eetheart left behind.

* * * * *

HIGH JINKS AT HAPPY-THOUGHT HALL.

[_An inevitable article in any decent magazine at this time of the
year. Read it carefully, and then have an uproarious time in your
own little house._]

IT was a merry party assembled at Happy-Thought Hall for Christmas. The
Squire liked company, and the friends whom he had asked down for the
festive season had all stayed at Happy-Thought Hall before, and were
therefore well acquainted with each other. No wonder, then, that the wit
flowed fast and furious, and that the guests all agreed afterwards that
they had never spent such a jolly Christmas, and that the best of all
possible hosts was Squire Tregarthen!

But first we must introduce some of the Squire's guests to our readers.
The Reverend Arthur Manley, a clever young clergyman with a taste for
gardening, was talking in one corner to Miss Phipps, a pretty girl of
some twenty summers. Captain Bolsover, a smart cavalry officer, together
with Professor and Mrs. Smith-Smythe from Oxford, formed a small party
in another corner. Handsome Jack Ellison was, as usual, in deep
conversation with the beautiful Miss Holden, who, it was agreed among
the ladies of the party, was not altogether indifferent to his fine
figure and remarkable prospects. There were other guests, but as they
chiefly played the part of audience in the events which followed their
names will not be of any special interest to our readers. Suffice it to
say that they were all intelligent, well-dressed and ready for any sort
of fun.

(Now, thank heaven, we can begin.)

A burst of laughter from Captain Bolsover attracted general attention,
and everybody turned in his direction.

"By Jove, Professor, that's good," he said, as he slapped his knee; "you
must tell the others that."

"It was just a little incident that happened to me to-day as I was
coming down here," said the Professor, as he beamed round on the
company. "I happened to be rather late for my train, and as I bought my
ticket I asked the clerk what time it was. He replied, 'If it takes six
seconds for a clock to strike six, how long will it take to strike
twelve?' I said twelve seconds, but it seems I was wrong."

The others all said twelve seconds too, but they were all wrong. Can
_you_ guess the right answer?

Illustration: FIG. 1.--TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROFESSOR'S DELIGHTFUL STORY
OF THE BOOKING-CLERK'S ANSWER.

When the la