HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1916-8-17, Page 2THE LAPSE OF
ENOCH VVENTWORTH
By ISABEL GORDON CURTIS,
Author of "The Woman from Wolvertons ”
CHAPTER X.—(Cont'd),
"She had. She came in, after drift-
ing through the provinces in entail
parts, and chance threw in her way
one of the most destaiyily female parts
ever put on the stage. She made it
so real that, blase old theater goer as
I am, I longed to throttle her. One
night I happened to meet her socially.
Zilla Paget assured me that in one
case at least my theory was right. She
was everything she portrayed on the
stage, and beyond this, she was abso-
lutely drunken with vanity."
"Are you sure she is so bad?"
Enoch spoke coldly. "She is one of
the most beautiful women I ever saw
in my life."
"That makes her more dangerous. I
have actually doubted whether I d,d
right when I brought her to a new
country and put her among decent
people.'
"Have you anything against the
woman except—theories?"
"Merely scraps of her history, which
are authentic. She came from the
lowest stratum of factory life in
Leeds and married above her, The
young husband was devoted to her. A
baby came, a little boy who was blind.
To that sort of woman neither child
nor husband is a tie. She broke
loose, n year or two after her mar -I
riage, and lost any self-respect she
had ever hal. The husband shot
himself, she abandoned the child and
left London. Then she went on the
stage.
"There was nothing then actually
ehiminal in her career?" asked Went-
worth. He was conscious of a cer-
tain absurd irritation.
Oswald hesitated. "Not actually
criminal, I suppose. The law has not
made so fine a point as to indict a
woman when she driven a man to sui-
cide."
"What do you think of changing in
her part?" asked Wentworth brus-
quely.
"I was going to suggest you make
'Mrs. Esterbrook' coarser, more flam-
boyant, more heartless. Do not give
her a solitary trait of motherhood.
She is the very opposite of 'Cordelia,'
with her love and tenderness or a
broken father."
"How do you account for a woman
of that sort having such a child?"
"Really now, Wentworth, thab's up
to you; both of them are your crea-
tion!"
"Yes certainly," Enoch laughed
grimly. "Still it is an anomaly you
don't often see in real life." a
"It is," assented Oswald. "Here's 1
Miss Paget—watch her in the scene b
I've mentioned. , c
The eyes of both mien followed the v
woman as she moved slowly across the g
stage. She dropped into a chair ami
waited for her cue, She del not loo c
the traditional adventuress, She hal
a curiously pale, transparent skin, in-
to which, during excited moments, the
blood flushed rosily. Maeaei of yel-
low silky hair were brushed back in
simple waves from her forehead. She
used little make-up or artifice o any -
sort. Her eyes were intensely blue.
There was a lovely cleft dimple in her
chin. Although well along in the thir-
ties she retained her girlish face and
figure.
Wentworth burned to Oswald with a
flush of irritation. "It doesn't seem fair
to make a degenerate of such a wom-
an; she doesn't look it."
"That's where the mischief lies,"
answered Oswald quietly.
The rehearsal wenb on, Miss Paget
took her cue. Both men watched her
critically. Wentworth drew a long
breath when the scene with "Cordelia"
in the second act was over. The wom-
an certainly could act!
"She'll do,;' said Enoch heartily.
"Only," he added after a moment's
hesitation, 'how does Dorcas strike
you? Is she strong enough? It doesn't
seem to me as if she saw all the pos-
sibilities of 'Cordelia.' "
'Wentworth, your sister is going to
surprise you. Take my word for it.
She is nervous now, but—"
"It's a devil pf a risk. 'Cordelia's'
such a big part and Dorcas has had
no training."
"She's does not need training—the
conventional training you have in
mind."
"If she ails it puts me in a nasty
light with the public—proiucing a
play simply to exploit, my sister."
Enoch's tone was curt.
"She won't fail." Oswald spoke with
quiet assurance. "Think over my sug-
gestion about 'Mrs. Esterbrook's'
part. It is there where 'Gardena'
leaves her—the mother knows the
daughter well enough to realize it is
good -by forever—that you want be
cut out every spark of motherly feel-
ing, Once or twice she almost pulls
on the audience for sympathy, When
'Cordelia' shows her contempt for the
mother and shatters her every ambi-
tion, there could nob be a solitary
throb of pity, remorse or love—it is
nob in her."
