HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1932-06-16, Page 6THE SEAFORTH NEWS.
THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 143
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John Uri Lloyd
('Continued from Last Week.) at all and do you no harm. Yak' mag-
nify your misfortunes; you misjudge
P bear you no iU will for that" she
answered. "I was partly at fault, and
I am sorry 'for my last remark; I did
not give the rose to Red -Head."
"I already know that, .and yet I
thank you for telling one. IBM why
did you tantalise me, what object had
you in deolining to give me the sec-
, on6 rose, why did you irritate me by
leading me to believe that you intend-
ed to
ntend-edcto give it to him?'
t't irn I not a girl? - Why should you
take that so seriously? Had you the
discernment of a girl you would not
have asked me to give you the second
rose; it was foolish in me to proffer
you, unasked, the first one."
"Let the matter drop. I have one
of the roses and Red -Head did not
get the other. 'Susie, twice only in
foiir years have I called at your home
tb meet you; at neither time did I get
_ a chance to tell you why I made the
wlsdt.'a
"Nor must you tell me now.,,
"`Susie, I'll not leave you this time
without having my say. I—"
"Please. Mr. Drew," she interrupt-
ed, "first listen to me."
"Go on, Miss Susie. But when you.
have finished I shall tell you what
twice before I have tried to say."
Nott heeding me, she continued: 'I
am a lonely girl reared by the ne-
groes, I have been wild and careless,
but am se no longer. If I have a father,
he has no child in me. My mother was
shot during the war, I cannot remem-
ber her. Youth has been in my case a
Strange story of negro lore and super-
stition, of human neglect and inhtuman
loneliness. I remember less of pleas-
ure than of trouble, less of kindness
than of ru.d.eness. I am ,prematurely
old in some things, but this is not toy
fault; no other girl in Stringtown has
had cause to think as have"I of things
that crulsh the joys of childhood. No
girl companion ever crosses the thres-
hold of my home, nor do I meet any
in their own. Why should I be young?
Mr. Drew, to think as I have done
since I was taught my place among
people is to learn more of some things
than many who are much alder know.
To feel the undeserved touch of
shame is to realise what shame really
is. Ta meet the shrinking eye and the
withdrawn hand, to hear the sneer of
the heartless tongue, brings care and
sorrow that brushes youth away early.
1 am alone with Cupe and. Dinah;
nearly as old in feeling, 1 sometimes
imagine, as are they. You have been
kind in thinking of me. I don't know
why you act as you do, but you are in-
discreet and have no right to injure
yourself and wrong me by persisting
in your visits. I wish to be left alone;
and while I feel deeply grateful for
your good will, I cannot pennait any
further attention,"
"Susie, you wrong both of us by
thi's idle talk. You are a girl, and yet
you take life as seriously as if you
were a full-grown woman."
"Cares and thoughts that are bred
of snubs and sneers have cut off my "Never, unless Duty Calls, Shall I'
girlhood. I have already told you that. Return to Duty -
I have no mother to take a mother's ' 1 ii
part for me; I must be a woman. I My patient, loving ,mother, whose
know some thingls too well to require life had been a constant sacrifice for
information from others concerning her sots, once a source of deop hurnil-
them, and one of these is that you iaibion, now an object of Pride, sat ;that
have brought me much trouble." afternoon in the little roam sewing by
"I, Susie, I?" the centre table. I entered with quick
"Yes, you. It was you who asked step, with happy (heart, with no
that I might be ediucated, who led me !gi'vin'g& concerning the result of my
to receive the instruction that en- mission. The fulfilment of my desires
abled toe to understand my position in had .leen to her a source of great
.life. were "I'the wild ignorant girl I: pleasure heretofore; she had never
should have been but for your inter- °denied me a request that was right
ference, I might now be hapipy with •and ' that could be conceded.
the negroes, knowing nothing con- "Mother"—II said, seating myself
corning the world nor of wh'at others beside her •c1iair, "I ar. now ewenty-
h;ave and are in the world, nor yet of one years of age, !I :have a good ,posi-
vihat I am myself. You did a wrong, tion with .advancement , certain, and
Mr.
