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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1931-05-14, Page 6PAGE ?SIX Tr-toreseseess THE SEAFORTH NEWS. THURSDAY, MAY 14, 1931. CHAPTER 1. The Hall of the Guard. Loud rang the laughter in the hall of the men-at-arms at Castle Kerns- -berg. There had come an embassy from the Hereditary Princess of Pieseenburg, recently established up- on the throne, of her ancestors, to the Duchess Joan of Hohenstein, ruler of that cluster of hill statelets which is collectively Masurenland, and which includes, besides Hohenstein the original 'Eagle's Eyrie, Kents- berg also, and Marienfield. Above, in the hall of audience, the ambassador, one Leopold von Dess- aver, a great lord and most learned councillor of state, sat alone with the young Duchess. They were eating of the baked meats and drinking the good Rhenish up there. But, after all, it was much merrier down below with Werner von.'Orseln, Alt Pikker, Peter Balta and John of Thorn, a though what they ate was mostly but plain ox -flesh, and their drink the strong ale native to the hill lands, which is called Wendish mead. "Get you down, Captains Jorian and Boris," the young Duchess had commanded, looking very handsome and haughty in the pride of her twen- ty years, her eight strong castles and her two thousand men ready to rise at her word; "down to the 'hall of guard, where my officers send around the wassail. If they do not treat you well, e'en conte up and tell it••to me." "Good]" responded: the two soldiers of the Princess of Plassenburg, turn- ing them about as if they had been hinged on the sane stick, and start- ing forward with precisely the same stiff hitch from the halt, they made for the door. "But stay," Joan of Hohenstein had said, ere they reached it, "here are a couple of rings. My father left me one or two such. Fit thein upon your fingers, and when you return give them to the maidens of your choice. Is there by chance such an ,one, Cap- tain Jorian, left behind you at Plas- senburg?" •s" "Aye, madam," said Jorian, direct- ing his left eye, as he stood at atten- tion, a little slantwise in the direction of his companion. "What is her name?" "Gretchen is her name," quoth the soldier. "And yours, Captain Boris?" The second - automaton, a little slower of tongue than his companion, hesitated a moment, "Speak up," said his comrade, in an unclergrowl; "say 'Katrin." "Katrin!" thundered Captain Boris, with bluff apparent honesty. "It is well," said the Duchess Joan; "I think no less of a sturdy soldier for being somewhat shamefaced as to the name of his sweetheart, Here is a ring apiece which will not "shame your maidens in far Plassenburg, as you walk with them under the lime - trees, or buy ribbons for them in the booths that cluster about the Minster walls. The donor looked at the rings again. She espied the letters of a posy upon them. "Ha! she cried, "Captain Boris, what said you was the mine of your betrothed?" "Good Lord!" muttered Boris lowly to himself, "did I not tell the woman even now?—Gretchen!" "Hut, you fool!" Jorian's under - growl came to his ear, "Katrin, —not Gretchen; Gretchen is nine." "I mean Katrin, my lady Duchess," said Boris, putting a bold face on the mistake. Tlse young mistress of the castle. smiled.' "Thou art a strange lover," she said, "thus to forget the name of thy mistress. Blit here is a ring with. a K writ large upon it, which will serve Inc thy Katherina. And here, Captain Jorian, is one with a G scrolled inGothic, which thou wilt doubtless place with pride upon the finger of Mistress Gretchen among the rose gardens of Plassenburg" "Good!" said Jorian and Boris, making their bows together; "we thank your most. gracious highness." "Rack out, you bulking brute!" the undertone carne again from Jorian; "she will be asking for their surnames if we bide a .motnen,t longer. Now then, we are safe through the door; right about, Boris, and thank Heaveri she had not -time for another question or we were men undone!" And with their rings upon their little fingers the two burly captains went down the narrow stair of Castle Kernsberg, nudging each other jov- ially in the dark places as if they had again been -men-at-arms and no cap- tains, as in -the old days before' the death of Karl the Usurper and the coming back ofthe legitimate Ptin- cess FIelene into her rights. Being 'arrived at the hall beneath they soon found themselves the centre of a hospitable circle. Gruff, bearded Wendish ?nen were these officers of the young Duchess; not a butterfly youngling or a courtly carpet knight among then, but men tanned like shipmen of the Baltic, soldiers mostly who had served under her father Hen- ry, foraging upon occasion as far as the Mark' in one direction and into Bor=Russia in the other, men ground- ed and compacted after the