HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1940-03-07, Page 2THURSDAY, MARCH 7th, 1910 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE
.fii
I “MARK 1702”
H by Eardley Beswick
iiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiN
"On your own head be it,” was
the reply. To Hendringham it
seemed annoyingly superior. The
Wine was passable. He was feeling
in need of a stimulant. Johhny Cope
Could be as discriminating as he
liked, but then he’d had a decent
breakfast and hadn’t been blown
up and drugged the night before.
Easy enough for Johnny to forego
his aperitif.
Cope was lying back in his chair,
his hands in the attitude of prayer,
his face serenely indifferent. "Can
anyone tell me," he enquired as if
of the world as large, only his words
were drowned within a yard of their
"why their’s hardly an hotel left in
all England where you can rely on
getting a sound sherry, a decent
port or a brandy that’s more than
ten years old?" His eyes narrowed
to glance at his companion acutely.
"Now, if you're determined to fin
ish that abominable concoction of
burnt sugar and wood alcohol,” he
s'aid, "we’ll try to muster courage
for the rest of the infliction. I
fancy I’d like to show you my room
first."
Obediently Hendringham drank
up and, rising, followed his friend
across the lounge. A group of three
men at one of the tables eyed the
two of them curiously as they pass
ed. At first theirs seemed to him
no more than the normal at
tention that Cope’s distinguished
ugliness might be expected to
evoke in such a place, but when he
found himself lurching clumsily he
wondered if after all it might not
be himself they were interested in.
Apart from the strange indecision
that he was experiencing in his gait
he knew his face to be a sight, par
ticularly as just now it was burning
as if newly inflamed.
He stumbled on the stairs and
immediately Cope’s steely fingers
fastened comfortably about his
arm. His head felt astonishingly
light and his thoughts would not
now concentrate on a single dry
sherry. He argued with himself
desultorily about this all the way
to the sunny first-floor bedroom,
reminding himself that he had • not
eaten since the previous evening.
He staggered as Cope loosed his
arm to close the door and with the
sound of its shutting he was already
sprawling on the bed.
"Here, swallow this, quick!'’ Cope
was thrusting a toilet glass against
his mouth. He had been mixing
something in it for the last few min
utes.
CHAPTER VIII
Discussion Over* Dun ch
He swallowed and lay back again,
but immediately he felt himself
raised by some masterfully strong
arm and forced to staggei' across
the room. Up and down, up and
down, the two of them rambled un
til a violent nausea intervened.
A few minutes later he was repos
ing on the bed, hearing Cope’s voice
say: Splendid. You won’t need a hy
podermic this time. They mixed it
a little too strong for a man that’s
had no breakfast. In the normal
way you’d have had a pint of beer
with your lunch and gone off rolling
drunk half an hour later, too drunk
to ask yourself how much you’d had.
And so should I if I hadn’t suspect
ed that atrocious sherry. Stay where
you are for a few minutes. There’s
no hurry. The emetic will give you
an appetite, I hope. Meanwhile I’ll
see whether anybody’s been through
my things,"
He began to leisurely survey, open
ing drawers and suitcases method
ically and humming to himself as he
moved. When he had finished he
came over to the bed and, putting
his great head on one side, gazed
down quizzically at the patient.
"■Heeling ravenous for their broiled
mutton yet?" he asked.
The patient only made a wry face.
"I don’t altogether blame you for
not looking forward to it, but it will
do you good to eat. Your system’s
IYour Next VMt te
TORONTO
t/y
■ Hotel Waverley
Located on Wide Spadina Ave.
at College St.
Easy Parking Facilities
Convertlertt to Highway*
•
* $1.51 MUI
. * $1.51 U $5.68
Four Io Room, $5.W Io $8.M
•
Close td the University,
Parliament Buildings,
Maple Leaf Gardena,
Theatres, Hospitals,
Wholesale Houses, and
the Fashionable Retail
Shopping District.
