I Heirs to the I
I Tontine Fund I
8 & 8
Walter Joseph Delaney
(Copyright, 1915, by W. O. Chapman.)
Whoever devised the Mutual Ton
line found ready soil for planting their
policies In and about Ruddendale, At
the end of thirty years most of the
Investors In the scheme were "plant
ed" themselves, as the phrase went,
and finally there were only two sur
vivorsAdam Warner and Ezra Moss.
Hore was the scheme: One hun
dred subjects were taken at one hun
dred dollars each. The surviving
members of the syndicate, as it might
be called, when fifty had died, were to
receive six per cent on their invest
ment annually up to their death. The
heirs of the final survivor were to re
ceive the amount in the pool at his
demise.
AH this figured out a liberal com
mission for the agent or trustee and
for the bank where the funds were de
posited. After thirty years all but two
members of the original group were
dead. It was then estimated that
the amount the final survivor would
receive would be approximately sixty
five thousand dollarB.
But Adam Warner and Ezra Moss
seemed to have no disposition to die.
It was true that both were now over
eighty and were not able to go about
much. Warner's heir was a grandson,
Cyril Warner, in the navy. All the
rest of his relatives had died oft. The
heir or rather heiresses of Ezra
Moss were his widowed daughter,
Mrs. Newell, and her only child,
twenty and charming, Marcia.
Mrs. Newell was sordid. She hoped
to receive the opulent fund at stake.
Mr. Moss had no Income except six
dollars a year, nothing but his con
tingent dependency. Mrs. Newell did
sewing and Marcia taught school. The
returns barely kept the household
wheels moving. Again, in her anxiety
to do all that was possible for the
health and comfort of her father, Mrs.
Newell spared no expense, which was
a serious drain on their limited reve
nue. Old Adam Warner lived alone, ex
cept for a faithful man servant almost
"Well, What It It?"
s aged as himself David Nack. This
man was terribly Jealous of his mas
ter. As Warner grew old and feeble,
be shut out everybody from the house,
he devoted all his time and care to
Warner.
One morning the neighbors ob
served Nack come out of the Warner
home In a fearful state of excitement.
He was wringing his hands and acting
altogether perturbed. Bent on his way
to town, he paid no attention to any
one until a closer acquaintance than
the others hailed him.
"Why, David," spoke this man,
"whatever Is the matterT"
"It's I mean n-nothlng!" stam
mered Nack, like one distracted over
some vital matter and seeking to
evade any questioning regarding It.
"I'm I'm in a hurry. Master is
that Is, I want to get some medicine
for him, so I can't delay."
"You can wait long enough to hear
some news that will Interest both you
and Warner, I reckon," submitted
his friend.
"Hey! What's that?" demanded
Nack, pricking up his ears.
"Ezra Mobs."
"What about him?"
"Dead he passed away early this
morning, suddenly, but painlessly
"Are you sure! Are you sure!"
(airly shouted Nack, all a-tremble.
"Miss Newell Just told me, and
they've sent for the undertaker."
"Then then!" quavered Nack.
"Your master wins the Mutual Ton
tine, Sixty-five thousand dollars
whew. That will be great news for
his son, Cyril, In the navy."
Nack turned like a shot, homeward
bound.
"Hold on!" challenged his friend
"aren't you going after that medi
cine?" "Oh, no, This news of his luck will
make my master all well again!"
The news soon spread over the
town. All due sympathy was ex
pressed for Mrs. Newell and Marcia,
for Mr. Warner had some means and
they nothing. Mrs. Newell was bit
terly disappointed. Marcia said little,
but she was saddened for her moth
er's sake at the struggle and poverty
that loomed ahead for them,
At noon that day a messenger from
the bank arrived at the Warner home,
He knocked for admission at the well
guarded door. A window was raised
overhead.
"Well, what Is it?" inquired a
cracked feeble voice, and looking up
the bank messenger recognized a fa
miliar great shock of snowy white
hair and whiskers, a pair of blue gog
gles the green and white sweater that
Adam Warner always wore.
