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Why Ephraim Climbed Down mile that travelled company, smoothed ><SXS<! "And now, if everyone is ready. IM1 read Mr. Wiggings' last will and testament." Lawyer Popo, with an important all round the out a legal - looking parchment with plump fiu- gers, and carefully fixed his specta- cle* in their place. The family of Samuel Wiggings. deoe-ased, sat silently awaiting the all-important division of Mr. Wig- gings' property. Mra. Wiggings, the bere-aved wi- dow, white-haired and withered, and pitiably anxious as to her in- heritance.. Mt next to the lawyer. 8h was SamufI Wiggings' second wife. Beside her was her daughter Binah, a meek little woman of forty years, who looked fifty. On the opposite side of the table, p-mi' Ing in serene confidence, sat Mr. Ephraim Wiggings, the son of the deoe-ased by h:s first wife. He was an aggressive, pompous little man, and his rather round, oily face bore a contented "I-know- what's-coming" expression, which was largely the cause of oJd Mrs. Wiggings' twitching uneasiness. " 'This is the last will and testa- ment of me, Samuel Wiggings, coal dealer, of Tcckham,' " began the lawyer. ' 'I give/ and bequeath to my (stepdaughter, Binah Person, absolutely nothing.' " Poor Binah sat back in her chair, like a candle upon which the snuf- fer has suddenly dropped. She did her b-est to look as if she never ex- pected anything better, but the we*k tears were smarting beneath her eyelids, and presently splashed Into shameful publicity upon her faded cheeks. 'To my wife, Sally Wiggings (remembering her weakne** for tups of tea at all hours of the day), I leave the tea-canister and its con- tents, and nothing else.' ' A cry broke, from the old woman. Ehe flung out her withered arm* ap- pealingly to the lawyer. "But the home the home!" she : quavered. "Ird knows, me and ; brutalitv Bin&h didn't ask no money, but bits and things that mean home to u, still in the worltfwniM. Sally still kept house for Kphraim. Then, one spring day, Ephraim :mi>ounced to his stepmother thai she was about to lose her job. "Or, in plain English, I'm get- ting wed," he added. "You're getting wed!" repeat* Sally dazedly. "Then what's to be- oome of mot Shall 1- I bo able to stop with you in the old home? Oh, Kphraim, please let me stay!" Kphraim rubbed his nose, pausing for a kind way of Haying a cruel thing. "Well, I've talked it over with my intended," he murmured, "be- cause I did think at first as we might have found a corner for you 'ere. But my intended- he would- n't 'ere of it. She's afraid you'd be trying to boss, y'know. And she thinks, and I think, you'd bettor go along and keep Binah comp.viy. It won't be so lonely for you, seeing that Rinah'ft there already. And and Binah will be glad." The tears of his stepmother, and her own feeble argument of her rights, failed to move- Kphraim. He was glad to get the eceno over, and to feel that the thing wan settled. He brought his "intended" a sour-looking, peevish girl of thirty, who was named Mary, and . ! : dn't de-serve to be to see their future home. "But not. this furniture-!" cried Hiss Mary, with a horrified <;vuice around the timo-worn t ><.! xiies which meant ho'me to the \Vig- gingses. "Oh, I simply couldn't live with it, Ephraim ! My frir i-.ls would cry shame. No; we must have new furniture fashionable oak-and-leather things, you know. You'd better eell these antiques, and we'll get some fresh furniture from Tottenham Court Road. You can't expect a young wife to i-tart with an old home, you know." Ephraim assented, with a very wry face. He arranged with an auctioneer to sell the furniture, either privately or by auction, whilst he and his bride, were <m honeymoon ; then he gently remind ed his stepmother one night that she oould now "move out" at her convenience. "Meaning, 'Go to the house?'" demanded Sally of the surly stepson. work- "Well, you've got the tea-canis- with a fat chuckle. "That's the 'ub of a wo- man's "me, ain't it ? (jo on, Mr Pope ! See whether ho's left mo the doormat ! Maybe, "e ain't forgot That's what it does mean, I