WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 327, 14 June 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

, (Conducted by "Eileen"). A FEMALE CHEAT. SWINDLING AT CARDS. A WELL-DESERVED WIiriTIXC;

That the Hon. .Tohn Collier, when lie painted his famous picture of "The Cheat," had justification for doing so is proved by a story told by "Elizabeth of H.," in the Ixmdon World. The story concerns a woman who was discovered by two other women cheating at bridge, and who was not only forced to ditgorge, but received personal chastisement at' the hands of the self-appointed jsdges. The woman's consistent winning, it is said, was greatly commented on, and many a hint was thrown out as to the lady's fairness at the bridge tables. Two ladies of title, who had been staying at a certain country house, first detected this petite madame deliberately cheating, and, naturally, they avoided playing with her again, and what follows really sounds far more like fiction than plain fact, and yet it is true. It so happened that these three ladies met at another house party; the two honest dames avoided as far as possible playing at the other one's table; they congratulated themselves and (in the secrecy of confidential bedroom chats at night) each other on the deftness with wnich they had managed to hold aloof from the cheating one and her play, and at tlie same time prevent their host and hostess from noting the fact. One night, however, their wrath rose at 'the sight of the distress this unscrupulous little person was causing a young girl who was her opponent. The two wise ladies watched the small innocentseeming dame cheat time after time, and win.

The girl was very unsophisticated; she continued playing, although her face grew white and drawn, for she was losing more than she could afford; several time she attempted to leave the table, but each time the other three players persuaded her to play on. At length the game ended, and the girl stood up the loser of a sum that ran well into three figures; like a thorough little sportswoman, she made no outcry about her losses, but the other two—the lookers-on—knew what they meant to her ; they knew the girl, and they knew her family, a great though not wealthy one—one which, even in these censorious days, no scandal had heretofore touched.

Alter the girl liad left the room and gone to bed, the two who knew hastily held a secret consultation, with the result that they invited little mad.mie to the room of one of them for a midnight chat. She was flattered at the invitation, and readily accepted. Both of them accompanied her to the room of the one guest whose rooms lay farthest from those of the other members of the house-party, and, something very, very like the following took place: "'You are a cheat," one haughtily contemptuous dame asserted as soon as the bedroom locked on their victim; "wo, Lady Barbara and myself, have watched you on several occasions; for the sake of you poor unfortunate husband's name we have remained silent, but to-night was too much. First of all you will return to us all you have won from poor littla Laura to-night, and also give back to us her 1.0.U.'5. We insist."

After a feeble and frighened protest the money was handed over, and the pieces of paper signed by the little dupe were quickly placed on the red-hot coals and burned to ashes.

"Now we will see that Laura receives the money which you fleeced her out of, and also we will guarantee that from us she will never learn the truth. No! you cannot go yet" (as the little terrified madame turned towards the door), "and it is useless your attempting to escape, for I have the key to the door. Painful as it is to lis, we have determined to teach you. If you scream you may attract the attention of soiiie other guests; if they come in and demand an entrance they shall he admitted; if they enquire the reason of such drastic treatment we shall tell them the truth. I should advise you not to scream. Sow, are you ready?" Without more ado one lady held the wriggling, sobbing little person, while the other administered a sound and welldeserved whipping. The little lady did not desert the house-party; her two chastisers were sweetly amiable to her for the remainder of the visit, and, to their delight, the cheat refused to play cards again during the remainder of her visit at that especial country house. ACTRESS' FOfeGERY.

DRAMATIC TRIAL SCENE. At 1.30 in the morning, after a continuous session of 17 hours, the Russian ''money-broker" Margolin and Frau Erna Froehlich, once a popular Berlin operetta singer, were found guilty of forgery and fraud and sentenced to 42 months' hard labor and IS months' imprisonment respectively. The closing scenes of the trial were highly dramatic. Just before the jury retired, a few minutes before midnight, Margolin addressed the court in his own defence, asking no mercy for himself, but begging clemency for his sweetheart, Frau Froehlich. "Don't add to the burden on my conscience by convicting her," lie exclaimed. Then the actress, crying piteously, appealed to the jury to find mitigating circumstances in her case. When the jury returned the court was still crowded with spectators who had followed the proceedings since 0 o'clock in the morning. Margolin received his sentence stolidly, but Frau Froehlich turned deathly pale and stood as if suddenly turned into .stone. The prisoners have appealed for a re-trial. In Wiecbaden the "count" met Fraulein Hecht, who fell in love with him. The couple eloped to London, and were there married. The "count" was afterwards arrested, but his wife's devotion remained unbroken. His ability to charm wealthy ladies and his shrewdness at cards brought him, it is alleged, much revenue. One Berlin noblewoman is said to have pawned £'501)0 worth of jewels and turned the proceeds over to the captivating "count." In his (juest for fresh funds De la