,Drew, in thus showing me what Where I shall :win yet higher honours.
other gipls are, and in picturing any In order to propane for the course I
otter disgrace and alxsalhrte.. helpless -have mappedapped obit,I .must leave String-
'
nless. I could not have felt these things town in a few days. ,Before ;going,
hod you left me in ignorance." • however, I wish to speak with you
"1116s--" concerning a very important subject."
"Nothing but Susie, if you please," "Go on, my son," said she, layarllg
she indenjeoted, observing that I hesi- aside her 'sewing.
bated, "Mother, you know that I have
°Slusie,"
1 co'nbinued, "these things been offered an assistant position in
that you 'brood over, eenceru, me not
.chemistry, ,1 hope to make better
home then this for you inafew years
and to •give you a life of peace and
rest ,For toe you have.worked your,
Ifimgv s sore, have slaved 'since 1 can
remember."
"You must 'first make a happy
holne foe yourself, ,niy, boy; that
should be your ob'jec't, one to which,
,in case of necessity, your odd mother
may cone and end her days. 'But for
a time at least I Shall' not think of
leaving Stringtown., Look forward to
a home of your own; seek aio higher
ambition. You will some day :meet'
one you 'can ask to go •with you to
the end of your journey, and be with
you, to love you and be loved. This I
hope to see accomplished before
diel'
"I leave met her already; mother,"
I said in elation, "and I carne to ask
Your pemnission' to speak to her, to
get your blessing on both of us and
your favour for her."
"So soon, my ,•s'on l Are you not
'hasty? I thought and spoike of 'the fu-
ture. I had no suspicion of this' love;.
you did not tell ,ire that you' had
found a sev'eeteheart in the North."
"Nor have I."
"And yet you keep no company
with ;Stringtown girls."
"No, and small not. I am in love,
but my lave is neither in ,the, North
nor in Stringtown. I love the girl
who lives with Cupe and Dinah, the
girl called Susie."
My
,mother ,dropped the garment
she held, in her 'hand.
"You do not mean it, Sammy."
"Mother, I speak the truth. I love
Susie better than life."
"Susie who?"
The question was cruel. 'My mother,
she to whom 1 came in absolute con-
fidence, she, too, • empha'sised the
word 'who', :and as unmercifully as
any Stringtown girl had done. I stood
up in anger, :indignlition for the first
tiane toward nay mother entered my
heart.
"'Who?' why, Susie, only Susie,
and I who am concerned .most of any
care for nothing else. Some day she
will be ,Susie Drew, and then I'll beat
the face of the man who says 'Susie
•who' to Mme, and I"11 teach the—" but
'nay mother had spoken the word
"who" -I did not finish the remark.
"My son, you Hurst listen to your
'mother: Have you asked the girl to
marry you?"
"No."
"She is ,an adventuress,—yes, worse,
a girl without .character, one who has
no friends among respectable people,
who is shunned by the village . girls
and neglected by the .village boys,
Her history is one of shameful birth,
if, report speaks true; to he disgraced
ply birth is a lasting stigma unforgiv-
able. Subsequent environment has
added nothing to remove the stain,—
she has been negro -bred. 'Listen to
your mother, nay dear boy, see her no
more."
"And this from you, another!"
"Yes; I :am old enough to speak
advisedly. You are young, a pretty
face excites what you think is love,-
it is puppy love, nay child, and when
the face is out of sight will soon fade
away. You cannot realise that to mar-
ry that girl will be to blast your life
and disgrace your mother, How did
this artful adventuress entangle you?
IS1te's a dangerous girl. Surely the vil-
lagers do not know of the affair, or
else I would long since have known
of it."
"Mother, 1 cannot take this kindly,
even iron you. I must have 'my say.
