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fl ** * /• ;c f r *.*&£# #1-; :f *:; :'^ ̂ ;;^r-pr #c& %r ;*j >* . 7^ v >: ̂ fc n?,wn aViu; /v <*r<sV**?%: "*• ^r- & ^ ;-•? ' v' ' *<r "'"S«^^<f -V*/ ' . T<e4?** X-.̂ 'ŷ ' ,:A \ * ; , $ 1 ,'< ' 1X1 . . i&t THE WINNING OF MARGARET MESViN : th~ 3, ••• . By CUFFORD HOWARD (Copyright, by J. B. Llpplncott Co.) Fitzgerald carried two notes in his f not for you she would consent to mar- | pocket. One was from an acqualnt- | ance, a young lawyer of the city, ask- | him to call upon him on a matter of | personal business. In response to this i request he was walking briskly to- | wards the lawyer's office. What it I was Colton wanted to see him about | he did not know. As a matter of fact, | he did not care. His mind was too I fully engaged with the emotions in- f spired by the contents of the other I . note. . , | This was a, dainty epistle from Mar- j garet Mervin, the girl who had be- I witched his heart and turned his head after their first day's acquaintance­ ship at the seashore, five months be­ fore. As he hurried alone his brain was awhirl with troubled and exciting thought^ for the missive he had re­ ceived from her to-day was enough to ipset the. equanimity of any lover: My very dear Friend: Your avowal has touched me most deeply. But what is a bit of helpless femininity to do when lier heart is large enough for only one? Is It not better to remain friends with both? Then let me always be t Your sincere friend. MARGARET. Fitzgerald WifegRgry and humiliated; angry, becaus^%n^ other man had evidently com^^fepsa the pathway of lis heart's aspifStion; and humiliated, because she had turned him off so airily; and this, too, after inflating his hopes by a ready acceptance of the many tokens of adoration he had be­ stowed upon her, including a weekly trip to Philadelphia that he might once in seven days hold her hand in his for a moment and spend a few brief hours in her enchanting presence. He was still ruminating when he ar­ rived at the lawyer's office. He opened the door hastily and walked in. Colton was alone. Stooping over bis desk in the center of the room," he did not at once look up. "How are yon, Colton?" inquired Fitzgerald, tucking Ms cane under his arm and preparing to draw off his gloves. "I've dropped in in answer to your note. What can I do for you?" Pushing back his chair, Colton rose and acknowledged the presence of his ««8er with a cart nod. "1 thank you *W»i» Wa^ ft Be a Fight, Pure and •v>. Simple. for being so prompt," he said. Then stepping oyer to the door he turned the lock and thrust the key into his pocket. "Now," he continued, turning to Fitz­ gerald, "you Bhall not leave this room until we have come to an understand­ ing" "Well, and what db you mean?" Fitzgerald struck a match and pro- ceeded to light a cigarette. « "Simply this--I shall speak plainly and to the point: It has come to my knowledge that you are endeavoring to win the affections of the woman who--who---that is to say, the one to whose affections I consider I have cer­ tain right as an admirer--as her avowed suitor, to speak candidly. You are interfering with what I deem to be my just prerogatives, my prior rights, and I Insist that you withdraw at once and for all time. Otherwise I demand satisfaction. Do I make myself clear?" "I can't say that you do," answered Fitzgerald, directing a puff of smoke towards the ceiling. "So far as I am able to make out, you are barring up the wrong tree. If you think I am in­ terfering with your love affairs, you art mightily mistaken. I (have enough to do to attend to my'-own. And if this is all you have brought me here for, I think It Is now in order for you • to apologize and to open that door." "Then you mean to say that you have relinquished your interest in Miss Mervin?" "Miss Mervin! What has she to do ^ irith this?" ^;«v "Everything." t'J: "Now, see here, Colton, what do you e",xHtoanr' "I have'already told you: it is be­ cause of you--for fear of hurting your sensibilities--that she hesitates to fa­ vor me with her acceptance." "Why, hang it, man! what in the name of common sense are you talk- Ing about?" , "Don't I make myself clear?" "No! Do you mean that you have been paying your addresses to Miss Marvin?" ; "Yes." ' "Miss Margaret Mervin?" •Yes." ,; ri, fOt Philadelphia V r " "Yes; Miss Margaret Mervin of Phil­ adelphia. There's no misunderstand­ ing on that score." "How long have you known her?" "I don't know that that's any of your business; but the fact is, I met her in the Catskills last August." "The devil! Then it's you who are mt the bottom of this! You are the man who has come between her and •ae! I met her a whole month before you did, and you sit there and talk to me of your prerogatives and prior right# 1 Why, confound it all, if it were m ry me! and you demand that I shali withdraw in your ravor! Well, I'll be--" "Then you will decide the matter as I Aave suggested?" "What?" "I