Evening Star Newspaper, February 26, 1922, Page 64

° 85 THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. ©C, FEBRUARY 2, 1922—PART 4. Gold Is Where You Find It—An Adventure Sto'f—-By H. Bedford-Jones l_What About a New Calendar which he did not have. Dr. Murray was a second father to many of the college girls, having the quality of acquiring confildences from those who knew him. He gave Randolph a cigar and chatted about certain Chi- nese diseases. ) “By the way,” said Randolph medi- tatively, “I used to know a girl years ago who came over here, I belleve, to take up some college work. Shan- OLD is where you find it, says the timeworn proverb of prospectors. So is luck. S6 is the one woman. Ran- dolps knew because, in his day, he bad found all three. He found the gold, and other men had reaped it. He had found the luck, and under his grip it Invariably turned sour. He had found the one woman—a slim, gold-crowned girl with pure eyes, who had looked oncé [ROD. her name was, Elsle Shan- into his soul and had turned away POR—— from shim, shivering. ‘What's that?" Murray bounced out of his chair with eager interest. “Why, my dear chap, she's one of my girls—has been for years! You know her?” “I used to,” Randolph lowered his 1lds to hide the flame in his eyes. “Is she here now?" “Will be next week. Why, Elsle is the lovellest girl that ever lived— one of the finest! She has charge of the women’s dormitory building, you know; a perfect mother to all the girls, yet she’s only a girl herself— a slender, sweet flower, brimful of loveliness. Are you to be in town long?" “Don’t know yet," sald Randolph. 'm doing some research work, you know—' “Yes, I'd heard.” Randolph walked down to the river. There he got his canoe and paddled hard and furiously. Murray's words were burning in him, awakening all Randolph tramped down the world, @loge, unloving and unloved. He went from bad to worse, thieving, drinking, lusting and lending himself te any crime or vice for the means of support. Out on the borders of China, where the dregs of the world foregather, he became one of the white harples who prey upon white and yellow and brown alike, and he learned terrible thing: In Shanghai he neared the end, serving here as tout for a Chinese gambling house and smuggling oplum out of the Japanese quarter to his master In the native city. But Randolph went even z step lower than this when he murdered his mas. ter one night, got away uncaught, and took passage for home with a big suit case crammed full of gold and banknotes. He never read the ‘papers, and he slunk away from every one else on the ship; thus he knew nothing of war or the draft until the custom’s men in San Francisco demanded his draft card. * % kX ANDOLPH tried to lie. and fell into hot water that grew hotter all the time. So he threw up the sponge, and after depositing his blood-stained money in a local bank let himself be inducted into the army. The army unanimously agreed that he was one of the worst men ever whelped, and instead of being sent to France he was shipped down to the Mexican border. There Randolph kept company with three hundrede other men, lost in a desert camp on the brink of perdi- tion, during month after month of nothing but blue sky and white des- ert, until he was whipped into a lean hardness of body and mind. Much of the evil was blown out of him by the desert winds and bleached out of him by the blazing sunlight, and shamed out of hin by the lean brown strength of the men around him. Much of the crafty sin of Asia was wiped from his eyes; but it festered ‘within him like a maggot. Thus, Randolph became much like the man he had been three years pre- viously. Put & man in a monastery, give him no chance whatever to sin: or set him on a pillar In the desert, and you have a saint in the making; this is the theory on which peniten- tiaries stand. Like all theories, it s very fine, but in practice it works out only about once in ten thousand eases. RANDOLPH WENT ONE DA the quiescent fever that lay fin his soul. Not until dark did he come home again, the fever burned out. She would be here in a week! * X X *x TPON the following day a chance remark of his friend the librarian decided him that he had better get busy. He engaged a typist and be- low skin and large spectacles; Ran-|so he had chosen evil, careless dolph started slightly, realizing he was & Chinese student. “Mr. Randolph, I'd like to intro- duce Mr. Li Huan of Shanghai. You were speaking to me about your typist difficulties, and in case you need a. good man, I can recommend Mr. Li absolutely Randolph shook hands. Li Huan was very polite; he seemed to be a qulet, efficient sort of chap, and his English was of the clearcut, excel- lent smoothness that educated for- elgners so often acquire. “Not a half-bad idea” sald Ran- dolph. “My present typist is poor on spelling, and I'm rather weak on Chi- nese words. If you care to come and see me—"" up his own way of escape; careless of the sin that he was scheming; careless of everything except the burning flume that had devoured his vitals these years past, torturing him anew after each period of dormant slumbering. He would possess her, at whatever cost! Each little detall ready, bulwarked. The dinner in- vitation—her