hearts of Jorian and Boris. It was small wonder that amid such congenial society the ex -men-at-arms found themselves presently very much at home. Scarcely were they seated when Jorian began to brag of the gift the Duchess had given him for the maiden of his troth. "And Boris here, that hulking co - bold, that Hans Klepper upon the housetops, had well-nigh spoiled the jest; for when her ladyship asked him a second time in her sweet voice for the name of his `betrothed,' he must need's lay his tongue to 'Gretchen' in- stead of 'I{atria;' as he had done at the first!" Then all suddenly the bearded, bur- ly officers oftheDuchess Joan looked at each otiher with a little scared ex- pression on their faces, through which gradually glimmered up a certain Om amusement. Werner von Ors - elm the eldest . and gravest of . all, glanced round the full circle of his mess, Then he looked back at the two .captains of the embassy guard of Plassenburg with a pitying glance. "And_. you lied about your sweet- hearts to the Duchess Joan?" he said. "Ha, ha! Yes! I trow yes," gnoth Jorian jovially, "Witte may be dear, but this ring will pay the sweets of many a night!" "Ha, hal It will, will it?" said Werner, the chief captain grimly. "Aye, truly," echoed Boris, the mead beginning to work nuttily und- er his steel cap, "When we melt this —ha, hal—Katrin's jewel, well quaff many a 'beaker, The Rhenish will flow -ow -owl And Peg and Moll and Elisabet shall he there -yes, and many a good fellow -ow -ow---" "Shut the door!" quoth Werner, the chief captain, at this point.. "Sit down, gentlemen!" But Jorian and Boris were not so easily turned aside. "Call fit the ale-drawer—the taps - ter, the pottier, the over-cellarer, whatever v you call him. Forwould Ywe have more of his vintage. Why, is this not night of jewels and shall we not melt ahem? We may chance to get another for a second mouthful of lies to -morrow morning. A good du- chess as ever was—a soft princess, a princess most gullible is this of yours, gentlemen of the Eagle's Nest, kerns of Kernsbergl" "Sit down," said Werner yet more gravely. "Captains Jorian and Boris, you do not seem to know that you are no longer in Plassenburg. The broom bhsh dons not keep the cow betwixt Kernsherg . ant! Ho'henstein. I-Iere are no Tables .of Karl the tiller's Son to :hamper our liege mistress. Do you know that, you have lied to her and made a jest of it?" s, "Aye," cried Jorian, holding his ring high; "a sweet easy 'maid, this of yours, as ever was cozened. An easy service yours must be. Lord! I 'could feather my .nest well inside a year= -one short year With such , a m'is'tress would do the b rsiness, WQty, she will believe anything!" "So," said Werner vonOrseln grim- ly, "you thiel.-' so, tdo you, Captains Boris and Jorian, of the embassy staff? Well, listen!" Ile spoke xery, slowly, leaning to. wards them and punctuating his meaning upon'.the palm of his -left hand with lite fingers of his right. "If 1, Werner of Orseln, were now to Welk' upstairs,- and in, so many' words tell my, lady, `tire sweet, easy prin- cess,' as you 'name her, Joan of the Sword. Hand, as we are proud_e "Joan 9f the Sword Hand! Hochl" 'Tito men-at-arms at the lower table, the bearded captains at the high board, the very page boys lounging and •s'cuifling in the niches, rose to their feet at tiie name, pronounced in a voiee of thunder -pride by Chief Captain Werner. "Joan of £be'",f"tvord Hand! Iloch! Hent yourselves" up, Wends! Up Plassenburg! Joan of the Sword Handl Our Lady Joan l Hoch! Hoch! And three times hochl" The hurrahs ran round the oak - panelled hall, Jorian and Boris look- ed at each other with surprise, but- they were stout fellows, and took mat- ters, even when , most serious, pretty much as they came. "I thank you, gentlemen, on behalf of my lady, in whose ,name I com- mand here," said Werner, bow=ing ceremoniously to all around, while the others settled themselves to listen, "Now, worthy soldiers ^ of Plassen- burg," he went on, 'he it Iseown to you that if '(t� suppose a case which will not happen) I were to 'tell aur. Lady Joan what .youhave confessed to us here and boasted of—that you lied and double lied to her -I lay my life and the lives of these good fel- lows that the pair of you would- be aswinging fro -it the corner gallery of the Liar's Tower in something under five' minutes." "Nye, and a good deed it were, too 1" chorussed the round table of the guard hall. "Heaven send it, the jackanapes.1 To .rail at our Duch- ess!" Jorian rose to his feet. "Up, Boris!" he cried; "no Bar -Russian, no kern of Hohenstein that ever lived, shall over - crow a captain of the armies of Plas- senburg and a soldier of the Princess Helene—.4-leaven bless her! Take your ring in your hand, Boris, for ,we will go up straightway, you and I. And we will tell the Lady