say, then you are willing to fight, to determine which of us shall retire? The case is a simple one: Each of us stands in the other's way. With both in the field she will have neither of us. One of us has got to withdraw. Do you catch my meaning now?" "Yes; and, by thunder, I accept your challenge! It shall be a fight, and a fight to the finish; and, what's more, we'll pull it off right here and now!" "Precisely what I have arranged for. We can settle the matter in my back office without attracting attention. I have had the room cleared for the purpose." Both men were well built and ath­ letic. Each was accounted a good sparrer. Fitzgerald followed his adversary into the adjoining room. Each drew off his coat and vest and neckwear with stvtdied deliberation and placed them carefully on a chair. Colton tossed upon the window-seat two or three pairs of light-weight gloves. "Take your choice," he said. Fitzgerald quickly fitted a pair to his hands; Colton followed suit; and a moment later the two men faced each other in the attitude of battle, their arms bared and their chests ex­ panded with deep breathing. There was no handshake. All pre­ liminary conventionalities were waived. This was to be a fight,"pure and simple. Scarcely had each nodded his readiness ere the contest was on, and In vigorous earnest. For fully 15 minutes the struggle continued. Then a loud knock at the door brought the performance to a sudden standstill. Both men were wet with perspiration and panting hard. The interruption from without aroused the combatants to a sudden realization of the noise they had been making, and each involuntarily glared, at the other and remained quiet for a moment. It was an intimation to the one on the outside to go away. It proved to\be only the postman, who, receiving no response after a short wait, discharged his errand by dropping a number of letters through the opening in the door. The momentary truce had made both men aware of their exhausted condi­ tion. A few minutes' respite was eag­ erly craved by each of them to regain his breath. It was with a feeling' of thankful relief, therefore, that Fitzger­ ald saw Colton stoop and pick up one of the letters from the floor. To conceal any evidence of a desire to gain time by so doing, Colton en­ deavored by his manner to have It seem that his action was merely an in­ stinctive response to habit. In reality he was more nearly exhausted than he cared to admit, and he felt It essential to resort to some subterfuge to delay the renewal of hostilities. With ap­ parent absent-mindedness he mechan­ ically tore open the envelope he held in his hand and passed his eyes va­ cantly over the contents. Then, suddenly, without uttering a sound, he fell against the wall and sank Blowly" to the floor, where he re­ mained motionless, his head drooping upon his chest. Fitzgerald smiled grimly. He knew he had landed two blows over the heart, and he was not surprised. Min­ gled triumph and satisfaction added a rosier glow to his burning cheeks. With bis handkerchief he calmly wiped the perspiration from his face and neck and sauntered over to one of the windows. As he did so his eye lighted on the card that Colton had taken from the envelope. He picked It up with a hur­ ried, Impulsive movement, and holding it to the light he gazed upon it as one entranced. Afer a moment of breath­ less tension he sank limply upon the chair in the corner, Colton raised his head and looked up. The two men stared at each other for the space of a full minute and then smiled foolishly. Actuated by a com­ mon impulse, they repeated together, in feeble duet, the words they had both read on the card; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mervin announce the marriage of their daughter, Mar­ garet, to Mr. John Harry Smith, Decem­ ber tenth. The two men rose and shook hands. "Get on your clothes and we'll go over to McBride's and have a drink." said ColtOn. "I'm with you," answered Fitzgerald. And All Unreceipted. Lord Granard, at one of the many dinner parties that preceded his mar­ riage to Miss Ogden Mills, said of the impoverished nobility of the old world: "What a German friend of mine said of his family is true of too many fami­ lies. "My friend was a graf. I was visit­ ing his castle on the Rhine. He showed me there one day many proofs of his race's antiquity. " 'Dear me,' I said, stffllng a yawn, 'I had no Idea you went back so far.' "He pointed proudly to an old steel- bound chest of black oak. "'Why, toy boy,' said he, Tve got bills in there dating back to the twelfth century.' " ORDERS KEfT MIR BU*¥> A prominent physiolan of Baltimore tells of an amusing experience of the early days of his practice when he was residing in a small town where by far the majority of the workers were coal miners. "I was greatly distressed by the in­ sanitary conditions prevailing in their cottages," says the doctor, "and among other things I tried to explain to each household the importance of maintaining a wholesome atmosphere in the sleeping rooms. I laid In a stock of thermometers, which ' were distributed to the households where they were most needed. I took pains to point out to each family in turn how the thermometer would Indicate the proper degree of temperature. "As I was making the rounds one day I Inquired of the woman at the head of the establishment, wherein I observed my thermometer'proudly dis­ played at the end of a string, wheth­ er she followed my instructions. " 'Yes, sir,' answered she. 