which started
during the previous 2 hours, _i.e._, all which started at the
commencements of 20 periods of 15 minutes each; and she is right in
striking out the one she met at the moment of starting; but wrong in
striking out the _last_ train, for she did not meet this at the
terminus, but 15 minutes before she got there. She makes the same
mistake in (2). FINANCIER thinks that any train, met for the second
time, is not to be counted. I. W. T. finds, by a process which is not
stated, that the travellers met at the end of 71 minutes and 26-1/2
seconds. KATE B. thinks the trains which are met on starting and on
arriving are _never_ to be counted, even when met elsewhere. Q. Y. Z.
tries a rather complex algebraical solution, and succeeds in finding the
time of meeting correctly: all else is wrong. SEA-GULL seems to think
that, in (1), the easterly train _stood still_ for 3 hours; and says
that, in (2), the travellers met at the end of 71 minutes 40 seconds.
THISTLEDOWN nobly confesses to having tried no calculation, but merely
having drawn a picture of the railway and counted the trains; in (1),
she counts wrong; in (2) she makes them meet in 75 minutes. TOM-QUAD
omits (1): in (2) he makes Clara count the train she met on her arrival.
The unsigned one is also unintelligible; it states that the travellers
go "1-24th more than the total distance to be traversed"! The "Clara"
theory, already referred to, is adopted by 5 of these, viz., BO-PEEP,
FINANCIER, KATE B., TOM-QUAD, and the nameless writer.

The 11 half-right answers are from BOG-OAK, BRIDGET, CASTOR, CHESHIRE
CAT, G. E. B., GUY, MARY, M. A. H., OLD MAID, R. W., and VENDREDI. All
these adopt the "Clara" theory. CASTOR omits (1). VENDREDI gets (1)
right, but in (2) makes the same mistake as BO-PEEP. I notice in your
solution a marvellous proportion-sum:--"300 miles: 2 hours :: one mile:
24 seconds." May I venture to advise your acquiring, as soon as
possible, an utter disbelief in the possibility of a ratio existing
between _miles_ and _hours_? Do not be disheartened by your two friends'
sarcastic remarks on your "roundabout ways." Their short method, of
adding 12 and 8, has the slight disadvantage of bringing the answer
wrong: even a "roundabout" method is better than _that_! M. A. H., in
(2), makes the travellers count "one" _after_ they met, not _when_ they
met. CHESHIRE CAT and OLD MAID get "20" as answer for (1), by forgetting
to strike out the train met on arriva