Feminine Interests

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 439, 22 August 1928, Page 5

Feminine Interests

HAMILTON NOTES (Frorp Our Oxen Correspondent.) Miss E. Madeley left last evening ; for a holiday in the Wairarapa. Mrs. Hugh Miller, of Morrinsville, and her two daughters have gone to Tauranga for a holiday. Mrs. Lowry, of Northern Wairoa, is the guest of Mrs. Wilde, Queen’s Avenue. Miss Gladys Osborne, of Otorohanga, spent the week-end with Mrs. McCracken, Frankton Hill. ‘HOWARD LEAGUE MEETING Last evening under the auspices of the Howard League Committee in * Hamilton a very interesting meeting was held in the lounge rooms of the Lyceum Club to discuss the Mental Defectives Bill now before Parliament. The Mayor, Mr. J. R. Fow, introduced the speakers. The first was the pre.sident of the Howard League branch, Mr. De La. Mare, who explained the position of the league, its aims in improving prison reform and its hopes of obtaining greater classification of criminals, and of obtaining special treatment in certain cases. He gave instances of children greatly benefited by special treatment in the small clinic already initiated by Professor Hunter in Wellington. Miss Jean Begg said that there was actually nothing suggested in the Bill that had not been proved beneficial in other lands. She also mentioned her own experiences in social work, and in the treatment of backward children and of Borstal girls. .Mr. S. Lye spoke of the origin of the Bill. He alluded to what seemed •weak points in it—its application restricted to children he though was one. He was most anxious to see “a halfway house” for the physically unfit, and homes for the mentally unfit. Several women asked questions about the training of subnormal children. Miss Begg, speaking from her experiences abroad, was sure much of the training would be done in the home, under the guidance of the clinic. The question of adding a sociologist to the personnel of the clinic was discussed and though a wise suggestion. The Rev. Mr. Paris was anxious to have the term ‘‘socially unfit” more clearly defined. Among those present were: Mr. and* Dr. De La Mare, Miss Begg. Mr. and Mrs. J. Prentice, Mr. and Mrs. Low, Mr. and Mrs. Lye, Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Gresham, Mr. and Mrs. Simons, Rev. and Mrs. A. Paris, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, Mesdames W. H. Stevens, T. J. Lusk, E. H. O’Meara, Graham, L. Watkins (Wellington), Wright, T. Jolly, C. Hollaway, Morton, Whitehouse, E. English, B. Meek, Misses Nicholls, Keddie, E. Wilson, Wyatt, N. Valder, M. Valder, M. Stevens, Roach, D. Clegg, Messrs. Valder, Bowater. BRIDGE PARTIES A very gay Bridge party was given by Miss Betty Manning last evening.

Progressive Bridge was played. Miss Manning received her guests in a smart frock of black georgette. Her guests were: Mrs. Lance Tompkins, Mrs. C. E. Brewis, Mrs. Colin Taylor. Miss Dene Plumer (Auckland), Miss J. Denning. Miss K. Oliver, Miss Wilma Plummer (Auckland), Miss K. Oliver, Miss N. Monckton, Miss C. Chitty, Miss R. Vickery, Miss T. Monckton. Miss A. Hare (Feilding), Miss K. Wilson, Miss F. Peacocke, Miss B. Vickery, Miss J. Banks, Miss E. Guy, Miss A. Wilson. * * * Last Friday afternoon at her home, “Valmai,’ ’in Cambridge, Mrs. E. Hart gave a delightful Bridge party for some of her Huntly and Cambridge friends. Violets, jonquils and camellias decorated the drawing room, and beautiful iceland poppies the dining room, where afternoon tea was served. Mrs. Hart was wearing a becoming frock of deep honey-coloured lace andr georgette, and Miss Myra Hart was in a smart frock of embossed black and red georgette. Her guests from Huntly were: Mrs. D. Hart, Mrs. Payne, Mrs. Barclay, Mrs. Caldwell, Mrs. Watson and Miss Barclay. The other guests were: Mrs. H. Lewis, Mrs. Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Stokes (Auckland), Mrs. Couper, Mrs. Neily, Mrs. Calvert, Mrs. Posseniski, Miss Braun, Miss Jockin (Auckland), Miss S. Brann, Miss Clemow, Miss Couper. Progressive Bridge was played throughout the afternoon, the prizewinners being Mrs. Watson (Huntly), Miss Barclay (Huntly) and Mrs. Couper.

