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CALLRI(;HTiiRici;ziavzD.]…
CALL RI(;HTii Rici;ziavzD. ] ? THE MAN-HUNT ? HIJ By TOM GALLON, (m A( Author of "Tatterley," "The Great Gay Road," &c. /)? CHAPTER VII. J ENTEH IM. JAP. MAN. Manners was hot for starting then and there for his old rooms, and getting the matter done with; the wiser Hetty advised him against this with all her powers of pleading. "My dearest boy," she said as they sat side by side Oil the bench at the end of the long gallery, "why run into difficulties when they can be avoided? Wait at least for dark- ness, when there is a much smaller chance of your being' seen and recognised. Besides, that man-servant of yours, Kirby, who is such a sound sleeper, will by that time be in bed, if he is at the place at all, and you might creep about without disturbing him." I suppose you're right," he said grudg- ingly, "only I hate the idea of waiting. Be- sides, I mean to go to the office." "To the office!' she repeated, with a note of very real alarm in her voice. "Surely you won't be so mad as to do that." "My darling girl," said Manners earnestly, e "it is Sunday afternoon—getting on for the evening. The City will be as quiet as death. I must get into the office somehow or other, if only for half an hour. It's hard that a man should have to set out to steal his own, but that's what I must do. It's a great risk, I know, but it's a risk I must take. It'll be the office first—and my rooms after- wards." She was able to restrain his eagerness to the extent at, least of making him wait for a few hours; they put in that time in pacing the streets and talking. It seemed as though they would never find time to say to each other all that was in their hearts, and then, as darkness fell, Manners turned his face towards the Citv, for the first time since that memorable Saturday afternoon when he had left it. He walked swiftly, as though with a definite purpose, noticing no one, and apparently not being noticed by any one in turn, and co came at last to the little court in which his office was situated. Not a soul in sight, even though he walked to the end of the court and looked to right and left. The windows of the various houses stared blankly upon him; he might .have been in a city of the dead. He v-alked quickly up to the well-remembered door, thrust the ready key in the lock, and in a moment was inside, with the door closed. He stood looking about him in the gloom. There were the tall desks that had been occu- pied by the clerks, standing empty and ghost-like in the big outer office: there was that 'door marked "Private," which he had never expected to pass again. He opened it now, after standing listening for a moment, and "):Dt into the inner office. The high buildings opposite the windows seemed to shut out even what little light was left in the sky. Almost mechanically, and without thinking a lit the matter, Manners switched on the light that stood on his desk. He thought how wonderfully still everything was; he had never known the place without the bristle of work and of the hurrying City all about him. The offices were on the ground lfoor, and there had always been a noise of kvrrying feet through that court from morning till night. He proceeded rapidly with his search, taking a little money from his cash-box, but only a very little, and selecting a few papers that might be of use to him. He was going on with his work rapidly, and was enjoying it to such an extent that in sheer impudence he had opened a box of cigars and had lighted one, when he stopped, and stood per- fectly still, listening. On the flagged court outside the heavy, slow footsteps of a man could be heard distinctly pacing along. A policeman! What should he do? He stood there, in his shabby clothes, and with the keys of the place in his hands, and with the safe standing open; and flarino- there against the dark windows was the light on his desk. He thought for a moment that he would put that light out, but realised in the next,that that would be the act of a madman. He looked round the place quickly. In a corner hung an overcoat that he had been in the habit of keeping there-a long, substan- tial garment, and respectable. He stepped across quickly, and put it on; then, with the cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth, and his hands moving about rapidly over the desk and the papers on it, he waited for what was to happen. 'I'he footsteps outside had ceased; he knew then that the light had been seen. The next sound he heard was a puzzling one; some- thing like a scraping noise, as though some- one were scaling a wall with heavy boots on. He knew what it was in a moment; looking round with what boldness he could, he saw the top of the constable's helmet come up over the wire blind, and then the man's face appeared, looking in. The man was kneel- ing on the window-ledge. On all inspiration Manners, after the first start of surprise, nodded to the face, and smiled. Then, as the man still looked dubious, lie pointed to the papers on the desk, and to the open safe, as if to show that he was at work. And still the man looked in, and looked all round, without moving. Manners pointed to thfl door, and made a sign that he would let the man in; he was trapped, and there -s nothing else for it. The constable seemed satisfied, and dropped down to the ground. Manners looked round quickly for a moment, and then, opening a drawer in the desk, took out that revolver he had once before handled, and slipped it into his breast pocket. It might come to the that, perhaps, after all, he thought. He opened the outer door, keeping his coat buttoned about him; and found the con- stable standing there, bulky and immovable, and certainly suspicious. There was a little chain hanging at his breast, and Manners knew that at the end of that was a whistle, which could in a moment bring men hurrying from every direction. Nevertheless, he must try, if possible, to get rid of the man. "You startled me, constable," he said, in a voice lie strove hard to keep steady. "I'm "working late--oyertime, you know. I've got a lot of things to set straight." "That's all right, sir," said the man, still looking at him stolidly. "Only we 'ave to be careful, you know. I think I'll 'ave a look Tound, if you don't mind." "By all means," said Manners, stepping back for