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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1940-01-11, Page 2THURSDAY, JANUARY tlth, 1040 £l| by Eardley Beswick » me said no met was py- “Johnny Cope!” gasped the late holder of the gun. The thin man bowed his great head, on which ears seemed to stick out like -wings. “.Introducing to Miss Silvane, I presume,” he politely. “But there’s really need for that, pamphlett, We last night over the telephone. I •particularly struck by the blue ■jama suit, you know. I had one of my visions. You remember my vis­ ions, Pamphlett?” He turned his smiling eyes to Miss Silvane, whose hand was slowly as if unbelievingly relinquishing the door handle. “I wonder if you’d mind, my dear, picking up that repulsive firearm “I’m sorry to don’t like do myself, is inclined American girls call ‘fresh’ at this hour of the morning and I really prefer not to take my eyes off him.” His voice was easy and flippant and the casual substance of his speech might have been designed to restore her panick­ ing nerves, and perhaps, indeed, it was. for she was to learn later that Johnny Cope could be tactful. Obediently she revolver. “That’s right,” rising. “Hold it if you must point it*at anyone let it be at our friend Pamphlett here. Then if it should go off, which is un­ likely so long as you don’t the trigger, there’ll be no done”. She actually found a little for him as she placed the heavy object in his outstretched hand. Pamphlett, she noticed, was standing as if completely dejected, his fingers still caressing his elbow, his right hand hanging ly as As from as if serration and then, having pushed over the safety catch, slipped it in­ to his pocket. “Interesting little weapon, Pam­ phlett,” he remarked. “I wonder if it would be too offensive to ask how on earth you managed to get hold of it. But unwise of you, don't you think, to carry precisely that pattern? It isn’t supposed to be issued to the service of the particu­ lar’ country that has adopted it, be­ fore the autumn manoeuvres, you know. But I daresay you know that only too well. I must say I have envied the range of your know­ ledge in such matters.” The voice was soothing behind the irony of the words, low-pitched, monoton­ ously so, and the man talked easily as if he had no fear of failing for the right word. ‘And another thing,’ he was saying now, “I can’t help deploring among your other less am­ iable qualities the fact that you should continue to be a little less than strictly truthful, no more silenced than I that’s saying apt, isn’t it? a regrettable women, too. larly, Pamphlett? It may get you in­ to trouble one day.” He sighed and seemed to wait for a retort, but no retort came. “How­ ever,” he resumed “Perhaps it is a bit harsh to criticize methods that on this occasion have not always lacked brilliance. Your examination­ in-chief for example, was really masterful, and some of it quite in my own best manner. Pity you ne­ ver read for the Bar—much safer life, a barrister’s for one thing. I mustn’t forget to congratulate you while I’m on the subject of that bit about strategy being based on com­ missariat, the best fancy you when yon being in my shoes, ed complacently at ms widespread feet. “Ir there’s a neater pair on Pccadilly this morning I’d like to see them, that’s all. Handmade to my own last by a genius at the job, a craftsman, Pamphlett! And the for me?” he asked, ask you. knowing you them any more than I hut Mr. Pamphlett here to get what I believe bent to pick up he encouraged by the handle the her and finger harm smile cool, right linip- if paralyzed. Johnny Cope took the gun her he glanced at it, nodding rceording some interesting ob- eolour so lovely I feel as if I had been walking through buttercui>s in some celestial meadows." His victim, steadily growing more exasperated, was eyeing him hate­ fully. “Oh, you!" he 1 when I’m no call to Johnny i notice of this display of petulance. He went on, unperturbably: “Yes, I congratulate myself for once in pos­ sessing a thoroughly nice pair shoes. , that’s enough, damn broke out now, “I know beaten all right. There’s go on being funny.” Cope seemed to take no i That gun’s am, and something positively, You always did show tendency to deceive Why women particu- Pure Cope that, Cope of period. But I do