suppose !" he growled, in careless utalit. The old lady seeing her home o' forty years being wrenched from her, and seeing al*o the cold wel- come of a poorhouse before her, broke into a shrill cry for mercy. "Haven't I kept you 'ere with me for three years since my father died?" demanded Ephraim. He was in a vile temper, having just returned from tliat disastrous jour- ney to Tottenham Court Road with dear little me altogether." ' 'To my son Ephraim,' " pro- oeeded the lawyer, frowning "'I , ^ oxp( . ngivp Mi8S M ary. ]*ave everything else of which I di j ,, And voll 4 , ,, your own Rtep . mother out without a penny your father's wife '" she wailed. He replied with angry violence ' The old ladv shrunk f nun his words. absolutely.' That's the | complete will, my friends. I wish you good -day 1" A* the door closed a'tr him, Ephraim tucked his thumbs into the ^,,4 bravelv arm-holes of his waistooat, walked slowly to the fireplace, and took his tni' Idle-legged stand on the hearthrug in his best " lord -of -all- 1 - lurvey" attitude. "Well, now, wot about the fute- rfjer?" ho demanded, with a pal- r-.ni/.ing glance at the homeless and [HMinile-sM women. "What shall you do. Hinah?" "What can I do?" moaned that unfortunate lady, limping to a ohair. and dabbing a very moist handkerchief to her eyes. "My hviiie leg won't let me get a place in ervioe ; and I've no sort of experi- ence for anything else, nor no moJiey." "Well, well," said Ephraim, waiting with a generous patience for her grief to nubside, "there won't. be two women needed 'ere, yon know, now my father's gone. You can't ex|>ect me to keep you now, can you 7" "I never expected no mercy from you, Ephraira !" exploded poor Bi- nah, with an unexpe<ited *how of spirit. "You've come into every- thing, o be satisfied, and don't try to patronize until you're asked for charity which you won't never be ; not by me, any'ow." Thus relieved in mind, lame little Binah hobbled upstairs, and, acting on the spur of her indignation, she put on her hat and coat and came dowji.sta.irs to where Kphraim and hi stepmother sat iu a brooding lilence. "I'm going, mother. Good-bye!'' aid Binah bravely. "I'm going to do it now, while my pluck'e warm !" "Going where?" broke from Bally. "To the workhouse!" announced Binah. "Oh, no, no!" from Ephraim. with a gesture of his fat forefinger. "Not before you've 'ad some sup- per, surely !" "I'll never take sup nor bite from your bounty. F/phraim '" snap pexl Binah, suddenly breaking into tears upon her mother's shoulder. "If you go, I'm coming, too!" mumbled Mrs. Wiggings, weakly. "No, mother. You'll stop here and keep houp-e for Ephraim. Your keep won't cost much, and that'll uit Eph. No; you're too old to leave the dear old horns now, nv> ther. You could never live any where but hers. I'm younger. Good-bye!" Three years passed. Dinah was nerved herself to make a last stand. "I'll not be drove out! I'll not be paeked out of my home like a servant '." sho cried. KphraiimV last bhredof good tern per snapped. Me banged his fit on the table, and half rose, staring at "You're to go now- -at once ! Yon hear?" he ttormcd. "If you stay here any longer, you'll be whining before my wife's |>eople, and up seitting everything! Go at once!' She pleaded desperately, with her rheumaticky knees bent to him She told him life would be not I "i to her without the house and th: wornout old treasures which hat! made her lioine for forty years. But Ephraim' I spleen rose with even moment of delay. "You're to go now !" he st-ormed. And at last she went. Worn out with her feeble resistance, and by this time eager for what rest and harbor she could find even in a workhouse, she turned from UK house and hobbled slowly to th gate.' Suddenly the door behind hei opened. She turned just in time to se/e a square object flying pa.