RR Bellefonte, Pa., May 6, 1910. bm (LLL STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE. Dew of dawn on hills of dream, Beaten eggs and lots of cream; Breath of bloom from vales of sweet; Taste of flavor while you eat. Layers of snow and bars of gold In between them, crushed or rolled, Berries from the vines that run To the reddening of the sun. Gods, upon Olympus’ height, Cross your hands and take a bite MADAM BLUEBEARD. upon the subject that was to be close A er “That Mrs. Mandaford . ..” he said. = YouT forgive Mme veiling m this time of pe» 1 assured him. Mrs. “A of a woman,” he said. 1 may be excused for mention- jug a Jady's figure. You are a friend of “No,” I said. “But you've spoken to her, of course?” ery feel y? You surprise me. She is so very affable—and to me of all people. It is very kind of her.” you have tastes in common,” mischiev I Suggesied ously. no,” he said, very Sid y. “1 mean—I am really a thout any tastes. Mrs. y: ord Susi the greater part of the conversation.” “Interestingly?” I asked. He put down the brushes with which he was smoothing his thin fluff and a poor hand at it myself that sighed. was largely due to the fact, spread by| “I hardly know what to say,” he said. y h pad martied “1 am such t her smile even know that Colonel -room. “I call you people to witness,” he said as he sank into a seat, “that I'm stopping ere for the fust of He vovage “Why so, Colonel?” asked one of the men present. “Because she's looking for a fourth and, by Jove! she'll have him too.” He rang for a peg and cut into a bridge 1 don't like to seem critical. If I might venture, I should describe Mrs. Manda- - | ford’s conversation as a trifle too senti- " he said, deprecatingly; *Scarcsly a kind description, is it? am wrong about her. I am so aly Sha perhaps Ee» “Oh, you're afraid of it, are you?” I said, hardly able to keep from laughing. He gave me an a ing look. : “It is so difficult with ladies, or so it seems to me. I am afraid of not respond- ing in the key—of jarring.” see, “Or what would be worse,” he went on, anxiously, “of seeming to agree with things with which I do not and cannot agree. It is so extremely difficult with “But what on earth,” 1 inquired, “are these topics that require so much discre- tion from you?” : He had somedifficulty in explaining,but 1 gathered that she had begun to ogle him quite obviously. “She seems to feel that are apt to be so romantic. She says th Jue meets twin souls on board. four with trembling fingers. Yet he was | in which people who have never met be- an elderly bachelor, marriage-proof, you | fi would have said, and not devoid of cour- age. He had seen service on the fron- tiers and also in Somaliland, where, by the way, the dervishes run large. His example was followed by most of the bachelors who could stand an equal amount of smoke and heat, but there were times, especially in the Indian | which people ore become in quite few days.” He shivered slightly as he stressed the go ppose they do,” I said. “ su Nie “Yes—but—but I am not myself a mar- ing man. I shall never A t—" Ocean, when he had to come out, and— | are, as a rule, only most pathetic fallacies. blockade. as the Colonel said—run the Married men like myself did not so great- ly fear Mrs. Mandaford’s awe-inspiring He didn't, and I liked the little man the 1 failed to see how he out of his dilemma. more for it, tho to be hel was affability. We felt that we had in front | The few efforts that I did make to inter- of us, as a screen and forcible remarri protection agains t | vene all the authority of | beard’s sentiment were unavailing. I the Church and State. Besides, she sort- between him and Madam Blue- used to go up to them and point out the ed us out into the married and unmar- | mirages that were to be seen across the ried, the goats and the sheep, with an in- fallible accuracy. Several of us were traveling single, but she left us alone. I A a there is something about a mar- | dunes, carrying bright-col riders, or ried man that disti es him. A joy-|hea ? The ap- ous tranquility, is it the worst and emerged pearance of a miner who has found or of one that knows that for him is no gold to find? Anyhow, she knew. Luptons supported me. ‘By the time we Gradually, but in a very obvious way, to her. she began a weedi bachelors. aside the undesirables! process among the The skill with which she set edge of the drab desert, with its wide The knowing | shops overhung by latticed balconies and ones were rejected first, then the reck- its unwindowed