THE SUNDAY OREGONTAN. PORTLAND, SEPTE3IBER 20, 1908.
nop
QUEEN
ALEXANDRA HAS CONFINED HEP
MEADGEAP TO TOQUES EVER SINGE
PRI!vIF20SE: FAI?Pr EPISODE INVOLVING ABOY
AND TWO FJARENTS WHO FOTJMD EACH OTHER OUT
5TIEYYAS A PEQDE
4
flO MERRY YYID
rvVFCsaDe ana
X 11 fill .iliMMUli. B.v ,.v. .-v mi ..,
k Vl'5 9."tJ)i ) -t -I
SAT, I don't know whether I'll ever
Bet to be a regular week-ender or
not. but I've" been making another
stab at It. - What's the use ownln
property In the country house belt If
you don't use It now and then? So
last Saturday, after I shuts up the stu
dio, I scoots out to my place in Prim
rose Park.
Well, I puts In the afternoon .with
Dennis Whaley, who's head gardener
and farm superintendent, and every
thing else a three-acre plot will stand
for. Then, about supper time, as I'm
Just settlin' myself on the front porch,
with my heels on the stoop rail, won
derln" how folks can ever live all the
time where nothin ever happens, I
hears a chug-chuggln', and up the
drive rolls a cute little one-seater Hub
ble, with, nobody aboard -but a Boston
terrier and a boy.
"Chee." thinks I. "they'll be glvtn'
them gasolene carts to babies next.
Wonder what fetches the kid in here?"
Maybe he was a big ten or a small
twelve; anyway, he wan't more. He's
one of the fine haired, light complected
youngsters; that a few years ago
would have had yellow Fauntleroy
curls, and been rigged out in a lace
collar and a "black velvet suit, and had
a nurse to lead him around by the
hand. But the new crop of young
, Astergould Thlckwads is beln' trained
on different lines. This kid was a good
sample. His tow-colored hair is Just
long enough to tousle nice, and he's
bare-headed at that. Then he's got
on corduroy knickers, a khaki Jacket,
black leather leggln's, and gauntlet
gloves, and he looks almost as healthy
as if he was poor.
"Hello, youngster!" says I. "Did you
lose the shuffer overboard?"
"Beg pardon." says he; "but I drive
my own machine."
"Oh." says I. "I might have known
by the costume."
By this time he's standln' up with
his hand to his ear, squintin' back out
through the trees to the main road,
like he was llstenin' for somethin'.
" In a second he hears one of them big
six-cylinder cars go hummln" past, and
it seems to be what he was waitin' for. J
"Goin to stop, are you? says i.
"Thank you." says he. "I will stay a
little while, if you don't mind." and
he proceeds to shut off the gasolene
and climb out. The dog follows him.
"Glvln' some one the slip? says
"Oh, no," says he. real prompt.
I.
"I
I've been in a race, that's all."
"Ye-e-es?" says I." "Had a start,
didn't you?"
"A little." says he.
With that he sits down on the steps,
snuggles the terrier up alongside of
him. and begins to look me and the
place over careful, without sayln' any
more. Course, that ain't the way boys
usually act, unless they've got stage
fright, and this one didn't seem at all
shy. As near as I could guess, he was
thinkin' hard, so I let him take his
time. I figures out from his looks.
and his showin' up in a runabout, that
he's come from some of them big coun
try places near by, and that when he gets
ready he'll let out what he s alter,
enoneh. nrettv soon he opens up.
"Wouldn't you like to buy the machine.
air?" says he.
"Selling out. are your' says I. "Well,
what's your askin' price for a rig of that
kind?"
He sizes me up for a minute, and then
sends out a feeler. "Would v be
too
much?"
"No." says I. I shouldn't call that
saueeze. providin" you threw in the dog.
He looks real worried then, and hugs
the terrier iid closer than ever. "I could
not sell Togo," says he. "you you
wouldn't want him too." would you?'
When I sees that it wouldn't take much
more to get them big blue eyes of his to
leakin', I puts him easy on the aog ques
tion. "But what's your idea of selliu'
the bubble?" says I.
"Why." says he. "I won't need It any
longer. I'm going to be a motorman on
a trolley car.
"That's a real swell Job." says I. "But
how will the folks at home take It?"