I am no longer a child. Susie is as
pure and holy as was ever •girl or wo-
man. She has been ,unfortunate in,
birth; she does not know her father,
much to his shame, and not to her
disgrace; her life has been a dreary,
lonely one, and her companions have
been her books and the negroes. From
-the one she has !profited, the others
have served her well,—be it said to
their credit and to Stringtawn's dis-
credit. You say that_I am possessed
by 'puppy love,' that when the face is
gone the love will fade. That 11 not so.
You <say that to marry Susie will he
to blast my life, that my marriage to
the girl will disgrace you, my mot'her.
And why? Because of an unwritten
law that scoundrels make, aild society
:follows, .that reaches even such as
you, and does not discredit you, who
seek to save discredit from your son.
You called' that ,girl an adventuress,
'but the facts are that your sol made
the advances: I sought her, but she
gave no encouragement. I forced my
attentions on her, and she met thein
coldly. She has been wronged by you.
I must say this, even' to you, mother:"
I sank Oil my knees by 'her side, and
as if I were again a child, buried my
'face in her lap, 'while .tears, born olf
humiliation, • indignation, disappoint-
ment, and sorrow, gushed ,from my
eyes. She gently stroked ivy hair,
back and forth,, as she had been wont
to do when I was a child.
"Heed the words of your mother,
!Sammy. Disgrace that falls upon and
fingers over the name of woman can
never be brushed away.
"But she has done nothing wrong,
this forlorn girl; she is 'helpless."
'The world ,makes ,no allowance for
mien and .omen u
w you waiting your
friends and hurt those who would be
your friend's. I speak from 'my heard,
Susie; .you wrong me too, and to
prove it I shall tell you now what
came twice before ,to say. I-"
"Stop," ; she cnield "before you fin-
ish the words you intend to speak, I
would ask—have you spoken to your
mother?"
(Surely the girl knew what I in-
tended to ask. Her manner showed
that, and now my heart leaped, for her
tone was not that .of one offen'd'ed or
unfriendly, but rather of earnest ques-
tioning. •
".No; but she will make no objection
to-"
"First ask her, and if she makes no
objection, you may come to the cabin
and finish the question tyou would
ask of me. Promise to do this," she
pleaded.
"You have my promise, 'Susie, but
you need have no question concerning
the result. I shall' return to-night—
yes, this very afternoon. I'll tell you
then that which I have started three
times to say."
She shook her head. "You will not
cone back to -night, neither will it be
to -morrow nor yet the next day. No,
never. You +may meet -me by accident,
I may come to you—+Oup'e rayls that
I'll kneel on the floor and with tears
in nay eyes beg justice df yo'u-but
whether this is true or not you will
never come to me with these words
on your lips again."
"You wi'il never come again," she
continued; "others have burned away,
none are left but Red -Head and my
guardian -none, and you, too, will
come no more. Farewell." Her hand
trembled as I again claslped it, and
now its, touch was cold. Her eyes met
mine, and I saw that they were filled
with tears. "May I have the flower
you wear in your Papel ?" she asked.
"Why do you ask that of 'me?" I said,
"Take it, though, and if ever you need
a friend, one who will grant your.
every wish, you who claim that you
have no friends, need but show that
flower to mac, Whatever it may be,
and wherever I may be, you have but
to ask,"
"Thank you, and farewell, Me.
Drew. You have been kind to me, but
very thoughtless I think about your-
sekf. I forgive you the wrong you have
done in the unsought education that
shows one my position. But I wish
that it•cou'ld'be forever lost"
I stood in silence. She turned and
walked up the path the way I came,
vanishing around the clu•mtp of hazel,
and then I turned toward Stringtown.
Now came again to my mind the vis-
ion that the ,mirror pictured; all I had
seen therein had been repeated, veri-
fied, and in addition my ear had now
heard the conversation that the mir-
ror failed to give. •
OHAPTER LIi II
thefact that the girl' is not at /auk;
she is, unfortunate, and must accept
the odipm that rests upon her name.
