The Wingham Advance Times, 1925-07-23, Page 2WINGHA
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R COSENS
W.T. BOOTH
BU
CARDS
Tt2+t MUTUAL F1
NCE CO.
fished eewo.
ad Office, Guelph, Orit,
4
The Smoking Fia;
By Robert , - C. Stea
"And who has a better right to ex-
aet it:" he demanded of the tire with
the blow-o+xt which hung in the reys
of the rising son. "Who has a better
right: Leaving Reed out of the gees -
;tion alto:ether, who has a better
right? No jaary wot id hang ate for
1. that."
Suddenly his heart crawled up into
a heap, a little strangulated heap of
.crinkly tissue lest between his lungs.
Suppose a jury would not hang him
for that; suppose he might success-
fully invoke the unwritten lave—he
,weratiare. The fear of the unseen was
tertxr c even !o.rn. DarrTer harked
about the head of the boy; a clanger
which, if he only; ,could see, he might
avert. He zreast find a way ottt of
this hideous jungle as soon es pos-
sible, but until then he must guard
the boy as an army guards from at-
tack its flank and rear. For the
front he had no misgivings. It was
not from that direction his energy
twoud strike. -
Reed still slept, his neck bare, his
arms thrown wide, his legs entangled
Cal, without diverting his attetttiQn
zro r his plate.
"Oh, tees."
The beeriness of eating proceeded.
"But what's ehe idea o' genie' the
tittle man up so early-?" said bias.
Sake, as she re kilned Reed's plate,
"Should be sieepin" for an hour yet."
"He's going to help ane hatch #p an
she field this ea. ornirng; we've a deal
ore with Big Jim to that effect,"
Cal extemporized. He can go to
school aroma the other end of the
field"
Cal ,vas again under the -cloud. His
appetite was -as game and a great vacuity
?aided his ribs where his stomach
should have been. To avoid comment
he forced the food how. een his lips
and slipped out as soon .as possible.
There was a short-cut to the
school from the far end of the sum- fi
rarer -fallow, and at half past eight Cal i
sent Reed on his v --ay across the fields.
July 2$rd:,, z
Jackson, junior, did not join the fa-
roily at noon clay dinner., having elect.
ed, it appeared, to go out on a shoot-
ing expedition Gander conceded,
ire no larger game than gophers,.
ut Grit magnanimously threw in a.,
adger for good measure. At any
rate, the meal hour passed, and Cal
was able to drowp the erupting in his
head enough to keep up his end of the
'sparse and shallow conversation.
';' poring the afternoon he ploughed as
one in a dream, to whom time and
space have become meaningless terms,
but at a quarter to four he awoke, tied
his horses to the fence at the far end.
of the field, and strode off rapidly in
the direction of the school house. He
came up just as the little building was
'belching forth its contents for the day.
Some of the 'children, as they veil-
;me/led out of school, recognized Cal
land gathered about with speculations
as to what could be at the bottom of
this visit from Reed's "father." NO
'explanationwhich Reed had been able
Ito give of his relationship to "Daddy
1 X" had left any clearer understanding
lin the minds of his .schoolmates .han
that Cal must be his father
"If he's not your father, who is?'
demanded a pimpled urchin of twelve
or thirteen, a leader in the moral cru-
sades instituted from time to time
against Freddie Frain,: whose paternal
ed in some obscurity.
