HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1945-04-12, Page 79f
THE T1MES-ADVOCATE, EXETER ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNINU, APRIE 12, 1945
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by
MRS. HARRY PUGH SMITH
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CHAPTER I
Chaipp Fields, managing editor
and part owner of the Westhayen
Clarion, was in a temper and he
wanted the world to take notice, It
was part of Barbara West’s job to
hear with the chief’s tantrums. The
Clarion was pretty smaU-townigh in
many ways. Barbara covered .sev
eral unimportant departments on
the sheet and also acted as secre
tary to the managing editor when
necessary.
“I have a limit,” he announced
with great bitterness, “and Tony
Blake lias reached it.” He glared
at Barbara, She was a daughter
of a newspaper man and Champ
Fields had given her her first job.
He had in his gruff way taken her
under his wing after her father’s
death. “I realize I’ve said that be
fore about Tony,” he acknowledged,
'“but this time I mean it.”
She was afraid he did mean it,
Her hand trembled slightly as she
inserted a fresh sheet of paper in
her machine. If only Tony weren’t
so irresponsible, she thought, or i£
he were less lovable. But Tony was
both irresponsible and lovable, and
Barbara could not bear to think oi
his being discharged just when he
was beginning to make good. "I
don’t blame you for being exas
perated,” she said, trying to sound
soothing, “Tony can be the most
exasperating person on earth, but
he—” her color deepened “—he’s a
peach of a reporter when he works
at it.”
“When lie works at it, the devil!”
snapped Champ 'Fields, eyeing the
office clock. “It’s ten minutes Mo
the deadline, and where is he?” •
Barbara smiled feebly. “Know
ing Tony, I’d hate to have to
.guess.”
“I send him out on a special,
assignment. He’s to cover the
board meeting of the local Found
ers’ Society. I explain they are a
bunch of tiresome busybodies but
they control the advertising in this
town. So what does he do? Go on
and tell me. What does that wild
Arab do?”
Barbara shook hei’ head. She
■was slight, with short smooth black
hair and very blue, very straight
forward eyes. She was 22 and had
been supporting herself .for three
years. She liked to think that she
was a hard-boiled businesswoman.
She was, about everything except
Tony Blake. It frightened her how
from the first she had been un
able to be the least hard-boiled
about Tony. She could merely pre
tend’ to be.
“I’m. afraid he’s let you .down on
this,” she admitted, her eyes also
upon the clock, “It was a mistake
to put Tony on the board meeting.
He hates small-time assignments.”
“I’m getting out a newspaper,
not running a bureau for tempera
mental prima donnas,” said Champ
Fields in an ominous voice. “Ev
ery man and woman at that meet
ing expects to see his or her name
in the afternoon. edition. The city
editor is holding the space; the
city room is tearing its hair. My
life won’t be worth living for a
week.”
“I wouldn’t like to see you get in
bad with the local /swell-heads,”
Barbara said and produced a sheet
of paper from her desk.
“What’s this?” demanded Champ
Fields with a suspicious scowl.
“It’s the board jneeting story,”
Barbara explained, her cheeks hot.
“I was afraid Tony would give it
the runaround, so I went over dur
ing the lunch hour and dug up what
I could.”' -41
He looked somewhat mollified
when he walked out, and Barbara
drew a sigh of relief.
■Champ Fields’ face was not re
assuring when he returned. “That’s
that,” he snapped, “but don’t think
you’ve saved Blake. The minute I
catch sight of that young galoot,
he’s fired. Get it? Fired!”
“Yes, Mr. Fields,” sighed Bar
bara, “though I hate to see you lose
a good man.”
“Tony’s all right in lots of ways,”
conceded Champ Fields. “You
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can’t help liking him. He’ll prob
ably go far if he ever stops being a
playboy, but lie’s pot for you, kid.
You ought to see that.”
Barbara flushed painfully, “Tbeye
isn’t anything between Tony and
me. He kids me when he’s in the
office, just as lie kids all the girls.
It doesn't mean anything to him-”
“He’s a born ladies’ man,”
growled Champ Fields, “and it’s
not his fault altogether, but that’s
not the point, You’re too nice a
kid tp hurt, and if you keep on
fooling with Ton|y Blake, you’re
going to be hurt, and plenty.”
Barbara sighed, As if she hadn*t
told herself aR that a hundred
times during the six months she
had known Tony, as if everybody
she knew had not told her the same
thing over and over.
“So here you are,”«said Champ
Fields grimly.
“Yep, here I am,” Tony said,
his gray eyes dancing.
Champ Fields choked. “One min
ute to press time and you show
up grinning like a fox. You went
out to get a story, but that’s noth
ing in your young life. The city
editor can worry about that.”
At that moment Champ Fields
became aware of what Barbara
had noticed the moment before. It
was past the time for the paper to
go to press, but’ the building’ was
not shaking as it should have been
with the thunder of the presses and
down the hall the city room seemed
to be in the throes of some internal
convulsion
“You’ve held up the afternoon
edition because you’re late with
the hoard meeting story!” thun
dered Champ Fields. “I’ll boil you
in oil for this.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” interrupted
Tony, winking at Barbara. “I took
myself off the board meeting yarn.”