Oswald dropped the subject. Went-
worth began to twist his hands nerv-
ously, a habit he had when disturbed.
he Englishman sat back in silence,
I
the rehearsal intently. Mer -
•y stood leaning against a stucco pil-
ar. In this act he dile not appear,
ut occasionally against the sharp
ommands of the stage manager, his
oice rang out in brief, concise sug-
estions.
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"What a remarkable conception
Merry has of every chargeterr" whis-
pered Oswald, Enool did not speak.
!'Gilbert resents my orders—in a
fashion," continued the Englishman,
"I told him to set on any suggestion
that Merry offered, Gilbert would
not say a word if you went back and
threw in an idea here and there; a
stage manager expects that from the
author, I should think you would e10
it occasionally,'
"It isn't in my line." Wentworth
spoke sullenly. "Every move ie pub
into the manuscript as plain as a pike-
staff,"
"Yes, but—" Oswald glanced at his
companion curiously, then he dropped
the subject. "It strikes me Merry
has changed. The nighb I spoke to
him on the L he was like a boy wi
some grand secret up his sleeve, T
day he takes nothing but a half -la
guid interest in the whole thing. H
is going to give a remarkable po
trayal of 'John Esterbrook,' but wh
he is not acting he seems to have
interest in life. What do you lay
tor„
"Don't ask me," murntered We
worth. "IIa"s a man of moods, I ga
up trying to understand him year
ago."
"Even when it came to the questio
of salary he didn''t show any intere
He woul,ln't set a figure. I do
know yet if he thinks the price
named was right. He closed with ne
first offer, signed the contract, then
walked out."
"It's the biggest wad he ever drew.
"He'll prove himself worth ever
ha'penny of it."
Wentworth rose and pulled his h
from under the seat.
"Don't you want to see the rehead
sal out?" asked Oswald suddenly.
"No, I'm going home. I may pu
your suggestion into shape while it i
fresh in my mind."
Enoch paused in the theatre to ligh
a cigar. A newspaper man, who wa
an old rienrl, approached, full of eager
inquiry about the progress of the play
Wentworth brushed him aside quick
ly and strode out bo the street. A
moment later he felt a twinge of re-
morse. The man's congratulations
had been heartfelt. He could no
shake off the memory of a startled
astonishment that came into his face
at the brusque reception. He was a
good fellow, there had been, please
companionship with him in the old
days. The old days seemed ages ago,
further back then the gaiety of child-
hood.
He left Broelway, 'walking with
quick, nervous strides until he found.
himself far over on the East side,
wandering aimlessly through wretch-
ed streets, populated by the drift from
nations. The sidewalks were thronged
with children. Occasionally Enoch
swore beneath his breath as he es-
caped tumbling over them during' his
hurried, headlong progress. When he
turned scorner he found his way
blockade by a huge safe that was be-
ing hoisted into a warehouse. He
glanced at the street, it was ankle
deep inslush. Suddenly the odor of.
hot bread was wafted to him from a
little restaurant cavern below the
sidewalk- Ile remembered he had
eaten no breakfast, and it aroused a
sudden sense of hunger. He ran
quickly down the steps. The small
dining room was remarkably clean.
He sat down with a sense of sabis-
faction which seemed alien to such a
place.
"Bring me coffee and a steak, a
first-class steak done rare," he order-
ed. "Cook it carefully." ,
He was alone in the small room.
It was quiet except for the shrill
voices of children on the sidewalk.
He had not known a moment of peace
or solitude for months. All his life
he had scoffer at nerves as a delusion
He wondered if he had been wrong
whether nerves might not be a stern
reality. If they were, he had them.
His mind went flashing over the
events of the past fortnight, since the
night, when, weary, harassed, and
hopeless, he returned from Montreal
to be met by Dorcas with the news
that Merry had returned and was
ready to begin rehearsals. It still
exasperated him when he remembered
how stubbornly she had refused de-
tails of Andrew's home -coming. All
he ]earned was that the actor hall
seen Oswald and was rehearsing
from morning bill night.
A few days later in the foyer of
the Gotham, when he came face to
face with Merry, the plan of their
Naze intercourse was determined
instantly. Wentworth had been in a
mood to welcome reconciliation and
friendship; Andrew was cold, court-
eous, and singularly unapproachable.
Enoch's warmth was chilled and his
pride aroused. He plunger; fiercely
into work, scarcely snatching time to
eat or sleep, More than once Oswald
had remonstrated; he could see that
the man was working beyond the
limit of human capacity. Work was
the only thing that would whip re-
trospecblon from his mind, Drink
had never been a temptation to
Wentworth --it wt 1 nothing but a side
issue to sociability—so he did not take
to it now. I• Ie realized he wee los-
ing old friends; he had tosse'l one of
them aside to -day.
