Golden Bantam By Eva Morse Henrlcks (Copyright, 1916, by W. O. Chapman.) "And then you pulled his pigtail!" "YeB, dear, and then all three scam pered," "And the cute, little yellow man?" "Wang Fo? He dropped to his knees and kissed my hand, and said 1 was his preserver, and gave me the golden bantam." Little Flora Ward sat In the lap ot her great friend, AIvId Prescott, Im mensely Interested In quite a tragic recital. He was telling her of an en counter In a dark side street the eve ning before with three sinister China men. They had backed another yel-low-hued countryman against a brlc'i wall. One of tho assailants held his throat In a talon-like clutch. A sec ond had Imprisoned bis arms. A third wa3 advancing to dispatch hlra with a glittering Bteel knife, when Prescott Intervened. "And what was the 'golden ban tam,' Mr, Prescott?" lisped the Inter ested little one. Prescott fumbled In his pocket Eager eyes scanned the odd-looking pin he drew forth. It represented a bantam rampant, with curious script characters on Its outspread wings. "1 think the three wicked men were highbinders, my dear," explained Pres cott "that Is, men belonging' to a cruel society who make a business of killing people they don't like. Poor "I Have Found Her." Wang Fo, as ho called himself, must belong to ?miu other secret society. 1 supposu tho golden bantam Is Its omblem, for ho kept saying that the bantam piu 'would make me friends with all k'.a people.' " "What a sweet, cute little pin It Is!" said Flora effuHlvoly. "Well, you shall have the trinket," replied Prescott, and pinned It on a band of ribbon at her neck. "Oh, how good you are!" cried Flora ecstatically, and Jumped to the floor and ran over to where a charm ing young lady was busy at some fancy work. "See, Aunt Lydia the beautiful pin Mr. Prescott has given me!" "You are spoiling the child, Mr. Prescott," Bpoke Miss Ward, but with an Indulgent sm'le. He did not reply, but his eyes met her own with a rapt, longing expres sion. She read Its meaning lovo not only tor the little one, but for her self as well. He seemed about to speak. The memory of what had fol lowed an offer of "marriage caused Prescott to control his deep emotion. Soon he left the house. It was hard to be about dally In the company of the woman he so devoted ly loved and refrain from urging her to reconsider her decision. It bad been announced In a kindly way, so consid erately, In fact, that Prescott half be lieved that but for circumstances Lydla might have favored his plea. An orphan herself, her life was wrapped up In little Flora, who, hav ing lost both father and mother, was cherished by Lydla as a responsibility to whom she had devoted her life. This much she had told Prescott In answer to his offer of marriage. There was another suitor Leslie Shaw. Prescott had never liked him. Ho was persistent In his attention to Lydla. He was a man about town, with unknown antecedents. Prescott bad experienced relief and satisfaction when a servant ot the house, with whom he was a favorite, told him ot the summary dismissal of his rival. It seemed that Shaw had impor tuned Lydla to accept him as her hus band. She had given him the same answer that Prescott had received: Her life was bound up In little Flora. The enraged Shaw had fiercely wished the little one was dead, had let loose his wicked temper In a way that shocked and disgusted Lydla. Then Bhaw had sworn that he would yet win her as his wife, If it took him ten years to accomplish his purpose, and bad gone away In a tempest ot wrath. Lydla never gave any token ot that stormy Interview, but Prescott was v eil satisfied that she had a contempt (or Shaw. She feared him, too, Pres cott believed, and, while ho was glad that a persistent rival was out ot the way, he kept himself on the alert to guard against any attempt to annoy Lydla on the part ot Shaw. One evening the telephone bell In his room rang sharply. His name wn spoken breathlessly, and he thrilled and tingled as he recognised the tones ot the woman he loved. "Il It Mr. Prescott?" the asked In a tone that trembled. -Tea, Miss Ward." "Will you t,aaae eon to lb house at once oh, at once, please!" and Prescott dashed frou the room, trac Ing anxiety and urgency In ths wel come summons that might mean some thing helpful for LyJlh Ha found her distractedly pacing tha floor when he arrived at her home. She was white to the lips and her eyes bore tho traces of a poorly sup pressed anguish. "Flora!" she gaspel. "She is gone!" "Gone? You mean" began Pres cott In alarm. "Stolen, kidnaped, spirited away! She was alone in tho garden for an hour playing with her dolls," narrated Lydla. "When I wtnt to call her In she had disappeared. "Dut kidnaped? Impossible!" cried Prescott. "She mu3t have wanderudJ away." "I found this note on a garden seat," proceeded Lydla. "Read It." The crumpled scrawl was signed with one name Shaw and It