Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1938-5-4, Page 2THE BRUSSELS POST WRIONNJiSDAY, MAY 4th, U)18 ENTITLED "Out of the Storm" By Peter N unday SYNOPSIS Gale Desmond has gone to Kenya as governess of the two children of Marion and Alec Redfern, She bears from, lo them Maj the orAlliea- er called by enyeterY man of whom they know •pery little. While out riding her horse bolts during a storm. Seeking sbelter alt the only house in sight she finds herself the guest of McAllister. She finds him most hospitable under his shell of reserve. She is much attracted to him. A few days later he calls at the Redfern's to e:.quire for her. McAllister calls frequently at the home of the Redferns once the break made, but continues his re- serve to the rest of his neighbors. Though nothing is said Gale is eel::aloes of bis deep regard ,for Iter and ..ehe freely admits to her- self l::e attraction for her. He reveals his love for her but says there is something he must tell her. When a young officer he had been infatuated with Muirel Hem- ingway, a married woman who committed suicide wben her hus- band bae*lne aware of the affair. He had handed in his papers. Gale is astounded and asks until to -morrow to thir.k it over. "I would hardly call it that. But 1 haven's his address, and as I sem particularly anxious to find him, 1 have had to conduct a search in person. But I think I am on the right trail now. There's a man of the tame name as the one I am seeking here in this valley, I under- eeand.' "Oh, it's a man, then?" He smiled at her. "Why did you think it should be a soman?" "N—no. Only it's more roman- tic," Gale wondered desperately *whether ebe was making a fool of herself. It was difficult to make conversation with a complete stranger when your heart was slow- ly being broken to pieces, and your whole mental and physical being was one seething mass of anxiety. "1 wonder if it Is anyone I know?" she added. "1 dare say you do. It's no secret—I have to 'make inquiries. He's called _MeAilister—" Gale started sombrely out over the hills. It had to come. Subconsciously, she bad felt it coming, dreaded it, ever since she bad linked up the coincidence of the names, She had tried to de- ceive herself, to tell herself tbat there was no possible connection, but now, the blow had fallen, she felt no surprise. The wronged husband! This man standing at her side, this quiet individual who had saved John's life—,was Muriel Hemingway's hus- band, "Miss Desmond! You look 111. Don't you think you should have a rest?" Hemingway's tones were 'CHILDREN of all ages thrive on '°.`CROWN BRAND't CORN SYRUP. They never tire of its delici- ous flavor and it really is so cood for children !'CROWN BRA --so give " every day. physicians 'GROWRAND" pro- nounce CORN SYRUP a most satis- factory Carbohydrate to use as a milk modifier in the feeding of tiny infants and as an energy producing food for growing children. ' THE FAMOUS EFOOOQD Y Tha CANADA STARCH COMPANY Umltdd full of concern. "Allow me—" "No!" She said sharply, "I'm all right. Please don't bother---" Hemingway gave her a profes- sional glance. "You must take care—" he began when Gale interrupted him. 'What do you want with Major iefo.4llister?" she asked abruiptlY, She made a negative gesture with her hand. "Oh, I know I seem in- sufferably rude," she went on, "But it—it concerns' me as well—" There was a short silence. Hem- ingway stared ahead, perplexity in his eyes. Gale waited, one hand grinning the top rail of the gate as if she were afraid to let go. "Ten sorry," he said, remorse- fully. "I had no idea—" "Gf course not," she said brusquely. "How could you have?" Her oontrot snapped, and she turn- ed on him. "Doctor Hemingway," she cried in agony, 'what do you want with Joeek? Hasn't he been punished enough without—without you—' Sbe beat her clenched fist on the top of the gate, unable to continue. Hemingway looked at her in amazement. "Punished?" he echoed, "What do you mean?" 