HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1934-08-09, Page 6THURSDAY, AVGVST 9th, 1934 THE EXETER TIMES-AD VO CATE
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- TRAIL’S END
.......................................................................
by Agnes Louise Provost
............................. ........................ ...........................
ISYNOP8IS—Three weeks aftei’ a (years -ago there was a river here,
uppose it looks pretty ugly to you,
■but it has its points, ^nd aftex" the rains it will be streaked with purple and gold.”
“Purple and gold.” .She narrowed
ed thoughtful eyes and stared at it, half dreaming.
'"No, I don’t think it is ugly. It’s fascinating. It’s empty and brood
ing and ratiher terrible, but it be
ckons you. It keeps promising you
something and you want to go on
and on until you fines it.”
The grey eyes warmed. They al
most; blazed. She had a quick feel
ing that somewhere behind this
brown young man there was an ea
ger little -boy, rather pathetically
anxious to have someone admire a
thing he loved, but with all a little
boy’s sensitiveness to rebuff. That
was curious, when in other ways he
seemed so completely potsed and assured, quite as much as any man
sha knew. iSIhe wondered what had
happened, to make him feel like that.
The glimpse was only a glimpse,
pasing as quickly as it had come.
The car gave a jolt of protest and
slanted off obliquely from the road
they had been following. She had
wanted privacy and here it was.
“Now,” said her host cheerfully,
“we are aiming straight—more or
less straight—for your ranch. The
real road it back of us. This is just
ycur short cut to it. See that little
jag in the hills? Your ranch is
right below that, in a valley.’She looked at it with sharpened
interest. A valley sounded nice;
sort of snug and tucked away. The
agent had told her that a stream ran
through the ranch. She hoped that
was true, but she did not ask Barry
Duane.
The hills were coming closer and
a slow rise of land -began to be
spotted thinly with dwarf evergreen
Higher slopes towered ahead, great,
wrnkled rocky folds, almost black
in shadow, Further south, where
the car was heading were long, thin
ly wooded ridges. Lying lonely but
protected, there was a little valley.
Ann had a glimpse of willows
and cottonwoods, hugging what
must be a little creek. There was
water!
They swept in with a triumphant
burst of speed, past a strip of fence
with tired looking posts and dis
couraged wire, past a ragged field or
two, catching sight of
dow.
“Here we are,” said
“at Cushing’s Ranch,
judge it by first appearances,
cause a handy man with a hammer
and a few nails can work wonders.”
His voice sounded nervous. They
were all looking at her, a little an
xiously.
She began to laugh. Softly at
first, but with a swelling note. This
was her ranch, hers, bought insane
ly over the counter in’ a dirty little
office in a small town.
“The
I don’t
mine!
orange
Flaming orange! Let’s explore!
She was out before anyone could
help her, running up a careless path
to a frankly sagging porch, and
turned at the d-oor.
“I forgot the most important
part. Welcome to Trail’s End. Mrs.
Larrabee, if I help, do you think I
dare invite the gentlemen to our
first meal.
They .stayed. It would have tak
en force to have dragged at least
one of them away from that glow
ing picture on the low, lazy old
porch, with the weathered logs mak
ing a silvered background for her
vivid youth and the lovely flame in
her cheeks.
“Don’t see why they shouldn’t,”
she agreed calmly. “There’s plenty
to eat, and we can easy keep two
men, busy until supper time. Boone,
you take these things out and I’ll
show you where they go. And then
you might clean out the stove—it
will need it—and lay a fire for me.
Barry, .suppose you show Miss Cush
ing around and tell her about things
And you might take a look at the
well and see if it needs cleaning
out.”
Anne listened to them, eye alight
with laughter. “Tell me when I can
help. I’m not going to be a drone
you know. But I want to see what
the house is like, first. Coming?,
This was not. addressed to Mar
tha. A slightly dizzy young man
picked up a suitcase in each hand,
aDd followed her.
The door yielded under her hand
with a gentle squeak, and a slant
ing ray of sunlight followd her in.
•She was! in a fairosized room,
with doors' on both sides leading to
other rooms. The first impression
was one of dust and bareness, the
hasty litter of odds and ends drop
ped In moving.