the man to enter. He closed the door, and led the way into the inner office the constable, in a non-committal sort of way, followed him, and looked round. "Making yourself comfortable, I see," he -said. "Might I ask if you 'appen to be the guv'nor—or one o' t he clprk; "I—I'm one of the clerks," said Manners. "They're winding up things here, you know, and the work's been tremendous." "This is the office, if I remember right, of the gentleman that came a cropper an' com- mitted suicide—ain't it?" asked the con- stable, looking round with renewed interest. "Rodnev Manners, I think, was the name." "That was the name—Rodney Manners," answered Manners. "And so you-one of the clerks, sir, I may say-you come up ere to finish work en Sun- day afternoon, an' ave a go at the guv'nor's cigars. Sort of when the cat's away—eh? Only in this case," his face broadened into a grin at his own humour—"in this case the cat 'appens to be dead." "Yes. I have been helping myself," said Manners, "and very good they are, too, Have one? He held out the box, "nd the constable, after shifting from one foot to the other a little uneasily, and even glancing at the win- dow, took one in a vcrv lartrr hand. "Have another," said Manners. So the constable took another. "i'11 smoke em later, thank you, sir," he observed, put- ting them with great care into an inner pocket. "I thought I'd just 'ave a look round, so as to make sure all was ight; we've got to be so careful in a place like the City." The man did not seem inclined to go, and Manners began to fidget, and to wonder how this thing was going to end. At any moment the mind of the man might leap to some more startling conclusion, and it might be a matter for that revolver after all. A thought occurred to him, and he strolled across carelessly to a cupboard, and opened it, and took out a decanter and a glass and a syphon. That action probably saved him for the moment, for a double reason; it served to mollify the constable, and at the same time to show that worthy man Manners' extraordinary familiarity with the place and all it contained. "The guv'nor's whisky, I suppose, sir," he said, as Manners poured out a stiff third of a tumbler and dashed in a little soda. "Well -ere'.s 'ealth, sir." He had got the tumbler to his lips, and was actually tilting back his head, when he stopped, looking across the top of it at Man- ners very slowly he lowered the glass, and held it in his hand. Manners felt himself swaying a little, for a sound had floated to his ears that was something more than start- ling. Someone at the outer door was striving to fit a key into the lock with much fumbling and noise. There, in the silence of the office, as they stared at each other, Manners and the constable could hear the scraping of feet as someone moved about impatiently and peered at the lock. "That's rum," said the constable, looking Bteadilv at Manners. "We seem to be busy here this even in' He took the precaution of finishing- his drink; leaned forwa-rd stiffly, and set the glass down on the desk. Manners wetted dry lips, and did some hard thinking. 1 his was certainly something he had not antici- pated. As it happened, the constable was not at all suspicious of Manners it was only the extraordinary combination of circum- stances—two surprises at once, as it weri- that had upset him. "I wonder what that is," said Manners quietly. "It really looks, constable, as if after all you're going to be busy. Some one is really breaking in, I'm afraid." "We shall 'ave to see about that," said the man, turning towards the door. "I'll just 'ave a look, and 6urprise 'em, whoever they are. You be good enough to keep still, will you ? Manners stood still t]>er<; in the office, gripping the desk, and waiting and listening. The constable strode to the door, and passed out into the outer office; Manners very quickly slipped to the door after him, and stood I gripping the lintel of it, still listening. In the utter silence of the place he could hear those ineffectual attempts to make the key work in the lock; he could hear the slow, heavy breathing of the constable standing just within the door. And then suddenly the door was thrown open, and the burly form of the constable filled it. and faced that some- one who had been trying to get in. "And wot may you 'appen to -,vaDt? demandc-d the policeman calmly. For a moment there was silence whoever was outside was too astounded to speak. Then a stuttering, halting voice exclaimed: "I—I've been trying to get in. This infernal key won't work." Manners knew that voice. The man was Murdoch Slade. He caught his breath, and looked round quickly there was no other way out of the place. To have attempted to raise the window—too heavy almost for one man to move—would have been to court certain disaster; he could only wait the j turn of events. Murder was not in his j heart, but he gripped the revolver, and slipped it to an easier place in the Docket of his overcoat. J "And who may you be. I should like to ■ know, that wants to get in 'ere on a Sunday: evenin'?" asked the constable. "There seems to be quite a lot of you about wantin' to get in 'ere." 1(,, t of is?" "A lot of us?" said Slade iiii a puzzled voice. "I don't understand what you mean. I can give you my card, if you want it. I've simply come down here, where I have been for the past day or two, to look over some papers. In some fashion or other I have got hold of the wrong keys, and I couldn't get in. But what are you doing here?" The constable was puzzled. Murdoch Sladc was obviously a gentleman, well dressed; moreover, he had made no attempt to run away. He stood with a bunch of keys in his hand, holding them out rather j helplessly towards the constable. This be- < came more than ever a matter to inquire into. The constable turned about a little j helplessly, and looked towards the inner office. "Well, I can't make it out," he said peevishly. "There's another of you in 'ere, going through the papers, an' 'aving the safe open an' what not; p'raps you'd better talk to 'im." "I'll talk to anyone that's here," said Slade aggressively, and stepped into the outer oÜiee. Now, the constable, in passing out, had pulled the door nearly shut behind him, and against that door Manners had been stand- ing. The moment he knew that the two men were coming in he made two springs, which landed him