ran; "You will hoar from me shortly. Un less you agree to marry me you will never see little Flora again." "The scoundrel!" cried Prescott. "I will set the police on his track at once." "No! no!" Implored Lydla. "You do not know this man Shaw. If any such an attempt Is made, he will dis appear, and Flora with 4ilm. Oh, try and find her! Try and bring me back my lost darling!" Alvln Prescott had a difficult talk before him. Shaw was not to be found at any of his occasioned haunts. No trace was discovered of the missing child. The grief of Lydla was pitiable. Prescott devoted all his time to the mission In hand, but it was ot no avail. It was the fifth morning after the disappearance of Flora, that, walking along the street, he observed a squat oriental figure speed across the thor oughfare to his side. It was Wang Fo. "I find you!" he cried in extrava gant Joy. "The pin of the golden bantam. You lose?" "No, I gave It to a child" "I have found her. You come come, quick!" With faint heart of hope Prescott accompanied the half coherent, but In tensely excited Wang Fo. He led him to the Chinese quarter of the city, and through sinuous and mysterious passages Into what seemed to be a secret lodge room. There, on n dais, surrounded by Chinese women, was Flora. She was supremely contented, for they had given her all kinds of quaint toys and Beemed only bent on entertaining her. Wang Fo told his story. The child had been brought to some avaricious friends of his to hide or ship to some other city as the order might come. He, Wang Fo, had discovered the gol den bantam pin. Ho had removed the child Into the charge of more trusty friends. He had guessed much. It led to seeking out Prescott. They never heard of Shaw again "they," for what could come of It, but that the rescuer of the dear little one should prevail upon sweet, loving Lydia to give her a protector for life? HEALTH BENEFIT 'OF YAWNING Expert Advises Regular Exercises as a Measure for Doing Away With Throat and Ear Troubles. Yawning Is said to have an exceed ingly healthful function besides having a salutary effect In complaints of the pharynx and the eustachian tubes. According to Investigations yawn ing is the most natural form of res piratory exercise, bringing Into ac tion all the respiratory musclos of the neck and chest. It Is recom mended that every person should have a good yawn with the stretching of the limbs morning and evening for the purpose of ventilating the lungs and tonlfylng the respiratory muscles. An eminent authority assorts that this form ot gymnastics has a remark able effect in relieving throat and ear troubles, and says that patients suffer ing from disorders of the throat have derived great benefit from, It. He says he makes his patients yawn, by sug gestion or Imitation, or by a series of deep breaths with the Hps partly closed. The yawning Is .repeated six or Beven times, and should be followed by swallowing. By this process the air and mucus In the eustachian tubes are aspirated. New Plants for America. The bureau of plant Industry re ports that Its agricultural explorer, F. N. Meyer, who already had many remarkable "finds" to his credit, has recently sent In an unusually Interest ing collection of new fruits from the Tibetan border of China. These In clude the Tangutlan almond, the Po tanln peach, and a notable series ot wild forms ot the ordinary cultivated peach. Mr, Meyer's latest expedition succeeded In reaching Lanchowfu, when further progress was prevented by the desertion of the Interpreter. Recent collections have largely aug mented the agricultural department's stock ot Jujubes and persimmons from western China. Opportunities In China. There are great opportunities at the present time in China for the Ameri can, for It Is reported that never, In the history of China have the Chi nese been better disposed to America and things American. It Is said that there are numerous chances for Amer icans to establish Industrial plants, "China offering the best field In the world for cotton manufacturing." There are tens ot thousands ot miles of railroads to be built; there are tramways, telephone lines, eloctrlo plants, glass making establishments, oil mills and flour mills to be erected, while there are rich mineral deposits to be mined and native products to be exported. True D'ference. "Why does lillggins insist on tell ing us he was an expert baseball play er when he was a boy? He wasn't any thing ot the kind." "Well," replied Miss Cayenne, "I don't think we should criticise him. It's rather nice ot him to "be so de sirous of our good opinion to be will ing to tell whoppers In order to as cure It" ' IRoiBtiftiis, f II c J View V ARNA, Bulgaria's Black sea port, which was bombarded by the Russians Just after Bul garia entered the war, Is situ ated In the North, near the present boundary of Roumanla, on tho Bay of Varna, a capacious, sheltered Inlet ot