drinking-taverns and arid boulevards haunted by all the half-bred less. She had brought them down toa half dozen within as many days. Then | scum of a half-way country. Too taw- to three—to two—to one. I think we had | dry to be Western and too dull to seem A had a presentiment who the one would He was a Mr. Luptons, a little man, of course. He had been in the Salt Reve- §%3 i it 221s i i ny i es shits pi £8 EF i ig nf gs i Hh : 8 : I B i i i I g : : { : | | 8g : 22 RF ; i E ig 8 g 5 il £5 : £8 EB i i / H Eg : i fg 5 A] : FE ge : 7 i ge hi : £ : i Hi fi i : i i | i il fiz EL fe i i if fl tH } £5 H : | i gf 23k i i i 3 t for those who like to buy tal g g : E ; : : geieis Bl li grat Ei; gee i : Fey h 3 8 fy 3s ; = 3 : ig : i : F i i i i E i i : i 48 he thetic Ee sympa way ible trast to Madam near hank was the force of sulting her. “May 1?" I said, as I sat down beside her after handing her to a chair. as they are going to be married.’ “Peor little man!” she said, and laugh- wy I've come to you to ask if you can't | find a way out of it for him.” rst. “Talk of a woman meddling!" she said. You men are much worse. And meddling in a love-affair, of all things.” “It’s not,” I said, stoutly. “How do you know!” she insisted. “Love is a very funny thing. I've known men—"" “Oh, I dare say you have',” I said. “But this is different. It's a tragedy. For the crrdit of your sex you ht to help him. Think of that woman. All the men on board call her Madam Bluebeard.” “Men are gossips,” she said. But I think she was a little impressed. “I tell you what,” she went on after a little pause and screwing of eyebrows. “If it's a cer- tainty that little man has been driven intoit against his will, I'll try and help him out of it. But we must be sure of that. No guess-work! He'll have to state his unwillingness.” “He will,” I prophesied. "Tell me what he does,” she said. As it turned out, his patience and sense of chivalry staved off the confession for a day or two, nor was it till we had passed through the Straits of Messina that he Ours was one of the first big boats to go through after the earthquake, and as every one was busy looking through glasses at the strewn heaps of stone and dust that once were lovely Southern cities, the chief officer joined a little group of us. "There's the strangest feature of the whole thing,” he said pointing with his fnger.to a patch of smooth water on the port side. "What's that?” said Mrs. Simeon. “That's where Charybdis used to be. Scylla’s opposite. The earthquake has wiped the whirlpool out of existence.” of waters that had sucked down the ships of legendary heroes, galleys from Tyre, slave-ro Athenian triremes, there was no trace left. Yet, as the the chief officer said, it had been a real thing. He him- self only a few months back had seen a big liner turning in it as helpless as a “Well, the earthquake did one good thing, said Mrs. Simeon. “Wonderful!” murmured Mr. Luptons. I do not know if Mrs. Mandaford, who was sitting close by in her usual place, i ved of his having left her to come and stare with the rest of us,but she intervened at that point. “I dare say,” she said, ponderously, “that, for all we know, earthquakes do a lot of good. People want to be shaken up now and then. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” said Mr. Luptons, quickly and nervously. Exactly. People don't know,” said unequal contest. He must have brooded on her words, for that same night, with- out any pumping from me, his confession came out with a rush. He had made a mistake, he said, in regard to his - ment. Could I, asa married man and a man of the world, advice him as to a wa; out of it? I told him that I had seen it all SonNng, at which he seemed surprised. 1 told him that a woman's advise was what he needed more than a man's and with his permission I would consult MS Sim- e was ji L58 it i : #al § gs 4s Ea 5 I i ; A 18s 8 Tk Hh = aell Ferien BEcigie £ g 5 =; g gy EES Oz8% t “I think it "ll be tragedy,” I said. “That's She would not take me seriously at rtainly it was strange. Of that whirl | Mrs. Mandaford, and he retired from the | said, opium. I tapped him on the shoulder. o must drownd now?" Ye said, sirply, coming to his feet with a salaam. sahib wishes it?” “The sahib wishes you to go overboard will not He | you.', i Ileft him, a little doubtfully, but with- in two minutes the splash of him was ' distinctly audible. I was leaning con- , veniently on the rails just above, and I turned my head to see that Mr. Luptons, who had taken my chair, started up