acceptance of that i would depend upon the briefness of that first meeting, and what she heard about him; upon his position here, upon the balt of curiosity to see how he had made a man of himself! So he built his foundations carefully, ‘was planned, “Another thing,” went on the li-|5teP by step, neglecting nothing brarian. “Mr. Li is very keenly in-|&tall terested In regenerating his country, . like many educated Chinese of today, and T think 'that he might be able to| glve you some additional information ' on the sort of stuft you're writing' about. It would fall right in his line.” to run it. Once he drove over to the city, only an hour's drive away from the collegiate town, and there he carefully scanned, with the eye | of a somewhat scornful connolsseur, the places where they could dine. He made arrangements for every: thing in his mind, planning each moment of that drive; planaing what he would say,and do; planning each detail of the event, He had the Ran- | little drug that he would put into her That evening Randolph had the Chinaman for a caller. Li Huan proved to be a merry soul, but earn- est withal. When he had glanced over a few pages of Randolph's much- touted “work,” he glanced up in sur- prise. “This is extraordinary, Mr. Y TO THE REGISTRAR AND MADE DIRECT INQUIRIES, dolph!” he said. “I had hoped some day to write such a book, exposing fully the ways In which the foreign settlements hnd foreigners generally treat and exploit the vices and weak- nesses of my countrymen, but I could never hope to accomplish such a thing as you have here produced! I coffee, and knew just how every de- tail would be worked. There was nothing to do. but to awalit her coming. Meantime he worked with LI Huan, and the book drew rapldly together —almost too rapidly, thought Ran- dolph, seeing that it would be com- of what came afterward, yet bullding bought a roadster and learned; ed something to calm him. like.” Thank heaven this would be the last bit of work with that confounded China boy in the room, silently efl- clent, a dynamo throttled down and muffled completely beneath yellow velvet! Murray was a dynamo, too —the word made him think of the doctor, somewhat uneasily. He must take precautions there; Dr. Murray was a queer little man, brimful of violent impulse and red-headed. Presently LI Huan set the tray on the table, the cups brimming with Bgolden liquid brewed from the finest buds, orange-scented; beside the cups & plate of the sweetish cakes of rice- flour. Randolph took his cup in his la) Li Huan swung about his typist’ chair and faced him. “An odd tang to this tea!" sald Randoiph, smacking his lips over the slightly astringent fluid. He took one [of the cakes and dipped it into.the tea, .eating it. “Is this & new ship- ment from your family, LI Huan?" “No, Mr. Randolph, this {s some old tea that I had on hand.” Li Huan took off his spectacles and burnished |zhem with his handkerchief, leaving his tea untasted. “I ran out of my “If you last lot, unfortunately. This is some very fine old tea that I was keeping out of sentiment; it is some that my father had and used only on very important occasion “So? I appreciate the honor,” said Randolph, and swallowed the tea hur- riedly. He could hardly pretend that he liked it, but forced himself to courtesy. “You mever told me much about yourself, Li Huan. What w your father's business?” Li Huan smiled, apologetically. Randolph felt a queer sensdtion, though that tea had not agreed with him. My father, said the young Chinaman, blandly, “cherished this tea the choicest of his posses- sions. You see, I am not ashamed -—in China it is quite honorable to gamble, as you know; that chapter you wrote on gambling houses was & masterpiece! Well, my father kept a gambling house in Hutsen, the na- tive clty of Shanghal Some years ago he was basely murdered by an American rufian whom he had be- friended.” Randolph tried to leap out of his chair, but found himself perfectly helpless to move. As through « mist he saw the features of Li Huar blinking at him, and now they wore a new and terrible expression. “You see, Mr. Randolph, I knew who that American was! This tea has peculiar properties; tomorzow they will find that you died from heart failure. It was a tea that my father cherished very highly. 1 waited until now to give it to you in order that the book might be fin- Following these things, and was in hospital for a month, where he remained later as orderly. Then, when tian. gotten. came liked. matched his in a smile; lips keen, 0Oddly enough, in eyes. In all his life she had been the one flaming desire, the one un- quenched passion, qulescent for long jntervals, but certain sooner or later to awaken and torture him anew. After the armistice, foreseeing dis- eharge, Randolph drew on his bank account in San Francisco and kept the draft on his person. Those army men who knew his record—what there was to know of it—said that here was a man reborn, made anew, turned from a scoundrel into a credit, and all by means of the draft and the army. The chaplain who had at- tended him in hospital said that here was & man drawn to the Lord, who had seen the error of his ways and had found salvation, and ali by means of lying sick urto death. * % k¥ RA.