The Aberystwith Observer

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.] LADY EASTON'S SECRET OR THE WHEEL OF CIRCUMSTANCE. BY LILIAN QUlLLER-COUCH. I (Author of Man," A Spanish Maid," The Romance of Every Day," etc.) CHAPTER XIII.—MADAME SUD. In the days which followed, Arthur Easton z!l knew that he had :begun to desire passionately something more than the outer shell of hisi life's regard. "W(hisle h,e had' thought her heart-free- he had not realised the growing strength of his feelings towards her; he had not realised anything hut that it was increas- ingly pleasant, to have her near him. But now To have married a woman whose heart was not free To have bound her with chains, and nlade torture for himself also— The distress which seemed veritably to tear at his heart was not mere anger, or jealousy, or outraged honour. Even .in his pain he was just enough to admit that he had no right to complain. He Imd urged Evelyn to marry him, and he had made no (stipulations as to her con- duct either before or after the marriage. But in his torture of dread and suspense, and under the blow of this sudden awakening, the pain of inevitable, relentless loss and Wrangled hopes seemed for the time at least to swallow up all else. OLlbwardy he was quiet; but in his heart the Passing days brought only increased distress. Evelyn was- in his home, he met her daily no word hud 'been spoken to account for any al- tered manner since the night. or the dinner-, party hut the very atmosphere of the house had 'become charged with depression.And yet not, in hie inmost heart did he accuse her of I wrong-doing. Over and over again as his confused thoughts tried to see the facts—the very few, poor little facts—clearlv, he came to some. such conclusion kA,s' that Evelyn and Poldare had met .and loved ^une time ago, but that money had been des'- perately necessary fo both of them. Then Pol- dare had won Cecilv Mount; Evelyn had been "NOll by his own bribe of three hundred pounds a. year. Each had gone his, and her. own way, ond then Fate by a hideous trick had tmown them together at one another's very door*. The explanation was terribly simple it must be -some s'uch explanation. But what would be the end of it? Arthur could see only pain, pain, pain for them and for himself. Evelyn noticed her husband's changed man- ner, she could not fail to do so. Try .a.s he would to go on in their first pleas-ant s.pirit of friendliness, the ring had gone out from ms voice, the. light from his eyes. His attention to her was unfailing, but it iwas grave with a (inite new gravity. ''He is regretting," she told herself wit a a linking heart. He has met her -again, 'and finds that the love is not dead, or—he ,i.s .suspicious. So things went on during the days before Christmas.' Outwardly they met their neigh- bours, and took part in .such few gatherings as they eared for, in view of the late Lord East- 011 is -recent, death. But in their home an at- Oiosphere of estrangement was- taking the place °f their first gradually growing intimacy. Among the neighbours who found their way most often to the Towers in these days, was Lady Poldare. It -seemed as if she failed to see that, neither husband nor wife was very cordial to her. 'Life at Hurley was dull, lonely, mon- otonous, she said, and Poldare had always .some new excuse to bring forward why they should not go. to London for Christmas, -so .she airily Pegged them to save her from boredom. To enliven her days, presumably, she m- "I' Sivu-1 ami '-le-aeea her intimacy wllij mnuaun, UUH, J frequently brought iter in her train when she came to call on Lady Ea.st.on..Nether Evelyn nor Arthur liked the Frenchwoman. Arthur < declared to his wife that. the sight of her made him feel insular. And Evelyn hereslf felt an 'ustinctive shrinking from the dark, keen eyes, and the large white hands of Madame Such During these visits it wasi Cecily's ■choice to monopolise Arthur, if he were present; and her moods vari-ed from alluring seductiveness to waspish anger. To all of these variations, Ar- thur offered an unvarying cold politeness, which resulted in kindling such a fire of mingled love and hate in her heart that at times sue came "ear to striking him with her own, denched fists, and it was by an effort she kept t ie 1 e gloved hands gripped within her ,sable muff. Then, for relief she would look towards Evelyn -7-Evelyn in the toils of the urbane Mau-auie Sud, who, full of a quiet, and apparentcere- thirst for information about all things English, plied. Lady Easton .with such questions as would have passed the limits -of her patience, had the nttestioiier not been cufcreigner—and so obvious- 1y innocent, Madame Bud, indeed, seemed quite tobüre entered into the spirit of life in the country. She was quietly interested in everything, and Evelyn seldom walked or drove, or roc-e 01 motored, without meeting the newcomer on the road. Madame was mud) the better for ihc change of air, she said, and w a. particu- larly pleased to be within motoring reach of the sea she would have liked a le.s- misy sea- s'de town than Seagness, she admitted; nit 'Viignos# WG6 very beautiful notu itli^ttincung. At Christmas-time Cassius Cheritan w:i,s in_ vited to Easton Towers, and sent a cheery, ,glad letter in reply. rn I will come," he wrote. because at Chris,- 'nas-time the ideal house should hold the taimty party, -and I'm your 'family party.' 