HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1946-11-21, Page 7THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTAR JO, THURSDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 21st, 1946 Page T
Starting this week ,, t
‘Voodoo Moon’
by Joseph Chadwick
CHAPTER I
The sun was gone now hut the
heat remained, and the softly pur-
ring electric fan merely pushed
stuffy air about. A big gray moth
flitted -aJbout in the glow of the
desk lamp, making an occasional
bumping sound as it struck a-
gainst the lamp’s green shade.
The only other sound in the office
was the scratching of the girl’s
pen, but now and then the girl
stopped writing to listen. The
tropic njght was still, 'heavy. .
A moon, blood-red and enorm
ous-, what the natives called a
voodoo moon, was rising 'balloon
like out of the black Caribbean
ibeyond False Beacon, The girl at
the desk could see the moon
through a window, but the beacon
light was unlit. Three weeks be
fore a submarine had surfaced out
by the light and pumped shells at
the oil refinery. The shelling had
caused headlix^es hack .home, tout
there at Puerto Blanco only a
blackout,
The girl looked at ‘her watch, It
was nearly eight o’clock. She
glanced about the wide room; the
other desks were empty tonight;
and the doors to the private of
fices and to the utility rooms
were closed and blank, Despite
the oppressive heat, , she shivered.
She left- 'her 'desk, went and snap
ped the latch on the screen door.
Then .the telephone rang, The
abrupt sound made her start.
She took up the phone, and her
voice saying, “Tirana-Union Oil
Company,” was jumpy.
“June Vernon?”
• “Yes—yes, this is she."
“You received *a note today?”
It was a man’s voice, oddly hoarse
somehow muffled. “At noon to
day?”
June Vernon swallowed. “Yes—
yes, .1 did.”
“It advised you to stop asking
questions regarding the where
abouts of a certain’ person—of a
man named Hetrick. I’m calling
to make sure you understood the
message. Consider this a warning
or a threat. Good night, Miss
Vernon.”
There was a metallic click, and
the wire went dead. June Vernon
stood rigid foi’ a moment, staring
at the instrument in her hand;
then she put it down and returned
to her desk-chair and tried to
work, „ Figures mumbled before her
eyes. . She put her hand .up
to her throat; the passage of
her throat seemed closed. She
sat very still for a long moment.
The electric fan stirred her hair.
The moth flew to and fro before
her eyes. iShe darted a nervous
look toward the windows. She (had
a feeling—that ' someone was-
watching her from out there in the
darkness. Panic came, got the
best of her. She reached out and
switched off the desk lamp.
The sudden darkness somehow
made her feel a bit safer. ’The
night outside was less intense and
no figure with prying eyes was
outlined a‘t any .of the windows
’She had risen to look at each win
dow in turn. 'No one—-tout the
feeling—a strange sixth sense—
.remained. 'Her nerves tightened
■up, and then she heard it. The
soft creaking of a hinge as a door
slowly opened. Not the outer
screen door; ,one of the solid
doors behind her. She whirled
and saw a vague shape emerge
from the file-room. .Feai- squeezed
at her heart. She opened her
mouth to screem.
The shape—a man—'leapt at
her. She turned and bolted for the
screen door, tout in the dark she
collided with a chair and nearly
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fell. Rough arms seized (her; one
arm went about her waist, a band
was clapped over her mouth as
she cried out again. She was
jerked back, held fast against a
hard body,
“None of that!”
The voice was harsh. She equid
feel the man’s breath against the
back of her neck. His clothes
smelled of tobacco smoke, 'She
tried to break away, ■ but his grip
tightened .as she struggled. S'he
could only try backward kicks, her
heel struck haM against one of his
ships, and he muttered angrily.
His hand slipped from her mouth
and she tried to screem once
more. Instantly he pressed his
forearm against her lips. She
acted toy blihd instinct alone,
sinking her teeth into his aim.
Her assailant muttered with pain
thi s time, and his hold on her
weakened. She broke away, plung
ed stumblingly across the dark
room, . frantically turned the latch
on the screen door. The intruder
rushing after her upset a piece of
furniture; he must have fallen
with it for she had 'time to get out
of the place. She didn't stop, tout
ran blindly until she gasped for
breath and a stitch of pain came
in her’side. iShe kept crying out,
and then the guard was shouting
in answer.
