the whole mile. Can you give the answer?


74.--THE BASKET OF POTATOES.

A man had a basket containing fifty potatoes. He proposed to his son, as
a little recreation, that he should place these potatoes on the ground
in a straight line. The distance between the first and second potatoes
was to be one yard, between the second and third three yards, between
the third and fourth five yards, between the fourth and fifth seven
yards, and so on--an increase of two yards for every successive potato
laid down. Then the boy was to pick them up and put them in the basket
one at a time, the basket being placed beside the first potato. How far
would the boy have to travel to accomplish the feat of picking them all
up? We will not consider the journey involved in placing the potatoes,
so that he starts from the basket with them all laid out.


75.--THE PASSENGER'S FARE.

At first sight you would hardly think there was matter for dispute in
the question involved in the following little incident, yet it took the
two persons concerned some little time to come to an agreement. Mr.
Smithers hired a motor-car to take him from Addleford to Clinkerville
and back again for £3. At Bakenham, just midway, he picked up an
acquaintance, Mr. Tompkins, and agreed to take him on to Clinkerville
and bring him back to Bakenham on the return journey. How much should he
have charged the passenger? That is the question. What was a reasonable
fare for Mr. Tompkins?