Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1947-05-08, Page 8Page 8 THE TIMES-APVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY M.ORNING, MAY 8th, 1947 The story thus far: Agatha Le- Clajre, wealthy Montreal divorcee, (has fallen in love with Hugh Mere­ dith. fiance of Enid Walters, a young newspaper woman. Enid does not suspect anything until in New York to arrange for the production of her play, she sees Agatha and Hugh on the street. She is still suffering from the shock when she tha’s telling her about the discov­ ery of her second husband’s infid­ elity, Could Agatha, in that mom­ ent of revelation, have been any more shaken that she, Enid, was now? “What do you mean?” She realized that he had repeat­ ed his question. She spoke very low. “I mean arrives at the office of the produc­ er, John Harkness. She is moved by his sympathy and kindness to her. He is reluctant to let her re­ turn to Montreal. Back home, Hugh, not suspecting Enid knows the truth, calls for her at her of- fice. CHAPTER X Would they always speak in these jerks and dashes, she wonder­ ed, as she adjusted hei' hat at the mirror a few moments later and tried to powder away the dark lines that the last few days had traced under her eyes. Provided that after tonight they spoke to each other at all? “You don’t want to hear about my western trip, you know,’’ she said as they walked along St. James street. “I have written reams about it already, and I feel exhausted.” But it was he who seemed tired. The sparkle, the gayety, had all -gone from his eyes. Or was it only because he was with her and not with Agatha? Sitting later facing him at a small table at Murray’s Sandwich shop down the street, she felt she could say it. “Is Agatha back—from Toron­ to?” He looked at her. The veil that <had fallen between them when he came to her office, and that had lifted only when he had spoken to the waitress and given their order, dropped once more as hei’ eyes held iiis. He lifted his glass to his lips. “Yes. She came back yesterday.” He drank slowly, put the glass down. “By the way,” he got the words out with something of a bluster, “she telephoned me after I got to the office this morning to find out what had become of you. She said you had taken your things away from her rooms. Everything was gone.” Enid felt the edge to her voice. “You weren’t able to tell her, were you ?” There was a pale fright behind his eyes now. It hurt Enid so much that she found grace to tem­ per her next words. “I found I had to be nearer the office. She—and you—seemed to be away indefinitely.” His cheeks showed angry spots now. “I! Leave me out of it, please. You have left her without a word —without any explanation. Howard even thought* you had left town. It seems hardly fair when she has been wonderful to you!” “And to you.” Her words were very definite. He could not fail to catch her meaning. ■She was shaking with anger again. This man, so near her, who had professed to love her, who had been engaged to her for three years and was presumably still so, had been faithless to her. She remembered suddenly Aga­ that you love Agatha—and Agatha loves you. It won’t do any good to deny it.” There was silence.. The waitress brought their orders of fish, toast and tea and Enid tried to go on with her dinner. His surprise had died down when she looked at him again. “Why should I deny it? Suppos­ ing we are infatuated with each other for a time, what of it? One can't help that sort of thing, you know. It is bound to come to an end. He had quite misunderstood her quietness. Some sense of panic he had shown, but it had been forced into retreat and he was almost happy again. The normal color had come back into his cheeks and he was able to enjoy his dinner, she saw. She had to make it clear to him, but should she do so here? Which would be worse—a scene now or later? “You will always have Agatha to depend on after this,” she said coldly, “so why worry about me and my good manners? You have Agatha, while I have my work—my play.” She meant “play” in a different sense from his interpretation, of course. She would not tell him about the production of her play. He could find that out later from the papers. He laid down his knife and fork in exasperation. “I know that you are insanely jealous and foolish.” His gray eyes darkened to black and he drew his shoulders up proudly. “You talk as if our en­ gagement were broken.” “It is,” said Enid clearly. “It was broken the -day you went with Agatha to New York.” After a strange silence, in which she could feel him hold his breath, he said finally in a stifled voice: “You have no right to say that sort of thing about Agatha — or me.” “Certainly not, if it were untrue. But—” “Someone has been trying to poison your mind about us. Some gossip. Fanny Wetherall, probably. She never liked me.” She saw him clinging to his last hope, to the last slippery rock that would avert this confession, and save him from the flood of her con­ demnation. Enid sat back in her chair and looked at him. As she did so she noted the