taken on all classes of nese r- •dared not invoke it! He could not do in a wreckage of blankets. Cal gently Pausing on his plough he watched the
easonable rates. so without revealing his secret. That shook him awake. "Conte, ,old slowly receding figure as the boy 1
COSENS, Agent, Wingbam' would give to the infamy of Reed's scout,'" he said, when the big eyes kicked up the warm dust with his bare
origin a publicity a thousand times looked up to his, wonderingly, "I feet, or as he stopped to throw clods 1 Sold tee Your Druggist
J. W. DODD
Office in Chisholm Block
VIRE, LIFE, ACCIDENT
AND HEALTH
a—.,. INSURANCE --
AND REAL EST`.ATE
Be Well
And Happy
—arid :rou have Natures
tautest"ft. Nature's
ecnedg (tft Tablets? d
vegetable lttzettive, tones
the organs and rellevcu
Constipation, Biliouanesa,
Sick l-Teadacbes,
renewing • that vigor and good !eel,
leis. so neeeasary to be,na well and
'bapp?.. . Clseci for Qvor
Grrta2Sc, "464,4,
64, , 30 racers
oa. r°+rr�,9.,,yrJr
fr'IT ,.azo ., ar. o � °r
Chips off fhe Ofd Black
tR JUJ/110 5 I—ittle les
The same If --in one-third dpsos,
eaady-Coated. For children and ndulte.
broader than anything that Jackson want you to go to the field with rine of earth at a particularly saucy gov
Stake could do or say. No; he would this morning. Hustle; we-ve no time her. From a knoll somewhat across 1 C. H. McAVOY, DRUGGIST
stand silenced hi .court, unable to to lose. See, let me help you."
"the field Reed turned and waved Hs
speak a word in .bis own defence. Wondering somewhat over his ear- hand, and then Cal started his teatn, this young love, checked for the mo -
Was ever a soul so helplessly de a ly awaking and the unusual assistance marking with a glance from time to Invent by this sudden horror, now
trap? It seemed to
O. Box 366. Phone ro8: concentrated cunning of the devil- ing. "Come to the stable with me school Before he had rear
3ied the the whip....
Cal that all the Reed clambered in his simple cloth- tintoward-
e Reed's progress thee leapt againlike
a thoroughbred under
G _ _ ONTARIO -world had been employed for his until I have finished with the horses other end of the furrow he knew that He would have to give Minnie up
DUDLEY HO " ES
IS'MISTER, SOLICITOR, ETC._
etory and Other Bonds Bought and
sold.
Office—Meyer Block, Winghain
R. V[ STONE
BAP,.RISTER, SOLICITOR, ETC.
Money to Loan at Lowest Rates.
Wingharn, Ontario
J. A. MORTON
BARRISTER, ETC.
Wingbam, Ontario
DR. G. H. ROSS
Graduate Royal College of Dental
Surgeons
Graduate University of Toronto
Faculty of Dentistry.
Office Over H. E. 1sard's Store.
W. '"'. RAMBLY
B.Sc., M.D., C.M.
Special attention paid to diseases of
Women and Children, having taken
postgraduate work in Surgery, Bact-
eriology and Scientific Medicine.
Office in the Kerr Residence, bet-
ween the Queen's Hotel and the Bap-
tist Church.
Allbusiness given careful attention.
Phone. se. P. O. Box rig.
Dr. Robt. . Redmond
M.R.C. S. (Eng.) L.R.C.P. (Load.)
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
lir. Cblsholm.'s old stand.
DR. }L L. STEWAR
Graduate of University of Toronto,
Faculty of Medicine; Licentiate of the
Ontario College of Physicians and
Surgeons.
Office in Chisholm Block
Josephine Street. Phone zg.
Dr. Margaret C. Calder
General Practitioner
Graduate University of Toronto
Faculty of Medicine
Office—Josephine St., two doors south
of Brunswick Hotel.
Telephones: Office 28r, Residence fir.
F. A. PARKE
OSTEOPATH
All Diseases Treated
Office adjoining residence next to
Anglican Church on Centre Street.
Open every day except Monday and
Wednesday afternoons.
Osteopathy • Electricity
Telephone a 'z.
J. ALVIN FOX
CHIROPRACTIC OSTEOPATHY
ELECTRO—THERAPY
ROUX'S 20-22. 2-5. 7.8.
