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"can't imagine why we made sucha _ drew me back into the room, then she "1 don't blame you," Oswald blunder. Merry Puts it just the way you do." : yh you, Mr. Merry." Dorcas turned to the actor with a grateful gmile.. "I am ready to go with you' any time to see Mrs, Volk." Dorcas had a new insight in Mer- ry's character when she found how his friends held him in esteem. There was not a touch, in Mrs, Billerwell's greeting, of hero worship or deference to eb, of who had won fame. It was merely a droll blend of loving de- votion and motherly tyranny. # Merry jumped to his feet when Mrs. Volk entered with Julie clinging shyly to her gown. Dorcas felt instantly a throb of sympathy and warm friend- ship. {- Merry had told her something of the pitiful story on the way up- town. "You said once, Miss Dorcas," he reminded her, "that you were never 80 happy as when you had some one to mother. Alice Volk needs mothering I doubt if she has a friend in the world except Mother Billerwell and myself. Mrs. Billerwell is pure gold, but Alice needs a woman like you." Half an hour later they waited on the platform of an L station for a downtown train. They had scarcely spoken since leaving the Harlem house. Merry realized how deeply the girl's heart had been stirred. = They entered the train and took a seat to- gether in silence. She sat gazing at the eity below. Then she turned suddenly. "Little Julie is to begin rehearsals to-morrow morning," she said. "The mother made only one condition; they are to be known under another name. She is in terror lest her husband finds them.' "That's all right, but do you think the child can play the small 'Corde- lia' 2" asked Merry anxiously. ' "You can do anything you wish with that child. She has a soul and sweet- ness, and she understands. There is something in her--we call it magnet- ism in older people--which will reach across the footlights and grip every man and woman in the audience. The child will help me wonderfully. Now 1. won't have to create a new 'Cordelia' when I come on the stage. My 'Cor- delia' is simply the little girl grown older and wiser, with more love for her father and a larger knowledge of life." "You understand perfectly." "You and I ought to understand 'Cordelia' if any one could." Dorcas sat ine silence while they rushed over the lighted city with its | insistent glimpses of sordid life, Mer- ry saw her chin tremble once and her eyes grow misty; then she spoke sud- denly: "She must have lived throagh awfl experiences." "Alive Volk has seen the very depths. She suffered more than mis- ery anl neglect; there was actual brutality. I 'knew her before Volk came into her life. - She played with the first New York company Iwas in. She was the gayest little creature theri you can imagine--a whimsical, laughing, care-free, happy child," "Gay!" Dorcas spoke ' neredulously. "The gaiety has gone." "It has been wrung out of her." "Iinever had a real woman friend except the sisters at the convent," said Dorcas. "I think Alice Volk and I will 'be friends. We can help each other." "Bach other? I had not thought of 'it in that way. Your friendship will mean a great deal to her. It is like reaching out a hand to 'ome one who ig drowning.' "Alice Volk is differ mt from any one I ever met. When little Julie ran out to speak to you, I followed her. The mother laid her hand on my arm, closed the door and »issed me, She did not say a word. Any other wo- man would have kissed me while I was saying 'Good-by,'--before you and Mrs. Billerwell. = She does unexpect- oor soul!" said Merry. The conductor entered, shutting the door behind him with' a crash, "Twen- ty-third street!" he called." mn "Let us get: off and have dinner somewhere," suggested the actor, uy want to talk to you--for hours." | ---- & 'CHAPTER XII. Dorcas and Merry paused foria mo- ment before a flight of steps which led up to what had once been a fine priv- ate residence. Its exclusive days were past; it was beckoning with all garish blaze of light to every passer by. Through the open door came strains from the overture to "William Tell." "What a queer place," said the girl" *"You can't realize its queerness un- til we are inside. The crowd that gathers here is as motley as any you find in New York." Dorcas ran lightly up the steps. The cafe, shabby and weatherlbeaten out-doors, was bizarre inside. At the farther end a daub of painted canvas attempted to create the 'illusion of sunlit fields. Against it rose a theat- vical apple tree. A hundred electric lights blazed inside crimson apples on its widespread branches. Under it, at a huddle of tables, people were din- ing vociferously. ' The place shriek- ed its antagonism to the civilized ceremony of feeding. Humanity dug its elbows into one another while it handled knives and forks, and scream- ed its conversation, The rooms reek- ed with a hundred odors of highly- seasoned food and tobacco smoke. It was a bewildering blend of light and smells and noise. Dorcas followed "w [ Merry