Page:The Popular Magazine v72 n1 (1924-04-20).djvu/102

 "Oah, noa—there are six good reasons why"

"One's enough—and here it is!" said Salaman sharply, and read his note aloud—thus:

Kotman Dass looked startled.

"Veree dangerous villain, thatt man," he ejaculated. Then, as his singular brain worked on, despite his shock, he added:

"There are curious revelations in thatt letter."

"What revelations?" demanded Salaman.

"It shows that Sover is not at all first person killed by Dragour or his men and also that Dragour does not know yet that you are person who ransacked his piano-key hiding places. But you must be careful, dear Mister Chayne—you are in grave danger."

"So is Dragour," jarred Salaman.

Kotman Dass studied the angry eyes of the little man.

"Oah, yess, obviouslee thatt is so!" he murmured hastily and returned to his book.



HE United States government has discovered that there are so many "suckers" in this country determined to be robbed that it is warning everybody to refrain from being listed as a "sucker." Lists of suckers are sold for large sums of money in Chicago, Philadelphia and New York. They are purchased by men and firms who intend to do a little discreet pillaging by mail. The names listed are those of men and women who, by buying stock in fake corporations or by answering the "feelers" mailed out by crooked engineers of "ways to get rich quick," have proved that they can be separated from their savings.

A short while ago government attorneys were investigating five hundred cases based on complaints against individuals and firms using the mails to defraud. According to the charges of the victimized “suckers,” these five hundred cases represented a loss of more than $140,000,000 by the credulous public.

When government pursuit of a crooked firm gets too hot it sells its list of "suckers" to some other set of burglars-by-mail. If you don't want your name peddled around as an easy mark, don't mail an answer to the next letter you get promising to make you rich in six months. That is, don't do it before getting your banker's opinion of the "prospectus."



ARRIAGE seems to be becoming less popular in the United States than it was a few years ago. A smaller proportion of our people are taking the plunge and a larger proportion of those who have taken it are wishing that they hadn't. At least that is the story told by the marriage-and-divorce survey made by the census bureau. In 1922 there were 1,033 marriages to every 100,000 of population; in 1916 there were 1,055—a decrease of 2.09 per cent. In 1922 there were 136 divorces per 100,000 of population; in 1916 there were 112—an increase of 21.4 per cent. In 1922 there was one divorce to every 7.6 marriages; in 1916 one divorce to every 9.3 marriages. In 1922 Maryland had the highest marriage rate and North Dakota the lowest; Nevada the highest divorce rate and—with the exception of South Carolina—the District of Columbia the lowest.

South Carolina is the only State whose laws will not permit divorce on any grounds. Apparently the South Carolinians regard marriage as a real sporting proposition—a fight to a finish with a decision by the referee barred.