-i her into the road, and to we Kphraim shut the door when he. hac' flung the miwiile after her. She went to the gutter and stoop ed to pick up the object. It was her tea eaniuter 1 She picked it up. "This and its contents was ai Samuel left me in the will !" sh- murmured. "It was a cruel jest cruel as that son of fei who's fired the old canister after me! Hello! What's this?" The fall into the road had dam aged the canister. It had struck the stones with a corner that wa: now twisted. The whole of the hot torn piece seemed to be splitting from the sides. With a wrench, she pulled the bottom piece apart, and, to her amazement, instead of a shower of tea, *Jie Raw greyish paper thai cruekiled in her touch. "Banknote*! These are whal Samuel meant, when he said 'The canister and contents !' He meant these banknote*!" she gasped. "One, t.wo, three-hundred-aml fifty, four-fifty, seven hundred, eight, nine, ten I Ten hundred pounds ' Oh, thank God thank God!" With her tears falling upon them, she counted the note* again. Then WHY NOT UN HER BACK! "No dear, no more pudding to-night. Don't you know you cannot sleep on a full stomach?" "Well, auntie, I can sleep on my back!" she looked vainly for some note from the dead man that would ex- plain his lat strange joke the hid- ing of this legaev to his wife until her wits would discover the secret space between the true and false bottom of tho curious old canister. Sally friend. spent the She titavcd niirht with a with her until after Kphraitn's wedding-day ; then she, went to see the auctioneer. "You've Kot the (-elJing of Mr. Ephraim Wiggings' furniture 7" he questioned, fingering her new handbag. "Yes." "And what's tho price for it, as it stands?" "One hundred pounds. Failing SLAVEYS OF LONG SERVICE. An English Servant Kept Her Place For M:i'ty-sven Ytart*. Thev have the servant problem over her in almost, if not quite, a acute a form a you have it in you: country, but it would be solved in no time if there were many more domestics like Mary Ann Lancas ter, who has junt died, writes I/indon correspondent. Whether this real Mary Ann was a treasure or not you can gue.ss from the fac that .he lived as maid and frien< (according to her obituary notice with a family in Stoke Newington for 65 years, or up to the day of her that, it's to be sold by auction to- ! d <* th * th ? ** ?* ^ P rove * morrow, to make room for the new ! moreover, that beside* being a mo- furniture." Sally handed him a banknote for a hundred pounds. "Give me the receipt. I'll buy it," she said briefly. From the auctioneer's she went to the landlord of the house which had been the home of the Wiggingses for nearly half a century. He listened to her story with a twinkling eye. Then he nodded. "Ye-s: I'll sell the house to you gladly." he said. "As to Mr. Eph- raim Wiggings he has given me notice, in order to save himself a .'. cek's rent while he's away. So he can't grumble. Yes; if you like to buy the place, and move in. there's nothing to prevent you. I'll have the deeds mad out right away.'' A few days aft.er Sally went on her last errand. This time it was U> bring Hinah from the workhouse. Her withered old face was very proud and very happy when she broke the news to ISinah that her workhouse dayn were over, and that the old home was their own again. Poor Binah was crying soft- ly with joy all the way home, and, del servant, Mary Ann Lancaster I hnd the welfare of her fellow do { niestioa at heart, and that she con ! tribtited in all over $150 to the I funds of the Domestic Servants : Benevolent Institution, an organl zation in this country which be friends servants in time of stres helps them to get good berths anc grants pensions to some of them when past work. William Sly, the secretary of this society, on beinir applied to. gave the rather surp | 'i !i ' na c information that Mary Ann Lancaster's perioc of service, though creditable, wa! far from being a record-smashing one, in this country anyhow. "It, mav interest you to know,' paid Sly, "that we have recorder on our books the cn.e of one do- mestic who remained with one fam ily for 97 years, and of another \vh< stayed in one place for 75 years The first of these was Susan O'Ha gnn, of Lisburn. near Belfast, wh< died in Jinie-, 1909, at the. age ol 107 and who for 97 years was in th service of three generations of a family named Hull at Lisburn. Hei ease