i
In Leap
Year
f
X7
w
Bg GEORGE COBB
(Copyright, 1316, by W. G. Chapman.)
There were two predominating fea
tures, dread and timidity, in the
thoughts and actions of Ralph Burton
as the leap year came in and he was
made the target of organized menace
and raillery on the part of those who
fancied they could play upon his
weaknesses.
"You're a selected victim, Burton!"
declared more than one of the little
town club of which he was a member.
"Oh, he'll never escape through the
month!" insisted others. "You'd bet
ter keep away from the trap of so
cial functions."
"I rarely favor them," observed Bur
ton gravely.
"And have a bodyguard," was the
further advice. "I understand that
the girls' clubs laid out a regular
program, with dates and victims. Not
an unmarried man in the town will
escape."
"Yes, and a well-fixed individual
like Burton will be the especial ob
ject of persecution!"
Ralph Burton Bmiled, but it was not
a natural smile. Nature had awarded
him a shrinking, self-deprecating ele
ment, and he had never battled it. At
twenty-eight he found himself a re
served young bachelor with an Inborn
veneration for all womankind, yet
bashful and retiring. If he had ever
loved, ho had never been able to
summon up the courage to confess
the fact to the objoct of his adora
tion. "A confirmed woman hater," was
the snappy ultimatum' of more than
"Er That Is Strange."
one of those disappointed, for In In
telligence and fortune Burton was a
most eligible party.
The "boys" at the club wore fond
of jokes and the arrival of the month
with 29 days in it favored their
wicked designs.
"Now, then, you want to rush the
program hot and heavy!" was the
docislon of Ned Walton, a tireless mis
chief maker and thorofore the plot to
give Burton a period of misery was
set In motion.
"A young lady called twice, Blr,"
was the announcement of Ills landlady,
two evonlngs later, when Iturton came
homo from the ofllce.
Ilo colored and fidgeted. Visits from
young Indies comprised a proceeding
to which tturton was an utter
Btranger, Ilo could not even recall
where recently ho had joined company
with a member of the opposite sex
so far as a Blnglo block on the public
stroits.
"Er Hint ia sirango. Leave any
iiame? Ah, perhaps my slstor from
Smlthvlllo."
"Oh, no, sir I know her," disclosed
the landlady. "She was veiled. Your
visitor was young and graceful and
acted very anxious to Bee you. It
struck nie Bho was quite mysterious.
And when she loft I noticed Bhe Joined
two olhor ladles in the street."
"Witnesses!" gasped liurton to him
Bolf. "If all the crowd tell about the
outlandish exorcise of the toapyear
privilege by the female sex this
year is true, I fear I am going to be
the object of some nnnoyance."
For three days Burton did not go
home to dinner. For three evenings
he went without a light In his room
and barricaded tho doors. His "veiled
lady visitor" did not appear again,
however. He began to fool relieved,
when a lotter reached him.
. ItB pages were delicately scented
and tho handwriting was exquisitely
dainty. Its sentiments were burn
ing, professing "tho ardent admiration
of a longing bouI seeking a life Ideal,"
and finding It In him. It promised
further epistles, It suggested that he
wear a pink carnation In his coat the
next day. In order that his correspond
ent might know that her continued
attentions might not bo distasteful to
him.
' That especial morning Burton but
toned up his coat tightly and reached
his office by unfrequented byways.
He stayed away from the club, he had
serious thoughts of taking a vacation.
AVben one day a bouquet was deliv
ered, he decided that affairs had
reached the limit. He was 10 dis
turbed he decided to take a day off.
I liurton made for the outskirts,
craving for day's solitude Id the
woods. As he passed a certain house
he gave one startled glance behind
him and quickened his pace. His
blushing glance had caught sight of
a faded lady of uncertain age waving
her hand at him and calling his name.
He feigned not to hear. He saw her
throw a light wrap over her shoulders.
He saw her run out of the front door.
"GraciouB!" gasped Burton, "I do be
lieve she is going to follow me. Yes,
she is, and leap year say! she may
be the one who e:ut me those flow
ers." In desperation Burton edged off the
street. A row of bushes protected
him. How was he to know that Miss
Celia Dempster was simply seeking
from him a contribution to the town
relief fund for the poor?
