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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1937-08-19, Page 6PAGE SIX. 'Whit a minute,' she said -+and she .intereseing objects, And (finally she shook her hand, to get the life 'b'ack said- intoit. 'Ronald, any arms are a little tired. did not hurt you?' said he, in j•W'on't you try a east or -two?-1 ant great concern. 'eine 1 should learn as much by look 'We learn in suffering what we ing on.' ;He did as' he was bid; and she went with hint; but he could not stir any thing, The river was low; the clay wa. clear; there was no wind. But alt las. they came to a part of the stream where there was a dark and deep pool, and 'below that a wide bed of shingle, while between the shingle and the bank was a narrow chaddtel where the water tossed and raced before breaking out lnito the shallows. He drew her a tittle bit back from the 'bank and m'ad'e her take the rod again. of there's a chance at alt, it's there,' he said. 'Do ye see that stone peer there? -well, just try to drop the ay a foot above the stone, and let it get into a whirl.' She made her first 'cast -the line fell in a tangled heap about three yards shoet. 'Ye've got'out of the way of it,' said he, and he took the rod from her, let out a'little more line, and then gave it her again, standing behind her, with his hand over -gripping hers. 1Ndw1' The 'fly fell a foot short -but clean. The next caws it fell at the precise epot indicated, and was swept into the current, and dragged slowly and jerkily across Again he made the cast for her, with the same negative result; and then he withdrew his hand. That's right -'very well donee he said, as she continued. 'Yes, 'hn't what's the use when you are tired—' She had scarcely got the words out when she suddenly found the line held tiht-'and tighter -'she saw it cut its way through the water, tip and toward the b'an'k of the poo 1 above and clown and down was 'the point of the rod pulled until it almost touched the stream. All this had hap•pencd in Inc wild second. 'Let the line go! --what are ye do- ing, lassie?' he cried. The fact was that in her .sudden al- arm she had grasped both the line and rod more 'firstly than ever; and in an: other hatf-second 'the fish must inev- itably bare broken something. But this exclamation of his recalled her to her senses -she let the line go free - got up the rod --and then waited ev- vtts--with her heart in - her month. She had not long 'to wait. It very soon appeared to her as if she bac) honked an incarnate Bach of lightning; for there w"as nothing! this beast 'lid not attempt to do; now rushing down the narrow channel so close to the bank that a single oat -Jutting twig toast have cut the tine; now lashing 011 the edge of the shallows; twice jerking himself into the air; and then settling down in the deep pool, not to sulk, but to twit and tug at the line in a series of angry snaps. And always it was 'Oh 'Ronald, what shall I do now ' or, `Ronald, :what will he do next?' `You're doing well enough,' said he, placidly. 'Bu't it will be a long fight; and ye must not let him too far down the stream, or hell take ye'below the foot abridge. And don't •-give him much line; follow him rather.' She was immediately tolled on to act on this advice; for .with one de- termined, vicious •rash, away 'went the salmon dawns the stream -she af- ter hint as weal as her woman's skirts would allow, and always and valor- ously she was 'keeping a tight strain on the pliant rod. !Alas' all of a sud- den her each caught in a tuft of hea- ther-clown else went, prone, her arms thrown forward so 'that nothing could save her. But did she let go the rod? Not a bit! She clang to it with the one hand; and when Ronald help- ed her to her feet again, she had no thsu h!t of herself at all -all her hra•athiese interest was centred nn teach in song,' she said lightly, 'If I am to catch a salmon weth a fly -rod, 1 suppose I have 'got to go through something.' ' She set to'wark again; and, curious- ly enough, she ,seemed to ,succeed bet- ter with the longer line than with the short one. There was less jerking; the 'Forward movement was more even; and though she was ear indeed from throwing a good eine, it was very pas- sable for a beginner. • 'Y'ou know,' said she, giving hint: a good-hainiored hint, 'I 'don't 'feel like elaing this all day.' "Well, "then, 'we"1l go. down to the heater now,' said he, and he took the rod from her. 