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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1917-07-13, Page 6;$00., 0., rI r�( ejo Woe/9/1w Author of „All for a Scrap of Paper.' "Dearer Than Lite" eta Published by l]oddei• & Stoughton, Limited, London and ,Toronto CHAPTER L---(Cont'd.) A$ Tom neared the Town Hall his face changed somewhat, and a look .of eager expectancy cane into his eyes. He noted with satisfaction that the yard outside a big building was empty. "Pin in time after all," he reflected. "They've just sung the last hymn." A few minutes later several hun- dred young people came into the street, and Toro was not long in singl- ing out one for whom he had evidently been watching. This was a young girl of about twenty years of age, an it was easy to see at a glance that she was superior to those whom sh . accompanied. Her face was refined her eyes large and intelligent; and he neat, well -fitting clothes did not sug gest the flamboyancy of Polly Pcweil' adornments. "There's Tom Pollard waiting fo you, Alice," said one of the girls Alice Lister flushed as the girl spoke and the color which rose to her check told its own tale. "If I were you, Alice," said another "I should keep my eye on him Sin he give up going to Sunday School he' moan so much of a catch; besides, saw him with Polly Powell last Sun day evening after he went home with you; and Polly Powell is moan your sort." Alice did not reply to this, but he lips trembled; evidently the word wounded her. All the time Tom stood smoking a cigarette. Although he had come to meet Alice, he did not like the idea of going up to claim her while so many girls were around, "Ay, Toni," said one of the girls shouting to him. "How's Polly Powell?" Tom did not reply; his ready wit left him for the moment. "If I were Alice," said another, "I'd give thee the sack. Tha's noan fitted to go with her:" "Ay," said another, "and Polly's only just playing wi' him; she's got more bar one string to her bow, has Polly, And she'd noan look at thee, Tom, if the young landlord at the Bull and Butcher had made up to her." Lancashire folks are not slow in speaking their minds, and they have no seise delicacy about telling people their opinion of them. "Well," said Tom quietly, "I fly higher game than you, Emily Bilson, anyhow. I have only just got to hold up my finger to the whola lot on you, and you'd come after me. But I'm noan going. -.to do it• I've got too 'much �;esppec£' or mysei : Almost as if by arrangement the girls separated end Tom found him- self walking up Liverpool Road by the side of Alice Lister. Neither of them spoke for some minutes. Toni didn't know what to say, while Alice was evi- dently thinking deeply. "Have you been to the Young Men's Class this afternoon," she asked pre- sently, [(Nay?) "Why?" asked the girl, looking at him `.steadily. "It's noan in my line," replied Toni. "That kind of thing'll do for kids, but alien people get grown up they want something better." "Better and cleverer people than you, Toni, don't give it up," replied the girl. Tom continued to walk by Alice's side,• looking rather sulky. He and Alice had begun to walk out together a little more than a year be- fore, much to the surprise of their mutual friends. For Alice was not only better educated than Tom, but she moved in rather a better circle. Alice's father was one who, .begin- ning life as a weaver, had by steady perseverance and good common sense become a small manufacturer. He was anything but a rich man, but he was what the people called "Doin' vary weer—one who with good luck would in about ten years' time "addle a tidy bit of brass." Alice was his only daughter. He had never allowed her to go to the mill, but had sent her to a fairly good school until. she was sixteen years of age, since which time she had stayed at home with her moth- er, and assisted her in the house work. Alice had continued her education, however. She had a natural gift for music and possessed a fine contralto voice. She had quite a local.reputa- tion as a pianist and was constantly in demand to sing at concerts. She was more than ordinarily intelligent too, and was a lover of good books. Add- ed to this she attended classes in the town for Trench and German; and had on snore than one occasion been invited to the houses of big manufacturers. That was why people wondered at her walking with Tom Pollard. He, although looked upon