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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1927-4-13, Page 7THE BRUSSELS POST IJ/ III CtfEr7(! it Copyright 1913. ing worn out I slept heavily. At 7 o'clock. '411. Reynolds r talc• tc tho door, dreseed for the _to . fis wee •1 1:.11 Platt t c1 resat fifty, n next and orderly in hie habire !eel !• alt toss remembered ii'.:•' 1 hail soon better days and treated me :n . —By MARY ROBERTS RIN1elIIA1RT n i:.tely, ,:1 "Never mind about breakfast for ti :my =Fen on the door sltyin:r that 1.1 11( :tee t l r. , 1 -seri for 5....i of ,iltii,. lever we! •1• in the sere:. t! r(T4 1 vi : u vor n tf it " ,i• ar.,1 1 mv,'- it !, oncll,l to ., t 1•1111,0..• and ;111• 111;11 t :11.1 r.. '111, ir, 4)u r-- .. .11 ,.I '11' en• this morning, Mrs. Pittman," he :1 i. 41,1 1 :n' 41,, ,t;,.. but with the sight of the valise i "It's rather curious when you con- ',Li. "I'!1 rot, it c1g1 or rnfl'c•,) at ...i;',14•., I'.., '. =n 174 , . and the fear that, they might bo Lear -i rider it." We both spoke softly not ;Ia other 414)1 of the bride. I'll "Sao 11..1.- ,+',,n. 1(4511:," t •:ti' 1144"' 1 tlh6aght !1 boat not to quarrel. , to disturb the L:uileys. "1•vo been ,i,d . the beatand „end it bath with "What r.:, ;ion m , :.1•;. Silo had left the w!ndu.o, ,eel tieing i awake and I heard no boat come in. 9,,,,,,,,y.,) away?" to her dressing table, had picked up ; And yet if no one came in a boat turned and went along the hall "flee •fee c1 f• to its..- i.it ," her nail file, and came from the street they would "Never mind," I said. "I hope you have had to swim in." are not ,going away. Theon floc e 1 felt ,furor and creepy, The don't last, and they're a benefit. street door was Dora, of cuur'6e, and Plenty of the people around here re- the lights beyond. lt.e'ave mat ly on 'em every year to W1'sh out a et)'41)1 e feeling to sit there in the their cellars." on 111e stairs, with the arch "No, I'm not going away," she re- ,'f the front door like the .entrance plied, lazily, "I'ni taking that dress 40 11 r:n•r,n, and .del, now 11141 th,m to Miss Ilope at the theatre. :illi• <s a chunk of ice elide into view, turn I going to wear it in 'Charlie's Aunt' 04;004)1 in the eddy and pas: on. It next week. She hasn't half enought :sitter tole], too, and the wind of a waird, bo to play leads in stock. s,..s rising, Look at this thumb nail, broken to 1 31 gn through the house," said the, quick!„ air. Reynolds. "There -s likely noth- If -I had only looked to eoe'which "ng ..1111'`" the matter than some thumb it was! But I was nu't's g Lim '!'!tnh m 1»111 haul( on a vacation tea tray on the washstand and env_ while the mills are under water. But ing Mr. Laclley's papers to fund room 1'd butter look." •re' it. Peter, the spaniel, begged for H0 left ria, and I sal: (burr., aloe„ 1 p n the darkness. I had a presenti- a lump of sugar, and T' gave it to mint of something wrong, but I hums "Where is Mr. LaiP.ey?" I asked. "Cone out to see the river." "I hope he'll be careful. The) e's something dark floated in and lodg- e drowning or two "eary year in cel on the step below. I reached these_ floods." "Then I h,pa he won't" calmly. "D1 you know what T sees doing when yea cane in? • I was looking after hit boat and hoping it had a hole in it." "You won't feel that waw tomor- row, Mrs. Ladley," I protested, shocked. "You're just nervous and put out. Most men have their ugly times. Many a time I wished Mr. Pitman G : = gone—until he went. Then I'd Hee given a goo:] bit tc• have him back again." She was standing in front of the dresser, fixing her hair over her earn. She turned and looked at 1111 over her shoulder. "Probably Mr. Pitman was a man," she said. "My husband is a fiend, a devil." Well, a good many women have said that to me at different tinges. But just let me Ray such a thing to them, or repent their own words !'o them next clay, and they would fly at me in a fury. So I said nothing and put the cream into her tea. I never sawher again. • There is not much sleeping done in the flood district during a spring flood. The gas was shut off and I gave Mr. Reynolds and the Ladlcys each a lamp. I sat in the back room that I had made into a temporary kitchen with a candle an,i with a bedqu!lt around my shoulders. The water rose fast in the lower hall, but by midnight at the seventh stop, it stopped rising and stood still. 