1 will come because I have been entrusted with ii most- 'ecret, important, dangerous, absorbing, entic- ing piece or work to do, which needs a fairly constant attendance at Seagness; and Easton Towers lies nearer to .Seagness than London does. And. third 1 v. T will come because I want very much to come, and perhaps you will let me help you." Cassius 'when he wrote those last words, may have been thinking only of Christmas decora- tions, or of carving a. side-dish at the annual tenants' dinner. But m they read Ü, both Evelyn and Arthur experienced ,a sense or com- fort. Cassius was so strong, .so clear-headed, so cheerful and so hopeful; it seemed as if he must be able to make things better than they were at present at the Towers. One thing, however, Cassiue did mot like when he arrived ,H..t the Towers—he did not 'ike the presence of Madame Sud. He came upon her having tea alone with Evelyn in her boudoir on Christmas Eve, and he flattered himself that as he entered Evelyn looked up with relief in her eyes. This fact- made him look with interest at the tail, heavily-built woman who spoke in low, slew tones. with a foreign accent, 'and the face which confronted him, displeased him, and set his brain working in a, maze of faint cross-recollections. "Who is that 'foreign body'?" he asked Ar- thur later on as they sat smoking together in t.he library. "Where did you see a foreign body?'asked Arthur in his turn. "In Lady Eastern's boudoir, drinking tea,, at five o'clock, when I arrived." "Oh, that's Madame Sud, an old friend of- of Lady Poldare." Of Lady Poldare Not much in Lady Pol- dare's style, I should think. Madame Sud is she Did you ever ,henroT her as Lady Pol- 'friend before ? Arthur Easton flushed slightly at this impli- cation of his earlier intimacy with Lady Pol- dare. "Well, no, I don't remember the name," he admitted. "IBut you seem r,atliex over-curi- ous, old fellow, about a very harmless matter." Well, the lady somehow looked a bit out of place down here in the innocent country," he laughed; and then, with a wrinkle of thought- over his nose, he added, half to himself, "I can't think who it is .she reminds me of, or where I've seen her before I wish I could re- member." "Now, don't you get spending your Christ- mas in playing detective to your own back numbers," smiled Easton, "or trying to trac-e your own vagrunt fancies. You are here to do some hard work with your hands and feet, car- ing at the servants' Christmas suppe.r, and dancing with the housekeeper. You can let your brain herallow for a few days." But in spite of his 'host's advice, Cassius- did not let his brain lie fallow. I shan't have any peace of my silly mind," he said to himself that night, (1.S with a whimsical smile he paced his room, his hands thrust deep in his pockets, his thoughts working fast. I shan't have any peace, even in my dreams, if I don't, clear up the point—Where did I meet, that woman be- fore f But Christmas passed, Christmas with its joy-bells and its-country jollity, its yule-log# and its generous fea-stings, its hard white reads and rime-edged trees, its holly decked halls and cheery greetings, and yet Cassius. Cheriton had not found the clue to the faint recolleeiori which tantalised his bra.in every time he saw or thought of Madame Sud. Cassius' brain, however, had a good deal to keep it occupied in those days, for in addition to the secret, important, dangerous, absorb- ing, enticing piece of work" which had been entrusted to him, he eoon saw, with disappoint- ment and perplexity, that Arthur and his wife w.ere net on the same frank, easy terms ns they had been in the first days of their home-coming. "What is wrong?" he questioned himself when alone. "What has happened? Has 'her lady- ship Poldare' been at work, I wonder, or wl¡,:tt? The whole air seems full of under-workings." You are looking at Arthur's, wife," said Lady Poldare, riding up to him unexpectedly one morning when, the frosts having yielded to milder wjnds, the whole eountry-sida was gathered together in expectation of a good day's hunting.. "Was I?" he replied coolly. I like looking at her; her hair is a continual joy to me." It is 'her face I. look at," said Cecily mean- ingly. '"Lady Easton is a woman with a sec- ret 'Mr Cheriton. I feel quite sure of that. I can see it in every line of her face." "Amazing lady! Has not every woman a M'cret, though, Ladv