'You—" She tried to get the words otrf, but they stuck in her throat. She could only stare speech- lessly at him "Good heavens. I'm not seek- ing to punish him. On the con- trary, I want to right a wrong, if that is possible." Gale drew a deep breath, "To right a wrong?" she faltered. "What do you mean?" "I see you know the story," Hem- ingway said, in an enquiring tone. "1 mean—' "Yes, Jock told me two days ago." "In that case, it makes it easier to explain, I've come out here to find McAllister because I have something to tell him he should have known years ago. Something that would have made alt the dif- ference. And now I've met you. Fm glad." He took out a cigarette case, selected a cigarette with deliber- ation, shut the case, returned it to his pocket, and struck a match, After my wife—died," he began without preamble, "I shut up the house as it was and went abroad, leaving my lawyers to dispose of my practise. A few months ago, I returned to London, and found my- self faced with the task of going through a lot of papers the lawyers bad collected from the house— papers which had belonged to my wife, and whch had been in her esu crltolre at the time of her death. I would rather have burned every- thing unread—" He made a mute gesture, and Gale nodded un- derstandingly, "Unfortunately, I had to go through with it—she had owned property—you can under- stand—," He paused, his eyes shadowed. "I came across some letters," he went on, "why she bad kept them I can't say, But they proved con- a1ns:Hely that McAllister was not her only lover—" There was a throbbing silence. "You mean—?" Gale whisper- ed at last. 'Thete were --others: He in- haled deeply, and stared at the end of the cigarette he took from his mouth, as if he could see wthin its glowing tip the answer to the riddle, "Not only that, but one of them had been blackmailing her. She took her life, because She rtes afraid of what else would come out siker---after I had discovered her relations with McAllister, She was' neurotic to a degree. So— McMldster was not to blame for— for—her death." Gale lilted her head, breathing unevenly, There was a light In her eyes not of this world, "Thank you for telling me," She whispered. "It makes no differ. ewe,a$ far as I a.m. concerned. But it will snean all the world to Jock." "Yew, He took the blame, and was ruined profeseionally and social ly, Had he opened nus mouth he could have saved himself the strictures of the coroner ---it was what he said that did the damage. ?vloAllister's, only crime was---hs- fatuatlon for a beautiful woman. Nothing wire." "I wleh he would wine," elle said in a hushed voice, 'He was welt. ing to hear from me about ll, I Sent a note—" Hemingway opeued his mouth to reply when Alec Redfern came round the corner by the hedge. "Hullo " be exclaimed. "I Won- dered where you had got to," He came up and stood Reside them, looking at the setting sun, "Glorious evening," he added con- ve{rsa6ionally. Then he turned to Hemingway. "Fut afraid you've missed the chap you told me you wanted to see," he bad casually. "I'm sorry. If it hadn't been for John's illness You would have caught him, As it is—" Hemi'ngtnay avoided looking at Gale. 'Just what do you mean?' he ask- ed quietly. "Has lie—" 'He left for the interior this morn- ing at daybreak," explained Red- fern. "Destination uul.nown—" A i "There!" The Kavirondo guide pointed dramatically to where a cluster of small tents shoved on the edge of a plateau at the juucxon of two valleys. Behind the camp, the twin peaks of a gigantic mountain towered up into the sky, their shadow casting a deep gloom over the timbered slopes, athough it was only mid afternoon. Hemingway said a word to the driver of the lorry, who nodded, and drew the vehicle to a stop. Gale got down, and together they looker: towards the camp. "There doesn't seem much of a road," be remarked. "But as teh driver says'—lf he car, gat ivory down—eve can get up." Gale smiled. "I'm sure of it. And—if it comes to the worst, we can walk the re- mainder of the way," she said. They had reached their destina- tion; 'MMAllister's hunting camp, after ten days in a jolting, creaking lorry which Hemingway had hired at Jinja. Before that, they had traveled by train and river steamer, and finally had crossed the Lake, to Jinja. They had been nearly a month on the way, but except for the diffilutlles of travel of the beaten track in Kenya and Uganda, they had been extraordinarily suc- cessful in ther seardh fos McAI- lister'ss trail, It had been Hemingway's idea to strike direct to the Lakes, once it had been decided he and Gale should find McAllister, and his "hunch" as he called it, had proved the correct one, At Jinja they discovered McAl- lister was not only well known to the native tribes in the northern territories, from which he recruited his 'porters;" but that he regularly sent ivoy down to the coast through Jinja and Fort Florence. The