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[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.] THE GIRLS OF THE HOUSE, By F. FRANKFORT MOORE. Author of "A Whirlwind Harvest," "I Forbid the Banns," &c., &o. [COPYRIGHT.] I CHAPTER XXVI. I At first there was no thought in Chris Fox- croft's mind except that Mr. Dickers had proved himself quite worthy of the confidence which the Selwood family reposed in him. It was unques- tionably a feat to arrange for the sale of a tarm which was a good deal worse than worthless for a price that only an exceptionally good property would fetch, and Chris felt that it would be, as Mr. pickers had suggested, flying in the face of a benign Providence, who had decreed that such men as Mr. Mellor should have a weak point in their nature, to refuse to sell the farm simply because the purchaser was a man whom some people thought objectionable. For? a day or two he took this view of the matter; and then a bacillus of doubt found its way into the optimism, causing him to ask him- self if Mr. Mellor was really the sort of man who would be likely so far to forget an insult offered to him by a man so much weaker financially than himself as Colonel Selwood was, as to cause him to do such a man an extremely good turn. He felt that it was quite easy to imagine Mellor's having a burning desire to take the place of the man who had insulted him, in that man's house—to turn him out of the house with which his family had been connected for hundreds of years, and to sit at the head of his table in his place. Such an aspiration would be quite legitimate to be possessed by a man like Mellor, and it would be quite consistent with the view Chris took of his character to imagine his paying a large sum of money annually for this gratifica- tion. But it was not so easily conceivable that such a man as Mellor would be ready to pay a considerable sum of money for a farm which the min who had insulted him would certainly be delighted to get rid of—a farm, moreover, which lvieUor must know, it his surveyor was worth any- thing, could never be successfully worked. It could be conceived that Mellor would be content to pay a considerable sum for the wretched farm provided that he got a lease of the mansion of Selwood. To live even for the limited space of five years at Selwocd would confer a certain amount of distinction on Mellor; but what distinction would accrue to him even if he were to succeed in making Drellincourt to blossom as the rose? People in the neighbourhood of Drellincourt Farm would say that he was a capital man, but was this the sort of fame that Mr. Mellor would cherish? Was he the kind of man who would think the commendation of a few rustics outside the alehouse worth an immediate outlay of twenty- five thousand pounds with a prospect of as much more money being dug into the strangely ungenerous soil of that particular farm? Of course Mr. Vickers, who supposed that he thoroughly understood men and their motives, had talked airily of Mellor's fad for farming, and of twenty or thirty thousand pounds being nothing to Mellor; but Chris, who fancied that he also had a fair working acquaintance with men and their peculiarities, found trouble in believing that Mr. Mellor would be willing to pay more than the market price for the privilege of prac- tising any fad that he might have; and as for his indifference to money in any transaction- well, the man who for the sake of pocketing a few bank shares would not shrink from such a trick as he had resorted to in the transaction with Colonel Selwood, was certainly not the man who was recklessly indifferent to money. That was how the bacillus of doubt, which found its way into Chris Foxcroft's brain when he set himself about the serious business of con- sidering the question of Mellor's offer, began to spread, until he felt quite worried over the whole business and greatly inclined to wish either that Colonel Selwood had not entrusted him with the duty of advising his daughters, or that he could bring himself to take a more restricted view than he did of his responsibility in his quasi-trustee- ship. He did not say anything to the girls about Mellor's offer, but on the Saturday after his interview with the solicitor he felt himself over- powered by a longing to visit the home of his boyhood; and so he took a return ticket to the village of Husbandman's Selwood, reaching the little wayside station between three and four o'clock in the afternoon. And before he got to his destination he found that the bacillus had multiplied exceedingly- owing to the fact that, when the train orawled into the tiny station of Drellincourt, he saw on the opposite platform Mr. Mellor himself, en- gaged in earnest conversation with a gentleman of a severely scientific cast of countenance. Chris felt convinced that he had seen a picture of this gentleman in some of the illustrated papers or perhaps a magazine, but he could not recollect at the moment whtfr name had been printed below it. He carried the black bag of the conspirator, and he was smiling the quiet smile of the pro- fessor of an exact science—it might me mathe- matics, or philology, or theology, or biology. His smile was the smile of the cocksure. And Mr. Mellor was talking to him, laying his hand on the sleeve of his ooat, though really the man did not look like one who meant to run away. Then the up train ran into the station and Chris, while his own train on the opposite side of the platform was in the act of starting, saw Mr. Mellor and his companion take their seats in a first-class compartment. All that he had seen tended to increase the mystery of Mr. Mellor's proceedings in connection with the purchase of Drellincourt Farm; nor was Chris's interest in the matter decreased when in I the course of the day he drove from the Rectory to ,the office of Colonel Selwood's farm baiIiBF ana learned from him that Mr. Mellor had paid that morning his third visit to Drellincourt Farm, and that he had for his companion a gentleman whom he called Mr. Jevons. I hope you didn't say all the bad you know about the farm, said Chris. No doubt Mr. Vickers let you know that there is a prospect of Mr. Mellor buying the place." "I kept my mouth shut as oloee as possible, sir, said the bailiff. But bless you, Mr. Chris, there was no temptation for me to say a word." "What, they didn't cross-question you about the various fields or ask you what crops were the most noted failures?" asked Chris. Not a word did they ask me, sir. When the -surveyor came down ten days ago he put a heap of questions to me as we drove round, but when Ztr* the thirty-acre field-the worst bit of the lot-he said, Hallo, what's this?' 'Oh,' said 1, that 3 a bit we tried with mangolds. I wouldnt advise anyone to plant mangolds there again. We'll be round by the Fallow Dip in a ^USt stop for a moment, and let me down,' said he. Well, what could I do under the circumstances, Mr. Chris? He wouldn't be put off with my talk about Fallow Dip, that I said would grow any crop if only decently looked after  he; he got off **}e dog-cart and began kick- ing about the soil where it was exposed, and then he wandered straight across the field, kick- „ earth and examining it here and there as I never s»w done in my life. 'Good Lord!' sai d there much more soil like this in the ?'s In the  nH ? ?  aefL ^Ugh- 'If you have anything iDTad d as this Just carry me to it. How far does that grey seam go on the other :!de 5"he?t'ch" 'It doesn't go over more than the half of the « sl-r\ » said,r< 'and it's Gospel tmth T'- 4._11:- 1 „ lemug- you wnen 1 say that when you've seen that grey seam you've seen the very worst of the }a Have I?' said he, and he gave another laugh. 'Any way,' said he, I've seen ?oun to do me.' We!. you'll hardly believe it Mr Chris, sir, but that man barely looked at Fallow Dip and the other parts that aren't nigh as bad, 81d so he left us. "Tha was a queer sort of survey, JekyU." said anJ he felt  that t was indeed ?ery queer sort of survey. "And then Mr. Mellor cam? down himself?" "?the  Me  "I never looked to see him, sir," said the h, aihff. "I thought that the report of the grey seam would do for us for all time. But then he came with a second surveyor, and they never left the grey seam for the full hour they were here- not another field would they look at; and they wanted to hear nothing about the new farm buildings, or the engine, or the double action root cutter-there they stood, and there they stood the next day, and there Mr. Mellor stood this morning with the gentleman that he called Mr. Jevongging into the earth with a spade they asked me for; and his Mr. Jevons took away a good quart of it in a tin case in a black bag that he carried." "That was certainly a queer way of inspecting a farm of two thoMsaiid acres," said Chris. What did they carry off the sample of the soil for, do you think, Mr. Chris?" asked the man. "I fancy that they are going to test it with different sorts of manures, said Chris. Mr. Mellor has clearly made up his mind to work the farm on the most scientific principles. I have heard of Mr. Jevons he is l a geologist—a gentle- man who is a great authority on all kinds of soil. He will probably analyse the sample he carried away and tell Mr. Mellor what is the element it contains that prevents it from growing anything. When they know so much they will be able to say in a moment how it should be treated so as to make it the most fertile part of the farm." That may be," said the man "but surely the buildings and the plant were worth giving five minutes to?" "You and I would think so at any rate, Jekyll," said Chris. But if these gentlemen fancy they know their business better than we do, what can we say?" He returned to the Rectory feeling that he was on the track of the discovery of Mr. Mellor's reasons for wishing to get Drellincourt Farm. He knew now that the man whom he had seen at the wayside station with Mr. Mellor was Mr. jevons, the geologist and prospector, and he also knew.that a prospector is a man who obtains the material for a prospectus. "?But "? how would Mr. Mellor. the most adroit prospectus-maker of tha age, adapt Drellincourt Farm to the requirements of such a document? Did he mean to salt" it with gold nuggets? Or was the soil ferruginous? Chris knew that almost anything is good enough as bait for the confiding widows and elderly spinsters who read prospectuses still he was well aware of the fact that the further away from the place of issue of the prospectus is the gold mine to which he refers the better ohance it has of being a success when placed on the market. A gold mine or an iron field close at hand does not resemble the bird which is worth two in the bush in the eyes of the gentlemen who wish to make money by "floating" it. A mine in the bush—the Australian bush by preference—is worth half-a-dozen at hand for "floating" purposes. Chris