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TRAGEDY

box. It was not very long in coming through, and much to his relief he heard the very voice he had longed for so much, these last few days. He did not hesitate any longer-he poured out all his troubles. It would have sounded a most alarming collection of events to the telephone operator had she been `listening in'; for he did not mince matters. His tale lost nothing in the telling. He drew, with a skilful hand, a picture of his terror of the unknown fate which awaited him. Had he seen the face of the man at the other end he might have been a lot more restrained than he was.
" And the Queen is due next week, too," he finished up. " I don't think I can face anything more. If you cannot think of something to help me I am going to confess."
" Are you, my friend," thought the man at the other end of the wire as he gritted his teeth. "We, shall see about that." His eyes glittered dangerously. "Wait till the races are over," he said soothingly. "You have managed two days of them already-we ought to be able to meet on Sunday or Monday and fix everything up satisfactorily. Think of the prize my boy-let that encourage and inspire you!"
Gradually he managed to calm the excited youngster at the other end of the wire-and gained, in this way, an armistice with time in a battle of wits.
The two boys put in a fairly quiet day on the Sunday after the races ; and spent most of the time lazing about in a punt with Veronica wielding the pole. They were feeling a certain amount of reaction from the strenuous life of full training ; though they had both pretty successfully broken all laws regarding that on Saturday night at the 'Bump Supper.' As they thought about it now, they could not help laughing, even, though their heads were a bit sore ("Serves you both