Duchess Joan that, having no sweetheart of legal stand- ing, and no desire for any, we choused her into. the belief that we would be- stow her rings upon our betrothed in the rose -gardens of Plassenburg. Then will we see if indeed we shall be asw•ing in five minutes, Ready, Boris?" "Aye, thrice ready, Jorian!" "About, then! Quick march!" A great noise of. clapping roses all round the hall as the two stout sold- iers set themselves to march up the staircase by which they had just de- scended. "Stand to the doors!" cried Werner, the chief captain; "do not Ceti there pass. Up and drink a deep cup to thein, rather! To Captains Jorian and Boris of. Plassenburg, brave fellows both! • Charge your tankards. The mead of Wendishland shall not run dry. Fill them to the brim. A cara- way seed in each for heal'th's. sake, There! Now to the honour and long lives of our guests. Jorian and Boris hoar!" "Jorian and Boris--hochl" The' toast was drunk amid multi- tudinous shootings and handshakes. The two men had stopped, perforce, for the doors were in the hands of the soldiers of the guard, and the pike points clustered thick in their path, They turned now in the direction of the high table from which they had risen, "Deal you so with your -guests who come on embassy?" said,J'orian, smil- ing. First you threaten them with hanging, and then you would make them drunk with mead as long in the head as the devil of Trier that de- ceived the Archbishop,Elector and gat the holy coatfor a foot -wanner?" "Sit down, gentlemen, and I also will sit. Now, hearken well," said Werner; use th honest t es fellows of nine will hear nue out that I lie not. You have done bravely and spoken up like good men -taken in ,a fault. But we will not permit you to go to your deaths. For our Lady Joan -;Gad hless :berl--would not take a false. word from any—no, not if it were on. Twelfth Night :or after a Christmas merry -making, She would not far give it 'front your 'old Longheard up- stairs, whose business it is—that is, if she found it out. 'To the gallows!' she would say, and we—why then we 'should "sorrow for having to has'teifi the stretching of two good men. But what would you, gentlemen? We are her servants and we should he obliged to do her will. Keep your rings, lads, and keen also your wits about yon. when the Duchess questions you again. Nay, when you, return to Plassenburg, be wise, seek out a Gret- chen and a Katrin and bestow the rings upon them'—that if, if ever you tn'ean again to stand within the .clanger of )oar of tote Sword Hand in this her castle' of Kerttsberg." `Gretchens ere none 00 scarce in Plassenburg,"' unuttered Jorian. "1 think we can satisfy a pair of then? but at a cheaper price thatt a ring of rubies set ito gold 1" (To 'Be Continued.) Modern Maidens Md,iildred and Gay were,looking for- ward to their 'holidays in the moun- tains. Like the _modern girls 'they were, they Tilade all inquiries and 'ar- rangeme,nts 'by Long ,Distance. The sinal -1 cost was more than out- weighed by the satisfaction of im mediate reply, And itno time all. their plains were completed, FATAL HOLD-UP BY BANDITS IN WINNIPEG. ;Bank Manager P. 13. R. Tucker was shat and fatally wounded by bandits whp held up and robbed a branch oil the Dominion Bank of: Canada of an amount estimated at between $6,000 and $7,000 'in Winnipeg Friday, Mr. Ticker died of his•wounds half an hour alter the robbery occurred. Three armed sten suddenly appear- ed in the bank, which is situated at the corner of Sherbrooke and Notre Dante streets, et 10:30 a.ni. with guns levelled, they commanded members of the staff to throw up their hands and therequest was . complied with by all except Mr. Tucker who evid- ently did not hear the order,' One o'f the trio fired alt the manager several times and he fell to the floor: The bandits coolly proceeded to gather up the money and 'rushed out to an auto'mabile waiting at the curb with engine running. The robbery was witnessed by two persons o't'her than the members of the bank staff. A window cleaner, working at the bank, saw the entire scene, and a woman passing the. batik at the time saw the hands of the staff in the air. Sheimmediate- ly telephoned the police ''from a neigh- boring store. The robbers worked swiftly, evid- ently on a pre -arranged ip-lan. After the hold-up they entered a car stand- ing at the curb and drove east on Notre Dame and south: of Furby, to ward Portage :Avenue, The bank had been opened only a few minutes when the robbers enter- ed. Ordering the entire staff to'throw up their hands, two of the gunmen went to th•e back of the building and vaulted the counter while the third. member of the gang clitnbed over the counter at the :front. Mr. Tucker, the man'a'ger, was walk- ing toward his office when the rob, - hers appeared. Rather hard o'f hear- ing, he evidently