knew that Mr. Mellor was too astute to make any attempt to ask the public to believe that Drellincourt Farm was in any sense a gold mine. But he was equally certain that it was his hope to convince the public that it was some- thing equally profitable. But what was it exactly that he meant the public to believe in regard to Drellincourt Farm? Chris kept thinking over this question during the hour and a half which he spent in church the next day; but his father reached the last para- graph of his sermon without being of any appre- ciable help to its solution. (The rector always puiled himself together for a supreme effort whenever his son was among his hearers.) He returned to town on Sunday afternoon and went to the office of the "Morning's Wing" as usual. But he had scarcely glanced at the proof sheets of the war when Mr. Meadows came to his room with some enquiry as to the advisability of publishing a letter which was obviously an attempt on the part of a lady to advertise herself in connection with an entertainment ostensibly for the relief of certain sufferers, but which con- tained at the same time some grain of news that might be considered interesting. He was in the act of leaving the room when he suddenly paused. By the way," he said, "talking of women and —and the war, I came upon your friend-your friend's daughter, I should rather say—Miss Sel- wood, a few days ago. You will be glad to hear that she is making a great success of the room- an extraordinary success. "You did not tell me much about her; so that I was a little surprised to find myself face to face with such a young woman-such young women-she had brought her sister with her to keep lier company. More charming girls I have never met, Foxcroft. Who is their father? I did not like to ask them if he was alive. It is usually orphans who have to work for a living." Their father is Colonel Selwood," said Chris. Of Firebrace's Staff? But he is a Selwood of Selwood." That is the man. They are his daughters. Selwood is a ruinous place to keep up, even if it were not mortgaged for a good deal more than 1 it is worth. And then Colonel nelwood got. tne idea that he was the man to make money by floating companies." I thought I recollected seeing his name on a notorious prospectus or two. Good heavens! That is how the daughters have to work for their living. They are brave girls." Brave-well, I know exactly how brave, for one of them some years ago promised to marry me. There was an extraordinary pause—an illu- minating pause it was to Chris—before Mr. Meadows said in a low voice, and with his eyes fixed on a page of manuscript which he held, Which of them?" The elder-Muriel-the artist," replied Chris. He distinctly heard a little gasp of relief which Meadows stifled before saying: My dear Foxcroft, let me congratulate you. The most charming girl I ever met—absolutely the most charming!" Thank you, Mr. Meadows. I know that I am the most lucky chap alive," said Chris. You are-the most lucky chap alive; except perhaps—Has her sister also promised to marry someone?" Joan is still free—J oan is her name." That is rather strange. I should have thought that there were men enough left with eyes ey There are plenty of men with eyes, but there is Joan Selwood—a girl who is not to be lumped with the usual girls who are seen by the men with the eyes. She has had at ieast two lovers a year since she was twenty; but she, too, has eyes, and brains, which are denied to some men with eyes, and a heart which is denied to some women with brains." And she is—is she actually a cook, Foxcroft?" She is undoubtedly a cook." Such bravery! And yet people talk about the Nineteenth Century girl I was charmed with her. She has not come with her si ster since I am afraid that I—that she did not quite understand I should be sorry if I failed to make her understand that Her birthday will be on Tuesday, and I have promised a treat to her and her sister. They are dining with me at Cipriani's—their aunt, Lady Humber, is coming also of course-and then we are to go to the Hippodrome. I think that as I am associating with the celebration of her birth- day my elevation to this chair, you would bo quite in the picture if you were to join our party. I am sure that both Muriel and Joan would appreciate the compliment you would be paying us. Nothing would give me greater pleasure. That was the very first thing I was about to beg of you, Foxoroft. The fact is that our meeting had something of a constraint about it. It was too unconventional to be appreciated all at once. It was-well, not quite impudent but on the verge of impudence, on my part to enter the room and begin talking as if I had met them before; but you can understand that I did not realise You must remember that you did not say a word respecting Miss Selwood's family. I had a notion that the artist of whom you spoke was a middle-aged woman—perhaps the orphan of the man who let you into your roonis-somethi-ug like that-people do get notions of things without any reason." Chris laughed. Of course you can understand now that I was afraid of saying anything to prejudice you in her favour, Mr. Meadows," he said. I wanted to keep friendship and business apart in this I matter." Of course I understand," said the proprietor. Anyhow all s well that ends well-at Cipriani's on Tuesday-at seven—or half-past. We must be early if we are to go to the Hippodrome after- wards." Half-past seven will be time enough, I think said Chris. CHAPTER XXVII. I -1 I unris had no difficulty perceiving that Joan in- terested Mr. Meadows quite as greatly as Mr. Meadows had interested her. He was a little frightened after Joan had told him of her meeting with Mr. Meadows; never before in his experi- ence had she spoken so much about any particular man; and what he was frightened about was lest this particular man might be less inclined to think about her than she was to talk about him. He felt that if Joan were to be lees happy in her life after meeting this particular man than she had been before, he, Chris, would never forgive him- self for having mentioned Muriel's name-he had, by the way, mentioned her name—to Mr Meadows. But now Mr. Meadows had been with him and had made him understand, without meaning prob- ably to be so definite, that he was so greatly in- terested in Joan that he found it necessary to stifle a little gasp of relief when he heard that she was still free—that she had not given her promise to marry some man. Chris felt relieved to hear that little gasp of re- lief, for that, taken in connection with the rather long pause which Mr. Meadows had made before asking his question regarding Joan, went a long way toward convincing him that Mr. Meadows had been surprised out of his theory-whatever his theory was-respecting women, when- he had met and talked with Joan Selwood. He looked forward to the Tuesday evening, when the "convenances" would be fully acknow- ledged, and Mr. Meadows and Joan might talk together without restraint—if they so wished- and without the uneasy feeling that they must have had upon the occasion of their informal encounter. He knew that, if any man were to hear the sound of a fine soprano coming from his own drawing-room and were then to find that the ar- tist whom he had employed to do some painting in his room had introduced a sister to the house, there would of necessity be a certain amount of restraint in the meeting of the sister and the owner of the house. And he was also of the opinion that this restraint would be all the greater if the owner of the house were such a man as Mr. Meadows, and the sister of the artist such a girl as Joan Selwood. Still, in spite of all this, it was plain that Mr. Meadows and Joan had not felt the situation to be so embarrasing as to preclude the possibility of either of them being able to take a certain amount of interest in the other. Chris had none of the instincts of a match- maker, but he could not avoid thinking that if this mutual interest were to broaden-was narrow the word?—into something stronger than the mere sen- sation of interest-something deeper than this mere surface tickling of interest, the fact of his having suggested to Mr. Meadows the idea of getting his drawing-room beautified by Muriel Sel- wood might be regarded as a singularly happy thing. He looked forward to Tuesday evening all the time that he wrote a neat little piece of scathment respecting the rejection by the War Office-of cer- tain 12-horse-power dynamos, the presence of which would have rendered the gunners in South Africa quite independent of horses, and have en- abled them, by the simple attachment of a couple of wires, to get the heaviest guns up the highest kopjes without either risk or exertion. And then he wrote a letter to the publisher who I was about to issue the book which had been pro- nouncod too startling the year before, regarding the very important matter of review copies; and then he waited to see the first pages of the newly- printed paper before strolling to his rooms trying to solve that question which he had put to himself in church: "What was it exactly that Mellor wished the public to believe regarding Drellin- court nrm?" He"went asleep without having any answer to that question suggested to him. When he got a letter in the morning from Mr. [ Vickers inquiring if he had yet had an opportunity of speaKiner to "the young ladies" on the subject of Mr. Mellor's offer, and mentioning incidentally that Mr. Mellor had written to him, suggesting that quite an unnecessary time had been spent over what Mr. Mellor termed "shilly-shallying," and hinting that the offer which he had made for the farm was liable to be withdrawn at the end of the week, Chris Foxcroft knew that Mr. Mellor was very anxious to get the title-deeds into his possession. He knew that that subtle element known as bluff was commonly regarded by men of his stamp as a potent auxiliary in the realisation of their plans; so he merely sat doiwn and wrote a letter to Mr. Vickers assuring him that he fully appreciated Mr. Mellor's contention, and hoping that he, Chris. might be in a position to advise Colonel Serwood's daughters by the end of the week on the subject of Mr. Mellor's offer. He further begged leave to assure Mr. Vickers that he appreciated his suggestion that such an offer as Mr. Mellor's would in all probability never be made again. j After a considerable amount of thought he wrote another letter, and this one he addressed to Pro- fessor Seyder, Royal College of Science, South Kensington, reminding him that he had not yet kept his promise to pay a Saturday to Monday visit with him to the Rectory at Husbandman's Selwood, and asking him if he could make it con- venient to accompany him thither on the following Saturday, mentioning as*an allurement the great charm which competent judges admitted was to be found in certain aspects of an English spring in the