\'DOLPH himself said nothing at all. but took his honorable discharge, bought himself the habili- ments of civilian life, and, with the calm, pure eyes of a girl burning into his soul, disappeared. A great university town (is. in many ways, a Dlace of parddoxes. It has its little ironbound cliques, ve} is open to all the world. "It Is, usually, a sleepy little place, yet more au courant with the world than most citles. Its entire attention is aptly riveted upon collegiate life and activities—upon that little cosmos of undergraduate life which gives the town its raison d'etre. In such a-town a man may hide himself admirably from the world or he may expose himself to all the world, according to his desire. Randolph, well aware that in all this town there was not one person who knew him, came using his own name, deposited a large sum of money in the bank and rented a furnished room. It was late summer; within a short while the college Aactivities would spring into full being. Seeming to know his way around, Randolph walked down the hill past the railroad station to the river and rénted a cance at the boathouse. There, morning after morning, he paddled up the widening reaches of the stream, past the stone quarries and the bridge, as far as the nar- rows; and then floated down again, drifting in mind and body. It was his first vacation in a long while, and he set himself to enjoy it thor- oughly. Later, he went over to the col- Jege library, introduced himself to the librarian. and asked help in pre- paring a work upon China. He proved to have a surprising knowl- edge of China, and was urged to make himself at home in the library, which he did. The librarian was so impressed that he gave Randolph a eard to the University Club—a club composed of professors, mainly, oc- cupying the basement of one of the buildings. There Randolph met gen- tlemen with whom he moved on an even footing. This was not hard; a university and fraternity man him- self, in the fled, lost days of youth, he had little there of which to be sshamed. It later that his rec- ord drew blank. After this Randolph visited one of the professors in the medical school —a redthaired Scotchman, a dynamic dittle man of vast repute and skill— and was treated for stomach trouble - Randolph contracted influenza and penumonia the epidemic became general, he was of so much use that he was transferred to New Orleans. He was a valuable man, more valu- able by reason of having an educa- His bad reputation was for- A qulet, slender man with reddish hair, regular features, and & pair of steady blue eyes, he be- Only his eyes never they were unsmiling, those eyes, and very these days his thoughts turned much toward the slim, gold-crowned girl with pure gan to dictate what he knew about China and its worst aspects; he was not engaged with the Iniquities of the Chinese, but rather of the for- eign settlements. Randolph under- took the work in an ironical mood, merely to have something to show in case he were called upon to show any- thing. He knew his subject—knew it down to the ground: he could cry “Magna pars fui!” with all He knew it so thoroughly that after two days his typist decided that this was no work for a lady and threw up her job. Randolph only laughed, engaged a student typist of the male sex, and let himself go the limlt on his dictation. He found himself en- joying it, in a grim way, and it certain that his typist was kept in- terested. Randolph took some of his com- pleted work to the librarian, who delved into it with a flerce avidity and directed him to a certain pro- fessor of English, the author of many text books on writing and construc- tion. who himself had never been able to write an acceptable story. The professor of English was keenly in- trigued by Randolph's pages, called them utterly hopeless as a manu- | script, vet gave him directions as to {publishers. All this was thoroughly ‘en)’uyuhlp to Randolph, who chuckled 1 1 many and many a time over the game | he was playing with these gentry of the college world. One afternoon he was engaged in a rubber of bridge at the club, and | Dr. Murray cut-in. Randolph casually { mentioned Elsie Shannon. She's not here vet, I understand,” said one of the other men. “No, said Murray, with a keen glance which, despite its kindliness, suddenly alarmed Randolph. ‘No. Her mother is very ill, and she has been given leave of absence for & little while. Do you know, that girl always reminds me of a bit of old French verse by Felix Arvers—"" “Ah!" said the professor of French, who was dealing. “True, true! ‘Pour | elle, quolque Dieu I'ait faite douce et | tendre'—'so pure, so quiet and aus- tere'—well said, Murray, well said! An angel, that girl, if ever ope lived! But did you ever notice, gentle men. that in all the sacfed writings we invariably hear of the angels as beings of the male sex? There's a queer thing for you to ponder, Mr. Randolph! Put it in a book some time. “Thanks; “perhaps I shall” said Randolph, glancing at his hand from { beneath lowered lids. “You pass? Two hearts.” “Another 0dd thing,” observed Mur- iray during the next deal, “is that it |is just such a woman as Miss Shan- | non who seems to attract the mo | brutal and debased men in the world. Youre not a fictionist, Randolph? Well, it's