ner- vously, but sat back again. “Is your bearer, I cried. “You're not going to let the poor fellow drown, are you!” “No, no,” said Mr. Luptons, and I saw Mrs. Simeon whisper to him. At that he came trotting over, and the next moment he, too, was struggling in the black water, “Good!” I said to myself, throwing a life-belt overboard, and was horrified to see Mrs.Mandaford suddenly appear from the companionway. She came straight at me. “Who is it?” she cried. Already there were shouts of man overboard and peo- ple were rushing about. “Mr. Luptons,” I said. save Peter.” "And aren't you §oing to save him? You're his friend? No, you're a coward, 1 sce.” I shrank back dismayed. A man ' doesn't care tobe taxed with his coward- ice, even if he knows that it isdsplomacy. I shrank back, but before I could gather my wits to make an answer,a miracle had occurred. Madam Bluebeard, with some gymnastic effort of which I should have deemed her incapable, had flung herself over the rails after her betrothed. A great sousing noise showed that the sea had re- ceived this brave woman. . . . Again Ihave to leave to the imagination the scene that followed. It was confusion , twice confounded, full of much rushing up and down, shouting of directions, an sacrificing of life-beits. In the darkness Mrs. Simeon and I satand quaked. What, if somebody had been drowned? Not till Reasly twenty minutes later were we re- lieved. Then to the side of the ship lined with excited Jossengers there pulled a boat manned by French sailorsand bring- . ing with it Peter, a damp white bundle of shivers and chattering teeth; Mr. Lup- | tons, limp and streaming; and Mrs. Man- | daford, wet but undismayed. The two | men were put on board first by her orders; | afterward she came, Amazonian from the foam. Mrs. Simeon and I exch a d iring glance and joined in the cheers and clapping that ted her. “Hot blankets for all!” she said and | stalked off to her own cabin. { I turned to Mrs. Simeon. I "Well?" I said. “She's got him,” returned that lady,” “and I'm not sure that she doesn’t de- serve him. that little man hasn't given us away by telling her the whole conspiracy.” "Good heavens!" 1 said. “I never thought of that. I think I shall go and see.” “He's gone to tined to more surprises than one that day. As I entered our cabin, Mr. Luptons rose in his berth, held out both hands, and 1 “1 shall never be grateful enough to you. "What on earth for?” I asked. “For being the means of showing me the great happiness in store for me. Sir,” he went on fervently, “I am a wretched, unimaginative man, and I am ashamed to own that even after I had won her I did not sufficiently aj jate her.” “Mrs. Mandaford?" 1 interjected to make sure. “Yes," said Mr. Luptons, ecstatically. “Yes. The noblest woman in the world! And the bravest. I told her so in the i” “You didn’t, I suppose, mention,” I be- gan, cautiously, “our little—" “Plot?” said Mr. Luptons. “No. I shall never do that. It would spoil the ro- mance." “The romance?" I echoed, and added hastily. “Yes—of course.” But Mr. Luptons was not heeding me. “It is such a romance as I have never ho | dreamt of.” he said, thous hefally. “to fe. She has I asked. “My future wife says that she will nev- er willingly allow me to part from Peter —if he can stand our climate. You see, but for him it would never have happen- ed. He is a part of the romance." “Quite so," I said. There was nothing else to say.—By R. E. Vernede, in Har- per's Weekly. ANCHOR, OREGON, APRIL 30, 1910, Special correspondence of the * Walchman." The educational system of Oregon is fine, resembling in its workings a vast machine in the highest sense in which the term is used. Each part of it comes in contact with the central power. Every pupil who graduates from the common school comes in touch intellectually with the State Board of Education. This body consists of the Governor, Secretary of State and the State Superintendent of Public instruction. One of its duties is to prepare the questions for all examina. tions above the seventh grade and for all | teachers’ examinations. The latter are held twice every year, extending over a period of three days. One begins the second Wednesday in February ending the Friday following, the other begins the second Wednesday in August and lasts until the following Friday. All teachers throughout the State who are candidates for teachers’ certificates at the same time answer the same questions on the same day, in the same manner, on the same kind of paper—legal cap; and those in each county at the same place, usually the county seat. This, in some instances, means several days travel if the applicant happens to be located in a distant part of the county and far from the railroad. The members of the examining board | =the county superintendent and one or I only hope and trust that I went, inwardly afraid, but I was des- : i Pupils enrolled (6to 21 years).............. 