The room wasn’t -bad at all. The
bare floors needed scrubbing, but
then was a generous stone fire
place with some glinting quartz
*ream colored roadster had been hut it has been dry a, long time
found wrecked in the .sea at the suppose it looks pretty ugly to j
foot of a cliff, a girl calling her
self Anne Cushing appears at the
desert town Marston. She had
bought, sight unseen, a ranch lo
cated thirty miles away. Barry
Duane and his man, Boone Petrie
procure a reliable woman for her
and in Barrys car, loaded down
with supplies,
the desert.
licence has
THIRD
Fortunately
mind, the girl who called
Anne Cushing had no suspicion of
t<he too eager eye Which had found
that evidence of a discarded iden
tity in her coat. She did have a faintly disagreeable memory of a
sharp-faced woman who had been
rather offensively inquisitive but
that could have meant no more than the ill-restrained curiosity of a
sm,all-town gossip. She put it be
hind her, and settled back, content
edly.
Marston, low against its sands,
had vanished in a sprawling blur.
The old car made excellent
Petry was driving. Martha
bee sat beside him. Barry
sat with Anne in the rear seat.
Blazing sunlight beat down and
a long plume of dust waved
wavered in their wake,
ran on ahead of them, mile
mile, wit'h nothing to impede their
view. Thorp was not a house in
sight, nothing moving. In the opu
lent flare of sunshine distance took
on strange colors, turning to purple
in the folds of those sudden hills.
“You are in the’ Junipero Valley
now,” Duane told her. “You must
remember that, because it is your
next-door neighbor. A lew thousand
car, loaded down
. they start across
In Marston her
aroused suspicion.
ENSTAX.MENT
re-
otfor her peaceherself
time.
Larra-
Duane
and
The road after
Come in and see
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a lovely inea-
Barry Duane,
You mustn’t
be-
dear little funny old thing!’
mind it if’s run down.
And I’m going to
curtains at the windows.
> J
It’s
have
Take Those Twinges Out
Of That Aching Back
The dull pains, or the sharp, quick twinges in the
small of the back may be warnings that the
kidneys are not working properly.
If you would bo free from backaches', swelling of
fho feet and ankles, puffiness under tho eyes, and
bladder and urinary troubles you must keep your
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them to flush off the body’s waste and impurities,
Doan’s Kidney Pills have a healing and soothing
effect on the kidneys and give comfort to those
suffering from backache.
.-mrfaces, and a lung mantel above it
lea med of a single cedar slab. The
time-darkened beams were hand
hewn, and if the few pieces of furni
ture were heavy and primitive, that,
had she known it, was something to
give thanks for.
“•M’m, I’m glad Mrs. Larrabee is
a cyclone. But I love the old beams
and that fireplace—although i/s
hard to imagine needing a fire after
that sunshine outside.”
“Wait until the nipping niglus
come. They can be chilly enough
now.” He lingered in the doorway.
“I’ll do a chore or two for Martha
before she gets after me, and then
if you’re ready, we can take
around. Or perhaps you’d
unpack first.”
“Before I’ve seen my own
Never! I just want to get out some
sensible shoes. I’ll join you in just
a minute.”
He went, but with a backward
look. Interested and not a little
puzzled. ‘ He knew that the girls
of his own generation did practically
what they pleased, but they didn’t
usually please to .bury their talents
in humdrum and unspectacular farm
work. Perhaps it was just a whim,
or a let-down .after a live affair, or
—Oh, damn it, what business was
it of his, anyway? He went to find
Martha Larrabee.
Left to herself, Anne grimaced
frankly at the slightly dingy looik
of her new quarters and blessed
Martha’s stern creed of soap and
water. She slipped into a pair of
smart .sport shoes and hurried out
“Mrs. Larrabee, I -can’t ask two
perfect strangers to do all my work
for me. It’s awfully nice of
to be willing, but it’s really to
“My name’s Martha,” said
capable woman composedly,
don’t you worry about the work. It
won’t hurt ’em. It’s only enighbor-
ly. Now you run along and tell
Barry to chow you around, -but be
fore he goeg he might as well help
Boone out with that table. I thought
we might have supper early, and eat
it outside.”
