, and take special cace of late cropa growing on north walls. Mulching and Wate.rin.g.-During a cIrN epen the,-e matt-ers should not be lost eight of. Where the mulching was done <-ome time ago, the dressing may have been scratched away by birds, and a little fresh material may be added. This should be done after a gocd watering. Late-planted treec are most likely to fuSef and must have pre- ference. Grapes "Shanking."—There arc YC'r3.. causes for this trouble. One is overcrop- ping. This can be avoided easily by cutting out the worst bunches and only allowing the bezot and the pro})€r number to remain. Another cause is defective root action. Th]- may arid(> from a badly-drained border. and this is the most frequent cause.. Give treat- ment to the roots aaid border when the vhies are dormant. Le<,ks.During the next few weeks giv( the most .adva-nced rows of these plenty of manure water. Nothing comes amiss to a row of healthy plants. buA a change of plant food is moat desirable. Spinach.—Seed sown in fairly gocd soil should result in a good supply of leaver throughout late autumn and parly winter Either the prickly or round-seeded varieties are good, but it is important that the seed be sown thinly. <t Endive.—Transplant this from seed drill: ae soon as the plants etJe large enough to handle. If allowed to re-main in a crowded condition, the plants soon run to seed. Should no rain be likely give plenty of water after planting-. # Radi,he::>A la-st so.Ying should now b< made. Endeavour to give the seed a rich bed, and, if dry, give a good watering. After. sowing, cover thr bed for a few days with gtraw. <t Tomatoes Ripening.—Fruits of good 6iz< and Hhape intended for show purposes should 'be pic'-ed when about half ripe. the ripen- ing Fr,,cc,s being finished in a wooden box. If allowed to remain on the plant until fully ripe these often i, _pl it.
JUDGE RENTOUL DEAD.
JUDGE RENTOUL DEAD. We regret to announce the death of Judge J. A. Reutuul, at hi", residence, 44, Lexham- gardens, Een'ington, W. Judge Kentoul, who was well known ae o&ciating at the City of London Court, and also (öince 1:)01) as Judg'e of the Central Criminal Court, wa.-s a of the first London Countv Council. lie was Conserva- tive M.r. for ELst DowE from 1890 to 1902. He was formerly a I'resbytcrian minister, one of an old family of preachers in Ireland, and was pastor of St. Andrew's, Woolwich, resigning when he WM called to the; BaT. lie claimed descent from Henry I-ii. It was estimated he took part in over 300 contested elections. Some sensation wax caused on one occasion by his commenting on the amount of wine consumed at a Man- sion House banquet. He recently com- plained of a refusal of the City Corporation to increase his salary of £2,000. Owing- to b-qd health the Judge retired from the Bench thM -ve<u'. He 'wag born in '1654.
BOY HUNG ON NAIL.-
BOY HUNG ON NAIL. An extraordinary story wae told when William Lockerbie, acid foreman, was fined X2a-tlie maximum penalty—at Goole for cruelty to hi? son Robert, &ged 13. Mr. Farmer, prosecuting, said the father, having caused the lad to strip Baked, tied his hands tog-ether, fastened lum on a nail, illuffled his mouth, and beat him so Tinmprci- fullv with a piece of ho6epipe that hi.s back wa. covered with brui&es and weals. The father then rubbed c<alt into the boy's back. The father said his hot blood probably caused him to go further than he originally intended. Luckily for the lad an order was made that he 'be taken out of hi<-) father's custody.
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The Board of Trade announces that the import* of British c&al into Belgium is no longer subject to the import licence of the Beti.in Govermuent. Mra. Sherer, who has died at Bath, was the widow of the late Mr. John Sherer, one of the first to reach Cawnpore Wel! in 1857, in which N<m.a 5ahib had thrown maMacred Britons.