country. Professor Seyder was an old friend of his, and he had an idea, which was shared by most people who were intimately acquainted with Professor Seyder, that Professor Seyder knew more of the practical aspects of science in every form than any living man. He felt convinced that not only would this well-informed man be greatly benefited by his ex- cursion to the country, and improved—but this was not so certain-bv the sermon which he would hear preached by the rector, he would be able to give him some sound advice as to the geology of Drellincourt Farm. The next morning he got a reply from his friend. It was not voluminous. "Capital idea. But how did you know it was spring? Will the 11.42 suit you?" That was the letter in full. Professor Seyder had apparently mastered the science of economy of language with the rest. Chris feit that he had made some progress to- ward the mlutioD of the question which was per- plexing He could not avoid a certain im- pression of uneasiness *n regard to this matter of the farm. It was so unlike any other transaction in which he had ever been concerned. He cor- dially agreed with Mr. Vickers that such an offer as Mr. Mellor's was not likely to come from anyone else, and it was just possible that Mr. Vickers had taken the right view of Mellor's ambition to be- come possessor of a farm which everyone had pro- nounced incapable of growing anything, and that, after all, he was actually impatient at being kept so long without a definite reply to his proposal to purchase the property. The responsibility which rested on Chris in this business he felt to be a very serious one. He might be the means of depriving the Selwood family of a sum of money sufficiently great to pay off a mortgage which represented a charge of quite twelve hundred pounds a year upon the estate, and the saving of this sum might really mean the saving of Selwood to the family. All that he had to reassure him in regard to the attitude which he had taken up was his knowledge of character—his knowledge of men. He fancied that he had formed a right estimate of the charac- ter of Mellor, and he was quite unable to reconoile the liberality of his offer for Drellincourt Farm ( with his meanness—no stronger word was in his mind—in regard to the Rookingham Bank shares- And then there was, of course, the extraordinary behaviour of the man and his surveyor and his prospector at the farm. They had gone down to estimate the value of the farm, and yet they had not thought it worth while to examine the build- ings on the property or the machinery—they had even disregarded the claims of the double action! root cutter and the 12-h.p. engine! Chris felt that he was acting up to his lights— and in accordance with his knowledge of men; but all the same he longed for Saturday. But before Saturday arrive d Tuesday came, and on the evening of that day his little dinner party took place at Cipriani's. Of course he did not present Muriel or her sister to Mr. Meadows, though Lady Humber was quite definite in her view that the etiquette of the situation necessitated his doing so. Lady Humber was quite an authority on etiquette. She also knew more than any living person regarding the language of flowers. To the suggestions of the fan and the speech of the handkerchief she had devoted a good deal of attention from time to time. "I assure you," Mr. Foxcroft," she said, "it is right that, as the relation between Mr- Meadows and my nieces has been a purely business one f hitherto, it will be necessary for you to introduce him personally to them." "If there is any doubt on the matter," said Joan, "I will write to Aunt Angela in the 'Lady's Weekly Mirror,' and she will give us an answer in her column of information. This will be her reply: 'Pansy'—I will call myself Pansy, of course. 'Pansy.—Undoubtedly, my dear Pansy if youare a house painter, and have been employed by a gentleman to work for him, you must be formally introduced to him if you meet him again in society. I must say, dear Pansy, that it is not de rigueur for house painters to bring their sisters to sing in the empty rooms where they are employed, and the fact that you did so by no means obviates the necessity for your dear sister to be also introduced to the gentleman should she meet him out. Dear Pansy, young ladies, especially those in the house- painting line, cannot be too careful. Your hand- wri in, suggests impetuosity, and your indifferent spelling carelessness. But these characteristics should be curbed. I hope you use Carter's Crimpers for fuzzy fringes. (See Advt. p. 6).' That will be the reply." "I cannot put off my dinner for a month until you get it," said Chris. "I will take Lady Hum- ber's word for the etiquette of the situation." But all the same, he had only to present Lady; Humber to Mr. Meadows. Mr. Meadows greeted both the girls before Lady Humber's measured smile had dwindled into the distance of the dining- room. But in spite of this start being on no sound basis of drawing-room procedure, the dinner was a complete success, as was also the performance at the Hippodrome which they negligently omitted witnessing. The fact was that the little party found so much to talk about both at dinner and when the Turkish coffee was made—Turkish coffee is made, not brought—they took no note of the passing of time, and it was only Lady Humber's thoughtfulness that made the others aware of the lateness of the hour. It was Joan who suggested that the "amour propre" of the lions might be oSended by the appearance of visitors who had neglected them all the evening—Joan always was ■considerate in regard to animals—and she had no difficulty in persuading Muriel and 'Chris as to the humanitarianism of her judgment in this matter, and Lady Humber was bought over by the promise of a future treat by Chris. It was also Joan who was induced by Mr. Meadows—by a curious fatality, carefully ar- ranged beforehand by Chris, Mr. Meadows was placed between Muriel and Joan at the table—to give a professional criticism of the dinner, begin- ning at the "hors o'ceuvres" and proceeding in de- tail down to the Turkish coffee; and then her criticism was criticised by Mr. Meadows with a liveliness which Chris had never suspected to be part of his nature. Muriel was then persuaded by Chris to deal with the "mise-en-scene" of the table with the chromatic arrangement of the courses, and Chris himself wound up the disenssion by look- ing at the entertainment from the standpoint of the man in the street. There was a good deal of merriment in half- tones at that little round table in 'Cipriani's, and beyond doubt some of it overflowed into the neat article which Chris wrote afterwards on the sub- ject of the Continental Press references to the automatic advance of the British Empire, and the necessity to oppose it in time. The Continental critics resembled, he said, a party of censors who had made up their minds that the lions at the Hippodrome should have their claws cut, and after passing a resolution to this effect had dined unostentatiously at Cipriani's and then gone home to their beds. The Continental critics, he sug- gested, were still in their restaurants; and the Briti-sh lion, meantime, was very profitably em- ployed keeping his claws in a serviceable con- dition in South Africa—the natural habitat of that particular specimen of the order Leones. ,1 'I 'I. ine little article was wiaeiy quoted in the (even- ing papers the next day, and some people re- membered it even to the end of the week-so that it was a sort of Methuselah among sub-leaders. Chris took tea with the two girls a few days later, carrying with him his new novel which was published that day, and in which he had written Muriel's name. He was anxious to know what impression had been produced upon Joan by her further acquaintance with Mr. Meadows, and he learned even more than he hoped to learn from her adroitness in evading any discussion of Mr. Meadows and his manners. She was as reticent now as she had been frank previously on the sub- ject of Mr. Meadows. She was extremely guarded in the terms of her acquiescence in Chris's re- marks in respect of Mr. Meadows's brilliance in conversation, as well as his tact-the two were not invariably found associated, he could assure her- and when he asked her if she had not remarked a certain originality in his way of looking at every- day things she had merely given a pretty little imitation of the uncompromising shrug of Madame Re jane in a play of Sardou's, of which the in- tellectual elements alternate between the shrug and the snarl. In short Joan evaded, with that sort of tact which is another name for femininity, every at- tempt he-also with tact-made to find out if she still thought Mr. Meadows the pleasantest man she had ever met; and thus she told him much more than he could possibly have learned from her frankness. He also acquired a kind of postcript information by her sudden recollection that she had promised Lady Humber's humble cook to do some- thing for her with a basket of mushrooms—a duty which, unlike most duties, was not susceptible of improvement by systematic procrastination. He looked at Muriel, after he had made a snatch for her hand, when Joan had disappeared with a p.p.c. smile. "Poor little Joan he said with a man's laugh. "How funny it was that she should go with you that day to Mr. Meadows's house How funny that the piano should be the only article of furni- ture in the rooms! How funny that she should be led on to sing! And now-how Providential that Mr. Meadows should have returned by the night boat from Brussels!" Muriel said that she liked the design on the cover of his book very much. And indeed it was very mysterious. He left the house after a reasonable space, feel- ing that the philosopher who had reckoned up the relative values of speech and reticence was not very far astray in his assessment. I He called in at his club and found Mr. Meadows there. Mr. Meadows congratulated him on the cleverness of his new novel. He would be very much mistaken, he said, if the book did not make a stir, the characters were so brilliantly unsym- pathetic. They were human beings, however, and readers were always ready to sympathise with human beings no matter how unsympathetic they were. The deep pathos of the unsympathetic had never had justice done to it, in Mr. Meadows's opinion, and he wondered if he might venture to ask Lady Humber and her nieces to come to his box at the Hyperion on Monday, and to take sup- per with him at his house afterwards—of course Chris would come. But Chris said he must be at the newspaper office between nine and eleven on Monday, so that he could not join the party at the theatre: but it would please him greatly to look in at South Audley-street in time for supper. Mr. Meadows said he would write to Lady Humber, and Chris felt convinced that he would keep his promise. (To be continued.)