Poldare?" "Not Lady Easton's kind of secret, I think," she replied 'with a malicious- laugh. How- ever, I daresay it would be rather fun for every woman to have one, so—we. the rest of us women round about, will share Lady Easton's secret.' Thank you for the suggestion, Mr Cheriton you have given me an amusement to hand on to my friends. We will try a guessing game." And with a smile which held a. threat, she cantered across to a point where Madame Sud watched the proceedings from her luxuri- ous motor. It was then, at that moment, as he looked across at the two women, thai, a faint, clue be- gan to germinate in Cassius' brain, a clue to the answer of the question lie had asked himself so often-" vThere have .1 seen that face be- fore ?" When the day's sport was over, and Cassius returned to Easton Towers, he went to his room, and locked his door. Then, (before he removed so much as a splash of mud from his face or hands, he went to a locked portmanteau and taking from it a locked despatch-box, he opened this in its turn, and took out a packet of papers and photographs bound together by an elastic band. Good Heaven he muttered as he slipped the photographs apart. "If it should be more than coincidence And his handa shook with eagerness as he picked out one photograph and scanned it closely. The pictured face upon which Ca«si-us looked was that of a dark-haired man of about thirty- five, but the eyes, mouth, features, and indeed the very expression of the face bore a. start- ling resemblance to the Frenchwoman, Madame Sud. And at the foot of the photograph, writ- ten jin Oassitus's! own handwriting, was the name Antoine Pezet." "Stranger things have happened in my line af life," thought. Cassius grimly, as after a long and searching study of the face he .placed the photograph back amongst the papers again. ] "Tlwse people use their women folk as freely as they use themselves. At any rate I know now why the features seemed familiar to me, and-I can keep my eyes open," CHAPTER XIV.—A STRANGE MEETING. Lady Easton is a woman with a secret! The words haunted Cassius Cheriton; and much as he had grown to distrust the woman who uttered them, lie began to think that she was right- and the conviction filled him with a strong desire to help his cousin's wife if she were in any trouble, and loyally to shield her from the prying methods of her neighbours. I believe she's a good sort," he said to him- self, from the bottom of my heart I believe it. Arthur is a lucky fellow to have, won her— indeed, if he hadn't,"I do believe I should have fallen in love with her myself." "Bv this time Cassius was hard at work at th" ""mysterious business" he had laughingly spoken of to Arthur and Evelyn, and spent most of his time at Seagness; sometimes, returning to Easton Towers in time for dinner, some- times being absent for days at a time. What his work was he kept. to and the ftacis -concerning it which he had told to Eveiyn and Arthur, viz., that it was secret and important, and that at necessitated his being at Seagness, he asked them to tell to no one. Absorbing though his work was, Cawsius- was too good Selective not to keep his. eyes open to all sides of his present life; and one ffeet. did not escape his notice. "Funny thing," he remarked at dinner one evening, as he and Arthur and Evelyn sat over their dessert. '"Your neighbour. Poldare. is so often prowling about Seagness. I shouldn't have thought a horsey fellow hike that would have found it gay at suc-h a place at this time of the year—" Looking up casually from the nut he was peeling and addressing himself to Evelyn, he was startled to see the expression of questioning distress upon her face as she looked at him, and notice how the pretty pink colour had died from her cheeks. For a. mo- ment lie paused as if to ask her why his words had troubled her, but she turned away hastily, and endeavoured to recover herself; and be- fore he could resume his sentence, Arthur, noticing the situation, had hastily come tc. uij J wife's rescue. "Do vou help to make it. gay for him?" he asked with ail attempt at flippancy, though e, pang was at his heart. "No," replied Cassius, and evidently he doesn't want me to try, for he moons round the place with one eye- over his shoulder and the other round the next street, so to speak. And I have a strong feeling that lie would he much better pleased if I let him alone, instead, of in- sisting on stopping him and telling him that it's a very fine day and that a breath of the sea will do him 'worlds of good." Cassius slid easily from the subject of Lord Poldare's visits to Seagness, and weiit on to talk of Seagness itself. But at the same time his heart was troubled and his brain puzzled by that fleeting expression of distress on Eve- lyn's face. And Arthur seemed to know something about it, as far as I could judge," he thought to himself when lie meditated over the matter