Does not the.Bable say words to the
effect that the sins of the parents
shall be visited upon the children?"
"Dlon't make toe hate the Bible,
naotlier I"
"My child 1"
"Listen now to me; mother. I
arose and seated myself/ on any chair,
cairn, composed. "I shall? leave
IStrimigtonvn to-might—yes, this very
might. My vacation scarce comment-
ed, ,ends to -night. Never, unless duty
ca11t shall' I return to Stringtown,
unless': you give me permission to go
to Susie as a suitor, free to as'Ic her to
be my wife, or unless Susie pearnits
me to ivisit her. I have, made a fool of
myself in my usual way, ---that of
thoughtlessly acceding to a reques't
that I should never have granted. I
'initended to asks Susie to be my wife
to -day, and thento ask your blessing;
'but thinking only ' that you would ap-
prove of it, I agreed to ask your con-
sent first."
"Thank the Lord, my ,chi' ld, .that
some far-seeing ;friend, one who coir-
preb'ends the effect of social disgrace,
has prevented this terrible mistake.
Whoever he or she maybe, my'heart-
felit thanks and gratitude go out to
him or her. Had you not made this
promise, you might now have been in
the toils of this adventuress."
"You 'have bles'sed the girl,; for th'i's'
II thank you," I said, but added no
further word of explanation. Then I
arose and s'trade back and forth ac-
ross the little room. Suddenly I turn-
ed to my another:
"I shall take the bus this evening
for my new position. My trunk is
scarce unpacked. I shall leave String -
town no'w."
OHiAIPTiER IJIV
1:
girls, and she in 'mine, I' vvoulcl_-prob-
ably sirup her as notes: I aril 811,111111C CI.
Th!e oiark I' of shanie.'res!ts over my
life, The'soci'al rubes that govern
people cannot be changed, nor shotai'd
they;` for
to selax social vigilaurce
world lie to open the door to crime
and. immorality, I have racked nay
brain over the matter, have read and
studied social science, and although I
ant young, the sdlbject has disturbed
nm for years. -You have nay thanks for
your, gbod will --thus, I nave told ybat
before, You will !merit them the' more
if you look to your own future, and
forget the past, so far as it concerns
me. 'Undo your hasty, thoughtless
p'l'edges, sttive xe to'excel in good deeds,'
and leave the negro -bred girl Susie to
li'ass in peac.whenever chance
d aty leads her. Mr. Drew, you are far
above me. Of 'all the persons I know,
IRed-IHead alone stands in ac'tua1 syim
tpathy and on an equality with' usc'h as
I. Let, then, nay life be 'spent in sym-
pathy and on:ati equality with such as
must in touch, let the 'mended ' sen-
tence you 'have three times comment-
ed resit unfinished forever, Very, truly
yours, Susie."
While I- was reading the letter the
driver stopped the team in order to
arrange a defective ,piece of harness
on one of the horses, ,and as I raised
my eyes I saw Red-IHead 'beneath a
tree by the right-hand side of the
road. Tall, -erect, lithe, he stood not
more than twenty feet fr'om.,rne, gaz-
ing directly into my face. A sensation
akin to pity liar the young man came
over tine, .a kindly feeling for one ne-
glected as .he had been. I raised my
hat politely and bowed. But he, 'witih-
out any recognition whatever, gazed
stoically into my face and whistled.
Then the devil Touched my lie:art, and
in a low tone, that was`,more effective
(because Of 'th'is fact, I asked: "Why
do you not go back to the mountains;
cannot youhandle a Springifield rifle
yet?" He made no reply, and I con-
tinued': "How about that nioun•tain-
feud? Holcomb will get tired of wait-
ing for you to grow bigger."
Indifferent to the taunt, he stead
motionless. The 'coa'ch now moved an,
and as it did so I spoke the ,meanest
words I over used: "You're: very will-
ing to talk fight, you who dare not go
back to the mountains where lives old
man Biolcomlb," But even this brought
no reply; like a statue he remained in
the shadow, .watching the stage on
which I sat, .watching it until around
a bend in the pike the lumbering ve-
hicle disappeared from his view.