MORRINSVILLE NOTES FIRE BRIGADE DANCE Over 80 couples attended the an- : nual fire brigade dance on Monday ! evening, there being many visitors. | Several novelty dances added to the j attraction. The winners were: Lucky j spot, Miss Ticklepenny and Mr. T. \ Turner; lucky spot jazz, Miss M. | Lindsay and Mr. C. Mallett. CROQUET CLUB The Morrinsville Croquet Club met with great success, a Paddy’s Market netting £35. The stallholders were: Work stall, Mesdames Stirling, Hawkins and L. BLichan; cakes and produce, Mesdames R. Branch, F. Donald, Reid and Anderson; flower stall. Mrs. Cowern: refreshment rooms, I Mesdames Cooper, J. Mackay, Irwin, Meharry, Buller, Ramsay and Turner. j MOTHERCRAFT NOTES EAR-ACHE TROUBLE Never regard ear-ache lightly. Still less should any discharge from the ear be neglected, as it may lead not only to serious trouble but to death. Inflammation of the ear Is frequently associated with adenoids- (also an extraordinarily neglected symptom, even in these enlightened times), and it often follows measles and scarlet fever. Maybe it occurs during the trying period of teething. In any case, medical advice should be sought. The ear is much too delicate an organ to run any risks with. Inexperienced young mothers often are unaware that ear-ache is the trouble with a young baby. An Infant who is suffering from this sometimes agonising complaint will cry persistently and roll the head from side to side. There will probably be pronounced loss of appetite, feverishness, and excessive tenderness behind the ear. Hot fomentations and poultices will give welcome relief. If warm oil is dropped Into the ear, great care must be taken that it is not too hot; it should be only slightly warmed, to “take the chill off.” When the ear is discharging, do not, on any account, block up the orifice with cotton wool. The doctor will most probably order syringing. This must be done with the very greatest care. The nozzle of the syringe should only just rest on the floor of the external ear. It should not be’ thrust In; nor should it fill the canal. Space must be left for the backward flow of the lotion. And it is most important to have the lotion as near to body heat as possible. Otherwise, it is very likely to cause giddiness and other discomforts. After syringing the ear, the head should be moved to that side a little, so that the remaining fluid can run out. i H.B. you, for it’s no use denying it, that my mother Is one of those women who love money. Money, to her, means all sorts of things. Never mind what. I sav? from the beginning that as soon as it’ was put into her mind that Mazaroif was really Merchison-, the idea of getting hold of his fortune began to shape Itself. “Mervyn!” she suddenly broke off, speaking my name for the first time, and laying her hand on my arm in a sort of natural appeal, “didn’t I tell you when we walked away from the inquest that morning that I—l didn’t want you to give up this fortune?— that I didn’t want It to come into our hands? Didn’t I say so, with what you might have seen to be real earnestness?” I could only nod. There was something in the emphasis of her tone, and In the pressure of her hand on. my arm that seemed to stop my tongue. Clearly there were matters behind her words at which, so far, I could only guess. “Well,” she went on, “I didn’t know what my mother might do. I don’t know now. I tell you both, and at once, what she has done. I only know that somehow or other she became possessed of that will, and that I’ve stolen It from her and given it up to you. That came about in this way. Night before last, latish in the evening, my mother did a most unusual thing for her. Some little time'after dinner, she went out, saying that she was going to see an old man who is lying _ ill In the village. Now my mother is not by any means an anxious sort about old men and women who are ill, and I was surprised that she should take so much trouble in this particular instance. She went —and she was away some time; so long, indeed, that my stepfather, who is usually the least observant of men, noticed it, and suggested I should go to the old man’s cottage and walk back with her. I went. She had been there, they said, some time before, and had stayed only a few min utes. I went off, and met her near our lodge gates—she said that, being out, she had called to see some other old folk—not a very likely thing, seeing that all our old folk are In. the habit of going to bed at S o’clock. I tell you both I suspected something then, but I didn’t know what. Could I help it?” '“Go on,” said Maythorne, quietly. “Tell us everything.’ “Well last night the same thing occurred again,” continued Sheila. “She went out, on the same excuse, and she was away still longer. Mr. Elphinstone, who had a slight cold, went to bed; eventually, I went, too. At last I heard her come in—l went down in my dressing-gown and slippers to see if there was anything I could do ’for her. And It was then I made a discovery. Now, please, don’t think I was spying or eavesdropping—l was doing neither; It was all accidental. She was in the inner library. I saw her through the curtains that shut it off from the big library. There was a small lamp on the table in the centre; she stood by it examining a sheet of paper. And—l don’t know if it was The better hat at Bert Marshall’s, “The Hat King.”