1 &- ways have a sltiff during the flood 0'210011, and as the water rose I tied it to one spindle of the staircate af- • ter another. I made thyself a cup of tea and at 3 o'clock I streched out on a sofa for a few hours' sleep. I think I had been sleeping Dry an hour m' 10 What S01110 one touched m0, on the shoulder and I started up. It .was Mr. Reynolds, partly dressed. "Some one has been in till house, Mo,. Pitman," he. seed. "Tnev went away ;eel now in the boat," "Perhaps it was Peter." I st11444, - tel. ''That dog is always wondering around at night." "Not unless Peter can row a boat," said Mr, Reynolds, deet;. I got up, being already fully dress- ed, and taking the candle we went to the staircase, 110t141.• 1 that it was a minute or so after `1 o'clock as w0 left the room. The boat was govt+., not untied, rut cut The end Of the rope was still fa.'eerd t She stair rail T sat do u i the stairs end 100'o+l at ?1r. 114'' t .'u, "It's gong!" I said, "l:f+rho heave catches fire we'll have to down." h•' •:d to think it was only discomfort end the cold. The water, driven in be the wind. swirled at my feet. And Letterheads Envelopes Billheads And all kinds of Business Stationery printed at The Post Publishing douse. We will do a job that will do credit to your business. Look over your stocic of Office Stationery and if. it requires replenishing call na by telephone 81. The Post Publishing Nouse dawn and touched it. It was a dead kitten. I had never ]mown a dead eat to bring rue anything but had luck, and here was one washed in :C. :,1y very feet. CHAPTER 11. lir. Reynold' carne back soon and reported the house quiet a11d in or- der, `"lief 1 .t :Yl P't.•r shit. 11,, itr ,t 01' the third floor rooms," he :aid. "Did you put him there?" I had not and :esti so, but as the dog went everywhere and the deo, me;ht have b!nwn shut We did not .e ,such notch imeortuncc to it at the time. Well, the skiff was gone, and there 10111 110 use worrying about it until morning, I went bark to the sofa to keep warm, but I left my candle lighted and my door open. I did not sleep. The dead eat was on my mind, and if it were not bad enough to have it washed in at my foot, about 4 in the morning. Peter, prowl. ing uneasily, discovered it and brought it in and put it on my couch, wet and stiff, poor littl • thing! 1 looked at the clock. It was a quarter ater '4, and except for the occasional crunch of one ice cake hitting into another in the yard, ee- er•ything was quiet. And then t heard the stealthy sound of oars in the lower hall. I aro not a brave woman]. 1 lay. t11o1'e, hoping Mr, Reynolds would hear and open his doer. llut he was sleeping soundly. Peter snarled and ran out into the hall, and the next moment I heard Mr. Ladley speak- ing. "Down, Peter," he said "Down. Go and lie down." 1. took my candle and wont -out into the hall. Mr. Ladley .las stoop- ing over the boat, trying to tie it to the staircase. The rope was short, having been cut, and he was havir,1' trouble. Perhaps it was the candle light, but he looked ghost white and haggard. "I borrowed your boat, Mrs. Pit- man," he said, civilly enough. "Mrs. 1.atdley was not well, and I—I .vent to the drug store." "You've been more than two ]lours going to the drug store," I said. He muttered something about not finding any open at first and wont into his room, He closed and locked the door behind him and, although Peter whined and scratched, he did not let him in. Tie looked so agitated that I thought I had boon harsh and per- haps site was really ill. I knocked at the door and aslcod if I could do imytbing, But he only called "No!" curtly through the door and asked cue to take that infernal dog away. I went back to bed and tried to sleep; for the water had dropped an inch or so on the stairs, and I knew the danger lens over. Peter came, shivering, at dawn and got or the sofa with me. I put an end of the quilt over him, and ho stopped shiv- ering after a time and went to sleep. The dog was company. 