"Oh, It's you, Mr. Warner," cried
the clerk. "Well, I've been sent by
the bank to officially notify you that,
as the last survivor of the Mutual
Tontine fund, It Is at your order."
"Ye-es, I heard that Moss was dead.
Outlived him, eh? and me nigh two
years older! Well, I'll come or send
for the money tomorrow or next day,"
Two days passed by. The morning
of the third saw David Nack rushing
out of the Warner home to shout out
distractedly to his neighbors that hie
master had JuBt died. The statement
was soon verified. Scores viewed the
remains. By a strange coincidence the
funerals of the two veterans happened
within the same week. It was an
nounced that the will of Adam War
ner left everything to his grandson,
Cyril, who had been telegraphed to
and who arrived in time for the obse
quies. He was a well-looking, intelligent
young man and made no parade of his
wealth. He passed most of his time
in the house with old Nack, but one
day walking In the village quite eager
ly approached Mrs. Newell, who was a
little ahead of him with Marcia.
"Madam," he spoke, lifting his cap
courteously, "I wiBh to suggest "
But Mrs. Newell, still bitter over her
great money loss, gave him an icy
stare that drove him back dismayed.
"My mother Is not feeling herself,
sir," Marcia spoke, and In the accom
panying glance of regret the embar
rassed young man traced a note of
apology that drew him towards this
possessor of the fairest face he bad
ever seen.
Village gossip now had it that the
Newells were going to remove to the
city, where mother and daughter might
find more profitable work. It was also
rumored that young Cyril Warner was
negotiating to buy his release from
naval service, preparatory to going in
to business with the capital he had In
herited. There was a knock at the door of the
Newell home two evonlng3 later. Mrs.
Newell glanced through the open win
dow to make out the visitor.
"The idea!" she crimsoned, confront
ing her daughter.
"Who is it, mamma?" inquired Mar
cia. "That audacious Warner! Don't an
swer." "But It may be a matter of business.
Come, mamma, do not let an unreason
able prejudice Influence you againBt
this young man, whom people tell me
is a fair-minded person," and she pro
ceeded to the door and quite pleasant
ly Invited the caller into the parlor,
"You will pardon my presumption in
calling," Cyril Warner addressed Mrs.
Newell, his face very pale, his com
pressed lips telling of a vast internal
struggle, "but I am compelled to come.
The other day I wished to suggest to
you that we divide the fund money. To
day," and he placed a black stout pal
let on a table, "It is yours all of It."
"Ours!" cried the astounded lady.
"Yes, madam, by all the rights of jus
tice. Not one penny belongs to me.
Good day, madam. You will find sixty
five thousand dollars in that wallet. '
He was at the door, down the steps,
striding away along the graveled path.
Mrs. Newell was too overcome to tol
low. Not so Marcia. She reached him
placed a detaining hand upon his arm.
"You must tell us more," she said
decisively, "or we shall return the
money to you."
Cyril Warner hesitated. Then it
seemed as if he allowed Marcia to lead
him to a rustic bench. With averted
eyes he told her that his grandfather
had died twenty-four hours before her
own, and David Nack, through mis
taken fidelity to the family, had con
cealed the fact and had Impersonated
the dead man when the bank messen
ger came.
The ready, practical mind of Marcia
devised a way of keoplng this secret.
There must be a division of the money.
To this Cyril would not consent
But love untied the knot, separated
the confused strands, only to bring
those two together in closer bonds, and
husband and wife alone knew the real
merits of the settlement of the Mutual
Tontine fund.
Aurora Boreal li.
Many people believe that the aurora
boreal Is is a phenomenon peculiar to
modern times. But this is not true.