mystery of ilia frequent ab- sences was therefore explained by the fact of elephant hunting, At Jinja they had been fortunate in securing the services of a Kavir- ondo who had been; emiptoyed as a bearer by McAllister, and he under- took to guide them to the place where McAllister usually set up his headquarters. And now they had arrived. By the time they arrived the valley wa stilled with soft afternoon shadows, 'merging :'con dusky purple to blue black, and heavy banks• of sunset elotids were trailing their ragged skirts before the even- ing breeze. Hemingway decided to pitch camp at the other end of the plateau, and wbile he and the oriver, assisted by the Kavirondo and the native cook. boy unrolled tents and set up the calmer chairs, Gale walked across to where she could sae the other tents in the distance, showing whitely through the %roes. There seemed no ono in the camp except a solitary porter tending a fire upon which several cooking pots were simmering, Ile looked at her with the curios. Ity of the native, but made no at- tempt to question her right to be there. Gale guessed Tock would be oat on a hunt, and mght be days oway. Yet sire did not like to question the native. Some innate fear she would be again disappointed, kept her silent, ,Instead, she went a Tele further on, and earn° to a well defined pathway leading down the sppe, towerds' the !lett of the out, caroti?plug spurs of the mountains. "'A short way dtwn to the valley," she decided, and followed it for a little way, Preseutly she came to where the path . Made a sudden tetra, widening Just on the bend Iu: to a platform, welch jutted out over a chasm. She quickened her steps, guessing rightly that a mag- nificent view would be obtainable' from this eyre, and half hoping; tbat she might see over the plains and perhaps distinguish the bunt- ing panty, Up to the present she had not thought of what Jock would think when he saw her, She bad been concerned with one tiling only, to get to him and show eine it was not because she bad not been big enough to stand by his side that he had not heard from her, but due to circumstances she had neither been able to foresee or prevent, After that, she ddn't care what happened. She gave a little laugh at the thought of how he would look—and glanced up to see him stat.ding at the edge of the out- mop, utcrop, his rifle beneath his arm, staring out across the plains. Gale stopped short, her hand half outflung in quick appeal. He bad not seen her, and ebe had time to study his features be- fore he turned his head. What she saw there smote her heart: and brought the hot tears to her eyes. "Jock—" she whispered. He started as if he had been shot, and spun round on his heel. "Gale:" He seared at her like a man be- reft. Dazedly he passed one hand over his eyes, as if expecting to find that she was not a creature of flesh and blood, but a figment of his own imagination. In his eyes was a look of longing and entreaty that matched her own. His lips started, but no sound came forth, and they could only stand and stare at each other. Gale—" he said, his voice above a whisper. "Gale—" "ien real," she said brokenly. "Real enough to have chased you over five hundred miles in the most shameless fashion—" And she suddenly began to laugh. Laughed so that she thought she would never stop. Did not—until she felt his anus around ber, and heard his' voice in her ears, "Steady, my darling, steady," he soothed her, his hand stroking her hair. I don't understand it yet— except etexcept that you're bete." "There's nothing else to under- stand, Jock," she said, her voice breaking. "If only you had waited another day!" "When 1 didn't hear—" "I know, You thought I wasn't big enough, But you might have given me credit for letting you know one way or another! I should have thought it was obvious that something must have gone wrong!" "I'm terribly sorry, darling. But the state of mind I was in—" She nodded. "That was what worried me. I —_ PIPE 'TOBACCO FOR Ie MI 1 D COOL SMOKE knew you were expecting the worst, And it was' all my fault. I should have made it clear at the b that there Wes never any o f that—it was only a quest,:,. -. =t tlug It out of my mind." "And is It?" "Yes," She nodded happily don't think it was' ever in, really. But since John was 00 ill I realise what a Small thing life 10 —4 "John 111?" '"Yes," Gale explained whah had happened, and how she had sent the note which he had never received. As