did not -understand the command. One of the robbers immediately opened fire, wounding the manager twice in the stomach. He was taken to the Winnipeg hospital, but died shortly after his arrival. .No child should be allowed to su'f- fer an hour from worms when prompt relief can be got in a simple but strong remedy—Mother Graves' Worst Exterminator. MURDER SUSPECTED, The body of her son, George Arch- ibald Walker, arriving at her home in Toronto, �Irs. Julia Walker of Montrose Avenue, made preparations for the funeral: There were no - de- tails as to the cause, but when the body reached the city a letter from a Chicago undertaker accompanied it,, acid stated death was due to "organic heart trouble." The next day while his mother stood beside the boy's casket, stroking his hair, her finger sank into a hole behind the left e'ar. Horrified at her discovery, the mother called a male' relative anti' he in turn summoned the! coroner. Further investigation show- ed that the hole, which is about she size of one made by a 45 -calibre bullet, had been filled with a white powder. A large bruise also was foetid on the forehead, and a second indenta- tion was discovered at the base of the neck. Another feature of the ease which aroused suspicion was the fact that note 4Pher son's clothing g was return- ed e a n - ed with the body. `Only a few things which were in his pockets came back, said his mother. George always leael good clothes and it makes one think that they were afraid to send them back for fear of marks or stains." The coroner 'after ex=amining the marks, agreed to make a post-mortem exantin•ation and following the fun- eral services at the home and grave the body was removed to the Coron- ers' building. It is a coincidence that the mother had a vivid dream about a week be- fore in which she saw her son sho't down by a gang of men and she :hard- ly had recovered from that Shock when s -he received word of his death. A letter from Chicago stated that he had been "ailing a few clays:" PIe hadn't wanted to go to hospital, said, the letter, and he had been found dead at 4:30 on May 2nd. From informa- tion received from friend's, the doctor called had signed the death certificate to •the effect "tah,t death had been due to organic heart trouble. The letter expressly states "there were no marks of violet -ice on the 'body," The coroner upon visiting the home, after supe'r'licia1examination of the body, expressed the opinion that Mrs;. Walker was entirely. justified in ask ;ing that her son's death be investi gated. He was holt satisfied that the indentations on the left side of the skull had been Made by 'bullets, but to ascertain whether the ,skull had been fraetur-ed, and the real cause of dearth, ordered that the body, after being removed to the cemetery, . be returned to the `Corotier's building. The late George Archibald Walker, or "Buster" as he, was known, was ?cern in Toronto and was -educated the'r'e. He was a salesman, by occupa tion and had gone oversews as a boy as mascot of one of the battalliotts. !Ile went to Chicago ab.ottt the middle, of January, Mrs, Walker re cefved a .valentine .frnn't hint and' re- cently a'letter stating it was his iti- tention to return home within a few weeks. "He didn't have la great deal to say but said he hadn't been well of late' and thought that it mighf be . a case of malaria ,lever from what he had been told," she said. The autopsy showed that the man had died from some infection of the kidney. Further examination will be be made to, determine what caused the infection. The scalp injuries that caused $o much worry on the part of the mother were said to be quite superficial. The two indentations behind the left' ear were caused by folds on the scalp hardening after death. A lar'g'e bruise disclosed on the forehead after the trtake,tip was removed,, proved to have affected Only the skin. No frac- ture was found in the skull, CALLING CONVENTION Conservatives will be called in con- vention to select a leader for the Province of Ontario on June 24th.' Registrations will be made at the Royal York hotel, where the conven- tion will he ,held, commencing on the 23rd, and continue until noon of the 24th. William Ireland, M. L. A, for West Ilastings, president of the Ontario Conservative Association, presided at a meeting of .the' committee which met and decided on the date. 