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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1936-04-09, Page 6PAGE SIX WINGHAM ADVANCE-TIMES Thursday, April 9th, 1936 Goose WOMAN THIRD INSTALMENT SYNOPSIS: Amos Ethridge is found murdered in a country lane with a, crude cross of twigs on his breast and a scented sheet of note paper in his pocket. He was the richest man In the state with power and influence enough to make himself a candidate for Governor. With his death came hints of an unsavory private life, of scandal that might come to light if the murder is investigated too closely. . . . Mary Holmes, a former opera singer whose career was wreck­ ed when she lost her voice at the birth of her son, lives in squalor nearest the scene of the crime. . . . ®n a small chicken farm where she ekes out a poor living and tries to land. in drink the forgetfulness of past glories when she was Maria di Nardi, world-renowned opera singer . . . . Gerald Holmes, a talented young art­ ist, is hated and loved by his mother who is embittered because his birth caused the loss of her voice and wrecked her operatic career. He has been befriended by the murdered Eth­ ridge, and is engaged to another of Amos Ethridge’s proteges . . . Hazel Woods, lovely and brilliant young actress, has been helped to success by Ethridge. She lives in a small cot- lage owned by Ethridge . . . Jacob Riggs, eccentric old-time actor, now a doorman at the theater where Hazel Woods plays, has appointed himself Jher guardian and lives in a room ov­ er lier garage. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY The likeness almost wrenched a c.ry from her lips. “She’s very beautiful, mother, very talented and very fine.” The boy’s eyes were fixed and shin­ ing; a breathless, reverent quality had crept into his voice, and it was plain that when he mentioned this girl his soul bowed in worship and his heart paid homage. “She is infinitely super­ ior to me, of course. That’s what makes it so wonderful, so incompre­ hensible. I want you to—well, to make yourself over into what you were so that know you.” There was Mrs. Holmes ■harshly, “Forget it!” Gerald had hurt her bitterly to­ night. He had rubbed salt into her wounds. She had fallen low; she had become ugly and old and contempt­ ible, had she? Instead of sympathy he gave her a sort of supercilious pity and implied that she was unfit to meet his sweetheart until she regen­ erated herself. Instead of sharing her sorrow he went out and made his own life, made for himself a career such she can meet you and a moment of silence, broke it by exclaiming as he had robbed her of. The injus­ tice of it! Well, this would be their hour of reckoning, the hour when she would compel him to take up and share the burden that had bowed her shoulders, Those alcoholic demons in the back of her head were dancing dizzily and it gave her a prodigious, wicked satisfaction to realize that she had the power to humble his spirit as he had humbled hers. “Forget it, Jerry," she repeated. “You can’t get a girl like that to mar­ ry you." “I can if we stop right here, moth­ er, and if you’ll let me help you—er, get back on your feet," "She wouldn’t have you—not the kind of a girl you’ve been talking about." Mrs. Holmes giggled male­ volently. “You see, my boy, you haven’t any name to give her.” “Not much of a name, of course, but I’ll make one. I’ll make it some­ thing to be proud of." Mrs. Holmes rose, walked to the cupboard, opened its door, and took out a thick drinking glass and a square-faced bottle. Slowly she pour­ ed the tumbler half full of gin, then drank it; her eyes as they met those of her son were hostile, there was malignity in her gaze. It was an act of deliberate, calculated defiance, for never before had she taken liquor in his presence. Gerald looked on in­ credulously. “You don’t understand English, she said, harshly. “If you’re old en­ ough to run around with women and think about getting married, I guess you’re old enough to stand some plain talk. You give me enough, God knows. A little of your own medicine won’t hurt you. What I mean to say is this—your father and I were never married." Gerald gasped; his face whitened; a look, of fright, of abject misery, crept over it. “I—should have known better than to talk to you when you’re —when you’re like this," he groaned. “You’re not serious, mother!" “Oh, yes I am! I mean exactly what I say. You’re forever telling me unpleasant things about myself; now I’ll tell you some. I’ll have to go back and explain, so you’ll understand . . . Opera singers, in my time, were about what they are now, and the pro­ fession was about the same. A girl •had to exercise every means at her disposal to get to the top. It was the price. Success in my art must be paid for; every great artist has to make some sort of sacrifice. I made mine, but the reward was worth it. It was worth any price. Art is so much bigger, so much more import­ ant that other things'—everything else is So small, so trivial, so false and so fleeting. I was young, I had sex appeal, and I had a voice. I used them all to get ahead. I had temper­ ament, too. I lived every role I play­ ed: I put vitality and fire into them. When I was on the stage they used to say I was a flaming genius, Flam­ ing!" Mrs. Holmes tramped about the room as she talked; beneath her feet the bare floor boards creaked, “I’ve told, you how my big success came abroad. You know all that and how I was anticipating the day when I could come home and achieve my supreme triumph, here in America, How I met your father—in Paris. It ; thy, but what about