intuition, or what—it flashed across me that what she was looking at was the missing will! So —well, then I did watch her, I’ll confess it. She read the paper through, folded it up, looked round, and then went over to one of the bookcases, and slipped the paper into a big folio volume—Drake’s Eboracum —in a corner. Then I went off—ana I didn’t sleep. I knew there was mischief. I was certain —dead certain! —that paper was the will, wherever and however she had got it. And in the middle of the night 1 got up, and went down, and straight to the folio, and I got the paper out in the dark, and then just struck a match—and, of course, one glance was enough. I put it hack, and went back to bed. And then there was no more sleep. I felt—oh, I don’t know w-hat I felt! There was devilry somewhere—close at hand. My own mother or not—what business had she with that will? Where did she get it? By what means? Was she mixed up with —? but I didn’t dare to think about what she might he mixed up with. What I did realise was this —the probability

was that if the will remained in her possession, she’d destroy it, and then - —well then, all sorts of things would happen that I didn’t want to happen. And so I determined to take matters into my own hands. I got up early—long before anybody, even the servants, was astir. I made myself ready for the journey, I took the will, got on my bicycle, and set off for Black Gill Junction. It was still dark when I set out. I got down to Carlisle—and then, of course, it was plain sailing up to town. And—you’ve got the will!” Maythorne, whose whisky-and-soda stood at his elbow all this time untasted, suddenly picked it up, and made Sheila a bow In which there was more than formal politeness. “You’re a good plucked ’un!” he There’s nothing like leather-for tramping the heather. There is nothing like steel for a knife. There is no place like bed for the tired, sleepy head. There’s nothing like love in this life. There’s nothing so sure. Wood's Great Peppermint Cure, When ’flu colds, and coughing are rife.

[' said, with obvious admiration. “You l know, at any rate, how to act withi out hesitation. Well! this is a queer . tale, Holt. How does It strike you?” s I had been thinking hard during the - last half of Sheila’s story. Perhaps my ■- ideas run on old-fashioned and conv ventional lines—but I said what I t thought. t “It may he,” I answered, “that Mrs. i Elphinstone could give a perfectly j proper and valid explanation as to 0 how she beear.V possessed of the will.” a Sheila turned on me like a flash, i- “Mervyn!” she exclaimed, “I bell lieve you think I should have asked s her that before I stole the will and ran off with it —to you!” e “No—no!” I protested. “I —” “I believe you do!—I believe you - do!” she exclaimed. "A pretty fool I should have been if I’d as much as let her know that I knew it was there! 5 - I know what would have happened if *’ I’d told her that I knew what was hidden in that folio.” t “What then?” 1 asked. “She’d have burned it before my a very eyes,” she replied. “I know! No!

i —knowing what I did, there was only - one thing to do, and that was to place : ’ it in safety.” ’ “Miss Merchison’s right,” said Mayi thorne. “That was the oiily thing to • do. And here it is, and to-morrow - morning I’ll hand it over to Crole. 1 ! Mind you. Miss Merchison, your | mother, as Holt suggests, may have- a j perfectly good explanation as to how ' | she got the will. But, under the cir- > i cumstances, you took the best step i | you could. Here’s the will, affecting nearly a million of money—safe!” Sheila jumped up, suddenly, and began to button her big coat. “Then j ! that’s all right,” she said. “I've done ! ] my bit, anyway—and now I’m off—l’ll sleep to-night.” “Where are you going?” I asked as I , Maythorne and I rose. “Wherever it 1 is, you must let me see you there 5 safely.” ; “Oh, you can do that,” she anil swered, half-carelessly. “I’m going to : ? my old school-friend, Rhoda Apperley. | Put down all your spare eggs now j they are cheap, with Sharland's Egg ■ Preservative. All Stores. 7 1

! She lives in a flat of her own in Ash i ington Mansions, in Maida Vale. 1 i wired to her from Carlisle that I should turn up to-night. I’m all right -—but you can get me a taxi and ride there with me if you like.” “And to-morrow?” asked Maythorne, with a suggesting look. “To-mor-row ?” “I’ll think about to-morrow in the morning” said Sheila. “Well, to-morrow, in the morning, let Holt call for you and bring you ; to my office,” continued Maythorne. j “Crole will be there, too, at ten o’cloc k i and we shall have a talk which will I interest you. And by-the-bye, before j we go out, I’ve got something in my i pocket. Miss Merchison, that I’d like |to Bhow you. Come to the light.” 1 Suddenly, from some inner pocket, he ! produced and laid on the table in the i full glare of the lamp an old-fash-j ioned cairngorm brooch, set in fine, j much worn silver. He gave me a ! meaning glace as he set it down, and | then looked closely at Sheila. “Have vou ever seen that before?” he asked. I "Think!" (To be Continued.)