ATHLETIC NEWS. I
ATHLETIC NEWS. I CRICKET NOTES. I Boughton Hall received a severe handling at the hands of Birkdale on Saturday, at Boughton Hall. The visitors were strongly represented, the side including W. Sugg, brother of the well-known Frank, and Warren, who recently played for Derbyshire. Going in frst Birkdale compiled the excellent total of 217 for seven wickets, no fewer than six of the batsmen getting into double figures. With the exception of G. P. Gore (67) and the Rev. J. C. Trampleasure (20 not out) none of the home bats were at all comfortable with the bowling of Sugg and Warren, and the whole side was dismissed for 102 runs. Of Gore's innings we have nothing but praise, his display on this occa- sion being one of the finest witnessed on the Boughton Hall ground. He received due recog- nition from the spectators of his effort on his dis- missal by Sugg. A most enjoyable game was played at Bough- ton Hall, on Monday and Tuesday evenings, between the Law and Boughton Hall. There were several of the Hall rirst teaui in the rauks of the Law, and the match was practically a game between the membeis of that club. The Law eventually won by a few rULS. Considerable interest was manifested in the encounter at Hoole on Saturday between the representatives of that club and the men of Chester Victoria. Neither eleven was at full strength, Laird being a notable absentee from the Hoole team and the Victorians played two sub- stitutes. The visiting captain, on winning the toss, decided to take the field, and F. Fenna and A. Gardner came out to make a stand against the bowling of Lloyd and W. Roberts. Lloyd sent down the first over, and succeeded in bowling Gardner and Green before a run had been scored. | After a maiden from W. Roberts, Lloyd again found the spot and sent back Osborne, three wickets thus being down for 2 runs. Hill next partnered F. Fenna, and the best stand of the innings was made. Nineteen runs were added before Hill fell a victim to W. Roberts, being caught and bowled from a skyer. Jerome, the new comer, made 4, and then received his dismissal at the hands of Johnson in the long field, the soore being 26. The cricket at this point became sensational, no fewer than five wickets falling at the same total, viz., 26. The last wicket put on 9 runs, the total thus reaching 35. F. Fenna was top scorer and the only double figurist with a well-played 11. Lloyd and W. Roberts bowled unchanged and with great success, the former securing five for 20 and the latter five for 12. It should also be added that a special feature of the innings was the marvellous dexterity displayed by Grice behind the stumps, who has seldom been seen to better advantage in his department of the game. On the Victorians taking the batting in hand it seemed that an easy victory would be the result. J. G. Jones and Grioe were the first pair, and they were opposed by Hill and T. Fenna. Both men played steadily and confidently, and had scored 8 when Jones was bowled by a simple- looking ball from Hill. Johnson, the next man, was splendidly caught at point at the same total, the wickets falling rapidly, and with six down for w the Vies had none too much the best of the argument. At this point Clegg and Lioyd be- came associated, and made a capital stand, adding 20 before Lloyd was bowled. The score eventu- .ally reached 57, Clegg being last man out, losing his wicket through attempting a very foolish run. Lloyd 12, Ciegg 11, and Grice 10, were the double figurists, while the extras, 12, were a liberal con- tribution. The Victorians thus added another victory to their list with the comfortable margin of 22 runs. The second team of Boughton Hall were visitors on the Frodsham Athletic ground on Saturday to try conclusions with the Atnletic first team. The latter were rather handicapped owing to the absence of such useful members of the team as Heywood, Shaw, Boston and H. Wright. Winning the toss, the homesters took first turn on the best wicket of the season, Cross and Howard facing Blatherwick and Rimmer. From the first lJah of the match Cross was rather fool- ishly run out, the result of bad judgment and accurate throwing in. Dr. Selby partnered Howard, and both men settled down to play good and stylish cricket. Howard in particular soon got his eye in, and pleased the spectators by his clean hitting all round the wicket. A double change of bowling was tried, and Selby was bowled for 11. A. E. Kennerley and C. Linaker did not give much trouble, but when Robinson became associated with Howard the bowling was fairly collared, and, despite several changes, the score continued to creep up, Robinson playing a forcible and Howard a steady game. The former was caught for a merrily played 23, which let in Entwistle. Another stand now took place, the latter making J several fine drives in his 12. Howard at this stage punished the bowling most unmercifully, boundaries being very plentiful, albeit he never gave a semblance of a chance, his driving and cutting being pretty to watch. When the score had reached Ib8 for six wickets the innings was closed, Howard' carrying out his bat for a. wall- played 77, which was made by faultless cricket. The visitors' first pair were Ravenshaw and Bil- lington, Jeacock and Ashworth forming the trundling department. Bosh batsmen seemed perfectly at home, Ravenshaw making some beautiful long drives, and the score rose rapidly. After Billington had paid the ineveitable penalty for placing his leg in front of the sticks, Douglas helped Ravenshaw to increase the score to con- siderably over 40, both men getting well set, until the latter was clean bowled for the top score of 27. Miller and Day also made a good stand, the former knocking up 23 and the latter 16. Just on time the last pair were in with the score 101, and Frodsham were thus robbed of a certain victory. Mollington secured another victory on Satur- day, their victims on this occasion being Saughall. The home captain winning the toss, elected to send the visitors in first, who compiled a score of 55. The top scorers were A. J. Shepherd 11, B. Shepherd 8, and W. Jones 7. The homesters, on going in, passed the visitors' score for the third wicket, Luke Roberts making a creditable score of 34 and F. Roberts 15 out of the total of 68. J. Williams was in fine form with the leather, cap- turing seven wickets for 10 runs, while for Saughall, A. Shepherd took seven wickets and B. Shepherd 2. The Helsby first XI. were again at home on Sat- day, having as their opponents Mold in the semi- final of the Chester and District Cricket Cup com- petition. The match had been looked forward to with considerable interest, and as ideal weather prevailed there was a good number of spectators present. The visitors were the first to bat, and were all dismissed for the paltry total of 32. Hclsby replied with 129, and thus won easily by 97 runs. The Malpas fixture on Saturday was at home with Tilstone Lodge, to meet whom they had secured the services of several able cricketers. W inning the toss, the homesters met the bowling of Lyons and Cross with W. H. Smith and R. B. Jones, who made a score of 14, when the former was bowled for six by a yorker from Lyons. Jozies played a steady game for 29, and saw Sutton, Fletcher, Williams and F. W. Welch respectively dismissed before his wicket fell to Loddington, who had changed bowling with Cross. T. Welch, who was in partnership with Jones when the lat- ter's wicket fell at the score of 54, hit clean and hard, and made the running for the homesters with 34, when he was caught by Smallwood, the four bats following only making three. The whole of the wickets, of which Loddington took five for 19, fell for 90. The visitors, with an hour and a half to play, and a respectable score to make, placed H. Wright and R. Hewitt at the wicket to open their innings. Wright hit out splendidly, and quickly scored 14, when unfortunately for the visitors he was caught in the long field by T. Welch. Later Loddington, another hard hitter, was disposed of by Fletcher for a duck, and thereupon R. Hewitt and J. Brookes played a steady game, so that when R. Hewitt's wicket fell the score was 41. J. Hewitt, Cross and G. Goulding each joined Brookes, and only added one to the score, Cross playing on to his wicket and Goulding being bowled immedi- ately after receiving a nasty knock on the left hand. At 59 Brookes was caught by Fletcher, while in company with Lyons, and soon after Lyons was given out for Ib.w. The score of 59 remained unaltered when the wickets were drawn at seven o'clock with three men to bat. Fletcher took five wickets for 28 runs, Williams one for eight, and T. Welch two for ten. While the Moldavians were bidding a tearfut farewell at Helsby to the League Cup their juniors, favoured with a greater measure of success, enter- tained their near neighbours, Nannerch. The visitors took first innings, but their stay at the wicKets was ot short duration, the side being dis- missed for 43. Though Schofield took five of the Nannerch wickets at a cost of 27 runs, his analysis gives way to that of Bailie-Hamilton, who took four wickets for five runs. With the exception of Schofield the homesters did not shine at the wickets, and out of a total of 74 that batsman was responsible for 28. Suffice it to remark, however, that the Moldavians put on record yet another win to their creditable list of the season, to some degree atoning for the disaster which befel their seniors. Eight of the Mold wickets were captured by A. T. Jones. FIXTURES. The following fixtures will be played on the ground of the first-named club to-day (Satur- day) Knutsford v. Boughton Hall Boughton Hall 2nd v. Eaton Park Birkenhead St. Mary's v. Chester Victoria Tarporley v. Wistaston Mollington v. Chester Wesleyans .