County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

I STRANGE & WONDERFUL I I UNIQUE LIGHTHOUSE. I The most extraordinary of all British light- houses is to be found on Arnish Rock, Storno- way Bay—a rock which is separated from the Island of Lewis by a channel over 500ft. wide. On this rock a conical beacon is erected, and on its summit a lantern is fixed, from which, night after night, shines a light which is seen by the fishermen far and wide. The way in which this lighthouse is illuminated is this. On the Island of Lewis is a lighthouse, and from a window in the tower a stream of light is pro- jected on to a mirror in the lantern on the summit of Arnish Rock. CARVED OUT OF SOLID GRANITE. I The forgotten and half-obliterated civilisa- tion of ancient Egypt has given us few more splendid evidences of its departed magnificence than the ruins of the sanctuaries at Abu-simel on the West bank of the Nile near Wady Haifa. in Nubia. Tha illustration shows two colossal | figures of Rameses II. at the northern entrance to the temple. There are two also at the southern entrance, but one has unfortunately been partially destroyed, and the head and shoulders lie on the ground at the base. They were carved out of the solid granite cliffs thir- teen centuries before Christ, and are 65 feet in height. It is almost impossible to describe the majesty and splendid dignity of these tremend- ous figures. To be truly appreciated they must be viewed. I A CURIOUS CROSS. Half-way between Foulbridge and Colne Church stands a curious old cross, locally known as the "Tailor's Cross," which tradition thus explains: When Cromwell's army was in the neighbourhood of Colne, being short of clothiers, the soldiers made a raid upon and captured all the tailors they could find. Amongst the prisoners was an ardent Royalist, who vowed he would never soil his fingers by mak- ing coats for the rebels. So the rough Crom- wellians, without more ado, shot the loyal tailor and placed over his grave a rough stone with scissors carved upon it as a warning to his brother "snips." The stone remains to this day, but "Tailor's Cross" is supposed to be a corruption of "Templar's Cross," and that it is a record of our forefathers' piety or of some devout pilgrim who erected it to mark a spot where an "Ave Maria" might be said by the wayfarers along the high road. It is more pro- bable that the old relic is a thirteenth century wayside weeping cross, twhere the corpse was rested on its way to burial in the churchyard at Colne. WONDER OF THE SEA. J Our picture represents a curious inhabitant of the ocean, which is often found floating at tke surface in warm seas, especially in the Mediterranean and off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. It is generally known as the Portu- guese man-of-war. It is interesting to natu- ralists fm the fact that it is structually a num- ber of polypes, of different degrees and develop- ment, and showing much division of labour. The largest is an air-sac, or vesicle, which floats on the surface, and bears a number of others clustered upon its underpart toward the broader end. A CLEVER DEVICE. I The following clever device is the way that I the natives of Liberia, in West Africa, who have no clocks, tell the time. They take the kernels from the nuts of the candle tree, and wash and string them on the rib of a 'palm leaf. The first or top kernel is then lighted. All the kernels are of the same size and sub- stance, and each will burn a certain number of minutes, and then set fire to the one next be- I low. The natives tie pieces of black cloth at regular intervals along the string to mark the division of time. Among the natives of Sin- gar, in the Malay Archipelago, another pecu- liar device is used. Two bottles are placed neck to neck, and sand is placed in one of them, which pours itself into the other every half-hour, when the bottles are reversed.

