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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1921-12-08, Page 7jfK ufj " "OU_ _ OLD TAR. ARNOLD"D Mr. John leelton, representing Bnram- shaw & L. oto, Limited, of London, found,two letters waiting for him in the consume pial -room of the George Hotel, Millstone. One was from his firm and the other from his wife. He opened the latter first, and learned that the baby had cut her first tooth, and that the bright little woman in the Brixton flat hoped that business was good. µ" The letter from his firm acknow ledged two cheques and .a small ceder, and • there was a 'postscript in the 'handwriting of the managing director, "We trust you will endeavor to open an account with Norris Brothers. This firm are the laagest buyers in Mid - stone, but we have not done bnsiness with them for years. On your last journey you reported that you called twice and were unable fo see their buyer, Mr. Arnold. We trust you• will be more fortunate this time. The man we need is a man who can open new accounts." There was.a troubled expression up- - •on Halton's freckled, +good-humored face as he placed the letter in his pocket. He looked at his watch. It was half -past five, late to make a call and he had a very tiring day; but, leaving his bag in the commercial room, he picked up the small leather ease containing his catalogues and price lists, and set off for Norris', the big wholesale and retail ironmongers in Bridge Street. _ It was Thursday evening, and it had beeu a rotten week. One of those weeks when everything goes wrong— big orders just gone to a rival; men away on a holiday, gone to London for the day. - "Been in and went out a moment ago!" A veteran might have accepted the situation philosophically, but John Halton was not a veteran. He had only been "on the road" three months; he was still on his trial, And his old job in the London ware- house had been filled. It was a dis- comforting thought that if he ceased to represent Messrs. Bramshaw & Lane in the Southern Counties he would • cease to be in the employ of the firm with whom he had started as an office -boy nearly twenty years ago. And he had not asked for the job; it had been thrust upon him. He had done a little travelling in the suburbs, and then had been chosen to succeed a rather crotchety old man, who had kept Ilea vow to die in harness, but had kept together barely half his connec- tion. Halton had hated. leaving his wife and child from Monday morning until Friday night, and had discovered that a traveller's life is not a bed of roses, though until this last week he had thought he was doing fairly well on his job. • Now, coming on top of an almost blank Week, the managing -director's postscript disturbed him. There seen - ed an ominous note in it—a hint that he was not rising taaexpectation, He passed Messrs, Norris. Brothers' big shop in Bridge Street, and turned down a little side street to the ware- house and office entrance. An office -boy left his task of copy- ing letters to take his card into an in- ner office, and a clerk returned with it. "You want to see Mr. Arnold?" he said. "But he's just left for the day." "Would you mind placing my card onhis desk, and telling him I'll call in the morning?" said Halton. "Oh, very well!" replied the clerk listlessly; and Halton returned to the hotel. He diad not much expected to see the buyer at such a late hour; but, at all events, he would report to his firer that he had tried :and that was all he could report that day—a day of trying without result. And after bis tea he wrote a letter to his firm, and went out to post it. It started to rain, and anyway he felt too tired to go for his usual walk; so he went back to the George Hotel, politely refusing to make up a four at solo, and, with a couple of hours be- fore he could very well go to bed, he entered the billiard -room, Two men were playing, and a man sat on a settee watching them, One of the players he recognized as the landlord of the hotel. The other play- er, who had just made a break of thirty as be entered, was a rather portly little man, with a short grey beard and a somewhat aggressive manner. But he could certainly play billiards, and just after Halton enter- ed he brought off a fine losing hazard and ran out an easy winner. The landlord excused himself play- ing" again, as the 'man who had been watching wanted to see him on busi- Hess, and the two men went out, leav- ing the victorious player and Halton alone. • "Care for a game?" asked the victor carelessly.; "I'll give you what points you likes" When John Haltom had married he bad practically teased to play bis- liards. When he had gone "on the road" he had deckled never to play, not on ' account of the expense --his games 'would cost him little ---slut for fear that it would lead to late hours .and an unfitness 'for work in the morn- ing, This lean, however, was far above.the average inlayer, an opponent after his own heart, and a game would take him out of the gloomy chain of thought into which he had fallen. "1'il play you with pleasure, sir. 