often struck me that there the fictionists hit the nail of human nature squarely on the head. The at- { tractlon of opposites, I pfesume.” “All nonsense!” said the professor of French, ruffling up his spade beard and watching Randolph deal. “A | girl like Miss Shannon can’t be fooled. That type, my friends, look through to the spirit of a man. Externals do not matter.” Randolph wondered that the cards did not tremble in his hands. He was thinking of the day, well over the years, when Elsie Shannon had looked into his soul and turned away shivering. *xx % E day Randolph was talking to ir the librarian, who suddenly broke off and glanced from the door of his office. “Wait & minute, Randolph, there's a chap here you ought to meet! Per- haps you can make him useful, too. He was here last year and has re- turned to finish his course; a very bright young fellow, indeed—"" The librarian darted out and pres- ently returned. Accompanying him was 2 smiling young man with yel- truth. | would be extremely glad to help on it; T would count it privilege!” Randolph swore to himself. He had no desire whatever to be pushed into writing any real book, and he fere- saw future complication. None the less. he realized that his position would be firmly established in -this community if he seized the chance thus offered to him. He engaged Li Huan. The amazing earnestness of this young man gave him much cynical amusement. Li Huan, who was ad- mittedly working his way through college ard needed money, worked night and day on typing over and again what the others had done: he put the manuscript into excellent shape, added much, changed much, until Randolph as astonished at his own work when he read over the pages. As he had nothing better to occupy his time, he threw himself into the work with Li Huan. It served ‘to keep down the flame ham- mering at his pulses whenever he thought of Elsie Shannon. * ok k * TILL she did not come to town. A little afraid of Murray, Ran- dolph went on day to the registrar and made direct inquiries. He found that Elsie Shannon’s mother was very ill, and that Elsie might not be here for another month: but she would come ultimately. So Randolph went home again, flinging himself into work in order to keep down the burning desire that gripped him whenever he spoke of her, heard of her, dared to think of her! He was in no hurry for her to come. Every week that she delayved established him here more securely. It was upon this firm establishment that he must depend for everything. He meant that she should hear much of him be- fore he saw her; she must be looking forward a little to seeing him, to seeing the young wastrel she had | Chinese cal ished. 1 expect great things of that | book! Almo, it was kind of you to | glve 1t to me and sign the letter, for | that removed one of my chief prob- | tema. I “T hope, Mr. Randoiph.” pursued | the bland voice, now blurred to the pleted in a short while now. After all, there was only 8o much that he coui! put into it. Li Huan helped him grandly, prov- ing to have a pretty good acquaint- ance hims:1f with the evils that af- flicted his people in the treaty ports. Often they worked late into the ears of Randolph, “that the book will pay me well. It must, because that will be justice—you took my father's money, you know, and this Wwill be an excellent way of repay- ing me.” Randolph: tried to hear more, tried frantically and horribly, but he could not. - * % ok ¥ ]DOCTOR MURRAY and the univer- sity librarian were alone in their easy chairs in ome corner of the club. -They were old oronies, these two. “You remember Randolph?’ sald the librarian. “It's a most remark- able thing, the way that book of his has been selling! As an expose it's { been marvelous; but the book itself \has a very queer flavor to ft—an ironfo tang all through the thing.” The doctor nodded. “Yes; its | success has been phenomenal Ran- ! dolph led a rather hard life out there }in China, I belleve—got a good deal of his information at first hand.” “l didn't know that” eaid the librarian, reflectively. “At any rate, Li Huan has been enriched through Randolph's glving him the manu- ccript. Must have been about the last thing poor Randolph did. too! That chap must have had a big heart; | many taciturn men are like that. 1 suppose he knew that he'd go out suddenly some day. “It was a tragedy,” said Dr. Mur- ray. “A tragedy In more ways than one. His death gave me a pretty stift jolt, I can tell you!” “You?' repeated the librarian. ¢idn’t know you were such friends— “Oh, not on his account primaril. £ald the doctor. “You remember El- sfe Shannon, how she gave up her work here altogether and has gone home to take care of her mother?” The librarian’s browns lifted. “En?” “You don't mean to say there was any connection?” “There was,” gtated Murray, gruffly. “Damn It! Tve never been 8o brok- en up in my life. You see, she had known Randolph some years pre- viously; he was a bit wild then, I fancy, from what she's told me. The [girl loved him, but could not accept his wildness, and he went away. “Well, Randolph turned up here after making a man of himself, in order to meet her again. Elsle had given me some idea of the story. Al- most the first time 1 met Randolph, I realized that