Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1940-05-09, Page 2THURSDAY, MAY 9th, 1940 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE H by Eardiey Beswick s Sllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllffl You don’t mean there’s any dan­ ger?” ‘•Not for her, I should imagine, but for our candlesticks and sample, plenty from the look of it.” Hendringham’s reaction to that was more human than patriotic. “(Damn the tubes and the sample!” he said. “It’s the girl I want to see safe.” “I hardly think there's- much risk for her. If she’s stopped theyTi only’hold her long enough to enable them to get away with the tubes before she telephones someone else or calls in the police, I imagine. Problem is where will they stop her. It must be near enough for the chaps who held us up to get there. Say within fifty or sixty miles.” He took out a map as the car pulled up at the foot of the hill and began to make measurements with a scrap of folded paper. Presently he looked up. “Here Geoff, you hurry on and find a garage while I drain the tank and clean the carburetor,” he said. “Walk, run, crawl, cadge a lift if you can, but get back with a can of spirit as fast as you possibly can,” Hendringham asked no questions, but at once set off at an easy run that he knew he could keep up for a mile or more if necessary, Perhaps an hour and a half later the big car was once more road­ worthy and speeding into the night along a-cross-country route that her driver tried to follow in the dark­ ness, with no other aid than his sense of direction and an occasional signpost that their headlight picked out. After about twenty miles of this he pulled up, “You take her on for a bit, Geoff.” he said. “I’ve got a hunch that we are going to need a bit of apparatus when we get there. I believe your road sense is as good as mine, even if you don’t notice pylons and A.A. telephones to remember them.” He went round to the dickey and presently came back and took the passenger seat Hendringham had obediently vacated. “I’m not quite cleai* in my mind what it was they did there at the 'Pylons,” remarked Hendringham,. following a train of thought,, as he -started off. fOh, they contrived to sling a cable across one of the overhead ones and left it trailing about the height of our bonnet. They’d got it looped back, probably with a rub­ ber cord, and they just let it swing across as we came on the scene. If we hadn’t guessed to pull up just where we did there’d probably have been a pretty little flash and the bonnet would have gone up in smoke as soon as we touched the hanging cable. That’s why they ■anticipated something in the nature of a burning up- for someone. As it was the thing seems to have slipped and got near enough the wet road to earth the lot. Pretty trick, wasn’t it?” Hendringham only grunted and concentrated on his driving. The speedometer crept up and eased, crept up and eased, and they swung round bends on a desperate wrench­ ing of the wheel at a speed far be­ yond the capacity of any but a rac­ ing model handled by a racing driv­ er. He wasn’t a racing driver, but to­ night he was qualifying. Hope crouched in the bucket seat and manipulated something heavy on his lap. Once or twice he begged his companion to “keep her on an even keel for a moment” while he got a screw in, and once he said: “Push her along, Geoff, for the Lord’s sake. I’m getting uneasy about that girl.” Thereafter the nature of their career was hair-raising, but he con­ tinued to crouch over his work as it too absorbed therein to concern himself with the imminence of vio­ lent death. (Skidding, swerving, thrusting but braking never, the big car threaded her tortuous cross-country course, her headlights fanning the darkness from side to side as she followed the windings of the lanes, her hub­ caps scarring the high banks, her great tyres scattering road metal AnotherBad Night Could Get No Rest To the thousands who toss, night after night, On sleepless beds and to whose eyes slumber will not come. To those who sleep in a kind of Way, but whose rest is broken by bad dreams and nightmares. To those who whke tip in the morning as tired Wj on going to bed, We Offer in Milburn's Health and Nerve 'Pills a remedy to help soothe and calm the neiws and bring them back to a perfect condition, and when this is done there should be no more sleepless nights due to shat­ tered nerves. The T* Milburn Oo., Ltd!., Toronto, O*k like shrapnel. Mr. Mench Again Miss Silvane, having accustomed herself to the feel of the old car, began to drive faster. The engine sounded sweetly, and the steering was in good order, though the paint­ work justified Johnny Cope’s earl­ ier sarcasm. It pleased her to con­ firm that Hendringham would not neglect the mechanism, however careless he might be of the paint. There was something ‘in that