was the first to get at the heart of the mystery. What was
his solution?

53.--HEARD ON THE TUBE RAILWAY.

First Lady: "And was he related to you, dear?"

Second Lady: "Oh, yes. You see, that gentleman's mother was my mother's
mother-in-law, but he is not on speaking terms with my papa."

First Lady: "Oh, indeed!" (But you could see that she was not much
wiser.)

How was the gentleman related to the Second Lady?

54.--A FAMILY PARTY.

A certain family party consisted of 1 grandfather, 1 grandmother, 2
fathers, 2 mothers, 4 children, 3 grandchildren, 1 brother, 2 sisters, 2
sons, 2 daughters, 1 father-in-law, 1 mother-in-law, and 1
daughter-in-law. Twenty-three people, you will say. No; there were only
seven persons present. Can you show how this might be?

55.--A MIXED PEDIGREE.

Joseph Bloggs: "I can't follow it, my dear boy. It makes me dizzy!"

John Snoggs: "It's very simple. Listen again! You happen to be my
father's brother-in-law, my brother's father-in-law, and also my
father-in-law's brother. You see, my father was--"

But Mr. Bloggs refused to hear any more. Can the reader show how this
extraordinary triple relationship might have come about?

56.--WILSON'S POSER.

"Speaking of perplexities--" said Mr. Wilson, throwing down a magazine
on the table in the commercial room of the Railway Hotel.

"Who was speaking of perplexities?" inquired Mr. Stubbs.

"Well, then, reading about them, if you want to be exact--it just
occurred to me that perhaps you three men may be interested in a little
matter connected with myself."

It was Christmas Eve, and the four commercial travellers were spending
the holiday at Grassminster. Probably each suspected that the others had
no homes, and perhaps each was conscious of the fact that he was in that
predicament himself. In any case they seemed to be perfectly
comfortable, and as they drew round the cheerful fire the conversation
became general.

"What is the difficulty?" asked Mr. Packhurst.

"There's no difficulty in the matter, when you rightly understand it. It
is like this. A man named Parker had a flying-machine that would carry
two. He was a venturesome sort of chap--reckless, I should call him--and
he had some bother in finding a man willing to risk his life in making
an ascent with him. However, an uncle of mine thought he would chance
it, and one fine morning he took his seat in the machine and she started
off well. When they were up about a