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The Brussels Post, 1912-7-4, Page 2ONLY A MONTH g OR, A CURIOUS MYSTERY EXPLAINED. CHAPTER 'V'III.—(Cont'd.) "Not at all. I shall take a walk before going to the office. I tell you what, Sigrid, you shall come with me and get a new English story at Beyer's, to cheer you in Frithiof's • absence. What was the nog'-' - one told you gave the ' • •af. some tion of Englisl' • ee +lest descrip- rc eW;., ,:. none life 4 pm . -ves and Daughters,' " said "Well, let us get it, then, and afterward we will take a turn above Walkendorf's Tower, and see if there is any sign of our vessels from Iceland." "You heard good news of thein last month, did you not?" asked Sigrid. "No definite news, but every- thing was very hopeful. They sent •word by the steamer to Granton, and telegraphed from there to cue station in Oifjord." "What did they say 1" Iceland, I made up my mind to try the same plan, and to stake all on that last throw. I chartered sail- ing vessels, hired hands, bought nets, and the expedition set off ; I knew that if it name back with full barrels I should be a rich man, and that if it failed, there was no help for it; my business must go to pies- .' es " o •;:t 'eve A. ] f..tic,; er "You :i will be bankrupt!" she exolaimed; "Oh, surely not that; father — not that:" "There is yet one hope," said Herr Falck. "If the rumor I heard in the summer is false, and if I can still keep the connection with Mor- gans, that guarantees ins 7,200 kroner a year, in that case I have no doubt we could avoid open bank- ruptcy." "But how?" said Sigricl. "I don't understaifd." "The Morgans would never keep me as their agent if I were declared a bankrupt, and, to avoid that, I think my creditors would accept as payment the outcome of al] my pro- perty, and would give me what we call voluntary agreement; ib is a form of winding up a failing con- cern which is very often employed. They would be the gainers in the long run, because of course they would not allow me to keep my 7,- 200 kroner untouched, so in any case, my child, I have brought you to poverty." He covered his face with his hands. Sigrid put her arm abort him, kissing his hair, his.hands, his forehead. "I do not mind poverty, little fa- ther; I mind only that you are so troubled," she said. "And surely, surely they will not take the agency from you after all these years! Olt, poverty will be nothing, if only we can keep from disgrace—if only others need not be dragged down too !" They were interrupted by a tap at the door, and Swanhild stole in, making the pretty little courtesy without which no well-bred Nor- wegian child enters or leaves a MOM. "Mayn't I come and say good- night to you, little father ?" she asked. "I got on ever so well at school, just as you said, after our merry breakfast." The sight of the child's unconsci- ous happiness was more than he could endure; he closed his eyes that she might not see the scalding tears which filled them, "How dreadfully ill father looks," said Swanhild, uneasily. -er is ;`.ad is very bad," said Sig- rid. "Kiss him, .tear, and then run to bed." But Herr Feick roused himself. "I too will go up," he said. "Bed is the best place, eh, Swan- hild! God bless you, little one; good -night. What, are you going to be my'walking-stick?" And thus, steadying himself by the child, he went up to his room. At breakfast the next morning he was in his place as usual, but he seemed very poorly. About eleven o'clock there was a ring at the door -bell; the servant brought in a telegram for Herr Feick. A sort of wild hope seized her that it might be from Frithiof. He rose from the sole, as she entered. "I am better, Sigrid," he said. "I think I could go to the office. Ai ! a telegram for me?" "It has come this minute," she said, watching him as he sat down before his desk. "How extravagant that boy is!" she thought to herself. "Why, it would have been enough if he had just put 'All right.' " Then a sudden cry broke from her, for her father had bowed his head on his desk like a man who is overwhelmed. "Father, father P" she cried, "oh! whet is the matter?" For' a minute or two he neither spoke nor moved. At last, with an effort, he raised himself. He looked up at her with a face of fixed de- spair, with eyes whose anguish. wrung her heart. "Sigrid," he said, in a voice un- like his own, "they have taken the agency from me. I am bankrupt I" She put her hand in his, too much stunned to speak. "Poor children 1" he moaned. "Ah! my God! my God! Why—" The sentencee was never ended. He fell heavily forward; whether he was dead or only fainting she couldnot tell. She rushed to the door calling for help, and the servants came hurry- ing to the