noiselessly at the and switched off the light; two more springs took him back to his place at the door. He flung the door open just as Slade with the constable came to it; and the constable stepped in, only to give an exclamation of surprise at finding the place in darkness. Manners stepped quickly through, and so came face to face with Murdoch Slade. In sheer desperation he struck in the semi- darkness full at the man, so that Slade reeled and fell over a stool, and went down with a crash. In a moment Manners was at the outer door, and had slammed it after him, and was racing for dear life and liberty through the court. The constable inside the room had some difficulty in finding the door, and when lie did had to wrestle for a moment or two with a frightened and infuriated man, who was no light weight, and who mistook him for his assailant. After that they had to find the outer door, and between them fumble for the lock; and after that to get into the court outside. So that by the time whistles were blowing and constables were hurrying from all directions, a clean-shaven man, re- spectably dressed in a long overcoat, was strolling comfortably along several streets away, with a cigar in the corner of his mouth, and with no one to know that his heart was beating hard enough to choke him. It had been a mere impulse on the part of Murdoch Slade to visit the office that evening. So much an impulse, in fact, that he had not even brought with him the bu-si- ness bunch of keys that had come into his hands he carried, as he thought, that small bunch of private keys that had belonged to Rodney Manners. Whereas, as we know, he really had with him those belonging to Hester Wake. For a long time after the blowing of the whistles had brought con- stables from all directions to the office, Murdoch Slade, with a damaged face, sat there thinking about the matter, and won- dering who it was that could possiblv have gained an entry to that place, and ]WYC bad th", keys with which to do it. The con- stable's description of a clean-shaven man in a long overcoat conveyed nothing to the mind of Murdoch Slade. Finally, as there was nothing to be done, he gave some neces- sary gratuities to the constables who had hurried there for nothing: declared, for purposes of his own, that the intruder had certainly not stolen anything, and declined to have the matter reported. He went off 'home, with a moody mind working round ( every point of the affair except the right one. As a matter of fact. the mind of Murdoch Slade worked slowly and v--th difficulty; he was not quick at jumping at right conclu- sions. In fact, he had a^ially reached his chambers (Overlooking the Green Park be- fore the mere fact of putting his key in the lock reminded him of a certain episode con- cerning other keys; he uttered an exclama- tion, and clappcd his hand to his forehead, as the remembrance swept over him of the borrowing of bunches of keys by Hester Wake on the previous day. W He went into his .rooms with a thoughtful face, and laid on a table the bunch of keys with which he had tried to enter the office that evening, and looked them over carefully. Hester Wake!" he whispered to himself at last. If it is possible that she changed the keys, with what purpose did she do it, and who was the man who knocked me down in the dark. He could get in easily enough, and evidently, from what the con- stable said, and from the condition in which we found the office, knew his way about. A clean-shaven man with a long overcoat." He got up and walked about the room, striving in vain to put that puzzle together. What had Hester Wake to do with a man who was an utter stranger— a man with a clean-shaven fice- He broke off again, to turn quickly, and grip at the table, breathing hard. There nad been a clean-shaven man, who had risen up out of certain bushes at the edge of the grounds in the country a night or two be- fore-a man round whom the dog of the dead Rodney Manners had jumped and frolicked. The thought was so horrible, and so hair-raising, and so altogether beyond the bounds of ordinary human possibilities, that Slade found it necessary to move across swiftly to a window and throw it open, and get a breath of air. After a little time he sat down at a table and wrote a note to Boyd Litchfield; sent it across the Park by his man-servant. The note must have been urgent, for Boyd Litchfield came hurrying and breathless; moreover, he cried out at sight of his friend's damaged face: "My dear, good friend, you've met with an accident," he exclaimed. Sit down, and don't chatter," retorted Slade, a little savagely. "I want you to look at that bunch of keys, and tell me if you've ever seen them before, or to whom they belong." Wonderingly and doubtfully Boyd Litch- field picked up the bunch of keys, and turned them over; shook. his head over them. I don't think I've ever seen them," he said, slowly. Stop a bit, though," he cried out, selecting the longest key, this looks* rather like a latch-key." Have you your own latch-key with you ? asked Slade. Without replying, Litchfield drew out that little bunch of three keys that had proved useless to Hester Wake, and laid one of the keys beside that longest one on the mys- terious bunch. As the two excited faces bent over them, each man gave a little faint exclamation; the keys matched perfectly. It's the same as my latch-key," ex- claimed Boyd Litchfield.' And belongs to Hester Wake," answered Slade. When she borrowed my keys yes- terday, in order to open some precious box, the key of which she was supposed to have bent and rendered useless, she did a little quick exchange, and took away the keys be- longing to Rodney Manners. I didn't sus- pect, and with the longest of these keys I tried this evening to get into the ofifce. Someone who had the original keys had fore- stalled me, and was there already." Who was it?" demanded Litchfield, staring at him with wide-opened eyes. How the deuce should I ex- claimed Slade, savagely. It was a man- and a man quick enough to elude a burly City constable and to give me this little mark." He pointed to his eye. So far as we know, a stranger who had the keys and got clear away. What I want to know is, what is Hester Wake doing to be assisting some stranger to get into that office?" "But suppose it was an accident; sup- pose she didn't mean to change