"The folks at home?" sajs he, lookin'
me straight In the eye. "Why, there
aren't any. I haven't any home, you
know."
Honest, the way he passed out that
whopper was worth watchin". It was done
as cool and scientific as a real estate man
takin' oath there wa'n't a mosquito In
the whole county.
'Then you're Just travelin around loose,
eh?" says I. "Whore d you strike from
today?"
"Chicago," says he.
To tell!" says I. "That's quite a day's
run. You must have left before break
fast." "I had breakfast early." says he.
"Dinner in Buffalo?' says I.
"I didn't stop for dinner." says he.
"In that case er what's the name?'
ays I.
"Mister Smith," says he.
"Kasy name to remember." says I.
"Ye-e-es. I'd rather you called me Ger
ald, though." says he.
"Good." says I. "Well. Gerald, seein"
as you've made a long Jump since break
fast, what do you say to grubbin' up a
Utile with me, eh?"
That strikes him favorable, and as
Mother Whaley is Just brlngin in the
platter, we goes Inside and sits down,
Togo and alL Hs sure didn't fall to like
a half starved kid: but maybe that was
because he was so busy lookin" at Mrs.
Whaley. She aint much on the French
maid type, that's a fact. Her uniform Is
a checked apron over a faded red wrap
per, and she has a way of puggin' her
hair up in a little knob that makes her
face look like one of the kind they cut
out of a cocoanut.
Gerald eyea her for awhile: then he
leans over to me and whispers. "Is this
the butler" night off?"
Yes," says I. "Ho has seven a week.
This Is one of "em."
After he's thought that over he grins.
1 see," says he. "You mean you Jiaven't
a butler? Why. I thought everyone did."
"There's a few of us struggles along
without." says L "We don't brag about
tt. though. But where do you keep your
butler now. Mr. Gerald T'
That catches him with his guard down,
and he begins to look mighty puzzled.
"Oh. come." says I. "you might's well
own up. You're brought the runaway act
right down to the minute, son; but, bar
rin' the details, it's the same old game.
I done the same when I was your age.
only instead of runnin' off in a thousand
dollar bubble, I . sneaked into an empty
freight car."
"Did your' says he, his eyes openin'
wide. "Was It nice, riding in the freight
carr
"Never had so much fun out of a car
ride since," says I. "But I was on the
war path then. My outfit was a blank
cartridge pistol, a scajpin knife hooked
from ihe kitchen, and a couple of nickel
Ub'rlcs' that told all about Injun klllin".
Don't lay out to slaughter any redskins,
do you?"
He looks kind of weary, and shakes his
head.
"Well, runnin' a trolley car has its
good points. I s'pose." says I; "but I
wouldn't tackle it for a year or so if I
was you. You'd better give me your phone
number, and I'll ring up the folks, so
they won't be worryin' about you."
But say. this Gerald boy, alias Mr.
Smith, don't fall for any smooth talk like
that. He Just sets his Jaw hard and re
marks, quiet like, "I guess I'd better be
going."
"Where to?" says I.
"New Haven ought to be a good place
to Bell the machine," sayshe. "I can get
a Job there,- too."
At that I goes to pumpin' him some
more, and he starts in to hand out the
weirdest line of yarns I ever listened to.
Maybe he wa'n't a very skilful liar, but
he was a willin' one. Quick as I'd tangle
him up on one story, he'd lie himself out
and into another. He accounts for his not
havin' any home In half a dozen differ
ent ways, sometimes kiilin' off his rela
tions one by one, and then bunchin' 'em
in a railroad wreck or an earthquake.
But he 'sticks to Chicago as the place
where he lived last, although the nearest
St?..'
ti? ' 'V a
i
f. J ". ,-JL. V.'".'..
Ah I dashes ont they make
he own get to the street number is by
sayin' it was somewhere near Central
Park.
"That happens to be in New York,"
says I.
"There are two in Chicago." says he.
"All right, Gerald." says I. "I give
up. We'll let it go that you're playin" a
lone hand; but before you start out again
you'd better get a good- night's rest
here. What do you say?"
He didn't need much urgin"; so we runs
the bubble around Into me stable, and I
tucks him and Togo away together in the
spare bed.
"Who's the little Iadr' says Dennis to
me.
"For one thing." says I, "'he's an hon
orary member of the Ananias club. If
I can dig up any more information be
tween now and mornin", Dennis, I'll let
you know."