1 lacy 11101.•0, wide awake, thinking about Mr. Pitman's death, anal how I ]nod come by degrees to be keeping a ehe1tp boarding house in the flood district and to having to talcs im- pudence ;from everybody who chose leo rent 0 room from me and to be- ing walled a she devil. From that 1 got to thinking again about the Lad lays and how she lied said he was a fiend 'and to doubting about his lith'- ing gone out for medicine for her, I dozed off again at daylight, end bo and down to the boat, 111 i.1:h oil' from the stairs with :4)l oar and row out into the street. Pete-r- 1e'leeeel hinl to the stairs. At a .]halter after 7 Mr. Ladley e sine out and (tailed to met "Just brine in a cup of (toffee and swine toes:.,' he said. "]enough for one'' Il, went beck and slammed -11+s glom, anti 1 made his coffee. I steep. ,•d a cup of tea for Mr.;. Ladley at the ::one time. He opened tits, door ll,t wide enough for the tray and tee): it without so much as a "thank you." He a cigarette in his mouth .1: 1111001 and 1 00(11(1 See11 gra in the grata and smell something like -c•brehing cloth. "I hope Mr.±, Ladley is better," 1 said, getting my Foot in the crack of •he door so 110 could not yuite (.lose it. It smelled to ale as if he Red ac• eidcntally set fire to something with hit cigarette and I tried to see int) the room. "What about firs. Laclley?" 11:, srappe4, "You said she was ill last night." "Oh. yes! Well, she wasn't very _:elle. She's better." "Shall I bring her some tea," "Take your foot away!" lie order- ed. "No. She doesn't want tea. Sine's not Here." "Not here!" "Good Heavens!" he snarled. "Is her going away anything to make ,;eh th furs: about? The Lord kno'vt I'4) be glad to get out of this infer- nal pig wallow lnyself." "If you mean my house"—I be- gan. But he had pulled himself togeth- er and was more polite when he an - ;veered, "I mean the neighborhood. Your house is all that could be desir- ed for the money. If we do not have linen sheets and double cream we -are paying muslin ane milk prier Vb." Hither my nose was growing ac- customed to the odor or it was dy- ing; away. I took my foot away from the door. "When did Mrs. Ladley leave?" I asked. "This morning', very early. I rowed her to Federal street." "You couldn't have had much :1eep," I said dryly, for he looked horrible, Thele were lines -around his eyes, which were red, and his lips looked dry and cracked. "She's not in the piece this week a', the theatre," he said, licking his lipe and looking past me, not at me. "She'll be back by Saturday." T did not believe him. I do not think he imagined that I slid. He shut the door in my face and it caught poor Peter by the nose. The dog ran off howling, but although Mr. Ladley had been as fond o.4 the animal as it was in his nature to 4441 fend of anything, 11e paid no atten- tion. As I started down rale hall af- ter hint I saw what Peter had been carrying -0 slipper of Mrs. Lad- ley's. It was soaked with water. I+lvidently Peter had found it floatir.g at the foot of the stairs. Although the idea of murder had not entered 111,y head at that time, the slipper gave the a turn. I pick- ed it up and looked at it, a black 0110 with a beaded toe, short in the eahnp and high heeled, the sort most actresses wear. non i event batik and knocked at tha doe: of the front room again,, "What the devil do you want new'?" he called from behind the door. "Here's a slipper of Mrs. Lad- ley's," I' said, "Pete' found it float- ing in the lower hall." Ilse opened the