the keys at all?" suggested Litchfield. "And suppose it was only some clerk, who had got hold of a key, and, knowing the muddled state of everything at that office since its owner's death, wa-s taking advantage of that fact to rob the place? Murdoch Slade looked thoughtful. There's something in what you say," he said, slowly. But I confess I don't like the turn events are taking. And another point occurs to me; whoever hag that bunch of keys is able to get into Rodney Manners' rooms; they are hiB private keys, and I ■' I don't see what you're driving at," said Litchfield, watching the other man intently. I'm driving at this," said Slade, seating himself on the table, and ticking off his points on his fingers. There's a con- spiracy of some sort, of which we know nothing; and those keys in the wrong hands may have extremely unpleasant consequences for us. Suppose"—he lowered his voice, and looked round quickly—"suppose some- one, some friend of Rodney Manners, has got hold of certain information that you and I only know concerning our little scheme, and, working in the dark, has secured these keys, and has gone down to the office to find out what he can. I've heard of a man be- fore now working to clear the memory of a dead friend, and to set him right with the world. I tell you, Litchfield, I don't like it." "What about those rooms of his?" whis- pered Litchfield after a pause. "I don't know anything about them; I haven't been near them. But one thing is certain; I'm going there to-night. If there is anyone there they've got to face me; I'll get to the bottom of this mystery, or I'll know the reason why. By the way," he added quickly, "where is Hester Wake?" "She had not returned when I came away, which was rather strange for her," said Litchfield. "I wish you'd take those keys," said Slade, pointing to them with a grin, "and when you next see Miss Hester Wake present them to her with my compliments. If you're careful you may catch from her expression or what she says whether she knows anything of this business or not." (To be Continued.)
TOO TIRED TO GROW. I
TOO TIRED TO GROW. I It is said that some persons are bora tired; this would also apply with equal force, it would seem, to some plants. For instance, it is alleged that, after growing for ten years, the Japanese Cypress, the Peter Pan of the horticultural world, only reaches the size of a golf-ball. Exhausted with this tremendous effort, the next ten years see it increase only by a fraction, when it practically stops growing alt-o- gether. This dwarf member of the botanical com- munity is ever green and lasting, and was di-covered bv the world's" laziest gardener, who produced it by crossing the two slowest growing plants he could find. In the Odontonia corola there is a strain of laziness. This latest orchid plant has lately blossomed after five years of assiduoue care. Perhaps one of the most extraordinary dis- coveries in regard to plants is that they are conscious of wireless messages. Experts who have been experimenting in the matter de- clare that plants receive and. make a re- sponse to wireless messages, and that the response can be detected by the newer elec- trical instruments. In the r ir future we shall perhaps be re- warded (if our enterprise is persistent enough) with a wireless message from the mignonette or a telegram from the tulip!
A FLORAL CLOCK. I
A FLORAL CLOCK. I A very interesting floral exhibit can be seen in a glasshouse at the Botanical Gar- den just outside Paris. It is a clock com- posed entirely of growing plants in the form of a large circular flower-bed with twelve divieons. one for each hour of daylight. In each division a certain plant is growing, and 60 precisely has the selection of suitable plants been made that it is possible to tell the time of day by the opening of any one flower. The origijaator claims that a botanist can tell the time by this means to within a few minutes. In Brazil there is a variety of magnolia which, for a few weeks in the year, opens and closed at the same hour every day, regardless of both light and temperature. Certain of the natives, who know neither clocks nor watches. invariably gauge the time by this flower. The Paris wonder consists solely of flowers common to European countries, and it will afford horticulturists an interesting hour in deciding which varieties are used. ————
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With deeper boring the oil flow at Hards- toft, near Chesterfield, has considerably in- creased. Lord Inverclytfce was buried in the family vault near Castle Wc-myss, Firth of Forth. The remains were carried on a gun-carriage drawn by the crew of the late peer's yacht. A street market has been opened by the I Oxford Trades Council. There is now a municipal market at Southgate.
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Hungary's new Government is tottering. Ellen Terry has been ordered complete rest. Wood Green Council will buy an army hut and use it as a national restaurant. Gold flake cigarettes sell ior 6d. each in So-uth Germany. Viscount and Viscountees Cave have sailed for South Africa. Lord Jellicoe has arrired in New Zealand. Mr. Hoover, Allied food chief, is in Vienna. Dail Eireann (Sinn Fein Parliament) is in secret session in Dublin* September 4 has been fixed for the Braemar Gathering. Sir Donald Maclean last session spoke 90 times on 60 different subjects.
SHOPS ON WHEELS. i
SHOPS ON WHEELS. i We all know the lorribuses (omnibuses made out of converted lorries), and now we are to have lorrishops. The big shops are finding out that they have not only got to attract customers, but they have got to get in touch with their customers and take their goods to them as much as possible. A scheme is on foot to bring into existence what have been called "lorrishops." Iron. mongers and oilmen have for many years travelled round with carts which contain a large variety c: pots and pans and kitchen utensils generally, and the idpa is being extended to grocers and other tradesmen. The new mobile emporium will contain a selection of the tradesman's goods, arranged in such a way that the housewife can see what the travelling shop has to sell and make a selection from them, receipting her goods at once. Within, therefore, another twenty years, it is pretty safe to assume that such things will move on wheels.