First I calls up two or three village
police stations along the line; but they
hadn't had word of any stray kid.
"That's funny." thinks I. "If he'd
lived down in Hester street there'd be
40H0 cops huntin' him up by this time."
But it wa'n't my cue to do the frettin";
so I lets things rest as they are, only
takln' a look at the kid before I turns
In. to see that he is safe. And say, that
one look gets me all broke up; for when
I tiptoes in with the candle I finds that
pink and white face of his all streaked
up with cryln", and one arm around Togo,
like he thought that terrier was all the
friend he had left.
Gee! btit that makes me feel mean!
Why, if I'd known he was goin' to blub
ber himself to sleep that way, I'd hung
around and cheered him up. He'd been
so brash about this runaway business,
though, that I never suspicioned he'd go
to pieces the minute he was left alone.
And they look different when they're
asleep, don't they? I guess I must have
put in the next two hours wonderln' how
Ik was that a nice, bright youngster like
that should come to quit home. If he'd
come from some tenement house, where
It was a case of pop heln on the island,
and maw rushln' the can and usin' the
poker on him, you wouldn't think any
thing of It. But here he has his bubble,
and his high-priced terrier, and things
like that, and yet he does the skip. Well,
there wa'n't any answer.
Not hearin'-him stirrin' when I gets up
in the mornin' I makes up my mind to
let him snooze as long as he likes. So
I has breakfast and goes out front with
the mornin' papers. It got to be after
9 o'clock, and I was Just thinkin' of goin'.
up to see how he was gettin' on, when I
sees a big green tourin' car come dashin'
down into the park and turn into my
front drive. ' There was a crowd in it;
but before I can get up out flips a stun
ntn' lookin' bunch of dry goods, all veils
and silk dust-coat, and wants to know if
I'm Shorty McCabe; which I says I am.
"Then you have my boy here, have
you?" she shoots out. And say. by the
suspicious way she looks at me you'd
thought I'd been breakln' Into some
nursery. I'll admit she was a beaut, all
right: but the hard look I gets from them
big black eyes didn't win me for a cent.
"Maybe if I knew who you was.
ma am, says I. "we a get along taster."
That don't soothe her a bit. She gives
me one glare, and then whirls around and
shouts at a couple of tough lookin' bruis
ers that was In the car.
Quick!" she sings out. "'Watch the
rear and side doors. I'm sure he's here.
And the mugs pile out and proceed to
plant themselves around the house.
"Sa-a-ay. " says 1. "tins begins to lootc
excitin'. Is it a raid, or what? Who are
the husky boys?"
Those men are in my employ, says
she.
Private sleut'sr says I.
They are." says she. "and If you'll
give up the boy without any trouble I will
pay you Just twice as much as you're
getting to hide him. I'm going to have
him. anyway."
"Well, well!" says I.
And say, maybe you can guess by that
time I was feelin' like it was a warm day.
If I'd had on a celluloid collar, lt'd blown
up. Inside of 10 seconds I've shucked my
coat and am mixln' it with the plug that's
guardin' the side door. The doln's was i
short and sweet. He's no sooner slumped
down . to feel what's happened to his
Jaw than No. 2 come up. He acts like he
was ambitious to do damage, but the
third punch leaves him on the grass.
Then I takes each of 'em by the ear,
leads 'em out to the road, and gives 'em a
little leather farewell to help 'em get un
der way.
"Sorry to muss your hired help,
ma'am," says I, comin back to the front
stoop: "but this is one place in the coun
try where .private detectives aint wanted.
And another thing, let s not have any
more talk about me bein' paid. If
there's anyone here belongtn' to you. you
can have him and welcome: but cut out
the hold-up business and the graft con
versation. Now again, what's the name?"
She was so mad she was white around
the lips; but she's one of the kind that
knows when she's up against it too. "I
am Mrs. Rutgers Greene." says she.
"Oil. yes," says I. "From down on the
point?"
"Mr. Greene lives at Orienta Point, I
believe," says she.
Now. that was plain enough, wa'n't it?
You wouldnt think I'd need postin" on
what they was sayin" at the clubs after
that. But thesehigh life break aways are
so common you can't keep track of all of
x
At f
-ft
. "O., --v.. t
J'W, x
a cleaa breakaway.