Ramee made the acquaintance of Margolin and Fraulein tfrohlicii. Margolin offered to secure £ISOO immediately for the couple, but as he could not negotiate their notes without security he and his sweetneart liit upon the plan of forging the endorsement of Frau Ilech-, the "Countess" do la Raniee's wealthy mother. Fraulein Frohlich, dressed in widow's weeds, impersonated Frau llech t before a notary and signed her name to notes for sums aggregating t! 10,000. These Margolin had little difficulty in negotiating, as tlu> name and wealth of Frau Ilecht are well-known in Berlin.

Instead of turning the money over to the "count" and his wife, however, Margolin is alleged to have appropriated it. He and his actress-wife subsequently disappeared from Kerlin and lived in the best hotels of the Biviera, Switzerland and Austria, until they were finally arrested at St. Petersburg. After being brought to Germany, Margolin and his sweetheart made full confession of their guilt. THE CZARINA'S HEALTH. Berlin, April 10. It has been definitely decided, according to the Lokal Arizeiger, that the Czarina will nest autumn again take the "cure" at Bad Nauheim, for which purpose the Czar and the rest of the Imperial Family will make another protracted Visit to the castle of Friedberg, in Hesse-Darmstadt.

The Czarina's Nauheim specialist recently visited her and found that last year's "cure" had in every respect proved beneficial. Her Majesty's health is described as so satisfactory that arrangements are now being completed for the next Russian Court to visit Copenhagen next month.

To clean marble.—Paraffin is splendid for cleaning marble or tiles. Dip a piece of flannel into a saucer of paraffin and rub over the surface. Then polish with a soft, dry cloth. , Cut flowers.—To make cut flowers last, cut off the tips of all the stems and stand them in a bowl of warm water. Let them remain until the water is quite cold, then arrange them in vases filled with luke warm water to which a pinch of carbonate of soda has been added. This will keep them fresh for quite a long time.

USEFUL HINTS. A Scrubbing Hint,—lt is much better to use cold water than hot for scrubbing floors, as it does not sink into the wood so readily, and consequently dries sooner. The scrubbing brush should always be moved up an down the boards with the grain of the wood, and not across it. Overboiled potatoes.—lf you happen to forget your potatoes, and let them boil too much, drain oil' nil the water possible, then put. Ilium over the fire, still in the saucepan, and stir with a wooden spoon till the water has evaporated and they are dry and flowery. See that there are no lumps left. Add pepper, salt, a piece of butter, and a little milk. Mix thoroughly, and serve as mashed potatoes. A simple furniture polish.—One of the best polishes for furniture, especially old oak, is linseed oill. Apply just a very little of this on a >soft rag and rub it well in. If this is repeated every day for six months you will have a polish 011 your furniture which it would be difTicult to better.

To tint lace.—A simple way of tinting white lace a deep cream color is to dip it after it has been washed and rinsed in weak tea or coffee, squeezing it gently, and taking care that the tint is evenly distributed. Iron at once, or the color is apt to run and look patchy. SEQUEL TO A DIVORCE. HUSBAND'S TERRIIJLE REVENGE. San Francisco, June 2. A divorce case that was heard lately had a sensational sequel. The petitioner in the suit was the wife, a Mrs. Pickard, who was not only granted a dissolution of her marriage, but was also awarded possession of her Jjome. Her husband, however, refused to vacate the house, but set about preparing for an explosion bv which he hoped to completely demolish the place. Pickard's plan was to rig up an infernal machine, and eonnnect it with the front door by means of a piece of string, tied in such a way that when the door was opened it would cause the machine to explode. The plan certainly succeeded, for the three court officers who went to the notice to serve Pickard with a notice of ejectment had no sooner turned the handle of the door when a terrific explosion occurred. The three officers were hurled violently out into the roadway, and were all seriously injured. Following the explosion, the wrecked building burst into flames, and within a very short time was completely destroyed. Pickard was subsequently arrested, and lodged in gaol.