Belt Valley times., 1925-07-09

Ill
Janet Church, tired of standing by
herself and very curious to know
what was going on, edged slowly to
ward the table at which Tommy wal
sitting. The king, who has very
sharp eyes, noticed her.
by the way" he said, ''why did
you bring your aunt with you? Cas-
imir tells me that she's your aunt.
suppose she Is your aunt2 / used
TO say cousin myself sometimes, and
occasionally sister-not that any one
ever believed me but l never
thought OF aunt. / suppose now that
she isn't-but she can't be, can't pos
sibly be. But still some men have
queer fancies. suppose she isn't
Miss Temple. Is shefs
'No. she's not" said Tommy.
That's almost a pity" said the
king. Il don't think Calypso would
have objected to her. / don't think
even the patriarch would have mind
ed. However, II she Isn't"
He had to drop his voice at the
last words for Janet had come quite
close TO them. The king greeted her
In the most friendly manner.
''I'm just giving your nephew
little advice" he said. Il was talk
ing about the financial position Of
Lystria. Low rate of exchange and
all that, you know. But the worst
of 1t is that the people simply won't
pay their taxes. At least. they
wouldn't In my time. Ever since
I've been here I've been thinking
things over and l see now that /
went the wrong way about collect
ing taxes. All governments make the
same mistake. They send round dis
agreeable men with large blue pa
pers and threaten people who don't
pay up. That's the wrong way to
get money. AS head walter In the
Mascotte make more In a single
month than ever got out OF Lystria
In a year. / don't threaten any one.
/ don't ask any enc feF@a tip A
good waiter can make a man feel like
a worm II he orders anything cheap |
er than champagne, and without |
speaking word can see to II that
he gets a ten per cent tip at least on
every bill that's paid. / take fifty
per cent of what the walters get
That's revenue, collected without the
sllghtest difficulty. What I'm ad-
vising your nephew to do Is to try
the same plan In Lystria. Fire all
the existing tax collectors. They're
an utterly worthless lot, and their
are antlquated. Hire
stan Of walters from some place like
this Employ them on a ffty-fifty
basis, and just see what you get In.
Now what do you think Of that plan,
Miss TempleT'
MY name Isn't Temple" said
Tanet IT'S"
"Of course not" said the king.
Norheys told me It wasn't"
Its Church. Miss Janet Church"
She spoke stifrly. Her impression
vas that the king was very drunk
ead walter.
Church." said the king. "How
cry ecclesiastical And Norheys .
ays he's a curate. You ought to be
BILE to handle the patriarch between
ou."
I'm going to Lystria,g . said Janet,
to enlist the patriarch's sympathIes
i the cause Of World Peace Through J.
le Union Of Christian Churches"
The king looked at her for a mo- =
Ient with q little puzzled fFewn on :
Is forehead. Then he turned 20 !
ommy. !
Il must say you're managing this \
WELL" he said. IF you :,
IN start the patriarch arguing about :
iligion, he'll forget It's an extraor- !
nariiy ingenious plan wlsh I'd Z
ought Of II In my time. But then =
never had an aunt who could have q
me IL. ! wish / could be there.
les Church. I'd like 20 hear you :,
id the patriarch at 1t together. But )
can't 90. They'd never let me
ess the frontier Besides, must q,
Id ON to my jOb here. It's all =
we 70 live on" -
Janet turned away. Drunken head
liferm who babbled neither amused ~,
Z Interested her. She Ieff the room 4
tn great dignity Half an hour =,
.er. after receiving great deal - -
,re good adNice. Tommy manax xed =, -
set on and SO back to his hotel. ns
CHAPTER Y ~