'em, and she sprung it so offhand that I
didn't more'n half tumble to what she
meant.
"I suppose I may have Gerald now?'
she goes on.
"Sure," says I. "I'll bring htm down."
And as I skips up the stairs I sings
out, "Hey, Mr. Smith! Y'our maw's
come for you!"
There was nothin' doln', though. I
knocks on the door and calls again.
Next I goes in. And say, it wa'n't until
I'd pawed over all the clothes and
looked under the bed and into the
closet that I could believe it. He must
have got up at daylight, slipped down
the back way in his stockin' feet and
skipped. The note on the washstand
clinches it. It was wrote kind of wob
bly, and the spellin 'was some streaked,
but there wa'n't any mlstakin' what
he meant. He was sorry he had to
tell so many whoppers, but he wa'n't
ever goin' home any more, and he was
much oblig'ed for my tip about the
freight car. Maybe my Jaw didn't drop.
Thick head! says I, catchin . sight
of myself in the bureau glass. "You
would get humorous."
When I goes back downstairs I find9
Mrs. Greene pacin" the porch. "Well?"
says she.
I throws up my hands. "Skipped,"
says I.
"Do you mean to say he has gone?"
she snaps.
"That's the size of It," says I.
"Then this is Rutger's work. Oh, the
beast!" and she begins stampin' her
foot and bitin' her lips.
"That's where you're off," says I;
"this is a case of "
But Just then another big bubble
comes dashin' up with four men in it,
and the one that Jumps out and Joins
us Is the main stem of the fam'ly. I
could see that by the way the lady
turns her back on him. He's a clean
cut, square-Jawed young feller, and by
the narrow set of his eyes and the
sandy color of his hair you could guess
he might be some obstinate when It
came to an argument. But he begins
calm enough.
"I'm Rutgers Greene." eays he, "and
at the .police station they told me Ger
ald was here. I'll take charge of him,
if you please."
"Have you brought a bunch of sleut's
too?" says I.
He admits that he has.
"Then chase 'em off the grounds be
fore I has another mental typhoon,"
says I. "Shoo 'em!"
"If they're not needed," says he, "and
you object to1"
"I do," says I.
So he has his machine run out to the
road again.
"I beg pardon," puts in Greene; "but
you hardly understand the situation.
Mrs. Greene need not be consulted at
all."
"I've as much right to Gerald as you"
have!"says she. her eyes snappin' like
a trolley wheel on a wet night.
"We will allowthe courts to decide
that point," says he, real frosty.
"I don't want to butt in on any tend
er little domestic scene," says I: "but
if I was you two I'd find the kid first.
He's been gone since daylight."
"Gone!" says Greene. "Where r'
"There's no tellin' that," says I. "All
I know Is that when he left here he
was headed for ' the railroad track,
meanin" to Jump a freight train and "
"The railroad!" squeals Mrs. Greene.
"Oh, he'll be killed! Oh, Gerald! Ger
ald!" Greene don't say a word, but he
turns the color of a slice of Swiss
cheese.
"Oh, what can we do?' says the lady,
wringln' her hands.
"Any of them detectives of yours
know the kid by sight?" says X.
They didn't. . Neither did Greene's
bunch. They was both fresh lots.
"Well," says I, "I'll own up that
part of this is up to me. and I won't
feel right until I've made a try to find
hltn. I'm goin' to start right now, and
I don't know how long I'll he gone.
From what I've seen I can guess that
this cottage will be a little small for
you two; but, if you're anxious to hear
the first returns I'd advise you to stay
right here. So long."
And with that I grabs my hat and
makes a dasli out the back way, leavin'
'em standln' there back to back, r
never tracked a runaway kid along a
railroad, and I hadn't much notion how
to start; but I makes for the rock bal
last Just as though I had the plan all
'mapped out.
The first place I came across was a
switch tower, apd I hadn't chinned the
operators three minutes before I gets
on to the fact that that an east-bound
freight usually passed there about 6
in the mornin, and generally stopped
to drill on the siding Just below. That
was enough to send me down the track
but there wa'n't any traces of the kid.
"New Haven for me, then," says I,
and by good luck I catches a locaL
Maybe that was a comfortable ride,
watchin' out of the rear window for
somethin' I was hopin I wouldn't see!