-I ?? I Asnton v. tioole Cholmondeley v. Bunbury Barrow v. Ince New Wavertree v. Neston and District Neston and District 2nd v. New Wavertree 2nd Old St. Mary's v. Chester St. Mary's Chester St. Mary's v. Malpas Tilstone Lodge v. Tatterihall Mold v. Denbigh Helsby v. Frodsham Frodsham 2nd v. Helsby 2nd Hawarden v. Ellesmere Port j BOUGHTON HALL v. BIRKDALE. Played at j Boughton Hall on Saturday. Score :— BIBKDALE. ¡ W Sug;t b Darby .33 G Trautom bChurton H c Terry b Hack .o Warren b Hack; 17 J W Headley o Bomuey b Hodkiusou 15 J Twiner c Hodkuison b Douglas .33 A Leighton b Douglas. 9 W L Beckett, not uut 9 H L Thorne y not out 3  Extras IS  Tjt.U ?fo? 7 wkts) .2U j w BOUGHTON HALL. J M Morris Davies c & b Sugg 2 H J ttowell-Kvaus b War- I ren 0 E H l>arby b Warren I ti P Gore U Sugg „.6" H G'Heasman cXhomeley b 0 J V Douglus run out 0 W A V Cllurtou b Warren 2 J A Trampleasure not outAi L Romney b Sngg. 0 H Hack b Sugg  0 ci Houkinson o Warren b Sugg .j, Extras 6 Total .lO MNUDSbA31 V. BOUGHTON HALL (2ND 2LL.J.— Piayed at i?'rodsham on Sd.turd.v. cor:- FKODSHAM. I G Cross run out :77 W u,wa,,i .?L out 0 i Lr zielby b Blatherwick.il A e; Keatieriey b ??ther-  wick 6 C .c..t-lu.u.r 0 illather- ) wick 7 j H Hubinson c BIather- ?ick b Day .¿31 J ?utwistie c Ravenshaw b liimnier 1-/ R JaCUCk ??Ot out 7 T Bogers did not L.at A Ashworth „ T Hooch Extras 2b Total 168, BOCGHTOH HALL. J Ravenshaw I.JAbh\\orthJ7 t1 Billingtonlbw bJeaeock 6 li Douglas c Crosi b Ashworth .16 F liiatuerwick Ibw b Ash- worth 3 N miller b Abliworth. .2J F Viuer b Ashworth u H Caldecutt b iunuker 5 T Day b Liu..er 16 & uiwmer c belby b Linaker 0 L WiJstr not out 0 U Moores dId not bat Extras 5 Total .101 HOOLE V. CHESTER VICTORIA. Played at I Hoole on Saturday. Score:— HOOLE. I F Fenna b Lloyd .11 A Gardner b Lloyd (j G H Osborne b Lloyd i W i± Green b Lloyd 0 I H J Hill c & b W Roberts W Jerome c Johnson b W Roberta. 4 T Feuna b Lloyd 0 I (ilegg b w liouerts u W VViUiaiijs b W Roberts 4 Ki?,sey b W Poberts 031 O Davies not out 3 j Extras 3 Total.35 j VICTORIA. J G Jones b Hill 2 G Urice b T Fenna lu B Juhnsou c Green b Hill 0 J A Roberts b Hill t W Fletcher run out 4 W Roberts c Hill bJerome 3 R Lloyd b Osborne 12 W Clegg not out I L Davis b Usborue 0 E T Hallmark b Jerome. 0 W L Uandy not out. 1 Extras .12 Total.57 NESTON AND DISTRICT V. WALLASEY.—Played I at NesWu on Saturday. Score:— W ALJ..ARRY- H Bretherton b F C Roberta. 71 F Nel&on st Tyler, b F C Roberts.1ú G ?teveua?n b nousden.3i ? C Meadows c Speechly b Robtrts J Biaith-ite run out 3:)l E ? Hunt b Metcalte o  J W Stevenson lbw b Matcaue 0 .k' W Callaway c Speedily b Roberts 11 Rev K C tiodingtun c F C Roberts b Comber.J W A SomerviUe not out. 6 J Lyon not out 9 Extras .10 Total (for 9 wkts) .2 17 NESTON.-Dr. Speechly (not out) 53, R. B. Metcalfe (not outj 82, extras 10, total 145. 11, ATTICN ki.&LL v. FLINT.-Played at Tattenhall on baturday in the second round of the Chester and District Cup competition. Score :— TATTENHALL. W Jones c Williams b R Jones 2 W Woolley c Evans b Hawkyard 1 RIIoroi'd'¡;ï¡'j'¿ à I J Weich a R Jones b Hawkyard 11 Rev A F Ostreban c I Williams b R Jones 81 G Cartledge b R Jones 2 H Davis nut out .1 8 Welch Ibw b Hawk} ard 1 T Shepherd run out 3 J BrMMn lbw b Hawkyaid. o2l H Spencer b Hawkyard 0 Extras I I Total 3(j FLINT. E J Hughes c&b Ostreban 4 H O Williams c Ostrehan b Jones.1(1 R Hawkyard b Ostrehan.. R T Jones c&b Davis 8 W Hughes c J Welch b OstrebM 4 W Evans i5;?;Wb?*n 4 R Jone, not out J Bradley b Davis 0 J Kllia b Davis .17 E A Hughes b Davis 0 W J Bitliell b Ostrehan. 0 Extras 7 Total.79 I MOLD V. HELSBY.—Played at Helsby on I &turáav. Score:— MOLD. I E K Lewis c Nickson b J M Lowsby b Cowap 0 F Hirst c Ha,) era: t b I Holford. 3 W h Eaton b C(,w:ip (, A Ll bvans b Cowap 0 J H Evans b Cowap i> I E Jones b Hoiford 1 C H Astbury c Cowap b Holford 2 A M North absent 0 A W Lewis not out 5 I &PriucebHoltoid.oj Extras 81 Total 32 HELSBY. Rev C R UcKe b Lewis.. 6 A Holford b North 4 J Nickson b Eaton .10 F Cole b Lewis b W H Haycralt b Lewis 0 J Crosland c Astbury b 36 F Cartwright c Lowsby b Astbury .2,) E W Crosland bA L Evans 0 T Harding b Astbury I H Cowap b Lewis 3o J Taylor not out b Extras 7 Total .L!9 ELLESMKBE PORT V. ST. MART'S.—Played at Ellesmere Port on Saturday. Score Ellesmere Port: W. Winstone b Speakman 3, H. Nicholas retired hurt 3, J. Nicholas b Speakman 8, J. Whitby hit wicket 0, C. Stockton b Campbell 0, T. Tutton b Campbell 1, H. Stanway b Campbell 5, W. Davies lbw b Campbell 3, J. Bradshaw c Taylor b Speakman 4, C. Jones not out 0, W. Fogg c Hibbert b Speakman 2, extras 9, total 38. St. Mary's: T. Glover c l'utton b Nicholas 4, L. Griffiths b Stockton 4, W. Campbell b Nicholas 5, 0. Humphreys b Nicholas 43, G. 'I aylor b Nicholas 7, J. Speakman b Nicholas 12, G. Hibbert c & b Nicholas 0, T. L. Edwards absent 0, B. Dryland b Nicholas 5, F. Taylor b Bradshaw 3, E. ROKers not out 3, extras 5, total 88. ST. MARY'S ("A" TEAM) V. CHRISTLITON.— Played at Eaton-road on Saturday. Score :— Christleton S. Walker run out 2, E. Walley b J. Dryland 0, W. H. Day c J. Dryland b Walters 0, L. Kolt b Walters 12, G. Martyn b J. Dryland 2, T. Blower b Walters 1, C. Mound b J. Dryland 1, A. Fleet c Evans b J. Dryland 4, B. Dutton not out 10, T. Griffiths c Catherall b J. Dryland 0, J. Wright b J. Dryland 0, extras 1, total 34. St. Mary's S. Blake b Dutton 10, J. Rowaon b Datton 2, J. Dry- land st Martyn b Day 0, W. Palin c Rolt b Dutton 1, A. Dryland b Day 6, W. Walters c Walker b Day 1, A. Catherall not out 22, J.Pritchard lbw b Day 0, J. Evans b Day 1, A. Richards b Walley 4, C. Price b Walley 0, extras 3. total 50. DODLESTON V. OLD St. MARY'S—Played at Dodleaton on Saturday. Score :-Dodleston: J. Smith b Wildig 4, J. Evans b Wildig 0, At Owen c W. H. Davies b Wildig 0, G. Milton b Wildig 0, A. Evans c J. Jones b Martin 4, C. Wilson c Speare b Martin 2, T. Owen not out 2, J. Jones b Martin 1, S. Evans c Asbury b Martin 0, P. Hulmoton lbw Wildig 1, W. Beckett b Wildig 0, extras 4, total 18. Old St. Mary's H. Martin b S. Evans 3, J. Wildig c Milton b Evans 0, H. Asbury c Beckett b Wilson 11, T. Delaney c Jones b Milton 23, E. Speare lbw Evans 7, W. Davies c Evans b Owen 6, J. Potts b Owen 0, W. Davies c Jones b Milton 2, W. Jordon c Jones b Milton 0, J. Jones run out 3. T. Webster not out 3, extras 8, total 66. MALPAS v. TILSTONs LODGE.—Played at Malpas on Saturday. Score:—Malpas: W. H. Smith b Lyons 6, R. B. Jones b Loddington 29, J. S. Sutton b Lyons 3, L. Fletcher c J. Hewitt b Cross 1. E. Williams c Loddington b Lyons 1, F. W. Welch b Loddineton 3, T. Welch c Smallwood b Loddington 34. J. Lewis b Cross 1, V. Pearson c J. Hewitt b Loddington 2, T. Shenton b Loddington 0, T. Jones not out 0. extras 10, total 90. Tilstone Lodge: H. Wright c T. Welch b Williams 14, R. Hewitt c Sutton b Fletcher 10. T. Loddington b Fletcher Q, J. Brookes c Fletcher b T. Welch 15, J. Hewitt c Smith b Fletcher 1, F. Cross b Fletcher 0, G. Goulding b T. Welch 0, W. Lyons Ibw b Fletcher 5. J. Smallwood not out 0, J. Cad- man not out 0, H. Bunce did not bat, extras 14, total 59. MOLD 2ND v. NANNRRCR.-Played at Mold on Saturday. ScoreNannerch: Taylor run out 14, H. Chorlton b Schofield 5, R. Ashton b Schofield 0, A.T.Jones c Peters b Bailie-Hamilton 0, C. James c Boosie b Schofield 4, Edwards b Boosie 0, J. Pritchard b Bailie-Hamilton 14, Roberts c Boosie b Hamilton 2, G. Banie c Simons b Schofield 1, J. H. Williams c Eaton b Bailie-Hamilton 0, McMunery not out 0, extras 3, total 43. Mold 2nd T. B. Schofield b A. T. Jones 28, D. Bailee-Hamilton b T. Jones 5, S. Peters b Hamilton 3, J. Simons b Chorlton 9, J. B. Price b A. T. Jones 3, J. H. Fletcher b A. T. Jones 0, Horrocks b Chorlton 6, J. E. Katon b A. T. Jones 2, J. Hughes c & b A. T. Jones 7, A. B. Boosie b A. T. Jones 7, M. Jones not out 0, extras 4, total 74. MOLLINGTON V. SAUGHALL.—Played at Moll. ington on Saturday. Score: Saughall H. Shep- herd b J. Williams 4, J. Bennion b Dunning 3, B. Shepherd run out 8, A. J. Shepherd b J. Williams 11, J. Fields b J. Williams 3, Alex. Shepherd b J. Williams 0. W. Jones b J. Williams 7, G. Pugh c & b J. Williams 1, J. Jones c Davies b J. Williams 2, W. Newall b Roberts 0, O. Shepherd not out 0, extras 16, total 55. Mollington: L. Roberts c Newall b B. Shepherd 34, J. Williams b B. Shepherd 3, F. Dutton b A. Shepherd 15, G. Dunning Ibw b A. Shepherd 2, R. D. Nicklin run out 8, F. Williams b A. Shepherd 0, A. Spruce b A. Shepherd 0, J. Minshull c J. Jones b A. Shepherd 0, H. Hayes b A. Shepherd 2, F. A. Davies not out 0, S. D. Clarke b A. Shepherd 0, extras 2, total 68. i
QUOITS.