A, Mr POWELL, President
been empty long enough of anything
but drugs, and a bit of food'll help
you to behave as though you had not
been in the least indisposed just
now."
Another grimace, and then: "I’m a
blasted fool, Johnny.”
"Not altogether. Trouble with you
is your constitution is stronger than
your intellect, though on the whole,
you know, I’d rather have it that
way. A weaker man would have
collapsed on my hands, but you are
at any rate more help than hindrance
which, in the circumstances, is as
good as a compliment. Ah you feel
like sitting up, I see. That’s the way,
now make an effort."
The two of them walked unhur
riedly down the stairs and entered
the dining room, where lunch was
already under way. Though Hend
ringham still felt lightheaded his
balance was no longer affected, and
he managed to chat unconcernedly
with his companion as they made
their way to a vacant table. The
three men sitting near the service
screen subjected them to a sharp
glance, and then their three heads
came together as if excitedly over
the napery.
The meal was very much -what
Cope had prophesied, and Hendring
ham found it hard at first to swallow
even a mouthful. But in a little
while he found himself eating
with appetite and feeling stronger
with every mouthful. By the time
the joint arrived he was interested
enough to lean over and say: "’I
think I remember you saying some
thing about seeing if they’d gone
through your things. I don't remem
ber, ’whether you reported the re
sult."
Cope raised his heavy eyebrows
and pursed his wide lips in a look
of infinite admiration. "A beautiful
job,” he murmured. "Whatever their
failings, our friends know how to
rifle a man’s luggage in the most
painstaking manner without leaving
any of the usual invitations to sus
picion. It’s nice to see a job that
positively insists to you that it’s the
work of a well-trained man, an ex
pert."
"Have they taken anything?”
"My dear Geoffery, you surely
don’t imagine there was anything to
take!”
"But the tubes? I thought . .
"Ah, the tubes. Now let me see, I
think I hinted to you that the tubes
are — how shall I put it? — in a
position, shall I say? to throw a
flood of light on things -when the
appropriate time arrives, a position
where the curious may observe them
with out achieving the least of cur
iosity. Perhaps on the whole, old
man, it would be better if I kept you
in the dark as to the whereabouts of
the tubes. What the heart does not
know the eye cannot give away,
which reminds me, I wonder how
our girl friend, Miss Bilvane, is get
ting on. I imagine she'll be under a
pretty heavy barrage from her chief
during the day.”-
"What makes you think so?"
"Well, he obviously knows where
she lives and that you also are stay
ing at the same place. He’s pretty
sure to know by now that it was in
her room that the things his minions
couldn’t find were hidden last night.
He’ll be certain to know, if only
by enquiries among the domestic
staff, that it was she.who ordered the
breakfast I ate for you this morn
ing. Add to that the fact that he’s
puzzled, and puzzled men are iras
cible, and you’ll realize there are
rounds for my suggestions.”
"If he knows that, there hardly
seems much left to puzzle him.”
'Cope forked over the suet pud
ding on his plate distastefully,
sighed and complained: "You don’t
seem to pay much tribute to my
powers Of confusing issues. Not
that I fancy they were particularly
successful this time. Mench is a
difficult man to best in a battle of
wits, but I did manage to insinuate
the doubt that the real explosives
might have gone up after their des
tined fashion last night. If he be
lieves that he’ll have to report that
they’re evidently nothing much to
get excited about, though, since on
the face of it a man in the same
room with them wasn’t even killed.
No, on the whole I think he’ll prob
ably disbelieve me when he’s had
time to think it over." He pushed
his plate away as if, with it, he re
jected also the problem of Mr.
Mench’s reactions. "It doesn’t mat
ter anyway," he said. "Our present
problem is to find a machinist in
the town Who can be trusted to
make the spoilt parts for us accur
ately and immediately and to keep
his mouth shut about it, Know any
one?’’