The intuition which is bred by a
guilty conscience began to play
strange pranks with him. He felt aa
if Oswald had guessed his secret and
was driving him into a corner by the i
suggestion that he remodel the playa i
Ile saw Dorcas each day grow colder
ON TBE FARM
After.Harvest Culttvatlon.
By the time the last eultivatlon has
been given the corn and root fields
there is usually one of more fleids on
the farm from which the season's ear -
vest has been gathered. The aim on
many farms is to give such fields, as
are not seeded down, some form of
tillage during the early fail. Tine used
to b th
e e general practice, but of late
years It appears to be going out of
vogue. Scarcity of labor Is one reason
why the amount of early fall oultl-
th vation is decreasing. The acreage de-
o- voted to corn has increased greatly of
n- recent years, and the harvesting of
e this important crop commences soon
r- after the grain crop is garnered and
en encroaches somewhat on the time
no previously used In stirring the surface
it soil.
Cultivation at the right time is one
Wen of the most effective means of keeping
ye noxious weeds in check and when the
s surface soil is loosened the evapora-
tion of moisture is reduced td a mini-
m mum. By capillary fiction of the soil,
at moisture is being continually drawn
don from the great reservoir to the sur-
face for the use of growing crops.
The plants shade the ground and there
Y.... is very little moisture lost by direct
evaporation, but so soon as the crop
lis harvested there is nothing to check
9 the escape of water from the soil un
at and more suspicious. Merry at one
glance had thrust him outside the pale
- of acquaintanceship, Within ben
days "The House of Esterbrook"
t would have its first production.
s Enoch shivered with apprehension •
as ho thought of it, A queer thing
b had loomed up in his mind during the
s past few days. A decade ago a club
friend with a fad for palmistry had
insisted on reading his hand. The
c- man prophesied a physical and moral
downfall in the course of 12 years.
Wentworth laughed at the idea., forgot
it completely, then one night the
t memory of it came to him like a shot.
He would have given all he possessed
to return to the morning when, Merry
burst in upon him full of gaiety and
nt hope. He could not go back; it was
like unsnarling a'tangle of string
when one found no visible end where
the task could be commenced.
He was aroused by a. clatter of,
dishes. The waiter set the broalfast
before him. As he ate he laid a
morning paper on the table and be-
gan to read; there had been no chance
earlier in the day to glance at it. The
first thing his eye fell upon was a
column about "The House of Ester -
brook." The public seemed to awaib
the production with unusual anticipa-
tion. Merry had the enthusiastic fol-
lowing which is so often bestowed up-
on an erratic, lovable genius. Went-
, worth's fame as a journalist was of
i long standing, and Oswald, English-
man as he was, had already won
'friends among newspaper men. Went-
' worth read it quickly, then he turned
to the news of the day. Nothing in-
Iterested him—the sparkle had gone
out of life as the bead dies on cham-
pagne. He drank a second, then a
third cup of strong coffee, which acted
upon him as whiskey does on some
men.
(To be continued).
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less a dust mulch is made by some
means oe cultivation. It may seem ab-
surd to commence in August to save
moisture for the following season's
crops. However, in the average sea-
son itis necessary, as only about one -
.half the amount of moisture required
to grow and mature a crop falls dur-
ing the growing season. The fall, win-
ter and spring mine must be depended
upon to fill the soil with moisture to
furnish the crap with a drink when it
most requires it. The soil should be
most generally used. It can be set to
cut and turn a shallow furrow. 1
carefully handled every weed will bo
out and turned under, thus,oxposin
the roots to the hot rays of the su
This is an advantage when it is d
strlous of destroying weeds with r
ning root stooks, The plowed lot
should be harrowed a couple of time
to Porn a mulch, Where weeds fir
bad, a broad -share cultivator can b
effectively used. If time will perms
a cultivation every week should b
FRENCH INGENUITY
AT - THE FRONT
GREAT DUGOUT LIKE BIG HOTEL
TOli OFFICERS.
Accuracy of 7S Mervef of the War—
Shells Fnll With Ripple of
Machine Gun.
