OEORfifc TICICELI- MSS?—^
"Is Ho Sick?"
111:.\ you'll do It, Bill, for
<^T* 1 the sake of old times?"
j[ I queried Capt. lirundage
J anxiously.
"Vis." said the mate,
"for old times' sake and
,|jj®'l the 25 bucks you prom-
Js*l| | ised. Partikerly for the
Wl'ifmu The ca i >,ain eye<l h ' m
J I IJ disdainfully.
wl-AW/gnJ "if 'twas me." he com
dented. "I'd be glad in help out a
pa!, even if 1 didn't get a cent. That's
thf kind of man I am."
"An' that's (lie kind I ain't," re-
Joined the mate tartly. "So mebbs
you'll stow this here mcralisin' busi
ness an' hand over the coin, so as
everything 'll be accordin' to agree
ment."
The skipper of the steamer Arklam
muttered something uncomplimentary
under his breath, but producing a
bulky pocket book extracted several
hills ther from and passed them to
the mate, who thrust them into his
pocket ar.d faced his superior with a
satisfied smirk.
"Now that's s';t'led. let's run over
your scheme again, so as 1 can get
my bearin's," he said pleas
antly.
"When we get to I'uffa'.o you fix
yourself up with a i honv board an'
wig, an' if Miss Antrim cones askin'
for you I'm to toil her Capt. Brundage
died worry sudden in Chicago, an'
the. C'S N NEW S!'H>J 'j I" charge."
""'•iJKi't fc.n'et w I'm sup. 'ai'd to
be deaf and dumb," warned the cap
tain. "If she once heard my v:;ice it
'ud q-ieor the whole game."
"Oh, n'.v light," responded the mate.
"Only she must be a bigger fat-head
than she looks if she swallows that.
Who'd ever believe as a company 'ud
hire a deaf dummy for captain of a
big sttani freighter?"
"She's got to believe it," returned
the captain. "Anyway, if she sees
me at all. it'll be only for a few min
utes. and the news of my death 'ill
upset her so that she won't stop to
figure out them little details."
"It wouldn't upset me." retorted the
m*te. "Seems like she oughter be
Joyful to hear it, if she's got any
sense."
"That'll be all from you," growled
Brundage in high dudgeon. "Just hold
your jaw and do as you're told."
Shortly after the Arklam tied up at
the Buffalo docks she was boarded
by a buxom young damsel with a de
termined chin and a pair of snappy
black eyes. The watchful mate
greeted her at the gang piank, and
she acknowledged the salutation with
a gracious smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Prout," she
said. "Is Capt. Brundage around?"
The mate twisted his features into
a becoming semblance of grief.
"I'm sorry to say that I've got bad
news for you. Miss Antrim," was the
response, lie hesitated and shook his
bead sadly.
"What's the trouble?" inquired the
girl, her face a shade paler at the
sight of the mate's dolorous visage.
"Is he sick?"
"Worse than that, miss." returned
the mate in a hoarse whisper. "He's
werry bad —that is, I mean he ain't
now. He's gone, miss, gone for
ever."
The girl drew a sharp breath.
"What!" she gasped, "you don't mean
to sav—"
"That he's dead, miss; yes. that's
It, an' sorry I am to tell you."
Miss Antrim dabbed a handkerchief
hastily across her eyes. "How did
It happen?" she asked. "Why, he —
be was all right when he left here on
his last voyage."
"Step into the cabin," requested the
wily .Mr. Prout, "an' I'll teil you all
about it."
The girl followed him, and seating
herself, prepared to listen to the
mate's doleful narrative.
In accordance with the instructions
of bis chief, Mr. William Prout gave
e very affecting sketch of the inci
dents relative to the former's sud
den demise, due, as he declared, to
a chill followed by an attack of pt>eu-
THE DUPING
OF POLLY
monia which had carried off the vic
tim in record time.
Miss Polly Antrim listened with an
odd gleam in her intelligent eyes.
"Wasn't there —that is—didn't he
leave a message or anything of that
kind for me?" she demanded, when
the mate had finished his melancholy
recital.