'But the sky's too 'bright -there's nothing so 'bad for fishing as those nasty 'white 'clou'ds' They walked down 'through 'the swampy grass ,and hard 'healther to the (banks of the stream; :an•d here he got Out his 'fi-y'book-a Ibul'ged and 'batggy voburne mulch the 'worse for wear .and. weather. And then it in- stantly 'occurred to her that this was something she could get for hint --the mos't splendid ,fly -book and assort- ment of salmon flies to be procured in ;London -until it just as suddenly occurred to her that dee would have little use for these in 'Glasgaw. Site Saw him seledt a 'black and .gold and scarlet abject from that bulky vol- ume; and a .few minutes thereafter she. was armed for the fray. and he was standing by, 'watching. Now the elude', though an exceed- ingly 'dour' salmon -river, is at least easy .for a 'beginner to fish, for there is scarcely anywhere a bush along its level banks. And' there were 'the pools -sante of 'them deep and 'drauuly en- ough in all 'conscience; 'anst no doubt there were .salmon in them, if only they could be seduced from their lair. For one thing, Ronald had taken her to a part of the stream where she could not. in any 'ease, do much harm by her preliminary whippings of the water. She (began -not without some little excitement, and awful visions of tri- umph and glory if she should really be .able to capture a salmon by her own unaided skill. ;Of course she caught in the heather behind her sometimes; and occasionally the line would come ddwn in a ghastly heap on the water; but then again it would go fairly oust and over to the other 'bank, and the letting it down with the. current and drawing it across -as he had shown her its one or two casts - was a comparatively easy matter. She worked hard, at all events, and obeyed implicitly -until, alas! there came a catastrophe. 'A little bit nearer the bank, if ye can,' said he, 'just a foot nearer. She • clenched her .teeth. (Back went the :nos) with all her might -and for- ward again with all her might --but midway and overhead there was a mighty crack like thalt of 0 horsewhip; and calmly be regarded the line as it fell on the 'water. 'The fly's gone,' 'said he -but 'with ,not a trace of .vexation, "Oh, Ronald, II'm so sorry!' she cried, for she knew that 'these things were expensive, even where they did not inv'ol've a cons'id'erable outlay of personal skill and Itrou'ble. "Not at all,' said he, as he quietly sate •down on a 'dry 'bunclt of heather, and got out this book again. "All be- ginners do that, I'1'1 just show ye in a 'minute or two how to avoid it. And well try a change now.' 'Indeed :she was in no way loth to sit drown on the heather too; and even after he had selected the particular 'Childers 'lee wanted, she took the book, and wrath' have him tell her Rhe names of all the various flies, ztpp SEAFOFTH NEWS getting in the line the while, "But !.t'in afraid you're hurt,' said ice. 'No, no,' Something was tickling the •side of her face. She shifted the grip of the sod, and passed the Ileac'''. of her right hand across her ear; a brief glance showed her that her knuckles were stained whit blood, fatal s'lte took no further heed; for she had to get ;both hands on the roc) again, 'She has ;pluck, that one, Ronald said to himself; but he said nothing aloud -he .wanted her .to remain as self-possessed as .possible. 'And 'w'hat if he goes down to the foot -bridge, IRenald ' she said pres- ently. 'Bub ye Must not let :him' Bath if he ,will go?' 'Tien yell give me the rod and 1'11 take it under the; bridge.' The (fish 'lay there as heavy and dead as stone; nothing they could do could stir him an inch. '"The beast has been at this work be- fore,' (Ronald said. 'That jagging to gel the hook out Js the trick 'o'f an old hand. But this .sulking will never da at all.' IHe left her and went 'further tip the stream to the 'place where the xive+- ran over the 'wide bed of shingle. There he deliberately walked into 'tile wafter -picking up a few pebbles as he went- and with a running leap, crossed the channel and gained' the opposite hank. 