me, the fellow wasn’t his first affair, nor mine, but it was the first time I had ever been genuinely, madly in love. I didn’t know I had it in me. I was a perfect fool. Most women are, by the way, at one time or another. He hadn’t a thing—money, I mean—so I gave him what I had earned and what had been given to me. I showered him with gifts, spoiled him, turned his head, He took it all and we lived wildly, extravagantly, drunk with each oth­ er’s love. That temperament again! “I suppose it had begun to pall on him even before we learned were coming, but he didn’t When we discovered that I ing to have a baby I supose ed about marriage—people usually do. I city’s leading Probably that helped to spoil things. ’ Perfect love, perfect romatice, was that you show it. was go- we talk- I Maybe you’ll shed some of your fine airs, now. Maybe you’ll quit nag­ ging me, quit this ’holier-than-thou' business, Why shouldn’t you help me carry my load? . . . Well, why don’t you answer? What have you got to say?" “Not much"— Gerald rose wearily and took his hat—“except to curse the day you tasted liquor for the first time. If you were in your right sens­ es you would never have told nie this. You wouldn’t—couldn’t take such delivish joy in causing me pain. You. would have carried this secret to the grave. I dare say you expect sympa- who has always cherished an old- fashioned reverence for motherhood, ( and who believes in pure women and such things? You mentioned the hand of God, a while ago, The hand of God is on you, mother; it’s on both of us. I—I’m afraid it will destroy us both." Without another word Ger­ ald walked to the door, opened it, and stumbled out into the night. * * * The time was when Westland been a first-class theatrical town most of the good road shows played it. ed. Chicago away, picture ■ and now the YOUNG PRINCESS ELIGIBLE AS KING’S BRIDE Business and Professional Directory Wellington Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Established 1840. Risks taken on all classes of in?ur» ance at reasonable rates. Head Office, Guelph, Ont ABNER COSENS, Agent. Wingham. Dr. W. A. McKibbon, B.A. PHYSICIAN And SURGEON Located at th^s Office of the Late Dr, H, W. C-olborne. Office Phone 54.Nights 107 HARRY FRY . Licensed Embalmer and Funeral Director Furniture and Funeral Service Ambulance Service. Phones: Day 117. Night 109. T DR. R. L. STEWART PHYSICIAN Telephone 29. J. W. BUSHFIELD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Money to Loan, Office — Meyer Block, Wingham Successor to Dudley Holmes. A THOMAS FELLS AUCTIONEER REAL ESTATE SOLD Thorough knowledge of Farm Stock. Phone 231, Wingham. It Will Pay You to Have An EXPERT AUCTIONEER to conduct your sale. See T. R. BENNETT At The Royal Service Station. Phone 174W. X H. CRAWFORDDr. Robt. C. REDMONDhad and had But conditions had chang- was only a few hours palaces had been built, old West Theatre, the playhouse, ran a stock I company. It was a good stock com­ pany, however; Amos Ethridge, the owner of the property, had prided himself upon being a patron of the drama and he had seen to that; in consequence a number of well-known artists were usually featured upon the West’s billing. This season the most popular, if not actually the most pro­ minent, member of the Ethridge play­ ers was Hazel Woods, the youthful leading woman. Mr. Ethridge had. hired her out of a New York dram­ atic success and Westland considered itself fortunate in having a real Broadway favorite to worship. Stock engagements in like Westland are often able and pleasant, for- good, the players form ships, they enjoy an agreeable social life, and .receive numerous courtesies and advantages not infrequently den­ ied them in larger cities. Woods’ case, for instance, Ethridge had put a charming little house her disposal, rent free, there being really first-class residential hotel Westland; and there she reveled the unfamiliar joys of housekeeping and entertained as' much as her ardu­ ous duties permitted. Being a very pretty, very sprightly young woman, she had quickly made herself popular. Through Amos Ethridge she had met Gerald Holmes. She and Gerald were about the same age, but in ex­ perience he was much younger than she, and this fact, perhaps, as much, as his shyness, his modesty, and his undeniable genius had engendered in ; her a desire to “mother” him and to j help him along. ’Some men awaken in I woman an impulse to love them, and 1 Jerry was one. But not many women with abundant personal charm can successfully maintain a maternal at­ titude towards an attractive and mag­ netic young fellow, no matter how humble and how reverent may be his regard at the beginning. There was only one possible outcome to this af­ fair. Gerald fell head over heels in love and having nothing, he magnif­ icently offered to share it all with her. Hazel had astonished him by accept­ ing. Eargerly, and yet with caution, she became engaged to him; she pro­ mised to marry him—some time. Tonight as Gerald parked his car near the stage entrance of the theatre a few minutes after eleven he exper­ ienced his first genuine regret at hav­ ing permitted himself to fall in love. What his mother had so brutally told him an hour before left him dismayed, sick. All the way in from her farm lie had asked himself whether he should tell Hazel and risk—nay invite her to break the engagement, or whe­ ther he should deceive her. His duty ’ seemed plain, but the mere possibil- I ity of losing her was unbearable. He , was in turmoil. Members of the cast and some of ; the stage hands were leaving as he ' entered the stage door and spoke