study. They helped to move their master to the sofa, and Sigrid feund a sort of comfort in the assurances of her old nurse that it was nothing but a paralytic seiz- ure, that he would soon revive. "I will send Olga for the doctor," she said, breathlessly. "Ay, and for your uncle, too," .said the nurse. "'He's your own mother's brother, and ought to be here." "Perhaps, , Chem, " said Sigrid, hesitat- ingly. Yes Olgo to Herr Gronvo)d's house and just tell them of my father's illness. But first for the doctor—es quick as you can." Thus they waited till the doctor came. Ile was an old friend, and Sigrid .felt almost at rest when site had told him all he wanted to know as to the beginning of the attack and the ;:arise. (xo be eontinuccl.) "I can't bear this any longer, Sigrid," he exclaimed. "We will do down to Tydskebryee;e,n, and take a boat and row Nut to here+ They h .,rafilt b,b'ay, speaking nev- era \Yeed. As they threaded their way through the busy harbor, she began to feel a little more cheer- ful. "That as yet there had been no catch of herrings, but that every- thing was most promising, as plenty of whales were seen every clay at, the mouth of the fjord. Oh, I am perfectly satisfied. I have had no anxiety about the expedition si,roe then." So father and daughter set out together. Beyer's shop had fat- einations for them both; she Pilger - ed long in the neighborhood of the Tauchintz shelves, while Herr Faick discussed the news with some une behind the counter, and admired the pictures temptingly displafed. "Look here, Sigrid!" he exclaim- ed. "Did you ever see a prettier little water -color than that! Ber- gin in winter, from the harbor. What is the price of it? A hun- dred kroner ? I must really have it. It shall be a present to you in memory of our walk." Sigrid was delighted with the pic- ture. They walked away together, planning where it should hang at home, and saying how it was just the sort of thing Frithiof would like. " -' -+�- ._.. di.t nni: PRA • '15 is quite a piny tis....-- -_-- _-- it when he was away in Germany, he would have liked to have it when he was suffering from heimweh," said Sigrid. "Well, all that sort of thing is over for him, I hope," said Herr Fakir. "No need that he should be away from Bergen any more, except now and then for a holiday. And if ever you marry a foreigner, Sig- rid, you will be able to take Bergen with you as a consolation." They made their way up to a lit- tle wooded hill above the fortress, which commanded a wide and beau- tiful view. "Ah!" cried Herr Feick. "Look there, Sigrid! Look, look 1 there is surely a vessel coming." She gazed out seaward. "You have better eyes than I have, father. Whereabouts? Oh, yes, now I see, ever so far away. Do you think it is one of yours?" "I can't tell yet," • said Herr Falok; and glancing at him she saw that he was in an agony of impati- ence, and that the old, troubled look had come back to his face. .Again the nameless fear which had seized her in the summer took possession of her. "Yes, yes," cried Herr Feick at length, "I am almost sure it is one of our Oifjord vessels. Yes; I am certain it is the 'Solid.' Now the great question is this; is she loaded or only ballasted?" "I think she is rather low in the water, father, don't you?" "TT hope so ; I hope so," said Herr Falek. The ship was drawing nearer and nearer, and every moment Sigrid realized more that it was not as she had first hoped. She glanced apprehensively at her father. "We must hope for the best," said Herr Feick. Just as they neared the "Solid" the anchor dropped. "You had bettor wait here," said Herr Feick, "while I go on board. I'll not keep you long, dear." Nevertheless, anxious waiting al- ways does seem long, and Sigrid, spite of her sealskin jacket, shiver- ed as she sat in the little boat. When her father rejoined her, her worst fears were realized. He nei- ther looked at her nor spoke to her, but, just giving a word of di- rection to the boatman, sat down in his place with folded arms and bent head. She knew instantly that some terrible disaster must have happen- ed, but she did not dare to ask what it was, she just sat still listen- ing to the monotonous stroke of the oars, and with an uneasy wonder in her mind as to what would happen next. They were nearing the shore, and at last her father spoke. "Pay the man, Sigrid," he said, and with an unsteady hand he gave her his purse. They walked away together in the direction of the of- fice. "You must not be too anxious, dear child," he said. "I will ex- plain all to you this evening. I have had a heavy loss." "But, little father, you look so ill," pleaded Sigrid. "Must you in- deed go to the office? Why not come home and rest?" "Rest?" said