A step .sounded on the porch. Ann
knew already who it was.
“I’ve brought you some water,
Martha. The well seems in good
.-hape, but I'll take a better look at
it tomorrow. It’.s placed right for
drainage, too.” i
He sighted Anne. White, even
teeth flashed. “All ready for action?
Come along, and IRl show you the
estate.”
She Trudged off gaily with him,
to look at her kingdom. Martha
locked after them, with elevated
brow and that little quirik at the
corner of her smiling mouth.
"Him!” she said
“Runnin’ after a girl!”
“Runnin’ after a girl!”
The tour of inspection
hay barn and wagon
house and store house,
blacksmith shop cluttered with odds
and ends, a fairly good cabin with
several bunks, used, no douibt, in
busier times. There were farm im
plements more or less in repair, a
fair assortment of tools, some no
ticeably patched harness and a quite
respectable saddle.
They left these dusty’ details be
hind them and walked slowly down
beside the little creek, hustling
busily along over its stones. Young
willows crowded close to its banks,
cottonwoods towered gracefully,
golden green with young leaves. It
was a quiet and lively spot.
“A'n Indian,” said Barry Duane,
“would feed a tribe on what a Simp
son wastes. A primitive dam out
there and some irrigation ditches on
eac.li side would add acres to this
place. But try to make them do it”
There was a curious bitterness in
his voice, out of all relation to such
a harmless subject. She wondered.
“Why, I think it sounds exciting.’
“Yes. it’s exciting enough.” 1-Ie
broke off with an apologetic grin.
“Don’t let me get started. It's a
hobby of mine. Come on, let’s go
up to that knoll. You will get a
good view down your little valley
and a nice gimpse of some aspens,
cm the other side. When they turn
in the autumn that upper slope is
like running gold.”
Ditches and views and creeks, bit
terness and an eye for mountain
slopes running with autumn
An unexpected younng man.
might not be so solitary here
all.
That had been hours ago.
had eaten pinic fashion, with
ful appetities and in the open
Strange that it should .seem so na
tural! They had talked of deserts
and of deep bosomed hills, of the
tempermcntal habits of the dry san
dy washes in the season of rains.
Of everything, in fact, except the
reason why a gill with beautiful
hands and the smart tailoring of ex
pensive city shops should have elect
ed to live in a liffle ranch in an is
olated valley.
Then finally, rather reluctantly,
her two sun-browned guardians had
climbed into the
and departed,
Affer that she
into a big apron
Martha, dispite protest,
after two hours of beating and dust
ing and washing and dragging
things around she sat quietly by
herself on the amiably sagging
porch.
From somewhere near the- lower
meadow Hie heard the deliberate
thump of hoofs, the tear and crunch
of the meadow grass. That would be
one of her horses.
The steady, crunching sound made
her drowsy. The valley was so
quiet. The wooded ridges lucked
it in. Back of the ridges tall peaks
a look
rather
ranch?
them
much
that
“and
eloquently
took in the
shed, tool
a disused
gold!-
Life
after
They
zest
air.
disreputable car
bad tied herself
and worked with
and now,
loomed darkly, mysterious in moon
light . . . Trail’s End.
ered if it would bo.
She had
Barry was
hills. She
ways lived
been away
like the others . . . She liked him.
Martha’s solid stop sounded back
of her.
“You better get to bed. You look
mighty near done out to me.”
“Just lazy. You’ve done -wonders,
I like my ranch, Martha. Perhaps
I’m a hopeless greenhorn, but I do.”
“So do I,” said Martha unexpect
edly. “I’ve always liked it.”
“Oh, do you?” A certain listless
ness had gone out of her voice. “I
thought perhaps—well, it’s gener
ally agreed to be rather run down,
isn’t it?”
"Nothing that plain, ordinary
hard work and a little backbone
won’t bring up again,” said Martha
bluntly. “There’s a home and a
reasonable livin’ on it, and in good
years there ought to be a little over
to tuck in the bank.”