Telephone 29I
D. S. McINNES
CHIROPRACTOR
MASSEUR
Adjustments given for diseases of
all kinds, specialize in dealing with
children. Lady attendant. Night Calls
responded. to,
Offioe on Scott St,, Wingham, Ont.,
in the house of the late Jas. Walker,
Telephone iso,
Phones« Office 106, Resid. 224.
A. J. WALKER
FURNITURE DEALER
and —
FUNERAL, DIRECTOR
;
Motor Equipment
WINDHAM, , ONTARIO
aw.eronpwa.we
complete undoing. and then we will go up to breakfast for the time being the boy was safe !unless he did away—unless Jackson
"H Calvin Beach; it C d th b di
ow say you, a vin enc ;gun > together," said al, an a o; under the care of :t,nnie Frav, -di
ty or not guilty?" obeyed. ` Then another fear encroached him.
"Guilty, my lord." I The delay had made Cal late for Jackson may go to the school. He
"The first witness for the King." breakfast and the porridge course had might bluntly say he had come to see
"The first witness for the defence." nearly disappeared, when Cal and Reed home, and to Annie there would
"There are no witnesses for the ail b tthat Tl
defence, nay lord" Reed carte in. There they were, e no ng suspicious in
_ra . Sen;
-of them, even young Jackson Stake at with the boy -in his possession, Jack
"i o witnesses for the defence?" sees father's right; Mrs. Stake moving son might do—what= It was un -
"`4o my Lord," 'back and forth between the table and thinkable that he would harm the boy
"Let the prisoner be examined the stove iu a manner which always physically.
Prisoner at the bar, you are chi g suggested to Cal a sort of domestic "Then what ant I afraid of?" Cal
with the murder of Jackson Stake. treadmill. It came as a sudden shock demanded of himself.
You have pleaded guilty to the char -
to him to see them all seated. there, ' Gradually it came to him that he
ge, and have been unable, or uawill- eating peacefully.- Did . they not knew what he was afraid of. He was
ing, to call any witnesses in your de -
know the heavens had collapsed with- afraid Jackson would make a friend
?fence. The evidence against you is
very stroAg.«everthe ess, it xs the in the last twelve hours? He would of this boy. He was afraid
e have been prepared to see seats vac- the man would set h3imself de -
Jr
business of the Cro'wA. t0 assure IIOt
ant, the kitchen in disorder; to have liberately to win the boy's confidence
only your prosecution, but your fair
(defence. You must be able to open heard moaning and shouting and the and affection, so that he might have
sounds of a fierce "struggle_ Could another club to wield over the head
o the court information which has
they not sense that tragedy stalked of his victim, To the threat of ex -
not yet been disclosed. Be frank.among them? This outward peace- posure if his terms were not complied
Frankness can cost you nothing Tell fulness- with he would add a threat to take
the courtwhat you know Of this mat- l "Hello, D. D.," said Gander, cordi- his child away from him altogether!
ter.l have' nothing to say, my lord." aply"How's business in Plainville?" "He will—over my dead body, said
"You e not that you killed Jackson!With a tremendous wrench he Cal between his teeth. But the more
brought his mind into action. They he thought of it the ,more he became
Steoe." my lord." "thought he had been in Plainville. convinced that this was an instance
"You"Yes, had a ;canon—you ' Home late --dept late. Perfectly lo- where the lesser law must give to the
had h you at sonleast ou musts to havebe gical explanation. Of course. And higher one. In shorn_ there was no
his particular business just now was outlet except by making away with
a weighty reason for committing to make everything appear as logical Jackson Stake. The man's life was
such a crime?"as possible. doubly forfeit anyway; first, by his
"I had, my lord" # "Plainville is all right, I guess," he betrayal of Celesta; second, by the
"What was that reason? Possibly' b
it may have been of such a nature as. ..ii al rfil' all right" turn that fact to his financial advent -
!returned, simulating casualness..baseness with which he sought to
egpeesson gon
to ameliorate the judgment which `Gander persisted: "That D. D. busi- age.