Herr Feick, dream- ily. "Rest? Not, not just yet— not just yet. Send the carriage for me this afternoon, and say nothing about it to any one; I'll explain it to you latee 9r1," gn tt < F..tie air part- _ ,,.,er and dattgtl,,,.. ed, and Sigrid went home to bear as best she could her day of sus- pense, Herr Falek returned later on, looking very ill and complain- ing of headache. She persuaded him to lie down in his study, and would not ask him the question which was trembling on her lips. But in the evening he spoke to her. "You are a good child, Sigrid, a good child," he said, caressing her hand. "And now you must hear all, though I would give much to keep it from you. The Iceland ex- pedition has failed, dear; the ves- sels have come back empty." "Does it mean such a very great loss to you, father?" she asked. "I will explain to you," ho said more eagerly; "I should like you to understand how it has come about. For some time trade has been very bad, and last year and the year be- fore I had some heavy losses con- nected with the Lofoten part of the business," He seemed to take almost a plea- sure in giving her all sorts of do - tails which she could not half un- derstand; she heard in a confused way of the three steamers sent to Nordland in the summer with emp- ty barrels and salt for the herrings; she heard about buying at the Bourse of Bergen large quantities, so that Herr Feick had ten thou- sand barrels at a time, and had been obliged to realize them ab ruinous prices. "You do not understand all this, my Sigrid," he said, smiling at her puzzled lace. "Well, I'll tell you the rest more simply, Things were looking as bad as possible, and when in the summer I heard that Hau- gesund had caught thousands of barrels of herrings in the fjords of WOUTAI KNOW llltbf ANYWHERE. Visitor"And so this is little Willie, whom 1 haven't seen slice the night he was bornBut I'd know you anywhere, my dear, by your voice, 7ud ge. RT A COURT PRESENTATION A. SOCIETY LADY DESCRIBES THE CEREMONY. IIow, It Woe Conducted in the tat, ter Days of Queen Ofotorla's Reign. A visit to a relative who was busy with preparations for the forth- coming Court to which she is com- manded, reminded me vividly of env early impressions of a Tee+awini Room. I fixer 'mule; lily bow to Royalty failing the latter days of Queen Vic- toria's reign, when Courts were held at the unbecoming hour of three o'clock. On my firsb appearance et Court I dressed very simply in a white sa- tin gown and train and wore no jewels. I had the advantage of the private entry. The fortunate few entitled to this privilege are mem- bers of the Corps Diplomatique, foreigners of distinction and mem- bers of the Household, right They have the to drive into the courtyard by a separate en- trance reserved exclusively for their benefit, and, once inside the Palace, they meet in a room ad- joining the Throne Room, where all crush is avoided, and pass first the Royal presence, while their less for- tunate friends wait their turn be- hind a roped -off barrier. MY FRIEND THE PAGE. Judging from personal experi- ence, if a girl has any natural grace she had far better trust to that to carry her successfully through the ordeal of presentation than to take lessons from one of the many pro- fessors of deportment, who adver- tise their ability to instruct in mat- ters of Court etiquette. A little relative of mine, aged fourteen, who was acting as Page of Honor to Queen Victoria alt the time, standing erect behind her Majesty, smiled encouragingly at me as I curtseyed, and I could scarcely refrain from laughing, as we had so often rehearsed this scene in private. My little friend the Page fully ap- preciated the importance of his position, as his attendance at Court, for which he received—as do the four Pages-in-Waiting—£230 a year, entitled him to a whole day's leave from school on the State occasions to which he was com- manded. formerly a post of Page of Hon- or meant a nomination ae one of the regiments of Guards, then a costly affair. In the present day this dis- tinction is given to the sons of par- ents p: ecatelly known to the King and Queen, at a stipend of £230 a year, and no other privilege is granted. A boy's duty ends when he attains the age of sixteen and a half years, and he is free to choose his own profession. Presentation at Court in the days of Queen Victoria generally con- cluded by five o'clock in the after- noon, when the debutante and her mother returned home to receive friends and show off their finery. WHAT A STATE BALL IS LIKE. A command to a State ball follow- ed my presentation at Court, and to this I looked forward with the greatest pleasure. When the great night arrived, I dressed myself with more