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Mr. Brace, M.P., president of the Welsh Miners' Federation, has issued a warning to miners that resistance of the payment of income-tax, which they threaten, consti- tutes an act of rebellion. Gen. Pershing has been decorated by the King- of Italy with the Grand Cross of the Military Crder of Savoy.
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Report that Allies seek to establish great Roman Catholic state in Central Europe is silly and sensational," says a Bavarian official denial.
PENSION PROBLEMS: HOW TO SOLVE…
PENSION PROBLEMS: HOW TO SOLVE THEM. By AN EXPERT. The Human Side of the Matter—Those Printed Forms—But the Work Couid Not be Done Without Them-Sympathy at the Back of Things, but no Agency Can Put a Kind Heart Into Everybody—A Note for Married Disabled Officers. FREE ADVICE TO OUR READERS. The other day I had a long conversation about ex-Service men with an ex-ofticer who has the interes., of the men very much at heart. He developed the theory that any sense of grievance that may arise will always remain of insignificant consequence so long as the Boys feel that the officials who are handling their cases think of them and try to treat them as human beings, and not as cases. » # The 80klierwith whom I had this very in- teresting talk had evidently come up against the very thing I had rebelled against when I first took up the study of questions rela- ting to the interests of the disabled and the demobilised—the nasty feeling that official forms give one at the outset. When the heart is filled with all sorts of feelings about one's position, it is &^newhdft of a jolt to be just confronted svrth a printed form—suggestive of all sorts of impersonal operations of the law. "I've been wounded for my country," says the heart, "I want to hear what a human voice belonging to the Government has got to say about the diffi- cult and trying position in which I now tind myself. # # That state of mind is natural. Men who answered the call and who were di.-<abled in the work of combating the threat against our liberties want the warm hand-clasp, as well as the earefully assessed pension or gratuity due to them for the degree of their disability. And if euch pension or gratuity tarries longer than they think it should do, there is, in consequence, a sense cf grievance. ° # • Ah, those forms! That apparently cold legal procedure has given many fellows des- pair I know Still well. And as the best laid schemes of men, in their carrying out, are sometimes apt to go a little astray, I fear there is sometimes bound to arise, here nnd there, a feeling in the breast of some man that the country is not giving him the square deal. No one with a knowledge of the facts can deny that such a state of things has occasionally occurred. To put this matter in a nntshell, I think it is that the Boy asks, somewhat sceptic- ally, "Does a human heart beat anywhere behind these printed forms fwith which I am bothered?" As one who has met ull and conditions of men and woanou who arc concerned with the welfare of ex-Service men, I can truthfully say that tho people who brave to use the- forme are imbued with very real sympathy with the men who have suffered disability in the country's service, and for the dependents of those who have paid with their earthly life, the price -tuse 4 freedom. iilit of their faith in the cause of freedom. But there are so many pensioners and potential pensioners that it would be i:njK>ible to conduct an individual them. Even to attempt this plan would be to delay the is-stic, of pensions to an extent altogether intolerable. *La-st week, I gave you an approximate figure of the mimkr of me*, women, and children with whom the Ministry of Pensions have to deal as ever two millions. I put the qtleetioll to you— how could all these caees be dealt with expeditiously except by means of printed forms? If you think of it, even for a moment, you will see that theM is no altern- ative procedure. As to tht, unsympathetic attitude of here and there a local officizl- I am afraid that is a fact of human nature we all have to encounter sometimes, even in our family circle and among our friends and acquaintances. Kind hearts arc more plentiful than coronets, thank goodncx-s, hut no one has yet discovered the meaIL of put- ting a kind heart into every human breast. » At one time and another I ha-ve heard vour welfare discussed by people from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Pen- sions downwards to members of local War Pensions Committees and members cf the public, and the same note of sincere feeling and intention sounded throughout all their irtterances. As things stand in this world, however, we are all obliged to cut our gar- ment in accordance with the size of our cloth. Even then, for 0114 reaeou or an- other, the style of garment may rot always be to our liking, but the intention to give us a good suit of clothes, so to s peak, is there The recently announced increases ill pensions (which, to me, seemed tin impos- sible thing to secure in view ot the state of our national finances) are, to my mind, one more indication that the Government are determined to go on doing all that is humanly possible for the disabled and the dependents of aliose wli-o paid the great price. < < Now, a word or two especially -'or I the boys who have come out of the great strug- gle/ unimpaired by their war service yet conscious of new points cf view of a dis- turbing character. The truth stands clearer to-day than ever it did that unless Tom from the factory, Jim from the shop, and Harold from the 'varsity had come forward to fight the enemy of freedom, this dear land of ours would soon have become a vassal state to Germany. The Prussian autocra-cy which would have ruled u-, amongst other things would not have ad- mitted the right of workers to combine effectively in their own trade interests. All of us strained every nerve in our several ways to ward off that danger. Except in the case of t hose who incurred phvsical dis- ability, nothing is offered us in the nature of a reward for having done our duty: for the war gratuity is only paid to those who actually saw service. All were struggling to maintain the integrity of hearth and home and all that British citizenship means —and British citizenship means the freest liberty eveir accorded to the inhabitants of any country. < < It should be noted that the Special Grants Committee's regulations have been extended, and that the Committee are pre- pared to consider applications from married disabled ofifcers for supplementary allow- ances in respc-ct of their children if there are circumstances which would justify special treatment and there is disproportion between present and pre-war income, not- withstanding that their disability has been assessed at less than 50 per cent. Applica- tions—which should give the grounds on which an allowance is claimed—should bo made to the Secretary, Special Grants Com- mittee (Officers' Branch), Ministry of Pen- sions, Millbank House, Westminster, Lon- don, S.W.I. Our Pensions Expert is anxious to sesisfe eailors and soldiers and their wives and de- pendents in dealing with intricacies of the War Pensions System. Address your queries to Pensions Ex- pert," c/o Editor of this paper. All essen- tial facts should be stated as briefly as pos- sible, such as name, number, rank, regi- ment of soldier, name and rating of sailor, particulars of families and separation al- lowance and (in inquiries concerning civil liabilities) pre-war or pre-enlistment in- come, pre.sent or war income, and full lia- bilities. Do not send any documents, birth certificates, or discharge papers, etc. Will correspondents please make a point of sen iing their regimental number, rank, name, and regiment?
