turned and rode straight off to Gravesend. He was obliged to wait there an hour for a boat, and he made the best use of this time by baiting his mare. Then, crossing the water, he dashed across Essex full tilt to Chelmsford, where he rested half an hour and gave his horse some balls. Then he mounted again and dashed on to Bramborough, Booking, and Wetherfield; fast across the downs to Cambridge; quick by roads and across country he slipped past Godmanchester and Huntingdon to Fenny Stratford, where he baited the good mare and took a quick half-hour's sleep. Then once more along the north road until the cathedral grew up over the horizon larger, larger, and whizz he darted through York gate. In a moment he had led the jaded mare into an inn stable, snapped up some food, and in a fresh green velvet dress and gold lace strolled out gay and calm to the Bowling Green, then full of company. The Lord Mayor of the city happened to be there; Nicks sauntered up to him and asked him the hour. "A quarter to eight," said the Lord Mayor, graciously. "Your most obedient," returned Nicks, with a profound bow. Later, when Nicks was apprehended and tried for the Gadshill robbery, the prosecutor swore to the man, the horse, the place, and the hour, but Nicks brought the Lord Mayor of York to prove an alibi, and the jury promptly acquitted the resolute and sagacious thief. JOURNALISTIC enterprise has led to a curious in surance case in Paris. M. Henri Martin, chief editor of the " Courier de Lyon," was found dead in his room, hanging from a cord passed over a hook in the ceiling and attached to a dog-collar round his neck. His life was insured for 30,000 francs, which the insurance company refuses to pay on the ground that he committed suicide. He had, however, been publishing articles on the sci entific side of hanging, and was preparing one de scribing the sensations of a hanged man. The counsel for his family will contend that he was miking experiments on himself, and that his death was accidental. ONE day, while dining together, the French am bassador and a Grand Duke of Russia were dis cussing the cleverness of the pickpockets of their respective countries. The Grand Duke claimed that the Russian pick

pocket was the more skillful. Seeing the ambassa dor incredulous, he told him he would, without knowing it, be relieved of his watch before leav ing the table; He then telephoned to the head of the police to send at once the cleverest pickpocket he could lay his hands on. The man came and was put into liver)', and was told to wait at the table with the other servants. He was to give the Grand Duke a sign directly he had done the trick. But this was not given very soon, for the am bassador was very wary, and always kept on the alert, and held his hand on his fob, even when conversing with the most distinguished guests. At last the Grand Duke received the precon certed signal. He at once requested the ambas sador to tell him the time. The latter trium phantly put his hand to his pocket, and pulled out a potato instead of his watch. To conceal his feelings he would take a pinch of snuff —-his snuff-box was gone. Then he missed his ring from his finger, and his gold toothpick, which he had been holding in his hand in its little case. Amid the hilarity of the guests the sham lackey was requested to restore the articles; but the Grand Duke's merriment was changed into alarm and surprise when the thief produced two watches, two rings, two snuff-boxes, etc. His Imperial Highness then made the discovery that he himself had been robbed at the same time that the French ambassador had been despoiled so craftily.

CURRENT EVENTS. THE city of Birmingham now builds and runs its street railways, gas works, electric-light plant, watersupply plant and Turkish baths. It buys the food that is sold in the market of Birmingham and owns the market, selling the food itself. It builds houses for artisans and rents them. It owns and operates a farm, a printing establishment and a woolen mill. It is in the egg business and runs pawnshops. In 1871 the city had the reputation of being one of the dirtiest cities in Great Britain. To-day it is the cleanest and one of the best governed cities in the world. OF fifty-six cases of typhoid fever about one-third were said to be traceable to the eating of shell fish.