And when it was over I hunts up the
yard master and finds the freight I was
lookin' for was Just about due.
"Kxpectin' a consignment?' says he.
"Yes," says I. "I'm a committee of
one to receive a stray kid."
"Oh, that's it, eh?" says he. "We
get 'em most every week. I'll see that
you have a pass to overhaul the emp
ties." After I'd peeked into about a dozen
box cars and dug up nothin' more en
couraging than -a couple of boozy 'boes,
I begun to think my calculations was
all wrong. I was Just slidin' another
door shut when I notices a bundle of
somethin' over in the far corner. I
had half a mind not to climb in; for
it didn't look like anything aljve, but
I takes a chance at it for luck, and the
first thing I hears is a growl. The
next minute I has Togo by the collar
and the. kid up on my arm. It was
Gerald, all right, though he was that
dirty and rumpled I hardly knew him.
He Just groans and grabs hold of me
like he was afraid I was goin' to get
away. Why, the poor little cuss was
so beat out and scared I couldn't get
a word from him for half- an hour.
But after awhile I coaxed him to sit
up on a stool and have a bite to eat,
and when I'ye -washed off some of the
griine, and pulled out a few splinters
from his hands, we gets a train back.
First off I thought I'd phone Mr. and
Mrs. Greene, but then I changes my
mind. "Maybe it'll do 'em good to
wait," thinks I.
We was half way back when Gerald
looks up and says: "You won't take
me home will you?"
"What's the matter with home, kid?
says I.
"Well, says he, and I could see by
the struggle he was havin' with his
upper lip that it was comin' out hard,
"mother says father isn't a nice man,
and father says I mustn't believe what
she says at all, and and I don't think
I like either of them well enough to be
their little boy any more. I don't like
being stolen so 'often, either."
"Stolen?" says L
"Yes," says he. ''You see, when I'm
with father, mother is always sending
men to grab me up and take met off
where she is. Then father sends men
to get me back, and and I don't be
lieve I've got any real home any more.
That's why I ran away. Wouldn't
you?"
"Kid," says I, "I ain't got a word to
say."
He was too tired and down in the
mouth to do much conversing either.
All he wants to do is curl up with his
head against my shoulder and go to
sleep. After he wakes up from his nap
he feels better, and when he finds
we're going back to my place, he gets
quite chipper. All the way walkin' up
from the station I tries to think of
how it would be best to break the
news to him about the grand house
hold scrap that was due to be pulled
off the minute we shows up. 1 couldn't
do it, though, until we'd got clear to
the house.
"Now, youngster," says I, "there's a
little surprise on tap for you here, I
guess. You walk up soft and peek
through the door."
For a minute I thought maybe they'd
cleared out, he was so still about it,
so. I steps up to rubber, too. And
there's Mr. and Mrs. Greene, sittin' on
the sofa about as close as they could
get, her weepln' damp streaks down
ltis shirt front and him pattin her
back hair gentle and lovin'.
"Turn off the sprayer!" says I.
"Here's the kid!"
Well, we was all mixed up for the
next few minutes. They hugs Gerald
both to once, and then they hugs each
other, and if I hadn't ducked Just as I
did I ain't sure what would have hap
pened to me. When I comes back, half
an hour later, all I needs is one glance
to see that a lot of private sleut's and
court lawyers is out of a Job.
"Shorty," says Greene, givin' me the
hearty grip, "I don't know how I'm
ever goin' to "
"Ah, lose it!" says I. "It was Just
by a fluke I got on the Job, anyway.
That's a great kid of yours, eh?'
Did I say anything about Primrose
Parity bein' a place where nothin' ever
happened? Well, you can scratch that.
Raw Cotton Stock at Kobe.
Denver Republican.
The present stock of raw cotton In
store at Kobe is estimated at 100.000 bales,
about 10,000 of this being American. Un
less the price of yarn rises sufficiently to
allow this surplus to be worked off, the
importation of raw cotton into this con
sular district will no doubt show a still
further decrease. It has fallen $271,542
for the first three months of this year as
compared with same period of last year.
The Rose Still Grows Beyond the Wall
By A. L. Frlnk.
Near shady wall, a rose once jrew.
Budded and blossomed at God's free light.
Watered and fed by morning dew.
Shedding its sweetness day and night.
