Jasper Weekly Courier, Volume 57, Number 39, Jasper, Dubois County, 2 July 1915 — Page 2

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I JimKindleton's Prisoner a: 1 55 . By STELLA AVERY 8 i r The house telephone at Jim Kindleton's bedside tinkled gently. Jim, who had arrived at midnight and who was not yet asleep, yawned and picked up the receiver. His Aunt Maria's voice came hoarsely from her room on the floor below: 'Wim, there are burglars in the house! Someone has taken my emerald necklace!" "Are you sure, Aunt Maria?" I heard the knob of my door turn and. I thought of the emeralds and they are not under the mattress. I was doubtful about that new maid that Binks sent down yesterday. I mistrusted her gray eyes and strawcolored hair. She may be leaving the- house this instant, Jim!" in agonized tone. "Coming!" whispered Jim cautiously and, throwing on a few garments, he wrapped a dressing gown about his spare form, stuffed a revolver into hia pocket and quietly stepped out into the darkened corridor. His slippered feet made no sound on the carpet, but from somewhere below came a in u filed sound like a light step on a thickly padded surface. Some one was coming upstairs. Perhaps the guilty maidservant, to hide her ill-gotten gains in her room in the attic above the third floor, where- Aunt Maria's relatives were usually housed' on their rare visits to that irascible old lady. Jim, smiled confidently. Poor little criminal maid! He crouched at the liiad ;of the Etairs, started a little when he made out a shadowy form rising out of the gloom of the staircase waited until she turned the corner at the newel post and then deftly dapped his handkerchief over her lips "Don't scream," he said quietly. 'Just hand over the emeralds!" His ieft hand supported her and the trembling of her slender form thrilled Mm. Trn not going to hurt you." he reassured her. "Just give me the emeralds." Something cold and hard was pressed into his right hands and, looking She Sat Down Weakly in the Nearest Chair. down, he saw the vague sparkle ot jewels. The necklace was heavy and be dropped it in the pocket of his dressing gown. Now what was ho to do with his Shrinking prisoner? Turn her over to Aunt Maria's tender mercies? No, be would give her a chance to get away. Half way down the corridor was a huge wardrobe in which Aunt Maria 'kept some extra cloaks and wraps. Firi Pindlclon know about Ulis wardT robe and now he led his prisoner to it sliU holding the handkerchief to her Hps. "Will you promise not to scream if E take my hand away?" he whispered. "T promise!" she murmured. CHa hand came away and she sat down vfeakly in the nearest chair. TU get you a cloak and you can leave- at once. My advice- is to get as far away from hero as possible -ill, who ts that?" A light flickered in the hall below. "Get in here!" hissed Jim, and he bundled Che girl into tho wardrobe and turned the key. Ilo walked toward tho stairway and met Aunt Macht coming up, candle in hand, her fclack eyes snapping dangerously. "Snail!" she barked at him. "T atlght have been murdered in my bed before f could hope for any help from you, sir!" "I'm sorry. Aunt Maria," began Jim äpologetically. "I've been so busy getting your emeralds for you " "My emeralds? You got them? Cood boy!'" aproved Aunt Maria all Iä a -breath. "Where is that minx?" "Gone!" fabricated Jim "Good riddance to her. I'll never do another stroke of business with Dinks Agency again! Como down to