QUOITS. NESTON v. NEW BRIGHTON. This league match took place on Saturday on the Neston Ground, before a large number of spectators, and resulted in a win for the Neston Team by 38 shots after conceding 60 shots to the visitors. The Neston men played splendidly, each winning his game with the exception of E. Cartmel and W. Gittins, who shewed poor form against J. Preston and J. King, of the New Brighton Team. R. Kameen played a fine exhibition game against A. King, beating him by 5 shots. Score :— NESTON. NEW BRIGHTON. E. Cartmel (captain) 13 J. Preston (captain). 25 W. Ca.rtmel 25 E. Jones 12 John Medcalfe 25 E. Holdsworth. 5 G. Bell. 25 H. Vernon. 14 Jos. Clarke 25 C. Arlett 18 R. Kameen. 25 A. King 20 Thos. Kameen 25 T. Carlisle. 16 W. Gittinr. 8 J. King 25 John Prosser. 25 R. Davies j?. 6 E. Grundy. 25 A. Smith 16 S. Medcalfe 25 W. Lamphier 7 E. Grundy. 25 T. Chadwick. 9 271 173 Handicap. 20 Handicap. 80 I Total.291 Total 253 Majority for Neston, 38 shots.
ARNOLD HOUSE SCHOOL.
ARNOLD HOUSE SCHOOL. I The annual athletic sports meeting in con- nection with this school was held on Wednes- day in last week. The officials were:- President, the Rev. A. H. Fish; judges, Messrs. F. Ashcroft and R. F. James; starter, Mr. A. T. Watts; stewards of the course, Messrs. J. H. Beach, G. Chantrey, J. Davies, C. Edwards, W. Hamley, E. Heidenstam, R. Lowenberg, C. Mills, H. T. Moore, W. Moore, G. Ninnis, and G. Walker-Jones. Mr. A. T. Watts also discharged the duties of hon sec. The results of the various events on an excellent cA were as follows :—Sack tournament (under 15: 1, J. Davies; 2, W. Cullimore; 3, G. Woodloy. Potato race (under 12): 1, G. Bird and Ban- croft 2, N. Woodley; 3, A. Brandreth. Long jump: 1, E. Heidenstam (18ft.) 2, W. Hamley; 3, J. H. Beach 4. G. Ninnis. Sack race (under 11): 1, W. Davies; 2. M. Hamilton; 3, S. Smith, 4, C. Cullimore. 100 yards (open) 1, W. Hamley; 2, J. H. Beach 3, E. Heidenstam. 100 yards (unuer 14): 1, J. Davies 2, G. Wood- ley 3, J. H. Best. Egg and spoon race (under 13): 1, D. Cawley 2, W. Chantrey; 3, G. Bird; 4, T. Miln. Quarter-mile (open) 1, W. Hamley; 2, J. H. Beach 3, J. Davies 4, E. W. Clarke. 220 yards handicap (under 13) 1, T. Salmon 2, D. Cawley; 3, M. Hamilton 4, H. Arrow- smith. Egg and spoon race (under 10): 1, C. Cullimore; 2, R. C. Walton; 3, T. Salmon; 4, N. Okell. Slow bicycle race: 1, C. Edwards; 2, J. Kendrick; 3, C. Mills. High jump (open): 1, W. Hamley (4ft. 5Jin.) 2, G. Ninnis; 3, E. Heidenstam. High jump (under 14): 1, G. Woodley (3ft. llin.); 2, R. Bancroft and W. Bird (equal). Sack tournament (under 12): 1, A. Brundrett; 2, N. Woodley; 3, G. Bird. Old boys' and masters' race of 100 yards J. B. Kennedy. 100 yards (under 10) 1, T. Salmon; 2. N. Okell; 3. R. C. Walton. 100 yards (under 13): 1, D. Cawley 2, S. Davies; 3, H. Greening; 4, T. Miln. Half-mile handicap (over 12): 1, W. Hamley; 2, W. Bird; 3, J. K. Best; 4, Walker Jones. 100 yards (under 12): 1, R. Bancroft; 2, A. Brundreth 3, G. Bird. Sack race (under 13): 1, S. Davies 2, D. Cawley 3, W. Chantrey; 4, R. Hamilton. 220 yards handicap (over 13) 1, W. Bird; 2, H. Brun- dreth and W. Hamley (equal) 4, J. Davies. The presentation football cups for the season 1900-1901 were won by H. T. Moore and J. Parry, while J. Davies and H. T. Moore secured the medals for gymnastics. The ceremony of distributing the prizes was performed by Mrs. Hamilton.
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LLANGOLLEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT.—The two days' tournament held at Llangollen con- cluded late on Saturday evenings. Final results Ladies' Singles (Open): Mrs. Heatley (Basford) beat Miss Hulton (Gresford)-5 1, 7 5. Ladies' Singles (Local): Miss Bushby beat Miss Taylor—5 2, 6 0. Gentlemen's Doubles (Open): F. H. and A. H. Whitehouse beat Ward and Brocklehurst-6 3, 6 3. Gentle- men's Singles (Local) R. K. Lloyd beat 0. R: Owen-6 0, 6 4. Mixed Doubles (Open) T. W. Cubbon (Birkenhead) and Mrs. Heatley (Long- ton) beat H. Christian Jones (Liverpool) and Miss Z. Anagnostopulo (Liverpool)—9 7, 6 2, 6 4. Gen Women's Singles (Open) A. H. and F. H. Whitehouse (Wolverhampton) divided the prize. CHESTER FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION. The annual meeting of the Chester and District Football Association was held at the Odd- fellows' Hall on Monday evening, Mr. E. T. Hallmark presiding over a good attendance of representatives from local clubs. The treasurer's balance sheet was presented shewing a balance in hand of X20, and after moving the adoption of it, the Chairman referred to the satisfactory financial aspect of affairs and the very success- ful season they had just gone through.—The motion was seconded by Mr. Crosland (Helsby) and unanimously approved.—It was resolved that the Rev. F. Clifton Smith be invited to again become president.—The following Executive Committee was appointed:—Mr. E. T. Hallmark (chairman), Mr. J. Blaylock (vice- chairman), Mr. G. S. N. Hull (hon. secretary), Mr. E J. Webster (hon. treasurer), and Messrs. 11. Hull, J. Crosland, J. Crosley, E. Thomas, N. Hull, F. Balshaw, and G. H. Russel I.-Cup- tie dates were fixed and approved. It was resolved that the committee take steps to exchange the present shield, which is competed for by the junior clubs, for a silver cup. Mr. E. T. Hall- mark was appointed as the representative on the County Association. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. W. H. Fletcher, who has repre- sented Chester and district on the County Association for many years, on his resigning that position. The executive were instructed to make arrangements with the Chester Foot- ball Club with a view of playing local cup-ties on their new ground in Whipcord lane.—The Chairman, in response to a vote of thanks which was passed to him for presiding, re- marked that there was every prospect of a successful season, both for the senior city club and for the local junior clubs.
A SCHOOL TEACHER'S ACTION.