than customary care, and, when my toilette was complete, left home to call for my mother, who was dining out, and accompany her to Buckingham Palace. The ball begins at eleven o'clock, but guests arrive before that hour 11/11""11 Refined to absolute purity --sealed tight and protected from any possible contamination— a." ontamination-- o Extra Granulated Sugar in this new 5 -Pound Package is the cleanset, purest sugar you can buy. Each Package contains 5 full pounds of sugar. Ask your Grocer for it. ✓a, Canada Sugar Relining Co. Limited. — ego x fir G`. oFNS Meals at Calip Cl mf ort The boys at Camp Comfort are using the same stove that they bad last year. It was the best they could get. It was a AiTeReetiGTO1 11 ars-toy@ This year they got a New Perfection Oven ,Also a New Perfection Toaster Also a New Perfection Broiler "Gee, what a difference in the meals a good stove makes," said one of the boys. So they called their shack "Camp Comfo,t " And they will tell their mothers and wives about the stove, too. For the New Perfection OR Coopk-stove is as cooveniern for rho home as for the regular coaldaubl s c, broil, roast and toast as well es a THE IMPERIAL OIL COMPANY, Limited Winnipeg, Montreal, SL John, Halifax and Queen City Division Toronto The New Perfection Stove h handsomely finished in nickel, with cabinet top, drop shelves, towel racks, etc. Loan chimneys, enam- eledlurquoue-blue. Made with 1,2 or 3 burners, All dealers. Free Cook -Book svith every stove. Cook- book oho liven to anyone sending 5 cents to cover unsling cost. * %n. .nbilvuoa-sisysi~syt. On the Farm s/ etnai.....m11.1b4611Abe.1140 MAKE TRE SOIL FIT THE CROP There is no use in trying to achieve success with a soil not fit- ted to the crop. We must make a more intelligent stii'cly' df the soles- tion of crops that are better adapt- ed to our soils and that can be made- to return larger and more certain l' profits. There is something that .4 , very interesting about the prefer- ence of crops for certain soils and; climates, writes a farmer, One of the first things for a far- mer to learn is to fuel out which, crops are best adapted to his soil and grow them on his farm, Hie needs to study the requirements of the various crops that he grows and plan his rotation of crops so that. each crop may be grown under the - most favorable conditions. s, While I am a staunch friend of stable manure and constantly urg ing the keeping of more and batter farm stock, yet I can see the neces- sity of facing the situation in a prac- tical manner. The average farmer has reached a point where stable manure will not supply the adequate amount of plant food to produce the maximum yield of grain and other farm crops, and the only sensible thing to do is to supply the deficient elements. The generality of soils on our stock farms are deficient in mineral fertility, especiallyphosphorous, and it is clearly to our interest to supply this one °lenient to our soils if we fib the a:lils to the needs of ear crops. On soils possessing abundance of humus and nitrogen we may pur- chase the phosphorus in the form of the raw ground phosphoric rock and mix it with stable manure, but on soils that are lacking in humus and nitrogen better results will be obtained by using acid phosphates, which is readily available to the growing crops. With clover and manure plowed under, to liberate potash, and sup- plemented with this purchased phosphorus, the fertility problem will be solved on the average stock farm. and stand in line to watch the Royal proeession enter the ball -room, pre- ceded by the Gold Stick, who walks backwards. To be invited and dance in a Royal quadrille is considered a much -cov- eted honor, but to me it was a doubtful pleasure, as, although I did not disgrace myself, my whole thoughts were so busily employed in remembering my steps, and in endeavoring to copy others, that I bad no time to enjoy myself or eon - verse with my partner. The latter, I think, must have found me a doll companion, for, as soon as the dance was over he hur- ried off to my mother, in whose charge he left me, ' At one o'clock supper is served in one of the magnificent apartments adjoining the long corridor. Supper over, the Royal hosts re - tiro in procession es they came, and the guests leisurely take their de- parture.—London Answers. 