my room, Jim,. and give me the emeralds." "Just a minute, Aunt Maria." Jim glided back to the wardrobe and unlocked the door. Then he went down the long hall and rejoined, his aunt Together they went down to the next floor and presently the door of Mrs. Maria Woodworth's door closed behind them. Aunt Maria's boudoir was blazing with lights when they entered. She sank into a great stuffed chair and held out her hand for the necklace. "Iet me see it," she said, , Impatiently. Jim thrust a hand in his pocket, pulled out the jewels, and then stared at them with mouth agape. These were not emeralds that dripped with blue fire and flame from his fingers! It was a magnificent sapphire necklace that put hia Aunt Maria's famous emeralds to shame. "You said emeralds, Aunt Maria?" he questioned weakly. "You are sure you didn't mean sapphires?" "You are crazy, Jim! Of course, I meant emeralds. I always believed you were color blind now I am convinced of it." Jim was pulling up the mattressno emeralds. The pocket in the headboard was empty, but in the toe of a white satin slipper, which was too small for Aunt Maria, worse luck, were the famous Woodworth emeralds. "Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Aunt Maria as she ran them through her fingers. "I might have known they were in there! I'm going to give these to your bride, Jim, when you select one!" "Thanks, Aunt Maria," said Jim miserably. "I guess I'll get back to bed I'm sorry about the burglar scare, but it's turned out all right" "Good-night, boy, and don't be cross with your old aunt for routing you out at this unholy hour," she chuckled as she opened the door for him to depart. Jim Kindleton mounted the stairs three at a time, reached the wardrobe to find the door open and his prisoner gone. Where? Who was she, with her slender, lissome form, her frightened little voice and her subtle magnetism? Whose was the sapphire necklace? Was it hers? And who was she? For he was Aunt Maria's only guest. These questions haunted him until the morning, and then he made a leisurely toilet and went down to breakfast. He was late, and Aunt Maria was seated at the table, for she never waited for anyone. She was not alone. In the chair opposite Jim's seat was a girl, slender and fair, with adorable face and wide gray eyes. She was rather pale and she was telling a story to Aunt Maria with much animation, and Aunt Maria was chuckling over it in a most malicious way. "Hester, this is my nephew, Jim Kindleton you've heard me speak of him. All the Kindletons are color blind." She laughed at Jim's quick blush. "Jim, you've always known about the Janways, of Overbrook? This is Hester, my favorite of them all. Sometimes she takes pity on me. She has come down how to attend the New Year's ball at Lord's. She brought some of her pretty jewels, too. More's the pity!" "Yes?" faltered Jim, uncomfortably aware that this charming guest must have been, his prisoner of the night before. "In the night I telephoned her that burglars were in the house and the foolish child picked up her sapphire necklace it's her most precious possession and ran downstairs to my room. She couldn't get inside and so she went back to her room on the third floor, .and at the head of the stairs she met a tall man with a murderous voice, who commanded her to hand over her jewels, which she did. He locked her in the hall wardrobe, and later " "Good heavens, I am sorry f" burst out Jim contritely, and Miss Jan way looked quite bewildered until Aunt Maria explained all about it m her own way. Then Jim sheepishly produced the sapphire necklace, and told his side of the story, much to tne delight of the heroine and much to his own satisfaction, for an acquaintance began in this unconventional way could never be commonplace. After breakfast he was starting, tor a walk with Hester Janway, when Aunt Maria called him back into the hall. "Jim," she said impressive, "remember, I told you I would give the emeralds to your bride." Jim blushed. "I'll hold you to that, Aunt Maria," he laughed. "And don't forget I'd rather they belonged to Hester than any one else." "It won't be my fault if they don't, ho called over his shoulder as he hastened to join his erstwhile prisoner, who had now imprisoned him in the meshes of her sweetness and charm. (Copyright, 1915. bv the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) Drink From Skulls of Enemies. The barbarous custom of converting the skulls of enemies into drinking cups was a common one in ancient times among the fierce tribes of ancient Europe, and was not unknown to tho more civilized regions of the South. Tho Italian poet, Marino, makes a conclave- of friends in Pandemonium quaff wine, from the skull of Minerva. In his "Wonder of a Kingdom" Torrent makes Dakkcr say: "Would I had ten thousand soldiers' heads, their skulls set in silver, to drink healths to hU confusion who first Invented war."