that conformed to her idea of what a man ought to be like. It was a pleasant run as soon as she got familiar with the feel or the steering, and she found she was able to hold a cruising speed of fifty with reasonable steadiness. Fifty she considered fast not having been a pupil of Johnny Cope, And anyway fifty would get her there in plenty of time, so she held It as long as the going would permit and the miles rolled by encourag-1 ingly. Beore she had gone such more than thirty miles she was beginning to feel bored by the monotony or her run. When she had first volun­ teered she had been fired by antici­ pation of adventure, had envisaged thrills that now began to seem ro­ mantically absurd. Even the thought of the articles she carried, with their hint of explosive possibilities, failed in time to stimulate her lm- gination. It became just a long a lonely, and a rather wearing drive and it was increasingly difficult for her to retain the idea that she was performing any service of a more than commonplace character either to the men in whom she was inter­ ested or to the cause of internation­ al peace which, like every decent- minded person, she had at heart. Occasionally a big lorry ground by in the opposite direction, occa­ sionally a belated car and once even a long-distance char-a-banc. She was almost completely bored and beginning to drive mechanically when hex* headlights, as she neared the point of junction with the Great North road somewhere about two o’clock in the morning, picked out a huddled group by the roadsiae. Nearing it, she noted that a car stood on the grass verge, its nose canted ovex’ the ditch and one of its rear wheels off the ground. Another car, pulled up by the verge, gave the impression of a crumpled rad­ iator and shattered glass. Stretched out on the grass was the body of a man, another man bending over him. The second man rose as she approached,, and stepping into her path, raised an appealing hand. She stopped. 'Sorry to pull you up,” said the man on the road, “but there’s been a nasty smash. Can you help me get this poor chap to the nearest hospital or a doctor or something?” “Is he much hurt?” “Very badly, I’m afraid. How fax’ is it to Mansfield?” His voice sound­ ed gaspingly overwrought. “I don’t know. Not many miles, I should say. Perhaps I’d better have a look at him.” “Very kind of you,” said the man and held out a hand as if to help her from the car. The hand came quite firmly about her arm above the elbow. “This way,” he said, and steered her in the darkness. As sue bent aver the prone figure it rose to a sitting posture. “I think I can stand now,” the casualty said, and reached fox’ her free arm. He hung his whole weight on hex* and drew himself up. Now there was a man either side of her, gripping her arms. She was suddenly afraid. “This way, please,” said one ot the men curtly, and between them they began to lead her towards a field gate. A brief struggle con­ vinced her that she had no chance, and realizing how easily she had been trapped, she cursed her own stupidity. They were leading her away from the car, but by flinging hex* head back she glimpsed, before the headlights had been extinguish­ ed, that other men were clustered about it. ‘Take it easy,” said one of hex’ captors. “The chief’d like a word with you. You’ll be all right.” About fifty yards through the gate something shadowy loomed, like a haystack, against the dim sky, a haystack with a glint of light around it, internal light. Her knees came against a step. A door was thrown open and through it she saw the interior of a luxurious caravan. Humping her up the steps the men pushed her inside. There was a bunk, a tiny stove, all neatly compacted, polished fittings and glossy wood gleaming in the light of a hung lamp. A partition midway had a door in ft, and on this one of the men knocked. A voice she recognized said “Come In," and through the opened door she found herself thrust into the presence of Mr. Mench, He was sitting before a built-in bureau that had a little latticed window behind it, and the inevitable cigar smoke curled from his plump hand. He said: “Ah, so you have come. Rather a long way from home fox1 this hour of night, aren’t you? You’d bettex’ sit down.” She was suddenly glad to sit down. He tapped plump fingers on the desk before him like a man'" idly beating time to some tune running in his head. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you," he said at last, his voice unexpectedly very friendly. “These caravan holidays are desolate affairs in purely mas­ culine company. However, I shall be still more glad if you have brought the things I wanted.” His fingers caressed a hairy jowl. He waited. At the sound of a knock he sprang eagerly to the door. The man who entered laid a sacking parcel on the desk and be­ side it her own hangbag. Mr. Mench seized the handbag, felt it, said “Ah!” and a smile spread from his thick lips to lose itself in the hirsute growth that covered his cheeks. Opening it he took out the two tubes that were “dynamite only more so” and as he held them to the light, his smile broadened to an expres­ sion of gross satisfaction. Very care­ fully he pried the wax stpppei’ from one of them, dipped in a stubby fin­ ger-end and tasted the stuff deli­ cately. “All right?” asked the man who had brought them. “Apparently. Not that execrable purgative axxyway.” “Good,” said the man. “Horsch will be here sooxx aftex' dawn. I got a message through to the aerodroxne and diverted him.” “Splendid!” Mi’. Mench seemed to congratulate them both. “I shall be glad to be relieved of the custody of these.” He carefully replaced the stopper. “They have caused xne a lot of worry. Do you know, Reiter, when these are well oxi the way I think I shall take a short holi­ day. Caravanning in this weather would be a restful change particu­ larly if, as I have reason to hope, I can persuade this lady to accom­ pany xne.” The man, Reiter grinned abomin­ ably. -“I envy you the prospect.” He bowed towards the girl. “Shall I leave these?” His hand gestured towards the strange loot. “I think so. I shall hold myself responsible for the powder, at any rate until Horsch gets it. The other does not xnatter. Perhaps we shall do well to send it over, since after all it weighs so little. Otherwise 1 should merely insist on its des­ truction. I shan’t need you, Reiter. “Evidently,” said Reiter imperti­ nently, and withdrew. An Offer Mr. Mench pulled slowly on his cigar, “Do you'know,” he said after a long silence, “I find it easier to forgive you than I could have thought possible? You acted no doubt impulsively, I tell myself, and in ignorance. One can forgive more than that to a pretty woman ... .if she proves sensible. And aftex’ all I can afford to forgive. I am a rich man, my dear. I^can make things very comfortable for you if you will. You have been working hard. I propose to give you a holiday, a short holiday to begin with in this beautiful countxyside. It is kinder than to dismiss you without a character. Afterwards, if we get on, we can travel . . . Paris, Vienna, the Riviera, all places where a pretty woman can feel at homd. “I think you are taking a lot for granted,” she said. “Perhaps. I am taking it for granted that you have a head on your shoulders for one thing. That, like every other woman, you would prefer a life of luxury and travel to one of drudgery in an office or, even more so, to one in which there was not even the office, even if the price happened to be that of toler­ ating the company of an elderly and I fear, an unattractive man such as I humbly conceive myself to be.” “I should prefer scrubbing floors to that.” “You think you would, but wait. Your position, after all, is not one that leaves you much choice. You will not, I fear, ever see alive again that rather impetuous young man on whose behalf you seem to have undertaken this escapade. He is, I regret to say, but now a little char­ red, a sort of cindex* that was once a man. Now look at it straightly. You are doomed to spend the next few days sharing this rather re­ stricted accommodation with me. That, I am afraid, cannot be avoided Inevitably, by sheer pressure on cir­ cumstances, you will have suffered loss of reputation that a lifetime will not suffice to outlive'. In other words, you will have had the disad­ vantage without any of the delights I am able to offer you, You are a sensible woman, I have observed, and when you have turned these things over in your mind,, I am .E. hopeful you will not continue of the same opinion , . . However, I do not wish to press such considera­ tions at the moment. I can afford to wg.it. What would you say to a cup of tea, or a cocktail if you prefer it? This place, though small, is not ill-equipped.” She chose a cup of tea. She want­ ed it, and it was clearly futile to remain stubhorn over little things like that. ‘She was tired, and de­ pressed by a sense of complete fail­ ure, by the self-accusation that in her confiding folly she had let down the two men whom she desired to help, 'She ought to have driven straight on, past even the most ter­ rible of road accidents, holding her trust more important than any char­ ity. She could not believe that Hendringham was dead. She had too much faith in Johnny Cope for that, and after all, she had warned them, a fact of which Mr. Mench, DEAD AND DISABLED ANIMALS REMOVED PROMPTLY Phone Collect: Seaforth 15; Exeter 235; Lucan 12 DARLING & CO. OF CANADA LTD. Running Water is an Everyday Necessity in Kitchen, Laundry, Bathroom and Barns ADURO Pressure Water System will furnish an ample supply of water under pressure to all parts of your home and farm. Without running water, sanitary conveniences and modem facilities, so essential to health and happi­ ness, are not available to your family. The cost of EMCO bathroom, Kitchen and Laundry fixtures and fittings is very reasonable and can be spread over $ period of time under our Easy Payment Plan. ’ , EMCO products are modernly finished, of high quality, and will give years of satisfactory service. A THREE-PIECE EMCO BATHROOM—-tub on Legs, Toilet and Wall Lavatory with all Trimmings can be purchased for as little as................