door vitae and let me in. The room was in tolerable order, much better than when Mrs. Ladley was about. Ho •looked at the slippery but he did not touch it. "I don't think that is hers," he said. "I've seen her wear it a hundred times." "Well, she'll never wear it again." And then, seeing me stare, he add- ed; "It's r111Ined with the Water. Throw it out. And, by the way, I'm sorry, but I set lire to one of the pillow slips; dropped asleep, and my cigarette did the rest. Just put it wit the b!11." He pointed to the bed. One of the pillows had no slip, and the tick- ing; cover had a scorch or two on it, I went over and looked at it, "The pillow will haye to be paid ;for, too, Mr. Ladioy," I said, "And there's it sign nailed of the door that forbids smoking in bed. If yon aro going to set fire to•things I shall /owe to ch,u'go extra." "Really!" he jeered, looping at ale with his told fishy eyes. "Is there 4.: 't nlrt,yin wo,I. i:e :1 ' ' "'tV,.... r.u•ne nig" :'ti:! the ..,i•,,, P1.'',')heel oi' movers ' e, from tl, (111.1• ens!, „4)d t!n.0 nn0.11- 00 r1:10 caret'' to tlp.e "(`an 421i•.1 Had tett tele r' M L !c; hers "I'll ser I went 114, I :t' 1 - '. •b'r abed 11t. :•1,• ,1 air !.1011 y' rtes a.'1 frem 'too. beyond. "The theatre is fishing where :411•:;. Ladle,,• is." "Tell t,rdn 1 dont know," h seethe], tied :hut the door. I took hie mo''sae',, to the telephone, C>'bnuver it was s00r0 anti hung up the receiver. All the morning, I teas, unitsy---1 he.:•dry knew why. Peter felt it as 1 did. There Nr01.3 no sound from ihe latdlev,' room and the house was quiet exeseit for the laop!n. wetter en the '.stairs and that polue patrol going back and forth. _1t 11 o'doek a boy in the mieth- lohand, paddling 014 a raft, fall into til:. water and was drowned. I t,'0tclied the police boat go by, car- rying the little cold body, and after that 1 watt good for nothing. I went and sat with Peter on the stairs. The dog's conduct lead been strange all !:turning. • He had sat just above tho water, looking at it and whimpering. Perhaps he was expecting another kitten 00— It is hard to -ay how ideas first enter one's mind. But the notion that 14Ir. Ladley had killed his wife end thrown h:':' body into the water came to me es I eat there. All et once I seemed to 30e it all—the (marvelilg the day before, the night trip in the boat, the water soaked s'ipper, his haggard face that morn. ing—even the way the spaniel sat end stared at the flood. Terry brought the boat hack at half past 11, towing it behind anoth- er. "Well," I said from the stairs, "1 hope you've had a pleasant morn- ing." "What doing?" he asked, not look- ing at ale. "Rowing about the streets. You have. had that boat for hours." He tied it up Without a word to me, but he spoke' to the dog. "Good morning, Peter," he sale. "It's nice weather—for fishes, ain't it?" IIe picked out a bit of floating wood from the water, and, showing it to the dog, flung it into the par- lor. Peter was after it with a splash. He was pretty fat, and when he came back I heard hila wheezing. But what he brought back was not the stick of }wood. It was the knife I use for rutting bread. It had been on a shelf in the ' room where I ]tad leapt the night before, and now Pe- ter brought it out of the flood where its wooden handle had kept it afloat. The blade was broken oft; short. It is not unusual. to find • one's household goods floating around dur- ing flood tune. More than once I've lost a chair or two and seen it after the water had gone down, new scrubbed and painted, in Molly ltla- g•uire's kitchen next door. And per- haps now and then a bit of luck would come to me—a dog kennel or a chicken house, or a eitclhen table, or even, as it happened once, a month old baby in a wooden cradle, that lodged against my back fence: and had conte forty milds, as it turn- ed out, with no worse mishap than a cold in its head. But the knife was different. I had put it on the mantel over' the stove I