And it grew and blossomed, fair and tall.
Slowly rising to loftier height.
It came to a crevice in the wall.
Through which there shone a beam of
light.
Onward it crept, with added strength.
With never a fear or thought of pride;
It followed the light through the crevice
length.
And unfolded itself on the other side.
Onward, the light, the dew, the broadening
view
Were found the same as they were before;
And it lost itself In beauties new.
Breathing its fragrance more and more.
Shall claim of death cause os to grieve
And make our courage faint or fall?
Kay; let us faith and bone receive.
The rqse still grows beyond the wall.
Scattering fragrance far and wide,
Just as it did in days of yore.
Juet as It did on the other shore.
Just as It will torevermore.
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fit
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8 -.-
IT-ETcST FIXTURE, OP"
JVDAcJETSTY' ERESEjMXIN"3
the msxRAnrtfOFT TROPtrr
TO HfflES, THE fJUEEMS -TOQUE
IS LtJ EVIDENCE
OT among Kngland's royalty has
the Merry. Widow hat been able
to claim a conquest.
The mountainous creation, which In
every other country of the world has
had the effect of completely, winning
the millinery affections of the gentler
eex, fell flat in King Edward's realm.
It never had a chance, in fact, for
Just as King Kdward sets the fashion
men's clothes, so it is mainly to
Queen Alexandra that loyal ladies of
the realm look for suggestions as to
that which shall bo called style.
If there is one thing more than an
other which the keen-witted and clear
willed Queen detests it is great dimen
sions in a hat.
Since the time when she became the
young girl sweetheart of the . then
Prince of Wales, and came to Great
Britain from Denmark to be his bride,
Alexandra has always contended
that excessive breadth and width in
a hat was a sign that the wearer lacked
the well-shaped face and the kind of
hair that would stand close inspection.
A big hat was donned to hide defects.
But for the woman with good out
lines and an ample allowance of a
woman's crowning glory, the hat could
not be too small. It was too big Just
when it attracted attention Instead of
permitting that to be centered on the
charms of nature rather than on the
confections of the milliner.
Alexandra made the vogue of what
is known as the toque. This was 40
years ago, and though many varia
tions of hats have come to be wor
shiped in the Interval, she was stead
fastly remained loyal to her favorite
style. Others might follow strange
gods and worship at unsightly milli
nery pedestals, but England's Queen
never wavered. .
It is a surprising loyalty that Alex
andra has shown to her whim during
all these years. Of all women In the
world she is the one who could go
furthest in directing the fashions in
headgear. In dresses she has permit
ted herself much latitude and the no
bility had delighted to follow her ex
ample, but in the matter of headwear
all the photographs taken in public in
four decades show virtually no varia
tion. It is the toque always and perpetu
ally for' the consort of King Edward.
This toque, to deal somewhat flip
pantly with the royal article of wearing
apparel, resembles a sort of little sugar
scoop, worn upside down, the shovel
portion fitting closely to the head- In
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its front tulle and flowers are inserted.
From Queen Alexandra's partiality
has developed what can be termed a
distinctive type.
When a customer goes to the shops
of one of the milliners who are lucky
to have the patronage of the elect, and
says, "I want a royal toque," there is
never any need of any further speci
fications in placing the order. The
commission is as completely understood
as though a diagram had been drawn,
and the hat fs duly delivered in a short
time.
Usually lace and flowers have been
the Queen's preferred decorations for
her favorite kind of bonnet. The shape
makes any great amount of decoration
unnecessary. Once in a while in the
past she has departed from her custom
in this respect, and indulged in the lux
ury of birds' wings.
But that will not be in the future,
for Alexandra has become ardently in
sympathy with those who are trying
to prevent the wanton slaughter of
birds, merely for the purpose of using
the wings as decorations for hats. In
the future no bird's wing will ever be
seen on a hat worn by England's
Queen.
She has announced this herself, and has
moreover been taking an active part in
the enactment of measures designed to
prevent the practice.
The Queen is said to have suggested
some of the provisions of the bill to pro
tect birds, introduced by Lord Avebury,
formerly Sir John Lubbock, the famous
naturalist.
This bill was based on similar legisla
tion adopted in the United States, India
and Australia,
As part of the arguments during the
discussion of the bill, those in favor of it
quoted liberally from a census recently
made of the bird islands on the Louisiana
coast.