he was the man she had always loved. You see, Elsie had always had a strange faith in him, had always belleved that he'd turn out right and come back a real man, just as he did. 1 =aw her the night after she came to town; had a long talk with her about Randolph, and man, man, you never saw the mystery of womanhood as I saw it |cates to support the need for a sub- It was the [stitution of the present time calendar in her eyes that night! next day we heard of his death.” ‘“Then—they never saw other?” queried the librarian, softly. Murray shook his head. ‘He died at the very threshold,” he said. “At the very threshold! (Copyright, 1 night, Li Huan brewing over a spirit lamp rich orange-blossom tea that was sent to him by his family in Shanghai, and serving little sweet kes that came to him by Plots and Counter Plots. | | parcel post. And at last Randolph had word that she was coming. “It is done, Mr. Randolph,” said LI Huan, taking the final page from the typewriter. Randolph lay back in his chair and chewed his cigar, looking at the sheat of pages that Li Huan was jostling together into a solid ma: “Finis"” had been typed; the manuscript was (Continued from First Page.) ing down and awaiting whatever punishment that might be meted out to he It was an unbreakable rule that matters of a milltary nature should not be discussed in public places, which brings to mind a rather amu ing incident which happened to Maj. Z——, one of the Army's skilled phy- finished. i sicians, who, meeting a Red Cross In good time, too, thought Ran-|nurse in Paris, was invited to dine| dolph. On the previous day Elsie| with the young woman and a lrlend' Shannon had arrived to take up her work. On the following afternoon he was going to see her for the first time, going to pay the first brief visit. The following day was Satur- day; things fitted in well; at last the gods—or the devils—were working on his side! “Wrap it up, Li Huan." said Ran- dolph. “Send it to the publisher we agreed upon.” What a joke that book was, he re- flected! He was glad to have the of hers. When the time arrived for the dinner the other male member of the party was called away, so it fell | upon the major to be host to his charming compatriot. During the! course of the meal the young woman, in an apparently innocent manner, asked one or two questions that were rather leading, and the major skill- fully parried. The questioning oc- curred a second and third time, until the major, usudlly the soul of gal- lantry, quite sharply informed the cursed thing done with, and L1 Huan young woman that regulations pro- out of the way for a time. Already|ppited the discussion of such mat- his pulses were hammering at the|iers After escorting the young very thought of Elsie Shannon being | woman to her hotel and bidding her here in town. He forced himself Into | good night, the major walked many a grim control. The sight of Li Huan | o0k along the Rue Rivoli, ponder- wrapping up the completed manu-| o Creiner the young woman had script amused him; the Jittle Yellow | jua¢ peen foolish or—well, he did not man was 8o dreadfully serious, 80|y;,y what. His course of duty was monumentally in earnest about it alll| \o ' 4ng he put the G-2 people D wopackled suddenly and | wyige” to the conversation. After the 3 % armistice he found that the young known in other davs, ywho had now made of himself a man of mark! Once he saw her, he must act quickly, swiftly, put his well concelved plan into operation without the least de- lay. He must see her one day, and on the following day—act! He dared take no chances on himself, on the quivering passion that might unmask him if he waited; he dared take no chances on Elsle Shannon piercing once again to his ver soul with her calm, pure gaze! Ske would do it, he knew well, if she had the opportunity. He resolved to give her none. One day a brief meeting, very brief, and the appoint- ment for the day following. He must arrange this for a Saturday and Sun-, pondence is to be handled by you.” day, of course. He trembled at the thought of how brief that first meet- ing must be! In the interim she would hear much of him, he knew; she would look forward to the talk with him, to the little dinner. That much she would not refuse, because of old times, and because she would have heard that he was liked and respected here. She would be curious —that would be bait! Randolph had not the least com- punction in the world over what he meant to do. He had laid himself bare, dissected’ himself, calmly and coolly during those long desert months down on the Mexican border, and afterward. He knew that he had been made Into a lean, powerful in- struvment, and he had chosen deliber- ately between good and evil. He might have chosen good had he thought there was the least pos- sibility that Elsie Shannon would ever care for him. But he knew bet- ter. He knew what a slender, pure flower she was, and how she could read into his soul with those calm ey He knew that she'could never 1gve him—that his past would be like a frightful thing to her, blasting him even from the pale of friendship. Ana . “Teil you what Tll do, Li Huan," > D woman was connected with G-2 and e sald, chuckling again as the other | ),y poen testing him. The major is link ; :l,l:::flx::“":':,mfi :h;f’o“rf(:: "“:::': at present on duty in Washington. dog on this book, and 1 don't need the | SPecal credit should be given to the money—in fact, 1 dom't think ivn)intelligence officers of both the bring much, to be frank. Il make|French and American armies for one you a present of it.” plece of extremely daring work that Li Huan stared at him a long |they carried on during the war. There moment, a puzzled frown creasing his | Weré numerous allied spies in German yellow face. territory at different intervals during “A present!” he said slowly. the war, and it was necessary to have do you mean, Mr. Randolph?” these men return from time to time “Why, anything it brings goes -to |In order that they might make a ver- you!” Randolph laughed, not striving |batim report to the officers directly %o hide his amusement over the whole | 8ndling such matters, so French and business. “Send the publishers a let- | American aviators at night flew Into ter saying that I've given you the |German territory and landed wilhnutl manuscript, and all future corre. |lEDtS In open flelds, where they pick- ed up the sples and returned with them to France, taking them back the next night. It required not.only the helght of courage, but also a flying ability of the highest’ oxder. * K K K (6] “How “That—that is most generous of you, Mr. Randolph!” Li Huan gaged at him, then slowly shook his head. 1 have inquired how these things are done, sir, and what you suggest would hardly do. The manuscript bears your name, you know; that is only just N the brow of the hill just beyond the town of St. Mihiel the Ger- and fair—" - = 5 sy po, | maNS had placed dummy cannon and all noyes,” assented Randolph. “That's | taice machine guns In order to deceive “Then, sir, the publishers would |PSSTVers. Their ruse was ot suc cessful, as a G-2 man brought back a plan showing the location of the enemy guns, describing which were real and which were bits of faked have to know from you that I had the right to handle the manuscript,” said the yellow man earnestly. SALrighty | Randolphs) leushed. | vy gr | “T'ype off & 1.1:9.-‘".: 1‘ 11 sign 1" G-2 had for some time suspicioned that a certain cafe was the ren- dezvous for certain individuals who were furnishing the German intelli- gence system with information. A £00d fortune would linger. Randolph |YOURS American officer was detalled chewed his cigar, his thoughts going | °® the cage, and he became an al- to Elsle Shannon, excitement fevering | most nightly visitor to the cafe, con- him until he swore to himself and got | suming many bottles of champagne a grip on his senses. - and eating big dinners. His talk was Li Huan handed him the typed sheet, | rather loose and unguarded, and one and he scrawled his signature across|evening, while declaiming upon the prowess of the United States, he sud- THE typewriter began to bang once more, huryiedly and frantically, as though Li Huan doubted that his it. 3 “Shall T get the tea and cake now, |denly appearsd to grow faint ind ex- sir?” cused himself to bathe his head, leav-| Randolph nodded, thinking he need- ing bis musette bag ea the bgach ea | resulted three divisions to the place named in jsult from the international adoption which he had been sitting. Shortly after cooling his fevered brow he re- turned, but still complaining of a se- vere headache, he left at an unusually early hour, going direct to the small hotel, or pension, where he was quar- tered. : About 9 o'clock the next morning he dashed madly into the cafe and asked the proprietor if any one had picked up some papers belonging to him, which must have dropped out of his bag when he was in there the evening before. The owner of the cafe assured him that no papers had been found. The young officer ex- plained that they were only personal papers and a few Army orders, which, while they did not amount to much, might get him into troudle if he could not produce them. The young man appeared agitated. The papers stolen from his bag told of a troop movement that was to be made within the next week to a sec- tor which heretofore had been a very quiet one. The loss of these papers in the Germans sending the missing documents, thus weaken- ing their force at a point which was to be attacked in a few days. It was a G-2 plot, carefully prepared and skillfully executed. The incidents aescribed are but a| very few that occurred both in this| country and in France, The work of the intelligence division of the Army extended to many countries, and no greater praise can be bestowed than the words uttered by a captured Ger- man officer, who said: “We have! worked for years on our intelligence system. You had none when you came into the war; your work has| been wonderful and 1 am frank tol say that the activities of your or—! ganization have caused us great an- noyance.” The Art of Lighting. A'L‘ a meeting of an engineering! soclety one expert expressed the | opinion that the iHuminating engineer can treat a cathedral very much as a pahiter does, by emphasizing the lights and shadows. He has confidence In the results to be obtained by a solu- tion of the problem of luminous paint. He described a concert hall ceiling, 125 feet square, which has been illuminat- ed with a great