WOMEN CAMBLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81899, 10 December 1906, Page 3

WOMEN CAMBLERS.

JEWELS SOLD TO PAY BRIDGE DEBTS. Writing in the "Tader" on gambling women, Mis Alex Twced.e says: —Bridge is becoming a curse. 1 met a woman the other day who infoimcd me with distinct pride that she bad Kept a record of over 3000 rubbers of bridge '.vnich eae had played. '•A record.'' I exclaimed, amazed. "Yes, I have a bridge book, and in it I jot down eveiy day the houses I have played at, my partners, the cumber of my rubbers, the stakes, and my losses or gains. Last year I rnace ovir ,£IOO. The year betore I was not quite so fortunate nor quite so sure of myself, but tuen 1 ucver play for very high stakes." "Do you play all day and every day:" I timidly enquned, aghast at the time and energy expended jn such a pa»timc "Oh, no," she exclaimed, with alacrity, "1 hardly ever play btfore luncheon unless it is a wet day, in a country house." "There are bridge coats, bridge purses, one might even sap bridge manners, .m.l it :s no uncommon thing nonjUu}.; : .r a hostess to mtet a friend ana invito her tu dinner, adding—"You play budge, don't you?" and if the answer by some wild chance should be in ihe negative the lady sweetly continues : "Oh, tnen you mn-: come another night, please, because Tuesday is entirely a badge night."

But the friend is never asked on that ''other nigh!. : ' Not long ago a jeweller \yhu sometime* Has quaint, oid-fashicned tilings called uptm me, and from the box which he catefully unpacked upon the table he took a tray of glistening diamonds in modern settings. "Those ate hardly iu your line," I remarked. "No, but I gave a lady nearly two thousand pounds fur the contents of the jewel case the other day, and these are sjnie of the things' Sue wanted thi money to pay debts which the iiad incurred at bridge/' 1 suppose 1 looked horrified, for i e remarked, "No one '.vill know; 1 hav had the chief ornaments copied for her, to until she dies the world will not be any the wiser or realise that she is wealing ehams so ao to be able io pay her debts." "How ad,' ; I exclaimed. "Ves F madam, but not uncommon. I have often done this boit of ihinjj for Ldies since the bridye craze began."

The Buda P.-sth newspapers give accounts cf an amusing adventure which has befallen the famous Hungarian prima donna Frauelcin Fedak, who i- an ardent motorist and always drive- her:elf. She is well known in all the V:li;.c!', in the neighbourhood of Pcsih, a.- . ..■,:.!>• always manages to kill a dog or chicken or other live stock in her fa's l runs. The other day she ran into a great flock of geese and killed no fewer than 140 of them in the village of Svepc-vel-ephely. She did not stop 10 inquire as to the extent of the damage d< ne. The villager-, how ever, kn.-wlrg that die mus< r"urn the same way. uarri-V.-ad<*i' the roie.i'ay-| and when the. prima donna rani" back travelling at a very fast speed, -she very nearly came into dangerous collision wtli ihe obstruction and a, crowd of villagers. The latter rofusx! to let her pass, showed her the great pile of dead gee-'', the various owners of which presented bids, in each case so manv birds at four kronen each. Frauelcin Fedak was at first furiously .intend, but soon saw the humour of the situation, and smilingly paid up. The grew were then placed in (he car, .-n-J the famous -inger departed with her novel "bag" amid the loud che.rs of the villagers, who had never previously sold geese upon suih advantageous term-.