HOME HINTS. Carpets should be beaten on the wrong aide first and afterwards more gently on the right. Never put down a carpet on a damp floor, for this often results in the carpet be- coming moth-eaten. If vinegar is mixed with blacklead the latter will be found to give a much better polish when used on the kitchen stove. Put some sand or pebbles in the bottom of tall, slender vases when putting flowers in them. This will prevent them tipping over. Here is a. good way to use stale bread and butter. Spread half the slice with jam, cover with the other half, form into neat pieces, dip into batter, and fry in deep boil- ing fat. A paste of chloride of lime and water will be found useful in removing ink stains from silver or plated articles. It should be left on for a short time and then washed off with warm water. The hairbrush should have long, soft bristles that will go quite through the hair and remove every particle of dust, and must, above all things, be immaculately clean. A comb is rarely necessary if the hair is well brushed, but, when used, should be a coarse one. Mushroom Dish.—Fry some mushrooms un- til partly done and place them on hot toast. Pour some thick cream over, cover with a hot basin, and stand for five minutes in front of a fire. Scatter salt and pepper over just before serving. An easy method of mending a lace curtain in a hurry, until time can be spared for darn- ing it, is to cut a piece of net of a mesh as near a match to that of the curtain as pos- sible, dip it in boiled starch, and iron over the torn part until dry. Devonshire Junket.—Heat a pint of milk I till it reaches blood heat. Add three knobs of sugar, and a little vanilla flavouring. Then stir in very carefully a teaspoonful of rennet. Pour into a glass dish, cover with a cloth, and let it get cold. The best way to treat burns is to cover the injured part with a poultice of soap as thick as a shilling, so as to exclude the air. An application of flour or finely-ground starch dredged thickly on the burn may be used in an emergency. When a joint is to be re-cooked wrap it in thickly buttered paper, so as to keep it closely covered in the oven. By keeping the joint well covered, the steam will prevent the meat from becoming hard and dry, and the joint will get hot through in less time. Al- ways make some fresh gravy to serve with it. When very tarnished brass is to be cleaned take a small piece of good scouring soap, and dissolve it in a saucer with ammonia. Apply this to the surface with a soft brush; after- wards rub with hot cloths, and lastly polish with a leather. To Remove Blackheads.—Steam the face with boiling water and press the little black- heads out of the skin. Afterwards apply a skin food made of four ounces of rose-water, a drachm of zinc oxide, and a drachm of car- bonate of magnesia. This should be used constantly. Golden Bread.—Golden bread is a pudding that children like, and is easy to prepare. Beat an egg thoroughly and add to it half a pint of milk. Soak thin slices of stale bread in this, and fry them in fat. The bread is made wet through with this, but not sodden, then when it is fried it is golden yellow. The dripping left from roasting beef fries golden bread, and the egg and milk should be sweetened. Serve with sugar sifted over. Don't use mother o' pearl or any other buttons that will break or spoil in the wash when making cotton frocks. The best but- tons for this purpose are made of linen, em- broidered with coloured crewels that are easily made at home. Oranges and lemons should invariably be washed and the rinds brushed with a soft brush. Apart from the certainty that the fruit has passed through many doubtfully clean hands and receptacles, the specks often seen on the fruit, are stated to be of a para- sitic nature. Lemon Syrup.—Boil three pounds of loaf sugar with one and a half pints of water un- til the sugar is dissolved; when cold add one and a half ounces of crushed tartaric acid and two drachms of essence of lemon. Store in bottles and the syrup will keep for months. A tablespoonful of syrup to a tum- blerful of cold or aerated water will prove a refreshing drink. If any readers of this column have any diffi- culty in making use of pieces of old dried cheese they may find this useful. If only the housekeeper would grate the cheese on a coarse grater and store it in a glass bottle, it would prove a boon and a blessing. It may be used for sandwiches, between bread and butter or cream crackers, or for cheese pud- ding and fritters. When flavouring soup be careful how you use powdered spices, as they form a sedi- ment at the bottom of the plate and spoil the appearance. Whole cloves and other spices should be stuck into the vegetables while boiling. Long pepper is superior to ground, but it requires several hours' boiling. Swiss Traveller's Cake.—2oz. flour, lIb. cornflour, lIb. loaf sugar, 4oz. butter, 1 dessertspoonful Borwick's baking-powder, 4 eggs. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, then add the eggs well beaten, one at a time, add the flour, baking-powder, and corn- flour; beat ten minutes; flavour with almond or lemon; pour into a buttered tin, and bake for 1 hour. When ironing, the best thing with which to rub the irons is a fairly large pad of folded brown paper. This will also serve to test their heat. Besides this a cloth should be kept at hand on which to wipe off any I' flakes of soot or dirt. A small piece of wax is excellent for producing a gloss when rub- bed on the iron, and paraffin has the same effect also. Spots of an alkali nature are removed by moistening with vinegar or tartaric acid. To remove mildew, soak in buttermilk or lemon juice, and place in the sunshine. To remove grease spots from silk, wool, paper, or wood, cover the spot with powdered chalk or mag- nesia, then brown paper, and cover with a hot iron, not hot enough to burn. Let it I stand until cool. To make fly papers, melt some resin, and while soft add sweet oil or lard ta make it, when cold, about the consistency of honey. Spread this mixture on stout paper and place in convenient places. The paper will soon be covered with flies and can be burnt. Hashed Mutton.—Put the slices, peppered and salted, and with just enough of the gravy left from the day before to prevent them from burning, between two dishes in the oven until the meat is quite hot. Thicken the rest of the gravy, or stock made from the bones, with a little cornflour, add plenty of I jelly, and half a wineglassful of port wine; pour over the meat and serve. If the gravy is made from the bones, use a little browning to colour it.

