old lace has a charm for the fair."_

When William first became a Lieut.
R.N.V.R., in blue and gold,
Belinda smiled upon his suit
(Which formerly had found her cold);
His manly form and honest face,
She really liked them, I believe;
But, most of all, she loved the lace
Upon his sleeve.

Yet soon a rival courtier came--
A dashing dapper Lieut. R.N.;
And, as this paragon pressed his claim,
Oh, what could William hope for then?
How could a wobbly-braided swain
Vie with the actual Royal Navy,
Whose stripes were half as broad again
And straight, not wavy?

Then William swore (ah, Envy, ah!)
"Belinda _shall_ be mine, she SHALL!"
And wrote a note to his papa,
Who'd just been made an Admiral:--
"Father, now that you'll fly at sea
A two-balled flag in place of pennant,
What do you say to taking me
As flag-lieutenant?"

When William next waylaid his fair,
He had his glittering "aiglets" on;
Rope upon rope of gold was there,
And now his rival's look was wan;
He tried a bitter sneer, to greet
This "peacock preening in the sun";
But Miss Belinda thought them "sweet"....
And William won.

* * * * *

MR. PUNCH'S POTTED FILMS. THE AMERICAN THRILLER.

THE EXPLOITS OF JEMIMA ANN. 159th EPISODE.

[Illustration: Jemima Ann, entering her 200 h.p. car, is handed a
missive. Something suspicious in the appearance of the bearer determines
her to take it to her friend, Professor Macpherson, the distinguished
inventor.]

[Illustration: In the meantime news has been brought to the members of
the Scarlet Skull Gang that Macpherson has invented the most deadly
silent pistol ever constructed. Determined to get the secret of this
weapon, they proceed surreptitiously to his residence, taking with them
an adjustable periscope.]

[Illustration: Jemima Ann shows Macpherson the missive. While he is
explaining to her the construction of the new pistol she detects the
periscope. Macpherson continues his explanation, but makes a vital
change in the arrangement of the various parts of the weapon.]

[Illustration: The Scarlet Skull Gang, in their secret armoury,
construct a pistol from the information clandestinely obtained through
the periscope.]

[Illustration: Macpherson has advised Jemima Ann to keep the appointment
requested in the missive. He accompanies her to the corner, and then
bids her to proceed