must otherwise be passed fipon you 9ness o' yours ought to help some, "It's a case of defending the 'Mud -
What was your reason?" !now. That's what you learn at a uni- cent," Cal soliliquized. "If I must
"I cannot tell you, my lord." 1.
iversity ain't it?" kill Jackson Stake to protect Reed
"Most extraordinary. Listen, Cal- Cal was stuck for a answer. Gan- Beach, then I must. There is no oth-
vin Beach. You are a man of intelli- der had not been very explicit and to er way. I shall not be able to prove
genie; a university man, it has been ask him to make his meaning clearer my innocence. but I shall be no less
!established; a specialist, even, on the might have embarrassing results. innocent on that . account."
I very problems of men living amiably There was such a thing as being too "But the boy—he will be stamped
!with other hien. You were employ- specific. as the ward of a murderer," some -
ed on the farm of Jackson Stake, sen- ; Help cane fr:oxn an unexpected thing dinned in his ears, and he re-
called the imaginary court .scene of
his awaking moments. "Or some one
—some enterprising newspaper, per-
haps—may dig up the whole facts and
tor, the father of the murdered than
with whom you had no quarrel, and "Let up on Cal, Gander," said Ha -
whom you have heard testify against milton, usually the most silent one at
you in this court, The reluctance the table. "He knows what he's do-
' quarter.
with which that testimony was given ing, and one high -brow in the family' expose theme to the world. What de -
was its most damning quality." mi ht p out the average a little. fense can
"Yes, my lord." g help g you give the boy against
And it needs some helping, believe that?"
"In ,such a case I must :riot kill
"You have heard 'the evidence of me,"
Mrs. Stake, her heart obviously torn .If I was you, Hain, I'd be Lakin'
two ways between a natural desire for night courses from him. I see Oun-
vengeance for`her son and a deep at- ces hanger)? 'round Double F's. A bit
tachment for you. 'Sou have heard the of eddication's what you need, an•D.
evidence of the young lean known as D,the man to hand it out."
Gander Stake, of Wilson, the hired "'sThegirls alt fall for it," Grit ob
man, of Hamilton Stake;—all friendly served. "Glad my of folks didn't
to you but the more damning for send me to no eddication factory_
that reason." Hard enough to keep single as it s,"
"Yes, my lord."r "Humphl" said Ilam. "1 bet you'd
"You have heard the evidence—the .marry one of those corset forms in
unwilling evidence, I must say—of the Sempter & Burton's, if it would haver that constitutionally he afforded the
girl, Minnie Stake.... Have You you.." tmaking of a first class criminal, It
nothing to say to that?" "Ham -m -m --burg?" said Mrs, Stake. was a new thought, and even in his
"No, my lord." "What these boys don' know now- a- agitation and distress he paused to
"And the boy, your adopted boy, days!" toy with it for a moment. Were all
your dead sister's child, who has sat "I bet it was different when Dad men, then, possessed of a criminal in -
in court with you through this trial, .was a boy," Gander suggested. "He stint, held at bay only by fortunate
and who, on account of you, must godidn't know nothin'." ,environment and the codes of civilize -
down through life branded as the pro- "He didn', eh?" Mrs. Stake flared tion? If so peace- loving a man as
tege of a murderer; through no fault back "Don' you fool yourself" ,he could lay so dark a trap for his
of his sewn must carry the stigma ""Fuld you're gettin' me in wrong, victim, what of all men? Was crim-
which you have brought upon him. either way, Mother," said the farmer. inallty the natural state? Here was
For the boy's sake—for the girl's "Well, I didn't marry no corset form, substance for another series of arti-
sake—have you no word to say which anyway." - Isles.
can clear you of this terrible charge, "Didn', eh? Well, I guess I'd as Thought of a. series . of articles
or at least can make it evident that good a figger as most of 'em, .if- it brought back with a rush the picture
your mad ant was done under ex- comes to that. A woman don' keep his mind had carried less than twenty -
tame provocation? If that can be herself no Venus raisin' kids and four hours ago—now obscured under
established the court will make re- feedin a hungry horde like.--" ;the debris of the world—of a bunga-
contmendations on your behalf to the "Now, Mother, that ain't what I low on the shore of the lake, and a
proper authorities. Have you nothing meant at all. 1 meant you had any typewriter thumping in the shade of
tof"answer? fashion form faded out o' the picture. 'a friendly cottonwood, and the voice
""No, my lord," Eh, Cal, how's that for up-to-date? lof Minnie singing down on. the sands.
