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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1947-04-10, Page 7THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL IQfli, 1947 Page 7 The story thus far: Agatha Le- ■Claire, wealthy Montreal divorcee, has fallen in love with Hugh Mere­ dith, the fiance of Enid Walters, a young newspaper woman of whom Agatha is very fond. In spite of his disloyalty to Enid, Hugh returns Agatha’s affections. On an assign­ ment in Winnipeg for her paper Enid is informed by wire that one of her plays has been accepted for ■production in New York. She takes the train for Montreal. CHAPTER VI It was after 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon when Enid’s train reach­ ed Montreal. She seized her suit­ case and walked briskly down the platform, for she knew that she must hurry to the office of her paper, beg permission to go to New York—even go without if she couldn’t go with it—and probably ■turn her hand to some work before train time. With one longing glance at the telephone booths—she must swal­ low her impatience and telephone .Hugh at length later.—she got into a taxi and dashed down to the building. Here, in spite of the stress of Friday work entailed in getting out Saturday’s big sheet, she managed to have short talks with both the managing editor and the city editor. The latter, Mr. Fry, even gave her a quick grin of ap­ preciation when she told him her news and said he was glad. “We can get on without you till Monday, or even Tuesday, if you feel you'd like the extra day in New York. Saturday is a poor day for doing business, you know, par­ ticularly now that we are getting warmer week ends.” Enid thanked him. To add to this generosity, she was told that she need not stay latei’ than 5:30. “You are probably too excited to work,” Mr. (Fry added sagely, look­ ing down at her through his horn rims. To which Enid laughingly agreed. There was a chance at last to tele­ phone Hugh. His office, like all the other big insurance houses, closed at 5. She would have to get him at his boarding place. Oh, if she could only make him so excited over her news that he would offer to be reckless and come on to New York with her! She smiled as she thought that for once she would encourage him to be ex­ travagant. But when she got his house and then his landlady she was due for a surprise. Hugh had gone away on Wednesday evening for a few days’ holiday. He had said that busi­ ness was slack and he would take some of his holiday now. Where had he gone? Mrs. Lawson wasn’t sure, but he had spoken of the Lauren- tian mountains. He often went there fob week ends, as Miss Wal­ ters knew. As she hung up the receiver Enid felt herself ready to cry with vexa­ tion. Why could happiness never be real and complete? If one glad thing happened Providence decreed that was enough. You must be dis­ appointed somewhere else in order to even things up. Agatha at least would be a re­ fuge. She would hire a taxi and ■fly to her, fall on her neck and in­ sist on telling her good news. It could keep no longer. When the taxi stopped before Agatha’s home and while the chauffeur was carrying her bags to the door Enid paused a moment happily to look at the upstairs win­ dows, hoping Agatha would see her, In that moment she saw a curtain Highland Cedar FENCE POSTS ON HAND Anthracite Coal and Coke ON HAND A. J. CLATWORTHY We Deliver Phone 12 Granton Backache May Warn Of Kidney Disorder I Dull, aching pains in the back may ’be a warning of kidney dis­ orders. Don't neglect these pains. Doan's Kidney Dills stimulate the action of the kidneys, help to elimi­ nate the wastes which arc often the cause of backache, rheumatic pains, and minor urinary and bladder ail­ ments. Thus Doan's Kidney Pills help the kidneys to clear the body of impurities. Do as thousands of other Cana­ dians have done. When troubled with backaelii’, take Doan’s Kidney Pills, O>. ill drug counters. The " nt.o, Oil' ■ suddenly drop and knew she had been seen. The next minute, when she had paid the driver, the door was opeix- I ed to her not by Howard as she ex­ pected, nor by the parlormaid, but by Marcelle, Agatha’s own maid. “Mrs. LeClaire is at home, isn’t she,” Enid asked. It seemed for a moment as if Marcelle were barring the entrance against her. She was eyeing Enid narrowly, When she spoke it seemed to be in tiny gasps as if she 'had been running. “No—she is away for a week—in Toronto. You were not expected— my lady said.” Away! It was ridiculous. The world seemed deserted. But of course Agatha would choose to go away at a time when Hugh was holidaying and she, Enid, was ex­ pected to stay in the