WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 284, 28 May 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen.") i i ROMANCE OF TWO GIRLS J ONE POSES AS A MAN. People 'will do much for friendship's sake, "but not often does it happen that a girl, for love of another girl, will put on man's clothes and live and work as a man, playing "husband" to her friend's "wife." ■ Yet this is the bold escapade in which a Chjswick girl lias just been detected. tSince last August Adelaide Dallamore, a "23-year-old servant girl, has been working in West London as a plumber's mate in workman's clothes, and during a large part of that period Ker girl chum has been sharing her lodgings as "Mrs. Dallamore." They are such devoted "pals" •that rather than yield to a threat to separate them the'y adopted this startling device.

Last montli the two girls told a Morning Leader representative the weird styry of their "married" life. Adelaide had just been sent home to her parents in Shepherd's Bush by the police on a promise that she would resume female attire, and for the first time for eight months she was walking out with her "wife" in skirts instead of trousers.

"I haven't got used to skirts yet," she grumbled. "The awkward things!" She is a good-looking girl, sturdy, and rather short of stature. Dressed in workman's clothes, with her smooth, boyish face and rather low-pitched voice, she would easily pass as a young mon. "We have always been very fond of one another," she said, explaining the reason for the escapade. "We've felt more like lovers to each other than friends,\haven't we, dear?" The "wife" readily assented; it was plain even to a stranger than the affection between the two girls was much more than common.

"But her people wanted to part us," went on Adelaide, "and we were driven to think ol this idea in order that no young man should ccrfae between us.

"Last August I bought a suit of men's clothes, and started off on tramp looking for work. I had seven shillings in my trousers pocket when I left Shepherd's Bush one dark morning, and I made for Lincolnshire. But I had very little luck, and at Bishop's Stratford (after tramping about 36 miles) finding odd jobs scarcer and scarcer, I turned back.

"I went back again in Chiswick about a week after leaving home, and saw a no- I tice in a plumber's window saying that a plumber's mate was wanted. 'So 1 went in and applied for it. They asked me if I had ever done any plumbing 1 , and I said 'Yes' (though, of course, I hadn't), and they gave me the job. It wasn't • difficult. A plumber's mate has only to wait on the plumber at his job, 'handing . him his tools and just doing what he's told, and I got on all right. My first job was on the roof of a new house—no, I didn't feel dizzy at all. "I got 3d an hour, with a rise to 3%d after a bit. But the plumber I worked for cared more for fishing than plumbing. Bill was always going off work to do fishing, and though I often went with him and enjoyed it awfully. I didn't get 3 Mid an hour for that. So I looked for. a new job, and found one at another l Chiswick firm of plumbers. I was very happy there. There were 20 pairs'—4o of us altogether— and nobody ever suspected that I was a woman. They just looked, on me as an unusually well-behaved young man, because when work was over I'didn't use to hang about drinking and smoking, but went straight home, like a good young married man should. For by this time, my friend and I had set up house together in Chiswick as Mr. and Mrs. Dallamore. "She earned 8s a week in service; I averaged about ■l2s, and a pound a week was quite enough to keep us. It was a real happy time!" exclaimed •Adelaide. "When my ten .hours' work was done, I would change my working clothes for a better suit, and my soft collar for a hard 'stick-up' one, and we would go out for walks together arm in arm. I think men have a much better ( time than women. I know I was much healthier working ten hours a day as j a plumber s mate than I ever was in serI vice!"

"So you were, dear!" said the "wife." "And you looked so nice in men's clothes! Better than in skirts! Do you remember what an awful job we had tying your first necktie?"

1 The girl plumber burst out laughing at the recollection. "We were an hour and a-half," she said, "before we got the thing tied anything like properly!" It appears that although the girl's employers and workmates never suspected •the sex of the exemplary "young man," the police were informed of it by relatives of the couple, but declined to interfere. It was only a week ago, when a personal visit to the home of the pair in •Annandale road by an irate father and brother ended in a "scrap," which had a sequel in Acton Police Court, tliat the facts came out, and the strange menage had to be broken up. "Why couldn't they have left us alone? We were so happy together, weren't we, darling?" said the "husband," sniffing suspiciously.

"Yes, love!" exclaimed the "wife," ■wiping her eyes. "But they shall never, never part U3!" Whereupon the scene between these very odd lovers became so extremely tender that the Morning Leader representative discreetly withdrew. USEFUL HINTS Stains may be removed from a marble mantelpiece in the following way:—First of all wash with soap and water, then wipe dry and apply a paste made of finely powdered bathbrick or carbonate of soda and lemon juice. Rub this well into the discolored parts, and rinse off in clean cold water. The stains will have quite disappeared. When sweeping carpets always remember to sweep the way of the grain. To brush the wrong way is not only bad for the carpet, but it tends to brush the dust in instead of out.

Before iboiling milk always rinse out the saucepan with cold water. This will prevent the milk from burning. To shine boots quickly do not blacken, but rub with a piece of orange. Let the juice dry in, and then polish with a soft brush, when they will shine like a mirror. Salt and vinegar will remove stains from discolored teacups. When dressing a child in haste often tape is pulled out of petticoat top and blouse hem. Try tacking the tape at the middle of the hem.

When a clear cement is wanted try melted alum. For mending pieces of valuable china, or fastening the pearl handles of knives, -or mending toilet articles is is excellent. Melt the alum oVer intense heat, but do not scorch, and apply very hot. To remove sewing machine stains rub with lard. Let stand for seTeral hours, then wash with cold water and soap.