I NOTES ON NEWS. An exceedingly important judgment, which will have a revolutionary effect on the ques- tion of religious education in our elementary schools, and may have an important bearing upon the present controversy over the Educa- tion Bill, has been delivered by the Court of Appeal, which held by two to one that Mr. Balfour's Education Act of 1902 contains no provision of any kind for making it obligatory on a local education authority to pay for reli- gious instruction in non-provided schools. There was no declaration that. such payment if made is illegal; merely a ruling in favour of the appellants (the County Council of the West Riding of Yorkshire) that they are not compelled to pay the teachers in non-provided schools for the time occupied in giving reli- gious instruction. This judgment will have a far-reaching effect. The sum and substance of it is that the local education authority has absolute discre- tion as to whether it will pay for distinctive religious teaching or not. In the light of the judgment the agitation against the Educa- tion Act in the last few years and much of the debates in the House of Commons .in the past Session seem to be one long drawn-out comedy of errors. This decision will probably not be without its effect on the progress of the Education Bill in the House of Lords when Parliament resumes in October. The new Bill contains an express provision forbidding a teacher to give distinctive religious teach- ing in a public elementary school. If the judgment of the Court of Appeal be upheld, this clause is unnecessary. The trade of the country continues to grow by leaps and bounds, and both our export and our import trades, at present, at any rate, show no sign of diminution. Our imports last month totalled £ 3.,867.836 in excess of the value in July last year, and were over 7! mil- lions more than the imports of the same month in 1904. The exports show even better results, the increase over last July being £ 5,621,911, and CS,659,380 over July, 1904. In the seven months our imports have risen by £ 31,299,367, and the exports by E30,509,206, the latter, as usual, having in- creased in greater proportion. The greatest improvement is in- manufactured goods. Iron and steel have increased by over four millions, cotton by five and a half millions, ships by nearly four millions, wool and machinery by over two millions each, and coal exports nearly three millions. At the present rate of increase the whole year's trade is likely to show an improvement of over a hundred mil- lions. Mr. Hugh Colin Smith, who is an ex- Governor of the Bank of England, declared at a meeting of the Bermondsey Municipal Asso- ciation that sorting dust-heaps was a healthy occupation, and told of the time, 100 years ago, when all the great physicians used to prescribe for the ladies of the West-end who suffered from weak lungs a course of visits to the dust-heaps of London, to stand over them and to breathe in the effluvia, because the gases emitted from decaying vegetable matter strengthened the chest. But whatever phy- sicians of a hundred years ago used to advise, one can hardly imagine Society women of the present day going down to Bermondsey and indulging in the scratching over the heaps. The sorters of dust-heaps may be a healthy lot, but the occupation is not one which would commend itself to the fastidious, and a medi- cal man stated that the accumulation of refuse means the accumulation of dangerous germs, and dust ie the worst, thing for the lungs. So the sanatorium with a dust-heap in the centre for afflicted residents, with pay- ing patients from other parts, which an alder- man humorously suggested, is not yet. Danger in the wedding-cake is the picture drawn by a writer in the Lancet," whose object is to draw attention to the practices, which he describes as disgusting and filthy," of blowing icing and other sweetstuffs upon bride-cakes and other ornamental pastry by means of tubes applied to the lips of the pastrycook. Dr. Morton, the writer, says that he quite recently came across a case where the man was suffering from disease of the mouth and throat. A famous firm of cake-makers, however, received the state- ment with incredulity. The only method known to them of carrying out the work was to use small paper bags, with a metal tube at the bottom. The icing was poured into the, bag, and then out at the end of the tube. So that, despite what. the Lancet says, we may eat our friends' wedding-cake without fear of catching dreadful diseases; but as to the indigestion which is likely to follow, that is quite another story. A danger, which is doubtless a very real one, is the tendencey to fly to ice the moment there comes a burst of hot weather. The statement as to the paralysing effect of the abuse of ice which came from t«e Paris Aca- demy is upheld by our own physicians. Apart from the danger of microbes, the ice is in- jurious to the teeth, the mouth, and the di- gestion. It is