is the most extraordinary that lion she saw the old place just as has come to our. notice The holder she liad left it, sho broke down of the next best record, .f, 5 completely, and sobbed with the ex quisitc delight of a woman who hat known what it is to be forlorn and homeless. When Kpliraim's new furniture arrived the next day, they politely refused delivery, on the grounds that Mr. Kphraim Wiggings hud 'removed" which was true rough, although Kphraim him.seli didn't know it yet. About a week later a cab rattled up to I he gate and stopped. From it stepped Kphraim, looking very important and distinguished in his honeymoon attire, followed by Mrs. Ephraim, who looked even more sour and peevish than usual. Together they walked up the short path, n.nd Kphraim tried his latchkey. To his asUinlMimont, the door refused to yield. It wa* bolted n the inside. He banged the knocker loudly and with furious impatience. Thi> pause upon the door.ste-p was taking all the dignity from his home-coin ing! And then the front bed-room win- dow went up, and the heads of Sally and Binnh peeped out. "We're not at homo to-day to callers I" they said gravely, nn<l shut the window again, carefully bolting it. London Answers. Myrtle's A mother who loves to boast of the more or less bright sayings of her little daughter was taught a lesson one day this week. The proud parent had just finish <<! an account of Myrtle's clever ness when the youngster herself piped up : Mamma, v. hai was cute thing 1 t>aid that other was Hanna (.Vxjk, who lived with a family named Norris in Leicester shire, for that length of time. "Other striking records," Sly went on, "are tho.se of Marianne .Stammers, who died at 88 aftei completing her 70th yoar of service in the family of the late Henn Hoare, the hanker, and that of n Mrs. Alexander, who was house keeper to l>>rd Asheombo for 5( years. Viscount Clifden's late but ler, too, was in his lordship's ser vice for over half a century." Sly says that over 2, 000,000 wo- men are now employed as servants in the United Kingdom. Quite number of them, out of their hard earned savings, contributed to the funds of tho benevolent institution, v\ hich has reeei\ d in legacies from servants nearly $2,oOO and in trust funds over $12,000. One supporter. a butler, left a sufficient sum to pro vide for a pension of $1 l. r > a year tt the oldest female beneficiary, while iitU'ther servant left $5,000 in trusl for two peu&ioiiH for needy slavt-v> One pensioner of the institution who died lately at the age of 101 had received benefits amounting to $1,830. HOME Luncheon Ulshe*. Cases of Nouillo Paste wit! Scotch Sliorthrnul. Chop a pound of butter into two pounds of flour, after you have softened the butter a little, by putting it near th fire. Knead in the sugar and make the dough into a tiheot about half an inch thick, rolling il out smooth. You can cut it into shapes with a biscuit or cako cutter or make it into squares. Lay buttered paper n ;> shallow tin and hake the oak. until orisp and -uf a yellowish lirowu. While it is hot, just before taking from the oven, gprink' piuk and white comfits over the top. Choose Souffle. The paste is made with flour, about four ounces, the yolks of two eggs, a little milk an< a seasoning of salt. Holl this oul as thin as a wafer and line some little fluted tins, prising it wel into the tins to prevent air bub bles. Bake for 10 or 15 minutes in a moderate oven, not too iong, for they have to again visit the oven Make a souffle mixture with one ounce of fine flour, one ounce oi butter, one gill of milk and the same nf cream; three eggs, a very little salt and three ounces oi cheese. Melt the butter in a sauce- pan, stir the flour smoothly in, then the hot milk and se.asoning; next add the yolks of the eggs carefully, then the cheese (grated) and lastly, the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs. Fill each little case half-full and bake till well puffed up and lightly brown, removing at once to the table from the oven. Potato Cases Filled with Peas. Boil about a pound of dry, floury potatoes, beat them until quite