'President Ireland has been author- ized to stake a'rrangemen'ts r for the banquet and ball that is to follow the convention. There will be ten delegates from each riding in Ontario besides the officers of the eight Ontario districts.' In addition there will be delegates from the Toronto Women's Conser- vative Ass'ociatiott and the Women's Conservative Association frdnt West- ern Ontario and other Conservative organizations, The members of both Federal and Provincial Parli'antents will have voting powers as will two delegates each appointed by them. The defeated Conservative candidates will be delegates and two delegates whom they desire to name, The. executive consist's of all the -officers of the Ontario Conservative Association, the officers of the eight district associations and the officers, of the Central Conservative As'socia-' tion, with all provincial and fed-er'ai' members of Parliament with two d l- egates nominated by each of the said candidates. A meeting of the officers when call- ed must have not less than ten neer 'bets, The executive may 'he called to meet by the officers and "shall',' be called when it is necessary to call a provincial convention to the election of a permanent Liberal -Conservative leader for Ontario, • Section 15 of the; constitution, re- ferring, to the delegates at provincial conventions, states that the "delegates to a provincial convention shall „con- sist of the executive and two dele- gates from ebcry polling- sub -division in the province." This would mean a gathering of ebotrt 5,000 if they ,all: wanted to have a voice in the election of a leader.' •.Chert are two kind's of members-- active re-mbers—active and executive Members. The active members include alt those n"lio halve paid the fee of $1 and the execu- tive members those who are noutinat- ed or. represettt Conservative Associa- thous, as officers, On thedeath or retirement of the: Ontario Liberal -Conservative leader and before a permanent lea'de'r is sel- ected, the Provincial Liberal -Conser- vative convention shall be called by the association ,find the said conven- tion ,shall elect t'he permanent Liberal Conservative ,leader of Ontario. CENSUS QUESTIONS, • These are the questions that will be askedabout each person by a Do- itainGove.rment tt- ta sometiiottme durinttg the opecening'aess •weekerk of Julie: 1,andYour name anwhere you live:_• 2: -Whether your 'home is owned or rented, 3.-Tlte estimated value 111 your home, if oned; or the monthly ren- tal, if, rented,w 4, --?How many rooms are in Your home, and is it of stone, or brick, or wood ? ' L' -'Is there .a radio set in your home? 6,—Your relationship ,to the family (whether the head of family, wife, son, daughter, ai•. uncle, - etc.)' 7.—What is your sex? 0.—re you single, married, widow- ed, or'Adivorced 9. -'What was your age at last birthday? 10.—Where were you born? ll.—Where was your father born? 1?, -'Where was your mother born? 13,—,In what year did yen immi- grate to Canada? (For foreign -born persons). 14.—In what year were yott natur- aliz'ed? (For foreign -born persons). l5. -What is your nationality? 16.—What is your racial origin; from what overseas country 'did your family originally come? • 17.—Are •you able to 'speak Eng- lish? or French? 18.--IWhat is your mother tongue? (For foreign -boat persons). 19.-�0fl•-what religious denomiina- tion are you a member or adherent? 20.—Are you able to read and write ? 21.4-1o'w many months at school since Sept. 1, 1930? (For p'ersons of school age). )) 22.--I1 you are a gainful Worker, ttshat is your occupation 23,—In what industry are you em- ployed ? 24.—Are you an employer, an em- ployee, or are your working on your own account ? 11you are an employee, you will be asked if you were at work on Monday, June 1st, 193-1. If you an- swer "No," you will be asked whether it was 'because of:— (a) No job (b) Sickness (c) Accident (d) On holidays (e) Strike or lock -out (f) -Plant closed, (g) Other .leason You will also be asked whether you hove been -out df work for any cause in the last twelve months? If you an- swer "Yes," you will be asked: How many weeks have you been out 'of work, and df these how many were due 'to:— (a) No job (b) Illness (d) Accident (d) Strike or lockout (e) Temporary lay-off '(f) Other reason. Drives Asthma Like Magic. The. immediate help' from Dr. J. D. I{e1- lagg's Asthma' Remedy seems like magic. Nevertheless it is '.only a nat- ural remedy used in a natural way. Tlie smoke or vapor, reaching the most remote passage of the affected tubes, brushes aside the trouble and opens a way for fresh air to -enter, it is sold by dealers throughout the land. 1111.111 High Class Printing Wd can give you prompt and satisfactory service at a moderate price in the following lines of printing: Letterheads Envelopes Statements. Bill -heads. Private Cheques Circulars Tags Cards Tickets Sale Bills, Dodgers , Menus Factory Forms Society Stationery Blotters Booklets Business Cards Visiting Cards Wedding Station- ' ery Invitations \The News has an up-to-date commercial printing plant and we are equipped to turn out all classes of job work. Give us a call. We have a new automatic press with great speed, recently installed to produce printing, well done, with speed, and at mod- erate cost. THE W CSE