“Senorita?”
“Pedro—!”
They ran together in the dark
ness. Pedro had the gun but of
his holster. She caught hold of
his arm.
“Pedro—someone is in the of
fice! He grabbed hold of me.”
“A man? I go see!”
“No* no! Get help.”
“Si,” Pedro said, and took out
his whistle. The shrill signal knif
ed through the night’s stillness,
and from other parts of the refin
ery compound other guards an
swered. Four guards converged on
the spot, and following them came
Forbes, an American and one of,
the company engineers. Forbes
had >a leathery face and a Texas
drawl.
“Wihat’s up, Miss Vernon?"
(She told him, her voice rising
and falling in varying pitches as
she spoke. Her face was a pale
oval in the gloom, her eyes wide
and too bright. She was tremb
ling.
Forbes said, '“I can’t see how ah
outsider got into the grounds, tout
they Shouldn’t have let” you work
here alone at night.” He gave
orders to the guards. “A man to
rear of the building, and one to
each side. Pedro, you stay here
with Miss Vernon. Miguel, you and
•I will go in and have a look-see.
Let’s go.”.
June Vernon lifed her head
when Forbes called from the door
way. a few minutes later.
“Miss. Vernon, will you come here? l£’s quite safe now.”
■She rose, took a few unsteady
steps; t'hen she got a grip on her
self and moved quickly along the
company street. 'She stepped up
onto the boardwalk, and her heels
made a little clatter.
Forbes took her arm, led lher
over to the desk. On the floor
beside the desk was a small spot
of red—a drop of blood. Forbes
was pointing to it. K
“I—I think I bit him," she said.
“Well," Forbes drawled. “That’s
one way of fighting." He gave her
an admiring grin then led her into
the fileroom, He picked up a cig
arette butt that had been tramped
flat. “Vista brand," he said. “Only
natives smoke ’em. They’re made
in 'Cuba, but they’re sold all over
■the islands. The fellow was pretty
ibrazen, ,smoking while he hid in
here. Didn’t you smell smoke?”
“No. The door was closed,"
June Vernon said. “But I did
■smell tobacco smoke on his
clothes.” She looked frowningly
thoughtful. “But he wasn’t a na
tive. I’m sure he was an Ameri
can."
"You got a look at him?"
“No, but 'his voice was American
h,nd I would have known that even
if he hadn’t spoken. It’s just one
of those things you know."
Forbes* leathery face was
thoughtful. ‘Not one of our
people?”
“I’m sure he wasn’t.*’
One of the guards same in with
a burlap bag. He held it out for
Forbes’ inspection; it was a heavy
Brazilian coffee bag bearing the
imprint of the quartermaster’s
Corps of the U.iS. Army. The guard’
explained that he had found it a-
■top the fence surrounding the com
pany property. The fence was
eight feet high, with three 'strands
of barbed wire surmounting it,
■and the intruder must have draped
peq.xuq &q? iuao Suq dutanq eq?
wire for a safe passage over it.
Forbes drily Said, “Ah inventive
hombre and an agile one, too. Well,
this seems to prove he was an out
sider.” Tie looked at June Vernon.
“What do you think he was after?
The payroll isn’t here, is it?”
“No. it won’t come for two days
yet.”
Forbes said, “Well, this isn't for
me. It Would take a detective to
figure it out. All we have is a
cigarette butt, a burlap bag.” Ho
grinned at the girl. “And the
prowler must have a set of teeth
marks on his- arm. I guess I bettor
phono Scott Agnew.”
June said, “He’s probably at the
Tuberculosis Ass’n
For Huron is Formed
The Huron County Tuberculosis
Association was organized at a
meeting held in the Council Cham
bers, uiintohi Tuesday afternoon,
November 5th, 1946,
Colonel Ibbetson Leonard, presi
dent of the Bendon Health Assoc
iation, which o.wns and operates
Queen Alexandra Sanatorium, and
Colonel F. B< Ware, the Secretary
of the Christmas Seal Committee,
were present and both expressed gratitude over the completion pf
the organization which will in the
next few years do much towards
hastening the control and elimina
tion of the scourge of tuberculosis
They also felt that the success
of the organization was assured
because of the fact that ladies and
gentlemen' prominent in the Vic
tory Loan ’ campaigns, • the Red
Cross and Blood Clinics, Patriotic
and other war time endeavors, had
identified themselves with this out
standing movement by becoming
members of the various commit
tees of the Association.