smooth and light, season with salt and pepper and a inch of nutmeg, if liked ; adding an ounce of butter and the yolks of two egga, and beat till these ingredients are we!] blended and (smooth. When coo!, roll out (using just sufficient flour to make this possible) to the thick- ness of one and a half inches. Cut out into rounds the size of a tumb- ler and with a smaller cutter re- move a piece from the top of each as though making patties. Egg ! and breadcrumb neatly, place in a frying basket and fry to light brown. Fill the cavities with cooked pens seasoned with ealt and butter and place the piece removed from the centre on top of the peas to form a lid. Veal I'roquctlos with Tomatoes- Chop two cupfuls of cold roast veal. Make a white sauce with two ounces of butter, cooked till it is quite hot and bubbling, and then stir in smoothly one and a half ounces of cornstarch ; cook for sev- eral minutes, then add half a pint of white stock, or milk may be used in place of it ; season with salt and pepper ; add the yolk of one egg and cook gently till smooth and well blended ; add the chopped veal and when hot turn out on a dish. When cold, mo-Id into cone shapes and roll in beaten egg and breadcrumbs and fry in hot fat. Serve with baked to- matoes. Chicken Livers and Bacon. - Cleanse and separate each little liver into four pieces ; sprinkle with a little pepper and wrap each slice in a thin piece of streaky bacon, fastening the end with a tiny skew- er. They may then be fried, broiled or cooked in the oven as may be preferred. Be sure to have the liv- ers cooked through. When done, remove the skewers and serve tho rolls on a mound of hot boiled rice. Lamb Chops Stuffed. Choose loin or rib chops, remove ail super- fluous fat and skin. Have the chops cut about one and one-half inches thick; with a sharp-pointed knife cut a pocket in chop, inserting the knife from outside edge of chop to the boiie. In this pocket place poultry stuffing made with bread, seasoned with salt, pepper, sage and melted butter ; be careful not to put in so much it will burst out. Place chops on [>an that has been sprinkled with salt and pepper, bits of butter and a few drops of .mi m juice. Sprinkle the chops with a little salt and pepper, place in a hot oven and bake from 20 to JO minutes. Do not add any water to the pan. Place chops on hot platter surrounded with tomato sauce. Asparagus Loaf with Bechamel Sauce. Butter thoroughly a char- lotte russe mold, quart size, and line it with cooked tips of aspara gu, well drained. Cook two table- spoonfuls of flour and the same amount of butter together, add a teaspoon ful of salt, a dash of cay- enne and one cupful of cream, gradually. Allow it to boil five minutes, remove from the fire, add >iio cupful of cooked asparagus tips and four eggs thoroughly beaten. Turn the mixture into the' mold, set it in a pan of hot water and cook in a moderate oven about half an hour, or till the centre is firm. Turn the loaf on a hot dish, ar- ange about it little oblong pieces ; bread that have been dipped in eaten eggs and milk and browned. 'our the sauce around it and erve at once. Iterli imi'l Sauce. .Mi x 2 lablespoonfuLs of flour and two of Hitter, cook till it begins to bubble, idd gradually half a cupful of hot <t<)ck and the same amount of milk. When the sauce boils set it in a lish of hot water and stir in the :>eatcn yolks of two eggs, half a upful of cooked asparagus tips, a easpoonful of salt, dash of cayenne ind tablespooiiful of lemon 'juice. ntead of stock you may use water isparagus was cooked in. MisccllaiH'oiiH Dishes. Duchess Potato Balls.