'I should say we aro pretty evenly Matched," Really!" Tlie bearded man's brows lifted slightly. "I don't "often play in this hotel, but wben I do 1 ex- pect to give poluts. However, if you can do without them so much the bet- ter,', As Halton selected a cue from the rack.• he decided that this man must be the oraek player of the town., who rather resented anyone claiming to be able to meet him on level terms, Even out of practice as he was, Halton felt sure that, with anything •like luck, he would be able to more than hold his awn, They evade it a couple of hundred up. For the first hundred the 'bearded man, who had evidently took the game very seriously, and scarcely epoke a word, scored nearly twice as. fast as he did. Then Halton made a faultless break of forty-six and drew level. Two men had dropped in just be- fore he completed it and they were loud in their applause. The bearded Man was looking grim. "You play a very good game, sir," he said. "You've gat your eye In now, and I shall be a proud man if I succeed in beating you." Halton had got his eye in, and the balls were running well for him. He had made twenty-two, and had the red over' the tap packet. As he leant over the table to take the shot, he heard one of the men ask his companion if he knew who the players were. "Don't know the big -break ' mer- chant," came the half -whispered reply, "but he was in the commercial -roam for tea. The bearded chap is the buyer for Norris', the big ironmongers here. Man in the paint trade pointed him out to me last time I was here, They say he's a good player, but, a poor loser." . And Halton miscued, and left the balls beautifully for his opponent. "Hard luck, sir!" said the talkative traveller sympathetically. And it was hard luck. John Halton had been delighted over that forty-six break. It would have been fine to tell the lnissds when he got home how he had beaten a oocky little chap, and got to within twenty of his record break, despite playing en a strange table and being out of practice. He bad set his heart on winning the game. But if he won he would certainly not open an account with Mr. Arnold, the buyer for Norris Bro•thiers, when he called upon him the next morning. The billiard -room . was filling up. whom he had played billiards at the News of a great game in progress had George, been conveyed by the waiter who,had "Good -morning, Mr Halton!" said brought drinks for the two spectat- the bearded elan quite genially. "You ors The bearded man scored twenty- asked for our Mr. Arnold; but I learnt five off the fine opening he had given your identity from the landlord be-. him. foie I left the hotel last night, and L •And John Halton went to the table resolved to remove the name of your to play to lose. firm from our black list,". He hated it -hated it not only be- "Brack Idst, sir!" gasped the bewild- cause'he was so keen on winning, but Bred Halton. on the principle of the thing. A game "There are certain travellers who was a game, play it; but, ,also bus% have annoyed ,rase—men who won't ness was business. At the back of his take 'No' fpr an answer -men like mind was the little fiat in Brixton, a your flrnn's last representative, a self - woman and a tiny mortal who had opinioned old ass, sir. I never: see just cut her first teeth; they depend- those -peen again. They are told that ed upon him. Mr. Arnold is the buyer, and they call His business was to open new .ac- . to see him, but never succeed for the counts. The fact of having played simple- reason that there is no such billiards with the elusive Mr. Arnold person in. our employ." should be of value when he called to i John Halton gazed at him blankly. see him in the morning. To "open". "You must keep this seoret, Mr. Hale with Norris Brothers would wipe out ton. 1 have told it to you because 1 the stigma of an almost blank week. have respect for you. I respect any Halton made a pretty fifteen. His ; man who can beat me level at billi- breakdown on a fine round -the -table : ards. 1 feel that — But we must Dannon elected murmurs of sympathy. get to business. I think I can snake It would never do to go all to pieces' you up a decent order, And next time suddenly. ; you're coming to Midstone, drop me a The bearded 'man was fretting and line a week or so ahead, and I'll keer fuming. He had told the landlord be the date free in order to try midget my fore that the spot ball was not run ;.revenge." ning true. 'Would that gentleman with Half an hour later John Halton de - the cigar get a little farther away z parted with an order that more than from the table? Smoke made it so dif- made up for the poor week he had had and he had "opened" :with Nor- ris Brothers, and was on very good terms with the senior partner, who Pwwwwwwand the worst is yet to come 'ice-n.r-�m „",..�"'.�,�..