'I'm very careful about the temperature. I watch the thing all the time as it hangs up there.' " 'Whatdo you do when the tempera­ ture rises a^ove 68?' " 'I take it down, sir, an* put It outside till it cools off a bit.'" An Offending Phrase. "Why are you so sure the critics don't know what they are talking about?" "I waited five years to publish my book," answered the young author, "and then they sneered at me for 'rushing into print!' " NEARSIGHTED. E Shortsighted Old Lady from the Country (to friend)--Fancy a ladylike that selling um-bur-rel-as. His Whereabouts. "What became of that young man who sought your hand in marriage at the seashore last summer?" asked the dear girl who had been abroad. "Oh," replied the fair one who had remained at home, "I have him under my thumb now." An Inference. Miss Oldham--I had a proposal of marriage last night. Miss Young--Indeed! Who taught you the art? Miss Oldham--The art? Miss Young--Yes, of hypnotism. Nothing. "What did Jinx say at the banquet last night?" "Nothing." -- "Why, he told me he made a speech." "So he did." The Parental Kick. Friend of the Family--Is that young man coming to your house as a suitor for your daughter? Father (with veiled meaning)---'Fes, and he is a good ^rae to boot LITERARY NOTE, Visitor--What brought you to this, my poor man? Convict--My love for books, mum. Visitor--Some of those cheap, sen­ sational books, no doubt? Convict--Not at all, lady; it was packet books. Hypercritical. Blobbs--I love the old songs best. Slobbs--Why? Blobbs--Because no one sings them now. HELP! HELP! The Reason. The New Tenant--And the last own­ er, Donald, you say tried to introduce nightingales on the estate? Donald--Aye, sir, he did, Indeed; but they wouldn't stay. Ye'll no ken, maybe, the nightingale winna stay in Scotland. The New Tenant--Is that so? Can't acquire the accent, I suppose.--Lei* don Opinion. "Pa--pa--Where's the shoe horn, quick!" "I don't know. What do you want the shoe horn for?" "Ma's got stuck half-way in her aew dregs, and can't get it on or off." Not In. AiSiUcant--Is the boss in? Manager--No, my stenographer i* »ut just now.. r Even Then. it The end of the world had come at lMt But Gabriel stood irresolute. Mankind awaited the trumpet blast. And still he didn't, toot. Impatient muttering! then began: "Why this delay? What does It mean?** "I'm waiting," said Gabriel, "for the With the motion picture machine!" NO USE FOR BILLS. m Caller--Is the manager in? Office Boy--What is your name, please ? Caller--Just tell him it is his old friend Bill. Office Boy--Then he's gone out. I heard him say that if any Mil came he wasn't in. It's an Old Game. Disgruntled Englishman (at launch­ ing of the Terrible Bess)--Gadzooks, but this building the most powerful- warship-in-tbe-world doth make me sick! First we build it, then France doth, then the Venetians, then the Dutch, and then--egad!--we build it again. Praise fortune, our ship­ wrights say it can't be built much larger and float.--Puck. Seeing Is Believing. Isaac (who has just recovered from typhoid)--Doctor, you have charged me for four weeks' calls; I vill pay for only three weeks! Doctor--But I called on you every day for four weeks, Mr. Isaac! Isaac--Veil, dere vas one week I was delirious, and I didn't see you come In!--Life. Suspicious. Shabby Shakespeare--When the heavy tragedian rapped at the way­ side cottage and told the lady he was an actor in distress she doubted him. Nosole Nero--Why so? Shabby Shakespeare--Because when she offered him a copy of "Hamlet," he said he'd rather have an omelet. TOO BUSY. Fannie--Freddie, our engagement Is 6ff for to-day. Freddie--Why? Fannie--'Cos I got a bag of candy hare that I think will last me until to­ morrow night. Irish Wit. A gentleman, seeing Patrick dig­ ging in the ground, stopped to in­ quire: "What are you digging out that hole for, Pat?" "Sure," replied Pat, with a grin, "I'm diggln' out the dirt an' layln' the hole'to look after itself, sor." Too;Much Family Tree. "Hasn't Fitzbrown got his coat of arms yet? Why, he told me he was going to look up his ancestry the first opportunity he got, and--" "Well, I believe he got an oppor­ tunity to look up bis family tree, but he saw some things hanging to the branches that discouraged further re­ search^--Judge. • Blocked His Game. Olive--Did he steal a ldss ffom you ? Ella--He tried to, but-- Olive--Well? Ella--A fair exchange Is no robbery, you know. Of Course. "Time files." "What's the idea?" "I was just thinking that the Gro ver Cleveland babies are grown up now, and the Togo pups are all old dogs." Nothing Doing. "What did the editor offer you lor your poem?" "A year's subscription to the maga­ zine." "Did you take it?" / "No, indeed. I told him that I Wouldn't have any more ideas* if f read that magazine for a year." Still a Question. "Did she marry for love?" "That's what everybody is wonder­ ing. Her husband is charming in manner, wealthy, has no bad habits, and moves In the best society."