"Oil, yes," replied Mr. Prout hur
riedly. "The poor chap sent you his
love, an' —an' hoped you'd meet him
in heaven—" he concluded in a burst
of inspiration.
Polly Antrim glanced at the mate
with tightened lips. "Very nice of
him," she commented coolly. "Who
did you say took his place?"
"Capt. Chester," returned Prout.
"Nothing like poor lirundage, though,
he ain't."
"I should like to see him," said
"She'll Never Know Me in This Rig."
Miss Antrim. "Perhaps he could tell
me something more about Jim."
"Not him," responded the mate, has
tily. "He didn't know Jim Brundage,
an', anyways," he added as an after
thought, "this here Chester's deaf an'
dumb; can't speak a word."
A look of intense surprise deepened
on his hearer's countenance.
"Deaf and dumb!" she repeated.
"Why, good gracious! how can a deaf
mute be captain of a steamer?"
The mate's face flushed. "It's this
way," he explained. "His uncle's the
main guy of the Sherlock Navigation
Company, an' he gave Chester tiie
job. He ain't much of a sailor, an'
all the work falls on me."
The girl eyed him steadily. "All
the same," she remarked calmly, "I'm
bound to see him, for I've made up
my mind togo to Chicago on the
Arklam."
Mr. Prout uttered a horrified ex
clamation.
"Back on the Arklam!" he repeated.
"What for?"
"To visit Jim's grave," responded
the artless Miss Antrim.
"It's the least I can do under the
circumstances. And it'll be a sort of
consolation to sail on the boat he
used to command, poor fellow."
"Well, Capt. Chester's ashore just
now." declared the mate, desperately.
"That doesn't matter, I'll see him
later," she said, airily. "I'm going
home now to pack my things and get
ready."
Much aghast at this unexpected
turn of fortune's wheel, Mr. Prout
sought the presence of his -chief, who
had prudently remained in seclusion
during Miss Antrim's visit. Capt.
Brundage, resplendent in a false
beard and wig of inky blackness, as
sumed to deceive his lady love's pene
trating optics in case she insisted
upon a personal interview, received
his oflieer's tidings with a violent ex
plosion of highly ornamental pro
lanity.
"You've bungled the whole business,
«oti nigger-headed swab!" he said,
' heatedly. "What the blue blazes are
|we to do now? If that girl ever
\ lands in Chicago and finds out I'm
I alive and have a wife and four kids,
there'll be the devil to pay."
""Tain't my fault," protested the
mate, sullenly. "What business had
you to make love to her? Might
I have known thore'd ue trouble."
| "1 wasn't all to blame, Bill," a*-
serted the captain. "It beats all the
shine so many of these girls take to
me. Can't understand why they
do it."
"Neither can I," agreed the mate,
savagely. "It ain't your beauty, I'll
swear. Mebbe it's the lies you tell
'em. Some women go daffy over a
slack-mouthed liar."
"That's not the point," returned
Brundage, sourly. "There's only
one way to square it. We don't
carry passengers as a rule, and she'll
likely be the only one aboard. What
you've got to do now is pass the word
to the crew to keep their mouths shut,
and I'll keep up this deaf and dumb
racket. She'll never know me in this
rig, 'specially if 1 only show up after
dark."
"And who's to stand your watches?"
demanded the mate. "Think I'm a
blasted horse to be doing the work of
two men? Anyhow, she'll be put
wise when she reaches Chicago."
"Well, it'll give me time to think
the matter over," said Brundage,
hopefully. "You can stand the day
watches and I'll coine on at night."
Mr. Prout entered a vigorous pro
test, but in the end his superior's ar
gument prevailed, and he hastened to
irive the necessary instructions to the
members of the crew. True to her
word, Miss Polly Antrim installed her
self as sole passenger on the Arklam,
and the mate proceeded to map out a
long and difficult course of deception
for what promised to be a memorable
voyage.