•••�.. �.,.. t flit ( 1 �(I n, ,c i 11^� 1 d LitGJ J office of Messrs. Norris Brothers, hop- ing devoutly that Mr. Arnold would prove a better sportsman than his manner the previous night had sug- gested. A clerk took in his card. "Colne this way, please. Mr. Norris, will see you," he said. And John Halton, greatly puzzled, followed him along a corridor. He had asked to see Mr. Arnold. Why was he being taken to a man mho was pre- sumably one of the partners?" The clerk opened a door; and John Halton, hat in one hand and brown leather case in the other, found him- self imself 'face to face with the man with ficnit for him to see. Halton cleverly missed two good op- partunities, and placed the balls each time for his opponent; then, with had promised to put all he could in twenty wanted to win, he scored his way. eighteen, and could almost see Mr. And it was a very happy, confident Arnold's hair standing on end. man who set off back to the little flat He wanted Mr. Arnold to remember in Brixton. him in the morning. r "One hundred and ninety-two—one hundred and ninety-eight," called the Testing the Age of Eggs. marker, who had appeared upon the `' Fill a tumbler two-thirds full of scene. - water and then place in it a newly- Halton had left the balls in such a laid egg and it will sink to the bot - position that he was confident his op- torn of the glass. The egg is compos - Dement would easily run out. Bet the bearded man was obviously nervous. The room was tense with excitement. He went In with the red, brought the red down over the middle pocket, and went in again. He wanted two for game, and had an easy cannon on. But he missed it. "One hundred and ninety-eight all," came the voice of the marker. - "Confound the man?" thought Hal- ton. alton. He was making things difficult for him. The balls were ,rather awk- wardly placed; so Halton, anxiofis not to score, but at beast :to have the satis- faction of letting the bearded man see that he 'knew as much about the game as he did, played for' a brilliant round - the -table cannon Ho played to miss by threo'or four inahes•, but miscalculated the ateount of side necessary. ' "Gamer' called the marker as the balls clicked; and, amid .,great ap- plause, the bearded main put on his co=at and paid the marker. "Thank you, sir!" he said shortly to Halton. "A very geed gauze indeed. 1 regret I cannot asic you to let me have my revenge, as I must be get- ting off." And Halton, forcing a. smile in reply to the congratulations of excited spec- tatoree refused to play again, put on his light coat and, filled withdismay, went fora short want ere he went to bed, anti about ten o'clock the next morning he presented himself at the ed largely 'of water, and therefore is heaviest while it is fresh. The older the egg, the lighter it becomes on ac- count of the -water evaporating from the white of the egg, which causes the empty space at the thick end of the egg to become enlarged. Hence, at three weeks of age the egg will lean in the water. When three months did it will stand perfectly straight, with pointed end of the egg barely touching the bottom of the glass, The larger the empty space becomes the more the egg will rise in the water, until filially it reaches the surface. He Wanted Variety. Not long ago there occurred a big flee in a 1Vlas•sachusetts town, and the crowds that gathered were soon re -en - faced by others from near -by places. While running to this :fire one man overtook another in the road who was proceeding • in the sante direction. "Where's, the fire?" asked the last- mentioned astmentioned znan, out of breath. "Don't tell see- it's the carpet factory! i've seal► that twice already." Motor traffic that kill and a gun that "I :didn't know was loadody' are in the same category. It is time that the motorist awoke to the fact the:: he is driving a deadly weapon and that every time he ignores traffic t,ogulel- tion he is pointing a loaded gun at a, fellow mortal's Bead. PRINCESS' CHOICE PLEASES ENGLAND KING'S ONLY DAUGHTER TO WED VISCOUNT. Interest is Renewed in the Marriages of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York and Prince Henry. The betrothal of Princess Mary has been joyously received all over Eng- land, largely besaiise she is marrying an Englishman, says •a Landon des- patch. The ,action has had the effect of reassuring the mind of the British people on a subject about which much has been spoken and little written— the forthcoming marriages of her rte, the :Prince of Wales, the rk and Prince Henry. It vious that the war had altered , the situation re- garding eligible royal alliances for the Prinoe3•''of the blood, and it is now likely and certainly highly desired that they will go back to the old tradition of the English throne before the royal marriage act was passed. There was a stringent restriction in the Stuart times, but previously there had been many instances of marriages outside reigning families. Many Plan- tagenets married outside royal strains, and three daughters of Edward I., who had a high sense of rayaledignity, married knights, two of whom were English earls holding titles no higher than that Princess Mary's future hus- band will bear. Question of Royal Marriage. The eldest daughter of Edward III. married a French knight who was created Earl of Medford. Under the Stuarts, royal blood marriages were. strictly insisted upon, though James, Duke of York, married Ann Hyde, but it was kept a secret, With the Georges the, passion for restricting mariiages"to:royal families reached its height. ' George III. and his consort Angie were both fanatics ou this subject, and were greatly •angered when two of the King's brothers married commoaners. A sequel to this was the royal mar- riage act, which