Then as he glided through the open
doorway of a great barn and realized
where he was, Burton flushed to the
roots of his hair. Why! he had in
vaded the precincts of the Morton
home, and Ruth Morton was a very
dear name to him, although he had
never told anyone so no one, not
even Ruth herself, who would have
been pleased to learn the fact.
Twice he had been Ruth's escort to
a town entertainment. Then he had
been too bashful to call. Often he
had thought of her. Now he dodged
back farther into the barn Ruth,
four of her little sisters and brothers
accompanying her, were making
straight for his retreat.
"Why, Mr. Burton!" exclaimed
Ruth, and she looked really pleased,
though flustered, as she came upon
him "is this your long-looked-for
call?"
"Er why, yes," declared Burton In
stumbling tones, feeling that he was
acting like a dunce. "That is, I
well, I'm taking a day off and you
see, sort of putting in the time "
"Which you can do to decided ad
vantage to us," chirped the sprightly
Ruth. "Myself and this brood have
about ten bushels of apples to pare
and cut for evaporation. You shall
string. Will It please you?"
"Please me? It will be delightful!"
declared Burton.
"Then come, Blr, you must be
aproned like the rest of us!"
What a thrill pervaded his sensi
tive being as Ruth tlod a big kitchen
apron around him! What a novelty
to be seated amid the gayiy chatter
ing group, doing his share of the
work!
Then there was a grand lunch, then
a ramble in the orchard. Mrs. Mor
ton insisted upon his staying to tea,
and then there was moonlight, and
feverishly delicious critical moment at
the garden gate, his own face close
closer to the charming one of Ruth.
What ever possessed him? What
put new courage Into his timid soul?
What irradiated his being as, after
blurting out all the story of his fears
and his hopes, he found In Ruth a truly
loyal sympathizer.
Love, love, love! it drove him, bold
as a Hon, to the club that evening.
His fellow members stared. There
was a new Burton revealed. He
bore his head high. There was a happy
smile on hlB face.
"Got you yet the leap-year pi
rates?" questioned one of the group
who had driven Burton into par
dise.
"Oh, yes," answered Burton, and
there was a cheer and Joy In his tones.
"One of the fair ladles has. Only she
dldnt ask me. Tell it to the world
that I am the happiest man it holds!
I'm going to marry"
"Miss Dempster?"
"Not on your life! but charming,
lovely, Incomparable Ruth Morton!"
THE ORIGIN OF SURNAMES
Those Most Familiar Were Taken
Originally From the Occupations
of the Holders.
Once upon a time given names
were the only names In use. One was
Tom, Dick or Harry, and that was
all there was about It. Our present
surnames arose from the nicknames.
Thus Tom the Taylor became in time
Tom Taylor, and his descendants
used Taylor as the family name. The
most familiar of our surnames were
taken from the occupations of our
forefathers, as Smiths, Bokers, Brew
ers, etc. Many men, moving to new
towns, had the name of the place
from which they had come fastened
upon them. Others took names like
Pope, King and Bishop, from playing
those parts in plays. Hogg and Ba
con are simple. Turcell developed
from pourcol, meaning little pig. Gait
and Grica, are old dialect words of
the Bame meaning. Tod meant fox,
Fltchle was polecat, and so the keen
student of lnnguage traces the begin
nings of our names In the old dialects.
Some of tho nicknames were original
ly distinctly uncomplimentary, as See
ly for silly, Cameron for crooked nose
and Kennedy for ugly head. Grace
developed from gras or fat. Ameri
can Boy.
A Foe to Fire.
"Our childhood ambitions are sol
dom realized."
"Too truo."
"Life with me is Just tho reverse of
what 1 thought It would be."
"How so?"
"I thought I was going to set tha
world on fire, and now I make my liv
ing selling Insurance." Louisville
Courier-Journal.
Difficult Diet.
"You Americans are becoming a
race of dyspeptics," remarked the ob
servant visitor. "You are too Impa
tient." "Maybe that Isn't it," replied th
quiet citizen. "Maybe It's all due to
the habit we have got Into of swa)
lowing our indignation."
c5 ?mi
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SJ '' lull . mm
- - 'ilk
The, Pcarl River at CANTON
THE great province of Kwang
tung, third in size of the eight
een political divisions of China
proper, in modern times has
been the center of many of the polit
ical activities which have disturbed
the Celestial empire, and it is not sur
prising that its people should be
among the first to declare their Inde
pendence from the national govern
ment, says a bulletin of the National
Geographic society.