107,493 two assistants—do not know what ques- tions will be asked until the papers con- , taining the questions are ready for distri- | bution. The State superintendent sends | | the questions in sealed packages to the county superintendents of the several counties who do not open the package "until the classes are assembled. | Before the class begins work an envel- ope containing a numbered card is given to each member, who signs the card and makes a note of the number. The card is then returned to the envelope which is sealed. These envelopes are collected and laid aside until after the examina- tion papers have beeu graded. The sealed package containing the questions is now opened and 2 number of sealed envelopes—one for each branch in | the curriculum-—are taken out. These | are opened as their contents are required in the progressof the work. The ques- tions are distributed; the answers desig- nated by numbers are written with pen and ink, on legal cap and signed with the candidate's number, the same as that on the card. The result of this method is a strictly impartial grading of certificates. No teacher may teach within the State without first passing an examination in Oregon School Law. The State Text Book Commission, a body consisting of five members appoint- ed by the Governor, decide what text books shall be in use in the State for the ensuing six years. This insures a uni- form system of text books and prevents needless changes being made. School boards have nothing to do with the text books. Pupils furnish their own books and school supplies. But the State fur- nishes free library hooks to all the schools. ' These books are selected by the State Li- brary Commission and paid for out of the library fund. The library fund is secur- ed by an additional tax of ten cents per capita to be collected with the school and other taxes. To raise the school tax, the county court levies a tax on all prop- erty, sufficient to amount to the sum! of seven dollars for every child eligible to school registration, between the ages of four and twenty years. is money is placed in the hands of the county treas- urer. It is apportioned by the county superintendent as follows: One hundred | dollars is first placed to the credit of | every school in the county; the balance | , is then divided among the schools accord- : ing to the number of pupils belonging to each school. If these two sums do not | amount to three hundred dollars a special | tax, not to exceed five mills, is laid on | the property of the district which is defi- | cient. If this does not reach the requir- | ! ed three hundred dollar amount the defi- | cit is made up by an appropriation from | | the irreducible school fund. Public lands that have been set aside | | for school purposes—two sections in every | township—are sometimes held and the | | money is placed on interest. This with gifts, bequests, etc., form the irreducible | school fund. Only the interest of this fund is used. i | Every school must be in sessiou not less | than six months during the school year, | | and must cost at least three hundred dol- | | lars, eighty-five per cent. of which must | | be paid to teachefs’. But many districts ! ' have more than six months school, spend | more than three hundred dollars on them | and pay more than eighty-five per cent. of | | it to their teacher. . Some districts have school in the sum- | | mer because the amount of rainfall in the | | winter makes traveling to and from | school quite difficult west of the Cascade | mountains, and east of the mountains the | snow gets deep and the weather cold. But town schools and many of the coun- try schools are in progress during the | winter. The courseof study is arranged by the state board of education, and is uniform; to do a prescribed amount of work in a given period of time. Through the courtesy of Hon. J. H. Ackerman, state superintendent of public instruction, I am enabled to give the fol- lowing figures, taken from the bienniel report made in the year 1908. When read- | ing the figures given below, it is well to | ‘ remember the fact that the law making ' the minimum