through the labyrinth to "a small table in a silent corner, hedged about with palms. "1 come here time and again," con- fessed Merry after they were seated. "I love the place; the crowd is so in- teresting. People let themselves Joose in a coop like this; they enjoy life frankly." "1 should think they did." laughed gaily. Across the room a party of college lads were humming a ragtime song in utter inharmony to the orchestra's music. Corks were popping amid the rattle of "dishes 'And silver while Dorcas , laughter in a hundred tones, and the languages of all the old Latin races, were blended in the strange babel. "It's a droll little world," said Mer- » Dorcas pulled off her gloves and sat smoothing them between her fingers. "I remember," Andrew gazed about him in a reminiscent mood, "one sea- son Twas tied up with a summer pro- duction, and it was horribly lonesome in New York. There was not a soul in our company I wanted to fraternize with. Enoch was West. I used. to come here night after night and work myself into a light-hearted mood. I had apart I hated. I did not go on until the second act; so sometimes I stayed-here until half-past seven. The place waked me up. I got into a queer humor while watching people. Before it wore off I used to dash to the thea- tre, as one acts when you are over- powered with sleep, and try to get to bed 'before you go wide awake again, Usually I don't have to hammer my self into the disposition for ® work. When I am cast for some role that makes one fairly snort with impa- tience, it! is horribly hard to feel like it. If I get a human character, I love it.' "Like 'John Esterbrook?'" "Yes, like 'John Esterbrook'. Miss Dorcas," Merry went on eagerly. "I went tramping yekterday--alone. I found myself within sight of another state before I pulled up. I was-- heaven knows how many miles from anywhere, I thrashed things out with myself. I'm going to make 'John Es-. terbrook' the biggest thing that has struck New York in years." ; . "Dorcas laughed. She felt foolishly appy. Rm "I am so glad," she said. "It's up to me to do the best I can; Y, |M. de Reverdy, ry second At he! thoughts, you have said once, 1 believe "in you" remember"... 2.1 edo f Doe looked' at him with fast eyes land nodded, . "Go on believing: It's the oat] > thing. you ean do for me, and--for, Enoch." Their eyes made a compact though! grown er strange dishes med no word was spoken. They lingered ov that came od went.' Food seemed, n merely a circumstance, an excuse for rs: being alone and together. They felt: iS profitable, to. purchase curiously isolated, for the noise made Soil Requirements. a retreat for them as silence does. A. Spies sudden lull fell on the babel of sound. The orchestra, which had rested fora few minutes, began again--not one of | 81'V 08TH: ibs long overtures, but a prelude to the | BTOWIDE: florid 'music in an Italian opera. | lime, Through the murky atmosphere a woman's, voice shrilled out with rare sweetness, 'Doreas rose to her feet for a sec. ond, searching for the singer; then she seated herself with her back to the table. The crash of dishes, the rattle of silver, and the popping of corks continued, but tongues were' stilled excepb for one voice. It was singing the tremendous aria ffom "Frnani," The girl drew a long breath as the last note died away in- to silence then she turned eagerly Merry. ¢ "Who is she?" "I'll bell you in a minute." She turned again to look at the singer, who stood crushed into a nar- row balcony which was crowded" to discomfort by a piano and four mu- gicians. The woman was absurdly fat and absurdly gowned. Years ago, in the palmy days of a concert touf, she had swept upon the platform in a'rgbe of burnt orange velvet splashed gor- geously with silver lace and seintillat- ing embroidery. It had seen years of service, then grown tawdry, unfash- ionable, soiled, and grotesquely queer. It reminded Dorcas of the stately poor in the last stage of shabbiness. The woman's straw-colored hair was gath- ered into a ridiculous ponfpadour. Across the dining room, through mur- ky waves of tobacco smoke, the girl could see careworn wrinkles about the woman's eyes. The vivid scarlet of her cheeks was pitifully false, false as the whiteness of her vast, bare shoul- ders. Again she began to sing, some- thing which came thrilling from the wonderful throat with perfect colora- tura. She threw back her head and tilted her face till Dorcas saw only the profile. For one moment the gross lines disappeared; instead came & glimpse of beauty and picturesque- ness,a dignity which belonged to the days of youth and power, the royal days of a singer. But le lime, could not succeed. The plant seems unusually active in taking planifood from poor and rocky soils. = It needs alarger proportion of phosphoric acid and potash than of nitrogen, since large growth of straw is not desired go much as profuse bloom and early filling of seeds. Tae dir . : When to Plant. Under the most favorable condi tions, buckwheat will mature in 10 | weeks, but the average