charm of his features, the bearing of his head, as if she were seeing him for the first time. “Fanny has nothing to do with it. Why should you be ashamed to face Agatha? To acknowledge it?” “I have acknowledged that I am infatuated with her, but not that we went to New York.” “It is useless to lie about it, Hugh. I saw you there myself. I saw you and Agatha last Saturday morning walking* up Broadway.” He moistened his lips. “You! New Mill Now Ready to Serve You CUSTOM WORK, CUSTOM MIXING AND PREPARED FEEDS I ® NA-CHUR’S LIQUID FERTILIZER For the vegetable grower—water and fertilizer in one op­ eration. Dry fertilizer is absolutely of no use unless dis­ solved. It’s here already in liquid form—one pint makes 50 gallons of fertilizer. ® WE HAVE ON HAND A fair supply of Borax-Celite Turnip Dust. This is last year’s stock but is in good shape. It has been kept dry and we are assured that it does not lose its value. The new price list shows that it will be quite a bit dearer this year. ® Electric Fencers, Line Insulators, Electric Fence Gate Handles. ® 4 5-gallon cans of excellent Brown Paint. This was a special paint originally made for airforce and army. Paint prices have advanced considerably. A good paint at a right price. « Farm, wagons equipped with 600-16 tires—come in and see them. & Many other farm needs at your Exeter District Cooperative Phones: Store and Office 287; Mill 336W What were you doing there?*’ Enid smiled a little, bitterly. “I had gone to New York to meet my sweetheart — Hugh Meredith that used to be*—-for the last time." He was sitting there stupefied. Enid got up with her dinner check in her hand, went to the desk and paid it. She was leaving the shop when she found Hugh beside her. “Let’s go somewhere and get it over," he said. “You can’t leave it like this.” In the end they walked to Viger square and sat there for a few min­ utes near the green fountain. Then Enid took him up to the small sit­ ting room of the two-room suite she had engaged at the hotel until Sun­ day. What "was the use of further pre­ tenses? She supposed he would have to know where she was staying, and tell Agatha. Now that everything was coming to an end between them, what did it matter after all? He followed hei* into the sitting­ room and sat down opposite hei’ on the couch while she threw off her hat and took the big chair near the window. “Well?” he asked cynically at last, after he had ligated tne in­ evitable cigarette meant to help him through one more ordeal. She had been looking out of the win­ dow, waiting for him to speak. “I am waiting for you to tell me about, it.” “Why should I? You are treating me like a small boy—trying to put me in the corner and punish me be­ cause of an affair I have had with Agatha.” “Have had, or are having?” “What do you mean exactly?” “What you do is strictly your business after this, Hugh. I can’t pretend it is mine. You belong to Agatha.” Hugh looked at her, so near him, yet so aloof. She was young and girlish tonight in her summer gown of yellow, and he had never wanted her so much. But she was hard, unyielding; someone he had never known; someone over whom he be­ gan to feel he -had no influence. He threw away his cigarette and leaned forward on the couch to come nearer to her, his arms rest­ ing on his knees, his hands clasped effectively, yet keeping at a wise distance. “My dear girl, you know very little of the world. Men have to be forgiven more than once in a lifetime, sometimes when they are husbands, sometimes even before. It. was wrong of me to forget you for a time and love Agatha, of course; but it was very human. All I can say is that I’ll do my best to forget it and put it out of my life if you will do your share and try to forgive. Can’t we go one as we were before?” “Then you don’t want to marry Agatha?” He stared. “Why should I?” “You have been very happy with her. I should think you would want to go one with it. If I hadn’t seen you in New York you would have gone on with i1'”’ She had him there, he knew. He said after a moment: “How do you know I was happy?” “Aren’t tnose adventures always happy? But in this case you looked it. And were. And you would prob­ ably be very happy if Agatha mar­ ried you. She could give you a great deal.” “But not children. She is older than I. We should probably not—” She turned away with a gesture of contempt. “I know I sound crude and hor­ rid,” he went on, “but all this is beside the question, Enid. I want you for my wife. I have always wanted you.” His voice, with its ringing note of appeal, stirred her—stirred her more because he did not leave his seat or try to touch her. His at­ titude was that she had sent him to exile and that he would remain there at her pleasure. She got up and went to the win­ dow, looking down at the quiet spaces of Viger square across the way. In the soft light of occasional electric lamps and moonlight the big flying heron topping the green fountain became gleaming silver. | It was a peaceful vision. It had a 8 calming effect. Enid loved it as I she looked, fighting