Capt. Brundage, in the role of the
silent Chester, passed muster before
the girl's eyes in highly creditable
fashion. She made no sign of recog
nition, and he reflected that the stage
must have lost a shining light through
his failing to perceive that nature had
clearly intended him for an actor. To
Mr. Prout fell the agreeable task of
entertaining the fair passenger, who
exhibited a liveliness of spirit not
wholly in keeping with the sorrow of
a maiden whom death had deprived of
a lover. In fact, the mate, being a
single man in the »-a:!y thirties, found
himself yielding to iiie witchery of
her black eyes, and inwardly congrat
ulated himself upon the happy chance
which had thrown them together.
On the second day Capt. Brundage
saw fit to take the amorous Mr. Prout
aside and expostulate with him on the
too evident partiality he displayed for
Miss Polly's society. The mate lis
tened to his remonstrances and then
indulged in a fine burst of longshore
rhetoric, liberally flavored with harsh
expletives.
"A nice party you are," he con
eluded, "to come givin' me advice.
Wot is it to you if the girl's took a
fancy to me? Heg'lar dog in the man
ger, that's wot you are. Don't want
her yourself an' can't bear to see any
one else get her. For two pins I'd
blow the whole game, an' then
where'd you be?"
"I was speakin' for your good, mil,"
pleaded the crestfallen captain. "You
don't know wot an artful dame
she is."
"An' how about yourself?" queried
the mate. "You're a fine honest
hearted innocent to preach about art
fulness. Anyway the jig 'ill be up
I'
"That Done—"
when we make port an' she goes
huntin' for your grave."
"That's so." agreed Brundage, de
jectedly. "We got to think that over,
Bill."
"Think it over yourself," retorted
the aggrieved Mr. Prout; "but don't
come any nonsense over me, for I
won't stand it."
The Arklam was nearing Chicago
when Capt. Brundage, sitting alone
in his cabin and figuring desperately
on some means of escape from the
net fate had thrown around him,
looked up in surprise as Miss Polly
entered and closed the door behind
her with an emphatic slam. That
done, she sat. down and surveyed her
quondam suitor with malicious eyes.
Brundage stared back with a sickly
smile, wondering inwardly what her
visit might portend. He was not
left long in doubt.
She suddenly stretched forth a slim,
white hand, and tore the black beard
from his face. Then she set her little
foot upon it and spoke with much
unction.
"What an awful silly you are, Jim
Brundage, to think that you could pull
the wool over my eyes."
The captain wagged his head dis
mally.
"All right, Polly," he said, "you've
got me beat. What do you reckon
to do?"
'if I was a man," said the girl,
scornfully, "I'd thrash you well, but I
suppose I must get satisfaction an
other way. What hurts me most
isn't your falseness, but the idea that
you considered me such a fool. I've
found out all about you, and unless
you want your wife to know every
thing, you'll do as 1 say.
"When you passed yourself off as a
single man you showed me your
bankbook and calculated that SSOO
would start us nicely in housekeeping.
Now, when we reach Chicago, Jimmy
dear, you'll go straight to the bank,
draw $250, and hand it over to me.
Then I'll say good-by and you can
thank your stars for getting off so
easily."
The unmasked conspirator swore
bitterly and protested fervently, but
Miss Polly was adamant and he finally
agreed to her terms. His disclosure
to Mr. Prout of the conditions upon
which he had surrendered was re
ceived by that unfeeling seaman with
a hoarse laugh, which was distinctly
aggravating to his commander's trou
bled mind.
The Arklam lay at the Clark street
dock with Miss Antrim seated in the
captain's cabin placidly awaiting his
return from the bank. Beside her
laughed Mr. William Prout, smoking
the pipe of peace. Brundage entered
with a look of intense gloom over
shadowing his countenance, and sig
naled the mate to retire. Miss Polly
waved her hand in dissent.
"Stay where you are," she said, ge
nially. "Count out the money, Jim,
and hurry up."
The mate grinned broadly as his
skipper lugged out the well-knowi>
pocketbook, and, sighing deeply, hand
ed $250 in United States currency to
his female Nemesis. Polly beamed
graciously upon the uncheerful giver.
"That's a good boy, Jim," she said,
sweetly, "and now we'll go ashore
happy. By the way, it may interest
you to know that Mr. Prout and 1
mean to set up housekeeping on the
strength of your kind gift."