as a sharp lad, was not, as was generally agreed, "up to Alice's mark.' Still facts were facts; and there could be no doubt about it that Alice showed a great preference for Tom, and, in spite of the fact that her father and mother were not all all pleased, had allowed him to accompany her home on several occasions. "What are you going to do, Toni?" asked. the girl: "What am I going to do?" queried Tom. "I don't know that I am going to do anything. What do you mean Alice ?" "I monmonthat you must make your choice." "Choice ? What choice?" "I should not have met you this afternoon," replied Alice Lister quiet- d e •ly, "but for the fact that.I want to come to' an understanding. I have not been blind, neither have l been deaf,. these last few months; a change has come over you, and—and you will have to choose." Tom knew what she meant well en- ough, but he pretended to be ignorant. "What has come over you, Alice? What do you mean ? Surely," he went on, "you are not taking any notice of What Emily Bilson said. Just as though a. lad can't speak to any- lass but his own!" "Tom," went on the girl quietly; "you know what you told me twelve months ago; you know, too, what my r father and mother said when they saw - us together; it has not been pleasant s for me to listen to people's gossip, especially when I know that most of r it is true. I have been very fond of • you and I don't deny it; if I hadn't , I should not have walked out with you, s but I want to tell you this—you have to make your choice this afternoon; ; either you are going to give up me, or you are going to give up the Thorn I. and Thistle and all it means." "You're jealous of Polly Powell," said Tom, with an uneasy laugh. "I'm jealous of ,your good name, Tom, jealous of evil influence." "Evil influence? What evil influ- r,ence?" s "Going to the Thorn and Thristle has done you a great deal of harm; it has caused you to give up your Young Men's Class, and—and—but there, I needn't talk any more about it. You understand what I mean. It must be either one or the other, Tom." "You mean that I must either give up you or Polly Powell ?" "It means more than that," replied the girl, "it means that you must eith- er give up me or give up going to the Thorn and Thistle. You used to be a teetotaler, Toni." "As though s;ny lad's a teetotaler in these days," laughed the young fellow. "Come now, Alice, you are not so nar- row-minded as that. I am nearly twenty-three now, and if . I want a glass of beer surely I can have it. You don't mean to say that everybody but teetotalers are going to the bad." "You know very well what I mean, Tom. You are not the kind of young man you were, and either you give up these things or we part company." "Nay, Alice, :doan": be narrow-mind- ed. I suppose;"- he added bitterly, "that you are beginning to look higher of the manufacturers. I hear that Harry 'Briarfield-was up at your house to supper the other night." They had by this time left the Liv- erpool Road and had entered Scott's Park, which during the last few years had become a rendezvous for - the peo- ple of the town, especially. on Sunday afternoons. especially. "You know," went on the girl, "that it made no difference to me when peo- ple told me that I was choosing a weaver. I didn't think about it, L only thought of you. But, Tom, I shall never marry any one who—who can find his pleasure in such places as -the Thorn and Thistle, and who sneers at Sunday School." "You mean," said Torn, rather angrily, "that if you continue to keep company with me I must feed on your religious lolly -pops." An angry flush mounted the girl's cheek, but she continued to speak quietly, "Tom," she said, "will you answer me truly? r. Do you find anything at the Thorn and Thistle better than you found in the young men's class ? You sneer at religion, but religion does no one any harm; rather it always does good; anyhow, it's everything to me, and you have to make your choice." Tom looked at her steadily. Ile knew what she menet, knew too that the time had come when he would have to make his choice. At that moment he saw what Polly Powell meant to his life, saw, too, that if he followed the road in which he had been walking during the last few months he would have to give up Alice Lister. He saw more than this, for at that moment Polly Powell's bland- ishments had no effect on lelm. She appeared to him in her true light— a coarse, vulgar •girl. "You