the Black sea, says the Na tional Geographical society bulletin. It is connected by rail with all of tha Important regions ot the country which It has long served as princi pal outlet. It possesses an Incom parably finer harbor than Dedeagatch, the Aegean port of Bulgaria, from whose development so much future ad vantage Is expected. It lies within easy steaming distance ot Russia a naval port, Sebastopol, being about 300 miles distant. The port Is the third city of the kingdom, ranking after Sofia and Phil Ippopolls, and It has been strongly fortified, It has played an Important part In Bulgaria's military history, as the chief point in the so-called "Varna quadrilateral," which formed the basis it Bulgaria's defense toward the north and east before the loss ot DobrudJa to Roumanla after the treaty of Bucharest. The quadrilat eral was composed of Varna, Shumla, Rustchuk and Sllistrla. Sllistrla Is now well within the Roumanian fron tier, close upon the Danube. Rustchuk, Shumla and Varna now form a tri angle ot fortresses, stretched along the northeastern Bulgarian frontier. Varna is 325 miles by rail east- northeast of Sofia, the capital. It Is connected with Rustchuk, In the north west, and with Sofia, in the west, by trunkline railways, while branches connect It with central and southern parts ot the kingdom. The railway from Rustchuk was opened In 1807, and with Its coming began tho city's prosperity. Bugas, south of Varna, has given it strenuous competition during recent years. Built on a Hilly Shore. The city is built on the hilly north ern shore of the bay, which, besides offering peculiar facilities for defense, makes it very picturesque. At its foot the River Devna cuts through the mountains to the sea, and all around the hills shut in the valley and the port. Despite considerable modern ef fort at Improvement, the city plainly shows its age, and its Irregular, Ill paved streots, lined with outworn buildings, breathe the peace of a for gotten valley. Several Industries, however, have penetrated to the city, and modern restlessness and modern smartness stand Just before, as the prosperity of the kingdom and of Its first port grows. Varna has a popu lation of about 38,000. Dairy products, grains, cattle, dressed meats, lamb and goat skins, and a rough cloth are the principal exports of the place, and Its imports are chiefly petroleum, coal, Iron and iron ware, machinery, textiles and chemicals. It does an annual business ef nearly $4,000,000, and is visited dur ing the year by about 1,000 ships of an aggregate of 1,000,000 tonB. The largest number of these vessels ar9 Bulgarian, while Austria-Hungary has been represented by the largest ton nage. There are tannorlos,"cloth fac tories and distilleries In the city. Near by, among the hills, is the sum mer palace ot the king. Dedeagatch on the Aegean. Dedeagatch, which the British and French ships shelled, is the port upon the Aegean sea to which the Bul garians pin some ot their brightest hopes tor a rich commercial future. A free outlet to the Aegean and the Mediterranean was something long coveted by Bulgarian statesmen, who tolt that their foreign trade would first begin with their acquirement of a port upon the open sea. In Dedeagatch the patriotic natives see a future New York, a Balkan London, and the pos session of this harbor appears to them one of the greatest benefits of their war with Turkey. Bulgarian products, from attar of roses to grain and hides, are soon to leave for the world's cen tral markets in Bulgarian boats from a Bulgarian port. Holding their port so important, it Is small wonder that the Bulgarians felt the Iobs of the railway through Adrtanople which connects Dedea gatch with the Interior ot their coun try to be a disaster that must be made good at the earliest possible moment and at all hazard. The cession of ter ritory by the Ottoman empire restored to Bulgaria the land through which this railway runs, and so restored to WOULD USE BLOOD AS FOOD German Professor Makes the Asser tion That With a Mixture It Is Highly Nutritious. Professor Kober of Munich has pub lished a little treatise on the utiliza tion of blood as food, from which Die Umschau quotes the following state ments concerning the use ot blood in breadmaklng: For centuries blood bread has been the staff of life ot the Esthonlans of the Baltic provinces and their colonies In all parts ot Russia. It la made ot rye flour, with an admix ture ot at least 10 per cent ot whipped hogs' blood. In the vicinity ot Pe trograd ox blood is also used. Blood bread Is very nutritious and Is highly praised by Esthontan physicians be cause of the richness n organic compounds of phosphorus and nerve restoring salts. Bread made with ox blood dries very quickly, but this defect can be remedied by the addition ot potato flour, which la now a common practice in Germany. Blood bread ta the moat natural substitute (or meat, and, with or Varna the sturdy peasant nation Its ardent hopes for the age to come. With their small strip of seashore along the Aegean and with an export city at Dedeagatch, with its cdmmunlcatlons safe upon home soil, the Bulgarian feels that his country has become more than a Balkan power; It has be come a Mediterranean power, a mem ber of the family of Europe, a state with a future as wide as the oceans, Dedeagatch is situated upon the Gulf of Enos, about ten miles north of the Maritza estuary. The little town began Its career as a seaport under Abdul Hamid II, when it began to capture much of the trade that had formerly been done through the port of Enos, which lies upon the south eastern point of the Gulf of Enos, on the southern bank of the Maritza river. Forty years ago Dedeagatch was merely a cluster of fishermen's huts, straggling back from an open roadstead. Since then a new town has grown up, small, with only 4,000 popu lation, but alert, progressive, confi dent. Several factors have entered Into this promise of Dedeagatch. First among Its advantages Is that ot its railway connections, which link It with Constantinople, Sofia, Bourgas and Salonlkl. Further, its rival to the south, Enos, succumbed to its un healthy climate and to the shifting ot coastal sandbars. The Inhabitants of this harbor city, as all along the coasts of the Aegean, were mostly Greeks up to the occupa tion and administration by the Bul garians. Greek commission houses and shippers had most ot its trade in their hands. The opening of the Con-stantlnopIe-Salonlkl railway In 189G brought rapid prosperity to the place, some ot which was lost again when railway connections were made be tween the interior and the Black sea port of Bourgas. The city Is the natural outlet of the Maritza valley, however; and despite its unfavorable harbor, an unsheltered, open road stead, It will probably become a rich city as Bulgaria's first Mediterranean port. ALL GO BACK TO THE GREEK Every Modern European Alphabet is Derived From or Founded on That of Greece. The word alphabet is derived from the first two letters of the Greek al phabet, alpha and beta, corresponding to our a and b. The Greek alphabet Is one of the oldest In the world and all modern European alphabets are derived from or founded on It. The EngliBh alphabet is practically the same as the Roman, which was de rived from the Greek. All writing was In its origin pictorial, and while that lasted there was no need of an alpha bet or of written words. The earliest Greek alphabet contained only 19 let ters, having no f and ending with the letter t. The letter f and the six let ters following t, viz: u, v, w. x y, z, came by a process of evolution at long Intervals. There was no u In the Greek alphabet until the ninth cen tury B. C, and for more than one thou sand years longer u and v were dif ferent forms of the same letter, one being used at the beginning and the other in the middle ot a word. It was not until the tenth century A. D., that the two letters were dlfferentlat- ed into u as a vowel and v as a con sonant. There was no separate let ter w until the eleventh century A. D. Prior to that the sound was expressed by vu or uv, but finally the two u's were linked together, making double u. Some- other letters have got into the alphabet by a curious process of evolution. The letter z, for example, comes from the Latin through the Greek. This letter was Introduced into the English alphabet in the fif teenth century and from having been the sixth letter In the Greek alphabet It was made the last In the English alphabet. It used to be pronounced sed or Izard, and still is sometimes so written and printed in England. There are persons living who can remember when the alphabet was printed in schoolbooks with zed at the end, in stead of s, and when the character &, abbreviation ot the Latin et, also was printed as a letter. High Prices for Cashmere Shawla Weavers ot cashmere Bhawls take two or three years to finish a pair of the very finest. These shawls fetch upward of $500 each In London. government control of the slaughter houses. It need cost little or no more than ordinary bread. According to the Frankfurter Zeitung, rye bread containing hogs' blood has long beeq used in Oldenburg. Composer's Rebuke. Once, while Hans RIchter was re hearsing Tschalkowsky's "Romeo and juuei music- tne violoncellos had a very passionate melody to play. RIch ter was by no means satisfied that the necessary warmth ot expression had been obtained. "Gentlemen, gentle men," said he, "you all play like man ried men, not like lovers." The Place for Lovers. Ian MacLaren wrote that Gaelic la the best of all lassuases for terms of endearment, that It has fifty ways ot saying "darling." The old tongue of the Isle ot Man, a picturesque Island almost equally near to Ireland, Scot land and England, is said to be even better furnished with terms for tha use ot lovers, that It has or had nlnety-Mven way of saying "my dear." HIS OTHER SISTER By CLARI83A MACKIE. (Copyright. 