la. ter on. Cassius. was at Seagness for several clays after that, and his work, whatever it was, kept him chiefly about the. harbour and docks. But one clear January (afternoon, he decided that he might be able to get back to Easton Towers on the morrow for a little friendly intercourse as a relief; and leaving his work for e, while, and feeling inclined for .exercise and a pipe, he climbed to a plateau which, overlooked the sea, and with his hands, thrust well down into the pock-et.s of his rough ulster he sat there for a time watching the harbour from a new .point of view. Seagness was a busy place,, and at this part of the year, at .any rate, its water-way was busier than its. land. Cassius eat in pleased absorption, following with his eyes the move- ments of the craft of all sizes and degrees of importance. Indeed the and the sounds which reached him so almost entirely occupied his attention that he seldom gave a glance to the deserted terrace-path on the slope below. Was it Fate? Was it instinct? Wa's it Pro- vidence which compelled .his eyes at last to turn from the sea to the path below? He shift- ed his gaze without thought, almost involun- tarily, .and the next- moment he saw with a start the graceful ngure in a long, dark coat, .and the burnished red-gold hair, o which were now so familiar to him, .standing by the terrace wall, and looking towards the sea. Instinctively Cassius rose to his feet. Here was Evelyn! It would be pleasant to have a talk with her, and he could tell her that ho hoped to go back to the Towers on the next day. Perhaps she would come and have tea with him before her return——. Hesitating a moment to ,see in which direc- tion she would move, that lie might not miss her during his zig-zag climb down the hill-path to the terrace, with ,a feeling of mild surprise and a slight annoyance, his eye recognised an- other familiar figure coming round the bend of the lower road and walking hurriedly towards Evelyn as she -stood with her face turned still seawards. The second figure 'was that of Lord Poldare, and he looked like a man with an er- rand to perform. Rooted to the spot by some, vague instinct of reluctance to join his cousin's wife now ,that Lord Poldare had put in an appearance, Cas- sius gave up his own .impulsive intention and as he stood there he saw Poldare go quickly forward and speak. And now the strangest thing happened. For Evelyn, who had been quite: unconscious of Poldare's approach, turned at the sound of the voice with a shock of amazement, which was ob- vious even to Cassius at that distance; .and when she Sjaw the man beside her, she. started back, and back, and hack, as if in horror of his presence. Then, after a moment's pause, she turned quickly and went swiftly away from him. The whole scene was. so unexpected, so sud- den, so astonishing, so quickly over, that Cas- sius had scarcely 'realised it, before he saw Poldare, with obvious determination, quicken his steps and follow after her. Something rose then in Cassius* heart and enraged him. "What does the brute mean by it he muttered in anger; .and, hesitating no longer, he, himself, started quickly down the path. In another moment, however, he halted, and looked again, for he saw the woman's figure stop on the terrace below, and with an evident, haughty command, stand her 'ground, and dare the man to follow her. Cassius saw her half raise her clenched hand in determination, then turn again, and walk away. Lord Poldare stood motionless, and let her go. There was no hesitation in Cassius' mind or movements now; with hurrying feet he tore do'wn the 'hill, the zig-zag path with its- bar- riers between maddening him by its interrup- tions; but when he reached the terrace the dark-coated hgure with the knot of bright hair, was disappearing towards the town. Then, re- gardless of. the gaze of casual passers, he hur- ried on to overtake it and give it his protection zl- as long necessary. The angry thoughts which darted through Cassius' mind now were as confused as they were unjust. What kind of a cad was Pol- dare after all? What on earth did he mean by it? And why 011 earth, wasn't Arthur with his wife when she took these drives? He ought to be ,ashamed of himself for allowing her to be subject, to annoyance And so on and so forth. The .good humoured Cassius Cheriton was honestly angry and instinctively troubled, as he strode on through the streets, now keep- ing the knot of bright hair well in view and gaining on it as he hastened. But I mustn't frighten her, fool thalt I am!" he concluded. "Perhaps I had better know nothing about it unless she tells me her- self. She shall think it just a casual" meeting. But at any rate I'll stick -to her until she's in her motor again, and on her way home." By time tney had rcachect the quietest and most. beautiful part of the town, and just as Cassius was drawing close to the object of his