wag using upstairs the night before and hadn't touched it singe. As I sat staring at it, Terry took it from Peter and handed it to .me. "Better give ale a penny, Mrs. Pitman," ho said in bfs imiiudont Irish way. "I hate to give you a knife, It may cut -our friendship." I reached over to hit him a clout on the head; but I did not. The sun- light was coming in through the window at the top of the stairs, and shining on the rope that was tied to the banister. The eats of the rope was covered with stains, bright with a glint of red in them. I got up sllivoriutg. "You can get the meat at the butcher's, Terry," I said, "and colne ba.elt for me in half ail hour." Then I turined and wont upstairs, weak in the knew, to put on my hat and coat, I had made up my mind that there had been murder done. I looked at any elook as I went downstairs, I1 was just 12.30, 1. o,„llt of telc,phoning for Mr. Rey- 1'ls to i , !ne , 1411 It was hi+ !t t t and 1115141 •:, •1 was af- ,;n t le,u from the house hit Mr, 1 1 li ;y was in it ! , t• lest been tt;:'ui te;tin. I _. intvn fli, ; ta.: R 11e 11ad nod was Wag- ] , . A .ti.tn4'. haat h.td huilway and was com!n,; .riot /44;41" f.rAllc•buay Wq; tilt 4na,t. ;ed , old :01ll•th!n1 1''4)• you!' ? - •-:,'11, elderly and alert up in the boat, poling !e an oat'. Pearl' wave 'l vel;• . The elderly ,e ',relit hie haat tv a step ! i r ,,' of the Attie) tie; a cl reach hie ;• Ileo 1'o a tub a his foot, held plica r,f raw liver. 1')- t-1'014? c went eresty, and I remt9,1- I . "i 4 4'y that 1 lrul forgotten ts, IS -1 °h..• poor beast for more thee vu }ilia it?" asked tit-, 1'. ,•1' cat ftp, he tri'! t t.ue"ht to do, and barked. The t,l 1, f 44 reached tie wn twain, not esswi e1 platter from e eta1.1t of r 11 s,1 ill,' feet and, piaeinct the . 011 it. pui, it on the step. The .'hol • thing was so neat and buei- i. )14 a tint I could only gaze. -There 1 well trained dog, mad - :en," eeld the elderly gentleman, 71 011111;;• et Peter Over hes glasses, • Yoe should not have neglected 10' hood put hint out of my mute!,"" T '0:,I ined, humbly enough, for 1 01145 ,.shamed. "Exactly. Do you know now +t;;y .I,•r.r0in,g•• dogs and rats I have farad thio morning?" He took a ties -book out of his pocket and ^`"111••1 ! at it. "Forty-eight! Forty- i,rl'`, niel,un! And ninety-three ....a4:7! I have found them marooned in tries, clinging to fences, floating en It:teals, and I have found them • env!' 110•t'1'e houses whore there was no excuse for their neglect. Well, I must be moving on. I have the report of a cat with a new litter in the loft of a stable near here." Ile wiped his hands carefully on a fresh paper napkin, of which also a heap reeted on one of the seats of the boat, and picked up an oar, smiling benevolently at Peter. Then uddenly he bent over and looked at the stained rope end tied to the stair rail. "What's that?" ho said. "That's what I'm going to find out," I replied. I glanced up at the I,adleys' door, but it was closed. The little man dropped his oar and, fumbling• in his pockets, pulled out a small magnifying glass. kie bent over, holding to the rail, and inspected the stains with the glass. I had taken a fancy to ]him at once, • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1027. and in spite o1' my excitement I had to smile a little. "Bumph," he said, and Ioo1•ed up t t "that's blood! ,r'r •, :ttnn 11tt Ilul Whyc you u ' } (tit the full. loose?" "1 (14111'1," 1 said. "If that is :,loud 1 want to know how it cert c ea •. That Was a 11,w rope loaf 40 114 - io=:n• t ce ti h• ' 11•,.r -d my eyes. „1 Wo''''' • _ !til !111.1,, .. a r,011e t:1.0 4:4;,11,,, !I yon 1411 '41!'1:1 1•t•• 1 :?y. a I: 44 of io.!1 Moo..., a t •t, h - 1 d'ttt in a tl re tile n.n,a ct 1 ,a,1!, a.r,• t that ;wit Lunch it I saw that he w:r.atr_-d U, tall; to ane, :at 1 ttlh'1„ d .u.,Und at.11 lett the o y to the t„ln,wrtiey kite/tea 1 had 1:lad,n "Now," he said hri.'l:ly when he :0 closed the door, 