1918, by the McClure Newspa per Syndicate.) Jack Fenby came into the dining room waving a telegram at bis as sembled family, "Guess who is com lng tonight," he challenged. "Isabella Drew," hazarded Betty, with sisterly devotion, "Oh, pshaw!" blushed Jack. "I didn't mean Isabella." "Well, she is coming," went on Bet ty, smoothly. "Father and mother are going to town on the 8:42 to stay over night and I've telephoned Isa bella to spend the night with me there. I'm such a dear, you ought to tell me about your message, Jack!" "It's from Lance Freeman," he re plied. "Lance Freeman from Panama?" "Yes. He's up here on business. He has promised to stay with me," he added proudly. "I tell you, folks, Lance Is a pretty big gun down there on the Isthmus, and Betty" addressing his sister in an offensively patronizing tone "It's a good thing you're not, the paint-and-powder sort of girl Lance detests the whole tribe." "In d-e-e-d?" drawled Betty, over her toast and tea. "Yes, indeed! He's terribly fussy about women, you know." "He must be a detestable paragon hlmBelf," murmured Betty. "Don't quarrel, children," chlded Mrs. Fenby. "You must do the honors Betty, and, Jack, try to persuade Lance to make our home his head quarters while he is North. I was very fond of his mother." 'Mr. Fenby and his wife departed for their train and Jack accompanied them, to spend the day at his office In town. Left to herself, Betty held confer ence with the cook and then went up to her own room, where she sat down before her dressing table and stared thoughtfully at her charming reflec tion In the oval mirror. What she saw there must have pleased her capricious fancy, for she smiled and nodded and sparkled at herself. At last, she changed to a street gown, and walked down to the drug store. At six o'clock that evening Jack Fenby brought Lance Freeman home. Eliza, the trim parlor maid, wore a stunned look on her round face. Miss Betty Is in the drawing room,", she announced with a toss of her head. Jack ushered his big, bronzed friend from the tropics into the soft lighted room where Betty and Isabella Drew were sitting before the fire. Betty rose and came forward with outstretched hand. She saw a tall, broad-shouldered young man with keen gray eyes that seemed to probe the depths of her heart and soul and come away disappointed, finding evi dent relief in Isabella Drew's girlish simplicity. The newcomer's evident dismay and disapproval of her ' own charms a dismay that his straight forward nature could not then con cealstruck a pang to Betty's heart Lance Freeman, eagerly anticipating this meeting with the adored sister of his classmate, saw a slender, golden haired girl In a tight-fitting black satin frock, her feet Incased in absurdly high-heeled slippers, her golden hair twisted into the latest mode atop her small head, her blue eyes wide and shallow looking In their baby stare, her face carefully powdered and rouged, eyebrows penciled, lips skill fully tinted, pearls in her ears and en circling her white throat. A very much painted and powdered, bepearled, showy and altogether shoddy looking young woman such was Lance Freeman's hasty estimate of his friend's sister. Isabella Drew made a perfect foil for Betty. Jack wondered dazedly if the simplicity of Isabella's attire was studied and if she was in collusion with his mischievous sister to shock Lance Freeman. "Betty!" he gasped Indignantly. "Jack!" she warned, giving Lance a limp hand. "I am so glad to see you at last, Mr. Freeman. Jack has talked a lot about you. "Mother left word that you are to make the Oaks your headquarters while you are North." "You are all most kind," murmured Lance, startng at the powdered little beauty, who smiled Insipidly. As the two young men dressed for dinner they talked of Lance's life in the Canal zone, of his brilliant pros pects for the future, of Jack's first law case, which had been a triumph for the Junior member of his father's firm, and when. Lance observed that there was a strong family likeness between Jack and his sister, Jack has tily changed the subject. Lance was ready first and he came into Jack's room and examined the photographs on the mantelpiece. One framed portrait he regarded with nar rowed eyes. It was Betty's latest photograph, the picture of a charming, merry-eyed girl In a soft, white gown, her simply dressed hair waving away from her broad, low forehead. It was a sweet, thoughtful face, very unlike the paint ed, shallow countenance ot the Betty he bad met half an hour ago. "Is this your other sister?" he asked curiously. "You've met my only sister," mut tered Jack glumly. "Hum!" said Lance perplexedly. ' Jack glowed resentfully. "And she takes a diabolical delight In turning tho tables on a fellow." A queer gleam