rather exaggerated your feelings decried' the advantage of ” Now he glanc- Does Your Food Cause You Distress? The impairment of the stomach is often, of serious consequences, for only by properly digested food is the system nourished and sustained. Burdock Blood Bitters is a re­ liable remedy for stomach disorders such as dyspepsia, indigestion, sour stomach, belching of gas, headaches, etc. It helps to stimulate the secretion of saliva and gastric juice, the main factor in digestion, neutralizes acidity, tones up the lining mem­ branes of the stomach, and restores the natural, healthy process of digestion. Put your stomach right by taking B.B.B, and see how quickly you will Start to enjoy your meals free from digestive troubles. The T. Milburn Co., Ud., Toroato, Ont. of Slides, Pamplilett, that any gentleman might be proud to put on. You really ought to cultivate foot-confidence, feet can be so very expressive of the man himself.” He raised a hand to sweep back the thin hair that straggled over his great, brooding brow. “But enough, as you so politely suggest,” he con­ tinued. “Persiflage is not perhaps the acme of good taste in these cir­ cumstances. You’ll have to forgive me, Pamplilett, old man. It’s a bad streak, a able to avoid, ities of what, tirely ignoble put your own ter say right weakness I never seem one of the last infirm- I trust, is not an en- mind. And now, to mind at rest, I’d bet­ away that the break­ fast service in this household is go­ ing to be approximately ten minutes late this morning. That being the precise amount by which I retarded the kitchen clock. So we still have— let me see ...” He glanced at his wristwatch. “Five more minutes of my soothing discourse to put up with while everybody calms down still further, five more minutes to get rid of yourself and allow Miss Silvane to return to her room, and then—Ho for kidneys and bacon! and let us hope the domestic staff will not find it necessary to in­ crease the time margin beyond what I have provided for. Coffee and toast and marmalade, pamplilett! I regret I can’t ask you to join me, but. lacking my usual foresight, I •only ordered for one.” His face went firm and his voice lost its teasing manner. “Now if your arm has sufficiently recovered,” will trouble you to get window.” Mr. Pamphlett’s jaw ibly. • arm he said, "I through the dropped vis- as- up! If I have arm may fail shouldn’t like found nursing limb upon the lawn, Too compromising alto- a respectable married .Pamphlett Departs “Oh, you’ll be all right,” Cope sured him. “You’ll find an exquis­ itely woven silk rope attached to the coping by one of my special hooks, guaranteed not to slip under the weight of the most treacherous of international spies It was spec­ ially made for me in Japan really. There’s information for you that ought to set your mind at ease, ex­ plaining what doubtless has been worrying you, how I got in in the first place and how you are going to get out in the second. Come on now.” The wretched Pamphlett, still holding his right arm gingerly, con­ tinued to hesitate. “Here, slip off your coat foi' a minute.” the even, friendly voice encouraged him. “Half a minute’s skilful massage is all that arm of yours wants. Hurry to rush the job the you after all, and we our Pamphlett to be a broken should we? gether for man!” Awkwardly the fair-haired one removed his jacket and then the long skeletonous fingers reached out and smartly rolled his shirt sleeve. Then they began a rapid massage of the spot below the bi­ ceps where two pin patches testified to the earlier assault. The wide- browed grotesque face that might have been limned by Rowlandson, concentrated over the ‘ business, every creased line telling of the con­ fidence of a man who knows his job and has ip doubts as to his capacity to perform it. Claire Silvane, her nerves once more completely steady, watched him with an intense interest, notic­ ing in addition to his outstanding competence, the superlative mater­ ial of his clothes and the way the huge red-veined ears stuck out on either side of his brain over a creaseless soft collar. Even now it seemed not forego to talk, wasn’t it Pamphlett?’ ed consolingly as he worked on the arm. “Like the rope outside the window it came from Japan origin­ ally, only an intimate knowledge of anatomy has enabled me to improve a little on the original. Of course, I owe a lot to the rigidity with which a man hold his shooting arm, and a lot too, to the clever way the lady held your attention while I se­ lected tion,” sharp those pull the sleeve down again, that’s better, I’m sure,” mented sdothingly and his manner changing, “Get your coat on, man, as if he could "Nasty trick, he murmur- the exact point of applica­ ble gave the spot three slaps, the flesh singing under hard fingers, and began to "There, he com- THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE ..., - - — f.»1 n,j ■ijsu-Tjiw;•■v»'■; will be quite goon enough. If you’ll slip upstairs then you may have the assurance of handing them over to Hendringham himself,” Again he smiled quite charmingly( his wide, thin mouth and the slits that were his eyes so irradiating benevolence that she forgot his Rowlandsonian grotesquesness and found herself completely liking him for the time. At that moment, while her eye? met his frankly, he was fumbling in a waistcoat pocket from which he drew a little metal case, very slim and compactly-shaped. Open­ ing this he produced a couple of white tablets. “If you don’t feet quite equal to a normal breakfast and a normal day’s work after it,” he said, “swal­ low these with your" first cup of tea. I want you to behave today in every way as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.” He drop­ ped the tablets into hex' outstretch­ ed hand. “Geoffery calls me the Peripatetic pharmacy,” he said, smifing “but I only carry about five emergency drugs really, apart from my hypodermic set. It’s surprising what you can do with five really well-chosen drugs.” By this time his grin had subsided into the per­ fect smile of the old-fashioned fam­ ily doctor, so completely assuring and benevolent that it would never have occurred tp her to suspect this version of Johnny Cope. She thanked him and, opened door, paused with tion evidently on the tip tongue, came t crockery rattling on its way up­ stairs and, fearful of being caught there, she tiptoed noiselessly along the landing to her own room. Mr. Cope closed the door silently after her departure and, going down flat on the floor, wriggled secret­ ively under the bed. The valance dropped into place behind his yel­ low' shoes. Except for the breath­ ing, slowr and a little too pronoun­ ced, of the man on the bed there was no sound in the room. Presently the silence was disturb­ ed by the bumping of a tray against decorous a maid, the win- her tray E NEW TEWPWNE DIRECTORY iiigiiin niiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH imii- Now, the window, I can still give you, let me see . . . ” he glanced again at his wrist-watch, “Three- quarters of a minute, no more,” But even then he had not appar­ ently said all that he could say. He resumed as a crestfallen Pamplilett moved reluctantly towards the bay window: “Any hope of you telling us exactly who you are working for in this little affair? You know, the sort of question you posed so touch­ ingly to Miss Silvane here—on the oneside you have your country, on the other, presumably, someone else’s country? Any hope of learn­ ing whose it is this time? Not by any chance the one that’s adopting that particular pattern of small arms you were carrying before forgot yourself?” As he asked the last question glance he shot at the man by window was one of peculiarly < eentrated scrutiny. Then the faded from his face and the white lids drooped lanquidly his eyes. “No?” he said resigned­ ly, reprovingly almost. “Well per­ haps. it is a little too much to ex­ pect at this stage even though you may be bursting with gratitude for the recovery of your arm. Ah, well, it’s to be good-bye at last, Pamph- lett. Time’s more than up. If you will take my humble advice you’ll keep out of this in future, however high the pay must be, and it is very high, isnt it?” Miss Silvane thought when she reviewed the scene later that it was impossible to help admiring the ob­ stinate silence of the victim of so much chatter. She wondered how much of his endurance had been due to a resolve not to give himself away and how much to that indif­ ference to insult that is only attain­ ed by the very highest or by the lowest characters. She thought she recognized some sort of purpose be­ hind Johnny Cope’s