'there'; sem•,- ,ili:,•,• wrong here. :'.,Also.; if you ^421 tell m'' I tan help. I2.1 O]flit it ••:4!l do you good to talk about it. 1y name'.; Holcombe, retired trier - Apply to iil'st National Lan!: for references." "I'm not sure there is anything wrong•," I began. "I guess I'm only nervous and thinking little things are big ones. There'.. (nothing to toll." "Nonsense. I come down the street in my boat. A white ,'acted gentleman, with a cigarette, looks out from a window when I stop at the door and ducks back when 1 glance up. I come in and find a pet dog, obviously overfed at ordinary timers, whining with hunger on the :•.airs. As I prepare to feed him a pale woman comes down, trying to put a right ]land glove on her left hand and with her jacket wrong side out. What am I to think?" I started and looked at my coat. He was right. And when as I tried to take it off he helped the and coven patted 111e on the shoulder—what with his kindness and the long morn- ing alone, worrying, and the eilee:gl- less night, I began to cry. He had a clean handkerchief in my hand be- fore I had time to think of one. "That's it," he said. "It will do you good, only don't make a noise about it. If it's a husband on the annual flood spree don't worry, mad- am. They always come round in time to whitewash the cellars." "It isn't a hushand," I sniffed. BUi9 NEAti he loss ri i Molt. rt • FOG, Orltf t A ,bmf;'e €t d Sa.VIroas Conn party, of'Sarnia ontarie nt-w :mei t ntvt,,n a yor tt„11{n,:.•,. ,.i, t t 1a1et114VIII t:.r, li ra0g ,Ounce .111111',11 • `euot t,W i re.. )ori , 0hs#upi1 sot ro darn i. cn , ,•i-111'14'", Desi nUe•, The Industrial Nlotta:ago and $,'wings company W, J. DD d' fJOT1O NF'F R ,,titer r/ qac.• e, 10 «„11 11.0110 you 11,•'? '• . . t nL 1.1 51,,.,,.,.,• sits • ,- LISTOWEL :one ',Ai. C. C. RAMAGE, D.D.S., L.A.S. BRUSSELS, ONT. Graduate Royal College of Dental Surgeons and Honor Graduate Uni- versity of Toronto. Dentistry in all its branches. Office Over Standard Bank, Phone 200 WM. SPENCE e Ptlr 1, Ont. t t. Conveyance, Commissioner and C. J. Agent for The Imperial Life Assurance Co. of Canada and Ocean Accident Guarantee Corpora- tion, Limited Accident Insurance, Automobile In- surance, Plate Glass Insurance, etc. Phone 222$ Ethel, Out. 'w+ips,I4d x of. :RTio?,,Vfkr AGENT FOR Fire, Automobile pled Wild los. OOMPANILS For Brussels and vicinity .Phone 64 JAMES M'FADZEAFV agent Nevfick Mutual fire insurance Campo/ Also Hartford Windstorm and Tai'nado Insurance Phu»„ ('d 1101. 1 7'urnbcory Street b' 41.001 AO, Siff tr1071:4M & SW'F. t.l't'trr e",F ao.'TL't . r Graz PAT afIrraf.liet D. M. SCOTT ToIc211:. ''r5,J4221l Pittrezr,raxgaN8 PRICES MODERATE For references consult any person whose sales I have officiated at. Phone 2926 "Tell me about it," he said. There T. T. M'FAE was something so kindly in his face and it was so long since I had had a bit of human sympathy that I aimost broke down again. (To Be Continued). M. S., IVi. O. P., & S. O. M. O. F1., Village or Brussel2, Physician, Surgeon, Acoonche.r. Office nt residence. opposite 10014111, Church. Willta,n street. le. . 81.twz:2iii BARRISTER, SOLIOITo4, OONVEYANOER. NOTARY PUBLIC Advertising impresses your name LO, -.KI ?.LOC-: - RkUSSELS end business into the p"1o1.: mind, so i that when people think of anything I OR. WAROLAW in your line they connect your name loiie5agiiny'. dniglisoalietero0oeovroat a with it. Fleur Mill, Rtt. 1. Worth Selling is Worth Telling n, Advertise what you are doing. Advertise what you expect to do. Advertise your old goods and move them. Advertise your newlgoods and sell them before they get old. Advertise to hold old trade. Advertise to get new trade, Advertise when business is good to Make it better. Advertise when business is poor to keep it from getting worse. Advertising is not a "cure-all," Advertising is a preventative. Advertising does not push, it pulls. Advertising to pay frust be consistent and persistent, 1; „ • .1: 1'r"v1' i ;- 4