'Then ha quickly van, THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 193 rod for her, and 'her ulster, as well as speaking of the shooting--' t'1„ieesalneort;•'en!d they were laughing and gayly 'talking 'together, 'like a pair Of lovers almost san this 'clear spring day. Meenie went slowly back to the table -her face 'perhaps a trifle paler than usual; and she sat down, and 'be- gan to loet!k alt the little drawing that she had been rattier proud of. 'Beet her lips were proud and first. Why should she give a drawing to any one -snore especially to one who was so ready with his ,friendship.ands-and so quick to consort with strangers The lines on the brown wood seemed cold and uninteresting; she was no longer anxious that they should suggest an accurate .pidtnre; nay, she pushed the thing away from her, and rose, and went back to the window, and. stood idly gazing out there, her lips. still proud, her mien delfiant. And then -well, Ronald was going away. Was it worth while to let pride or self-love conte ibetween them and becloud these Lash few days, when perhaps they might never see each other nein? :For well she knew'ot her mother's aims and hopes with regard to herself; and well she knew that - whatever Ale may have guessed from those versos of `Ronald's which assur- edly had never been meant for her to see --it was neither for hint nor for her to expect tlealt the harsh facts and necessities of the world should ;give place and yield to a passing fancy, e dream, a 'kind of wistful, half -poetic ed clown to eetltin a yard or two of shadow of what otherwise might have the ,pot where the 'dour' salmon 'lay, been. But at 'least !Ronald and she She thought this was very -foolish might part friends; nay, they should child's play that he shottid go and part friends. And so she returned to 'fling little eltottes at a Irish he could the table --•' overmastering her mom - not see. But 'presently she perceived enter), pride; and she took up the dis- that he was trying all he could to get carded little drawing and regarded it the pebbles to 'drop vertically and with gentler eyes. Tor, after all fas parallel with the line. Ansi then the oh-, she could not forget) Ronald was go- j'ect of phis d'erice was apparent, The ing away. salmon moved heavily forward, some ,OHIAIP:TIEIR XXIII. few inches •Daily. 'Another 'pebble w'as lit soon became obvious that the sal - dropped. This time the fists trade a mon-;fishers frani the other side of the violent rich up stream that caused Atlantic had got into a long spell of Miss Carry's reel to shriek; and off deplorably fine weather; ,and a gentle she set after him (Ghat with more (dr- melancholy settled down upon the cumspection this time as regards to souls of the Billies. an vain, morning her footing), geltting in the line as after morning, the men searched ev- rapid'ly as possible as she went. Ron- ery quarter of the heavens for any aid now 'cants over and joined her- sign of even a couple of due' deluge, and this was 'comforting to her nerves. to flood the rivers and send the kelts Well, long before she had lolled dawn and'being the clean salmon up that fish she had' discovered the die- from the sea, !This wilt) and bleak re- ference 'between lochefishing and the gion grew to be like some soft sum - river -fishing; hut she slid ):ill him in titer fairyland; the blue loch, and' the the end; and mightily pleased she was yetlnw headlands, and the far treeless when she saw him lying on the sere stretches of moor lay basking in the wintry grass. Ronald would have had vtntlight; Ben Loyal'e purples and her try again; 'but she had had en- browns were clear to the summit; ongh; it was .past louclt-tine, and she Ben Cldbrig's snows had nearly till was hungry; moreover, she was tired; melted away. Nor could 'the discon- anci then again she did' not wish he tented boatmen understand how the should waste the whole day. So, when two strangers should accept this state she had Oat down for a while, and of affairs with apparent equanimity. watched him tie the salmon head -and- Both were now .prnvidesi with a book; tail, they set out for the village again, and when the rods had been properly very well content; while as .for the set so as to he ready for any enter - slight wound she had received icy her settee., they could pass the time pleas - ear catching on a twig of heather aptly enough