A SCHOOL TEACHER'S ACTION. I AMUSING CASE. At the West Bromwich County Court, before Judge Roberts, a case of considerable interest to teachers and proprietors of schools was heard. Agnes Banberry, of Bearwood, Birmingham, teacher, brought an action against Miss Beak, proprietress of a ladies' school, Montague House, at Weymouth, to recover LU lis. 6d. for breach of contract in respect of an engagement of the plaintiff by the defendant. In reply to Mr. Hooper, the plaintiff said she was engaged as a teacher of art painting, oil and water colours, piano, English and music. She denied that she painted the face of one of the pupils, or that'the students sat her upon a chair and painted her with a green moustache. (Laughter.) She also denied that the complaints as to her inability to maintain order in the class were well founded, and that there was any truth in a suggestion made to the effect that she had disgusting habits, such as biting her bread, drinking with her mouth full, having dirty nails and untidy hair. (More laughter.) Misses Gertrude O'Leary and Mansell, teachers at the defendant's school, were called to shew that the qualifications of the plaintiff as a teacher did not answer to the representation made by her aunt when she was engaged by defendant. Caroline Isles, a student of the school, caused much amusement by describing the episode on May 14th which led to the plaintiff's dismissal. She stated that while a painting lesson was in progress the plaintiff took a brush and painted the head and face of Miss Monckton, another scholar. Witness and Miss Monckton then held her down in a chair and gave her a green moustache. (Loud laughter.) Miss Banbury said she would scream, to which witness replied that if she did Miss Heath would come up. Plaintiff then went to a tap and washed the paint off her face. In reply to Mr. Dorsett, witness said she knew such conduct was not evidence of good manners, but she added that it was tit for tat. (Laughter.) The Judge gave a verdict for plaintiff for £5 9s. 6d.
ARE HOLIDAYS A MISTAKE?I
ARE HOLIDAYS A MISTAKE? I HOME VERSUS SEASIDE. I For the next three months the great railway stations of London will be thronged with masses who hope to find in a brief sojourn by the seaside renewed energy for the following twelve months. But even a holiday does not always secure immunity from the evils of existence in a great city. Some valuable information on this subject is imparted to the South London Press by a young lady residing in one of the suburbs of London. Miss Nellie Watson, of 102, Cornwall road, Brixton Hill, London, said, when visited, that she had been away recently for a long holiday at the seaside, with most dis- appointing results but as, at the time of the inttA-view, she was looking the pink of health, the reporter could not refrain from making comment upon her charming appearance. Yes," replied Miss Watson, "I must say that I enjoy the best of health now, though my long holiday at the seaside had nothing to do with my healthy appearance. It is only a short time since I was told that I looked like one going into consumption, and it seemed as if nothing would do me any good." My daughter suffered terribly from anwinia," interposed her mother, "which brought on eczema, l senc her into the country, but she returned really worse than when she went away." "I suffered," continued Miss Watson, who is nineteen years of age, with terrible sensations of weakness, and could hardly get about. I was always short of breath after slight exertion, and it was really painful for me to go up stairs. I was quite overcome by a languid, depressed reeling, and had a desire to be always sleeping, due to my bloodless state; and I attended St. Thomas's Hospital, all to no purpose. I had no desire for food, and was unable to digest what I took. So ill did I become that a lady who knew what medicine I had taken, and that I had been to the seaside without benefit, suggested to mother that she should get me a box of Dr. Williams' pink pills for pale people." And what was the result ? rhe first box did me good," replied Miss Watson, and by persevering with the pills for some tune I became quite well again." 80 you see," remarked Mrs. Watson, what a blessing they have been to my daughter. I am confident I should have lost her if it had not been for Dr. Williams' pink pills. The lady next door, who recommended me to try them, told me that her sister, who was the weakest of the whole family, had become, through taking the pills, the healthiest and strongest of them all. Skin eruptions and eczema frequently arise from impoverished blood. Dr. Williams' pink S*Ils for pale people make new blood with every dose, and the blood that they make is good ""1.. iiiey may oe obtained at the chemist's, price two shdHngs and ninepence. Among the dis- orders Dr. Williams' pills have cured are paralysis, rheumatism, St. Vitus' dance, fits, indigestion, ladies' ailments, kidney disease, and even consumption. -I dbl-
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I A Odessa telegram says the I deficit of the Kharkoff Commercial Bank amounts to 71 million roubles.
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I AGRICULTURE. I
I AGRICULTURE. I I AN OPPORTUNE RAIN. I The rainfall at the beginning of last week, which seems to have been general, may be looked upon as the saviour of the agriculture of this country. During the four and twenty hours that it lasted, from about midnight on Saturday, an inch and a half of rain was regis- tered. So far as the hay was concerned, the downpour must have been a disappointment to those who bad just got their grass down; it spoilt the colour and qualtity of a good deal, but the almost full sunshine which has since prevailed, has more than compensated for any shortcoming in this respect. Hay-making has since been in full fling all over the country, and the result, should the sunshine continue, will be a fair crop of well-ended hay, while the soaking of ram has gone far to establish the prospect of an aftermath where the first crop has been cleared. M'\1ch hay over a large area has been stacked during the last ten days, which those who are capable of judging com- pute, on the whole, to be slightly under the average. It goes without saying that the roots and other crops on arable soils have greatly benefited by the liberal rainfall. A full crop of mangolds seems well assured, at all events in this district, while opportunity has been afforded for turnip drilling. The cereals which perhaps were too advanced to materially benefit from the change so far as the growth of straw was concerned, have nevertheless improved, and pastures together with potatoes and other garden produce have been endowed with new life. Wheat has bloomed well and looks healthy in the ear, but the oat bells are light, and both these and barley, which is coming into ear, are very deficient in straw. The rain has helped on the smaller fruits, which, however, promise to be of short season, strawberries especially having nearly come to an end. Reports from the north state that farmers there are better off than those south of the Tweed in regard to the state of the crops. In the North of England and in Scotland the rains have been sufficient and opportune; there is little fault to find; grain crops are promising, and the pastures are green while stock-keepers are said to be satis- fied with the present prospects of the turnip crop. Our neighbours are so far to be con- gratulated,. as this is said to have been the normal state of affairs for a decade at least in contradistinction to England. The rainfall as well as the succeeding heat wave has been some- thing abnormal in London and the neighbour- hood. The change in the weather of the past week has led to a marked improvement in matters agricultural in Ireland. Following on the copious downpours of rain, the brilliant sun- shine which succeeded the welcome moisture has exercised a remarkable influence on growth in all directions, with the result that crops of all kinds, including meadows and pastures, have undergone a beneficial change all over the country. The Mark Lane Express says:-Tbe harvest on its present promise will be nearer three weeks than a fortnight late in the chief wheat regions. The Indian wheat crop for 1901 is the subject of an official report, which gives the area at 21,914,835 acres, and the yield at 30,926,000 quarters. This should leave the large surplus of nearly 6,000,000 quarters available for exportation but as the granaries were completely depleted, it is not likely that more than half that quantity will be actually exported. The markets of the past week have declined 2s. per quarter for American spring wheat and Is. for American winter sorts. The faU in most other kinds does not, às a rule exeeed 6d. i Reports from all the great cteese markets run to the effect that the activity exhibited during the previous week shewed signs of abating, holders being not quite so firm as of late in their requirements for full prices. The consumptive demand was only quiet. Old English cheese is practically exhausted, but for what is left there is keen inquiry at a little above late rates, and the deliveries of new are as yet only limited. Quotations: Cheshire, finest, 55s. to 60s.; fine, 48s. to 52s. 6d.; medium and lower grades, 45s. to 50s. per 1201b. Canadian, finest coloured, 46s. to 47s.; white, 45s. to 46s. per 1121b. I AGRICULTURAL LABOUR IN AMERICA. I A Yorkshire Post" telegram from New York says:—The unprecedented wheat yield in Kansas is making the farmers desperate in their efforts to secure sufficient harvesters. One morning twenty farmers at Burlingham, Kansas, armed with shot guns, "held up" a train carrying two hundred reapers further west, and forced them out of the cars and into the fields. 1 A pitched battle was al- most started when the farmers offered the reapers three dollars and fifty cents, a day, and a com- promise was made on this basis. The farmers to whom the two hundred reapers were going have threatened to bring a suit against the people of Burlingham for damages. I TRAINING THE YOUNG IDEA. I A novel and at the same time interesting idea was developed at the recent Shrewsbury Agricul- tural Show, in which the object was to encourage farmers' sons to take more interest in live stock, and to initiate them into the mysteries of judging. Mr. Robert Millar, of Canada, who has had con- siderable experience of the system in his own country, aoted as judge, the decisions given by him, and the stated reasons on which they were founded, forming the standard by which the de- liberations of the candidates were measured. The candidates, all necessarily under 25 years of age, numbered twenty, and wlgre first required to place in the order of merit, gilving specific reasons for their decisions, four shorthorn bulls which had been unnoticed in the competition proper. Onlv eight of the twenty shewed sufficient skill to be entitled to enter the second stage, in which Here- ford instead of shorthorn bulls were submitted to them. It is noteworthy that the three prize- winners made only one mistake each in placing the animals, but whereas the recipient of the first prize lost only one point for incorrect reasons, the second winner had two and the third three points deducted for discrepancies in the stated reasons. Competitions of this description are deserving of every encouragement, and might with advantage be more generally adopted. WINTER FATTENING OF CATTLE. Dr. J. W. Paterson, of the West of Scotland Agricultural College, in a report on this subject, describes an experiment carried out last winter. In the1 preceding winter the best financial results had been obtained from light root feeding, with decorticated cotton cake and maize meal, the same quantity of roots with cotton cake and bruised oats coming next, a heavy root ration with cotton cake third, and a light root ration with linseed cake last. In the discussion that en- sued it was decided that linseed cake should be used with other dry iood, and doubts were ex- pressed as to the conclusiveness of the evidence against heavy root feeding. Therefore a scheme was drawn up and applied to forty beasts last win- ter, in four lots of ten each. Lot 1 had 8401b. of swedes and 501b. of linseed cake per day; lot 2, the same quantity of roots and 501b. of decor- ticated cotton cake; lot 3, 5601b. of swedes, with 301b. of maize meal and 501b. of linseed cake; and lot 4, 5601b. of swedes, with 301b. of maize meal and 501b. of decorticated cotton cake. These quantities, or some of them, were increased. The financial results after fourteen weeks' feeding are given as follows: —Lot 2 gave a profit of Elo 8s. 4d.; lot 3 of J35 3s. 3d.; lot 4 of C3 14s. 3d. and lot 1 of JB1 Is. Thus one of the heavy root rations with decorticated cotton cake alone, then, gave by far the greatest profit; while one of the light root rations, with maize meal and linseed cake, came next. THE BurTER STANDARD COMMITTEE. In the House of Commons last weex, in reply to Mr. O'Shaughnessy, Mr. Hanbury announced that the Departmental Committee to enquire into the standard of water legally allowable in butter would be composed of the Right Hon. Horace Plunkett (chairman). Professor Thorpe (principal chemist of the Government Labora- tories), Sir Charles Cameron (medical officer of health and public analyst of Dublin), Professor Thomson (president of the Institute of Chemistry), Major Craigie (an assistant secre- tary of the Board of Agriculture), Mr. George Gibbins (an agriculturist well-known in the West of England), Mr. Kearley, M.P., Mr. Christopher Dunne (chairman of the Cork Butter Market Trustees), and Mr. Anderson (secretary of the Irish Agricultural Organisa- tion Society). Mr. Hanbury hopes also to obtain the services of Mr. John Gilchrist, a well-known Scotch butter maker. THE PERMANENT SITE FUND OF THE I R.A.S.E. At the general meeting of the R.A.S.E. at I Cardiff Earl Cawdor, the president, made the announcement that nine of the large agricul- tural implement makeis were each to send a contribution of 9250 to the new permanent site fund. Of course this is welcome in a degree beyond the actual value of the gross monetary contribution, munificent as that is. The sum of £2,250 is, indeed, handsome and very accept- able, but not less important in the sense of approval of the new regime which the donations imply. It can only be hoped that the accept- ance of the prospective change from a migratory to a fixed show will spread, and if the new con- verts should take the same tangible form of expressing their conversion all the better.