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Florists Present Roses to the United States WASHINGTON. The formal presentation to the United States government of more than 400 varieties of roses now growing in the experimental , farm of the department of agriculture at Arlington, Va.t took place the other day at a gathering of prominent

the experimental farm for about two years. They were donated by florists, both amateur and professional, living in all sections of the country. The roses are being grown for the purpose of ascertaining the effect of this climate on the different kinds of plants. Similar testing gardens have been established by the National Rose society at Hartford, Conn.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Ithaca, N. Y.. and others are now being established on Long Island and at San Francisco. Two years ago the department of agriculture set aside about two acres of ground in the experimental farm for rose testing. The rose plants were supplied by various rose growers desiring to have different species tested. The testing of rose bushes takes three years. They are examined by experts at frequent intervals during this period and an accurate record kept of their growth and performance.

Silkworms and Their Work In National Museum A SMALL army of silkworms is busy in the older building of the United States National museum, gorging itself on mulberry leaves, and spinning cocoons from which the silk thread and fabrics are made. The case contain

ing the live silkworms forms the be ginning of a series of exhibits showing what silk is, how it is manufactured, and many samples of the various products derived therefrom. This section of the division of textiles takes the visitor on a brief tour of instruction in silk literally from the worm to the gown. The exhibit includes examples of practically every kind of fabric manufactured from silk in this country and abroad, as well as dyed and

printed silks. Each worm winds about itself a cocoon composed of a single thread from 300 to 700 .yards in length. The time consumed for spinning is usually from two to five days. A case of preserved specimens shows the cycle of life of this industrious little animal. The egg of the silk moth is about the size of the head of a small pin, and hatches in about ten days into a tiny worm. Its growth from this minute form takes about a month, during which time it develops into a very respectable worm about three and one-half inches long and one-fourth of an inch in thickness. Upon reaching its maturity, the worm stops feeding, and begins to crawl about in search of a place in which to spin its cocoon. Within the finished cocoon the silkworm sheds its skin, and passes into the pupa, or chrysalis, stage. If the cocoon is not put through a stoving or stifling process, which kills the chrysalis inside, it will become a grayishwhite moth in about two weeks more, and break its way out of one end of the cocoon. Such procedure, however, is allowed only when silk moths are needed for breeding purposes, since in breaking its way out the moth pushes through every layer of the filament, thus making the cocoon useless for reeling, and of value only for spun silk. In order to reel the cocoons, they are first immersed in boiling water, and brushed, to rid them of the loose outer filaments. The true thread is then unwound almost to the chrysalis, but the inner lining is far too fine to be reeled, and is used with the outer waste in the manufacture of spun silk. A single cocoon strand is too fine for commercial use, and is, therefore, combined with several others to make a single thread of reeled silk. One pound of six-ply reeled silk will reach a distance of about 180 miles.

How Army Prisoners Get Back to the Colors IN connection with the system of honorable restoration to the colors now in force at the United States disciplinary barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and the branches at Alcatraz, Cal., and Fort Jay, N. Y., an interesting exhibit of the system of military in

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shown the sandbag, sod, fascine, gabion, hurdle, together with the methods of fastening. All men who desire restoration are put through a regular course on modeling these trenches in sand in a "sand table," as well as instruction in constructing overhead shelter, zigzag approaches, pits, barbedwire entanglements, etc., in miniature. After the prisoners have become expert at the modeling game they are transferred to the open fields, where they reproduce the work on the normal field scale. The sand-table work is a very small part of a very thorough three-month course of instruction required to be taken before a man is considered as qualified for restoration to the army. The course includes, also, drills, instruction in target practice, estimating distance and military signaling (flag and semaphore). Many restored men have been promoted to be noncommissioned officers. One of the latter is used to give lectures to the noncommissioned officers in his regiment, while the reports as to character from a large per cent of those restored show "excellent."

Naval Observatory Exposes North . Pole's Vagaries THE naval- observatory has erected a very curious and interesting machine, whose purpose is to see just how much the North pole falls from grace. This instrument is in charge of Prof. F. E. Ross, who is making the experiments. The object of this new work

is to find just what are the variations of the pole Of course, to a layman it seems strange to hear any reflection cast upon tLe upright conduct of the North pole, which was supposed to remain always an example of unflinching, steadfast devotion, to keeping its position Yet, as even a Jove may nod, so one must accustom one'sself to the sad realization that the pole actually "wobbles."