loquacity—'he looked too intelligent to be talking purposelessly in any case—and slie fancied at times that in some man- nei’ the features of his victim must have given a secret or two away, perhaps by a tremor or a little veil­ ing of the eyes, a tightening of the thick lips. She hoped so, for from the first she had found him a repel­ lent type. Now she watched him climb the sill and stretch with his hands to find something in the ivy. Then he swung his legs outwards and began to lower himself, disap­ pearing slowly, first his legs, then his trunk, his pinkish hate-distorted face, and last his immaculately combed and set fair hair. But be­ fore the haid had slipped out of sight the head heaved itself up and the pale eyes glared over the sill to lend vindictiveness to his final message. “You’re clever, Johnny Cope,” he said, “too clever by half, but one of these days that tongue of yours’ll do for you. They let you get away at Amsterdam but it didn’t teach you much apparently. Perhaps if you knew ail that was coming to you you wouldn’t fancy being in those ghastly shoes of yours after all”. It was almost as if he had this time turned the tables sufficiently to silence Cope—perhaps that was the effect of the insult to his shoes, those twin works of genius of which he was so proud. At any rate he bent in silence over the sill until he was able to draw up a cord that looked little thicker than a fishing line. He wound it carefully and neatly as it came up, concentrating over the job as seemed to be his habit, however trivial it might be. When he glanced again at Miss Sil- vane a quite charming and apolo­ getic smile had , transformed his widely incongruous features. Breakfast “Really,” he said, “I’m fright­ fully sorry to have kept you hang­ ing about like this after all the dis­ tress to which you have been sub­ jected. It must have sounded very blatant, like the disgusting exhibit­ ion of over-complacent, and self- appointed superman, I’m afraid. But I really did have a certain amount of intention behind all that- blarney, believe me. At any rate it did take your mind off things a bit, didn’t it? And you’re feeling better now, aren’t you?” “Very much better,” she assured him. “I think I’ll go atfd get dress­ ed now. Shall I give you those things of Mr. Hendringham’s first? It was queer how she no longer felt the least objection to handing over anything (now that she had an in­ ner confidence that she faced the real Johnny Cope.) But here he forbore to encourage her. “No, thanks all the same,” he said. “Remember your instruc­ tions—it isn’t overyone’d have the cheek to tell you that, is it?” He grinned engagingly, for all his ugli­ ness. “Remember, too,” he went on, “that you never know who any­ one is in a business like this. Even I may not be everything I seem. Anyway, after you’ve breakfasted you the the con- look thin over by the a ques- of her But at that moment there the long-expected sound of the door, and, after a pause, it opened to admit There was a small table in dow day and she deposited on this before announcing loudly: “Breakfast, Mr. Hendringham.” (To be Continued) I i know mine, conse- Harassed Parent: “I don’t what to do with that lad of He is absolutely reckless of quences, careless past belief, and doesn’t seem to care a Straw for any sort of authority.” Flippant Uncle: “Don’t hesitate, old man. Make a chauffettV- of him!” ■/ Four ne,w pages of special inform­ ation and approximately 13,300 new a::4 revised listings feature the lat­ est issue of the telephone directory for London and vicinity, which also contains telephone numbers for Exeter. The directory is now being distributed by mail to local sub­ scribers of The Bell Telephone Com­ pany of Canada. “Since changes tory and tion, the th'1 old book and carefully consult­ ing the new one before placing calls is obvious, if ‘wrong numbers’ are to be avoided,” said J. F. Rolfe, manager for the Bell, The “blue pages,” between the white pages of alphabetical direc­ tory and the yellow pages of the classified section, contain full infor­ mation on postal rates on all classes of mail to all points. There is also a “civic section” containing miscel­ laneous data about the City of Lon­ don. “As everybody knows, the tele­ phone directory performs a service far beyond the ordinary require­ ments of