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Danger of a general strike in Belgium has been removed by the establishment of a minimum wage of 8 francs a day. Of 20 new Lincolnshire magistrates, 12 are farmers. Two are Labour representa- tives, this being the first time Labour men have been appointed in the division.
o if -THIS -WEEK -IN THE -GARDEN.…
o if THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN. I "Fruits that blossom first will first be ripe.Otbello. A Crocks.—Several crocuses flower in an un, heated greenhouse during January. Th., most reliable and cheaper to purchase are. biflorus, white striped; Sieberi, purple; chy- santhus, yellow; Imperati, violet, lawn und blaek. Place si x bulbs in a 3iiii. wide pot and eight to ten in a 5in. wido size. Begonias from Leaves.—Choice varieties of the begonia can be increased by cutting the tubers after starting and inserting young growths. The, two operations ar* often neglected at the proper time. and it is not until they are in flower that propa- gation is thought about. 3Jany are ignorant that propagation can be effected by leaves. Now is the best time to do this. Fill one or more shallow boxes with fibre or well-de- cayed leaf-soil and sand in equal propor- tions. Remove the leaves with foot stalks attached, and insert them in the compost. After-treatment consists in keeping them moist and somewhat close in a warm corner, if you have no propagator. Avoid damp, and when autumn comes, tiny tubers will have formed. Then when the leaves decay withhold water, and store carefully in dry fibre, sand, or chaff. Gladiolus.—The early-flowering gladioli bloom in a heated greenhouse during April, and a few weeks later in an unheated struc- ture. Use ordinary light, lcsmy potting soil, placing six to eight bulbs in a Gin. wide pot. Among numerous varieties the follow- ing four are distinct and reliable: Ardens, scarlet; Blushing- Bride, white, tlotclied rosy crimson; Colviilei albus, pure white; and Peach Blossom, pale salmon-pink. If required for cutting, grow the bulbs in boxes. The spikes list well in water and the buds continue to expand even when cut. Arum Lily.—Now is the time to consider the potting of the arum lily. An early start is desirable, otherwise growth will be lite and the flowers will appear long after Christmas. Use a rich compost of turfy loam, leaf-mould, dried cow manure, and coarse sand. Shake most of the old soil from the roots, and detach the thin suckers. These can be placed in smaller pots if in, creased stock is required. Some cultivators still cling to the old species Africana, or Aethiopica. It is, however, much better to cultivate one of the selected varieties, the Godfrey or Childsiana, for instance, which has larger blooms and flowers more freely. < » Figs.-The growths on wall trees should be secured in position where there is space for them. Strong-growing side shoots may be cut out, but too many young growths must not be cut away or there will not be sufficient to carry the' crop another year. If the trees sufficient the weather is dry, give the trees sufficient moisture, or the fruits will be small and 01 poor flavour. ? Re-potting Calla Lilies.—Where thes-6 lilies have been kept in pots they should to re-potted. The same pots will serve if cleaned out. After turning them out of their pots and removing the crocks, shake awav practically all the old soil from the roots, place a good quantity of crocks in the bottom of the pots, and cover with pieces of [ turfy loam. Then re-pot the plants, using a compost of fibrous loam and leaf-soil, and liberal quantities of sand and rotted manure. After potting, stand the plants under a north fence for a few weeks, and water carefully. Any planted in the open should also be lifted and placed in pots. These will have made a lot of roots, which should not be disturbed more than possible, "so that pots sufficiently large enough should be used for them. < Aprioota.U the fruits of these ripen they should be carefully gathered. When allowed to remain too long upon the trees they quickly decay. If required for preserv- ing choose the smaller fruits, well-coloured but not quite ripe. Strawberries—Clear up the old beds that are to remain another year at once. All runners should be cut off and the longest of the old litter removed. Take away all large weeds and burn them. Afterwards hoe be- tween the rows and leave the ground neat and tidv. < Grapes Colouring .-It is at this period that the grapes will need special attention. Ventilation must be more liberal, and dur- ing hot weather it may be necessary to shade slightly. Give ample supplies of water, and in the early stages of colouring use weak liquid manure, but not when the process has become advanced. • » Wasps end Fruit.-Wasps will play havoc with ripening fruit of nearly all kinds un- less measures are taken against them. The old plan of hanging bottles of sweetened beer in the trees is little trouble, and will destroy many of them, but the best plan is to find the nests and make an end of these. It is possible to get rid of numbers by pour- ing gas-tar into the entrances of the nests or by the use of cyanide of potassium. • Asparagus Beds -If the weather con- tinues to be dry give newly-made beds copious supplies of water or following a heavy rain use liquid manure with a free hand. Vegetable Marrows.