he listened, McAilister's' face grew grim, But when she mentioned IIeming- way, he started. "You don't mean --e he idled. "He has something to tell you too,' "You mean—he's here?" "Yes. He brought me," Hie brow darkened. "Whatdoes he want?" "Before I tell you—will you ane*ver me a quesi'ion, Jock?" "\That is it?" "Why didn't you say at the—the inquest—that she had other— lovers?" "How did you know;" "So you did know?" Gale laughed triumphantly, "That was all T wanted—" Yc I knew," he admitted, "13th —how could 1 say anything? It wee. her _rae--and 1t didn't make my conduct any more excuSabie--" Presently, Gale gently freed her- self. "Come along," she said, 'Dr. Hemingway will wonder what bas happened." Before we go—" He held out hs arms again, Gale came to hint. "I want to ask you—are you quite sure? She tilted her bead back and looked into hie eyes. Her two hands gripped itis elbows, and she leaned a little away from him so that she could see him better. "Sure?" she repeated in a ring- ing voice, "I've never been more sure of anything in my life -- darling!" With an inarticulate sound be crushed her into nes arms, and at the roughness of his grip, Gale's heart beat exultingly, She raised her hands, and took bis face between them. As their lips met in -a long, passionate kiss, she saw a light shining from Ills eyes that had not been there before. A new light. * * s Somewhere n the plains a hyena barked, and the swift African night rushed down with silent outspread- uings. But in the Hearts of the man and girl Who went hand in hand up the pathway toward the camp was nothing but a great and abiding joy. (Then .^HND,) HAROLD W. LOVE General Insurance Agent Ethel, Ont. -- Phone 22-8. ELMER D. BELL, B.A. Barrister, Solicitor, Etc. Phone 20X • Brussels, Ont. James McFadzean Howick Mutual Fire insurance --Also- -Hartford Windstorm —Tornado Insurance -Automobile -insurance 'Phone 42. Box 1, Turnberry at, Brussels, Ontario JAMES TAYLOR Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron, Sales attended to in all Parts of the country. Satisfaction Guaranteecl or 'no pay. - Orders left at The 'Poet' promptly attended -to. Belgrave Poet Office PHONE: — Brussels Phone 14-r-9 WILLIAM SPENCE Estate Agent, Conveyancer ant? Commissioner General insurance Office Main 1','treet. -- Ethel. Ontario WALKER'S FERAL HOME William Street, Brussels, Ontario PERSONAL ATTENDANCE 'Phone 65 Day or Night Calle MOTOR HEARSE B G. WALKER Director, E mbalmer and Funeral esseeeveaveseeetearcereeeeeeweeleviarese NOW IS THE TIME TO KurilYOUR HARNESS REPAIRED N Brussels. Ont. An animal at the London zoo is called a "tigon," being the oil spring of a tiger and a lioness. Hikers Prepare for Rockies' Sky -Line Trails INVADING the domain of the mountain goats, adventure -lov- ing Canadians and Americans will tramp the Sky -Line Trail in the Yoho Valley district of the Cana- dian Rockies this summer from August 5 to S. The Sky -Line Trail Ilikers of the Canadian Rockies have a unique organization. It is open to the world at large, The only quallfleations aro a love of beauty, a sturdy pair of boots, and the will to leave the male reads for the nndiseovered charms of the back country. Indications are that a gay band of adventurers will invade the h".ntliful :'nen Valley 1h15 Om?* 4.escee.lee. mer from Banff Springs Hotel, Chateau Lake Louise and the sev- eral attractive Canadian Pacific ebalet-bungalow camps in the Canadian Rockies, From one cen- tral camp spectacularly situated halt way between Yoho Lodge and l;merald Lake north of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the hikers Will explore along the high line, visit the fossil beds on the elopes of Mount Burgess, inspect the snowy moraine of the Yoho Glacier and pick flowers lu tho bird -haunted alpine meadows of Little Yoho 'Valley, The dis- trict has much to offer. The hikers will have opportunities to fish for fighting mountain trout, to hunt big game with camera, to get away from the ordinary hum- drum for four glorious days of mountain lifts This type of holiday, so unusual and yet so inexpenelve because of the organization formed ley biking enthusiasts, is attracting more people every year. The accretary-treasurer, J. Murray Gibbon, Windsor Station, Mont- real, reports that the number of inquiries already received in- dicates that there will be a record turn -out of old and now members this year, Tho picture layout bhowe highlights of a typical hike,