CHAPTER II.

WHIMS.

"Come, Sylvia, it is nine o'clock! Little slug-a-bed, don't you mean to get up to-day?" said Miss Yule, bustling into her sister's room with the wide-awake appearance of one to whom sleep was a necessary evil, to be endured and gotten over as soon as possible.

"No, why should I?" And Sylvia turned her face away from the flood of light that poured into the room as Prue put aside the curtains and flung up the window.

"Why should you? What a question, unless you are ill; I was afraid you would suffer for that long row yesterday, and my predictions seldom fail."

"I am not suffering from any cause whatever, and your prediction does fail this time; I am only tired of everybody and everything, and see nothing worth getting up for; so I shall just stay here till I do. Please put the curtain down and leave me in peace."

Prue had dropped her voice to the foreboding tone so irritating to nervous persons whether sick or well, and Sylvia laid her arm across her eyes with an impatient gesture as she spoke sharply.

"Nothing worth getting up for," cried Prue, like an aggravating echo. "Why, child, there are a hundred pleasant things to do if you would only think so. Now don't be dismal and mope away this lovely day. Get up and try my plan; have a good breakfast, read the papers, and then work in your garden before it grows too warm; that is wholesome exercise and you've neglected it sadly of late." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was waking up Sylvia?
2. Who is she?
3. What time was that?
4. Where were they at that time?
5. Does she believe in much sleeping?
6. What Sylvia turned her face away from?
7. Through what?
8. Were there curtains?
9. Who put them aside?
10. Was her sister reluctant to get up?
Answer: 1. Miss Yule
2. her sister
3. nine o'clock
4. her sister's room
5. no
6. light
7. the window.
8. yes
9. Prue
10. Yes

The old camera Brownie picked up in a charity shop was a splendid find. But the undeveloped film still inside turned out to be even more of a treasure.

New owner Don Roccoforte had it developed and saw in it an attractive dark haired woman in her thirties with two young boys. He immediately determined to try to find out who they were.

A few weeks later the California-based camera collector received the news that left him _ . The woman was his wife Jaqueline's aunt in a picture taken around 50 years ago, and one of the boys, her cousin.

The couple have now unraveled the astonishing coincidence, which leads back to Mrs. Roccoforte's native Lancashire, where many of her family still live. The camera was bought from a shop in Preston, England by Brownie, a friend of Mr. Roccoforte, who knew of his interest in photography and thought it would be an unusual gift.

Back in California, the contents of his new possession inspired Mr. Roccoforte's curiosity. Recognizing the water in the background of the photo as a lake in Lancashire, he sent a copy to the local paper in Preston to see if any readers could help.

Another relative recognized the group as Winnie Bamber, still living in the area at the age of 81, her son Tony, Mrs. Roccoforte's cousin, and Tony's childhood friend, Mick Murphy.

Yesterday Mrs. Bamber was still gasping at the turn of events which has reunited two strands of her family. She said she remembered taking the boys to the lake and losing the camera. The two boys, both now 58, still live near Preston.

Mrs. Roccoforte's father is Winnie Bamber's brother, Billy Charnley. He and his wife moved to America in the 1960s. Their daughter met Mr. Roccoforte there and they married and moved to Preston for two years before returning to America. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What was found in the thrift store?
2. What surprise was there in it ?
3. How was it described?
4. Who found the camera?
5. Who is Don Roccoforte?
6. Did he recognize the people in the developed photo?
7. What was he going to do about that?
8. Was he able to?
9. How long did it take to find out?
10. What was fascinating about who was in the picture?
11. What body of water was in the photo?
12. Located where?
13. Had he seen the lake before?
14. Who did he send the photo to?
15. Are the people in the photo still alive?
16. How did the camera end up in a shop?
17. Who lost the camera?
Answer: 1. old camera
2. undeveloped film
3. an attractive dark haired woman in her thirties with two young boys
4. Brownie
5. New owner
6. No
7. He immediately determined to try to find out who they were.
8. unknown
9. A few weeks
10. The woman was his wife Jaqueline's aunt in a picture taken around 50 years ago, and one of the boys, her cousin.
11. a lake
12. Lancashire
13. Yes
14. the local paper in Preston
15. Yes
16. The camera was bought from a shop in Preston, England
17. Mrs. Bamber

(CNN) -- Some long-time Cuba watchers expressed skepticism Tuesday over a report by a former Mexican foreign minister that Communist leader Raul Castro removed two top-ranking officials earlier this month because they were plotting to overthrow him with the support of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Fidel Castro, beset by illness, ceded power to his younger brother, Raul, pictured, last year.

Jorge G. Castaneda, who served as Mexico's foreign minister from 2000 - 2003, wrote in the March 23 issue of Newsweek, which became public Saturday, that Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Lage Davila and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque were concerned that Raul Castro would make concessions that would betray the 50-year-old Cuban Revolution.

"For at least a month or so, Lage, Perez Roque and others were apparently involved in a conspiracy, betrayal, coup or whatever term one prefers, to overthrow or displace Raul from his position," Castaneda wrote. "In this endeavor, they recruited -- or were recruited by -- Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who in turn tried to enlist the support of other Latin American leaders, starting with Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic, who refused to get involved."

The Venezuelan Embassy in Washington did not answer a verbal and written request for comment.

The Dominican Republic Embassy in Washington did not answer telephones calls at various numbers.

Robert Pastor, who served as a Latin America National Security adviser for President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s, returned Saturday from a weeklong visit to Cuba.

Pastor said he wrote Castaneda a letter upon his return expressing his disbelief in Castaneda's contentions. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who is Raul Castro?
2. Who was the president of Venezuela?
3. Who plotted to overthrow Castro?
4. When was Castaneda a foreign minister?
5. How long was the conspiracy?
6. Who was Raul's brother?
7. Who did Chavez attempt to get support from?
8. Like who?
9. From where?
10. Did he help?
11. Who wrote a letter to Castaneda?
Answer:
1. a communist leader
2. Hugo Chavez
3. Lage, Perez Roque
4. 2000 - 2003
5. at least a month
6. Fidel Castro
7. other Latin American leaders
8. Leonel Fernandez
9. the Dominican Republic
10. no
11. Robert Pastor