$83*90 (Soil and iron pipe and fittings extra) i THE DURO SPECIAL PUMP, shown above, has a capacity of £50 gals, per hour, With 25 gal. Galvanized Tank and 25 or 60 cycle Motor, it costs only............................................................................ $86*00 FOR SAL® BY . ! Lindenfield’s Hardware * EMPIRE BRASS MFG. CO., LIMITED, LONDON, ONT. 140 HAMILTON TORONTO ' SUDBUKY WINNIPEG VANCOUVER p SSNtiSSHMSSMSNtiiSNSHtaMSSNNNMNlMtiNastiNNMMMBNaNNSSHNNNMMNBtiMWMBtiNMa^^ was evidently still unaware. Never­ theless she was anxious on his be­ half, Something terrible and un­ avoidable might so easily have hap­ pened, and Mr. Mench had spoken confidently. He was pottering around amiably in the next compartment, and pres­ ently he returned with a neat little tea equipage and a tray with whis­ key. He pourned tea for her so­ licitously, meticulous about the proportions of sugar and milk, the exact strength she desired. Then they sat opposite one another at either side of the desk and drank in enmity, or at least she drank in enmity, Mr. Mench drank placid­ ly confident. (To be Continued) Wife (nudging husband): “Look, that man in front of us is asleep.” Husband: “Well, why wake me up to tell me that?”-—Wochenschau. SISTER IN BOMB AREA, ♦WINGHAM MAN ANXIOUS Bert Wellwood Awaits News of Cheng-Tu Hospital Superintendent Reports reaching Canada May 2 said that tlie*United Church Mission Hospital at Cheng-Tu in China had been destroyed on May 1st, by fire of undetermined origin, Bert Well­ wood, of Wingham, brother of Miss Caroline Wellwood, superintendent of the mission has not been notified officially, but is waiting for some news of his sister. Reports from the vicinity of Cheng-Tu in the past few days mentioned frequent Japanese bombings. Miss Caroline Wellwood built the Cheng-Tu hospital 24 years ago under the direction of the Women’s Missionary Society of the Methodist Church in Canada. Miss Wellwood, who is now 64 years of age, was home for a visit three years ago and expressed the wish in a recent communication to her sister in New York that she might be allowed to remain in service an­ other year and thus complete 35 years of missionary work. Of a fam­ ily of ten, there are seven still liv­ ing and Miss Wellwood has two brothers, Robert, of Winnipeg and Bert, of Wingham; and four sisters, Mrs. James Taggart, of Hamilton; Miss Elizabeth, of New York; Mrs. A. Kent, of Vancouver and Mrs. R. J. McKenzie, of Boxssevain, Man. The Exeter Times-Advocate Established 1873 and 1387 at Elxeter, Ontario Published every Thursday morning SUBSCRIPTION—??.oo per year in advance RATES—Farm or Real Estate for sale 50c, each insertion for first four insertions. 25c. each subse­ quent insertion. Miscellaneous ar- tides, To Rent, Wanted, Lost, or 1 Found 10c. per line of six word** Reading ‘notices 10c. per line. Card of Thanks 50c, Legal ad­ vertising 12 and 8c. peT line. In Memoriam,. with one verse 5Qc. extra verses 25c. each. Member of The Canavan Weekly Newspaper Association Professional Cards GLADMAN & STANBURY (F, W. Glad man) BARRISTER, SOLICITOR, &c Money to Loan, Investments Made Insurance Safe-deposit Vaults lor use of our Clients without charge EXETER and' HENSALL CARLING & MORLEY BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS, LOANS, INVESTMENTS, INSURANCE Office: Carling Block, Afciin Stree*. EXETER, ONT. Dr. G. F. Roulston, L.D.S.,D.D.S. DENTIST Office; Carling Block ’ EXETER, ONT, Cfltoeed Wednesday Aftemnow Dr. H. H. COWEN, L.D.S..D.DS. DENTAL SURGEON Office opposite the Post Office. Main Street, Exeter Office, 36w Telephones Res. Closed Wednesday Afternoon* 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 ............„ Exeter ° GLADMAN & STANBURY Solicitors, Exeter Lumber Shingles Our Prices are the Lowest they nave 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 REV* L. W. HILL, RETIRED MINISTER, PASSES AWAY Rev. L. W. Hill, 8'5, retired, Unit­ ed Church minister who held var­ ious pastorates at Toronto, died at his home in parkhill oh May 1st. ' He was ordained into the Metho­ dist ministry at prince Albert, Sask., in I8181I and was twice married. His second wife was Elizabeth Jackson, whom he married in Edmonton, HIS last Pastorate Was at Parkhill where he has lived since his retirement. Briton Hill, of kitchener, is a son.