Ingenuity displayed by the French
defending the Oise position is de-
scribed by the correspondent of the
f London Times. Writing from Brit-
Leh headcivartera at the front he says:
g The French front in the region of
u. the Oise is a most welcome contrast
e= to the flat country of Flanders. There
un -
'are places on the British front, such
id as near the Somme, where wo. ' hold
s the high ground which overlooks the
e enemy, But for the most part it
e was .the Germans who chose tho line
t, on which to stand when they fell back
o from the Marne, and over most of
the front, especially in the north, in
the stationary warfare of the last
year and a half, the enemy has held
much the more advantageous posi-
le tions, At many places„however, the
time
• French drove him farther than he
11 wished to go, and at such poirite, the
n• better ground is in the' hands of „the
- Allies.
Accurate Shooting.
• Recently I walked some miles in
d -French trenches where they run
through woods andoverarched with
bracken. Wild strawberries and lily
cep of the valley, grow along their edges,
and in the dusk rabbits come down
into them, to the huge entertainment
of the men. There I looked down
from an observation post, so well con-
cealed that the Germans might search
the hillside with their guns for a
month and never touch it, straight on
to the German front-line ,trenches a]
moat at my feet. I watched a French
"75,” from a battery well behind me
on the other side of the hill, amuse
itself by knocking the trenches into
dust. The rapidity of the fire was
such that the shells fell almost like
the ripple of a machine gun, and the
accuracy was so excellent that, while
I watched, only one shell seemed to
fall as much as a couple of yards from
the actual trench. There is, indeed,
not much room for careless shooting,
for there are places where the French
and German lines are only 20 paces
apart.
Not far away I saw a most ingeni-
ous "Bochetrap," the nature of which
must be left a mystery, but the essen-
tial element is a machine gun so
placed that though It has been there
for several weeks, in the course of
which there has hardly been a coy
when it has not been used, the en-
emy has not the smallest notion where
it is, nor is he ever likely to find out.
The officer who invented it—a strap-
ping fellow from Bordeaux, six good
feet tall and every inch a soldier—
takes great pleasure in his piego, as
the Germans certainly do not.
Playing Box and Cox.
The German has shown himself in-
genious enough in this war, but in the
constant struggle of wits which goes
on along the front line trenches he is
no match for the Frenchman. The
French have reduced the displaying of
posters conveying disconcerting news
to the enemy to a fine art. Not very
far away from the "Hoche -trap" men-
tioned there is a piece of trench which,
the French discovered, the enemy oc-
cupied only in the night time, presum-
ably because it was too exposed. So
the French took to occupying it for
the other half of the 24 hours—play-
ing Box and Cox as it, were, and being
careful always to leave no trace of
their occupancy' behind. The need of
using it has passed now; but while
the game went oh the position—mere-
ly because the Germans never thought
of it except as part of their own line
-had conspieuous usefulness.
The same ingenuity the French
carry into the construction of their
dugouts and similar places. 1 bave
been through one monumental dugout
which is to the ordinary hole that goes
by that name what a great London
hotel is to an Irish turf cabin. There
is 30 feet of solid stuff overhead as
you go down passages, all beautifully
timbered, past suites of bedrooms,
those for the higher officers with
easy chairs and telephones end writ-
ing tables, to rooms which one calls
apartments, for messing and, for of-
fice purposes. An elaborate system
of ventilation bas ben installed, and it
is all 50 'secure that the Germans have
not got a shell big enough to awake
a man asleep down there,
TO I{EEP FROM DROWNING.
Breathe in Through - Mouth and Ex-
-hale Through Nose.
There is more danger of drowning
not knowing how to breathe than
ere is in not knowing how to swim.
his may sound strange, but many
sea have been known where persons
•ovidetl with good life preservers
ave drowned merely because they
d their mouth open at the wrong
Me and the water, clashing into the
outh, 'caused suffocation, To mere -
keep ,afloat, lie perfectly fiat on
e water, with the back of the heats
ell submerged. Do hot strike a tense,
gid , position, but lie easy and re-
ed, and breathe in through 'the
outh, And exhale through the neat.
11 the lungs totheirfullest capacity
breathing in:throughthe mouth,
bniergo the head entirely and thio»
hale :slowly and steadily, The body
it dee to t io surface of its owe aa-
rd. e ,
looked upon as a great reservo.'r, that given a weed infested field that has
;not only contains plant food, but also been gang -plowed. Careless plowing
holds vast quantities of water. With- and failure to cultivate will not tend
,out water the plant food does not be- to eradicate weeds.