telephone' service,” Mr. Rolfe said, “This aspect of the book is greatly enlarged by the hew 'in­ formation service on the post office and the City of London.” The royal coat of arms, which ap­ peared on the cover of the last issue to commemorate the visit of King George and Queen Elizabeth to Can­ ada, has vanished, and once again the familiar Spirit of Communica­ tion adorns the front page. LETTER BOX The following letter from Gerald Hurdon gives an interesting des­ cription of a hobby of a retired M.D., of Seligman, Arizona. tliere are some 10,900 in the alphabetical direc- 2,400 in the classified sec- imnortance of destroying 2210 Van Buren Street, Phoeniz, Ariz. In Toronto A Modem Hotel Convenient — Economical Rato Single Special Weekly and Monthly Bates Write for Folder. W Hotel awrbg Spadina Ave. at College St A. M. Powell President ■ Wluf. tlut bank iluudd. ie YOUR BANK j BANK OF MONTREAL Unquestioned security—helpful banking coun­ sel—unexcelled facilities in every department of domestic and foreign banking service: these have been at the command of the customers of the Bank of Montreal during 122 years of successful operation. They are at your command today. ■«5 A bank for savings, for business, farming and personal loans, for travel funds, for credit and transfer operations, for import and export trans­ actions, for financing trade throughout the whole range of domestic and foreign business. BANK OF MONTREAL ESTABLISHED 1817 lank wk&ie. &mall accutnli ate welcome" Exeter Branch: W. H. MOISE, Manager A MitMON DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS DENOTE CONFIDENCE ......................... 109 Dear Bill,— Away up in the northern part of our state in the little town of Selig­ man lives a retired M.D., who lias made his hobby the study of rocks, so when in one of my peregrinations I came to talk with this amiable gentleman I found myself taking more than a collection of In his own of odd and rare bits of this and that are some to belie description — all collected in this state and mainly wiLliin an area of some fifty miles of his home, The building housing his collection was donated by the townsfolk, for Seligman is proud of their Dr. Kin­ caid and his rock specimens and the ‘Doc’ in turn is proud of his towns­ people. (Plainly imprinted in huge slabs of rock adorning the walls are foot­ prints of prehistoric animals var­ iously estimated at from one to eight millions years old! — in one exceptionally large piece were the clearly formed foot and leg-prints of an animal in transitory stage — its feet had long tapering toes with hair surrounding — yet this same hair as it ascended the leg showed definite marks of turning to fea­ thers, and the spread of forelegs as they pressed into the then soft sand showed it to be flapping its way along in a possible attempt to take off into the air. Another interesting sample show­ ed tracks of a prehistoric family’s crossing — the man ahead — fol­ lowed by the squaw — the place where the squaw squatted to allow the little squawker to alight from the rumble seat on her baqjk — tiny foot-prints coming round thenside to her front where she’d evidently taken the babe in her arms to con­ tinue the journey — each foot-print as plainly visible as if it was made yesterday — yet imbedded in a rock slab that had been pried from be­ neath successive layers stone concealed for Veritable foot-prints of time. The medico offered one of hie trips to his ply and allow me to pry a few slabs out for myself — so when I get around to doing a ‘few of the mil­ lion andvone things I’ve planned to do, I’ll try to get enough of these slabs to pave a patio floor. Rare'specimens of metates which are a sort of mortnr and pestrel the Indians used to grind corn and paint pigments in, are plentiful in his’ collection, as are specimens of all sorts of rare ore, precious and semi-precious stones, ancient axe, arrow and spear-heards of jasper, agate, obsidian, quartzite, travertine and petrified wood •— fossilated specimens that are priceless as mu- ,_seum pieces are thrown into old In­ dian murial urns to gather dust un­ til such a time when he can find the time to collect the necessary data to tabulate them. Across the doctor’s shoulders and chest are great long scars — claw marks, souvenirs of a time when he had with cupy