well known that Americans, by their great use of iced drinks, have done serious injury to their stomachs and incurred all the ills which follow impaired digestion. It is a most absurd theory, one well-known medical man says, that thirst can only be quenched in hot weather by extreme cold. The best way of quenching thirst is to drink a cup of hot, weak tea or hot lemonade. A sen- sation of heat will pass all over the body, but it is followed by a refreshing reaction of cool- ness. Many of the diseases from which chil- dren suffer are caused by the sucking of lumps of ice. The problem of how to live well on a vege- tarian diet for fourpence a day was solved by the experiment which was recently carried out at Bromley, but it has been reserved for the Isle of Wight Guardians to show how for 4!d. a day it is possible to feed men well on fish and flesh. Economy is not practised at the cost of the paupers, for the first principle is that every inmate shall have as much as he can eat, which is much better than parcelling out to each the amount allowed by the Local Government Board regulations. Contracts are placed with care, and the guardians get Better terms in consequence. The cost of maintaining an average of 318 inmates for the half-year ending Lady-day, 1905, was £ 1,660, while for this year 348 inmates had cost only £ 1,646. That the inmates had good food is evident from the list of dinners for the week, which included fish, beef, pork, mutton, hotch-potch, and stew. Some of our country guardians might well take a lesson from the Isle of Wight.

Mr. R. A. Hadfie'ld, presiding at the Iron and Steel Congress, said that unless in the not dis- tant future some very important source of iron ore was discovered it would be necessary to husband our ore supplies, or iron might some day be as dear as copper. Proposals relating to the telephone, tele- graph, and postal services between London and Paris, including a scheme to reduce present charges by one-half, are shortly to be submitted to a congress of British Chambers of Com- merce. Owing to the great heat the men of the 2nd West Yorks (Leeds) and Royal Engineers (Volunteers), in camp at Yarmouth, have been supplied with straw sun-hats.

GARDEN GOSSIP. Destroying Bindweed.—This is one of the most difficult weeds to get out of a garden, as every scrap of root will make a vigorous plant. Persistent hoeing, so as to cut the growth off about one inch below the surface, is excellent, but demands a full amount of perseverance. Monbretias.—In order to lengthen the spikes, flood the soil in which they grow with manure water. New and scarce sorts, growing singly or in small clumps, will require a short stick placed to each to str-ndy the sr-ike?. In la1;0 masses sticks are not required. It it is desired to raise seedlings, it is from those in pots that the best seeds are derived. Easily Made Shading.—Those who have not permanent roller blinds on their greenhouse or conservatory, will find a mixture of new milk and whiting, stippled on. answer well. The rains will gradually wash it off, but it lasts very nicely through the hot months. Planting Daffodils. — Where suacc can be found in borders of mixed plants or in shrub- beries, the home saved bulbs should be put in as soon as possible. They will, of course, "row well, even if the bulbs are kept out of the soil until November, but better flowers will be pro- duced if they are planted during the present or next month. The site chosen must be deeply worked, and if the soil is poor, well-rotted natural manure should be worked into the second spit, where it will not come in actual contact with the bulbs, which should be planted at least twice their own depth beneath the sur- face. Cinerarias. The earliest batch of plants should be ready for removal to their flowering pots, from five to seven or eight-inch size. Use a slightly heavier compost for the latest potting, but be careful not to make the soil in the pets too hard by ramming too heavily. The plants should be still treated to what are practically outdoor conditions, but should be shaded from hot sunshine. Annuals.—Where these are grown for spring flowering, a sowing of a suitable selection may De maae. bliene compacta, Clarkias, Sapona- rias, Limnanthes Douglasii, and Nemophilas are a few which will be found serviceable. The Silene will bear pricking out in nurserv rows for transplanting, but the others will be best sown where they are to flower. They are all suited during the winter by a rather dry situa- tion and a warm soil. Sow rather thinlv. and should the plants come up too thickly, thin out so that they may become sturdy and pass safely through the winter. Give water occasionally should a dry spell of weather be experienced Waterlogged Plants.