time is about 12 weeks. It does best when seeded late, but is very sensitive to cold and is killed by the first heavy frost. The aim should be to bring the crop to maturity just before frost. In the latitude of southern Néw York this means that the crop should be plant- ed about the first week in July. Buckwheat should be sown on land prepared as for corn. © It is an excel- lent crop to sow where corn has been planted, but where astand has not been secured. Best results are ob- tained where the land is plowed early, but fairly good results can be obtain- ed by sowing immediately after plow- ing if the land is well prepared. Buckwheat is usually seeded at the rade of three to five pecks per acre. If a drill is used and the seed is 'of goqd vitality, as little as three pecks may be sufficient if the soil is fertile. It is best to use a grain dmll, but good results can be secured by broad- casting the seed and harrowing it in. Three varieties of buckwheat are commonly grown--Japanese, Silver Hull and Common Grey, the first two being the most generally used. Jap- anese has a dark-colored seed, while the Silver Hull has a smaller seed, glogsy or silvery in appearance. These two varieties are of about equal value, when yields are considered. ments and the exceedingly short sea- | gon of growth, manure has not been buckwheat. © Fresh manure co suited To Tight | ag sandy and 'Because of its plantfood require- | found satisfactory as a fertilizer for| two. quarts of « qc with bran, and a little water; add little salt or sugar. Or give him = or higher, wipe him all over with: 'a | oatmeal gruel or barley water to drink Are You Interested In Winning the War? Hons : . : Help the Government by investing' a fow : thousand or a few hundred dollars in its new loan. : Ask us for particulars. for our services. ; ~ 0. H. Burgess & Company TRADERS BANK BUILDING TORONTO ' : We make no charge hai CANADA "" New Canadian War L.oaxx Let every good Canadian apply for every dollar he can afford. We will handle applications without any charge. Russian Wax Loan . $1,000 invested in these bonds will be Tepald 'on maturity by the Russian Government with what will produce in Canadian money spproximately $1,650, and a good half-yearly interest in the meantime. Both Bonds and Coupons can be cashed in Toronto. This is the safest and Jost, ligitimat great war Droits and occurs through the technical condition of 'change produced: by this war. - Write or telephone for circular oi ..... EDWARD CRONYN & CO.. ; 1 fully-explaining. Mini. Jp a larger percentage of nitrogen than it does of phosphoric acid, just 'the reverse of what buckwheat needs. ] For most profitable results on stony and sandy soils under normal condi- tions about 200 to 300 pounds of 'a fertilizer containing one to two per- ant their instruments closer together, coat panne nia, 1h 30 Swelve Decent indifferently as if it were pard of cent potash should be applied at wil every 'night's program. The pianists ¢ 'Seeding. On loam or other soils struck a few bars of some tinkling ! ih in organic matber, use less am- thing in a musical comedy, then the | nonia, Buckwheat, unlike. -othes singer began to sway her huge body: | oraing never' straightens after it There was no space for her feet 40 | gnee falls. Potash makes the stalks move. She sang to the accompani-| giro; d lodgi ment, but the physical effort made her strong and prevents lodging. = Under wheeze. The orchestra dashed into a tripping chorus, and the enthus- jasm of the guests waxed high. Cheers were intermingled with laughter and screams of derision. : "Qh!" cried Dorcas, "oh! the shame of it!" The room rang with an encore, then cane a shriek of command. "Dance!" shouted the group of students in a corner. "Qh!" cried Dorcas piteously. "oh! how can they do it?" : The musicians 'huddled themselves zer analyzing about one percent of ammonia, eight percent phosphoric acid and one percent potash may be substituted or the potash - may be omitted entirely in which case the phosphoric acid should be increased somewhat. : One grower says, "I like to raise (To be continued). rere A GETS BIG FAMILY PRIZE. |for which Ican buy fertilizer on .a > nd fi Parls Woman Raises 19 Children-- 20-day ote 20d pay for it out of, the, Seven Boys at Front, uckwheat blooms for three weeks Etienne * Lamy, member of the sor longer and the grain ripens as French Academy, has recently given unevenly. This often causes quite & $100,000 to found prizes for the largest loss during a wet harvest season or families among the peasants of from' early fro Phosphoric acid France. He has suffered more oritl-' avces grain to form hastens 7 cism for limiting his prizes to Catholic ¢ io Fence an tn and b Sudpl | families than praise for his generosity. ty, Dl Pa ian Rp As long ago as 1661, B Rots Jit astens ripening, thus s€ yi to be given A sure ordina ; deserving family in the city of Paris. : _ Thi is prize has just been awarded mm me. present abnormal conditions a fertili- | buckwheat because it is the only grain | ussian ex: §