The captain's emotion was too deep
for mere words to express. He rose
to his feet, still staring helplessly, as
Miss Antrim, leaning on the arm of
the gratified mate, tripped merrily
along the gang plank to the wharf.
(Copyright, by W. G. Chapman.)
Editor Appointed Director-General.
Gen. James Evelyn Pilcher, editor of
the Military Surgeon, Is the new direc
tor-general of the National Volunteer
Emergency corps. The corps was or
ganized in l!t00, to render aid in time
of national calamity or in the event of
war. The corps is now being re
organized on the lines of the medical
corps of th« United States arm/.
rnnOftk
ff<sf
4>*
Give the little pigs plenty of room
to exercise.
Keep the lambs growing. Don't let
them have a back set.
Shear the tops of early celery and
get the plants out as soon as possible.
An alfalfa field and a bunch of good
rniloh cows puts a farmer on easy
street.
Putin a lot of sweet corn to help
out when the pasturage gets short
along in July and August.
Chilly nights and on days when
there are cold rains house the sheep.
You will be repaid for your trouble.
The day of low-priced eggs seems
gone forever, and the farmer more
than ever finds a source of profit in
his poultry.
There is nothing mean or small
about the American hen. She is do
ing great things for the country, es
pecially the farmer.
Raise the collars on the horses oc
casionally, and wipe away the sweat.
It will prevent chafing and will make
the animals feel more comfortable.
In the feeding of soft and moldy
corn some farmers during the past
winter have found that sulphur and
Glauber salts have prevented any ill
results.
Don't let the taste of the surround
ing get into the butter. Set the cream
and make the butter in a clean, sweet
place away from the odors of the
kitchen.
Know a man by the appearance of
his cows when the first go out to pas
ture. Some men are either too la/.y
or too ignorant to feed and care for
their stock right.
Watch the cow's bag just before
calving. Be sure it does not get in a
caky condition. Better milk her occa
sionally than to run the risk of serious
trouble at the time of calving.
When soil is in the proper physical
condition at the time of planting, the
cultivation of corn Is comparatively
easy, provided the cultivations are
frequent enough to kill the weeds as
soon as they start
The experiment stations are advis
ing as a remedy for gapes in young
chicks the placing of the affected
chicks in a basket over a tub contain
ing a hot brick and some carbolic
acid. The chicks must not inhale the
fumes more than a minute at a time.
Aphis, or plant lice, those tiny,
black, green or red insects, are more
easily killed by using a strong solu
tion of tobacco in water. Or kerosene
emulsion, or whale oil soap solution.
Apply remedy early, when lice first
hatch out and before they are hidden
by the curl of infested leaves.
It is only the stock which are in
creasing in size and weight which ere
producing a profit for their owner.
When a ration is fed which only
keeps the stock from losing ground,
the farmer is losing money. In some
experiments to test the amount of feed
needed to keep a 1,000-pound steer in
condition without making him grow, it
was found that there was required 15
pounds timothy hay, 12 pounds clover
hay and seven pounds corn meal. In
other words, unless more than this
amount of feed was consumed the
steer would not make a growth worth
considering.
Separate the milk as soon aft/rr
milking as possible. If the milking
is done through sterilized cheese
cloth, the cows having been brushed
and wiped off, the milk may be poured
directly into the supply can of the
separator without straining. The
dairyman who depends upon the
strainer to clean the milk rather than
by using cleanly methods of milking
is the one who makes the poorest
butter. Never speed your separator
up too rapidly, but begin slowly and
bring machine up to the required
speed gradually at the same time turn
ing on the milk flow gradually. When
all the milk lias passed from the sup
ply can one quart or so of the skim
milk should be caught and poured
through to flush out the cream that
will remain in the bowl. Unless this
is done some of the butter fat wiH ad
here to the surfaces and a small
amount remain in the center of the
bowl, not being able to get out of the
machine because there is no more
milk flowing into force It through.
Pouring in the skim milk forces it all
out. Warm water may be used for
this purpose, but usually it is not
BO convenient.
Never let the surface of the ground
crust over.
Pure water for the cow If you ward
pure milk from the cow.