varlety of electric lights, modified by screens; so as to produce the effect of a vast, glowing, but harmonlously .colored, oriental rug. He believes that in time there will be used twisted luminous tubes, and that means will be found better to make the atmosphere of a large room glow without the slightest visi- ble means of illumination. Facts for Marksmen. SERIES of experiments made in France on the vibrations set up in gun barrels by the effects of firing indicates another allowance that the expert marksman should make for the individual pecullarities of hisrifle. The shock of firing sets, the particles of the gun barrel osciilating in elliptic curves, producing deflections of the | barrel. The periods of vibration in different rifles vary Dbetween one twenty-fifth and one fle-hundredth of & second, and the experiments indicate that a small-bore gun is to be pre- ferred to one of large caliber, because | gtc. Dates for national holidays, fes- the bullet can Teave its muzxie before the deflection of the be- - oonsiderable, each [ months of twenty-eight days each. ? Bank drafts, trade bills, wages and adjustments are complicated, by weekly wages being diffcrently split Moses B. Cotsworth of Vancouver, B. C., Now » ; up by the parts of weeks ending on 3 2 lone £nd begining the next month, in Washington, Tells 7 i b e i, win™ nine months spread into fifth weeks and three into sixth weeks. ve Saturda ¢h were in Jan- of the Plan for New| Method of Keeping| {uary, April, July, Gctober and De- Track of Days, Weeks, | cember, 1521, when housckeepers are forced to Luy a fifth week's meats, Months and Years.|groceries etc. out of equal monthly incomes. Many thus trend into debt, The New Month of or seex to sub’ from husiands who ! also are founa shorter of cash when *Sol"—Steps 1n Cal-|1onger months end. These shortages result in family and other troubl thus caused by unequal montns. * % ¥ * ¢(~ONVERSELY, when storekeep~ ers find five Saturdays in a month, their inflated incomes encour- age overbuying, causing worries next month, when less sales on four Saturdays fail to provide sufficient money to pay for the longer month's purchases, thereby trending retallers L endar Reform. AN you tell what a month Is? Our months vary from 2§ t0 31 days—11 per cent differ- ence. Yet the same monthly salarles and rents are Inequitably paid. Monthly business charges for maintenance, depreciation, etc., are in| that crude way unfairly proportion- ed; camouflaging monthly profits asand others into debt and recurring though each month was productively | troubles. one-twelfth of the year—a fallacy ré-1 “The inequalities in halves and quarters of years are confusing and develop unjust differences in business. Moon wandering Easters drift those and other festival dates erratically, forcing school, college and legisla- futed by March of this year, which has 14 per cent more earning power than February, which is only one- thirteenth of the year. These are but a few of the argu- mnts of proponents of a plan of | tive periods to incquitable lengths, calendar reform. Numerous other |causing much inconvenience and reasons are presented by its advo-jloss.” Mr. Cotsworth’s plan proposes to re- place the dual names “calendar” and ‘almanac” by the nume “yearal” The earal” is designed to abolish all caiendar-caused inequalities. It is pointed out by Mr. Cotsworth that every nation now calendars its days through the year by weeks of seven days. The days, however, were not so grouped when the world's many different calendars of clumsy months were crudely imposed upon our remo icestors about 2,000 years ago. “We cannot alter the lengths of s, week or yvears” he declares. *“But il can be twenty- eight days u: 1914, when the cks quartered February best id soctal con- at ideal month of Febru- ary, my model for the n " of thirteen months. “Sol” for the ad 1 month by Mr. worth. he said, can be serted between June and July, easily as “leap day | February ana March, 19 in- as was put between as Febru- This proposcd month, with the twelve existing months, will equal- COTSWORTH. 1y aivide and complete the “yearal.” |according to his plan, which has been unanimously indorsed by T the Royal Society and the govern- by. dividing the year into thirteen|p.pt of Cunada, and was Indorsed : {:\s decidedly the best by the Ameri- e an convention just closed at Wash- THE Liberty Calendar Association ! ington, D. C. W Year day™ (with- of America, which recently held | out any week day name) is prefixed a convention in Washington, is Sup-{as an extra whole Saturday holiduy porting the liberty calendar bill, in-| preceding January 1, and included troduced in the House by Representa- | in that month as Jajuary “0." tive Schall of Minnesota. This bill. "That will absorb the ¢dd weck which would put the new time sched- | day now forcing all day names to ule into effect in 1928, is advocated | change throughout the 365 dates in by the association as affording &((he year. “Leap dav.,” under this standard time schedule every vyear | plan, will prechde July 1 as a sum- which would Gefinitely fix for all time | mer he . hout a week day the dates of every day of the week by { name, the uniform 2§-day month division| Those MOSSES B. a ) two and thus dispense