—It is sometimes found that certain pots do not require water very often, the soil remaining constantly moist, even during hot weather. This condition is a danger signal, and must not be disregarded. Examine the drainage of such pots, and it it is found to be blocked forthwith rectify it. Where plants are allowed to remain for a few weeks in blocked up pots, the leaves quickly turn yellow, growls is arrested, and the newly formed buds become stunted. After putting the drainage right give clear water only for about one week afterwards. Chrysanthemums.—Of all plants grown by amateurs, these demand the most incessant attention, for from the time the cuttings are inserted until the blooms are at their best, there is always something crying out to be done. Apart from bud taking, watering is now the principal point of routine management, and no efforts should be spared to keep the plants pro- perly supplied with moisture at the roots but care must be taken not to get the soil sodden and sour. Occasional applications of liquid manure will be advantageous, but they must be neither too strong nor too frequent; the kind of food should be changed as frequently a, pos- -11 siDie. it tne plants nave not yet been top- dressed, they should be seen to at once, using a rich compost of loam, well rotted manure, leaf soil, and coarse silver sand, with a little' of some approved chemical fertiliser. Examine Edgings.—Where Chrysanthemums are growing on paths, the edgings of which are formed of Box Pinks and similar plants, it is a wise plan to thoroughly examine such edgings for the presence of earwigs. Carefully move the growths of Pinks, and gently tap the Box with a piece of stick, watching keenly at the same time for the enemy. Earwigs when first dis- turbed generally run away a few inches, and then remain perfectly still if they cannot find fresh cover, so that it may be wise to sweep the ground over with a tuft of long grass or straw near the edgings in order to disturb the insects again, and so make sure of capturing all. Another good plan is to procure some bean stalks, cut them into one foot lengths, and lay them on the ground alongside the pots of chry- santhemums. The earwigs will hide in the stalks, and if the latter are examined every day the plants may be kept fairly free. Also place a few faded flowers of Dahlias near the pots, and, from time to time, shake them over a pail ef water. Raspberries.—Get the old fruiting canes pruned from these as soon as time can be found for the work. Tie up loosely the young canes to their supports, thinning out those not needed for cropping next year. Remove weeds, and make the plantations neat and tidy. Morello Cherries.—Unless precautions are taken to thoroughly protect these, the birds will destroy the greater part of them, double fish netting is, perhaps, the best protection, but un- less this is made secure the birds will find an entrance. Grown on a north wall and protected, the Morello will hang a long time in good con- dition. Potatoes.—Lift these as the haulm ripens, and the skins of the tubers become firm and not easily removed by rubbing. Seed Potatoes should not be allowed to become too highly matured. They will most probably start into growth better after planting, if raised before they have become thoroughly ripened. » Celery.—The rows may be earthed up after a thorough soaking of water. Break down and place a small amount of soil around each plant. Give ample supplies of water to all the trenches during hot, dry weather. # Mulching Vegetables.—During the hot weather the importance of mulching cannot be over-estimated. When the surface soil cracks, moisture evaporates rapidly, and the roots of plants suffer considerably. Where light soils have to be dealt with, it is a good plan to create a dust mulch bv frequently hoeing to a depth of about It inches. Never allow cracks to form in hot weather; either hoe the surface or apply a mulch before they show. Various materials can be used for putting on as a mulch, but manure acts in a twofold manner, as it not only prevents undue evaporation and encourages surface roots, but feeds the plants as well. Grass cut from the lawn may lie used, but not cinders. These are too dry and heating, and ought not to be put on. Sometimes there is a heap of old soil which has been shaken off the roots of plants when the latter were potted, and forms a handy mulching material. < Orange Daisies.-Time was when the Orange Daisy, Erigeron aurantiacus. could only be ob- tained in one colour; now hybridists have given us a round dozen varieties, ransjinc from white through pretty shades of silvery yellow, old gold, and tints of bronze to orange. There is nothing difficult in their cultivation the only point worth noting is the necessity for select- ing the best colours for seed bearing, in order to keep the strain select. Particularly should those with small and neat centres be saved— the value of a composite is greatly enhanced by neat and close discs. The Orange Daisies are of no use as cut flowers, they flag too quickly, but are pretty indeed used near the margin of the plant border, or filling a rockery pocket where the soil is of good depth.