“You took yourself off!” roared
Champ Fields in a bedeviled voice.
Tony laughed. “You’re going to
love this, Chief. But we’ve got to
work fast. We ought to have the
extra on the street in fifteen min
utes. All about local reporter rec
ognizing the Kelly kidnapper on the
street this afternoon and rescuing
the child and everything.”
Champ Fields clutched his brow.
“Have you gone crazy?”“Nope,” said''Tony. “I did rec
ognize the Kelly child this after
noon. She was in a car with a
bearded man. I took after them in
my little ol’ flivver, tracked them
to a trailer camp outside the city
limits, and called the cops.. It’s
the berries, Chief. The guy’s con
fessed. They’ve got him, and the
kid over at headquarters now and
have sent foi’ her folks. The city
ed’s putting everybody on the
story.” •
“My God!” mumbled Champ
Fields, staggering to his feet. “It’s
the bigegst - story this town has
seen since the last war.”
For the next hour pandemonium
reigned at the Clarion offices. No
body took time for a deep breath
until the extras were on the street
and then, holding his head in-his
hands, the managing editor col
lapsed in his desk chair and stared
morosely at Tony Blake who -was
lounging in the doorway, grinning
over his cigarette. “You think
you’ve got me where the hair_ is
short, don’t you?” growled Fields.
“More or less,” admitted Tony.
“Looks as if I should rate a small
boost in the old pay envelope,
Chief.”
“All right, all right,” conceded
Fields wearily. “I fired you, so
now I’ll hire you back at a five-
dollar raise. Only mark my words,
Blake, some day you’re going to
come a cropper.”
Tony grinned. “Don’t worry
about me, Chief. I’ll get"*by.”
“It’s not you I’m worrying
about,” snapped Champ Fields.
“Your kind always gets by, worse
luck!” Still scowling he stumped
out of the office;
Tony went over to Barbara’s
desk. She pretended to be busy.
“Nice weather we’re having, Miss
West,” he remarked.
Barbara looked bored. “Yes, isn’t
it?” she asked, going right on with
her typing. “Don’t let me detain
you, Mr. Blake, if you have any
thing else to do.”
Tony sniggered. “Be your age,
old dear. If I had anything else to
do, I’d be doing it.” «•
Barbara smiled sweetly. “You’re
telling "me. What’s the matter?
Have ’ all the other girls gone
home?”
“Yep,” said Tony. “It was pret
ty swell of you to cover me on
the board meeting, sugar.”
Barbara flushed. “The Chief
would have been in the hole with
out it, and he’s a grand person. I
couldn’t bear him to get the worst
of it-”
“I figured that’s <vhy you did it,”
Tony said. “To help the paper out,
I mean. I know1 you can’t be both
ered about a fish like me.,To you
I’m just something that comes up
on the job every day, like time
sheets and invoices and nuisances
like ttiat. Right?”
“What do you think?” asked Bar
bara with a g»Tn but her lips, too,
were ppt quite steady.
“Just the same,” said Tony in a
casual voice. “I figure I owe you a
feed. How about dinner in a little
while? You know, me and you and
a table for two.”
“Suits me,” she said cooly, “I
have to eat,”
Tony was waiting downstairs,
when Barbara came put of the
building, He was humming under
his breath, “When did you leave
heaven?” He smiled at her and
went on humming it after he took
her arm. His touch made Bar
bara’s heart skip a beat. She turn
ed instinctively toward the small,
shabby cafe across the street where
the newspaper crowd hung out, but
Tony steered hei' t6 his battered
car,
“We’re dining in style, Miss
West,” he announced. “Hadn’t you
heard? The Kelly family feels so
darned grateful, it insists on mak
ing me a little present. Sort of re
ward money, you know. ‘Five hun
dred dollars, if you like your fig
ures exact.”
“I’ve had to be exact about (fig
ures.” said Barbara, looking a lit
tle severe.' “I've also had to learn
the value of money. In case you-
haven’t been informed, five hun
dred dollars Will stretch only so
“So what, sugar?” inquired Tony,
helping her into his dipalitated
roadster.
“Why don’t you pay your debt,
Tony, and get even for a change?”
asked Barbara. _
Tony was the"idolized only son of
a widowed mother who lived in a
small town halfway between West
haven and New York. Tony’s fa
ther had been married before. There
was a spinster daughter by this
marriage, named Lily, and Mrs.
Blake had an eighteen-year-old
daughter of her own. However, so
far as Barbara could find out, no
body counted with his mother ex
cept Tony. She had a small in
come, hardly adaquate for her
needs, but she had lent Tony the
money to go through Columbia Uni
versity at considerable sacrifice to
herself.