She looked shrewdly down at the
small dark head, at shapely, taper
fingered hands clasped over a dound-
ed knee. Martha had a head and
usd it, but whatever she may have
felt of curiosity or doubt she kept
to herself. She added
thought, cautiously.
“And if you ever
ranchin’, I guess you
any trouble turnin'
over. Anybody could easily
it into a dude ranch, and I guess
there’s rich men that would like/it
just for the shootin’ and fishin’ back
in the hills. Now I’m on my way to
■bed. We’ve got to ger up early to
morrow morning.”
“All right, Martha. I’ll follow in
a minute. Be sure to call me.”
The firm step retreated. Anne
was alone again, and thoughtful.
Home and a living. It was curious
how precious that seemed now. Hid
den away in her smaller suitcase
there was still a little store of bills
in that golden bag, hated and yet
miraculous. Enough to buy some
needed things for her ranchito, and
a little in reserve, always in reserve,
if by any chance disaster should
pursue her even here, and the need
for flight should come suddenly.
“Hide me!” she whispered fierce
ly. “Hold me and hide me, until
no one remembers my face!”
A memory stung her like a nettle.
She shook it off abruptly and jump
ed to her feet;
Four days had passed since Anne
.had arrived at this tucked aavay, ne
glected ranch of hers, four days of
almost unremitting work which had
sent her to bed with every muscle
protesting and had swept her in five
minutes into dreamless sleep.
From the kitchen came a subdued
rattle of pans. Anne’s eyes fell open
wide and she reached for the watch
lyng on an unsteady little table be
side her bed. Seven o’clock!
A swing and a soft tlium.p took
her out of bed, and she threw open
the door and ran out.
“Martha, you viilian, you’ve let
me oversleep! Don’t you know I’m
a hard-working woman!”
Her shrewd eyes warmed, in spite
they looked
in the kit-
and surly
thrust into
silken, py-
She. wond-
“home” for
up in the
learned that
rather high wondered if lie had al-
there. He must have
to school. He didn’t talk
a brieg after-
get tired of
wouldn’t have
your money
turn
of an inner protest, as
at the gay little figure
chen door Bright eyes
mop of hear, bare feet
gaudy Chinese slippers,
jamas, scarlet, and black.
“If 'you’re goiu’ to run around in
those red pants, you’d belter keep
an eye on the door. First thing you
know one of your reg’lar callers
will be stickin’ his head in, and
then what’ll you look like?”
“Why, just like this!” She pluck
ed a bit of gay silk in each thumb
and forefinger and bower extravi-
gantly. Then with a sudden glint in
her eye she swung out a slippered
foot at a perilous angle ana twirled
off in a series of extraordinary
dance steps. The older woman star
ed at her, a girl gone mad, whirling
and swooping, small feet stamping a
curious time beat in light, staccato
thuds.
“Like it, Martha?”
Martha got her breath back. “Oh,
go ’long,” she said crossly, and a
laugh come back to her as the slim
legs flashed through the bedroom
door.
(Continued next week)
HYDRO NEWS
(By E. George .Smith)
Dashwood is listed in the new
1933 Ontario Hydro Electric Power
Commission Municipal Report as
one of 83 Hydro municipalities
which are now regarded as “out of
debt”—that is its local liquid Hydro
assets exceed liabilities.
Publicly owned power was first
turned on in Dashwood in Septem
ber 1917, since which time the total
number of consumers in the muni
cipality has increased from 47 to
94; average horsepower used in
creased from 46.5 to 50.2; total rev
enues have declined from $4,0'5-2 to
$3,551 last year, while lighting
revenues have increased from $743
to $2,411; kilowatt hours sold for
lighting have increased from 6,522
to 52,514 and plant, capital has in
creased in value from $3,911 to $7,-
02 6.
Dashwood lias .-built up $12,594
reserves and surplus in its local
Hydro enterprise. These assets are
recorded on Commission ibooiks as
follows: reserve for equity in Hydro
system $4,929; reserve for depre
ciation on local plant $1,Q17; de
■bontiiroft paid $1,268 and operatin
surplus $4,478.