Coincidence f
Hendringham thought, ‘"there
was a fellow I heard about who was
sacked from the toolroom a few
weeks ago. I seem, to remember
that he was supposed to have, set
up for himself, Crowder was talk
ing about it—seemed to envy liim."
"Can you get his address?"
"I might, through Crowder, if I
know where he hung out."
"Anyone you could ring at the
Works?"
"Sutcliffe, the wages clerk, only
he'd probably report to old Mench."
He hesitated a moment, looking
awkward. "Perhaps Miss iSilvane
could get it for me,” he said with
an air of indifference.
"Does she work by herself?"
He nodded. "Office next to the
Director’s",
“All right. You’d better get on
with it. There’s a 'phone box down
the street that’ll be more private
than the one in the hall."
Hendringham rose and with an
assumption of unconcern, made his
way casually out of the room. From
the doorway he caught sight of the
little creeper-covered dooi’ by which
they had entered from the yard,
and it appealed to him as a less
public exit than the one through
the main hall. The yard was con
gested with cars, Cope’s big tourer
conspicuous among them. The sight
of it reminded him of a parcel of
parts they had brought from the
toolroom and stowed somewhat
carelessly on the floor between their
feet. At once he became alarmed
for their safety and, going over, he
scrutinized the interior of the car.
The parts were not there.
Excitedly he turned back to the
dining room, cursing his own and
Cope’s carelessness. In the low dark
passage a man was standing as if
hesitant. They almost bumped one
another and, apologizing, he regis
tered the impression that the fellow
had been looking for him. A glance
into the dining room confirmed him
—that there were now only two
men sitting at the table by the ser
vice screen. Puzzled, he went
across to Cope’s table and, boiling
with impatience, had to finish an
argument with the waiter over the
vintage year of a brandy. Appar
ently Cope was maintaining that the
hotel’s best was a year or two too
young. The dispute was at last
postponed by Cope ordering a glass
with which to make a test for him
self. When the waiter left he~turn-
ed Hendringham with “You’ve been
quick.”
"I had a look at the car. Those
parts have gone!"
“My dear chap! What made you
think I’d left them in the car?”
“Didn’t you?”
"Geoffery, I’m almost hurt by
your lack of confidence.”
"I’m damned sorry, old man. I
seem to be going to pieces a bit, but
I didn’t see you shift ’em.”
"I trust you weren’t alone in
overlooking it. I did not wish any
one to see me doing that, as a mat
ter of fact. Those three fellows by
the screen, or least there were three
until one of them went out to sleuth
you, won't have missed giving the
old bus the once-over, you may bet
your boots."
"Know who they are?”
“No more than tnat they bear
solid English names and are stay
ing at this solid English hostelry.
Funny thing is, though, that if they
have been truthful, they all come
from Widely distant towns. Yet they
drink together and eat together as
if they’d been brought up together.
Possible, of course, but I fancy it’s
a mistake in tactics. I attribute
the peculiar potency of that vile
aperitif that so nearly laid you low
to one or other of them—you know
the waiter stopped at their table
with drinks on his way to ours. He
put the tray down for a moment
too. But the really interesting
thing is that Mr. Marsden has the
room numbered 16, Mr. James room
Number 18, and Johnny Cope room
Number 17. Sandwiched, eh? Ap
parently Mr. Marvel couldn’t get a
room nearer than. the floor above,
but the one he’s got’s directly over
mine. Neat, isn’t it?”
"What an ass I’ve been! I’d bet
ter get that telephoning done now.”
"That’s an idea, but don’t blame
yourself. After all, I haven’s been
blown up twice in the last eighteen
hours. You’re doing pretty well to
be walking about at all.” He look
ed at his wrist watch. "Give you
precisely seven and a half minutes,”
he said with a subtle smile,
He ’phoned from the street cab
inet. Through the glass door he
could see one of the men from the
hotel take up a waiting position
within a minute of his putting in
his call. Though satisfied that
nothin’g could be heard outside, he
spoke unwontedly close to the re
ceiver as soon as he got the "Works’
exchange. Miss Silvane Janstvered
promptly. On learning his require
ments she told him to wait while
she made inquiry in the Wages de
partment. In a couple of minutes
she was back with the address.. The
essentials had been performed and
there was still a matter of two min-
uates of the second three he had al
ready secured from the operator.