west a week longer. “I’m sorry.” Enid brushed by Marcelle, and sank down on one of the hall chairs. “Of course she didn’t know I was coming. I had a telegram calling me back sudden­ ly—” Almost she added “to New York” but something made her pause. No, if she could not tell hex’ good news to Hugh and Agatha she would cer­ tainly not tell it to this stout, hos­ tile woman, who for some unac­ countable reason was still holding the dooi* open for her to— To go? Enid had always known that Marcelle hated her, thought her an interloper, but busy as she always was, she had not minded it. Now there seemed something more to it. But as she paid fox’ her suite of rooms at Agatha’s—after a fashion, as she thought with a dry smile— she had no intention of being shown the door. “I’m going out of town myself this evening,” she said, springing up, “and I’ll have to repack some things to take with me.” As she turned to the stairs she saw with relief that Howard was coming through the dining room. His face, if a bit strained, looked glad to see her, she thought. He had heard her last words. “Won’t you stay for dinner, Miss Walters, now that you are here? 'Cook can have it ready in no time if you are hurried.” What a deal’ he was! Enid felt like embracing him. Someone was glad to see her, after all. “Thanks very much, Howard, but I shall have to have dinnei’ in a hurry at the station—get my bags checked there, and do a lot of things. Will you have a taxi for me in half an hour?” “Certainly, Miss Walters, But may I not order the car fox’ you? It won’t be any trouble.” Enid, feeling Marcelle’s glare, shook her head decidedly- “It isn’t my car,” she said with a ■smile. “Really, you have—all been much too kind to me.” She felt a sort of finality in the words. Then she went up the stairs, pre­ tending to pull off hex’ gloves in a hurry though she knew, none bet­ ter, that hex- train didn’t pull out till 10, eastern standard time—■ really 11. “When one door shuts, another opens.” Fox’ no reason at all, the thought flashed through hex’ mind. Was everything coming to an end? But the thought of the play ob­ truded. Or was something new, because ( of the play, coming into hex’ life? She was going up the stairs, and so did not see a strange fleeting glance that passed between Howard i and Marcelle. On the one side, a question—-because Howard was a gentleman. On the other, triumph, with something vindictive in it. Enid opened the door to the ■grateful comfort of her suite up­ stairs. Through the opened windows the bright afternoon sun was streaming, its brilliance rivaled only by the lively canary yellow fit­ ting of the room. Full of hex’ ela­ tion at the acceptance of her play, Enid found herself humming a merry, tuneless little song as she rummaged through hex’ drawer for fresh underthings, extra pairs of stockings. Since all her cosmetics, jewelry and toilet articles were al­ ready tucked away in the bags she had packed for the trip to Winni­ peg, hex* present preoccupation was merely with a change of attire. With advance royalties for the I play, if any materialized, she would, I she avowed, turn the city of New York upside down for an entirely new outfit, an expensive one. For once in lxer life she would splurge, grandly. Exactly half an hour’ after she had gone upstairs there came a dis­ creet knock at hex’ door. It was Howard, announcing her taxi. She opened the door, and Howard sol­ emnly escorted her downstairs, car­ rying her two bags for her. He stood on the drive, smiling lxis fare- ; well as the cab moved down to the street. But when Enid has dismissed her : cab at the station and supervised the checking of her bags by a red- I cap, she found a good four hours ' to waste before train time, Supper , consumed one hour; then sho dis­ covered that her sleeper would be i '-pen for occupation one hour be- 1 fore train time. She determined to pass the remaining two hours read- Floor Sanding New Floors Laid and Sanded Old Floors Re-surfaced with Latest Equipment Estimates Free MURRAY NEIL Hardwood Floor Contractor R. 2, Centralia - Phone Crediton 1OJ ing in the statioxx waiting room. The book she bought, a mystery thriller of the type widely sold in railroad stations, failed to .hold hex’ interest. Through her mind was running an excited train of thought pictures-—herself standing before the successful producer, John Hark­ ness; later, herself seated in the darkened theatre during rehearsals, perhaps suggesting different action, a change in dialogue here and there. . , . And then, opening night. She and Hugh and Agatha, seated to­ gether in the foremost box, care­ fully unconscious' of the whisper­ ings of the crowd, the