1; [ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.] For God and Labour. (THE STORY OF A GOOD WOMAN'S SIN.) BY C. HALL FEILDEN. AUTHOR OF A Good Man's Sin," When the Tempter Fails," &c., &c. CHAPTER XIV. STEPHEN BOND, THE CHAMPION OF LABOUR. As Grace left the Mill that night she experi- enced a heavy sort of feeling as though there was some impending trouble. "What did the manager mean by taking such an interest in her home affairs. And then the sarcastic remark about her father-and, still further, why should he question her about Stephen Bond? Could he possibly have known that the friendship which had existed between the two since childhood had so ripened and grown that at the present moment they were standing on the threshold of betrothal? And even if he did, what could that matter to him ?" As she looked up she saw the the subject of her thoughts approaching. Stephen Bond was a fine specimen of a Britisher —not too tall to excite attention, broad-shoul- dered, and with a massive chest and a head which would have done good service to a sculptor; fine, clear-cut features, a strong mouth, showing strong determination; firm, resolute eyes, which at times could look so tenderly upon one; a per- fect forehead, almost indicating phenomenal brain power within, and a profusion of coarse, dark, wavy hair. Such was Stephen Bond, whom the workmen of Blacktown looked upon to defend their rights. He was practically the youngest among them. Only twenty-two years had passed over his head but ever since the early days, when he had been able to think for himself, those years had been put to the best use. There was not a grain of idleness in the young man's composition. In- tuitively he felt that he was on the earth to do good to his fellow men. He had no desire to be led, but felt that he was a leader. There was no conceit attached to this conclu- sion that he had come to. It seemed natural that it should be so. The great human race and the 'great subject as to how the British workman was to be handled were problems which Stephen Bond intended to devote his life towards solving. As he approached the girl his face lit up, and there was a look of deep affection in his eyes, for, linked with that mission in life which he had set himself, was the girl who he prized so dearly. There was no romantic nonsense attached to Stephen's love-making. He was as honest and straightforward in that respect as he was in every other matter. "Well, Grace," he said, linking his arm in hers. "I heard you were brought before the great per- son this afternoon, which reminds me, I hope your father is better." "Oh, I don't think he is very ill, Steve," the girl replied, "he is only a bit out of sorts. But that man worried me. He is a dangerous indi- vidual, Steve." "I quite believe it," the other said. "I shall cross swords with him some day--I can feel that. It will be a hard tussle, too, my girl, but, as usual, I shall put my trust in right and justice— it always comes uppermost. He will sink into a very bad plight some day. We won't hasten it on, he will go quite soon enough, so long as he doesn't carry the game too far. We shall have to stand by and look on. But I am afraid that one of these times those honest fellows who are around us will get beyond my control. Already one or two of them are throwing out hints that I haven't come quite up to their expectation, and that I am treating matters too lightly. So long as they don't hint that I am in league with the other party, I don't mind, but if ever that sugges- tion comes to my ears my blood will be up in a. moment, and I will show them how Stephen Bond can lead them against tyranny when he thinks the time is ripe." "Hush, Steve," the girl said, seeing that he was becoming agitated. "You must not excite' yourself so much. You are close to home now. You know father's peculiar views on the subject. I can't understand how it is he sides with this Barclay lot—he knows exactly how we are treated. He sympathises with us to a certain extent, and yet he always finishes up by saying that we must remember that the firm for which we work used to have for its head an honourable man in the person of Sir Robert Barclay, and that we should always respect his memory." Stephen was too great an adimirer of Sir Robert to attempt to gainsay this, and for the rest of the journey home the conversation turned into more pleasant channels. "One of these fine nights," he said, bending down towards her as he kissed her ruby lips, "when your father is quite restored to health, I shall ask him, little one, if he can spare you to become my wife." She placed her arms around his neck and gave him a responsive kiss, which was all the answer he required. Then they walked into the little cottage. Inside, and sitting in front