. , .. and tray God have mercy Can you beat that?" !Since last night he had thought not
upon your said" Their banter had partly won Cal ,so much of Minnie, but of Reed and
With his hands about his throat out of his moo ,,u,, "Pretty good, Mr. ;young Jackson. Minnie had never
Cal sprang from his bed and stagger -
Stake," he agreed. "It isn't to me 'been out of the background of his
PSarn had better go for his lessons --'thought, but the principals of the tra-
il he needs them." lessons—.thought,
had held the centre of the stage,
Young Jackson had taken no part in Now they gave way and Minnie took
es when he dropped his curry -comb the conversation. Suddenly, "Post their place, Her kiss was scarcely
nd brush and hurried back to the your letter all right " he inquired of cold upon his lips, and. the pulse of
Jackson Stake; he must just disap
pear. I must arrange that. No one
will bother much. They will just
think he has gone again as unan-
nounced.as he came, I shall not kilt
hire; no. no; but he shall disappear."
He set :his mind to plan a scheme
by which Jackson could be made to
"disappear," and the facility with
which it operated rather startled him.
For the first time he began to realize
ed into the open air. •
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cal had half finished with his hor-
41,
le
le ie ol
Stake disappeared. With that disap-
pearance all the old dream could be
realized Only he would know, and
the secret in his breast would be safe
forever. Reed would grow up unbes-
mirched, and their own children, too,
to be useful members of society.
Was the life of an atom of polluted
social flotsam worth the wrecking of
that dream?—especially when the
dream could so easily be saved for
reality?
For a plan had suddenly taken
shape in Cal's mind. It was sinister
in its simplicity and effectiveness
and it seemed to have taken shape
of its own volition. Cal had no
consciousness of having worked it
out; it had come to him—from some
where. It was sent to liim in his
hour of need as the one way one. A
first it held hint hypnotized in a sop
of horror, as a sort of gruesome thing
wrapped about and too horrible to be
undraped. . But gradually he ventured
near; to touch it, to remove one wrap
and then another. The horrible thing
did not resist; it complied, it yielded
itself to his will. Garment by gar
meet, fold by fold. ... There it stood
before him, naked, brazen. He seized
it in a lust that was devilish and
terrible.
With familiarity it became less re
pulsive and he cooled his mind to
think of it dispassionately. It was no
love of his, this strange creature o
the mind which had folded him sud
denly in its embrace; this was a crea
tore of convenience, for the momen
only.... It was this:
He would invite young Jackson to
go fishing with him. There was an
old boat at the shore; it would sery
for such' a turn. Fortunately there
had been no open breach between
thern; nobody knew; nobody would
think it remarkable that. they shoul
ancestry was understood to be shroud-
: "He's my daddy X," Reed persisted
1 "Same thing," his inquisitor assert-
ed,.
Reed discovered that this conclus-
ionseemed to establish his position in
the community, so he accepted it as
the easiest way out of a difficulty.
This business of identifying one's fa-
ther was more confusing than even
the "seven times" multiplication table,
and he was glad to be rid of it.
1 "Hello Cal," said one of the bolder
boys. "Wha' d'ye want?"
"He come to thee Mith Frolic," a
freckled miss suggested from behind
a finger in her teeth. She returned
Cal's amused inspection with the
wriggles of a fish -worm,
"That's it," said Cal, with a laugh,
as he moved up to the door. "Don't
t go away, Reed," he called; "we'll go
t home together."