I ANIMALS AND THE WATER. -1
I ANIMALS AND THE WATER. -1 Did you know that if a gull's wing feathers get wet it cannot rise until they dry? Consequently it s prcnds its wing's high, so that the feathers shall Hot be wetted when alighting en the water. If you throw a moutW into the water [t can swim a little, but as soon a.s it.- fur is t-oakcd down it goes, and drowns. So too in the case of a rabbit. A mole cLm swim like anything, but a monkey is very helpless in the water. Almost all land birds drown very rapidly, if unlucky enough to fall into the water. Lions and tigers are very good swimmers, and do not share the common cats' hatred for the water. But of all the cat tribe the South American jaguar is the finest performer in the water. Bears are good swimmer, even those that usually live far from large sheets cf water, and the common rat is no mean performer; but of course one of the best of animal swimmers is the horse. Manv have been known to swim a river nearly a mile wide simply to get back to their old I st-abteo. 1
IFEATHERED METEOROLOGICAL…
I FEATHERED METEOROLOGICAL 11 PROPHETS. It is said that as a weather prophet the crow has no equal. Should rain be immi- nent he will rise from his neat or resting- place, wheel about overhead for a time, and then return to the place whence he ca-me. Should his stay in the air be short, then the rain will not be long decayed. Lf he con- tinues flying overhead for a considerable time, then the downpour may not be imme- diate, but ito duration may be prolou° "'ed when it does appear. Should the bird, in addition to remaining long on the wiag, in- dulge in a loud clamour, then the disturb- ance in the weather conditions is likely to be severe. The peacock is credited with much discernment as regards the weather. His proud, dig-uined strut vanishes, and he gives vent to shrill, ea.r-splitting screams ivben rain is approaching. If the swallon is ny- '"8' high, then a mackintosh is not an im- mediate necessity. They are said to be un- erring in their instinct.
!.THE WONDERFUL BEE.I
THE WONDERFUL BEE. I A bee is one of the most marvellous of the world's winders. What a bee does not know is supposed to be not, worth knowing. In exemplification of this, it is said that on one occasion a hive was being "spied upon by a wasp. When a wasp ascertains that a hive is worth a-ttacking, he carries the news to his friends, and sometimes succeeds in ousting- or severely worrying- the bees. While the wasp-scout was nosing' around the bees stayed in the hive, but every time the wasp spproa-cbed the small entrance hole a bee came out and walked round in a circle, do- ing sentry work till the wa.sp departed. An hour later a. wasp—presumably the scout— wa.s found dead on its back on the top of the hive, and the bees were busv a"'aiu.
WHEN A STOPPER STICKS. I
WHEN A STOPPER STICKS. I A useful plan to adopt when it ig desireo !:o remove a glass stopper which has be- Y)nie firmly fixed in a bottle is to tie or ['a'.sten one end of a heavy cord in a ccn- renient place where the other end may be :aken in the hand similar to a strop for a r-izor. The cord is given one turn or loop over -he neck of the bottle and the cord dram Jp snugly. The bottle i6 then drawn }UickIy ba<;k and forth to make the loup )ass over the neck with quite a friction. [his will heat the necx and leave the stop- per cold. The difference in the expansion ,i-ill loosen t'he stopper so that its witk. irawal will be an eaav matter.
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r'mtan! has recognised the independence ofE'-thonia. For stealing hares and s<'Mmg thc'm tr Hun prisoners for 2s. each. boys w,e 0: dered bv Oswcstry magistrates to be birched and the rin;;(,ader to be sent to a reforma- tory for iive years.
THE POULTRY YARD
THE POULTRY YARD jf] Helpful Hints for" Backyarders." By "COCKCROW." [m With the moulting' period at hand, it ia now high time to reduce the birds' rations and change their diet. The birds must be given euniight and fresh air in plenty until ).he new feathers are breaking, but in the cases of buff an<t wMte ptumaged fowl,, there should be shading -whilst the young feathers are growing. When the birds .arc fir:,t put into &hcds, the adults may be giver' a do;s@ of Ept-om t;alts to clear their blood and loosen the feathers. It mu..t be borne in mind that growth of new plumage c- a -evere drain on the bird's system, and v.-hat i$ mainly required once the feather:s begin to appear is to keep the fowls warm and well fed. Nothing can be done niateriaHy to hasten te .moult. i<'rn water nhd green feed must be supplied, and about a tea- spoonfu! of fiowers of sulphur to a quart of soft food may be cprinkle3 in the mash every two or three dayg, ajid if reouired a little strengthening tocM' may be given. SBASOXABLE ADVICE. This month and next are the natural time for adult fowls to moult, but it is axe-erted that by good management the process clii be hastened, and thus allow its completion in ample time to allow for winter laying. The good management referred to con.ist" of shortening the albuminoid ratio Hi their ffed, and niifining them to warm quarters. In a few <rays birdf subjected to this treat- ment will generally begin to shed their feathers, and then 'the building up for new feather and for winter egg-production begins. Eccp en the look-out for lice. Their ravages tend to