walk, he saw the figure beside him turn quickly aside, .and enter the doorway of a small but charming house, one side of which seemed to be arranged as a superior kind of tea-house. When he reached the pretty porch, Cassius looked in through the doorway curiously. It's a public place, I suppose," he thought to him- self, and walked on into the hall, sure of a welcome when his explanation should be made known. I recognised the lady who has just come in," he said in his most winning manner to the trim maid-servant who was crossing the hall. She was walking ahead of me on the pave- ment, but I couldn't quite overtake her, and I wish, just to see her and make an arrangement. A moment or two would be enough if you will be good enough to Oh, there she is Stepping to the open dcor of a room on one side of the hail he saw- the figure he had been following. It had come t.o the doorway for an instant, but as quickly drew back again. See- ing that. the room was empty but for her, and wishing to reassure her, Cassius stepped .into the dimmer light. "Lady Easton," he said cheerily, "I have been running after you all through the town. I caught sight of you, and wondered if you would be my guest. His voice stopped suddenly. With. a curious feeling of unreality, instability,, of uncertainty as to whether he were dreaming or the world were crumbling away, his words ceased, and he stared blankly, painfully at the face which grew clearer and clearer as his oeyeGr became accustomed to the softer light. The figure which had started back, as if for flight, when he entered, now stood and faced him in silence, and for 0.. min- ute the air seemed to be charged with strange strong emotions; as if each heart was full, each brain on the rack, and each was groping and straining to learn the mind of the other, to gain light of the other's meaning. Then she broke the silence. "I am not Lady Easton," she said. "Yon have made a mistake. I—I But the end of that sentence was never £ .-v« fTMrn/1 fimino rnviw cn/lrlPTllv in- "ÕU-L-J erfc; -ihe voice trembled, then failed, and before Cassius realised what was happening, she had sunk, unconscious, to the ground. To 'be Continued).

FASHION AND THINGS FEMININE, BY MISS IDA MELLER. EASTER FASHIONS. Easter is a period at which many a new frock makes its appearance, for it is a habit with a number of women to don a new drees in honour of Easter Day. Fashions still tend towards-the princess dress, and in consequence a great many of the made, primarily, for the short holiday ahead are in the all-in-one style. Grey cloth Bounds a leading note in fashions of the moment, and is, indeed, generally popular in 'spring time. A charming dress in French grey face-cloth, cut en princesse, is becomingly made with a bodice cut square at the neck and pleated into a narrow waistband, to which the sikirt is likewise united, this latter having a series of pleats, ,stitched down to hip-depth, running round the sides of the garment., while plain panels form the front and back. The pleats ifroni the hips downwards fall free, and assert themselves, when released from ing, as well-marked knife-pleats. Long, plain sleeves are provided and the neck is filled in with a guimpe of ecru lace. In spite of the continued fancy for princess fashions, 'the blouse and skirt- dress is equally popular, and it is noticeable that zouave effects are coming in again, one or two frocks that emphasise the fact being of light cloth, the skirts cut with corselets and surmounted by short zouaves (closed in front and fastening either at the back or at the left side) of their own ma,terrial, embroidered in a more or less elaborate fashion. The Easter outfit must. needs include a pretty blouse of silk, either taffetas or soft washing silk, or of merv, all of which are fashionable fabrics for spring Mouses. Plain surfaces are for the most part .preferred, but many dainty- looking ib-louse silks are to be met with showing flowered or striped grounds, very fresh and pretty being the pale pink and pale blue soft- washing satins, striped with narrow lines of white. Blouses made of these new satins are. in serveral cases that I have observed and ad- mired, made with collarless necks, the top of each blouse being overlaid with a sweet little collar of fine embroidered muslin edged with Valenciennes lace of (midget width, the blouse itself being pleated from neck to waist, and the three-quarter sleeves having cuffs 'of em- broidered muslin matching the collar. The dress sketched, which would be useful in the Easter outfit of most girls, is composed of a cloth skirt and Hilda blouse of taffetas silk, both being old rose in colour; but of course the design could be carried out equally well in cinnamon, mole, mignonette, or any other colour. The skir,tis perfectly plain, and the pattern is an excellent one for an ordinary cloth skirt to be worn with various blouses, and may be re commended as an easy one to make up (3| yards of double-width cloth are required). The "Hilda." blouse is pleated and strapped over the shoulders, and tlie, strtps tare finished with tassels, embroidery appearing 011 the front of the blouse and 011 the sleeves, while at the neck Î<'i a. yoke of ecru lace. About 3V yards of ,silk are needed, for making this pref-ty and use- ful little blouse, serviceable alike for afternoon wear and social evenings. NEW UNDERWEAR. The new designs in underwear for the spring and summer are both pretty and simple, an at- tractive feature cf camisoles and .night-dresses being the ribbon runner introduced at the neck. The "Djibbeh" nightdress illustrated is ar- ,I' 1- .1. ranged. 