The Rev. W. A, Beecroft, of
Wingham occupied the chair, and
announced the committees to be
as follows:
Central Huron Committee
President, Rev. W, A. Beecroft;
Honorary treasurer, H. D. Helstrop
Bank of Montreal, Goderich; Med
ical Officer of Health, Dr. W. F.
Gallow; 'Publicity, J. H. Kinkead;
Clinton, G. LeRoy Brown; Goder
ich, G. L. Parsons; Clinton district
F. Fingland, K.C.; Exeter district,
J. W. Morley, K.C.; Seaforth dis
trict, M. A. Reid; Wingham dis
trict,, J. Harley Crawford. Goderich
Cqmmittee, 'Chairman, G. L, Par
sons, R. C. Hayes, K.C., Donald
Campbell, J. W. Coates, Miss M.
Dickson, Miss Aubra Cleaver. Clin
ton 'Committee,' chairman, F. Fing
land, K.C., Mrs. W. A. Oakes, Mrs
Mervin Batkin. Exeter Committee,
chairman, J. W. Morley, K.C., R,
N. Creech, Thomas Pryde, Miss
Laura M. Jeckell, Mrs. Vernon
Heywood, Seaforth Committee, the
chairman, M. A. Reid, Dr. E. A.
McMaster, F. S. Savauge, Mrs. E.
H, Close, Mrs. Doig. Wingham
Committee, chairman, J. Harley
Crawford, J. -P. McKibbon, W. H.
French, E. S. Copeland, Mrs. Wal
ton McKibbon, Mrs. T. A. Currie.
Colonel Leonard told of the pro
gress which had been made in the
fight against tuberculosis from
T9 09, when the Sanatorium was
founded, to the present time.
Then the death rate was 200
per 100,000 of our population,
but today the rate for all Canada
had been reduced to 48, while in
Ontario it is only 28„ the lowest
ever recorded.
Tuberculosis, he said, is still
however the greatest single cause
of death ' amoitgkt young people
during the productive years of life
15 to 39, and that sixteen persons
died of the disease every day of
last year.
Colonel Ware told of the organ
ization last year of the Ontario
Tuberculosis Association which, in
co-operation with the Provincial
Department of Health, Toronto,
and the Sanatoria of the Province,
is’ making in a five year plan a
supreme and detei'mined effort to
control and’ eliminate the disease
through the mass X-raying of ev
eryone in the Province.
In order to secure to fullest co
operation on the part of the pub
lic. Colonel Ware said that the X-
rays are to be absolutely free to
the individual, the cost of the cli
nics being defrayed from the pro
ceeds of the Christmas Seal cam
paign which starts on the 25 th
November, 1946, in Huron 'County
the money so raised being spent
entirely within ■ the County.
The Chairman, the Rev, W. A.
Beecroft, announced that as the
clinics will cost almost twice as
much as was raised by Huron
County in the 1945 Christmas Seal
campaign, the objective this year
would be .$6000,00.
He was confident, however, that
as every family in the County
would benefit by the clinics, those
receiving the appeal letter Would
give generously, and that business
concerns and individuals who were
able would increase their contri
butions, thus assuring the success
of. the great effort now being
made to rid the Province of a dis
ease which in the past has caused
such devastation amongst the
youth of our country.
“I hear 'Smith called you an
idiot.1” “Only in a roundabout way."
“How' was that?” “He said that
in the matter of intelligence you
and I had -nothing -to "quarrel
about.”
party by now.”
“The party? Oh, you mean at
Shelby’s place in Renedezvous
Cay.” He looked at her 'hard.
“How is it you’re not at the party,
Miss Vernon?’’
She looked away from his, her
eyes had a sudden bleak look, and
she bit down hard oh her lower lip
■to hold back some feeling.
“I’m going later,” she said,
fF'drbes shifted so he could look
into her face. “So Scott Agnew
isn’t taking you to the party,” he
said. Then, his eyes narrowing;
“Say, I just remember Something.