-- Judge. A Family Jar. "So that quarrelsome couple are go­ ing to make a balloon ascension! It is very dangerous in their caSe." "Why so?" "Because thefe-le sure to be a fall­ ing out." No Postscript. . He--Why is it the average wonuu^, dislikes to send a telegram? She--I mess It's because a post­ script eanot be added without extra charge. " ALL READY FOR EMERGENCIES k business Woman on Train Had Pro­ vided Herself with Some Crea­ ture Comfort.. f; two miles above Hariisbnrg a trate on the Pennsylvania main line was stalled for hours the other night, the storm having c|iu»6u & freight wreck ahead. | . /. "What's the matter?" people asked the conductor. \ , - / • - "Don't Know," his replied ? *i; "How long are we going to be t i e d u p ? " • - ' ' ? ; V • "Can't till. Mayfce a oouple of hours." That Pullman held about the sorest lot of passengers that ever rode over the line. When the train had been stalled for aBbut an hour and all the gayety and cheerfulness appeared to have been ex­ hausted, the life-saver appeared. A man, ruddy and benign of countenance and bald headed, rose in the rear of the car and beamed upon everybody as he genially Inquired. "Will anybody have a drink?" He held up a quart bottle of a good brand. He also dug up a small glass," and the heartfelt thanks that came t*> him in glances told him 'most every­ body would certainly have a drink. Down the line he went, right and left across the aisle, until he came to two women. One of them was a drum­ mer. The other was not. The busi­ ness woman took a drink. The other timidly thanked the good Samaritan and declined. After he had passed on the business woman asked the other: "Didn't you really want a drink?" "Yes, I did," was the reply, "but I simply lacked the courage to take it from a strange man in front of, this carload of people. And I'm cold and hungry, too." "You poor dear," said the other, sym­ pathetically. "Here, drink this." Listen. Sne had a pint flask in her own grip.-- Washington Times. WILL HAVE NO STEAM LINES. Sweden Probably to Be First Country in the World to Electrify All Railroads. Sweden will probably be the first country In the world to abolish steam locomotives on all its railroads. For Sweden has no coal of its own and has to import all that It uses. Sweden began In 1906 to experiment with electric traction on its railroads. Electric motors were tried first on a small stretch of road, and the results were so satisfactory that It has been decided to electrify all the lines. The government has bought several large water falls, which will furnish the power; five central hydro-electric sta­ tions are to be established for the op­ eration of a first section of about 2,000 kilometers, and secondary stations, sit­ uated about twenty miles apart, will send the motive power In two direc­ tions in order that any point on the system may receive power from two different stations. These generating stations will also supply motive power direct to factories, the motors df which are now run by engines burning petro­ leum in their furnaces. The electric motors are to run at 60 kilometers an hour for express trains and 45 kilometers for way trains, which Is a little more rapid than the speed at which the trains run to-day. The Swedish engineers calculate that the electrification of these 2,000 kilometers of railway will by 1920 ef­ fect a saving of about $360,000 a year In the operation of the' roads. Preserving Railroad Ties. Consul W. D. O'Shaughnessy .of Aguascallentes writes concerning the successful treatment of railroad ties in Mexico: "The local tie-treating plant of the Mexican Central railroad has reached an output of 3,500 ties a day, making it one of the largest concerns of its kind in the world. The local plant Is the first in the history of railway op­ eration to make a success of the treat­ ment of ties by the Ebano oil process. It is expected that the treatment will prolong the life of each tie from 8 to 12 years. "The process consists of placing the ties in huge cylinders, which are then filled with oil and subjected to heat and pressure. After seven hours the oil is forced out of the cylinders and the ties removed. The average tie treated here absorbs about three gal­ lons of oil, which contains a large amount of solid matter, and It Is this, after being forced into the wood, that acts .as a preservative. The average penetration Into pine ties is about two inches; in harder woods It is less; but in all cases the oil protects them from the water, and will keep out moisture for years. The cost of the new treatment Is said to be much less than the old treatment of zlno chlo­ ride. Must of the ties received here are pine, from the United States, but recently a shipload was received from Japan."