“You could at least pay your
mother part of what you owe her,”
said Barbara.Tony grinned. . “Mums doesn’t
care if I never pay her, sugar.”
“Just the same,” she insisted,
“you should do it.”Tony laughed. “Come on, kid.
This is a celebration. Snap out of
it. You’ve got the healthiest con
science I ever met, but forget' it
tonight. We’re out to have fun and
I mean to see you have it.”
Barbara » surrendered. It was
breathtaking just to be in his arms.
“Did I remember to tell you I
adore you?” sang Tony, his lips
against Barbara’s cheek. '“That was
swell,” said Tony when the music
ended, “Have I ever told you, Miss
West, that you’re not bad at tripping the light fantastic?”’
“You’ll get by . yourself in a
pinch, Mr. Blake,” said Barbara,
trying to match his breeziness,
Tony pulled out her chair for her.
He stood leaning over it, staring
down at hei’ .with a smile. Barbara
was extremely conscious of his
nearness. “I never know how I
stand with you. Yes, sir,” he said,
softly, “you’ve had me going around
in circles, sugar, right from the
start.”
“Not really?” murmured Bar
bara, hating it' because her voice
trembled.
“Yes,’ really,” said Tony and sat
down across from her. “I guess
I'm the world’s worst het matri
monially,” said Tony. “I mean,
after all, I’m a spendthrift and—
well, if I were to ask a girl like you
to marry me, She’d probably laugh
in my. face, don’t you think?”
Barbara caught her breath. “.Are
you trying to m-m'ake love to me,
Tony?” she stammered.
“I have ever since the first time
I saw you. You’re such a swell
girl.”
Barbara's lashes were wet.
“You’re pretty nice yourself, Mr.
Blake.”
Tony flung a distracted glance.
around him at the crowded dining
room. “Let’s dance,” he said. He
held her tightly. “Let’s get Out of
here,” he said when the music end
ed.
(To Be Continued)
Resigns His Position
Announcement was made Wed
nesday of last week by C. D. Gra
ham, Director of the Agricultural
Representative Branch, Ontario De
partment of Agriculture, of the
resignation of J. Bruce Matheson
from the position of Agricultural
Representative for Huron County,
Mr. Matheson tppk over the Agri
cultural Representative’s office at
Clinton on, April 1, 1944, after two
years as Assistant Agricultural
Representative fpr Oxford County.
Caven Circle Meets
The Faster meeting of Caven
Congregational Circle was held on
Tuesday afternoon at the home of
Mrs. Rod Ellis. The president, Mrs.
Clarence Simmons presided, The
meeting opened with a hymn fol
lowed by devotional exercises and
prayer by MrS. Whilsmith. Reports
were given by various secretaries
and roll call was answered with a
donation to the Red Cross. Mrs.
Alvin Moil’ and Mrs. Earl Mitchell
then took charge of the program,
Mrs. J. Taylor gave a timely read
ing .entitled “ The Burden of the
Cross”, Mrs, Hurl Mitchell gave a
very interesting talk on the Red
Cross hospital ship “Lady Nelson.”
Mrs. Ellis gave a talk on “Does
Canada Need Imigrants?” followed
by a humorous reading. The meet
ing closed with the National An
them and prayer. A dainty lunch
was served. Mirs, R. G. Seldon will
be the hostess for the May meeting
THE ROYAL COMMISSION
ON EDUCATION
which has been appointed to enquire into and report upon
the system of education in Ontario will hold its first sessions
in the Senate Chamber of the University of Toronto at 10
a.m. and at 2 p.m. on April 11, and on April 12,1945, under
the Chairmanship of the Hon. Mr. Justice J. A* Hope.
Such briefs as are submitted on or before April 10,1945,
will be given preliminary consideration at the first sessions,
Briefs submitted after April 10, 1945, will be considered at
subsequent sessions of the Commission.
The sessions are open to the public.
All organizations interested in any of the problems related
to public education are invited to submit briefs to
R, IF. B. Jackson, Secretary, # Royal Commission on Education,
Parliament Buildings, "Toronto,
ires
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WINGHELSEA
Miss Gladys Batten has return
ed home after spending the Easter
holidays with Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Denham, of Sarnia.
We are sorry to report that Miss
Norma Veal was taken to the chil
dren^ War Memorial Hospital on
Wednesday for ' an operation. We
hope for a spe'edy recovery.
Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Kirkland, of
Thames Road, visited on Sunday
with Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Horne.
School reopened, Monday after
the Easter holidays,
Mastei* Ronhle Spry, of London,
has returned to liis home after vis
iting with Ills cousin. Miss Kath
leen Horne.
Miss Grace OdUier, of Kirkton,
spent a few days last week with her
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. II.
Bailey.,
We are sorry to report that Mrs.
Lloyd Hern was taken to Victoria
Hospital on Thursday last. We hope
for a speedy recovery,
Mrs, Goidwyn Glenn and family?
of Brinsley, spent the past week
with the former’s parents, Mr, and
Mrs. Sherwood Brock.
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