CHAPTER LV
Professor Samuel' Drew
PRO:FESS'IONAL CARDS
Farewell to, ,Susie
I stepped into my room and wrote
a note which, hastily sealing, I ad-
dressed with the sihrrple word "Susie."
(What else could I have used, what
'else but "Susie *Who' " Then I called
a boy from the street and paid him
liberally to deliver it immediately,
!The letter was permissible, for al-
though I had agreed not to call on
her, I had not promised the girl that
I would not write.
Love letters, I' have heard, are not
as a rule very edifying to others. This,
my first, last and only .love letter, I
shall, however, ven'ture' to reproduce.
"Dear Susie: Yota say that:I wrong-
ed you in inducing Mr. Wagner to
educate you, To this I take no excep-
tion. You. think .that you have 'been
led by that -education to see yourself
disgraced. With that I take issue. By
reason of it you ipereeive better the
sins of men and women whoa ,make
social taws to oppress the Weak and
protect the strong, toelevate the vil-
lain ofa father and damn his inno-
cent c'hild. 1 shall leave Stringtown
this afternoon on the evening bus, and
!by your command I go without call-
ing on you. You induced lie to prom-
ise to leave to nay mother a question
that concerned anys•elf more than all
others, you 'bound me to an oath that
cannot break, but which your dis-
.cri'mitva'tive eye foresaw would lead
to my defeat and to •my present dis-
tress. For this 1 blame you. Let, then,
my charge against you balance the
one you hold against me. And now
to the future: I leave Stringtown anx-
ious to complete the sentence which,
incomplete as it is, I shall hold .sacred
until my mother gives me the privil-
ege of returning to your side or until
you permit me to come and finish it.
I obey my mother because you com-
mand it, otherwise I' should firmly in-
gist onusing my awn good will; you
know what that will is. I solemnly
swear that it shall never changewliile
lisle lasts, Yours, Samuel Drew•"
Then I turned to help my mother
pack the trunk that a few days prev-
iously came with me from .the North.
In a short time it was strapped and
rolled to the gate. I bade her farewell,
and at last 'as the shadows lengthened
started for thebus which, delayed by
an accident, late that afternoon rolled
into ,Stringtown. As I mounted the
box to the familiar seat beside ' the
driver, old 'Cope shuffled to my side
and thrust a letter into my hand, then
left me without a word. The ,four-in-
ihan'd rolled off, stopped a moment be-
fore nay ,mother's door, where my
trunk was thrown aboard, and theq„
rumbled on again. Once more ,I sa(w
miiother standing with 'handkerchief to
her eyes, but this time I, halt that hard
she cared more for her boy and l!es's
for the traditions of society, joy might
ibolth have 'brightened her face and
gladdened .my heart.
YI'hen .I o'pe)ied the letter that ]ties
now before my eyes:
"Mr. Samuel Drew. Dear Friend:.
dn. reply to your fetter, it is my opin-
ion that you' •wronged your mother.
,She should not be blamed for laving
you too well to permit you to disgrace
yourself. I am 'en•fortun'alte, through'
sLo act of my o'wn it is true, but yet
unfontunalte, and I know it. Were 1 ih
ilio place of one of your Stringtown
Medical
DR. H. HUGH ROSS, Phyeiciaa
and Surgeon. Late of London MIS,
pital, London, England. Specisi.
attention to diseases of the eye, ens., ..
nose and throat. Office and mit--
deuce
esat.deuce be'hind Dominion Bank. Office''
Phone No. 5; Residence Phone NC
DR. F. J. BiURIROIWS, Seaforth.: •
Office' and residence, Goderich street,.
east of the, United Church. Comae s -
for the County of Huron. Telepbomc-
No. 46. .
DR. C. : MIACICIAY.—C,
honor graduate. of Trinity University
and gold medallist af. Trinity Medina!`
College; ' member. of the College of.