The instrument is a small house on the observatory grounds. It resembles a water tank standing on end, but is ornamented with scientific paraphernalia. Contrary to the commonly accepted belief the pole does not keep pointing in the same direction. Its axis is moving about constantly in a spiral and describes a path which varies at least 60 miles from its true station. Its farthest point will gain 30 miles one side and the same rate on the other, but it has not yet been known to make any wider swing out of its standard position. Its variations are in periods extending over seven years. The pole spends about three and one-half years in swinging outwards, then the same time in retracing its steps. At the present the pole is going on its outward voyage and will take more than a year to complete the trip.

rosarians from all sections of the country. The roses were accepted on behalf of the government by Dr. W. A. Taylor, director of the bureau of plant industry, who represented the secretary of agriculture at the exercises. The formal presentation was made by Wallace Pierson of Cromwell, Conn., president of the National Rose society. The roses have been growing in silk works struction required at these places previous to returning general prisoners to duty with companies of the regular army is on view in the office p a 1.. t- i. i i AT.n : i. 2.1 ui- aujulciul ureiieiut luuvuiii at uie war department. It is a representation in sand, on a reduced scale, of an infantry trench, which the members of disciplinary organizations are required to be proficient in constructing. Many of the kinds of revetment now in use are

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SEED OATS AND SMUT

Fungous Disease Causes Serious Loss to This Crop. Trouble Is Quite Noticeable After Plants Begin to Head Annoyance May Be Prevented by Use of Some Good Solution. (By C. 3. HUTCHINSON, Missouri Experiment Station.) Loose smut of oats is a fungous disease of the oat plant which causes serious losses to this crop. This disease is very noticeable after the plants begin to head, the flowers of infected plants being almost completely replaced by a mass of fine, black, dusty spores. Oat smut may be prevented by soaking or sprinkling the seed thoroughly with some solution which will kill the spores without injuring the seed. The most common solution used is formalin and the treatment is made as follows : Mix one pint of commercial formalin with 40 to 50 gallons of water in barrels or other convenient vessels. Immerse the oats in this solution, stirring well so that all will be thoroughly soaked. Pour off the solution, dump the oats out and stir occasionally until dry. Another method employed is to sprinkle the oats with the solution until they are well soaked, and then heap them up in a pile and cover with blankets or sacks! Leave them in this pile for five, or six hours, or even over night, and then spread out to dry. Stir frequently until thoroughly dried, after which they may be sacked and set aside until seeding time. Formalin may be obtained from any drug store. Machines for treating oats and wheat for smut are on the market. In these thegrain is passed through tank containing the formalin solution and then dumped out on the floor to dry. Such machines are not expensive and are very satisfactory. Formalin is poisonous, but in this weak solution it will not injure the hands and is perfectly safe to handle. Since the formalin volatilizes rapidly, oats thus treated that are not needed for seeding may. after thorough drying and airing, be safely fed to stock. RACK BETTER THAN TRELLIS Collapsible Device for Tomato Plants, Bushes and Vines Fruit Supported on AM Sides. A collapsible rack for tomato plants, bushes and vines can be made of plas tering lath (chestnut lath preferred). Fig. 1 shows a complete rack put together and ready for use. Fig. 2 shows a collapsed half rack ready to store away. To make the racks, cut cross-bars 16 inches long of lath, and nail them to the uprights with three-penny nails, using only one nail at each joint so that the rack will fold. The soctions are fastened together, says Farm and Fireside, with wire rods 14 inches long, the ends of which are bent to fit into screw-eyes in the rack. Cultivate the plants thoroughly until iy2 or 2 feet high before placing racks about them. When they are 3 feet Collapsible Rack. high and have four or five good fruitclusters, pinch or cut off superfluous foliage and fresh growing sprouts. When fruit-clusters get heavy see that they are supported by the cross bars of the rack. This is the advantage of the rack; the fruit has support on all sides and does not break loose from the plant stem, as it often does when tied to stakes. When the season is over the racks can be stored in a small space ready for another season. DON'T TOLERATE RED MITES Dark, Dirty and Damp Houses Are Especially Adapted for the Breeding of These insects. . (By R. G. WEATHERSTOXE.) I have known cases where sitting hr:s died while sitting upon the nest, traceable to no other cause than red mites, assisted in their propagation by filth, which had been allowed to accumulate in the nesting boxes and the floor of the henhouses. Dark, dirty and damp houses are especially adapted for the breeding of these insects and offer favorable conditions for their rapid multiplication. By paying a visit to the henhouse at night and being equipped with a good light, these pests may be detected, if any are found, get busy, clean out every part of the house, overhaul the nesting boxes, burn up the nesting material, take down the roosts and paint them with lice paint or .vash them off with a strong solu tion of disinfectant i