The ancients used to call it chasmata,
bolides and trabes, names which ex
pressed the different colors of the
lights. The scarlet aurora was looked
on by the superstitious barbarians
as an omen of direful slaughter; so it
Is not unsual for descriptions of
bloody battles to contain allusions to
northern lights. In the annals of
Cloon-mac-nolse it ts recorded that In
688 A. D., accompanying a terrible bat
tle between Lelnster and Munster, Ire
land, a purple aurora lit the northern
Skies, foretelling the slaughter
PIG IS KNOWN AS A
r v . . . . A A . : m
A Good-Sized
(Prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
The pig's place on the farm cannot
be filled by any other animal. He Is
not only profitable when grown as a
crop in himBelf, but some very Im
portant places filled by him come
from his ability to make use of feeds
that would otherwise be lost. Thus
he saves waste and utilizes materials
around the farm which only he can
use and converts these into a market
able product and cash. The pig Is
known as the "mortgage-lifter," and
this appellation is certainly well de
served. Because of the pig's ability to util
ize the grain droppings from steers,
the pig often makes steer-feeding op
erations profitable that would not
prove so without his aid. Mumford
reports in a summary of ten different
experiments that the gains made by
pigs fed following steers paid from
0.94 per cent to 16.67 per cent of the
feed given the steers. These pigs were
thrifty Bhotes and did not receive ad
ditional feed.
Considering the relative economy of
the different kinds of live stock, the
pig takes a place among the most eco
nomical. For the whole fattening pe
riod the ox requires 1,109 pounds of
dry feed to produce 100 pounds gain;
the sheep, 912 pounds, and the pig, 420
pounds.
Among the classes of farm animals
the pig ranks second as a producer of
human food from a given amount of
digestible matter consumed. The milch
cow leads in- her power to convert
crops of the field into human food,
with the pig second, poultry following,
and the steer and sheep coming low
est. Feeding pigs on the farm has an
other value, and that is in relation to
soil fertility. The man who feeds his
grain to pigs sells a very small
Hogging Down Corn.
amount of fertilizing elements off of
the farm as compared with the one
who sells grain. Furthermore, in us
ing forage or pasture crops the value
of the manure scattered over the field
Is considerable.
Swine farming, like other branches
of live-stock farming, gives employ
ment to labor during the entire year,
and enables the farmer to keep hired
labor throughout the year and does
not congest It at harvest time. The
hog Is the only farm animal that can
safely harvest the corn crop, and this
practice is gaining ground from year
to year among the most progressive
farmers, resulting in no little saving of
labor to the breeder who grows his
own corn.
Keep Garden Soli Busy.
Even the smallest backyard may be
made to yield a supply of fresh vege
tables for the family table at but
slight exponse if two or three crops
are successively grown to keep the
area occupied all the time. People
who would discharge a clerk if he did
not work the year round will often cul
tivate a gardon at no little trouble and
expense and then allow the soil to lie
Idle from the time the first crop ma
tures until the end of the season.
Where a two or three crop system is
used In connection with vegetables
adapted to small areas, a space no
larger than 25 by 70 feet will produce
enough fresh vegetables for a small
family. Corn, melons, cucumbers and
potatoes and other crops which re
quire a large area should not be grown
In a garden of this size. Half an acre
properly cultivated with a careful crop
rotation may easily produce $100
worth of various garden crops In a
year.
When to Work Soli.
If the garden was not broken in the
fall It should be plowed In the spring
14 soon as the frost is out of the
ground. Small areas may be worked
with a spade, pushing the blade in to
"MORTGAGE-LIFTER"
Profitable Litter.
Its full depth and turning the soil
to break Up the clods. Heavy soils
should never be worked when wet.
Overzealous gardeners, ready to seize
the first warm spell as a favorable op
portunity to go out and work the
heavy clay soil before it is dry,' are
not only wasting their energy, but are
dotal a damage to the soil from which
It will take years for It to recover.
To 'determine when heavy soils are
ready for plowing a handful of earth
should be collected from the surface
and the fingers tightly closed on It. If
the ball of compacted earth Is
dry enough for cultivation It will fall
apart when the hand is opened.
How to Fertilize.
The soil In the average backyard
is not only lacking in plant food, but
also has been packed until it is hard
and unyielding. To loosen up such
soil and make it suitable for garden
produce requires that careful atten
tion be given to its preparation. After
spading the lnclosure thoroughly, the
upper three inches should be made
fine with the use of hoe and rake.