though she did | under her cool exterior the throb- § bing thoughts that threatened to I engulf her; jealousy and distrust, contempt, anger and pity; self-pity, too, for all she had missed and was missing. But this place would become home to her. She would grow to love it. She would be at peace here. ’She must try to be calm. It might be the last time she would speak to him . . . What was it she ought to say?I “It is really over, Hugh,” she began, almost to herself. Her voice sounded cool and distant, but there was something about her words that made Hugh leave his seat and come to her. “You haven’t under­ stood what a woman—any woman —wants. If you only want to marry I me because I may have children some day it isn’t good enough, for me oi’ for Agatha. The only love a woman wants is for herself. Any­ thing else is a mockerey.” He was silent. And in the si­ lence she summoned all hei* cour­ age to face him with scorn. “If you don’t make Agatha marry you I shall think even less of you than i do now.” Her eyes blazed. She added, more gently, not try­ ing to hide the pain in her voice: “Good-by, Hugh.” He went without a word. (Continued Next Week) Next Week: Enid receives two letters* One delights her and the other causes her to waver in in­ decision* Bray Chicks have done well for others —. why not for you? 100% live delivery guaranteed. Just let me know what you want. BRAY CHICK HATCHERY Phone 246, Exeter Eric Carscadden, Manager —that humidity in a brooder house is very important—it can be provided by a pail of hot water on top of brooder stove. Lack of humidity shows in dry, ruffled feathers, with­ ered, leathery-looking shanks. THAMES ROAD Mission Circle The Thames Road Mission Circle met at the home of Miss Jean Cann on 'Saturday afternoon with a good attendance. Dolores Allison, vice- president, was in charge. The meet­ ing opened with hymn 101, follow­ ed with the Devotional and prayer, whi^h was taken by Jean Cann. Hymn 3 87 was sung and the min­ utes of the last meeting were read. Roll call was answered with “A Household Hint.” Business was dis­ cussed. It was decided to hold a ■crokinole party sometime in the near future. Delegates were ap­ pointed to the Presbyterial, Annie Simpson and Agnes Bray. -Jean Cann then took the topic, “Religion in India,” from the 'Study Book. Mrs. Mair then spoke a few words about the Supply Bales and by a map of Canada, the Supply Stations were named. Annie Elford gave a financial report from the “Special Object Fund,” and to date there is on hand $51.08. Alice Passmore gave the treasurer’s report. Lois pymn was convenor of the program which was as follows: duet by Margaret Cann and Ruth. iDawson; herald by Mabel Selves; instrumen­ tal by Dolores Allison. Thank Of­ fering collection was then taken. Hymn 25 2 was sung and all re­ peated the Mizpah Benediction, the meeting was (brought to a close. An invitation was accepted by the Thames Road Circle to join with the James St. Mission Circle of Exeter on May 9th for their meet­ ing which is to be held at the home of Miss Mary Gardiner. W.M.S. and W.A. The regular monthly meeting of the W.M.S. and W.A. met at the hom4 of Mrs. G. Wiseman Thurs­ day afternoon of last week with Mrs. Elford in charge. The meeting opened with the worship service from the Missionary (Monthly with different ladies taking part. Roll call was taken and the minutes of the last meeting were read. (Busi­ ness was discussed. Delegates to the Presbyterial were appointed, Mrs. Victor Jeffery and Mrs. Chas. Allison. Mrs. Mair then read a let­ ter re the W.M.S. supply work. This year they are asked to help in the “Aid to China” work. Allo­ cation and material to work with will be sent from the Supply secre­ tary, It was decided to take a silver collection at the May meeting -to help meet the shipping expenses for supply work in their own Pres- ■byterial. Mrs, W. Cann took charge of the W.A. business and also the Red Cross. (Sewing and knitting were given out. Mrs. C, Allison was convener of the program which was as follows: Mrs, Wiseman read some very interesting extracts from the book of Dr, McClure; Mrs. Robert Cahn gave a reading on “Nursing in India”; Mrs. Chas. Allison favored with a very hum­ orous reading on ‘‘Father keeping Dr. Hobbs Taylor Stresses Need for Small Hospitals “We must have small hospitals in towns if we want 'to have all our people share‘the advantages of mod­ ern medicine,” Dr. R. Hobbs Taylor, of Dashwood, M.P.P. for Huron, told the annual meeting of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario in Hamilton on Friday, April 26til. “There must, be decentralization of the hospitals plan, if all are to share services,” declared Dr. Tay­ lor. “Small hospitals are crying for staffs, I know of five county ones which, if they don’t receive succor, will have to curtail.” “We see great difficulty today in securing beds for very ill people,” he pointed out. “The time must be here now when an overall policy must come from a provincial levy on hospitalization,” and he felt it “inevitable 'that the same would