heads nod­ ding in their direction, the curious, rather bored glances of the critics. Impatiently she turned back three pages in hex* book to see how the murder bad been committed. Then her thoughts strayed again. Did they still cry “Author!” after the opening night performance? Would they, if the play were good enough? Would it be good enough? What if Harkness should tell her tomorrow that he’d changed 'his mind! Supposing he had the op­ portunity to take another play . . . ■She shook hex* head and closed the book decisively. She wouldn’t read any more; she’d find some­ thing else to occupy her mind. The something else was very close at hand. Seated on the bench ad­ joining 'her was a charming but tired looking young woman, a bat­ tered brown suitcase at liei’ feet, and a beautiful blonde 9-year-old girl standing beside her. Enid was conscious of the child as soon as she looked up, conscious of the wide brown eyes fixed upon her. She smiled at the little girl, who dropped hex’ eyes timidly and turn­ ed back to her mother. The mother looked up, caught Enid’s smile and ■smiled back at her. There followed the usual overtures of introduction, ■persuasion of the child, until Enid was sitting by the young mother, holding the girl in hex’ lap. And at last Enid had someone to tell hex* story to. She did; she did it unrestrainedly, and her throat fill­ ed with gratitude at the young mother’s excited admiration and the little girl’s adoring gaze. When her train was called Enid left the two reluctantly. She felt ■strengthened by tehir admiration, but she was sure the young mother was unconscious of Enid’s own envy of her. To have a little girl like that, a little girl of hex’ own—'hers and Hugh’s . . . She was growing too used to soli­ tary breakfasts, she reflected, as she sat in the dining room of the Grand Central station in New York the next morning. But if she must be lonely, here and in Winnipeg, she was at least having thrills. At last. When she had finally found the small hotel on Broadway and 41st street where she meant to stay, and was established there, it was get­ ting uncomfortably close to her ap­ pointment hour with Mr. Harkness, so that a taxi seemed necessary. 'She must reach the 55th street theater where Mr. Harkness had his office on time. Yet when she was crawling slow­ ly up Broadway in the taxi, hopeful that she was looking her best for the great occasion, the heavy traf­ fic irritated hex' so that she could hardly restrain herself from jump­ ing out to walk. It was a gloriously bright May morning with a fresh tang in the air. As her taxi limped along, she had time to study the people on the pavement at her right—crowds who seemed to have little to do at 10 o’clock in the morning, and yet who were wildly scrambling to do it, whatever it was. It was over in a moment. Her breath had caught sharply—there were two figures a little ahead of her at the right—oddly familiar— sauntering happily. Perhaps they had even just emerged from her hotel, they were so near it. The woman at the right of the man in black suit and furs, her small black hat smart with its blank and white cockade, was turning in Enid’s di­ rection to look up at her compan­ ion—happy, radiant—so that Enid saw her distinctly. It was Agatha. The man . . . Even in the first moment of shock, when Enid crouched back in the farthest corner of the taxi, foi’ ifeai’ that they would see her, one of the sharpest stabls of pain at her heart was that Hugh looked different, more distinguished. He was wearing a new dark suit, carry­ ing a cane. He was already dressed for Agatha’s sphere—not hers. When the taxi had finally passed them and was picking up speed again, Enid made herself look back through the rear window. She need not have been afraid that they would see her. They were still absorbed in each other, the jostling world forgotten. Agatha had slipped hex’ hand through Hugh’s arm, was directing his at­ tention to something in a shop win­ dow . . . She need not have been afraid- poor fool! (Continued Next Week) Next Week: Enid’s shock at the discovery of Hugh’s deceit is re­ lieved by the sympathy of a new friend, John Harkness proves the perfect tonic for Enid's shocked emotions. In tho next instalment ho makes a pleasant disclosure to her. Barley Contest The Regional Barley Contest, Ontario section, is to continue again in 1947. The Ontario Contest shall be open to the entire Province, There shall be twelve Regional ■Contests within the Province, the boundaries of which shall be de­ termined by the, Ontario Contest Committee following the receipt of applications, and having regard to the number of entries received. The