--Consular Report. No Oil Lamps on Canadian Trains. The oil lamp has been abolished from the railroad cars of Canada by a recent enactment of the dominion rail­ way commission, which requires that in the future all car lighting must be done by compressed oil gas, acetylene gas or electricity. Both the railroad company and its employes are held responsible for the observance of this regulation, a fine being laid for «ach offense. Year Without Passenger Casualty. After an Interval of six years Eng­ lish railroads have achieved the record of carrying on their operations with­ out the loss of a single passenger. In 1902 6 lives were lost; in 1903, 2fi; in 1904, 6; in 1905, St; in 1906, 58, and in 1907. 18. Old British Railroad Depot. The only railroad station In Britain that can boast of being really old is that at Bourne, Lincolnshire, which Is an ancient Elizabethan mansion fon merly in the possession of the Dlgby family. Sadly Behind the Times. There are less than 500 miles of rail way in Colombia, and nearly all travel­ ing, must be done on horse or mul« back. COLORS m - fAVOB EUROPEAN IDEA FOR HANDKER. CHIEFS ACCEPTED. "i^lii#-SirTipre aird 'P^ftbieiltj' Are In Vogue--Maderla Em­ broidery in White Admired Beeause of Its Simplicity. There is a perfect craze " for col­ ored handkerchiefs in Paris, and America has accepted it. They are seen in myrtle green, in purples from catawba to a delicate violet, and in all shades of old rose. The colo>8 are used and blended in many Ways, such %b the plain hand­ kerchiefs in blues, pink and green, fin­ ished with a white hem and ornament­ ed with white embroidery. Then there are the white handkerchiefs or­ namented with # colored bars. Some have small colored hemstitching with small colored designs, others have wide colored borders and colored de­ signs. The handkerchiefs are smaller than they have been for several seasons. There are the small glove handker­ chiefs designed for the glove or coat pocket, and . the larger ones for dressier use. Offered In the two sizes are the white ones finished with a fine border In delicate pink, blue, green, etc., and the colored ones in the same shades, finished with a white border. Mpre elaborate are the colored ones trimmed with white hemstitched bor- D0 WORK ON FINE MATERIAL How Even Buttonholing May Be Achieved by the Amateur Dressmaker. Buttonholes usually represent diffi­ culties in amateur dressmaking, which are almost Insurmountable where fine materials are concerned. If amateur talent is strained In securing even buttonholing in the case of heavy tweed or coarse flannel, the' softness and transparency of fine lawn or chif­ fon renders the finishing of empiece- >ments and vests, where buttons are used as a means of fastening, a mat­ ter requiring much more time and pa­ tience. Should the material be apt to cockle and fray at the edges, the experiment should be tried of making a paste with a little flour and water and dabbing this on to the reverse side of the lawn or muslin. Whetf the paste Is dry, the surface will be found to be sufficiently firm to render both the cutting of the slit and the subsequent buttonholing a comparatively easy matter. The Puritan Collar. The Puritan collar, so much in evi­ dence during the summer, Is hold­ ing its own. Perhaps no prettier form of it has been seen than the Irish lace ones. There are also many who appear on the street with them on the coldest winter day. While their hands are in the depths of enormous muffs their throats are left entirely exposed. Put­ ting aside the question of health, this habit is quite out of place, for no one can be comfortable under such condi­ tions, and the old adage should be re­ membered, that anything that is not comfortable Is not in good taste. NOVEL IDEA FOR PIPE RACK ders with a shamrock bow Jknot, fleur* de lis, or butterfly appiiqued In white. Though these are exquisitely dainty of design they are had as low as 5® cents. Another pretty pattern is made of White linen finished in colored hem­ stitching, while others are hemstitched and hand embroidered in the same color. Some have the wreath or spray of flowers only in one corner, while in others it is worked all around. The cost depends on the quantity of hand embroidery, ranging from $1.25 up. Less expensive are the shamrock linen ones ornamented with colored bars and dots and small floral designs, offered in all the popular shades. Although colors are all fashionable, white handkerchiefs still are used for most dressy occasions, and the^ as­ sortment is large and attractive. Most