It was in this province that the
young China movement had its birth
in 1895. The secret societies of Can
ton, the capital, practically financed
the revolution which followed, result
ing seventeen years later in the over
throw of the Manchu dynasty and the
establishment of a republic with Doc
tor Sun Yat-sen as the first president.
Doctor Sun himself came from Can
ton and was the first graduate of the
College of Medicine at Hongkong.
The Cantonese have been an in
spiration to phrasemakers for years.
Because of their gift for political or
ganization they have been called 'the
Irish of China," while their penchant
for political unrest has caused them
to be dubbed "the rebellion makers in
ordinary to the Chinese people." His
torians see a striking analogy be
tween Canton's relation to the Chi
nese nation In 1912 and that of Paris
to provincial France in 1789.
Population Is Very Dense.
Many factors have contributed to
the unrest In the province of Kwang
tung, one of the most important be
ing the struggle for sheer existence
In a Btate which with an area equal to
South Dakota has to support a popu
lation fifty times as great.
Canton itself is a city of seething
humanity with streets so narrow that
only coolies can be employed as
"beasts of burden." A largo percent
age of the people live In small boats
which form a floating floor on the
thick waters of the Pearl river. So
precious is space that the shops are
reduced to mere boxes; so close is the
margin of profit and so small the pur
chases that beans and peanuts are sold
by individual count.
Geographically, the two provinces
of Kwang sl and Kwang-tung are cut
off from northern and central China
by mountain ranges which are mod
erately rich In minerals iron, gold
and a cheap grade of coal. Tho soil
is fertile and some of the chief prod
ucts are sugar, cocoanuts and betel
nuts. Silk, firecrackers, matting, gin
ger and palm-leaf funs are the chief
exports.
The Cantonese were among the first
Chinese people to come in general
contact with tho outside world. The
Arabs reached the shores of the marl
time province In the tenth century,
and soon these hardy sailors were act
ing as captains of Chinese Junks sail
lug to Manila, Java, Borneo and Slam.
The first Europeans to reach Canton
by sea were the Portuguese. Two
years before Cortez landed in Mexico,
Kumuuel, king of Portugal, sent an
ambassador with eight ships around
tho Cape of Good Hope to Induce the
emperor of China to sanction trade re
lations with tho nation of navigators.
The mission was successful and the
visitors were allowed to enter the bar
bor of Canton.
More than a hundred years later the
English arrived and met with a hnatiln
reception on account of a recent rup
ture In the friendly relations between
the Portuguese and the natives. It
was not until 16S5 that the emperor
finally sanctioned trade relations with
Groat Iirltaln, naming Canton as the
only port of entry.
Ftw Foreigners In Canton.
Of Canton's population, variously es
timated at from 900.000 to l roa nnn
only about 400 are foreigners, most
ot whom reside In the Sh meln set
tlement, an artificial island reclaimed
Mmmmm
by the British for just such a purpose
from an extensive mud fiat.
Although characterized by Caucasi
an observers as sullen in their politi
cal antipathies, the Cantonese are a
cheerful, industrious and intelligent
people in their daily lives. They ac
cept philosophically their many hard
ships and receive with stoical forti
tude the visitations of pestilence,
which from time to time remove much
of the surplus population.
Perhaps It was the scarcity of food
which caused the Cantonese to in
clude In their menus many "deli
cacies" not so classed by western peo
ple. For example, there is a breed of
dog which is fattened in this great
city and much prized by those who
can afford more than a rice diet. Cats,
hawks and birds' nests, are also re
garded as appetizing viands.
SHEERNESS IS A WAR PORT
Garrison Town and Harbor on Thames
Estuary Are Protected by Mighty
Fortifications.