don't care about me like you did," he said angrily. "You are get- ting tired of mo." "If that were true I should not speak to you in this way," and her voice became tremulous. "But I am not going to throw away my life, Toni; there's something more in life than—than love." "What?". he asked. "Duty, God," was the reply. Tom again laughed uneasily. Alice Lister lived in a different world from that in which Polly Powell lived; they breathed a different atmosphere; they spoke a different language. Yes, he would have to make his choice. "I would rather have you than forty Polly Powells," he burst out, "I would really, Alice, but—but—" "There must be no buts,. Tom, if—if you want.me. Oh, Tom, can't you see? You know that what I say is right and --and--" He saw her lips quiver; saw the tears start to her eyes. 1-te knew that his association with the daughter of the landlord of the Thorn and Thistle was coarsening him, making him have lower standee ds of life, mak- ing everything poorer, more sordid. Whenever he was with Alice he want- ed to be better and truer, and size al- ways made him ashamed of coarse, base things. "Alice, do you love me?" and his voice became almost hoarse, "If I didn't would I talk to you like this?" was her answer. A crisis had come into Tom's' life, and he knew it. Two forces were fifhting in his heart two angels 'were battling for his soul. At that Ino- ment it seemed as though his better Germany is Ruled by the Sentiments angel were going to win the victory; of the Degenerate • Prince. lie was on the point of telling AlicetIt is customary to look forward to - andhe would gayer eo intor the Thorn ward the reign of the Crown Prince of and Thistle again, never speak,. to Polly Powell again, when he heard a Germany with a certain amount of familiar voice close to him, . foreboding; but in essence, if not in "I say, Pollard, you are coining to- fact, the Crowne Prince is already on night, aren't you?"the throne, says Prof. Shaw, of New Toneeturned and saw a well-dressed York University. It is as credible a young fellow close beside him. He `belief that the kaiser did not' want - had come to Burnfordernt some three war as that the heir apparent did. The years duringbre to learn the cotton htsade, kaiser seems to have preferred his and the last few months he. and Tom had hien very friendly. Tom yacht to the U-boat, but the Crown was rather proud of this, because I Prince appears to have chosen more young Harry Waterman was his' sup- serious pastimes. Just rwhen the erior, both socially and from an edu- kaiser abdicated psychologically' in cational standpoint. Waterman favor of his son is not a matter of re- claimed to be the son of a squire • who corded date, but the fact -remains that lived in Warwickshire, who had sent Germany of to -day is ruled by the him to Brunford to learn cotton manu- facturing because more money was to The kaiser the a reminiscence, the be made out of i; than by sticking to , the land. Prince a harsh reality, and it is the Waterman was a tall, handsthne decadent spirit of : the Prince which young fellow, with a florid complexion appears, not only at Verdun but all and light -brown hair. He had met along the Hindenburg line -and in the Tom at the Mechanics Institute wake of von Tirpitz and his U -boat - Classes, and the young weaver had age.'.Germany, then, is urged on by been much flattered when the other the thoughtless impulses of the Crown hada at various times discarded all Prince, while the. function of his social distinctions and been friendly n fa with him. It wad he who had laugh- ther :seems to consist in exl5ressing ed Tom out of going to the Young regrets for German ruthlessness and Men's Classes on Sunday afternoon, in offering prayers for German sue - and told him that religion was only:cess. The virtual and psychological fit for ignorant people and women. ruler is a youhtg man whose attitude Waterman professed to have travelled toward life can hardly be understood a good deal, and had told Tom that after leaving an English Public School by u$ without suggesting analogies to he ha studied in one of the German Harry Thaw and Dr. Waite. had been proud to'associate 'with Waterman, who was friendly with big manufacturers. But to give tip Alice? No, he could not do that, He heard a loud laugh close by his side, and walking towards the Bandstand ht•; saw Polly Powell with Jim Dixon, ('l'o be continued,) REIGN