in this perfect stillness, when she fell, that was quite forgot- gliding over the smooth waters, and ten now. drinking in the sweet mountain air. As 'Ansi ye are to have the fish,' said for Miss Carry, she had again attack - he. el told Isis lordship this morning ed the first volume of (Gibbon -dor you were going to try your hand at she would not he beaten; and very the casting; and he said if you got one startling indeed it was when -a fish you would be proud of it no doubt, did happen to strike the minnow, to and ye were to keep it of course.' be en suddenly summoned back from that is very kind; I suppose Palmyra to this Highland loch, In !1 must thank pins if d :see hits?' nerfcct silence, with eyes asst attest - And site was very curious to know tion all absented, she was reading all ahnttt Lord 'Aiilitte: and why he thus- shntild conte to Inver-:1ludal nterele \\'leu the Syrian queen was for these few hours; and what kind brought into the presence of Aurel- of prolde he ;naught with hint in the Ian, he sternly asked her, how she had autumn. T -Ie answered her as well ae pre tuned to rise in arias against the he rnnid; and then they went an en Emperor of Route? The answer of other things -all in a very gay and -/,euobia was a -prudent mixture of re - merry moor), for he was asproud as spent and firmness" - she .ens over this achievement. .when sharp would conte the warn ,\t the same moment \feenie•Dntte- ing cry of 1lalcahn--"'There he is las teas in her own little room, en- Mies! -there he is l" and she would lash dowis the historian to fiat !Ix• 'Yam know very well, Carry,' ise' would answea'---itrying to draw her into the fields of .common sense -'1 can say nothing about that 'till I see how mother's ,health is.' 'I am sure she would say yes if she saw what the place has clone for you, pa,p.a, salmon -(fishing has 'proved bet- ter for you than _!bromide of potas- sium. But that's notthe trouble a!t all. Why (lid you let hien go? Why did you let Item spend' the evening at the Doctor's -and the .next morning he went about the .whale Thiole with Ronald! My 'only ,chance of spurning a 'lord, too. ileo !they kneel in this country, pappa, whenthey make their declaration; or is that only in plays Never mind; it would be all the sante. "No, my lord; the claughter of a free Republic cannot wed a relic of feud- alistic; farewell, nay lord farewell! 'I know (that you are heertebroleen for life; but the slaughter of a free Re- public trust be true to her manifest destiny,"' `Oh, be quiet!' 'And then the girls at home, when 11 got back, they would all have come crowding around: r1Do tell, now, did you get a British nobleman 10 pro- pose, Calrry?" "Yost bet your pile on that. Why you should have seen hint writhe .and squirm on the floor when I spurned hint 1I spurned him. I tell you 'T. did -the daughter of •a free IRepu'blic"— ''v\'ill you ;he :quiet!' ''Bat it was really' too ibasi, palppal' she protested. '')'here he was loung- ing around: all the morning. ;And all I heard him say was when he was just going -when he was on the mail - car, 'Ronald," he called out, "have you got a match about you?"- and he hada wooden pipe in his hand_ and that's all I know about the man- ners and conversation of the British nobility; and what will they say of me at horn?' 'When does Ronald go?" he wou'l'd ask; and this, at least, was one sure way .of bringing her bach 10 the paths of sanity and soberness; for the near- er that this depat'ture conte, the more .concerned she was about it, having sante faint'consciousness that she her- self had a, share of the 'responsibility. And in another direction, moreover, she was becoming a little anxious. No message of any kind had arrived front the 'C'hicago Citizen. Now she had written to Miss ierfoot before site left for Puri,: bee stay in the :French capital had extended to nearly three weeks; there was the space occupied in going and returning; so that if ;Pack Iluysen meant to do anything with the verses i't was about time that that shntsicl appear.And the more she thought of it, the more she set her heart an it, and hoped that Ronald's introduction to the reacting public world 'be a flattering one and one of which he could reasonably be proud. Her father had it in his power to se- cure his material advancement; and