—Cut all as soon as they are Of a fair size. If a few are allowed to ripen, they tax the energy of the plant to such an extent that they seriously limit further production. Chrysanthemums.—The buds on plants grown for large blooms are now eagerly sought for. The beginner should consult a popular handbook on chrysanthemum cul- ture for information respecting what is described as the "timing of the buds." Liquid manure and a prepared fertiliser dusted on the surface during rain are bene- ficial at this season. Remore suckers at the base, keep the surface fpoe of weeds, and lightly stir the soil. • Future Planting.—Take note now as t& future requirements; what land can be spared or utilised for fruit, what sorts are unsuitable, and those which appear likely to give satisfaction. For bushes it may be possible to get the soil into condition by deep digging and rather heavy manuring. • Celery.—Allow no risks with this import tant crop. Keep the soil moist, and after a hot day well water the tops through a fine- rosed can. Examine the hearts of the plants for green fly, and. where detected, spray with one of the well-kno-wn remedies. • • • Winter Greens on Poor Soil.—As soon as these are well established give weekly soak- ittgs of water and liquid manure. A light sprinkle of nitrate of soda between cabbages intended for early winter use will hasten growth and improve the quality. • • Lettuce for Winter.—A sowing should be made now to provide strong plants for the warm border or frame next winter. Among the cos varieties Bath Brown still holds its own, whilst All the Year Round is the most widely-grown variety in the cabbage sec- tion. Sow on rich soil aDd water well. < Peas.—Gather all pods as soon as they are really tit. A few days too long in the haulm just now may spoil the appearance of the best pods which, of course, considerably lessens their chances when exhibited. Cut pods intended for show with a pair of scis- sors, and handle them as little as possible. Store with the end of the stalks in water in the coolest place. » » Manures for Tomatoes.—Outdoor plants should now be carefully attended to. Those which have set a heavy crop should have loz. of nitrate of soda added to the liquid manure. Should many fruits have yellow patches, water twice a week with muriate of potash, loz. to h gallon. A light sprinkling of 6-h manure, well stirred intc the soil, has a wonderful effect upon the swelling and ripening of the fruit.
LUCK—WHAT IS IT?
LUCK—WHAT IS IT? Luck is one of those indefinite things which those of us who fail to possess refuse to believe in, whilst those who are fortunate enough to be blessed with it invariably attribute to it their good fortune. Indi- vidual luck is not the sort that you can buy for a penny upwards at any fancy-goods shop, however. There is an instance where one woman, whose personal life has not been strikingly fortunate, is an infallible "luck-bri:iger" tc other folk-especially where trade and money are concerned. If she takes her cus- tom to a shop on the verge of bankruptcy, or goes to stay at an unpopular seaside boarding-house, the luck of the place will begin to turn—facts* which have happened too frequently to be set aside as mere coinci- dences. Again, there is an actress, too, for whom things always go right when she wears scarlet somewhere about her dress, and pearls. Periodically she "follows her luck," and at such times is successful; but her success hitherto has been spasmodic, and concurrent with the times when she has worn scarlet and pearls. Strange it may be, but it if said to be quite true. Of course, it is useless to try and explain such things. Possibly the unimaginative who say that such "luck" is all the outcome of folk thinking they can do things under certain conditions may be nearer the truth than we guess; anyway, their explanation will suffice. Nevertheless, if 6cemilicr miracles become thus matter of fact, it is worth while to let luck come and live with you.
OIL FUEL.
OIL FUEL. The various troubles between the miners and the capitalists prompt one to think of the high price of coal and the prospects of it becoming dearer still. This has brought about a big demand for oil fuel. It is now cheaper to use oil fuel in ships and fac- tories than it is to use coal. Perhaps be- fore long we shall be using it in our homes too. It has been proved that oil is not only cheaper than coal, but it is cleaner and less trou ble. It is ever so much easier to transport and to supply to engines. A few feet of tubing and a main line express engine, for example, can take in GOO gallons of oil fuel in from four to five minutes. Factories using oil have no tall chimneys, no piles of ashes, no tedious shovelling of coal into the furnace. Just a few pipes, that's all. In fact, with oil the grimy coal- stokers can be replaced by girls in spotless white cap., and aprons. Kow when shall we have oil fuel at home?