111 this way, ana is maue wmiuui a placket, the neck of the gown, by means of the runner, expanding and drawing up to size at 0 will. The ribbon is run through a band of button hole insertion, headed by a little frill of wash- iria lace, and the sleeves are finished with simi- lar lace' above which the material is tucked. Nainsook, cambric, fine iongciotii. French flannel or nun's veiling might be used for the making of the .gown, which requires about, five yards of nun's veiling or its equivalent- in linen materials. TO OBTAIN PATTERNS. Patterns of all designs appearing in this column, week by week, can be obtained by send- ing postal order, value 6-J-d., for each pattern required .(coat, skirt, blouse, etc.), to Miss Ida Meller, c/o the Editor. The envelope should be marked Patterns." HOLIDAY PRECAUTIONS. Those who are about to take advantage of the Easter recess and make of it a real holiday and are preparing for a short visit to an English seaside resort 'or to the Continent, should take precautions to avoid the colds and chills that are so often the result of an early spring trip abroad or elsewhere. At this rseason of the year, when we still need fires and warm clothing and temperatures that we are accustomed to. the week-end visit is apt to be .a risky affair; indeed, ;.it is quite a com- mon thing for people to come back from a three or four days' Easter holiday suffering from severe colds and sore threats. Simple precau- tions would, no doubt, in nine cases -out of ten, have averted these common ills, but the holiday seaon robs certain holiday-makers of common- sense—or perhaps it is a disinclination on their .part to overburden themselves with luggage that causes them to foolishly run risks to health. U Insufficient bedclothes is the cause of many a cold caught while awav from home, wherefore it .is an act. of wisdom to include in the Easter trunk a warm rtig to take the place of the usual eiderdown quilt, and also a knitted night-vest to wear as an extra if required. Little things like these may ward off serious illnesses and are worth remembering. Colds can generally be avoided by forethought and precaution, and one of the great secrets of remaining free from colds is to keep the throat, chest, and back comfortably warm, and always move away from a draughty pc-sition. A chamois leather waistcoa.t is an excellent, preventive of colds. CURING WRINKLES. I. When the flesh of the face is plump but flab- by and wrinkles are in evidence—not. caused by age—a suitable treatment for rendering the skin firmer and getting rid of the wrinkles will 5>e found in massage and cold-water face-ba.ths. Cold water hardeiiSj the tissues and tones up the skin. If the wrink.cs are encouraged by frowning or continually elevating the brows, the course to pursue is obvious1, namely, check these habits. PRESERVE THE EYESIGHT. To preserve the eyesight never read while the eyes are directly facing the glare of a light. Cease to read or write when the eyes are tired. Avoid the habit of reading small print during a railway journey-or at any time if the eyes are strained thereby. SPRING TONICS. Charming as 'are the early days of spring, they often bring with them to the human body a feeling of exhaustion and need of a pick-me- 'up, and it is as well to realise this in time and fortify the constitution against lassitude caused by change of season. A well-chosen tonic is what many a woman needs at this period of the year, and a com- plete change of'diet may also be useful in build- ing up strength—a diet at once cooling, nour- ishing, light, and refreshing, and including plenty of fruit and milk. Remember, too, the value of cold water as a drink. It purifies the blood, clears the system, and beautifies the complexion at the same time, helping to avert z, the appearance of little red spots that are so apt- to break out on the face in early spring. PENCIL MARKS ON PAINT. Pencil marks can sometimes be removed from whire paint (by gently rubbing them with bread- crumbs in the direction of it-heir course (not [ across), or by rubbing them with a- islice of I' lemon. In more obstinate cases, all traces can be removed with a soft piece of linen moistened