3 dir7 - Z " //d✓✓ % 0 Wallyou 19e -one, of the 108 'farmers ars who will receive our Prize Contest checks? / �GG 0 L COUPON CANADA CEMENT COMPANY MUTED Herald Building, Montreal Please send me full particulars of the 1912 Farmcrn Prize Contest, and a free copy of your book "What the Partner Can Do With'Concrete." Name Address,,,,,,„,,, HERE will be twelve cash prizes in each of the nine provinces (108 in all) in the 1912 Prize Contest for Canadian Farmers. The 1911 Contest was so successful in awak- ening interest in the use of Concrete on the farm, that a second contest, in which three times as many prizes art offered, was decided upon for this year. The Contest this year is divided into three classes, "A," prize $50; Se5" and cond nondr icthere $2S1,r1 ird ,Brie ,1$15', Fourth I rizo, (Firstrzes in each class. 10,) p Thus there arprize, three $50 Prizes,three $25 Prizes, three $15 J prizes, and three 510 Prizes, fpr each province. A ue DESCRIPTION OF CLASSES T In Each Class there will be First, Second, Third and Fourth Prizes o 050, $25, $15, and $10) for Each Province, .{ELMS'A"^PrIzeeve be'award d Id the four former. In each province who use mon a Canada Ce ant en their forma In the year 1912, I' 01.000 " 11"—Prizes to be *warded ,o the lour tanner, In each movinee who eend p11010- 1' unpin I The 3est concrete :cork dorm with "Canndgv' Cement on their • Iarmedn1912 I CLASSIT—ITIV eto'bc awarded. the four lamas In each province who eeud In the beet desc,,¢tios,n Blur show any piece el concrete work woe dune with Ir '"canals" Cemenn Untried for eh1 prize out to accompanied by photo- I traph.rdIthowork.) a Don't think that you must cube a large quantity of cement in order to 1 win a prize. The quantity of cement used does not count Classes "5" 1 and "C." Many of last year's prize winners used very little cement. 1 Whcn you enter the Contest, you have a chance to win a cash y :prize of $50 aa well es the certainty that you will add a j+arntanenf haven't a eatdaskfar t our book, improvement thetFarmerfCan nDo With Ce creta � r It will not 1t g 1 only suggest many imprevemcntsthat yotican use inentering the Contest, wu 1 'but ron the farm '9 tell Yon all about theuseof s 1 ate yourname and addrete en the nttaehrd noun or use n 1 t r 1 ppodus cit'ad vewwo nadrmleur l Cpanrtnuolu. sWo(Co,,Pcrosl td.e'h�Oamn<rt tyoa absolutely tan, Address Publicity Manager " 'Canada Cement Company l Limited p.3U■33 Herald Bldg: _ ' (Montreal J 0 lam' RAISING POULTRY. The general purpose breeds of poultry, such as the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds and Orpingtons, should be kept on the farm, rather than small - egg breeds or small mongrel stock. It should also be remembered that the dark -plumaged varieties do not, as a rule, look as well when dress- ed as poultry of other colors. Usually more interest is taken with a flock of fowls that are of the same breed and color, and it is an established fact that such a flock produces a more uniform product, which invariably secures to the owner higher prices than can be derived from the product of a mon- grel flock. • As soon as the hatching season is over all male birds should be mar- keted, they having no influence whatever on the number of eggs laid, and eggs produced by flocks composed of females only keep much better than eggs from hens that are allowed to run with males. As soon as the cockerels weigh three-quarters of a pound, they should be penned for ten or twelve days and fed all they will eat of corn chop or wet mash composed of two parts cornmeal, one part bran and one part low -grads flour. If this mixture can he dampened with skim milk, it will add much to ibs fattening and bleaching quali- ties. Birds that are being fattened should be fed in troughs rather than in litter, as exercise ab this time is not conducive to rapid gains in weight. Tho birds should be kept as quiet as possible. Turkey poults are not especially hard to raise if they are from vig- orous stock and are properly taken .care of. Above all things else, don't overfeed them, sec that they are kept free from lice, keep them from getting web when small and matte them "rustle" for their living. To rid them of lice, should they become lousy, paint the bottom of a cloep box with liquid ]ice killer and put the poults into it, Cover the top of the box with a cloth, but be very careful not to smother tho birds. It is well to leave a part of the top uncovered, as the fumes of the lice killer are pretty strong. After they have been in the box for a short time, take them out and dust with some good lice powder. Eternal vigilance is the pries of success in turkey culture. 1' HOW THEY BEHAVED. A maid in a certain family was left in charge of the children while her mistress went for long drive. • ruin said to The ;nig-tress en her to the maid : "How +)xd the children behave during my absence, Caro- line? Well, I hope 1" "Beautiful - 1 . e� ly, rn'aslam,,, Caroline answered , "and ab the end they fought ter- ribly together," "Why did they fight1" the mother asked, "To do• side," said Caroline, "which was behaving the best."