The average cost of electricity to
Dashwood lgliting consumers ha<s
been reduced from 11.39 cents in
1918 to 4.59 cents in 1933. Last
year’s rates of 4.2 and 5.4-cents per
domestic and
are to be com-
10 and 12 cents
municipalities
kilowatt houy for
commercial lighting
pared with rates of
in gimiliar sized
prior to Hydro.
Ontario’s average
ing rate,
i
Orange Pekoe
Blend
Hydro, is 1.7 cents; that of 25 rep
resentative United States cities ser
ved by private companies
cents per kilowatt hour;
New York city is 6 cents.
Hydro statisticians estimate that
Hydro since its inception, has saved
over $600,000,OiOiO to Ontario elec
tricity consumers on their monthly
bills.
In the provincial field, the
people’s light and power business
improved materially as to load con
ditions and reserves during 1933.
In February of 1933 the load sup
plied to the municipalities reached
the lowest point snee 1929,
covery was .such
summer and fall that
19 33 the Commission
■the municipalities on
the largett load in ts
• During ’933, $3,000',000 was add
ed to Commission reserves, making
a total commission reserve of
$69,000,000, cash assets of Hydro
light and power users. In addition
$3,000,00'0 was added to municipal
reserves, making total municipal re
serves of $60,000.00 or
mission and municipal
$129,000,000.
Ontario Hydro users
paying $50,000,00'0 more per annum
■on their electricity hills, according
to Hydro statisticians, if they were
assessed the basis
is 5.7
that of
■ A MB flU,
«11
A Si ■ ■Fresh from
the Gardens
in effect i
services in
the latest
under
i the
1933
load
from
Tacit it in yw
travelling bag
Ten never know when
yea'll need Minard’s. NEW
METAL CAP hermetically
electricity rates
private company
United States.
According to
statistics, the provincial peak
has grown in the last decade
669,080 'to 1,511,033 horsepower;
the number of municipalites served
has increased from 393 to 757; to
tal number of consumers, has in
creased from 387,983 to 617,00'0
including rural; capital Hydro in
vestment has increased from $179,-
000,000 to $288,000,0-00; capital
municipal investment has’' increased
from $60,0'0 0/000 to $ 112,OiOfO,0-00;
miles1 of rural lines have increased
during the decade from 60'51 to
000 and rural customers have
creased in number from 7,700
62,00'0.
seals in strength
of liniment.
Prevents spill
ing, yet is easily
removed.
RubinMinard’s
freely to relieve
any muscular
pains or stiff
ness, sore fect>
r h_e u JEL_a 4 1c
aches, "etc/ >
Sales Agents t
Harold F. Ritchie
6T Co., Ltd.,
Toronto
total Coin
reserves of
WEST—McEWEN
average
would ibe
Master Six Coach
Master Six Special Sedan
with Ttunk
Delivered, fully equipped, at factory, Oshawa,
Ont, Freight arid Government license only
extra. New low time-prices on the GMAC plan.
Standard Six from
s710
domestic light
including rural, under
Re-
throughout last
in December
supplied to
all .systems
history.
The marriage was solemnized
the manse of Ivan United Church,
of iMargaret, only daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Hugh McEwen, of Ivan,
to Percy West, of Parkhill, son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. West, of Thedford.
Rev. George Weir officiated. Mr.
and Mrs. Percy West left by motor
for Muskoka and Northern points.
On their return they will reside in
Parkhill where Mr. West is Prin
cipal of the Public School.
way in 1934!” And, as everybody knows,
Chevrolet has justified the prediction.
First of all came the new Chevrolet
Master Six, pioneering fully-enclosed,
protected Knee-Action!
Then came the 1934 Chevrolet Stan
dard Six—the lowest-priced car in
Canada.
Now comes a brand-new, five-passen
ger Master Six Sedan with built-in trunk
— a further proof, if one were needed,
that Chevrolet leads its field in modern
body styling.
Is it any wonder that the car to score
all these triumphs is Canada’s Great
Sales Leader? Drive a Chevrolet your
self, today!
Standard Six Coupe
READY FOR
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
Master Six from
$844
SNELL BROS. & CO., EXETER
Associate John Passmore & Son, Hensail, Ont.
Dealers C. Fritz & Son, Zurich; John Sprowl, Lucan
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