Annie Frawdic stood with her back
to the door, erasing from the black-
board the marks of the day's labor
and instruction. About her head
swam a halo of chalk dust from -which
settling atoms fell like silver on a
- fuzz of hair no longer innocent of an discovthread
,with its threatened lesion just abovet,
the waistband at the back; the skirt,- once smart enough, but flimsy and
:formless from much wear and many
washings; the gap of spindling stock:
f ing, more spindling than Miss Fradic
- cared to contemplate; the wobbly-
-
obbly- shoes with heels bevelled by the wear -
t of country roads and the school-
room floor, and something about the
ensemble clutched him suddenly as
poignantly pathetic. He had smiled
e to himself over Annie Frawdic's ob-
vious husband -seeking advances, but
now the smile seeped out and left him
empty and a little ashamed, It was
d tragedy the silent tragedy of the un-
go fishing in the lake some evening desired:' Another "subject for his ser -
after the day's work. Jackson would ies of articles'—
not
rticlesnot refuse; Cal could suggest that it . That brought him to earth again
would give,them a good opportunity but even as he crashed he flung a
to discuss, without fear of internale thought of wonder into his own be -
tion, matters in which they were mu- ing, so weakly willing :to soar ewer
'tually interested. Few boats fre- on every cloud. of whimsical imagine
quented that part of the lake and ing. Surely the business WOW' on foot
there was little danger of being ob- was grave,. enough for his whole at -
served. Then, as Jackson lurched to tention,
catch a fish wriggling loose from his "Good afternoon, Miss Frawdic!"
line, he overturned the boat! He must , She turned with a start, dropping
have become entangled in weeds in the eraser to the floor,
the bottom of the shallow take, for "Oh, good afternoon, Mister Beaclt.,
Cal, although he dived . again and . Teaching gets on one's 'nerves,,
again,could not locate him, That • about the end of the term," she add -
would be the explanation. Actually ed, as she stooped to pick tip her era-
he would dump him out of the boat ser. "Thank Heaven, I'm though an
and quietly row away from him, Friday Summer holidays." w Then
shocking his appeals with platitudes brightly, and with a challenge of band-
about
andabout the way of the transgressbr, age -"I hope you haven't come with,
and it being a long lane that has no a complaint?"
turning. Jackson might be a good ,"Why should I come with a com-
swimmer, but by instinct he 'would plaint."
follow the boat and Cal would wear' "When parents visit a school it al-
him out. If he turned and struck for ways is because they come with a
the shore—well, one can use an oar complaint. If you have not come with
for more purposes than pulling a boat. a complaint I shall know, more thatt
Then—a plunge in the lake to wet his ever, what an extraordinary man you.
clothes and who would question his are,"
report? 1 He was fishing, he knew, but he
It was horrible, and he trembled as could not resist the question—"And
he thought of it, but it was the only am I extraordinary?"
way out. The only way to safety. A . Cal remembered his horses, tied to,
useless life gone to save lives that the fence, and hurried to his objec-
t -night be useful. An unhappy life tive. Nothing was likely' to be gained
,ended that lives which were happy by encouraging Annie in loquacious
.might continue. It was the only way.'ness,
And even if there should be a strug- 1 +"It was Reed I came to speak
gle, and they should go down togeth- about," he said.
"So there is a complaint."
"Oh, no—nothing about the school.
But I want you to help me, and to do
er, Cal was willing to pay that price.
Who could charge hien with any mo-
tive short of the highest?.. ....
Meanwhile ' he must see Annie so you will have to trust int. That is,
Frawdic. He could not explain, of you may have to do something which
course, but he knew that Annie would doesn't seem quite necessary, just be -
accept his word if he warned her cause I. ask you to and without ex
against any interest that Jackson planations, Will yott trust` me to,,
might show hi Reed. He nitist see that extent, Miss Vrawdicr
Icer at once., (Continued Next Week)
I Le