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SWINE FEVER IN NORTH WALES.—Swine fever is very prevalent in the Hundred of Maelor, and a large number of pigs have been slaughtered at Hanmer and Penley. There has also been an outbreak at Bangor. For con- travening swine fever regulations, Mrs. Matthews, of Halghton Hall, and her bailiff were fined at Overton Petty Sessions on Saturday. The presiding magistrate stated that in future such cases would be severely dealt with. THE ADULTERATION OF FOREIGN BUTTER SUCCESSFUL APPEAL.—An appeal of considerable importance to the butter trade was heard at the Hull Quarter Sessions, before Mr. Recorder Forbes, K.C., on Saturday. It was an appeal by Messrs. T. Wilson, Sons, and Co., shipowners, against a conviction by the city magistrates for importing adulterated Siberian butter into this country contrary to section 1 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1899. The importation was admitted, and the point for the Court to decide was whether the butter was adulterated. The Wilson liner Castro arrived at Hull from Copen- hagen on June 19, with a cargo of 4,261 casks of butter, valued at E25,530. Samples were taken by the Customs authorities and also by Messrs. Wilson, and samples were also sent to the Government laboratories. The certificate of the Government analyst was that it contained 10 per cent. of foreign fat and was therefore adulterated. Mr. Cautley, M.P., who repre- sented the Customs, the respondents to the action, said that an attempt was being made by the Russian and Danish Governments to intro- duce into this country butter of an inferior quality. Mr. George Lewin, superintendent analyst for the Government, said that all tests of butter depended on the method of finding the amount of soluble acids. The lowest amount of soluble acids he had found in genuine butter was 4 5 to 4 8; anything below 4.5 must be adulterated. The butter in question contained only 4.14. J. Oto Hebner, public analyst of Nottingham, gave the soluble acids at 4.68. Several Continental experts were in attendance to give evidence. The respondents had no witnesses to support Mr. Lewin. The Recorder, therefore, allowed the appeal with costs, remarking that while it was suspicious butter,, it had not been proved adulterated.
I ALONE WITH A SUICIDE.
I ALONE WITH A SUICIDE. I GHASTLY EXPERIENCE. Dr. Robert W. Doyne, of Connaught-square, London, and Oxford, had the curious experi- ence last Thursday of being alone in a railway compartmenc with a man who was committing suicide. The doctor told the story to a coroner and jury at Paddington on Saturday in the course of an inquest on the body of Howard C. Jobson, a retired company promoter, who resided at Kidderminster. When the doctor entered the Great Western express at Oxford Mr. Jobson was eating from a lunch basket. Nothing remarkable occurred till the train arrived at Wormwood Scrubs, and the doctor slept peacefully. Then be heard a sound coming from tbe, direction of Mr. Jobson'a am*, aDd it waB IUre some liquid splashing against the window. The doctor thought little of it. and Mr. Jobson did not move. At Paddington Dr. Doyne was sur- prised to find that he remained with his bat partially covering his face. He lifted the hat and found Jobson's throat gashed and bleedings while his clothing and boots were saturated with blood. He tried to stop the bleeding by holding the jagged edges of the wound together; but this was ineffectual, and he called for assistance. The jury returned a verdict of Suicide during temporary insanity."
LOVE ON A MOTOR-CAR.
LOVE ON A MOTOR-CAR. George Hageman, (30), a French subject and an engineer, of 76, Old Compton-street, was- charged at Brentford with driving a metor-car to the public danger, and further, with doing serious bodily harm to Joseph Cobbler. Charles Weedon, of Isleworth, stated that he saw prisoner's motor-car coming along the road.. not at a very quick pace, but so carelessly steered and driven that it went in zig-zag fashion. The reason for this was to be found in the fact that prisoner had his arm around a young lady, who was sitting beside him, and was kissing her. (Laughter.) Accordingly he had only one arm to steer and drive with-his left. Witness saw the car dash into the back of the youth, Cobbler, who had been walking slowly behind a baker's cart. Cobbler was knocked under the cart, and the young lady was pitched out on top of him. As she fell she called out to prisoner, Ob, Georgie, go along! Don't stop Prisoner, through an interpreter, declared that the baker's cart, behind which he had been slowly driving came to a sudden stop, so that he could not avoid driving into Cobbler. The reason he made off without stopping when the accident occurred was that he meant to try and find a policeman! Mr. J. Alien Brown commented upon the absence of the young lady, who should have been an important witness, and fined prisoner 92 and costs, plus E2 compensation to the injured youth-X5 17s. 6d. in all.
TRAIN WILFULLY DELAYED.
TRAIN WILFULLY DELAYED. George Parker, a conductor on the Central London Railway, was charged before Mr. Marsham, on Saturday, at Bow-street Police Court, with wilfully and maliciously obstructing a train on the line. Mr. Harry Wilson prose- cuted. Parker, it Appeared, had received a fortnight's notice to leave. Before going on duty on Friday he told another conductor that I he meant to have a lark." He assisted in con- ducting a train from Shepherd's-bush to the Mansion House and back again two or three times, but it was noticed by the driver and other conductors, that it was on several occasions nearly brought to a standstill between stations. The Westinghouse brakes with which the cars are provided, to be used in case of emer- gency, were examined, and it was found that the one in the prisoner's car had been recently applied, He denied having used it but his statement was not believed, and after many attempts had been unsuccessfully made to work the train properly Parker was ordered off duty. After that the train went quite smoothly, as it had done before he joined it. Several witnesses were called to shew that Parker's hand had been seen close to the emergency brake, and that a delay of about 40 minutes had been caused. The prisoner went into the witness- box and declared that he was innocent, and alleged that most of the evidence against him bad been concocted.—Mr. Marsham said he did not believe him, and ordered him to pay a fine of £10, or undergo one month's imprisonment.
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1 PENRHYN QUARRY DISPUTB.-At the Carnar- I von County Police Court on Saturday, four young and one elderly men were accused of in- timidating Penrhyn quarrymen on June 21st. at Rhiwlas, a small hamlet near the quarry. Mr. H. Lloyd Carter prosecuted, and in the course of his opening address said that it was not pleasant to prosecute men who had hither- to borne good characters. Mr. Carter Cool- plained that on June 21st crowds of men, women, and children beset the houses of the workmen, hooting and making use of oppro- brious remarks. Since the previous convictions at Bangor the crowd had changed their tactics, for instead of following the workmen escorted by the police they now marched in front, but he contended that this meant following, for the effect upon the minds of the workmen was the same. Three of the defendants had been bound over to keep the peace. The Bench decided to commit the accused to the assizes to be held next week.