"Has everything been all right?”
he asked, determined to make full
use of the minutes.
"Well,, more or less."
"Mench been on to you?"
"X’m afraid you’ll have to get
iu touch with the purcasing depart
ment about that."
“What on earth do you mean?"
“It’s useless to get information
from me about that matter. You’ll
have to get on to the Purchasing, I
tell you.”
“But, my dear girl! <Oh, I’m a
fool! I understand now."
“I’m glad you understand at last,
but I think you'd be wiser not to
bother the secretaries in future. It’s
only a traveller asking about the
steel contract, Mr. Menph, Fm try
ing to choke him off." The last
words were fainter, and all Hend
ringham had time to say was:
“Good bye, my dear. 'God bless you,'
before the line went dead.
Back again in the now deserted
dining room he explained this inco
herent conversation to Cope. "Old
Mench must have come into her of
fice” he said. “Anyway, without
any warning she began to tell me
off for trying to nose in on a pur
chasing matter. Pretty clever of her
eh?”
“She’ll make an intelligent wo
man. It’s not often that so much
horse sense accompanies so much
atractiveness,” said Johnny Cope,
“Now, since the conversation has
taken you two minutes less than J
gave you, and I confess I shouldn’t
have been surprised if it had taken
you ten minutes longer, I reckon
we’d better get in touch with your
Mr. Crowder," He finished his bran
dy, making a doubtful shake of his
head, and rose.
(To be Continued)
Stranger; “What is the standing
of the Spendmore family in this
town?"
Native; "Well, I should say they
is sort of betwixt and between. They
ain’t exactly nobody and yet they
hain’t really anybody,"
IN A YEAR OF
GREATER VALUES
1940 car buyers are looking for greater values — greater savings — greater
assurance of dependability and long life. . . . And they’re finding that
Chevrolet leads again in all these tokens of "more for the money".
Chevrolet is not only the streamlined beauty leader of this "value year**
-—but it’s also the ablest all-round performer! In addition to greater size
and increased roominess — it brings you new, unequalled features!
You and your family will be mighty proud to own this new Chevrolet
... and you’ll be money ahead. Because only Chevrolet offers you all these
greater values at the lowest cost in purchase price—gas—oil-—and upkeep!
Eye it, try it and you’ll buy it, as the soundest car investment of the year.
8i|elt* T/u| It-Buq It!
BIGGER INSIDE AND OUTSIDE . . . NEW "ROYAL CLIPPER" STYLING . . . NEW FULL-VISION BODIES
BY FISHER . . ♦ NEW SEAtEt> BEAM HEADLIGHTS, WITH SEPARATE PARKING LAMPS . . . IMPROVED
VACUUM POWER SHIFT . . . "THE RIDE ROYAL"-CHEVROLET’S PERFECTED KNEE-ACTION RIDING
SYSTEM* .. . SUPER-SILENT VALVE-IN-HEAD ENGINE . . . PERFECTED HYDRAULIC BRAKES . .. TIPTOE-
MATIC CLUTCH ... More than 175 Important Modern Features in All. *On Special De Luxe Models
Snell Bros* & Co., Exeter
Associate Dealers:
G. Koehler, Zurich: J. £• Snrowl Lucan
HowTo Relieve
Misery of Your
CHEST
Massage throat,
chest, and back
. V,’ "plenty ofVicks VapoRub at bedtime. Then
spread a thick layer on chest and
cover with a warmed cloth,
VapoRub’s double action brings
double relief. It acts as a poultice
to penetrate the surface skin; and
its soothing medicinal vapors are
breathed direct to the irritated air
passages.