This afternoon I overheard -Scott
say to you, ‘There's nothing at all
to be afraid of,’ This prowler
couldn't have come here after you,
could lie?”
She looked at him. iShe tried not
to give herself away, but her eyes
were wide and startled. And
Forbes saw he’d guessed right.
Next week: Juno moots a now*'
comer to Duei’to Blanco,
Elimville Women’s Missionary Society
Celebrates Thirty-fifth Anniversary
Will you accept a Contract.
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The beautiful weather of Wed
nesday, (November 6 made an
ideal day for the 35th Anniversary
of Elimville Women’s Missionary
Society observance which was held
in the church, Beautiful bouquets
of flowers added to the enjoyment
of the occasion. All former mem
bers of this society, members of
Thames Road and Zion W.M.s. as
well as the ladies of the'congrega
tion were invited and about 100
were present. The president, Mrs,
Everett Skinner occupied the chair
who. extended a welcome to the
visitors, The program consisted of
Scripture reading by Mrs. R. E.
Pooley and prayer by Mrs. (Rev,)
Penrose, of Exeter, both former
presidents; Mrs. Squire Herdman
read a short history of the society
which was prepared by Mrs, Hy.
Dolbridge, a former member, Mrs.
Tlios. Hern, of Zion, sang a pleas
ing solo, and Mrs, Warren Brock,
also of Zion, told a very interest
ing story of the white angel of
Tokyo, she being the late Miss
Carolyn McDonald, of Wingham,
wlio did wonderful work among
the prisoners in Tokyo prisons.
Mrs. Nelson Squire, of Thames
Road gave an enjoyable piano solo
This, was followed by an inspiring
address by Mrs. (Rev,) L. C,
White, of Talbotville, wife of a
former minister, who is president
of the London Conference Branch,
After this she was presented -with
a bouquet of chrysanthemums by
Mrs. (Rev.) Mair as a token of
appreciation. A fine vocal duet
was then given by Mrs, Archie
Morgan and Mrs. Arthur Gardiner
of Thames Road. Mrs. Hy. Ford,
Misses Dora Delbridge, Ruth, Skin
ner and Verda Kellett took part
in the “In Memcriam” service.
Flowers were placed for eleven
members who had been called to
higher service during the past ten
years. They -were, Mrs. Robt. Wil
cox, Mrs, Henry Johns, Mrs. Wm.
Johns, Mrs. Ceq. Coward, Mrs.
Wm. Skinner, Miss Logan, Mru.
Geo, Kellett, Mrs. Geo. Delbridge,
Mrs. R. D. Hunter, Mrs, Sherwood
Hunter and Mrs. Frank Brock.
After this Mrs. Harold Bell sang
a very appropriate solo, Mrs, Skin
ner closed with prayer, All repair
ed to the basement where ,an ap
petizing lunch including birthday
was ■ served. Mrs. Thos. Bell and
Mrs. Westpn Horne, two members
of. longest standing, poured tea at
a prettily decorated table. Mrs.
Wiseman, of Thames Road, moved
a vote of thanks which was res
ponded to by Mrs. Alvin Pym,
The ladies of the Elimville W.M.S.
appreciate very much the assist
ance of those who helped with the
program, the help of the girls
who seryed lunch and the flowers
given for this occasion. ..All to
gether it made a very pleasant
anniversary celebration.
CROMARTY
The Women’s Missionary Society
met at the home of Mrs, Wm. Ham
ilton with a good attendance. jThe
members of the Marion Ritchie
auxiliary were also present, Mrs.
MacWilliam presided. The devo
tional period was led by Mrs.
Lloyd Sorsdahl. The minutes were
read by Mrs. John Wallace, in the
absence of Miss Grace Chalmers,
secretary. A poem composed by
Jarnos M. Ritchie was read by
Mrs, T. L. Scott. Mrs, Hill gave
the treasurer’s report. The “Glad
Tiding^” prayei* was given by Mrs.
Grace Scott, and current events
were read by Mrs. Keith McLaren
Mrs, Arthur Hamilton, of Atwood,
the .gwest speaker, gave a very in
teresting talk on the work of the
Women’s Missionary Council which
met recently at Toronto The' meet
ing closed with prayer by Mrs.
MacWilliam.
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ment age.
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