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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1940-03-07, Page 6ILLS OF DESTINY 71GNE5 LOUISE PROVOST .) mjiiBiji■mu 11' i,.l.i .i!i» WINGHAM' ADVANCE-TIMES A, SYNOPSIS | Lee Hollister, returning from a <tyip abroad ip the Circle V ranch, owned by Matt Blair, who for twenty yeans had been like a father to Lee, decides to surprise the family. He sends them H><> Word of his coming and rides over the hills to the ranch on horseback. When he finally sees the wide ranch­ land before him, he is astonished at • the unusual aspect of the place, He is troubled, too, when he meets Slanty Gano on Matt’s land, Then Joey—old .prospector befriended by Matt—tells him Matt is dead by his own hand. . . Joey says the ranch is going to ruin under Lawler, manager appointed by Virginia, Matt’s daughter, who is liv­ ing in New' York with her aunt and uncle in New York—the Archers. Lee goes east, and persuades Virginia to return to the ranch to save it........... Mrs. Archer follows her, accompanied by Stanley, son of Milton Bradish.' Stanley thinks he may be able to dis­ credit Lee in Virginia’s eyes. . . . and encourages Josefa Ramirez in her liking for Lee. There was a somber look in Lee’s eyes at he sat in the gathering dusk by his cabin door. Something of friendly youth had gone from his face, something hard and dangerous had come. Few would have guessed from the signs, that Lee was close to the rock bottom of discouragement. From time to time he looked down at something in his hand. It was the little, triangular, sharp-edge scrap of thin metal that he had salvaged from the flotsam in the drawer of Matt’s -old desk. Much good it had done him, thus far! And Virginia, wilful and petted, lov­ ed and spoiled, was still as remote as the stars ... He stiffened into atten­ tion at a slight sound. For some time a gay bit of color, like a brightly plumaged bird, had been flitting along the southeast trail just out 'of his immediate view. It moved with less care now, arid harry­ ing feet dislodged a bit of rock. Lee turned swiftly, recognized the girl and raised a hand in easy greeting. “Hello, Josefa, you’re a long way from -home." He spoke with a casual­ friendliness. “And all tricked out in fiesta clothes. What’s up?” “Notheeng up. I come to see you. You not come to see me no more, you bad one!” Eyes of limpid midnight rolled re­ proachfully at him; a lip of poppy scarlet pouted. A flicker of amuse­ ment came into his eyes. “I’ve been away,” he explained pol­ itely. “Does that make it all right?” “You not tell me you goin’ away,” » she reproached. “You not come for so long I theenk you seek. I theenk you hurt, I theenk you mad at me. That make me sad. Anyways I come. You glad to see me, Lee?” “Sure I am.” He bowed extrava­ gantly. “Senorita, my unworthy home is at your service.” “Ah, that is better! Now sit here by me I There was a low, flat boulder a lit­ tle to one side of the clearing in front of the cabin. Josefa went lightly to­ ward it and indicated ‘the place she had chosen for him. He crossed over and took it, and she settled beside him with a pestling movement. Lee look­ ed down at her, stil.l amused, but thoughtful also. Josefa sighed. ‘“I like bein’ weeth you, Lee.” Amusement was gone now, and a certain grimness came. He was tired and gloomy; it would be easy tonight to forget at big-brotherly liking and make a little harmless love to Josefa . . Too e*isy. He moved slightly. “That’s good, Josefa. We’re old friends, But see here—” “Oh, now you talk wise, like ol’ wo- maij* I not let you talk, I come all thees way to see you, an’ we mus’ be gay, joyful! Come, I dance for you, frozen one! You never see me dance, hey? I show you sometheeng.” Taunting, beguiling, she danced away from him to the open space be­ yond. Smooth rock was Josefa's danc­ ing floor, the hills her amphitheatre, one silently watching face her audi­ ence. He stopped. Josefa had looked fleetingly beyond him again, a furtive glance over his shoulder; and this time he caught it He jerked his head ar­ ound quickly. Over the ridge which marked the trail to the Circle V were two figures on horseback, One of them was Stan­ ley Bradish, The other was Virginia. Virginia’s profile, even from this distance, was chiseled in ice. Young Bradish was saying something to her, laughing in his irritating way, Lee watched them go. The flat shock of what this ridiculous scene meant for him jarred him like a blow. Anger ran through him; his face still­ ed and hardened, Josefa, frozen quiet by that look, was as watchful as a little scared an­ imal, He reached up deliberately and drew her arms down. “Sit down,” he said briefly, “I want to talk to you.” /‘Now you goin’ to scold me,” she pouted. “I not do notheeng. Jus’ dance for you. Jus’ “Josefa, you saw those people com­ ing,” “Ah, you are ashamed Of me.” She flamed into .tigerish rage. “You are ’shamed to have the reech girl see you tactfully, and‘ wisely, comment, That had Str /' Licking tongues of flame were just ahead Of her. The dark face watched her b rood­ in,gly. He was stirred, thinking mood­ ily of another woman. Of Virginia, shining.