with the necd of{to fix each of the seven w changes are designed k day names permanently to their ffty-two recurring yearly dates. Then the me day of the weck will always cycle to its four fised dates every month, that the passing day of the w will denote its current monthly date. TThe third but less essential change proposed is to abolish moon-wander- vearly calendars and end the incon- | venience of havicg to refer to these to establish the coincidence of days and dates. In 365-day vears the odd day maining would be disposed of “New Year day.” the first of the vear to be given no other designation and retained as a legal holiday. In year" the additional one day lap| 0 asters, by int ationally fix- would be disposed of by creating a | ing Easter its most convenient *“Leap Year day” between the months | date, leaving each nation free to of June and July, as a legal holida; x its own national holidays and The extra month on the calendar | festivals would be called “Sol.” | TEvery citizen in every nation” The proposed calendar would begin | said Mr. worth, “will benefit the week with Sunday as now. Thus|every day by the congress of nations 1928 was selected for installing it be- | adopting the ral’; that will cause it then begins with the week. | thence operate to their mutual ad- The same dates for every month then | vantage and be as casily used as would be fixed for each day of the which was so bene- week until the end of time, An esti established by the interna- mated saving of $25,000,000 a year | tional conferen in Washington now expended on calendars would re- | about forty ar —_— of the calendar bill. Radium and the Air. There are several other plans for a calendar reform which have been' \]®N Eiven to the study of radio- proposed in European countries. A acti st th elec- bill has been introduced in the Brit- | !Ti¢ conductivity of the atmosphere ish parliament providing for e 1y, if not entirely, due to the adoption of the Swiss plan. which m - the also sets aside a New Year dayv and pport of this idea divides the remaining 364 days into - mention the fact that in closed four quarters of ninety-one days Nars and deep holes and wells the each—each quarter to have one 1 r is somctimes month of thirty-one days and two as that of the months of thirty da normal air. RLaE Another suggestive fact is that on + days of low barometer, when the REE Mberly calendaripian £ how. ller pressure of the atmosph ever, is s to be more popular | favors the escape of emanations from in the United States. The Swiss plan | fissures in the ground, the conductiv- is popular in Europe, due probubiy to the fact that it was first proposed 1t is thought omena ity of the air increase that the startling electr! there and is better understood than | 2ccu: :"“L'lu“";: i ""',"f""“" the American iberty” calendar ompanying the escape of tiie plan. nic za: ud vapor: Moses B. Cotsworth of Vancouver, British Columbia, secretary-treasurer of the International Fixed Calendar League, is probably the originator of the calendar reform movement. He attended the recent convention here of the Liberty Calendar Association of America and outlined his plan for a thirteen-month year, which was unanimously adopted, although the Liberty Calendar Association had called the convention. “We earn and pay by the month.” said Mr. Cotsworth, “but have not an equal monthly measure—except for prisoners jailed to serve equal months of thirty days. Thes are the only class who know what a month really is.” “All calendar periods of earning and spending should be equal,” according to Mr. Cotsworth, “to help regular employment, circulate money, sta- bilize business and prosper home life for the daily benefit of all persons. “we are forced to look for cal- endars to trace how many wecks intervene between dates, and lo- cate the week-day names begin- ning, ending and dated differently through months. Periodical business and soclal meetings held on the se- lected week days have to be de scribed as the first and third Wed-, nesday, Friday nearest the twentieth, Sulphur in the Soil. JEXPERIMENTS made in this coun- < try are regarded as proving the genera]ly prevailing theory that sul- phur in the soil is of little value for promoting fertility, as compared with phosphorus and nitrogen, is er- ronevus and that sulphur is, in fact, of vast importance. Continuous cul- tivation, together with insufficient fertilization, causes a large annual loss of sulphur, which cannot be compensated from the atmosphere, and little is brought up by capillarity from the subsofl. The experimenters therefore, recommend the appli tion of fertilizers containipg sulphur to lands frequently croj The itherto to recog the iue of sulphur in k to faulty analytie methods employed by early investi- gators. nize e NY one who is in doubt as to An- drew Jackson's native state should read the Congressional Rec- ord: Rev. Ste enson (democrat. South Carolina)—"1 am a good deal of an Andrew Jackson democrat He was born in my district and raised there.” born in Represental he was born am South Carclina, and he left his punchbowl, which I thin tivals, etc., falling on Sundays have |y, Volstead is going to get, to his to-be postponed by proclamations. ! native state of South Carolina.’*™