QUES: Late on the next Sunday afternoon Gifford had gone for a country walk which he had arranged to bring him round in time for the evening service at the little village church of Wynford standing just outside the park boundary. His way took him by well-remembered field-paths which, although towards the end of his walk darkness had set in, he had no difficulty in tracing. The last field he crossed brought him to a by-road joining the highway which ran through Wynford, the junction being about a quarter of a mile from the church. As he neared the stile which admitted to the road he saw, on the other side of the hedge and showing just above it, the head of a man. At the sound of his footsteps the man quickly turned, and, as for a moment the fitful moonlight caught his face, Gifford was sure he recognized Gervase Henshaw. But he took no notice and kept on his way to the stile, which he crossed and gained the road. As he did so he glanced back. A horse and trap was waiting there with Henshaw in it. He was now bending down, probably with the object of concealing his identity, and had moved on a few paces farther down the road.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: How far was the junction from the park boundary?

QUES: Tim had always a red bike. His birthday party was coming up and he hoped that his parents would finally get him the bike. When his friends came over for the party, Tim was very worried that he wouldn't get the bike. He looked at all the presents and none of them seemed big enough to have a bike in them. Tim was sad. When it was time to open the presents he opened them one at a time. The first present was not a bike. The second present was not a bike. The third present was the biggest one. Tim knew if the bike was going to be in any of the presents it was going to be in this box. Tim opened it and there was no bike inside. Just as Tim tried not to look too upset, his Dad brought in the biggest present of them all. His Dad had been hiding the present all along. Tim opened it and his new bike was inside the box. Tim put the bike together with his Dad's help.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: How was Tim feeling right before he started opening presents?

QUES: If you beat a dog in Schuylkill County, you'll probably get a $100 fine. If you repeatedly beat a woman, you'll probably get the same fine. In 2001, county judges heard 98 Protection From Abuse cases, finding the defendant guilty in 48 percent of those cases, either after a hearing or through a technical violation or plea. Of those found guilty, the majority were ordered to pay court costs, plus a $100 fine. No defendants were ordered to pay more than a $250 fine for violating the court order. In 27 percent of the cases, the charges were dismissed or the defendant was found not guilty. In the rest of the cases, charges were withdrawn or the matter is not yet resolved. Sarah T. Casey, executive director of Schuylkill Women in Crisis, finds it disturbing that in most cases, the fine for violating a PFA is little more than the fine someone would get for cruelty and abuse toward an animal. "In most of the counties surrounding Schuylkill County, the penalties given for indirect criminal contempt are much stiffer than those in Schuylkill County," Casey said. "What kind of message are we sending those who repeatedly violate Protection From Abuse orders? That it's OK to abuse women in Schuylkill County, because you'll only get a slap on the wrist?" Under state law, the minimum fine for contempt of a PFA is $100; the maximum fine is $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Like others who are familiar with how the county's legal system does and doesn't work for victims of domestic violence, Casey believes some changes are in order. Valerie West, a manager/attorney with Mid-Penn Legal Services, with offices in Pottsville and Reading, regularly handles domestic violence cases. She finds fault with the local requirement that a custody order must be established within 30 days after a PFA is filed. West said she feels a custody order should be allowed to stand for the full term of the PFA - up to 18 months - as it does in many other counties in the state. "It places an undue burden on the plaintiff, in terms of cost, finding legal representation and facing their abuser - not to mention a further burden on the system to provide those services," West said. "It may be difficult for the parties to reach an agreement so soon after violence has occurred.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: How long does Valerie West suggest the custody order should last, and for whom does she work?

QUES: Billy and Sally are brother and sister. Billy is seven and Sally is eight. Their mother, Deborah, likes to have Billy and Sally dress up in costumes and play a game where they are answering the telephone. Usually when they play the game, Billy answers the telephone in a loud voice, and Sally answers the telephone in a quiet voice. On Tuesdays, Billy answers in a quiet voice, and Sally answers in a loud voice. On Fridays, Billy answers in a loud voice and Sally in a quiet voice. Billy has blonde hair. Sally has brown hair. Deborah has blonde hair, and Billy and Sally's father, Bob, has brown hair. He tells them to eat lettuce every time that he sees them, so that they grow big and strong like he is. Deborah likes to add some sugar with the lettuce so that Billy and Sally know what it is like to have sweet tastes in their life. One day, a Wednesday, Billy throws some lettuce into Sally's hair. Deborah laughs an grabs some straw from their farm and puts it in Billy's hair. Billy and Sally live on a farm. They have a goat, named Joey, and a duck, named Quack. They sometimes play a game with the goat where they chase him around the farm. Other times, they play a game with Quack where they wave at Quack and laugh. They have a fun life growing up on the farm.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION:
Who tells Billy and Sally to eat lettuce to grow up big and strong?