-and aloof. Josefa’s eye had scarcely left his face. Once they drifted beyond him, but he did not see. “Now you catch me, Lee!” With a final whirl she flung herself backwards, throwing her lithe young body out of balance. “You reckless little devil!” He swung out ah arm arid caught her, only to find the whole weight of her body against him, her arms slip­ ping around his neck like golden snakes, her hands caressing his face, his hair. “I make you love me! I make you! You shall not treat me like those child any more!” “Why Josefa—” he hesitated, touch­ ed and uncomfortable. “See here, kid ; weeth me—see you hold me in your arms, I hate her!” Lee looked away, frowning and un- comfortable. Then he looked back at at the sobbing figure, and with grim patierice went over and stood by her. “So you wanted them to see, Jo­ sefa? Liked me so much that you double-crossed me?” “I love you,” she said fcweepingly, and apparently considered it a suffic­ ient answer to all qeustion and all re­ proof. Lee made no answer, “I go home,” she said sullenly. “I’m taking y'ou. Brimstone can carry double." A new alarm leaped into her face. “You not goin’ to tell my father, Lee? You wouldn’t do that?” She had reason for. fear. Francisco, vehement in his friendships and primi- : tively direct in his methods, would not ' hold his hand -if he discovered the trick she had played on, a man who had befriended him. Lee knew it as well as she. “Yon needn’t be afraid- I sha'n’t tell —anybody.” The ride from the ridge to .the ranch house, took less than half an hour,, but it was the longest half, hour that Virginia could remember. She didn’it want Stanley looking at her; she didn’t want anybody to see how blazingly angry she was, and how ri­ diculously that scene back there had shaken her, Stanley had refaineg from been decent of him, but of course he had seen it, Virginia had caught 'the turn of his head, the cynical grim pol­ itely suppressed, Hurt pride stung like an angry burn. She turned toward Stanley with an indifferent shrug, dismissing, some­ thing which really didn’t matter, and began to talk of something else. Vir­ ginia was unusually nice to Stanley all the way home, When they arrived she went straight to her room, locked the door, and dropped on the bed with* a strang­ led sound in her throat. “Lee!” One dry sob came, but no' more. She lay there with her face hidden in her arm, her shining hair tumbled and one fist clenched. Minutes ticked by unheeded. When she sat up there were tear stains, .on her face, but the line of her lips had .hardened. She could punish Lee Hollister almost as cruelly as he had hurt* her, There was one door that she could close in his face for­ ever, and them she need never see him again—-or his dingy loves. She went to her desk, pulled, paper toward her and began to write. ’ That night Stanley again asked her to marry him. She listened restlessly. “Come on, Vee!” His voice was gay and caressing, with a reckless note of adventure. “We’ll catch the first train out and let the cows go hang. We’ll be married in Saunders, or Yuma, or New York, get the parental blessing and be off on a glorious honeymoon.” “It sounds—exciting.” She laughed a little, but the laugh died quickly.’ She added slowly: “And after that, Stan?” “After that?” Stanley looked sur­ prised and puzzled. She felt his suddenly gripping hands, and slipped away from them with a shiver. “No—please . . . I thought I could, but I can’t. It might be all right for a while, just to play around and am­ use ourselves, but there’s more to it than that. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but when I marry I don’t want to just experiment. I, want it to stick. It’s no use, Stan. I can’t do it.” His face darkened. For a moment all his debonair good looks vanished q happy is the man who hears Jimmie Stoakley, Grade VIII Evelyn /Vilen, Grade.VIII Norman Anderson, Grade VIII ger” said Joey obstinately. “I jes’ thought I’d come up an’ tell ye about the fire, that’s all.” He stumped off, grumbling to him­ self and cross torihe,depths of his loy­ al soul because Lee wouldn’t let him te(l Virginia from whom the reassur­ ing message had* come. But Virginia knew. In favor for dis­ grace, Lee was watching and guarding •her. ’ 1, * * ♦ As the day wore on the acrid odor of smoke was less noticeable—or per­ haps they were more accustomed to it—but there was a saffron haze in the air. Night brought darkness, but little (sleep. A little after midnight Virginia slipped out to saddle Black Lightning. (Continued Next Week) in sullen resentment, a swift, reveal­ ing glimpse of what Sanley might be if he let himself go. “Well, that’s definite.” His laugh yas brief and brittle. Stanley recovered himself quickly. “I’ll give up everything .but hope,” he added, caught her hand in a quick squeeze and was gone, Loitering glumly outside, his under lip took on a sullen thrust. So