I witfh turpentine or benzine, taking care to wipe off the moisture quickly with a dry rag. The polish can be restored to the surface by lightly rubbing with a soft rag dipped in pure linseed oil, or by polishing with a little whiting. USES FOR SALT. Discoloured marble wa-shstands should be scoured with. wet salt, and, if still stained, with salt and lemon mixed. Salt mixed with vine- gar is excellent, for cleaning copper utensils. EASTER CAKE. •At this season many young housekeepers may be glad to be reminded of a recipe for Easter cake. The following is a good one :—Mix to- other lib. of butter, 21bs. of fine flour, lib. of sifted- suffar and lib. of currants, washed and picked. Beat up six eggs in a basin and mix with them some liquid saffron—enough to flav our the cakes strongly—then add the contents of the basin to the dry ingredients, stir all to- gether, land put the dough in cakes, one inch thick, on to a, greased or noured b-aking tin, and bake in the oven till cooked. To make the saffron flavouring, put about four-pennyworth of saffron into ,a wine glass and fill up the latter with hot water. After a I few minutes' standing strain off the liquor and add it to the beaten eggs. If the dough is still too dry .after the egg and saffron mixture has been heaten in, make a second distillation of saffron and add suflkient to the dough to render it of the right consistency. It should be dry enough to come away in (l ball from the sides of the basin. The cakes, which can be of the circumference of a plate or saucer, or any 6ize preferred, should be quite light-coloured when cooked and can be tested with the blade of a knife. When done, ,brvQiîl them over with white of egg and sprinkle sifted sugar on the top of each cake. PEACH TRIFLE. A delicious dessert dish is made in the follow- ing way Place in a deep dish alternate layers of stale .sponge' cake and tinned peaches, thick- j ly sprinkled with powdered sugar and a few chopped almonds. Over all pour a rich custard I flavoured with almond extract, and mask with a meringue mixture. Serve cold. A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK. If the disposition to speak well .of others were universally prevalent, the world," says an old writer, would become a comparative para- dise. The lopposite disposition is the Pandora- box which, when opened, fills every house with I pain and sorrow. How many enmities and heart burnings flow from this source."

i I There has just died in South Wales, a retired police sergeant, who early in life failed to raise £ 1,000 to buy Barry Island, Cardiff, which is now worth millions of pounds.

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Machynlleth Show Secretaryship* A meeting of the Machynlleth Show Commit- tee was held at the Vane Hall on Wednesday: afternoon. Mr D. Evans presided over a small -ice which included Messrs F. M. Camp- bell, Dr A. O. Davies, John Jones (Dolgau), R. Jones, R. T. Edwards, R. Jones (Ynyshir), Evan Roberts, Lewis Puga, Harri Lewis, J. Matson, E. Jarvis. J. H. "Evans (Tynohir).' D, Janice (Cefncoch), and Mr T. Parsons, secre- tary,—The minutes of the la.st meeting were read, and these stated that the appointment- of a secretary had been referred to the Working I Committee.—Mr Matson objected to the min- j utes, and said no such resolution was passed* A great many subscribers had »aid they with- drew their subscriptions if they were not given' a voice in the. appointment of the secrebarv._ Mr F. M. Cra.mphell directed attention to rule 18 which gave power to the working committee to appoint the secretary.—Mr Parsons said he copied the minutes on the evening of the last meeting and stated that he was appointed by the working committee nine years ago. He- hoped no one thought he hnd done it for lanv personal benefit.—Mr J. Matson said he had no recollection of the resolution, but it ap- peared there had been a precedent.—Dr Davies proposed the minutes be signed. Mr R. Jones. Towyn, said he felt certain no such resolution was passed. If they appointed a secretary without giving the a voice in the mttter, they would lose some of their supprters. He thought, the minutes should not be signed.— Mr E. Roberts and Mr Jones, Dolgau, seconded that the minutes, be signed.—Mr Campbell said he left the room under the impression that the Executive Committee was to decide the ques- tion.—Mr Matson proposed that it 'be left to the general meeting of members.—Mr Parsons sa-id he would leave the room as he was asked to do, but if there. was another candidate in the room he ought to le,a,ve. There were also three members present who were not qualifioo.- The names were given, and these gentlemen then (paid their subscriptions.—Mr Parsons then left the room, and the committee nroooeded to vote by ballot., ultimately appointing Mr J. Pugh, auctioneer. The other applicants were Messrs E. A. Jones, D. P. Jones, and T. Par- sons.