Look ftir lice on the little chickens
which do not seem to be thriving.
Sour milk is Rood for the little
chicks. Good for the laying hens also.
Spray the currant, and gooseberry
bushea with white helebore to kill the
worniß.
Feed the lambs a mixture of oats,
wheat bran and oil meal if you want
them to make specially rapid growth.
Sow some rape for the pigs. It can
be drilled in or broadcasted. It win
be ready for pasturing in about five
weeks.
If weeds gets up before the com
run a weeder through the field. 11
will knock the weeds out and wil
bring up the corn faster.
The farmer who tests his seed coin
is the farmer who is saved the dia
appointment of planting a whole fieltf
and not having any of it come up.
It is the pig that grows right from
the start which proves the most profit
able animal to raise. See that condi
tions are right lo produce the best re
sults.
Too much stock <>ii the pa;;tuiO Is i
mistake, it provider insufficient food
for the stock and causes them to graze
it down so close as to permanently in
jure It.
It takes Kenerous feeding tj build
up the muscle cells broken down by
the hard work of the busy season. You
cannot do this by feeding corn to your
horses. Feed oats.
A bull's a bull to some farmers, nc
matter of what breed, or color, or dis
position. But never was greater mf»
take made by a farmer than this. Tb«
bull is more than half of the herd.
The farmer who puts off securing
his seed corn until the last thing anc
then plauts anything he can get ready
quickly deserves no sympathy whec
his cornfields prove a disappointment
There is such a thing as false econ»
omy in feeding. If a third more ex
pense in feeding gives you three times
the profit, you can easily figure out
th" wisdom of generous rations. Fee#
wisely, but not niggaidly.
On the first rainy day now get. the
haying tools in shape. Haying wil?
be upon us almost before wo realize
it. This promises to be a good bay
ing year. Prices may be lower, bat
the larger crops will bring the profits
up to fully what they were last year.
Wet wood is an aggravation, and
there is a temptation to use coal oil
to hurry matters. Rut don't do it.
Many a person has tried it and been*
injured or fatally burned. Hut wiry
wet wood at all? Why not have the
wood supply tinder shelter and so far
ahead that it will have good time t-c
season.
Encysted worms in sheep cannot be
reached by drugs. Treatment must
be preventive. The mature worm*
must be expelled from the bowels by
the administration of a vermifuge,
surface waters must be avoided and
pastures known to be infected shonMS
be pastured by other stock for a jreai
or two.
Theory and then practice. PwV'
some of the new ideas you have
gained fiom reading during the winter
and from the discussions at the farm
ers' institutes you attended to work
for you. There is chance for improve
ment in the methods on almost every
farm. There is on easier or better
way of doing things than has been is*
practice. Get next to the new way*,
save ail the labor you can without
danger of jeopardizing the crop.
A good scoop can be made out of e
quart or two quart tin vegetable can
by melting or cutting off the top and
beginning at this open end, slitting
back to within an inch of the bottom.
On the opposite side of the can make
a similar slit and then cut out th«-
tin between thes*e two slits on oo«
side. Round off the corners at the*
open end. Take a piece of broom han
dle and drive a nail through the bot
tom of the center of the can and into
the center of the broom handle and
there you are. The scoop is complete.
Perhaps not quite as strong as »-
boughten one but very seiviceable.
Systematic rotation of crops will'
prove most effective in overcoming
all corn pests, especially root, peste
such as the root louse atul the dif
ferent corn root worms. The com
plant is the one upon which tbey
thrive best and if it is removed from
the ground for a year or two, it will
effectively exterminate them. If you
have a corn plat that was infested
with any of these insectsv you had
better sow to millet or cowpeas this
year than to attempt another crop o3
corn and expect it to be free from,
pests. The failure of the Illinois sta
tion with oil of lemon on seed com as
a protector from the corn root loose
shows that little is to be expected'
from applying fluids to the seed. So
long as the weather is dry and irfeai'
for the growth of the plant, there was
little trouble and the application
seemed to be effective; but when the
weather was extremely wet —the ideal*
weather for this pest— the oil nfc
lemon was not effective.