-Prepare a quart of fluffy mashed potatoot- (this necessitates the use of about' ten potatoes). Heat in an egg, then form into balk ; while etill hot, roll lightly in an egg beaten with one- half cup of water and set on a but- tered sheet in a hot oven till 1 browned. Remove with a pancaked turner. Veal Steak, Italian. Slice veal steak thin and out into individual servings. Boil for five minutes in/ water to cover containing one spoon sugar, bit of bay leaf, one., clove and one slice onion to eachl pint. Then drain, dust with salt' and pepper and dip egg and crumbs! and cook for six minutes in deepj fat hot enough to brown a bit of bread in three minutes. Serve with sliced lemons. ^ Lemon Pie. Grate rind of one lemon, pull off the white skin, and after rolling out your crust and putting it on the plate, slice th peel lemon very thin and lay on the crust. Crumble one large slice of, bread, strew the crumbs over the- lemon. Beat the yolks of two eggs in a bowl with a cup of sugar and one of water and the grated rind oi the lemon. Pour this slowly over the crumbs in the pie plate and bake. When cold, make a meringuo of the whites of the eggs and four tablespoons of powdered sugar, spread on the. pie, brown lightly, and eat very cold. Orange Dumplings, Baked. Make a good short biscuit dough with a quart of flour, two table- spoonfuls of shortening half but- ter a couple of teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and two cupfuls of milk, or enough to make a soft dough. Roll out into a sheet not wore than half an inch thick, hand- ling your dough as little and as lightly as possible. Cut into squares about five inches each way and lay on this lobes of orange which you have freed from the yellow and white- skin and seeded carefully. Add sugar at discretion, being more generous with it if the oranges a*e tart. Fold over the paste, pinch the edges together, and lay the dumplings in a pan, the pinched side down, cover, and bake for twenty minutes in a steady oven. < Serve with a good hard sauce, flav- ored with lemon juice. * Home Hint-. To remove water spots on a dress, dampen it in lukewarm water. Place over water spots on right side and take a piece of the same fabric and press with warm ron till both pieces of material are dry. To make boys' rubber boots last ong have the cobbler put one thick- ness of leather inside the heel and another outside, and then fasten on he regular heel plate. A teaspoonful of camphor added M a quart of soft water will kill arthworms in house plants. The plants should be quite ready for vater when it is applied. A sewing screen with top handles s a handy thing to carry from room room. It should be 'Xj/j.-e-j with retonne, should stand strongly on ts feet and he hung on one side with ewing needfuls. A good furniture polish may be nado of one-half pint linseed oil, ine-half pint turpentine, one-quar- er pint vinegar, one-quarter pint mentholated spirit. Shake to- gether thoroughly in a bottle. Hound centrepieces may be dried >y laying them when wet on a sheet >f clean glass, kept for the purpose. See that the linen is placed smooth y and then set the glass in the sun. Plaster casts which have hard, polished surfaces can be washed with a nailbrush and white soap uds. The suds should be rinsed off and the casts well dried. Painted woodwork can be made to look like new by rubbing it with a cloth dipped in whiting. When the whiting is soft cloth. dry, remove with AS GOOD AS A (iOLD MINK. World Consumes Much Thorium In It* Gas Mantel*. Professor White estimates that, no fewer than 400,000,000 gas-mantle* are used every year, and the-s gas-mantles cannot be manufac- tured without a substance named thorium, the ncc-o-'sity for obtaining a large supply is obvious. Some time ago the manufacturers were, indeed, at a loss to discover suffi- cient for their purpose. Their anx- iety was removed quiite unexpected- ly when a stronger wa.lked into the office of one of the grea.t incandes- cent companies and offered to show where an unlimited supply could be ob'tuined. He demanded' $500.000 for the information, and this sum the company readily undertook to pay. Tho directors were, howeser, doubtful of his ability to carry out his promise, hint after obtaining a, contract, he took a representative of ithc company to Brazil, where huge deposits of thorium were discover- ed. From this place most of t/ha thorium now The stranger find quifce accidentally. in use is obtained, hail discovered the Grace "You'd never dream thft number of proposals I've had this winter." Helen- -"No. dear, bu* I'm sure you dreamed most ol them."