fashionable are the white linen with the madeira embroidery, admired be­ cause of their simplicity. Some have the embroidery worked all around, while others have only the eyelet edge and the embroidery in one corner. These range from 75 cents to $2.50, according to the size and the amount of hand work used. Less new but nevertheless popular are the white linen with swlss ones^ hand embroidered and hemstitched. Some of these patterns are small, such as a small wreath, while others are worked in a half dozen stitches in the finest of hand made linen. Lace on handkerchiefs is far less popular than on many other things. An exception is the fine, simple Amer­ ican lace used to trim some of the finest ones. FOR WEAR WITH ANY SKIRT. Smart Jacket That Can be Made Avail­ able in Many Kinds of \ Material. This smart jacket might be made in material to match the skirt, or just as a useful slip-on jacket to wear with Cut in 8hape of Horseshoe and Fash­ ioned to Resemble the Real Article. Our sketch represents a pipe rack in somewhat novel form, made in wood about half an inch in thickness, and cut out in the shape of a horse- shoe. lit) plaoe of nails, seven small brass rings are screwed Into the wood, and little rings similar to those used for hanging up small pictures will an­ swer the purpose. An eighth ring, screwed into the edge of the Wood, at For the Baby. Every baby arrives at the age when it can pull Itself up In Its crib, and then begins the mother's anxiety. Even provided the crib is of such a height at the endfc and sides that the baby cannot fall out, there is the prob­ ability of its Jumping up and down and bumping Its little face against the side rod of the crib. There may be had a very attractive light blue or pink quilted satin to cut into four pieces for the sides and ends of the crib. They should be bound and tied to the crib with satin ribbons to match, two inches wide. When cutting allow sufficient length to roll the quilted satin over the top rod, and when tying it on fasten it to the'upright metal rods of the crib with the bows on the outside. The binding will be a more perfect' Job if it is stitched on the one side by machine and hemmed over «a to the other side by hand. The New Sailor. The new sailor has a low, broad crown, with a wide brim, a little wider at one side than the other, the Bides curling up very slightly. any skirt. It is tight-fitting, and has wrapped seams and cut-away frontB. Velvet is used to face the collar, re- vers and cuffs. Hat of straw to match color of coat, trimmed with a crown of spotted silk and ribbon. Materials required: One and three- quarters yards 46 inches wide, one yard velvet, four yards lining. the top, serves to hang the rack upon the wall, and to finish it, the wood may Jbe either painted or stained. A rack on the same lines can be made by using a piece of very stout cardboard, cut out in the ghape of a shoe, for the foundation, and then covered with art linen and edged all round with cord. Small key rings can be sewn on in the place of the brass rings, and will quite well serve to hold the pipes in their places, while the shoe can be suspended from the wall by a ring of the same kind sewn on at the top. For Moist Hands. \A good cure for that trying ailment, hands that are clammy or perspire, is to keep on your dressing table a small cheesecloth bag filled with one part borax and three parts starch. This if dusted over the paiiiis of the hands when they feel sticky will quickly check the moisture. Another help is to keep a bottle of alcohol in a convenient place and wipe. off the hands wiht it several times a day. An excellent but somewhat more complicated lotion is to mix 12 table- spoonfuls of rose water, four table- spoonfuls of elderfiower water, one tablespoonful of tincture of benzoin and ten grains of tannic acid. Rub well with this liquid, and later dust with a drying powder. The Cotton Nets. dbarse cotton nets that showed signs of popularity last season are largely In evidence again. They will be made up with silk and quite a new note is promised in odd little coats, boleros or regulation wraps to be worn with them. As the nets come in all colors, and if not, are easily dyed any desired shade or tint, they bid fair to be interesting. Some of the nets have long-stltch embroidery de­ signs, and others are printed In bold patterns, always in pastel shades. The silk wraps and coatees, it must not be inferred, will be confined to wear with these nets, for they are bound to play an important part with almost all of the better class of warm weather ma­ terials, and already are In the shops semi-made and ready-to-war. A French Yoks. A recent French yoke, "planned to eliminate the lower collar line, was so cut that collar and yoke were one piece of firm tulle, with tiny hand tucks let In perpendicularly around the collar, and radiating from there down Into the y oke, where they gradually sloped $H- lnto the plain material