The islands are 19 in number, and were
given to the Audubon Society as a bird
reservation at a time when the sea blrs
on the coast were nearly extinct.
Millinery pot hunters had gradually
wiped out most of the varieties that once
existed in almost limitless numbers along
the islands of the gulf. Many of these
birds had beautiful aigrettes and when
the passion for that kind of decoration
first manifested itself in the mind of the
gentler sex, such a rush was made that
the resulting slaughter took away by
thousands the most admired varieties.
Then it was the Audubon Society got
active, and petitioned the government for
a chance to make an experiment designed
to protect what few flyers had evaded the
slaughter.
Uncle 6am was promptly willing to co
operate, and the Islands were granted to
the society, and placed under the super
vision of a warden.
.
A census just taken shows that in spite
of a series of violent storms which did
away with many of the eggs that an in
crease of 62,000 has been made, and that
the number is constantly growing.
Most of the gain in feathered popula
tion has been made among the laughing
gulls, next in order coming the Louisiana
herons, the royal cabots' and Forster's
terns and black swimmers.
Some of the species have been reduced
to a painfully meager total. There are
only 25 snowy herons left, 22 crowned
night black herons and 25 Caspian terns,
all of which were once abundant on the
gulf, but were killed off for their plu
mage. . In fact, the Islands did not escape the
hand of the poacher, and in spite of the
vigilance of officials there were some
depredations by millinery pot hunters, but ,
'.1. S
BUT c3XIL3. ,
a better system of guarding the islands
is expected to much lessen such encroach
ments from now on and give the birds a
chance.
This explanation of the effort that Is
being made by the United States Govern
ment to aid the humanitarian societies
of the country to prevent the extermina
tion of the bird population of the new
world was found very interesting by
Queen Alexandra, and she immediately
inquired if similar islands could not be
set apart by the BritLsh government.
In the great range of the colonial pos
sessions of the British crown are included
some of the most beautiful birds known
to the world,, and If the influence of the
wife of the ruler he enlisted in their pro
tection a gain will have been made for
the cause of their protection.
Alexandra denies that any especial
beauty Inheres in bird feathers for deco
ration anyway. She insists that from the
imitation of flowers can be obtained ef
fects far more delicate and beautiful, and
less suggestive of the barbarity of the
savage, who, having nothing of the mod
ern methods of civilization by which to
add to her charms, was forced to put on
anything obtainable from her primitive
surroundings, and naturally sought the
brilliant things, like the feathers of the
birds of the forest.
There Is a great deal of affection in
England for the Queen's toque. Th
populace have come to know It and love
it. and they regard It as an essential
part of the costume of their beautiful
Queen.
It has dealt kindly with Her Majesty In
another respect, for it seems to veil care
fully the flight of time.
To see Alexandra In public now is to get
an impression of a well-preserved woman,
not within 15 years of her actual age, for
no one would ever tiiink of classing her
as In the 60s.
Some garish hats, when worn by women
past the Summer of life, have the effect
in their garish colors and shapes of hav
ing the wearer appear old and ghastly,
the painful effort of an elderly person
to look young. But the Queen's dainty
toque enhances her beauty and makes
her look younger. Perhaps this explains
her loyalty to It.
Picnic of a Boston Pup.
Worcester, Mass., Telegram.
A Boston bulldog, owned by George
H. Clapp, was so determined to capture
a woodchuck which he had chased
into its den that he followed after and
stayed In the hole all night. When the
dog had got his jaws about the enemy
he found that he could not get out,
owing to the small size of the animal's
hole.
Rather than lose his prey, the dog
retained his hold on the woodchuck
over night, and was helped out by his
master in the morning. The dog was
nearly exhausted, and revived after
feeding and drinking in a curious man
ner. '
He consumed about two quarts of un
guarded ice cream, which had been set
aside for a party. After this the dog
seemed still somewhat dazed, and
capped the climax by falling into a
bucket of lemonade.
I Wonder.
By Nellie Porter.
Mother, are you watching o'er me;
Waiting as I wait for you?
Do you come at dawn of morning
When kind Nature's fats adorning, .
Touched by sunlight and the dew?
Then I wonder as I ponder
Of the elements beyond
Wonder what g waiting yonder
Wheu I'm placed beneath the sod. . ,