of the fire, deeply engrossed in his thoughts, was Joyce Rookston. He looked up sharply as the door opened, but the smile which welcomed! his daughter faded from his face as he saw her companion. Until quite recently the young man had: held t. great position in his heart, but somehow, during the last month or two, Joyce had not been him- self. He did not know it, perhaps, but he was a completely altered man. Seventeen years of happiness and tranquillity had not fitted him for the troubles which had come upon him, and he misjudged humanity in general.. Somehow he had taken an instinctive dislike towards Stephen. Perhaps it was because he feared that the boy was going to take Grace away some day. It may even have been jealousy because he realised that he possessed such a share of Grace's heart. Anyhow they siat down to their meal together, but it was almost passed in silence, and after it had been cleared away they drew up towards the Ere. "You haven't told your father what happened this afternoon, Grace, and your triumphant inter- view with Mr. Blake." Joyce looked up at the mention of the name. "Well," he said, inquiringly. And Grace told him exactly what had' hap- pened. "If he had treated me unjustly, father," she concluded "there were plenty of stout hearts at the Mill who would have defended me." Joyce sprang from his chair with an angry gesture. „ It isn't for your rough bullies," he said, "to defend, my daughter. I can do that. The man who lays a finger on her has me to reckon with. He is a dead man when I lay hold of him, if I have to travel the world over and then hang for it." "If I didn't do it first," Stephen added quietly. Iff I am younger than you, Mr. Rookston. Your position and your age allows you to command, but it is for younger men, whose lives are not so valuable, to fight. This morning, whilst Grace was away from us with the manager, it was as though the pulse of the mill had ceased to beat. Two thousand sturdy hearts were awaiting her return. If she had come back to say that she had been ill-treated, or that a finger had been Jeen laid upon her, not all the powers in Christen- dom would have prevented these men from razing the place to the ground and tearing Herbert Blake limb from limb. When the time comes that the rich and autocratic turn their millions into a sword of gold wherewith to chastise the Poor, they will find that there is a metal, bought by the blood of the oppressed, which will weld together a weapon to drive them for ever from their high pedestal. The tower that they have built for themselves, based on the rotten foun- dations of luxury, will totter and fall to the ground. Then will the men on whose backs has been the yoke of oppression rise and take their proper places in the history of the world. As for Herbert Blake, his name will be a by word for us to play with. He will be held up as a horrible example to those who dare to follow in his footsteps, and the useless puppet, Sir Donald Barclay, can go back to the obscurity from whence he came. At the mention of the name of Barclay Joyce was up in arms. "I have listened to your rot until I cannot stand it any longer," and, speaking against his convic- tions, "under my roof no one shall raise a word which will reflect discredit upon the name which the greatest citizen of Blacktown bore. It is all very well for you who live in the same groove all your lives and are content to do so—who can never move and rise to become master, as he did, to talk about your grievances tell that to the mob whom you govern, Stephen Bond, I won't have it here." Grace saw that there was trouble brewing, and she whispered to her lover to say good-night. He extended his band to Joyce, who held out his fingers in return. "My words are not like thunderclaps which die away in the distance never to return," Stephen said. "The time will come when perhaps you will agree that any trouble which may ensue could have been made much easier by the masters than by the men. Good-night, sir." There was a storm in the horizon. It was creeping over the country, although but few people could see it, and probably unless some- thing untimely did happen to Herbert Blake it would burst with a terrific force in Blacktown. There is often a vast amount of strength even in a starving man. I CHAPTER XV. I I "SIR DONALD BARCLAY MUST NEVER MARRY." I Herbert Blake sat in his little private room at Rainsford Hall. He was very satisfied with himself. Up to the present everything seemed to be going well, but there were some things which he did not understand. In his own mind he felt certain that Grace was the daughter of the late baronet by the second marriage, but he could not quite discover how it was that Joyce Rookston had come by her. Nor could he yet see the motive, nor even