Arwavs in the forefront of things, Lady Polly Andry has the distinction of being the first Mayfair hanger-on to be fined for a breach of the black-out orders.
"It'might have happened to anybody," she bleated distressfully from her mews flat. "Nobody goes in our tiny pantry after dark, so I didn't have curtains, black paper or anything, Would you believe it? The window's less than a foot Square, but the policeman caught the phosphorescent glow of a couple of mackerel hanging for my tomorrow's breakfast, "Such a good-looking policeman, too, But wars war, and I shall know better in future, My sister and I both adore mackerel: so we're making dinky little black velveteen hoods for them from now on,"
N.B—Ask your fishmonger to supply you with regulation Turbot Togas, Burnouses for Bloaters and Mullet Mantillas, 8
And A Bottle of Rum REceNtLy we were privileged to visit the engine room of a battleship—an experience which scared the pants off us, writes a British columnist. We left with our head in a whirl, vaguely wondering if there was any money n a novel about a handsome young Naval engineer who loved his admiral's daughter.
Since then we have roughed out a short bit lo show to publishers Side by side they leant over the taffrail, listening to the lapping of the moonlit waters.
"A penny for your thoughts, Mr. Odd-castle,"
whispered at: last.
Miss Drussel-Axe-Drussel—er—Valeri controlling his voice with difficulty, "I was thinking of the double-acting air-pumps which are fixed to the high-pressure cylinders and crankshafts of the main engines."
The beautiful girl looked up at him proudly.
"Tell me more, Richard," she said ardently. "Tell me about the crank pins and brasses and the centrifugal lubricating gear and the cross-bead guides which, I understand, are forged in one piece with the piston-rods. I want to understand every little thing about your life, dear."
His strong arm encircled her waist and he drew her, unresisting, towards him.
"The engines are of the double-compound, horizontal type and drive twin screws!" he murmured passionately, kissing her sweet face.
"What is the indicated horse-power at 150 revolutions a minute?" she asked shyly.
"Nearly 4,000!" he exclaimed. "That gives a speed of approximately 20 knots! Will you marry me, darling?"
"I will, Richard!" she laughed gaily. "But only on condition that you show me the distilling condensers and screw-alley bilges!"
Hand in hand they went down the companionway—two fond hearts that now beat as one.
However, on second thoughts, we are inclined to think that there is no money in it. We shan't waste our time on battleships again,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.