OF THE CROWN PRINCE. Universities and taken his degree Critics of national ideals will be there. He had described•to the sim- unjust with Germany, which still has ple Lanchashire boy the life of'.Ber- a place an earth, nd false to them lin, and Leipzig Munich, and other selves if they indulge the fond as - German cities. Leipzig, had been. a will- sumption that Germany is false and ing pupil and thought what wonderful bad, while all other nations involved people tooe thatGrmans were.' He felt in the war are true and good. ' The. proudyoung Harry Water- difference between Germany and the man had evidently taken a liking to other nations lies in the fact that. him. "You will come, won't you?" went on Waterman; "just the same the others went to war with the best lotyou know." that. ,was in them to the 'front, the "Ay, I think so, saidrom. worst to the rear. France was ready "That's. all right, then; we'll' look to subordinate national levity to the out for you about seven." - serious business of defendingits "Where are you going to -night?" plicit ideals. After undue delay, Eng - asked Alice. I land decided to subsume "Onlywith Mr. Waterman," �" s e snobbery and Wa a man, repijfi,., selfishness for the sake of thrusting om . forward its standard notions . of civil- ization. In our own country, we have just begun to let the gardinal. ideal of national life take'` the •.place of jin oiwtiee talk,,stock.liobber• , and stock: robbery. That is, where the Other na- tions have succeeded in fighting ac- cording^ to the • best; •Germany has taken counsel with the - worst. A SONG F O THE TREES. Wind of the prairie lands, Mighty and strong, Coarse, sway my massive boughs, Burdened':with song. Rain from theclouds above Down to earth hurled, Wash from my tiny leaves Dust of the world, Corrie, oh, ye birds of air, With outstretched wing; In my protecting arms Nestle and sing. Man of the fragrant earth, Whom God hath made, - Come, leave life's toil and care, Rest in my shade.—Dora sanders. To' Canada. And thou, my country, write it on thy heart, Thy sons are they who nobly take thy part; Who dedicates his manhood at thy shrine, ' Wherever born, is born a son. of thine. Lead suitable for the casing of tea is needed at Amoy, China. European dealers formerly supplied this " pro. duct. 1. "But where?" "To a kind of club we have at the Rose and Crown. • Coine now, Alfee, it's no use looking like that; you can't expect me,to, be a ninny, J e""ate ill ' i. a sw , he is tha `son squire." "That is how;. you are going to spend your Sunday evening, then?" said the girl. "Certainly," replied Tom. He felt angry that Alice should interfere with his pleasures. Besides, he remem., bered that Waterman had once said .to him .hat any fellow was a fool who allowed a woman to interfere with his pleasures. "I" see you have made your choice," said Alice. "Look here, Alice," said Tom angrily, '91 you mean that you ex- pect me to behave like. a Methody parson, I have. I mean to get on, and Waterman can help me; and—and — I say, Alice, don't look like that!" for the look in the girI's eyes had almost destroyed the influence which Waterman had over him. "I am going home now," said the girl. "May I come with you ?" asked Toni. "That depends," replied the girl; 'either you must be as you were when I first walked out with you, or we must part." "You mean good-bye for ever ?" "Just that," she replied. "Oh, Tom, can't you see! Can't you see! Won't you promise, Tom? I don't know anything about young Water- man; but I know he is not having a good influence on you, and, Tom, why do you want to break my heart?" Still Tom was undecided. He want- ed Alice more than words could say; he felt there was no girl like her in all the wide world, and he knew that the last few months had not done him any good. But there was another side. He was only a weaver, and he a M „ler.