does rjes ionally, but neve/ let it be said that any such occurence would deter the dyed in the wool cave digger-upper nor swerve him from his dogged de­ termination to explore the rugged, rock-ribbed recesses and rotundas of these myriads of mammoth mau­ soleums of Montezuma’s men. Every piece in this private col­ lection bears evidence of being away above the ordinary, from the mar­ velously marked samples of spider­ web turquoise and colorful petrified woods to the spurs and breastplate of a Spanish /Conquistador found among the ashes of a human body in a cavern along the way of what is now known as the Spanish Trail — the Camino Real of Arizona. Wampum, turquoise beads, neck­ laces of clay beads together with shell and mother of pearl, adorn­ ments of animal claw and fang and smoky topaz — literally thousands of curios picked up in his meander- ings through the canyon country and Monument Valley — many of these one could carry away as a present fi’om him for one’s interest or enthusiasm in his hobby, for Doc Kincaid is the sort of a fellow you’d like to .know. * ‘Later, Bill, I’ll try to give you another vignette of a diferent Ariz­ ona character — colorful princess Red Feather — proud daughter of a brave warrior chief another story, so for now Adlos Amigo TORCHY Qty? Exetrr ©imw-Abwicau Established 1873 and 1887 at Exeter, Ontario Published every Thursday aiorning SUBSCRIPTION—$2.00 per .year In adyauee RATES—Farm or Real Estate tor sale 50c. each Insertion for tint four insertions. 25c. each subse­ quent Insertion, Miscellaneous ar­ ticles, To Rent, Wanted, Lost, or Found 10c, per line of six. wpr4». , Reading notices 10p. per l|qe. Card oft Thanks 5('c. Legal ad­ vertising 12 and be. per line. Ip Memoriam, with one verse 50c extra verses 25c. each. Member of The Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association " per line. passing interest in his rocks and minerals, little private collection Professional Cards GLADMAN & STANBURY (F. W. Gladman) BARRISTER, SOLICITOR, &c Money to Loan, Investments Madfl Insurance Safe-deposit Vaults for use of ou* Clients without charge EXETER * and HENSALL CARLING & MORLEY BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS, &c 'LOANS, INVESTMENTS, INSURANCE Office; Carling Block, Mlain Stree\ EXETER. ONT. Dr. G. F. Roulston, L.D.S..D.D.S. DENTIST Office; Carling Block EXETER, ONT, /• Closed Wednesday Afternoons Dr. H. H. COWEN, L.D.S.,D.DS DENTAL SURGEON OfW!e °PPosite the Post Office, Main Street, Exeter Office 36w Telephones Res. 36) Closed Wednesday Afternoons ARTHUR WEBER .of sand- ce’nturies — in the sands to take me on source of sup­ a slight difference of opinion a bear as to who should oc- a cave at a certain time — one meet with certain unpleasant- in these Arizona caves occas- -— but that’s “IDrink,” said the Irish preacher, “is the greatest curse of the coun­ try: It makes ye quarrel with yer neighbor, It makes ye shobt at yer landlord — and —• It makes ye miss him,” LI CENSED AUCTIONEER For Huron and Middlesex farm sales a specialty PRICES REASONABLE SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Phone 57-13 Dashwood R. R. No. 1. DASHWOOD FRANK TAYLOR LICENSED AUCTIONEER For Huron and Middlesex FARM SALES A SPECIALTY Prices Reasonable and Satisfaction. Guaranteed EXETER P. O. or RING 188 USBORNE & HIBBERT MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY Head Office, Exeter, Ont. President ............ JOHN Kirkton, R. R. Vice-President .... JOHN Dublin, Ont. HACKNEY 1 mcgrath DIRECTORS W.. H.. COATES ................... Exeter ANGUS SINCLAIR ... Mitchell, R. 1 WM. HAMILTON ... Cromarty, R. 1 T. BALLANTYNE ... Woodham, R. 1 AGENTS JOHN ESSERY ................ Centralia ALVIN L. HARRIS __ Mitchell R. 1 THOS. SCOTT ................... Cromarty ' SECRETARY-TREASURER W. F. BEAVERS .............. Exeter GLADMAN & 3TANBURY Solicitors, Exeter b. Our Prices are the Lowest they have been for several years. If you -are building it will pay you to call and get prices. Just think Matched Lumber at $35.00 per M. feet A. J. CLATWORTHY Phone 12 Granton We Deliver ■XBECTCK? □f^D^LivEsirdcK‘£r*i Phone Exeter 235, Collect day or night SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Our drivers are equipped to shoot old or' crippled animals DARLING and CO, of Canada, Ltd, CHATHAM, ONT.