Sheerness, the pivot point In the
English blockade of the North sea and
control of all the Channel waters, situ
ated behind a powerful shelter of for
tification on the southern shore of the
Thames eBtuary. The garrison town
and seaport are situated on the Isle
of Sheppey where the Medway estu
ary Joins with the Thames, 61 miles
east of London, and Joined with the
metropolis by the Southeastern and
Chatham railway. Thrown around
the port are a chain of formidable
modern fortifications, opposing such
armament as would make attack by
an enemy fleet almost impossible.
There are also extensive barracks
here, and acres of warehouse space
piled high with naval stores. Resi
dences for the admiral of the home
fleet and other naval officers consti
tute the most important part of the
city.
The dockyard and works of Sheer
ness, equipped for the carrying out of
all kinds of naval repairs, cover about
Bixty acres, including three basins and
large modern docks. The harbor is
a spacious and excellent one. Sheer
ness is primarily a war harbor, with
little importance as a place of trade.
It has fallen once before the attack
ot a hostile fleet, but that was before
the days of formidable ordnance,
when the Dutch admiral De Ruyter
captured the fort ot Charles II at
Sheerness on July fO, 1667.
Cocoanut's Three Eyes.
Who can tell why the cocoanut has
three eyes? Luther Burbank explains
it this way:
Cocoauuts usually grow at the edge
of the sea or rivers. The nuts are
surrounded with a thick husk with a
waterproof covering so that when they
drop into the water they will float
In floating, the three eyes are always
on top.
Once In the water nature gets busy.
From one of the eyes there comes a
shoot which develops broad leaves
like sails. The wind catches the sails
and wafts the cocoanut on a Journey
sometimes muny miles long. As It
sails the other two eyes develop roots,
which at first grow among the fibers
of the woody husk.
In good season, the cocoanut In
swept upon another shore, perhaps on
anotner island. The roots imbed
themselves In the soft earth. Ihn n
becomes the trunk, and a cocoanut
palm is growing whore none grew be
fore. A Rest Cure.
"What a horrible reader that girt
is you got for your Invalid husband!
She would put me to sleep In no time."
"Sh! don't let her hoar me, but
toat'i just what we got her for."
World Will Always Be Able to Support
Its Population
By JOHN M.
Government statistics show that approximately 1,500,000,000 acres
of land are subject to cultivation an area equal to 32 states as large as
Illinois. These statistics further show that an area equal to about thirteen
such states is being cultivated. All the rest, or 19 states, lies unplowed.
That is to say, only three-eighths of the land susceptible of cultivation in
the United States are now tinder cultivation.
Oh, the need there is and the room there is for the millions that are
being slaughtered in Europe!
The same statistics show that a farmer of today can and does pro
duce 28 times as much as a farmer could produce 100 years ago. These
facts, well established and certain, thunder forth the falsity of the Hal
thusian theory. The earth can and will support its population not only
now but for all time to come.
In America we believe that we can take care of the entire population
of the earth and do it better than it is now being done. This is the very
opposite of the Malthusian theory, which prompts men to kill each other.
What folly is this Malthusian theory, when we stop to think that the
entire population of the earth could live in the single state of Texas, in
families of five, and still have a half acre to the family !
A Few Smiles
Annihilating Distance.
Bacon Do you think the automo
bile has done much good to civiliza
tion? Egbert Sure. Why, I don't believe
my wife ever would have had any
thing to do with that woman next
door if our neighbor hadn't got an
automobile.
Not Necessary.
"Do you have
to put a scare
crow out in the
cornfield to keep
away the birds?"
asked the city
man.
"Oh, no," re
plied the farmer,
taking another,
pull at his pipe;
"my wife's out
there
every day, hoeing."
Can't Believe It.
Bacon By examining the soles of
a baby's foot a French woman claims
she can tell what kind of a man or
woman it will become.
Egbert I don't believe she can
really tell if they are to go through
life cornless.
Against Deals.
"I see a Frenchman has invented a
machine for dealing cards that is said
to make misdeals impossible," said
the business man.
"Well, I'm against those machine
deals," said the disappointed politi
cian. ,
Touches of Life,
Bacon Switzerland normally sells
13,000,090 worth of cheese yearly to
the United States.
Egbert Well, it's an even break.
American tourists put a lot of life Into
Switzerland, too.
She'll Finish Him.
Patience Is she going to marry
that man?
Patrice I believe so.
