THE spice of life is what we like —

the variety pleases. So it is with. the short story. It has action and a plot quickly told. ST. NICHOLAS short stories for boys and girls are so well told that hundreds of mothers and fathers find them the best fiction that comes into the home. We cannot in this space begin to enumerate the stories we are to publish in the next twelve numbers of ST. NICHOLAS, but the following titles will suggest the quality and interest of the whole list:

A FALL FOR THE KING

Eric P. Kelly

A story of Poland in her ancient days of power and splendor, in which an old-time wrestling bout changes history for two hundred years. Told with the flavor of a Sienkiewicz tale.

PRUNIER TELLS ANOTHER

T. Morris Longstreth Prunier, marooned on an isle with a young bear, uses his knife in an unusual way, and brings about his rescue.

IN THE KNOB MOUNTAIN
TOWER

Merritt P. Allen

The way this boy outwits three bank robbers is as good as if he were Sherlock Holmes himself. This story will be followed by "The Master of the Hounds," in which horse thieves are brought to bay by a boy and his faithful pack of dogs, and a third by Mr. Allen will be "Barrels of Evidence."

THE KANGAROO

Florence Kerigan

An American boy, born abroad, comes home to school. His attempts at becoming acclimated to boarding-school ways are as awkward as the animal for whom he was nicknamed, but he comes out on top in an unusual fashion.

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ANY fathers and mothers read ST. NICHOLAS to keep up with their boys and girls. They don't want their children to "stump" them. And school-teachers are often "enlightened" on subjects of general or specific interest, and when they ask, "Where did you read that?" the answer is, "In ST. NICHOLAS, of course." Chief among the articles this year will be a series, "Uncle Sam's Adventurers," by Robert Forrest Wilson. These are stories of daring displayed by special agents of the Govern

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ment sent out on dangerous quests. They are as thrilling as fiction, yet every word is fact. Among the titles are: "Two Young Americans' Venture for Dates," "Schrader, the Intrepid," "The Cruise of the Bear," and "W. J. and the Brobdignagians." These sketches of Mr. Wilson's will awaken your respect for our public servants and your appreciation of the work they do for the common good.

Hildegarde Hawthorne, for years a favorite with ST. NICHOLAS readers, will favor us with more of her inspiring

papers. "Our Happiness Job," "Success and Failure," and "Saving Time" will appear in early numbers.

George B. Duren writes interestingly, and we have three articles from him on unusual subjects. "Smoke Chasers" tells of the work forest rangers do; "Dynamite Joe" pays a tribute to the road-maker; and "Sunnybank Collies" is the story of a visit to the famous kennels of Albert Payson Terhune, who has written about some of them in ST. NICHOLAS.

Paul Kearney has written a series of sketches for us on "The Boyhoods of Our Presidents," intimate glimpses into their early days, which are as interesting as they are unusual.

And some titles of other sketches are: "Our Friend the Dust," "How We Got Our Alphabet," "The Destroyers," and "What About Glass?"

In our NATURE AND SCIENCE pages each month, there are descriptions of the latest strides taken by science,

and inventors seem to walk in seven-league boots these days, - also interesting close-ups of nature in her unusual poses, and she's ever changing. Just some titles to whet your interest: "The Deer as a Jumper," "The Traveler's Tree," "Neptune the Thief," and "An Unpinelike Pine."

THE WATCH TOWER, too, must be mentioned on this page which deals with ST. NICHOLAS's penchant for informing while entertaining. In these five pages each month the WATCH TOWER editor gives a brief résumé of the important news, illustrated with the most interesting current views.