to Jacob Riggs, the doorman. He and Jacob were great friends and the old fellow welcomed him with a smile/ “She’s dressing, but she’ll be out in a few minutes," the latter announc­ ed. “Have a good time in Chicago?” “Not exactly a 'good, time’, ” Ger­ ald said, with an effort to speak na­ turally. “I was too much upset by the news of Mr. Ethridge’s death. It M.R.C.S. (England) L.R.C.P. (London), PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Successor to R. Vanstone, Wingham Ontario Should he tell Hazel and risk break­ ing their engagement? Princess Frederica Louise Thyra for King Edward VIII. Victoria of Brunswick; 19, daughter grand-daughter of William II, form- bl the Duke and Duchess of Bruns- er Emperor of Germany. wick, is mentioned as a possible bride one thing; marriage, squalling child­ ren, milk bottles, dirty dishes — that was another. He was an artist. You came between us even before you were born. “He couldn’t bear to see the change in me. My appearance got more and more on his nerves. He quit finally— went away. That was a terrible shock to me; it was enough to kill most of the affection I might have felt for you. Oh, I know it sounds unnatural, incredible! That’s because you can’t understand how some people are con­ stituted. You’re full of story-book sentiment; this was real life. Neither of us was domestic. You won’t un­ derstand, either, when 1 tell you that his desertion wouldn’t have left any serious results on me; they said, as a matter of fact, that it would make me even a greater artist—having suf­ fered. But at least you can under­ stand how it turned me back to my work with a more passionate devo­ tion than ever, since it was all I had left, all that was real and substantial and satisfying. My voice had never been so splendid as it was during that period. My friends told me that a miracle had occurred and that I pos­ sessed the' most beautiful voice in the world. They worshipped it. They, and I, blessed you as the cause of it. • “Then you were born . , . Again Mrs. Holmes turned her eyes upon her son, and now they were brilliant, feverish; her face was working. "You know what happened! For a while, the doctor encouraged me to believe that my voice would come back. That was to keep me from killing myself. But it didn't come back. It was gone, lost to the world! There were ai lists in the company who would have strangled you, gladly, and hung for it, if it would have brought back Mary Holmes’ voice. That’s how much they thought of it. That’s what a truly great voice means. “You wonder why I’ve never been a real mother to you, been a living reproach to me; every day of your life you have tortu’red me, stuck, knives in me. As if that weren’t enough, you've grown into the very image of yottr father-you’re like him, inside and out. I suppose this girl feels toward you the way I felt towards him—so far as she’s capable. But I’ll bet she won’t marry you. Not now she won’t.” For a second time the .speaker giggled, Gerald flinched at thc^ sound, but he did not raise hts head. “It seems to give yott ah unholy satisfaction,” he said wretchedly* WI wonder why?” ” ‘Why’? Why not?” Mrs. Holmes allowed a hiccough to escape her lips, “Turn about Is fair play, isn’t It? God! You’ve DR. W. M. CONNELL PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Phone 19. R. S. HETHERINGTON BARRISTER and SOLICITOR Office — Morton Block. Telephone No. 66 J. ALVIN FOX Licensed Drugless Practitioner CHIROPRACTIC - DRUGLESS THERAPY - RADIONIC EQUIPMENT Hours by Appointment. 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DUVAL CHIROPRACTORS CHIROPRACTIC and ELECTRO THERAPY North Street — Wingham Telephone 300. must have been a terrible shock to Miss Woods and to all of you.” “Yeah!" Jacob nodded. “It caused quite a stir all over town. ‘All Judah did Hezekiah honor at his death.’ D’yO'U think they’ll ever find out who done it?" “I hope so. I can’t bear to think —you see, he did a great deal for me. He was a real friend.” “He treated me all right, too, but” Jacob shook his white head. “A lot of things about him we don’t know, Jerry. A lot nobody knows. The Lord works in a mysterious way and the wicked is doomed to destruction.” (Continued Next Week) Old Baby Makes part Year Trip of 6,000 Miles Six thousand miles of travel, of which included a solo trip across the Atlantic on the liner “Andania”, left only smiles on the chubby face of one year old David Ian Bland, who arrived recently at Vancouver over Canadian National Railways to find a new, home in Canada. Grandson of Sir Arnold Rushton, one-time Lord. Mayor of Liverpool, England, David has been adopted by, his uncle and. aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald. Rushton,, of Vancouver. He crossed the ocean unaccompanied, and was a popular passenger. At Halifax he was met by his new mother with whom he made friends immediately. For 3,000 miles across Canada he smiled his way into the hearts of fellow travellers and train crews and romped home easily a winner. David’s new daddy is an- official of the Union'Steamship Com­ pany. 6.50 7.00 7.00 2.60 Box 473, Wingham Phone 34 Subscription Renewals NOTICE! Due to an advance to us of the rates of some of the various daily papers with which The Advance-Times offers clubbing rates it is necessary that the new schedule of prices listed below go into effect at once. You may renew your subscription to your favorite daily with your Advance-Times subscription and effect a saving. Use the facili­ ties we offer you: The AdvanceTimes and the Toronto Daily Star ...... 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