prolong the moulting eea&on, as well as being responsible for many othe.r evils already enumerated. Sexe- shou!d be separated faays a well-known writer. Mr.. R. D. Alien) during the moult- ing period, and any bird that you do not intend retaining should be sold or potted before the period commence! Keep on cull- ing your growing stock, never keep a sjngle wastrel. Remember that en the 12th int-t. grouse shooting begins. aJtd down goes the price of chickens. Market before {hen if you desire a return for your eKorts. THE TiME FOR BARGAI?!S. j August ie a capital month for picking up 1 next. s&ason's breeding' stock at bargain ? prices. There are always careless poultry- keepers who have failed to arrange their plans to bring in a constant revenue. Such are now feeling the shoe pinch, acd they must realise. But in buying from sfranger.- alwavs be cajeful to iaotate the birds for a few "days, and adopt the deposit pyst-em. Attention to these small details prevents both loss and a.nnova.nce. It is t;omebody's fault if the latent chicks are dying. The tender httle fellows cannot contend again,t heat and lice combined. So protect thviii from the sun and get after the lice (adds Mr. Alien). Manv caji eSect a prtl-.it economv ia their 'feeding accounts, as wcH 3f' beneutins their birds, by -utilising any stubble that i-4 available. Even in t b c.z'c, davs of reaping-machines there is ample feed for a large-sized flock of chicken. turkeys or gee, on the stubble. The change will assist the birds, whilst their manure will improve the land. TABLE FOWLS. I It i& a mistake to think that simply heavy breeds of no particulax strain are good enough to produce table fov.lf. On the con- trnrv, to en-ure a proStabie rcturD. the poultry' mau should be satis6ed only v.-iih the b€-t. Also, before he, decides to take the ri"k that attends the E'uterprisf' of rearing po'.titrv for the tabLe. he should make cer- tain tiot merely that he has the ncccssar:- co,,iditiois for ellick-kw, well-gTowE land. and so on, but that he is in near enc,ugli reach of his market for him to sell his birds without losing all hie profit in the price of carriag'e. I t THE B&EED TO STOCK. Having decided to make the venture, the poultryman is faced with the problem of what breed of birds to stock. The general rule iTjay be laid down that a. cross between t'.Yo pure breeds produoea stronger birds and Ons likelier to develop quicker than the off- spring of any single pure-bred variety. Crr&breeding. however, must not be abused, and bad results will follow such a mixing as makes it impossible to tell the progeny's origin. Formerly the Indian Game-Dorking croaa was the most familial in the breeding of tabie poultry, but this has now lost favour, owing to its poor lay- ing qualities. It is not bUfficient to have heuvy male birds: good laying qualities in the females are also esaenti&I. A popular just ..now is the Susaex-Orpington, light or speckled Suss&x cockerels mted with Orpington bens. TbM croce' po&'esse!: several advantages, in being easy to rear and carrying nesh of a colour liked'Toy the buying public. The Favorelles-Orpingtor is another excellent the Fa.voreIIes- Dorking is also commendable. The pullete of these breeds are good winter layers, and mature at six or Leven months, producing rich brown egg". Sussex-FavorelleB possess much of the same qualities. These breeds have the advantage of giving good lays of winter egg.s. as well as returning a pront on the url)luo cockerels. SUMMER COLDS. Colds of a catarrliM nature are more pre- valent among fowl& uunng the summer than during the winter sea8<:m, the reason being traceable to nuctuatioM of tempera.turp which occur during the summer time. It is a good policy to serve the fowls' breakfast under the scratching shed, thus gradually nuring the birds' t-ysteoKi to the cooler atmosphere. Catarrha.l colds are very weak- ening. and as the birds are now entering the moulting season such colds must be warded 06'. Only the physically strong bird can pa-ss quickly through the moult, and a serious cold may so retard it as to render winter egg production impossible. OBVIOUS SYMPTOMS. It is quite easy to tell when the birds are suffering as the symptoms are of the plainest. Catarrhal cold ia generally accom- panied by frequent sneezing and running at the nostrils. it must be remembered that it is foolish to serve hot mashes to fowls during the present season, or to dose them with irritating spices at any time. A remedy for catarrhal colds is to a.Uow the roosting hou&e to have all the night ventilation 'pos- sible on the f-n.fe side of a draught and don't overcrowd the perches, &rv(' foods in a cool state during warm weather. Should a bird, however, contract a cold, isolate it and bathe its eye.s and nostrils twice daily with a weak solution of alum and dose it morn- ing and evening with a teaspoonful of lin- seed oil to which add a drop each of euca- lyptus and pure terebene- It must further be borne in mind that such trouble as catarrh is vcrv contagious, consequently the birds agected should be immediately isolated.
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About 30 piot.liolders at Union-road. :tGC'Kwell protect ag'aiMt. 10 days' notice to quit ¡'rom the Board of Ag-riculture. Far::1H'r. at Kirkby Stephen, Wcstmor. Land. urg-cd that 3s. M. a Ib. be asked fo- bmter-llow selling at 2, 3a.