But next week, when the courting evening came round, the hitherto silent lover was again voluble. Even sounds of laughter arose—a thing unprecedented! Lucy was always watchful to hear the kitchen door close and the manly step mount the area steps at the precise hour she had named. She had never had any reason to complain on this score. The carpenter had taken his departure with painful punctuality. But to-night, the nearest church-clock chimed nine, and the chat in the kitchen went gaily on. Presently Lucy looked at her watch—it was half-past nine. She hated to begin fault-finding for any trifling accidental lapse. Still it was time the supper-tray was brought up. She had her hand on the bell when there was quite a lively stampede in the kitchen, the area door closed with a hilarious bang, fleet feet mounted the area steps as if by two at a time, and the area gate clanged to the sound of a merry whistle. Jane, with the supper-tray, seemed more alert than usual, almost officious in her endeavour to do of her own accord little things of which Mrs. Challoner generally had to remind her. Next week, when the same evening came round, and the kitchen voices were again audible, it chanced that Lucy found she had left her housekeeping book on the kitchen dresser. She thought to herself that she would not ring for it, but would fetch it herself, and so take opportunity of keeping in touch with the domestic idyll whose new developments were beginning to interest her. But when she opened the kitchen door she started and almost cried out. (_To be continued._) HOUSEHOLD HINTS. UNDER no circumstances whatever should bread be thrown away. Some can be baked hard in the oven, and then crushed with a rolling-pin and put away in a glass bottle or tin to use when frying chops or fish. Delicious puddings can be made also by soaking stale bread and crusts in milk, and beaten up when quite soft with eggs and mixed with raisins, candied peel and some spice, and baked. These can be eaten either hot or cold. THIN clean paper should never be thrown away, but kept in a kitchen drawer, for wiping out saucepans and frying-pans, and wiping butter off knives, to save cloths being cut by the latter. VERY early potatoes are often very unwholesome, having been forced by the aid of chemicals and not grown naturally. SEPARATE days should be arranged for cleaning the silver and brass articles in a house, and separate cloths and dusters used for them. A HARD broom should be kept in every coal-cellar to sweep up the loose coal each time coal is fetched, otherwise it is taken up on the shoes and carried over the house. SOILED linen should never be kept in bedrooms, but in a basket outside on a landing, or in the bath-room.