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Show HI SDort Story of fl)e Day. J CYNTHIA'S POLITICS. of the nation is either fifteen hundred thousand millions or fifteen thousand millions or fifteen hundred millions you ars not qaite sure which. I am glsd to know that," she added kindly. "And now, why don't the Government stop It?" "Perhaps they can't." I said. "Perhaps "Per-haps they won't. How would you stop it?" Cynthia frowned thoughtfully. "I should put such a heavy tax on all beer and spirits," she said, "that nobody would ever buy any more." "Then you would ruin all the publicans publi-cans and brewers." I said. "I shouldn't mind that," replied ths heartless Cynthia. "Besides, they could keep tea places." "And the country wouldn't get Its revenue." I went on: "and there is a heavy duty already." "Is there?" "Yes." said I. plunging boldly Into more figures for I felt sure Cynthia would never be able to find me out here, even If I was wrong. "When I go Into the city and pay eight pence for a whisky end soda five pence of that is the tax." We were having breakfast. Cynthia gave a wriggle from behind her morning morn-ing paper. I was reading rather an Important Im-portant letter and for a moment made no sign of having noticed. Cynthia laid her paper down and I saw that her cheeks were quite flushed. "This Is a horrid government," she said. "It is." I assented. ' and indeed I do think that It might be Improved upon. "Explain to me all about the licensing licen-sing laws," said Cynthia, with appalling appall-ing suddenness. "My dear." I answered hurriedly, "it is a very complicated subject, and I don't know whether you would understand" under-stand" "I know, of course, I am very stupid," replied Cynthia, sweetly, "but if you were to put it simply in words of one syllable perhaps " "My darling child." I Interrupted, "another time" "No, I don't want to be your darling child, at least not now," said Cynthia; "you were saying the other day that women ourht to take an interest In "Oh!" said Cynthia; then, after a pause. "Do you often get whiskies and sodas in the city, dearest?" "No." said I. hastily, "never! That was a figure of speech." "Well," averred Cynthia, "I should make it all tax." politics, and I sm going to begin. I've got a splendid plan. Every morning at breakfast you shall expound to me In a few well-chosen words some pressing problem of the day" (here Cynthia balanced her teaspoon on the end of her forefinger and looked at me from under un-der her long eyelashes.). "Please pass the butter." she ended rather suddenly. "The question of the licensing laws." J began, taking a vicious dig at my egg. "Is very involved and ahem complicated." com-plicated." "You said that before," said Cynthia. "Tea or coffee, dear?" "And requires." I went on. frowning down this interruption, "subsidiary Investigations In-vestigations Into such side Issues as Local Veto (81r William Harcourt, you know," I explained), "tied houses and and things like that." "Thank you. dear." said Cynthia. For aeveral minutes she stirred her tea In a contemplative way and the only sound In the room was the gentle swish of the. liquid and the crunching of the sugar' against the sides of the cup. I cleared my throat "Look here. Cynthia," Cyn-thia," I eaid boldly. "I think it would be better if you were to ask me questions ques-tions Instead of my trying to. tell you all I know In a sort of lecture." Privately Pri-vately I doubted whether that would take so very long. "Ah," cried Cynthia, Impulsively, "that will be best. Now. first of all. dear, we drink dreadfully, don't we? I don't mean you and me," she ungrammatically ungram-matically explained, "but the people." "Yes." I replied, trying to remember something I had read, "the drink bill of the nation amounts to fifteen thousand million pounds per head per annum." Cynthia shuddered, as well she might. "No. no." I corrected myself hastily, "not per head, of course, but" (I tried to be Impressive) "fifteen hundred thousand millions. I mean fifteen hundred hun-dred mllll I am not. quite sure of the figures, but at any rate it's a very great deal. How hot this tea is." I was feeling feel-ing rather warm myself. "Thank you." said Cynthia, recapitulating recapitu-lating the Information I had given her la clear, ringing tones. "The drink bill I did not stop to consider this brilliant proposal in its different bearings. "You see," I eaid, "if the Government were to put an excessive duty on these things their revenue would fall off." "They oughtn't to mind that." said Cynthia. "I'm afraid we don't argue like that In politics," I answered. "Then politics are very wicked," said Cynthia, severely. "And now," she went on, placing her finger on a column of the paper and puckering her forehead, "hasn't this Government Just done something for temperance?" "Well." I said, "they have passed a bill which means there will not be quite so many public houses" (I thought it best to use very general terms this time), "but the publicans snd brewers are very angry and so the Government are beginning to be frightened and want to back out of it." "How dreadfully mean!" said Cynthia, Cyn-thia, Indignantly. I looked at ray watch and rose from the table. "Time to be off." I said. While Cynthia had gone for my coat I hastily consulted a work of reference. "By the way," I remarked nonchalantly, nonchalant-ly, as she held the coat for me, "I find I was wrong about that national drink bill, it Is about one hundred and fifty millions." "O," said Cynthia, "then It Isn't fif-teen fif-teen hundred thousand millions, or fifteen fif-teen thousand millions or " "No." I Interrupted, "I knew It began with a one and a five." I added rather weakly. I put one arm Into my coat. "I must remember all you tell me." said Cynthia, Cyn-thia, with pretty dutlfulness. "Let me see, one hundred and fifty millions, and when other people get an eight penny whisky and soda In the city you pay five pence tax." "Yes I mean no." I said, struggling Into my coat. "They pay the tax. of course." "Of course," said Cynthia, X took my hat and escaped Into the street Black and White. |