"He's a self-made man, isn't he?" '
"Yes; but she's going to put the
finishing touches to him.
Tramps
"What did the
lady up at that
house give you?"
asked one tramp.
"Advice." re
plied the other
tramp. And it
made me sick."
"Well, the oth
er day she gave
me pie, and it
bad the same ef
fect."1 How It Looks.
Bill He says his father has a flow
ing beard.
JUI That's right.
"But what Is a flowing beard?"
"Why, It's one that reminds you of
water coming out of a hydrant."
POINTED PARAGRAPHS
For each disease there are a dozen
cures that don't.
There are lots of good women In the
world in spite of the men.
A man's always satisfied to be out
when a bill collector calls.
Truth in a nutshell is not always
what it is cracked up to be.
A man usually has to chango cars
several times on the road to success.
Some girls have the whine habit
almost as badly as some married
women.
Ever notice how you appreciate the
company of people who admire you?
Money may make the mare go, but
It takes more than that to start a
itubborn mule.
When a man tells a woman she Is
ill the world to btm, she doesn't blame
lltn for wanting the earth.
Round Doily Boxes
Instead of the flat case for dollies
lhat has enjoyed much popularity for
the last few years, one may use a
round box, just big enough to hold the
doilies In question, and an Inch or
two high. This box Is covered with
cretonne and Is both attractive and
convenient
HESS of Chicago
MOTHER'S COOK BOOK
How to Boll Meat.
In boiling meat it should be dropped
into boiling water and boiled for five
minutes to sear over the outside and
keep in the juices, then the heat is
lowered and the meat simmers until
tender. Too long cooking reduces
meat to rags and makes it unpalatable
and lacking in nourishment.
Raisins Keep Indefinitely.
Raisins are advancing in price; at
one time a package cost ten cents,
now they are often fifteen. In buying
in large quantities one can save quite
a sum, and they keep indefinitely if
properly packed.
A Delicious Sherbet.
A delicious sherbet is made of one
lemon, two oranges and three cupfuls
of thin cream, with sugar to 'sweeten
as desired. Freeze as usual and serve
in orange or grapefruit cups.
Cottage Cheese Salad.
Cottage cheese mixed with canned
red peppers which have been put
through the ricer or sieve then well
seasoned served on lettuce with a lit
tle boiled dressing, makes a most tasty
salad.
Parsnip Fritters. ,
Parsnip fritters are another deli
cious way of serving this good vege
table. Cook them until tender, ma3h
and season, dip in fritter batter and
fry in deep fat.
Cheese Ball Salad.
Cheese balls of seasoned cheese
rolled in chopped chives and arranged
in a blanched lettuce leaf, served with
any boiled dressing makes a most sat
isfying salad.
Fashion's Decrees
Narrow bands of tulle are still used
for evening gowns of tulle.
Quaint turbans are fashionable; so
are large picture hats.
Sport suits of mouse-gray corduroy
are extremely natty. Gray buttons are
the fasteners.
Some of the new sweaters have silk
linings, which are very effective when
displayed as a backing to the flowing
belt sashes.
Small fruit has been used from time
to time for trimming hats, but this
season pears, crab apples, as well aa
berries of all kinds, are Been.
The fashionable coiffure is largely
a matter of individual taste. The hair
may be worn high or low, may be in
wide or narrow effect.
Short-winged sleeves of filmy stuff
are characteristic of the latest evening
gowns. They are often wired to stand
up straight from the shoulders.
Matches Luxury in Leeds.
The scarcity of matches in Leeds
that was threatened in the fall of 1915
has become a reality. The prices have
been high and the quality has been
poor. The Yorkshire Evening Post of
Leeds said recently: "It sometimes
takes three matches to raise a light
nowadays, and with the price In
creased some 250 per cent, that makes
them a rather costly luxury."
Much interest Vas manifested re
cently In the arrival at London ot a
cargo of matches from Japan. Up to
the present time no matches of Amer
ican manufacture have been noticed
in Leeds.
A STRAIGHT TIP.
JJ KWS WAIT- V LjhmLLs .
lN(a OYER AN HOUR )'FiSk
TOR. Ht ' I
! MEN WAITING "nlX k,
I Sl MONTHS oft VV