Try it, to loosen phlegm—to
clear air passages—check tendency
to cough—and also to relieve the
tightness and a J|Aft/f*
soreness of
chest muscles. > Va POR UB
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.
Tho T. Milburn Co., Ltd., Toronto, Ont,
Forest H. School Burns
The worst fire in the history of
Forest occurred on Monday, Febru
ary 26th, when the High (School
was completely demolished. The fire
which was believed to have started
iu the boiler room about 7,30 in
the evening, spread rapidly and' was
carried from the old section iuto
the new wing by a stiff wind, des
pite the efforts o$ the fire force
with all its equipment in operation.
The school, with six classrooms,
a science room and gymnasium,
houses 160 pupils from iFprest, Ar
izona, Thedford and camlachie, as
well as surrounding townships.
The building was practically an
entire loss, The school is valued
at about $70,000 and there is $53,-
500' insurance on the building and
equipment, etc.
! Firemen with three lines of hose
brought into play hoped to save the
new wing of the school which was
built in 1928. With the roof burn
ing from the old wing the flames
were driven by the southeast wind
■ through openings into the main
structure in spite of the gallant ef
forts of firehian.
During the height of the blaze
there were several explosions in the
building but none of the firemen
were injured. These were attribut
ed to chemicals stored in the science
room or possibly to the bursting of
steam heating pipes.
While firemen battled to save the
newer sections of the two-storey
building, school, students and neigh
bors carried out books and equip
ment from some of the class rooms
of the new wing.
In the old wing built in 1890
as a four-room school which had
been renovated into a modern shop
class and home economics rooms
just two years ago, over $4,0'00
of equipment purchased for these
departments were lost. Firemen
were unable to get into the rooms
to save anything.
QHjc Exeter
Established 1873 and 1887
at Exeter, OntaTlo
Published every Thursday morning
SUBSCRIPTION-—$2.00 per year la
advance
RATES—Farm or Real Estate for
eale 50c. each insertion tor first
four insertions. 25c. each subse
quent insertion, Miscellaneous Ar
ticles, To Rept, Wanted, Dost, or
Found 10<j. per line of six word*.
Reading notices 10c, per lipe.
Card of Thanks §0c. Legal ad
vertising 12 and 8c. per line. I*
Mexioriam, with one verse 5Qn
extra verses 25c. each.
Member of The Canadian Weekly
Newspaper Association
g
Professional Cards
GLADMAN & STANBURY
(F. W- Gladman)
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR, &c
Money to Loan, Investments Made
Insurance
Safe-deposit Vaults for use of our
Clients without charge
EXETER and HE NS ALL
CARLING & MORLEY
BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS,
Loans, investments,
INSURANCE
Office; Carling Block, Aftiin Stree6,
EXETER, ONT.
Dr. G. F. Roulston, L.D.S.,D.D.S
DENTIST
Office; Carling Block
EXETER, ONT,
dosed Wednesday Afternoons
Dr. H. H. COWEN, L.D.S.,D.DS
DENTAL SURGEON
Office opposite the Post Office,
Main Street, Exeter
Office 36w Telephones Res. 3«J
Closed Wednesday Afternoons
ARTHUR WEBER
LICENSED 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 138
USBORNE & HIBBERT MUTUAL
FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
Head Office, Exeter, Ont.
President ............ JOHN HACKNEY
Kirkton, R. R. 1
Vice-President ....'JOHN McGRATH
Dublin, Ont.
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
B. W. F. BEAVERS ......„.....M Exeter
GLADMAN & STANBURY
Solicitors, Exeter
Lumber Shingles
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
DEAD LIVESTOCK
Phone Exeter 235, Collect
i>AY OR NIGHT
SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
Our drivers are equipped to
shoot old or crippled Animals
DARLING
and Co. of Canada, Ltd.
CHATHAM, ONT. ,