Chelsea; October 30th, Roxbury Latin; November 12th, Hyde Park;
November 20th, Roxbury High; November 22d, Newton High.

Hyde Park High--October 18th, Roxbury Latin at Hyde Park; November
1st, Dedham High at Dedham; November 7th, Chelsea High at Chelsea;
November 12th, Somerville High at Somerville; November 15th,
Newton High at Newton; November 23d, Roxbury High at Franklin
Park.

Newton High--October 11th, Roxbury High at Newton; October 25th,
Dedham High at Newton; November 1st, Chelsea High at Chelsea;
November 8th, Roxbury Latin at Newton; November 15th, Hyde Park at
Newton; November 22d, Somerville High at Somerville.

The winner of the series meets the tail-ender of the Senior League to
determine whether or not they shall exchange places next season.

THE GRADUATE.

[Illustration: STAMPS]

This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin
collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question
on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should
address Editor Stamp Department.

The dull season just ended has been extremely interesting from the fact
that a large number of stamps have been advancing in value by leaps and
bounds. So many new collectors have come into the field that the supply
of scarce and rare stamps has been much smaller than the demand. This
has been the case especially in unused U.S. stamps to such a degree that
dealers have refused to sell, calculating that they would make more
money by holding off. The Department stamps have scored the greatest
advance. The Executives, sold a few years ago for $4 or $5 per set,
command $25 to $30 to-day. The Justice set, which could be bought for $8
or $10 a set, are difficult to find at $80 or $90. Even the despised
Interior, worth formerly 75c. to $1 per set, now bring $5 to $6. A fine
set of State formerly owned by the writer, and sold for $40 in 1891,
changed hands the other day at $250.

In a word collectors with money--bankers, merchants, noblemen, and even
royalties--have greatly increased in numbers during the past three
years, whereas there are no more unused U.S. stamps to-day than
formerly. Indeed, there are fewer stamps on the market, as there is a
constant destruction of old albums and collections, through fire, water,
and carelessness.

Used stamps are not appreciated to as great an extent as unused, as the
great demand ha