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FERTILIZER NEEDS OF CROPS,

Celery on Muck Land Ordinarily Receives One Ton an Acre Stable 1 Manure Is Unexcelled. Dr. L. L. Van Slyke, of the Genera station, recommends for arly potatoes on good soils 500 to 1,000 pounds ai acre of a 4-S-10 combination, andfor the late crop about the same amount, but with a larger proportion of acid phosphate. Truckers sometimes apply as much as a ton an acre where large and early yields are required. Cabbage, cauliflower and related crops are commonly treated with the so-called basic fertilizer, 4-8-10. For early crops nitrogen and phosphorus should be readily available, and 1,200 to 1,500 pounds ait acre is not too much unless manure has been used very freely. Many growers apply a ton an acre. The lata crop may well receive 600 to 1,000 pounds of the same formula, but with a. smaller proportion of nutrients in Celery Ready for Market. immediately available form. Nitrate of soda gives splendid results with these crops. . For lettuce nothing is better than a soil that has been under heavy manuring for several years. Commercial fertilizers are not widely used by market gardeners for it. Muck land growers have used heavy applications of complete fertilizers, but the present tendency is toward lighter feeding, especially when it follows heavily-fed plantings of celery or onions. Celery on muck land ordinarily receives one ton an acre of a complete fertilizer analyzing about 4-8-10. Some growers use a 5-7-12 formula and applications may run as high as two tons an acre when extremely close planting is practiced. Stable manure Is unexcelled for home market gardens. ANOTHER LARGE WHEAT CROP Grain Should Be Stacked to Prevent Spoiling During Wet Weather and to Save the Straw. Unless some unforeseen calamity should occur, the wheat crop this year will exceed the phenomenal crop of last year, and will probably be more than 700,000,000 bushels of winter' wheat alone. This means that the threshing outfits, railroads, elevators etc., will be crowded to the utmost and a great part of the grain will stand m the fields for weeks. Therefore it should be stacked. Stacking will save grain and straw which might otherwise be spoiled in wet weather. Stacking will put grain through a complete sweat which will improve quality. Threshing from the stack requires less help than shock threshing, which will equalize the cost of stacking. Stacking furnishes good storage, with absolutely no cost, which would prevent glutting the market at any one time. The grain must be removed for early working of the soil. Stacking makes it possible to plow following harvesting. Early plowing is one of the greatest factors in increasing the yield. Disking the land early is the next best thing. MAKING SEED ROWS UNIFORM Garden Rake With Attachment as Shown in Illustration Herewith Will Prove Satisfactory. A good way to make drills or seed rows of uniform width and depth is to have an attachment for the garden rake as shown in the sketch, writes Bert W. Verne of San Diego, Cal., ki Popular Mechanics. The device consits of a piece of tin or sheet metal Marker Attachment' on Rake. haveing V-shaped projections on one edge the width of the rows. The other edge of the metal is inserted between the teeth on the rake. Thus it can be easily drawn ovr the garden bed to mark the rows. After the seed has been planted reverse the tin and use it as a hoo tor filling th TOVf. ,

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