Stones and rubbish should be removed
and clods of dirt broken. The surface
should be marked off for planting In
conformity with the general plan of
the garden.
Barnyard or stable manure Is the
best fertilizer because It furnishes
both plant food and humus. An appli
cation at the rate of from 20 to 30 tons
to the acre of well rotted manure Is
very satisfactory. This should be ap
plied after plowing or worked with a
spade, and distributed evenly over
the surface and later worked in with a
hoe or rake. On many soils it is ad
visable to apply commercial fertilizer,
especially phosphate, in addition to
the manure. An application of 300 to
600 pounds of acid phosphate to the
acre is usually sufficient. If addition
al potash is needed, which Is often the
case with sandy soils, this may be eco
nomically supplied in the form of
wood ashes. If the wood ashes are un
leached they should be' distributed
over the garden, using 1,000 pounds to
the acre. If they have been wet, or
leached, 2,000 pounds should be used.
An application of 100 pounds to the
acre of nitrate of soda may be used in
the spring to start the plants before
nitrogen in the manure has become
available. It should be borne in mind
that commercial fertilizers will not
yield good results unless the soil is
well supplied with humus. Sod or
other vegetation which has overgrown
a garden spot may be used to advan
tage. It should be turned under with
a plow or a spade and will aid In light
ening the soil and providlng'humus.
CONSTRUCTION OF NEST BOX
In Cold Climates It Must Be Tight
and Warm Enough to Keep Lay
ing Hens Comfortable.
Where poultry houses are too small
to accommodate all the fixtures com
fortably, some poultrymen practice
the plan of having the nest boxes out
side of the partition wall. The nest
box is made 15 inches wide and the
same in height and as long as desired.
Partitions are placed to allow 12 to
15 inches for each nest, according to
the size of the breed kept. The nest
box Is attached to the outside of the
house with strong hooks and screw
eyes. The cover Is hinged, and fitted
with a pitch sufficient to shed water,
and is covered with roofing paper.
In cold climates the entire construc
tion of the nest box must be tight and
warm enough to keep the laying hens
comfortably when on the nest In hot
weather the nest box cover can be
slightly elevated to afford a ventila
tion. In some cases this plan of nest
box is quite a convenience as well as
a saving of room, as the eggs can be
gathered outside the poultry house.
SEEDING AND PLANTING TIME
Firmer Who Starts Just Little Behind
It Almost Sure to Remain So
During Entire Season.
It Is quite an item to get all the
work done in good season on the farm.
Especially is this true of seeding and
planting.
Of course, there Is danger of being
too early and the getting of the seed
in the ground while It is cold and
wet; at the same time, in a great
many cases, the farmer who starts In
the spring a little behind will nearly
always be Just a little behind all
through the season, and this means,
no matter how hard he may work, a
ianure to secure tne oest results in
the end.
Put on the thlnk-cap at the begin
ning of the season and wear tt right
through the year.
OVEN MUST BE JUST RIGHT
Faults of Cookery That Hive to Be
Remedied by the Most Care
ful Attention.
"This would be a fine cake If only
my oten had been Just right." How
often have you heard a friend make
that remark and agreed with her too,
but did either of you know what that
"Just right" meant?
Uniformity of heat is a most In
portant feature in successful baking.
It requires skill to obtain Just the
right heat. Not so very long ago a
great bread bakery found It neces
sary to let some of the great ovens
cool off. After the fires were rebuilt
it was about a week before they could
be sure of the uniformity of the bread
baked In those ovens. This merely
doraonBtrates to the housewife the
nocesslty for giving time and atten
tion to her oven when she Intends to
bake.
When the cake comes out of the
oven cracked It has been subjected
to too great a heat at first. The cake
baked so quickly at first that the gases
did not have a chance to escape, and
finally when formed in enough vol
ume, they broke through the top, leav
ing a great crack. When the oven
Is unevenly heated the cake either
rises up in the middle or on either
side, making it impossible to make
an even layer or to frost a loaf
cake to advantage. When the cake
"falls" it Is because the oven has been
too suddenly cooled or the cake jarred.