follow on nursing.” Recent legislation to assist hos­ pitals, Dr. Taylor said, led him to feel large hospital representatives were “down like a bunch of chick­ ens, all trying to get the (best ker­ nels.” He advisted: “Instead of enlarg­ ing large hospitals, let 'the assist­ ance be distributed to well equipped hospitals in the counties. It is well known that 85 per cent, of all sur­ gery can be treated in well-organ­ ized small hospital units and that need for the large centres is for highly scientific treatment.” ‘Dr. Taylor thought the day of competition between hospitals to secure patients to fill beds was something of the dim past. He agreed with Prof C. W. Hart, of the University of Toronto, that “marriage was the grim reaper of the nursing profession., The casualty rate, due to marriages, is 30 per cent annually,” he said, comment­ ing: “It is a terrific waste of train­ ed 'personnel and brings up the ques­ tion of how far should the govern­ ment go in assisting the nursing profession.” Waving a pamphlet, he exclaim­ ed: “I’m not in approval. There are many things on which the Minister of Health (Hon. Russell T. Kelley) and I do agree. He has not sold me this idea. If it is an immediate club to act as a stop-gap, that is all right. But, if it becomes permanent, I am perturbed. This pamphlet states grade A is school requirement. That is not high school,” and he remind­ ed that nurses entering qualified nursing schools for R.'N. gradua­ tion must be high school graduates. “If we accept as a permanent policy, the nursing assistant, then we must look to just where they will fit into the general army fight­ ing disease. I visualize them going into rural areas in competition to the R.N.’s. “We see too many registered nurses doing menial work, experi­ ence of which would not produce even a poor type of domestic. “I emphasize this because it is one of the hot issues of legislation today. Every member is being hounded, being asked, where can we get recruits for nursing. “I make the suggestion that the training period might be reduced to two years. Do away with making the trainee do a lot of menial work that won’t make here a half good domestic.” Hurondale W. I. The April meeting of the Huron­ dale W.I. was held at the home of Mrs. Wm. Johns on April 3O.th, with Mrs. Wm. Kernick presiding for the business of the meeting. The meeting opened with the In* stitute Ode followed Iby the Lord’s Prayer. As this was the annual meeting the roll call was answered •by the payment of fees. Plans were made for the 'District Annual Meet­ ing which is to be held in Thames Road church on Tuesday, May 27th, with the morning session beginning at 9:30. In the absence of the sec­ retary-treasurer, Mrs. Moir read the financial report of the past year, and this showed that the Institute had a very successful year. The con­ veners of the different committees also gave their reports. The Insti­ tute voted to send $25 to the Brit­ ish Flood Relief. Many beautiful gifts were brought for the layette shower for the Children’s Shelter at Goderich. Mrs. Kirkland conduct­ ed the installation of officers for the new year with the following: President, Mrs. A. Moir; 1st vice- pres., Mrs. W. Sims; 2nd vice-pres.. Mrs. W. Elf ord; sec.-treas., Mrs. G. Hicks; district director, Mrs. Mit­ chell; and Directors, Mrs. K. Johns, Mrs. F. Skinner, Mrs. H. ’Strang and Mrs. R. Jeffery. The Citizenship Committee presented a short skit, “The Price We Pay,” with Mrs. El­ ford, Mrs. F. Skinner, Mrs. A, Johns and Mrs. W. Johns taking part. This little playet was teaching a lesson against hoarding. The* May meeting will be held at the home of Mrs. H. Love on Thursday eve­ ning, May 2Sth, House”; Mrs. Elford gave a read-* ing on Christian Stewardship which made those present realize how much they can do with a very small amount. Collection was taken, a hymn sung and the meeting closed with prayer by Mrs* (Elford. Mrs. Wiseman served a very dainty lunch and a social time was spent over the tea clips, UNCttSBI 1 wiy seeding of ALFALFA * Don’t fat© chances. Woric with na­ ture. Always inoculate Clover and Alfalfa seed with LEGUME-AID, the high potency inoculant. Costs only few cents an acre. Gets big results in better crops and increased soil fertility. Guarantee date on every package. Drop in and ask for paiH ticulars. Remember the name Jones, MacNaughton Seed Co and CLOVER >Hi® Distributors for Ontario '•— Eddie started today! The manager of the furniture factory in Eddie’s town landed a big order. It meant he had to buy a lot of extra lumber, increase his payroll. * He lost no time in putting the whole thing up to the manager of his local bank. Together they worked out how much money he would need to take care of wages and other costs until he delivered the goods. Then, with the backing of his hank, he got to work on the order. ; ;. And that’s where Eddie came in. Tie was put on the-payroll—given his first chance to learn a trade. Right now he’s on his way home to tell Mom and Dad how much he likes his new job. SPONSORED BY YOUR BANK •K * i