came into Lance's eyes, but he made no response. During the dinner that followed, Jack devoted himself to Isabella and loft Lance to Betty's tender mercies. The man from Panama had to admit that Jack's sister was clever, even brilliant, In spite ot her shallow ap pearance, and while they conversed, chiefly about life at the Isthmus, to which he was soon to return. Lance was studying Betty closely, trying to trace some Ilk ness to the unaffected girl of tha portrait upstairs In Jack's room. And Hetty? Beneath her masquer ade ot paint and powder and her Bother's pearl neck!ro, aha wis rag ing at herself. Never had she been so attracted to any man as to Lance Freeman, and she read only amused contempt In his stoady glance. She had always been used to the unquali fied admiration of her brother's friends, and Lance was bis most par ticular chum. She was ready to cry with vexation when the meal was over. Why, she asked herBelf, had she taken It into her silly head to flout a plain man who hated powder and paint on his woman folks? Why blame him because be wanted them to be as fresh and clean skinned as himself as frank and unassuming as he was? And naturally Betty was all these things herBelf. Therein lay the trag edy. In the drawing room Isabella played and sang for them, and presently Lance asked Betty to show him Mr. Fenby's famous collection of orchids. Among the orchids in the conserva tory, he told her about the beautiful black orchid which he had seen In one of the Jungle swamps of the Isthmus and how he could go to the very tree to which the parasitic blos som clung. "Perhaps your father would like one I will try to get some and send them up by a trusty messenger," he of fered. Betty agreed that her father would be delighted, and then followed a de lightful half hour during which she animatedly told him how her father had acquired many of his specimens, and she displayed such a knowledge of the subject and so entirely forgot the part she was playing that Lance found his heart slipping from bis keeping. They were standing near the foun tain and- Betty was dipping her fingers in the water, where goldfish darted to and fro. Lance regarded her thoughtfully. "I'm wondering why you took the trou ble to disguise yourself under the paint and powder of a circus woman," he remarked curiously. "Sir!" thrilled Betty, trying to with er him with a glance, but crumpling miserably beneath his scorn. She tried to hate him for his brutal frank ness, his lack of polish. "Please take me back to my brother." "In a moment," he agreed gruffly. "I I was hoping you'd wash your face first!" he blurted out. "Wash my face?" stammered Betty. He nodded and gave her a snowy handkerchief. "Please, do," he urged, but it sounded like a command, and Betty, having met her master, meekly obeyed. She held a corner of the handker chief under the fountain spray and scrubbed the paint and powder from face and Hps and brows. When she had emerged, her perfect skin, pink and blooming from the friction, she looked demurely at him. s"Well?" she smiled. "And please fluff out your hair the way it Is in that Jovely picture in Jack's room. There! You don't look so confoundedly sophisticated. Thank you, Miss Betty, you are a brick!" he ended enthusiastically, as she re moved the earrings. "A brick," dimpled Betty, as he tucked the damp and smeared hand kerchief in his pocket. When they returned to the draw ing room Isabella was telling Jack a story that brought reluctant mirth in its train. "Here comes the little imp now," he murmured, as she entered with Lance. "Well, Betty, I'm glad you've emerged from your war paint," he ended in a burst of brotherly frank ness. "Where did you raise that black satin horror?" "Cousin Daisy left It here last year; Isn't it awful?" she confided. Hours later, in her own room, Bet ty dropped her newly-purchased rouge pots into the waste-paper basket. Then Bhe relapsed Into dreamy Inactivity. "Oh, most adorable ot men," she sighed at last. "I'm so glad you don't like paint and powder com bined with pearls I detest- 'em my self and even If I did like them I would but, no I shall not tell even you" nodding at her adorably blushing reflection In the glass "what I am thinking about now!" Sumatra Teas In Demand. The Island of Sumatra, now In course of development as a tea pro ducer, and reported to be capable of producing heavy yields from mature plants, has followed up last year's in troductory period by larger supplies, and the Industry has received much encouragement from the abnormally high values of the last year. The teas have already secured a "good will" In the market The area under tea now approaches 8,000 acreB, nearly all of which have been opened on the east coast from Assam seed. Prudent Course. "A man can't be too careful ot what he says," remarked the observant per son. "Quite true," replied the practical politician. "That not only