that was well enotsgh; but what if it were reserved for her to confer a far greater service on hint? For if this Ilirst modest effort were welcomed in a friendly way, .ntigbt he not be in- duced 'to put forth a volume, and claim a wider recognition? It need not interfere with his more practical work; and then, supposing it were successful? Look at the status it would win for pini -a thing of far more value in the old country, where society is graduated iu'to ranks, than in. her country, ,chore every one (ex - dept hotel -clerks, as else insisted) was on the same plane. He would theta be the equal of atty'bndy--even in this old lEnieland; she had at least acquir- ed so far a knowledge of English so- ciety. And if be owed the first sug- gestion and impulse to her?- if she were to be the means, in however small and tentative a .fashion, of his ultimately establishing his Game? That he cou'kl do so if he tried, she never thought of doubting. She save him every day; and the longer she knew him the more she was certain that the obvious mental force that seemed leo radiate from him in the or- dinary conversation was 'discussion of everyday life .only wanted to be put into a definite literary channel to make its ;mark. And was not the time ripe for a ,poet? And itwas not Edin- burgh, or Glasgow, or London that had nowadays Ito decide on his mer- its, but two great continents of Eng- lish-speaking people, At length came the answer to her urgent prayer: a letter from .Miss Kerfoot, and a copy of the Chicago •Citieen. elehe newspaper site opened first; sew with delight that a long no- tice -a very !long notice incl•eed--'hid been accorded to the verses she had sent; and with a .proud heart she pert the paper iii her pocket, for careful reading when she should get down to the lake. 'Miss Kerfoot's letter site glanced over; but it olid' not say notch; the writer observed that "Mr. jack Huysen had only seemed half pleased when iltformed of .Carry's extraordin- ary interest in the phenomenal Scotch gamekeeper; and, referring 'to the ar- ticle in the .Citizen, she said Jack (Turner had entrusted .the writing of PROFESSIONAL CARDS ,roger) on it work of ori of a not very ambitious kind. She had lying before her on the 'table a pencil -,ketch in outline of such feature- of the land - :scare as could be seen from the win- doty-the loch, the worded prontnn- tories, Ben Clebrig, and the little clamp of trees that sheltered the inn: and she was engaged in malting a smaller copy of the drawin'g,•in pen - and -ink, on a paper-ctetter .of ;brown wood. She was not mach of an artist, perhaps; 'but surely 'these simple :out- lines were recognizable; and if they were to be entitled 'A Sbuvetnir,' and carried away to the 'so'u'th as a 'little parting present, might 'they not in some idle moment of the ,future recall some -brief memory of these northern wilds? So she was at wont at this task -and very careful that the lines Should be clear and precise -when she heard the sound of voices with- oet--or rather one voice 'which .pres- ently she recognized as Ronald's: she cot.tld not easily mistake it. And if she were to go to the window, and get him to stop for a nii•nute at the gate, and show him the sketch Itleat she had inst about (finished -perhaps he would be pleased?' She went to the w'indo'w -hist in. sternly drew back. She had jarst caught 'a ,glimpse; it was the 'Amer - dean young lady he was walking with salrnnn. Which, quite apart from their killings Fnrtitnately thatt,a time when he a'as s,trpposcd 'to had now taken to sulking, icreaturw n 'a pool merits, seemed to her 'beautiful and be so 'busy; and he was carrying her farther down; and she followed hint, Medical LIR. E. A. MoMAdrTIE1R-Graduate of the Faculty of Medicine, Univers- ity of Toronto, and of the New York Post 'Graduate School and Hospital. Member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Mee an High street. Phone 217. Office fully equipped for x-ray diagnosis and :for ultra 'short wave eleotric treatment, ultra violet sun lamp .treatment and infra, .red electric treatment. Nurse in attendance. DR. 