minimum membership pex* Regional Competition shall be ten bona fide farmers, including indi­ vidual Junior (Farmers, and exclud­ ing farms supported by Commercial oi’ Government Organizations. In no case shall there be no more than one entrant per farm. In order to qualify, it shall be necessary for each contestant to sow at least five acres of one of the approved Barley varieties, O.A.C. No. 21, Montcalm, or Mensury (Ottawa No. 60). In 1946 the number of men who wished to participate in this Con­ test were late in submitting their application forms, with the result that the Regional Contest for this area was not sufficiently well sup­ ported and was included along with another section. All the farmers in Huron County, who are interested in this Competition, should make application to the Agricultural Rep­ resentative at Clinton, asking for a complete set of Rules and Regu­ lations and official Application Forms. OFFER PRIZES FOR SPEAKING t ■Six bright young Canadians will walk off the platform with a total of $200 cash prize money in the public speaking contests at the ■Canadian National Exhibition this year, Kate Aitken, director of wo­ men’s activities for the C.N.E. pointed out in announcing the ora­ torical competitions foi’ school chil­ dren. Mrs. Aitken explained that there would be three prizes of $50, $30, and $20 fox’ both the elementary and secondary school students. Bronze medals will also be pre­ sented for accomplishment. Subject foi’ the public speaking contests is: “Canada’s Place in the World.” Competitions will be held on the Exhibition Grounds during the day and winners presented be­ fore the public at .the Band Shell in the evening. “One of the most interesting luncheons of the year is the day when the C.N.E. entertains stu­ dents within a radius of 100 miles from Toronto,” Mrs. Aitken said. “These young guests are selected fox- their scholarship and leadership by the mayors of their towns. There will 'be a particularly good Educa­ tional 'Exhibit ...showing modern trends and the "rapid evolution of education in Canada over the last five years.” Something to sell? .. . a classified will sell it! Native of Stephen Dies in Hamilton Mr. Art. Amy and Mrs. Fink- •beiner, of town, were in Hamilton March’31st attending the funeral of their mother, Mrs. Thomas J. Amy, a former resident of Stephen town- shij) who died Thursday, March 26, in the Hamilton General Hospital in her 87th year. About four weeks ago she fell and ’fractured her hip from which the shock proved too much. Hei* husband predeceased her in 1920, also one daughter Minnie in 19 22. She is survived by two sons and three 'daughters, Mrs Bella iF'inkbeiner and Arthur, of Exeter; Fred, of Toronto; (Nellie) Mrs. N. McCormick, of Galt, and (Edna) Mrs. Bruce Watts, of Ham­ ilton; also 22 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She was a life-long member of the United church. The funeral took place on Monday from the Wallace Funeral Home to the Hamilton cemetery Rev. President officiated. WILLIAM BIBBY William Bibby, 59, died at, his late residence, R.R. 1, near Kirk­ ton. 1-Ie had been in poor health for some time. Born in England, he was the son of Mrs. Bibby and the late William 'Bibby. (Forty-two years ago lie married the former Florence Gibson, who survives. He ■came to Canada in 1911. 'Surviving 'besides his wife are three sons; Herbert, of Farquhar; John, of Lon­ don, and Robert, at home; three daughters, Mrs. Robert Roy, of Stratford; Mrs. Francis Donahue, Kirkton and Mrs. H. Heywood, Elimville; two sisters and one brother in England; and nine grandchildren. The steady progress towards a higher standard of farm living during the past one hundred years has been linked with a cor­ responding progress in the development of mechanized farm equipment. The widespread adoption of the modern tractor and other labor-saving machinery has helped farmers throughout the world in their realization of increased farm income—better homes —better living. Wallace-McKellar A quiet noon wedding was sol­ emnized at the Presbyterian manse when Rev. W. A. MacWilliam united in marriage Mary Jeanette, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay McKellar, of Cromarty and Mr. Donald Wallace, son of Mrs. Alex Wallace, of near Seaforth, and the late Mr. Wallace, The bride wore a brown dressmaker suit with ao-1 cessories to match. Miss Jean Mo- Kellar, cousin of the bride, was bridesmaid. She also wore a brown suit. The best man was Mr. Fergus McKellar brother of the bride, After the ceremony the party drove to Mitchell where the wedding' dinner was served at the Hick’s House. The couple left on a motor trip to points oast.