HOUSEHOLD WISDOM
Hard-boiled eggs chopped fine and
mixed with mustard, a little cream and
seasoning will make a delicious sand
wich. It is a good idea to save, If possible,
a definite sum for furniture replace
ments. This applies especially to the
keeper of a new house.
New blankets should be shaken and
soaked In cold water overnight to
take out the sulphur dressing and
make them more easily washed.
Whenever possible save the green
leaves of a head of lettuce for egg
salad, while the hearts are kept for
the tomato, fruit and other salads.
A weak solution of turpentine poured
down the water pipes once a week will
drive the water bugs away.
Shabby oak should be brushed over
with warm beer and when thoroughly
dry polished with beeswax and tur
pentine.
Furs that have become fat and oily
looking about the neck may bo made
fresh and like new by rubbing the fur
the wrong way with a hot Iron. Furs
that have been wet should never be
hung in front of the stove or an open
fire to dry.
For mud stains on dresses dissolve
a little carbonate of soda in water and
with it wash the mud stains. Another
plan is to rub the stains with a cut
raw potato, afterward removing the
potato juice by rubbing it with a flan
nel dipped in water.
In cold weather put the clothespins
in a pan and set in the oven until they
are hot. Then the fingers will not
suffer when hanging out the clothes,
especially if the clothes are rinsed out
the last time in warm water.
To clean bamboo furniture use a
brushdipped in warm water and salt.
The salt prevents the bamboo from
turning color.
To clean lamp burners wash them
In wood ashes and water and they will
come out clean and bright.
If lemons are warmed before they
are squeezed nearly double the quan
tity of juice will be obtained.
If you want to save gas, remember
that a sheet of tin placed over the
smallest gas jet will heat two fiatirons
as quickly as if two jets were used.
Muslin and cotton goods can be ren
dered fireproof by putting an ounce
of alum In the last rinsing water, or
by putting it in the starch.
A mousehole can be effectually
stopped for all time by pasting over it
a piece of cloth which has been liber
ally sprinkled with red pepper.
Caramel Custard.
Melt one-half cupful of sugar, add
two tablespoonfuls of water and one
quart of hot milk. Beat six eggs, add
one-half teaspoonful of salt and one
teaspoonful vanilla; pour on the hot
milk. Strain into a buttered mold and
bake one-halt hour. Cook this care
fully In a slow oven and serve with
caramel sauce. It is a delicious dish.
Caramel Sauce. Melt one cupful of
sugar and add one cupful of hot water.
Simmer ten minutes.
Cream of Tartar Biscuits.
One quart of flour, two level tea
spoonfuls of saleratus, four level tea
spoonfuls of cream of tartar; after
sifting add butter or lard size of an
egg, one and a halt cupfuls of sweet
milk or more according to quality of
flour; knead well until not a particle
of flour shows on dough, then roll
and cut; bake in quick oven. This
amount will make two dozen. When
done turn out on a clean cloth to cool.
To Clean Spring Mattresses.
Save all old quills or wings from
hats and use up for working the dust
out from the space between the block
of wood and spring mattress that runs
at each end of the bed. Push the
wings or quill in the space and work
up and down until all dust Is removed,
t have found this works splendidly.
Effective Dishcloth.
In knitting dishcloths it Is a good
plan to put in several rows of hard
twisted cord. This hard portion will
clean many surfaces on which It is not
advisable to use scouring soaps or
metal.
THAT SPECIAL MENU
PREPARATIONS FOR THE UNEX.
PECTED GUESTS.
Always an Easy Matter for the Com
petent Housewife to Set a Satis
factory Meal Before Her
Casual Visitors.
Now, regarding unexpected guests.
Could you not plan to have suffi
cient food so that your guests could
have the same as the family if any
dropped In at mealtime? Then It
would not make so much extra work.