THE POULTRY YARD (fjj Helpful…
THE POULTRY YARD (fjj Helpful Hints for "Backyarders." By "COCKCROW." [{)] It is hardly necessary to say that change of ground for chickens is as beneficial to growing Lirds as change of air for poultry- keepers. You could not very well take the fowls with you when you went to the sea- side for a month with the children, and if you could they would proba bly have been iione the better for it; but you can always, at least, see that they are frequently given fresh ground to neck at and to explore. This call be done quite easily where thepe is room enough, by simply moving the chicken coops from one spot to another. It is an excellent and a necessary thing, if you would have the birds keijt in health and strength. ¡ TURN UP THE SOIL. If you have plenty of room there is no difficulty in giving the chicks a fresh ground floor every day if you desire to do so; but many poultry-keepers who have only a run in the back-yard, and not a very big one, cannot give their birds this ad- vantage. They can, however, do something in that direction. They can turn up the soil in the run every two or three weeks. It will be nothing more than a pleasant bit of exercise for the back-yard poultry-keeper after he comes home in the evening or on Satuiday afternoon to -take a spade and dig up the ground. The offensive matter will be buried out of sig-ht and out of smell, and the birds will benefit by the scent of fresh, clean earth, and will enjoy themselves peck- ing at it, and making all sorts of interest- ing discoveries in it. The turning up of the new earth will. of course, bring to the sur- face mai.y worms and insects, and in these the fowls will take a very affectionate in- terest. The back-yarder who puts himself to a little trouble in order to give his fowls a treat of this sort will have his reward in the improved condition of his fowls. A NEW INTEREST IX LIFE. The benefit which will accrue to the birds will be brought about, partly, at any rate. in consequence of the fact that the turning over of the ground or the transfer of the coops to a new position, gives the birds an i n to think added interest in life. They begin to think this old earth is not such a bad sort of place after all, and they start exploring the JI new bit of it with zest. They get exercise J which is very beneficial to them, and they find a plentiful supply of new, fresh food cf a kind of which they are extremely fond. It is a custom among some breeders on the Continent to place coops and hen-houses on wheels, and to take them into the fields ■when any ploughing is going on. The birds follow the plough, and as the earth is turned ever they peck about and gobble up the worms and grubs which are thrown to the surface. This matter of breaking fresh ground for the fowls, whether growing or full-grown, is of considerable importance. and every poultry-keeper who has neglected it hitherto had better devote to it the first hour be can spare. BEAR THIS IN MIND. I I A useful tip to remember in the case of poultry confined in runs is that they must always be fed more generously than fowls foraging on a wide range. Fowls at liberty discover and eat seeds, green leaves, insects, grubs, worms, etc., as well as plenty of lime and grit. In place of the natural food which the foraging birds find for themselves, the fowls in confinement must be given some- substitute. Meat scraps, cooked meals, green food, grit, shell, and lime, must be provided regularly. A plentiful supply oi fresh drinking water; grain scattered among a quantity of clean, dry litter, are other essentials for the welfare of the poultry kept in confinement. Two meals a day, as a. rule, may be fed; but during very cold or wet weather a mid-day meal I may profitably be added to hhe daily bill ot fare. I GOOD LAYIXG. It is well-Tcnown that no hea which has really settled down to every-day laying ever spent much time in hunting for a nest; neither will she drop her egg in a roughly- made nest. She generally understands her business, and when the time comes on, knows where her nest is. She deposits her eggs, and is off a-gain hunting for more material wherewith to replace the waste and keep the working organs supplied. The nest is merely for sitters, not layers. People in general are too careless in their treatment of fowls, not realising, as they should, the nervous weakness that renders them im- patient of fright, or of a laei of nourishing food and drink. From these deficiencies injuries are often received that remain for life. Fowls soon recognise a strange counte- nance, or even a voice, and endeavour to flee or hide from sight. In doing this, bruises of the body or limbs occur that we do not observe, by which the fowl is ren- dered useless, or left in a suffering condi- tion. A little forethought or warning of danger often averts this evil. MOVABLE ROOFS. Some of our leading breeders have houses with movable roofs, and I think the idea is to be commended. It is a great advantage in hot weather to be able to raise the roof, provided that the house is in a naturally shady position. To let the full force of the sun strike down on the bir&' heaclb would be, of course, a mistake. It will not be long, I expect (says a writer in Farm Life long "), before most appliance-makers fit movable roofs to their houses. The changes that have been made in the construction of poultry houses during the last few years are very great. I have several houses that I bought 20 years ago which, by the side of the modern houses, look like prisons. The less fowls are imprisoned the better. In the poultry houses that were exhibited at the Royal Show at Cardiff last month I noticed what great s dvances had been made in the design generally. With very few exceptions they were all light and airy. The idea of movable roofs, however, has not yet perme- ated to any great extent. SILVER-GREY DORKINGS. There are few handsomer or more stately- fowls than the good old English Dorking, and no prettier colour than the Silver-Grev. Fowls very similar in characteristics to Dorkings were brought over to Britain by the Romans, of which the extra or fifth toe was even then a characteristic. The chief point in all the varieties of this breed (saya the same writer), is the large size, and the long, deep breast carrying an abundance of flesh. Silver-Grey Dorking chicks are some- what delicate on exposed grounds, but this is owing not to a defect in the variety, but through a certain amount of in-breeding- due to lack of freh blood: if therefore more breeders take them up, the vigour of the race is bound to improve. It is most im- portant to have the shanks and feet a clear white in colour and smooth in texture, whilst the fifth toe t-hould be absolutely dis- tinct from the fourth, be long and stand up as straight as may be, almost parallel with; the shajjks. The cock's hackles, back and nights must be as pure a white as possible, while the remainder of his plumage should be a sound black; his tail is very long, full: and flowing. The hen's plumage is a beauti- ful, soft, silver-grey, except the breast, which is almost salmon-coloured.