come readily available and the plant
soon wilts. It is the duty of the tiller
of the soil to make conditions right
for the filling of this reservoir with
water es welt as plant food, and late
summer or early fall is not too soon
to commence. A hard, compact sur-
face soil does not absorb the rains
that come as readily as a. soil with to good advantage on the bare stubble
good tilth. Of course, a soil coveted field. If a month or more elapses be -
with a luxurian growth of clover or tween breaking the crust and d
other growing crop, that completely fall plowing there will likely be a crop
covers the surface, is in a condition to growing which will indicate the num-
make the best use of the water that bar of weed seeds which have started
falls. The bare stuble field requires growth only to be destroyed before
to be gone over with plow, cultivator they have an opportunity of roproduc-
or disk, ing themselves. Without cultivation
Then, there is the weed problem. many of these seeds would never have
Many annual weeds ripen 'their seeds' germinated until the following spring
before the grain is harvested. These where, under shelter of the growing
seeds fall to the ground, and if the crop they would have a better oppor-
soilis stirred many will germinate and tunny to complete their life cycle,
then be destroyed with later eultiva-, Fields not 1n clover, grass or other
tion. There aro also varieties of crop are benefitted by fall cultivation.
weeds that appear to grow up and Invariably the fields that have been
produce seed after the crop is harvest- cultivated plow easier in the fall, es -
ed. Ragweed is a representative of paelalty when the weather sets in dry.
this class, Many of the perennial True, it may be a slight disadvantage
weeds as twitch grass, sow thistle in a wet season as it is possible for a
and bladder tampion can be material- field to be too wet to plow, but this is
ly checked in their growth if not en- the exception, not the rule. Too few
tirely eradicated by thorough after- plowmen use a "jointer" or "skimmer"
harvest cultivation. Usually there are 'on their, plow when giving a field its
several weeks of dry, hot weather at final plowing for the season. By its.
this season which soon aestroys any use all growth is turned under and
,goofs exposed to the surface. More not only does the furrow have a better
fall cultivation would aid in lessening appearance, but weeds and grass are
the' numbers of weeds and with many; completely burled. Without the light
soils would tend to increase the crop few plants survive long. A more gen-
yields.
Where it is not thought adviseb
to use the plow, two or three tin
over the field' with a sharp disk wi
pulverize the soil and put It in a eo
dation so that moisture will be absorb
ed and retained and weeds will cons
mime growth. The spring or stiff
toothed cultivator has also been use
Time -to Cultivate.
It is important that the work be done
as soon as possible after the crop is
eral use of this small attachment to
the plow would aid in keeping the
fields freer from plants, which may be
termed soil -robbers,
removed from the field. Oa some In some sections, after -harvest cults-
farms this phase of the season's work vation consists t plowing deep, and
is considered to be so important that untifollowing up with surface cultivation
the binder is followed with the disc winter sets in. Sod, as well as
y.
or cultivator. This is, not practicable As
80stubble fields, are treated this a way.
on most farms owing to the lack of ba sorn grainas timeisremoved
permit after the
hay or is removed the fields to.
sufficient horse power and men. How- be broken up in the fall are plowed the
aver, the work should be done soon usual depth, varying from live to seven
after the crop is removed from the or eight inches, depending on the
field. It is not uncommon, especially nature of subsoil, It is essential that
in a catchy season, to see the cults- a skimmer be used on the plow.
vator or plow being used between the These fields aro gone over with the
rows of stooks. The sooner the work cultivator or disc and harrows several
is done the greater, the opportunity
of conserving soil moisture and of des-
troying weeds.
Methods of Cultivation Followed.
times during the fall. No growth is
allowed to get a start and many weeds.
are destroyed. This method has
proved quite effective in dealing with
The gang plow is the implement sow thletle.
ti % ] .X1 Kin F`
U:rtk� C emd.,60;
4Xa
Here's the Way to Succeed in
Jamor Jelly `x akirns�o
lo—Use ripe — but not over-
ripe fruit.
2o—Buy St. Lawrence lied
Diamond Extra Granulated
Sugar. It is guaranteed pure
Sugar Cane Sugar, and free
from. foreign substances which
might prevent jellies from
setting and later on cause
preserves to ferment.
A
We advise purchasing
the Red Diamond
Extra Granulated
in the 100 lb.
bags which
as a rule is
the most econo-
mical way and assures
absolutely correct weight.
St. Lawrence Sugar
3o—Cook well.
4o—Chian, and then by boiling
at least 10 minutes, sterilize
your jars perfectly before
pouring in the preserves or jelly.
Success will surely follow the use
of all these hints.
Dealers can supply the
Red Diamond n
either fine,
medium, or
coarse grain,
at your choice.
Many other handy refinery,
sealed. packages to choose from.
Refineries, ,Limited, Montreal.
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