I Imagine it is because you are a good
cook that people drop in, but If they
really come to see you, they will not
want you to make any extra trouble
for them, and if they come just for the
good food you serve I should not en
courage the habit. I have very few
unexpected guests, but when they
come they must take "pot luck." It
Is well to have canned goods In the
house for such emergencies, such as
salmon, shrimp, tuna fish, fish flakes,
meats, chicken, vegetables and rel
ishes and preserves. Cake or cook
ies and canned peaches or pears are
an easy dessert, and if you have
sponge or any light cake, lay the
peaches on a slice In the serving
dishes and cover all with whipped
cream. Salmon in butter gravy, canned
peas, hashed potato with red pepper
and apple pie pudding is an easy din
ner, or creamed fish flakes, mashed po
tato, canned beets, steamed cup cakes
with hot lemon or brandy sauce.
Another is delicate ham, canned
String beans, baked potato, German
tapioca pudding, or ham and eggs,
mashed potato, canned corn, hot choc
olate, cornstarch pudding with cream.
As you live in the country, perhaps it
Is not always convenient to have fresh
meat on hand, but you could buy half
a ham and hang it in a cool place, and
slice as needed, then boil the piece left
when the best is sliced off. For sup
pers, have escalloped tuna fish, shrimp
wiggle, oreamed chipped beef or
cheese cream on toast, egg cream
toast, goldenrod toast, cheese and po
tato puff. Any of these with bread' or
hot biscuit, canned sauce, cake, cook
ies and tea would be good suppers.
Bake your one-egg cake in cupcake
tins, one tablespoonful to a tin, and
keep on hand for desserts. Place them
In covered tin in the oven, just long
enough to warm through, and serve
with egg or liquid sauce.
About breakfasts I do not think I
have any new ideas, as I am obliged
to have breakfast early every day.
Sunday included, so get something
easy. I always have cereal, usually
rolled oats, then eggs, boiled, scram
bled, fried with bacon, poached, scram
bled with chopped ham, minced beef
or lamb on toast, hash, fish, warmed
over soup, and with dry toast or
warmed-over muffins or brown bread
and doughnuts or- cookies or drop
cakeB and coffee, we are satisfied.
Once a week I have griddle cakes
with sirup, but it takes longer to cook
them than anything else I serve.
Boston Globe.
To Wash Willow Furniture.
To clean willow furniture, provide
yourself with a coarse brush dipped
in strong salt and water, scrub each
piece well, then dry with a soft brush.
Salt cleans willow and also keeps it
from turning yellow. If it is desired
to keep the natural light color of the
willow, apply a coat of linseed oil.
By this treatment the willow strands
of which the piece is woven will lose
their dry brittleness and become soft
er and more pliable, bending under a
blow instead of breaking. This treat
ment has another good effect besides
making the chair last longer it makes
it less noisy. A coat of oil allows the
strands to slip more smoothly and eas
ily, and therefore more quietly upon
each other.
Brawn.
Do you ever make "brawn?" I buy
a meaty shank, four or five pounds,
boil until quite well done, remove from
liquid, put lean meat through meat
chopper, add salt, pepper and sage to
taste, moisten with beef liquor. Press
down hard in dish. Have dish small
enough so it will be filled about full.
El"".; a plate over it, weighed down
with an iron. Let it stand overnight
In a cool place. Slice when cold. Very
nice and economical. This with a
nice vegetable or tomato soup made
of remainder of liquor makes a nice
dinner. Boston Globe.
8avory Bread.
Slightly moisten some neatly
trimmed slices of stale bread with herb
flavored and well seasoned milk en
riched if desired with a beaten egg.
Fry either as they are or else dipped
in batter, or, again, brushed over with
white of egg and rolled in flour, to a
bright golden brown in hot dripping
or bacon fat, and Berve in a pyramid,
bordered with fried onions, or en cou
ronne round a central mound of green
or other vegetables.
Cheese Omelet.
Dessertspoonful grated cheese, one
egg, little pepper and salt, one-quarter
ounce butter; put butter in frying pan,
beat the egg, add pepper, salt and
cheese. Put in the pan and stir round.
Cook to a light brown, not solid
through, and you have a fine cheese
omelet
Bismarck Oyster.
A layer of hot Bauerkraut on a hot
plate, several fried oysters next and
on top three slices of crisply tried bacon.