tightened the restric- tions, which still prevail Owing to the necessity of excluding Roman Catholic princesses the royal field since the war is very barren, It it certain that public opinion would never tolerate the marriage of any Prince with a German, and the num- ber of marriageable princesses in Hol- land, Deunnan'k, Sweden and Norway is remarkably small. The imperial family of Russia has utterly disap- peared and the Greek princesses would not be popular here now. The remaining royal fanniliee, those of Spain, Italy and Belgium, are Roman Catholics, In these conditions it is inevitable that some at least of the King's sons must marry outside royal circles, and there is no doubt that the people would cordially welcome such a selec- tion. It is no secret that the Prince of Wales prefers to take an English girt, and undoubtedly the people would ac- claailnl the selection with eitcb enthusi- asm that the Rause of Loads would set aside the marriage art It is ac- cepted here as almost certain that the oldsuperstitions about the brood royal mast give way to modern ideas, and the betirothal of Princess Mary is re- garded as the first step in this direc- tion, bent He Qualified. She—"Sir, i understand yon said 1 had a face that would stop a clock." Ile--•-"Sof did, Any well -regulated clock would pause and hold up its hands in admiration at the sight of your lovely face," • KEEP MUFFLEI?. CLEAN A One of the parts of an automobile most neglected by many owners and drivers is the muffler. As 'a boy with a dirty face puts off the cleaning up process just as long as possible, so the motorist with a muffler that needs attention procrastinates and thinks perhaps he will fix it up to -morrow. And to -morrow never .comes. But to- day is always here with its greater use of gasoline e and various other complications that a dirty muffler causes. The muffler is located under the car, and being out of sight'is usually out of mind. Itis therefore' often neglected or misused. And yet it ought not to be. The muffler is peseced on the end of the exhaust pipe ottb the engine so that the driver of an automobile while taking pleasure . himself does not wholly deprive others of it. Let us consider the use of the muf- fler. The exhaust valve opens while the burned gas is still under pressure of from twenty-five to thirty pounds per square inch. If this were exhaust- ed directly into the air the resulting noise would stifle conversation in the car, annoy everybody along the street and quickly get the driver into trouble with the police. The mufflier prevents 'all this. It provides a chamber in which these exhaust gases may ex- pand and cool somewhat and at the same time breaks up the pressure by allowing it to leak out slowly through a number of very small holes, instead of letting it loose in one "big noise." The "Cut -Out" Valve. In the early history of the automo- bile mufflers were not used and every- body for blocks around knew when an auto was coming. As the automobiles increased in number this . became a nuisance and wasa stopped by law. Then they sought, indeed, had been seeking, a means of stifling the sound. In the early muffler there was trouble because the gas would back up in the cylinder and decrease the power of the motor. It was thought there was no way to decrease the sound without decreasing the power; therefore, the manufacturers devised a valve to "cut out" the muffler on the car whenever' extra power was desired. Sometimes the back pressure was so great as to interfere when driving through heavy roads or up hills. The "cut out" let the gas exhaust directly into the air instead of going through the muffler. At ;the present time nearly every city has a law prohibit- ing rohibiting the use of "cut outs." As a matter of fact, those well post- ed on automobile engines understand to -day that the "cut out" is absolutely unnecessary on a modern car if the muffler is kept in proper condition. Muffler manufacturers have been able to produce ,a design in which there is no back pressure at all. For this rea- son manufacturers discourage the use of the "cut out" on their cars, and ND NO CUT-OUT NEEDED, some of them will no longer install one except as an "extra." The average driver, however, does not know that : his muffler needs as careful attention as any other part of the mechanism, and so he neglects it. In these days of noiseless cars it re- quires a great number ,of very small holes inside the muffler. These become clogged with soot or carbon from the 11 exhaust. The deposit posit co ect s very rapidly, especially when the grade of oil used is poor or too much oil. is used. It also results when the car- buretor is adjusted to give too rich a mixture, Openings Become Clogged.' When these small openings become clogged the exhaust gases cannot es- cape readily, and naturally the cylin- der of the engine is not •cleaned at the exhaust stroke. Result: It is impos- sible to bring in a full cylinder of new gas on the next intake stroke. There is not a full charge to explode, and this means a loss of power to the engine. Cases are known where the throttle was opened wide without any increase in power. Trying to find out what the matter was, the driver opened the "cut