Great Improvement in Machynlleth Rural Sanitation. MEDICAL OFFICER'S REPORT. Mr Rd. Hughes presided over the monthly meeting of the Machynlleth Rural Council on Wednesday, when Mr R. Williams, surveyor, re- ported that during the wet weather of February a slip occurred on the Barhedyn road, and sev- eral tons of ballast washed away. A strong re- taillingwall to cost £ 2 10s. would be neceesary to protect the road. It 'was agreed to do the work.—The S-urveyor was directed to furnish the necessary information respecting the abutments of the Walton bridge, and Mr Francis expressed the hope that the work would be pushed for- ward, otherwise they would not get the new bridge completed this summer.—>. ith reference to Mr Anwyl's letter dealing with the removal of road heaps, the Pennal Parish Council re- ported they had considered the letter and re- ferred it back to the Rural Council.—Mr Owen said there was no cause for complaint.—The Surveyor said the refuse was removed periodi- cally. No action was taken. — Pennal Parish Council wrote asking that a proper supply of water should be provided for the village. The Clerk s.a.id it was an old question and had been before them for 15 years. The Council directed the inspector to report.—The Clerk said if the inspector could get over the difficulty as to the source of supply, his name ought to go down to posterity. In his annual report, Dr Mat-thews stated there had been nine deaths and six births in Machynlleth -out-lying district as compared with 14 deaths and 12 births in the previous year. In Darowen district, there had been 54 deaths and 82 births as compared with 65 deaths and 85 births. In Pennal and Scub-orycoed there had been 14 deaths and 14 births as compared with 11 deaths and 18 births in 1908. One case of diputheria had proved fatal. During the veer many farm houses had been supplied with wholesome water, and h<? was glad to observe that houses unfit, for habitation were becoming fewer. The need of plenty of fresh air could not be over estimated, but in some cases win- dows were not opened, and chimneys were- stopped up. On the whole, he was glad to ob- serve the sanitation of the district. ha.d greatly improved, and would now compare favourafolv with anv other rural Welsh district, although he should like to see it better. — -— +

Charge of Burglary at Towyn. At. Towyn Police Court on Tuesday, before Messrs E. L. Rowlands, and J. M. James, Ar- thur Stewart M-core, of Madeley, Staffs., was brought up in custody and charged with bur- glary and house-brenkingac Talgarth Hall at 1-30 on Monday morning. Jesse Venables. coachman at Talgarth Hall- said he was in charge of the hall during the absence of Mr and Mrs Steel. About 1-30 on Monday morning lie heard a noise as of glass being smashed, and upon going downstairs, he found a, window half opened. There was no- body to be s'een, and he proceeded outside. Here he found the sadd?e-room door open. He I gave information to the police, and in company with P.C. Jones of Pennal, proceeded to the outbuildings at. Esgair Weddau farm, and here they found the prisoner asleep, and wearing a pair of boots stolen from Talgarth. Prisoner was committed to take his- trial at the next Quarter Sessions. He was formerly in the employ of Mrs Steel at Aberdovey.

^— Old Age Pensions in Montgomery- shire. The monthly meeting of the Welshpool Pen. sions Sub-Committee was held at the Town, Hall, Welshpool, on Monday, when there were present: Mr David Pryee, in the dhair; Messrs W. Humphreys, and R. Griffiths.. with Mr C. Davies Jones, deputy clerk; and Messrs W. Perry, H. J. Molineux, G. Ulyett, and T. F. S. Forsa, 'pension officers. Be-fore proceeding with the business Mr Pryee said he thought they should make some reference to the lament- ed death cf the chairman of the committee. Capt. D. H. Hytton. Gapfc Inton's deatti was a great loss to the county. He was .an excellent administrator of the law. However much he opposed a Bill lie disliked when 'before Parlia- ment, immediately it was put upon the statute book he administered it. loylally and consxhen- tiiusly. By his death they had (sustained a loss that would not scon be made up. He moved that a sily-cei-e vote of sympatny be L passed with Mm Mytton and family, with an expression of the appreciation of his services on this committee, Mr R. Griffiths, in seconding, said that 3:1 though Capt Mytton was a Conservative and he was a Liberal he always found him very fair in every respect and always admire d him. Mr W, Humphrevs also endorsed the foregoing remarks Twenty-tfour eases were de-alt with by th- Committee. Ten claimants we.re allmyoo pen- sions of 5s. weekly, three Us. one. was increaised from Is to 3s. two 4s. to 5s. and one 3s. to -5s. Three were deferred and four disallowed, two being in excess of means, one not being 70 years of age, and the other was disallowed owing to the ia-pipliearit haviriig suffered imprisonmnent and received poor relief.

.-+. Forty-seven years ago on Thursday was sol- emnised the marriage of King Edward and Queen Alexandpa. The anniversary was marked by the hoisting of flags at the various Govern ment offices in London.