length of term six months ‘and the minimum amount spent onfeach | school three hundred dollars annually did not go into effect until 1909. Also that the | population has greatly increased since i 1908. . Pupils registered in estimating The University of Oregon, school for the blind, and the school for deaf mutes —Subscribe for the WATCHMAN. | er with a — FOR AND ABOUT WOMEN. DAILY THOUGHT. As thou sowest so shalt thou reap. Smile and thou shalt smart. —Emerson. Whistli is a very valuahle physical exercise El properly emp and if the children are inclined to whistle they should be The habit of whis- encouraged. tling develops the skill in breath control. To whistle properly one must take a docp breath through the nostrils and in addi- tion, keep the lungs well inflated. Togeth- right breathing goes a good circu- lation and from that follows good diges- tion. In suits with any pretense of elaborate- ness, pockets are a prominent feature. Even in plain suits the pockets are con- spicuous for odd shape and finish. Fancy tailor-mades from Paris show the pockets a mass of soutache. In these the coats are only long eno to allow a place for the pockets below waistline. Often the edges of the jacket are braid- ed or embroidered in the same way, and the lapels and collars always are. In these suits collars are of the shawl tpye in the waistline or near it. It is rather superfluous to say more atom foulard when so much has been said, but it is not quite possible to keep off the subject w! it dominates the shops and the dressmakers. The two fab- rics one hears most about are chiffon veiling and foulard. Both come in an in- finite variety of weave and color and they are wi Siugly or} Jogethe 1) Tbe fashion or veiling foulard wi e transparent fabric in another color or another tone has gone steadily into popularity. It is ble that the exclusives are a little afraid of it, and individual gowns will not be made up in this way, but of its popu- larity there is no question. It is the foulard gown itself pure and simple that interests the majority of those who have not full purses. It looks, from present indications, as though the world | Jould be flooded with foulards before | June. : The material as it is now woven and de- There is no reason against this. signed is artistic, durableand cool. And if there is one thing that the American sighs for it is a cool fabric during our summers. We cannot afford white linen and mus- lins in business, for they are too expen- sive, as one morning will finish them as far as cleanliness is concerned. We can- not always afford linen suits or frocks of any color, if we are busy women, because of the manner in which this fabric crush- es and needs ironing. Foulard is different. If it is a good, strong quality it will not wrinkle easily, and the wrinkles will shake out quickly. It does not retain the mois- ture from the body, as other silks do, and it comes in such serviceable colors that it will remain wearable for most of the sum- mer without cleaning. The practical absence of lining in the new gown helps to make it er and more suitable for one-piece frocks. Even in the handsome gown boned lining is not popular. Those who have full figures probably need a lining that is boned over the bust and waist, but their corset and a bone-fitted muslin corset cover should do the work of holding in their flesh. Now that women give so mucn time and attention to getting the lines of their figure absolutely correct and trimmed be- fore the gown is put on, the need of lin- ing is not severely felt. Artists in dress will be delighted this season at the taboo put on the high-boned stock. They have always considered it in the worst taste. They have contended that a woman's neck should be as bareas her face, and if the neck is yellow or scrawny it is because she has abused it with bones and tight bands. Possibly this is true, yet it will be difficult to convince all women to wear collarless frocks at all ours. It is not a fashion. The English them And fhiey have lovely necks. It is the French fi 1) ence the Rack in the t jacket. rench have There Te ae YS neck, that it certainly brings with it a most im of the and muscles, It Jo interesting to notice every school in the State being expected | two woman of 50 who ooks better without a stock as does the girl of 18 who has the advantage of a youthful contour. Dinner gowns, those for the theatre, for uncheons, for weddings are all collarless, but the shirtwaists are, too, and so are the foulard, pongee and linen one-piece a