he was thrown over for a flannel-shirted cow. hand! - That was a pleasant thought. Why hadn’t he worked something stronger. Instruction’s warning’s voice; And who celestial wisdom makes His early, only choice. —Michael Bruce. Thursday, March 7th, 1940 Donald Lloyd, Grade VII TUBERCULOSIS IN THE CANADIAN ARMY -According to McLean’s magazine, mor than 3,000 of the Canadians who enlisted in the Great War died of tub­ erculosis. Ten per cent of them 'saw service in Canada only. More than 4,000 veterans are still on pension for tuberculosis laid to war servicfe. If the 3,000 who died from tuberculosis were treated ifor an average of two years at a 'Cost of three dollars per day the approximate total cost of this- group alone, not counting pensions to dependents, would be sixty and one- half million dollars. More than 4,500 men are receiving pensions for tuberculosis. Many of these are totally disabled and on full allowance. If the average pension is $75.00 per month, the annual cost" has been $4,050,0000. The cost in the 20 years since the end of the war would amount to $81,000,000. Since some of the disabled men were in institutions, for a part of the time, the cost of tub­ erculosis in the Canadian Expedition­ ary Force has probably reached $100,- . 000,000, The Canadian Tuberculosis Association is correct in asserting that a great deal of the disease could have been detected at enlistment by the use of proper methods. If is only by an ’x-ray examination that early signs of tuberculosis can be revealed. The Royal Army Medical Corps, which is responsible for the health of the Canadian soldier, has been ordered to have an k-ray plate of every re­ cruit as well as special tests for diab­ etes, kidney diseases .and ear defects. It is said that in the x-ray examina­ tions already completed, less than 1% of the men have shown signs of tub­ erculosis. The value of these-examin­ ations is not entirely to the enlisted men who exhibit signs of tuberculosis. The sifting out of infected men wilt prevent their spreading the disease to their associates. It is a valuable piece of prevention. > AMBER CARTER ONTARIO’S SEVENTH MURDER VICTIM Seventh murder1 victim in Ontario this year was Amber Carter, UPPER RIGHT. St. Marys farmers, who was shot twice as he stepped from his au­ tomobile near his home at the spot indicated by an X, LOWER. With Carter at the time of the shooting was his uncle, James McWilliams, UPPER CENTRE, who told police he saw a man facing Carter with a shot gun and heard two shits fired. Police ar­ rested James Crawford, 41, store and garage proprietor at Prospect Hill. Mrs. Amber Carter, UPPER LEFT, and her two children survive the shooting of the St Macys farmer. Hili ■ ♦ * ♦ The next day fo.und Stanley in Saunders. The young, paying teller of the First National shot an interested look from the check to the bored look­ ing young man on the other side of the window, and then went back to the vault. The young man on a bank clerk’s salary watched the son of unlimited wealth go out to his car and then edg­ ed over to the cashier, confiding some­ thing Of interest. “You might have thought we hand­ led those plasters in carload lots,” he finished. “Wonder what he wants it for?” “He’s probably going to grease somebody.”♦ * * It had been a dry summer. Grazing land was parched; water holes dried up. Streams we?e now stone-cluttered beds of ■dried mud, seamed and crack­ ing in the sun. v One morning Virginia. awoke with an acrid smell in her nostrils. She dressed and went outside, to find Stanley already out and Joey regard­ ing him with frosty hostility. “Oh, Joey, isn’t there a fire some­ where?” “Shore they’s a fire, Honey, biit it’s thirty mile north and it ain’t headin’ this way.” Joey’s tone was soothing, but lie was plainly concerned. “Lee just come in, an’ he says it’s .wiped out four, five ranches already, an* three miles of standin' timber in the hills. He’s been doing fire patrol duty ’round here for ’the past week, eight­ een hours a day.” “Oh—is there that much danger, Joey?” Virginia’s anxious question brought a reassuring answer. “I jes* told ye they wasn’t any dan- 1 "ll"1........................■■■■■ I—«■■■■■■■ I ■■■« ■<■ ■ II1 .IIW HIWI ■■ Wellington Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Established 1840. Risks taken on all classes of insur­ ance at reasonable rates. - Head Office, Guelph, Ont. COSENS & BOOTH, Agents, , Wingham, Dr. W. A. McKibbon, B.A PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Located at the Office of the Late Dr. H. W. Colborne. Office Phone 54. HARRY FRYFOGLE Licensed Embalmer and , Funeral' Director Furniture and Funeral Service Ambulance Service. Phones: Day 109W. Night 109J. HTMUlUiaMU s DR. R. L. STEWART J. W. BUSHFIELD PHYSICIAN Telephone 29. a Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Money To Loan. Office — Meyer Block, Wingham K THOMAS FELLS auctioneer REAL ESTATE SOLD A Thorough Knowledge of Farm Stock. Phone 231, Wingham. 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