out" and this caused the machine to accelerate very rapidly: In other cases when the engine was cranked there would be a few explo- sions, a sputter and a stop, and the reason was that the muffler was so clogged that it was impossible to ex- haust the gas from these few explo- sions; the cylinder remained full of burned gas, and, of course, could not take in a further supply. These, of course, are extreme cases. The writer had the following exper- ience not long ago: He was riding in a car that could hardly make headway against a strong wind ;blowing. This meant frequent use of the second -speed gear, which in itself causes an undue use of gasoline. He found on experimenting that the muffler "cut out" pedal could be used in place of the accelerator pedal; that is, when the muffler "cut but" was open the engine had considerably more power and immediately speeded up. In fact, he kept the "cut out" open most •of the way home and had no more trouble in bucking the head wind. Of course, where the engine is• stopped or there is a decided decrease in power the owner will hunt for the trouble,_ and find it, perhaps, in the muffler, He "might not notice less serious cases where, while the muffler is somewhat clogged, it does not de- crease the power strikingly; but even in these less serious cases it will often be found that the power of the motor may he materially increased by hav- ing the muffler cleaned; yet it is sel- dom done, even when the car is sup- posed to be overhauled completely. Many drivers seem to think the muf- fler can take care of itself. Land of Our Birth. Land of our birth we pledge to thee Our love and toil in the years to be, When we are grown and take our place As men and women with our race, Father in Heav'n, who lovest all, Oh, help Thy children when they, call, That they may build from age to age, .An undefiled heritage. Teach els delight in simple things, And mirth that has no bitter springs, Forgiveness free of evil done, And Love to all men 'neath the sun. Land of our birth, our faith, our pride, For whose dear snake our fathers died. 0 mtherand, we pledge to thee, Hear, heart and hand thro' the years to be! Teach us to look in all our ends, On Thee for judge and not our friends, That we with Thee may walk un - By fear or favor of the crowd, Teach us the strength that cannot seek, By deed or thought, to hint the weak, That under Thee we niay possess Man's strength to comfort man's dis- tress, ---Rudyard Kipling. A Prospect ct of Retros. ect. When I think how time will -pass Until this Now is turned to Then, Like smoke that fattes within a glass Seem the curled fancies of ray pen. For this year's sturdy discontent Will read as words a boy mis-spelled, When I have weighed the Much life meant Against the Little that it held. —Edward Davison. •k3 Smuts Was Snubbed. General Snits told an amusing story a short time ago. "I was et a social gathering with General Botha," Ile said. "Two flap• pees came up and asked line for my autograph, In a daintily bound book I signed my naine with the proffered pencil. The girl studied my signature with a frown. 'Aren't you General' Botha?' she asked, 'No,' I replied, 'I'in General Smuts.' She turned to her friend with a shrug. 'Lend ere your India-r•ublier, Iday,' she said." One inch of rain nle�ana t')O 'tans of water on every acre. Love's Lantern. Because the road was steep and long And through a dark and lonely land, God set upon my lips a song And put a lantern in my hand. Through miles on weary miles of night That stretch relentless on my way. My lantern burns serene and white, An unexhausted cup of day. 0 yolden lights and lights like wine, How dim your boasted splendors are, Behold this little lamp of mine. It is more starlike than a star! -•--Joyce Kilmer, Turk Says He is 146 Years Gild. The eternal wrangle over claims of being the oldest 14ving person has broken out ber again with the arrival in Marseilles on the way to London of a Turk named Djoure, who asserts he is 146 year sold, says a Paris des- patch. 11 this is true he outdistances the American Indian Kabenahgway wence (Wrinkled Meat), who was de- clared to hold the Western Hemis- phere record, by twelve years. Unlike a majority of such claimants, Djouro produced what purported to be a birth certificate showing that he was born in 1775 in Bitlis,.in the Causesus. Until he left Constantinople he was still working as a market porter, and on landing in. Marseilles he carried his baggage on his shoulders, There has been a slump in the nuns- ber of French centenarians since 1886, when the Government investigated the claims of- 184 such persons shown in the census books. Only sixteen of these producod baptismal certificates. Nothing could be learned about forty- eight, and the rest were regarded as stretching .the facts concerning dates of their births, The oldest man then living in Prance was declared to be a Spaniard. He was living in Tarbes and was 116 years old. Dry, 'the great steamship "Mauretania," was .greatly 'damaged recently by a fire caused by a carelessly dropped cigarette stub, Sim11ar stubs halal destroyed. Canadian forests, that would havo supplied the wooden decks ami interior fittings fora hundred "Maur, etaniaa,"