'GI LB'E'R'T C. J'A'RROT i' - Graduate of Faculty of Medicine, Un- iversity of Western 'Ontario. Member of :College of Physicians and'Surgeons of Ontario. Office 43 Goderich street west. Phone 37. Hours 2-4.30 ;p.m., 7.30-9 'p.m. Other hours by appoint- ment. Successor to Dr. Chas, 'Mackay. DR. H. HUGH 'ROSS, Physician and Surgeon Late of Landon Hos- pital, London, Englaatd. Special at- tention to diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat. Office and residence behind Dominion Bank. Office Phone No. 5; Residence Phone 104. .DIR. F. J. BURROWS, 'Seaforth. Office and residence, 'Goderic'h street, ast of the United Church. Coroner or the County of Huron. Telephone No. 46, e f rid 'being t•inienitty shaken and the reel screaming out its joyous note. Moreover, in this still weather, the unusual visitor not uniregatently brought same other element of sur- prise with hint. She acquired a con- siderable experience of the different forms of foul -hooking and of the odd manoeuvres of the !fish in such sir cuntsitances. 'On one occasion the sal- mon caught himself an the minnow :b'y his dorsal fin; and 'for over an hour contented himself with rolling about under water without once showing himself, and with such a strain that she thought he must be the ch'am'pion fish of the lake; when alt east they diel get him into the boat he found to be a trifle under ten pounds. ,But, 'taken altogether, this cultivation of litera- tare, varied by alt occasional 'fluke' of a capture, and 'these placid and dreamlike mornings and 'afternoons, were far .from 'being as satisfactory a- the former and wilder 'd'ays when Ronald was in the boat, even with all their 'chaconvforts of wind 'and rain and snow. By this time .she had acquired an- other grievance. 'Why did you let hint go papa, without a single word?' site would say, as they sat Over their .'books or newspapers its the evening. 'it was my only chance. yon could easily have introduced yourself to him by DR. F. J. R. FORSTER- Eye Ear, Nose and Throat. 'Graduate in Medicine, University of Toronto •11397. Late Assistant New York Ophthal- mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's Eye, and 'Golden Square throat hospi- tals, London. At Commercial Hotel, Seaforth, third Wednesday in each month from 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. DR. W. C. SPROAT Physician - Surgeon Phone 40-W. Office John St. Seafort1- Auctioneer. GEORGE EL'LDOT'T, Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron. Arrangements can be ;made 'for Sale Date at The Seaforth News. Charges moderate and satisfaction guaranteed. F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auction- eer for Perth and •Huron Counties. Sales Solicited. Terms on Application. Farm Stock, chattels and real estate property. R. R. No. 4, Mitchell. Phone 634 r 6. Apply at this office. WATSON & REID REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (Successors to James Watson) MAIN ST., SEAFORTH, ONT. All kinds of Insurance risks effect- ed at lowest rates in First -Class Companies, THE McKILLOP Mutual Fire Insurance C!1 HEAD OFFICE-SEAFORTH, Ont. •OFFICERS President -Alex, Broadfoot, Seaforth; Vice -President, John E. Pepper, Rrucefield; Secretary - Treasurer, M. A. Reid, Seaforth. AGENTS F. McKercher, R.R.1, Dublin; John E.'Pep'per, .R.R.1, .Brucefield; E R. G. Jarmoutb, Brodhagen; James Watt, Blyth; C. F. 'Hewitt, Kincardine; Wm. Yeo, Holmesville. D'IRECTORS Alex. Broadfoot, Seaforth No. 3; James S'holdice, Walton; Wm. Knox, Londesboro; George Leonhardt, Bornholm No.1; John Pepper, Bruce - field; James Connolly, Goderich; Alex. Me wing, Blyth No. 1; Thom- as Moylan, Seaforth No. 5; Wm. R. Archibald, Seaforth No. 4. Parties desirous to effect insurance or transact other business, well be promptly attended to by applications to any of the above named officers addressed to their respective post - offices. it to Mr. G. Quincy 1Regan, ,who was, she understood, one oe the mast cul - tared young men in IChica'go, and likely to make ;quite a reputation for himself ere bong. There were some matters mentioned in this letter; but they need not detain us here. (To Be Continued) "How much of your salary do take home to your wife each day?" "None of it." 'How's 'that?" "Ste meets me at . the gate and takes it home herself.", you pay '"Bob Bttrns ]las established 'hian- self as '.;'leading humorist by lying about his 'kinfolks." "Yeah, and I know sante who would "even be funnier if theYy'd tell the 6ruth about theirs,"