Physicians and Surgeons of Decide.
DIR. F. J. R. TO'RSITEIR-Eye, Et
Nose and Throat. Graduate is
cine, University of Toronto 189P:
Late Assistant New York O'phtbal.
mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's,
Eye, and Golden Square throat bocpir-
ta'ls, London„ Englandt At Contes
ercial Hotel, Seaforth, 3r& Monday km
each month, from 11 aim. to 3. p.m
DIR. W. C. SIPIRIOAT.—Gradttate a.f
Faculty of Medicine, University GC
Western Ontario, London.. Member
of College of Physiciansand Sao
-
geons of Ontario. Office in rear sr
Aber•hart's drug , store, Seafortkc
Phone 90. Hours 1.30-4 _pm., T.36t
-9 pan. Other hours by a.ppointactest.
(Into the University I stepped with
embittered heart and rebellious spirit.
Ambition still possessed me, but not
such ambition as Should have an'innat-
ed a poor widow's son with my
,prospects. The Iprolfessor whom I was
to assist greeted me kindly, and I
found ham to be a charming old man,
engrossed in the lave of his science.
!He toolk pains to introduce me at
,once to those of his colleagues who
stili lingered about the University, al-
though most members of the faculty
were now enjoying their vacation eise-
tv'here.
"You ,please ,nee very- much, Mr.
!Drew," he remarked during our first
audience."Not many young men
would sacrifice their summer vacation
as you have done in order to acquaint
themselves :with the •exacting,details
of a new work. It speaks well for
your future, for while genius is often
useful and sometimes leads to fortune,
the men who make successes of their
lives are those who work While others
rest. Surely it must have required
more than a little self-sacrificing on
your part to leave your mother, your
friends, your-" he glanced slyly out
of thecorners of his eyes—"your
sweetheart!
"Let it pass," I answered; "forget
that I came before duty called Inc. I
shall do my utmost to credit m'y!setf
to the future." •.
• (To he continued,)
.Complete in itself;' Mother Graves'
Worm Externeleatar does not require
the assistance of any outer medicine
to make it effective. It does not fail
to .do its work.
'Want aavd
Dental
DIR. J. 'A..MUN'N, Successor to
Dr. R. R. Ross, graduate of North. -
western University, Chicago, NI. Li—
centiate Royal College of Dental Sur-
geons, Toronto. Office over Sian"
hardware, Main St., Seaforth. Pismo
151.
DR. F. J. BECHELY, graduate
Royal College of Dental Surgeons*
Toronto. Office over W. R. Snsitf e'.
grocery, Main St., Seaforth. Phones,
office 185W, residence 1851,
Auctioneer.
GEORGIE ELUIIO'TT, !f icetauea4
Auctioneer for the County of Huron.
Arrangements can be made for Stale
Date at The Seaforth News. Charges
moderate and satisfaction guranteed-'
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AND INSURANCE AGEtocr
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Cog
FARM AND IISOLATED TOWN
PIR1OIfE'R!TY, O IN Y, IIN'SUR]BD
Officers — John 'Benitewies, 'Brod-
hagen,,'President; Jas. Connolly, Gail
erichys Vice -Pres.; D. F. +MdGregor,
'Seaforth No. 4, Sec.-Treas.
Directors—'Geo. R. McCartney, Sea -
forth No. 3; Alex. Broadfoot, ` Sea-
fonth-No. 3; 'James Evans, Seaforth
No, '5; lRobt. •Ferris, 'Blyth !No. 1; Ise.
Slholdice, Walton No. 4; Jh!ha 'Pepper,
IBrucefiebd; William 'Knox, Landes -
borough.
Agents—Jas. Watt, Blyth No. 1;+W:
E. tHin'chiley, 'Seaforth; J. A. Murray.
Seaforth No. 3; W.- J. Yeo, 1 Clinton
No .3; ,R..'G. IJanmuth, Bornholm.
(Auditors — Jas. 'Kerr,. ISeafoetbm
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