applies to extended conversation, but to the monosyllables 'Yes' and 'No' as well. For Instance, I never commit myailf one way or the other. My affirma tives are circumlocutory and my nega tives as ambiguous and evasive as the nature ot the English language pen mits." No Self-Starter. "Oh, dear!" exclaimed Mrs. Gad ders. Mr. Gadders broke his arm while cranking up our automobile this morning." "Don't worry," said her friend In a soothing tone. "A broken arm is not serious, and Mr. Uad' ers will soon get well." "It isn't that," wailed Mrs. Gadders. "The news will get into the papers and then everybody will know that our car is not a late model." Philosophically Conoldered, "1 wouldn't marry you If you were the last man on earth!" said the girt. "Well," replied the young man who takes everything seriously, "If I nere the last man on earth I'd be mourn ing so many friends and relatlvea that I don't suppose I'd feel much like taking part in a wedding anyhow." NOTHING COMING TO JOHNNY Small Boy 'Would Get No Change From Groceryman If He Gave Him Dollar Old Bill in Way. The topic having turned to mathe matical problems, Congressman Jacob A. Canter of New York told of an incident that happened in a publlo school. The teacher was Instructing a Junior class In arithmetic, when she started to give the youngsters Borne mental exercises, says Philadelphia Telegraph. "Johnny," said she, turning to a youngster of ton, "If you went to the grocery store and bought 10 cents' worth of jiugar, 5 cents' worth of soap, 25 cents' worth of coffee and 10 cents' worth of crackers and gave the proprietor a dollar bill In payment for these articles, how much change would you get?" "I wouldn't get any change, Miss Mary," was the rather surprising re sponse of the boy, "You wouldn't get any change!" ex claimed the teacher. "How do you figure that out?" "Storekeeper wouldn't give up," an swered Johnny. "He would freeze on to it tor the old bill." Then the Clerk Collapsed. "I don't suppose this .business could run very long without me," said the Important young man. "Perhaps not," answered the visitor. "Is the boss In?" "Oh, yes. But I can tell you any thing you want to know." "No, you can't, either. I'm the si lent partner and financial backer of this firm, and I want to know how long a nincompoop like you is going to be kept on the pay roll." CONSOLING. Everbroke If I can't raise enough to pay that alimony I'm afraid I'll be arreBted. Off enbroke That's nothing. I'm of ten pinched for money. Sheer Loss. "You can't afford to miss this offer," said the agent, persuasively. "All you have to pay Is a dollar down and a dollar a month, and you can be read ing the books while you are paying for them." "That's Just the trouble," replied Jobson. "I'd finish reading them long before I finished paying for them and then It would be Just like throwing money away." In Politics. "Is It true that all successful poli ticians keep one ear to the ground so that they may learn what their con stituents are thinking?" "Oh, no. The men who subscribe tho largest amounts to campaign funds keep the politicians Informed of what they are thinking and It doesn't mat ter particularly what other people think." Forceful Character, "You seem to have had a great 1 1n.1 ,, -. - ! 1 . . 1 luaujr jjiatcB ittltuy, SB1U me OOUSO- wife tothe prospective cook. "Yet I notice that all your omployers give you good references." "Yis, mum," replied the candidate, as she rolled up her sleeves and showed a brawny arm, "I nearly always leaves wld a good riference." A Modern Version. "Here's a pretty romance. A mil lionaire fell in love with a country maid while making an automobile tour, and now they are to be married." "I suppose she gave the thirsty mo torist a drink of water, standing by his car in rustic grace?" "No. She sold him a little gasoline for his auto." Significance. "I don't believe some of our friends have a very high opinion of you," re marked the bride's mother. "Why, look at all the beautiful presents." "Yes. But there are eighteen silver card trays. They must think you aren't going to do a thing but sit around and talk to company." On the Rialto. "I know you were married twenty yean ago, yet you have the nerve to tell me that this Is your seventh wed ding anniversary." "I said my seventh wedding, Yorlck, not anniversary." Explaining the Delay. She (reading newspaper) Divorced 10:30 a. m weds again 5 p. m. What do you think of that? He It woul dtake that long to get Framing a Tight One. "I wish you'd tell Jinx that I hav sworn oft drinking." "But you haven't?" "I know it, but it he thinks I have he'll ask me to have a drink," The Only Drawback. "The Do Vorces would be Ideally married If it were not for one thing." "What's that?" "The fact that thay are married to each other." Judge. The Way of It. Does your suburban nelghbo. raise his own vegetables?" "No; he comes In the night and UIU mine."