how he had come by the will. If he had abducted the girl for pecuniary reasons, why J had he buried that very evidence wmCIl wrJUiU have brought her moneY: That the Mary Cart- mell, who had been sentenced to a term cf im- prisonment for the murder of the man at the Red Lion Innl was the same woman who was referred to in the will he had but little doubt, especially in view of the photograph which he had discovered. "Perhaps," he thought to himself, "I had better gain an interview with the woman. I can gleam some information from her." Then another thought rather troubled him. He had noticed during the last few weeks a growing tendency towards affection between Sir Donald Barclay and Enid Burton. "This must be stopped at any cost," he thought. Sir Donald I „can deal with, he is simply a puppet in my hands, but the girl is much too wide awake. She would discover more in a month than Barclay in a year. I must keep her out of the way. I have heard that Sir Raymond Harding is a bit sweet in that direction. I will see if I can improve his pros- pects for him a little bit." In the midst of his thoughts. Sir Donald en- tered the room. In all his actions he somehow had come to consider that it was his duty to consult Herbert Blake. Why, he could scarcely tell. Anyhow, his present intention was to discuss with him the question of marriage. In his ordinary way of beating about the bush, he immediately started off on some irre- levant matter. Everything going on all right at the Mill, Blake?" "As well as possible," the other replied. "I don't think there is a better managed place in the Kingdom, although I say it myself. I have got rid of all the useless chaff; there is nothing but good grain left, with the exception of one man. He is a bit dangerous, and he will have to go soon." "Who is that?" the Baronet asked. a power amongst the men, I believe. Only a "Oh, a fellow by the name of Stephen Bond." "Ah, Bond," said the Baronet. "He is quite youngster, someone told me, but he is a great favourite with them, and seems to have them under better control than men twice his àge." "He won't have them under his control long," the Manager remarked casually. "If I give him long enough rope he will hang himself. He will have to go as soon as I can find an opportunity. But never mind about business, Donald, there is another matter I wish to speak to you about. You musn't be offended, but you know how I take your affairs to heart. You are not a busi- ness man to start with, and you are scarcely putting your life to the best use. Now why don't you get married?" Sir Donald looked up in surprise. This was the very subject he had come to speak about. "Well, to tell you the truth, Blake, I had got guch ideas." "Bravo!" Blake said, with assumed satisfac- tion. "Now I'll tell you the girl who would make you a good wife, a credit to the name of Barclay, useful, beautiful, and everything that one could require in a wife, and she is Enid Burton." He eyed the young man critically as he spoke. He was playing his cards well. He knew that the best way to disarm suspicion as regards his real intentions was to assume to approve of the very union which he intended to thwart. His words had gone home; he noticed that the young man's face lighted up with pleasure. "Blake, you are a wizard. You have men- tioned the very girl for whom I would give the world. But she is too good for me; look at my past life. I should feel ashamed to ask her." "Nonsense, Donald; because a man has sown a few wild oats, that is no reason why he should not repent. If I were to tell you the truth I believe that she is very fond of you." "You don't say so/' the credulous Baronet said. Yes, that is a fact. I have heard it re- marked in more directions than one." "Why, do you mean to tell me, Blake, that other people have noticed it?" "Most decidedly so; she isn't a demonstrative girl, but it is very apparent. Now if I were you I shouldn't let the grass grow under my feet. You must remember that many a girl has been lost through a man allowing someone else to step in. And if I might mention it, she has known Sir Raymond Harding longer than she has known you." At the mention of this name a gloom came over the Baronet's face. He himself had heard that Sir Raymond Harding's best desire would be to make her his wife. "I quite believe you, Blake, however much a girl might love a man she could scarcely throw herself at him, and I must thank you very much for your kind advice. As usual, Blake, I have come to you when I am in a quandary. You always seem to set me right. I hope to bring you good news shortly." "That's right; you go in and win." Then, as the door closed upon the baronet, he sank back in his chair and smiled, which showed that he was satisfied with his plans. (To be continued.)