( i',• • Two Reasons Why A Transportation Reason—So the dealer can ,order out his fertilizer in cars loaded to full capacity, which hold twice as much as average -loaded cars. Just half as many cars are needed—the other half are set free f or other uses. Freight con- gestion is relieved. You stand a better chance of getting your . fertilizer. A Patriotic Reason—So all our industries, all our national re- sources, . all our efforts can give a full measure of war -time ser. vice, and so fertilizers can have a chance to increase our na- tional food supply, Write for Particulars S011-]MPROVEMENT COMMITTEE of the NATIONAL FERTLLU.ZER ASSN. Postel Tela¢rapi: Bldg. Abney Bldg. Chicago Baltimore SIGN "OF MEDICAL GUARD." St. Andrew's Cross a Sign That a • Doctor is on Board. When warships are in harbor one of them is nearly always seen `: flying from her yard -arm a flag consisting of :•a white S£ Andrew's Cross on.a blue ground. This means that there .is a doctor on board, and that she is the ship that is "medical guard" for the time being. If medical assistance is required on any other warship in the harbor whose own doctor happens to be away, it can be obtained from the vessel flying the flag in question. By this arrangement medical. officers of the fleet are able to obtain leave in regular rotation, one always . being left on duty in .W case of emergency. Where a number of ships are anchor-, ed, it is, of course, very essential that it should be possible for any of them to tell in a moment where the doctor on duty is to be found, so that he may be summoned without delay. A LINE OR TWO. Send me a line or two, Telling me how you do— Send me a line or two, I long to hear! You are so far away, I miss you every day. You are so far away, Once you were near! Tell me the little things, Nothing of wars or Kings— Tell me the little things, Dearest to me. Doo your thoughts ever turn To the far hearts that yearn?. Do your thoughts ever, turn Over the ; sea? I cannot let you go, Because I love you so— I cannot let you go, Out of my life! My love shall be a shield, My prayers a blessing yield, For you upon the field— All through the strife! Nina Moore 'Jamieson. f Choose Your 'Associates. The bond of friendship is a beauti- ful tie; . it isto be highly treasured. True and lasting friendships are the outgrowth of mutual attraction, grad. ually developing through intimacy, and ripeninginto a firm bond with respect and keen appreciation of znerit as the basis. And as time goes on such friendships become cemented and are unbreakable. Choose your associates; leaving it to chance is not a safe course to pursue. 2 and 511). Cartons 10, 20, 50 and 100 ib. Bags. Canada Sugar Refining Co., Limited, Montreal. Redpath refining methods produce no second rade sugar. ..We make and sell one. grade only—the highest—so that you will never get anything but the best p under the name of Redpath. g Redpath "LetRedpalFh Sweeten it." 9 EDMOND AUGER HERO OF FRANCE ONE UNWRITTEN STORY AMONG MILLIONS '.OF THE WAR. Shot Against a Wall by a Hun Firing Squad, But Escaped With His Life to Happiness. His name is Edmond,Augier. Ile ie" a Breton, a farmer's son,' hardy and strong, one of those of whom it is said in his native province that they have "soul riveted to the body, and whose heart is of oak," writes Henri Bazin from Paris. He had been a sergeant in the -- . Battalion of the Chasseurs. In February, 1916, he was en patrol out- side the French lines. His work lay In the open, tins ^to a shattered wood. He heard a noise, and hi investigating was separated from his five compani- ons, Advancing cautiously, he found himself suddenly confronted by eight Uhlans. Turning quickly, he endeav'-' ored to escape, but finding this impos- sible he stood ground behind a tree and dropped three of the enemy with revolver and rifle. The other five, furious at"resistance from a single man, fell upon him, and after .capture± tied him to the tail of one of their horses, dragging him at a• slow trot,: within the German lines. Wounded, bruised and exhausted,, that destination was reached. And then he was taken before an -officer, who, after hearing his tale;"condemn- ed him- to be shot against " a wall. Without either food or drink, he was thrown into a cellar, and at daybreak. the next morning led forth for exeddu- tea tion with four fellow victims, all civi- lians, all old men, one the Mayoz of the occupied village. Augier' was ranged alongside them, and a detail, without further ceremony, fired. Feigned Death. Four fell dead ,and the chasseur fell, too, with five bullets in his body, two in the right leg, two in the right arm and one through the right shoul- der. He had ready wit enough to sink. limp td the ground, as -if ' death had come to him as it had to the others, and he lay perfectly still, despite pain, despite` the awkwardness of his posi- tion, in which his 'wounded arm was under the body, and his cheek touch- ing the newly dead ghonldereaf.{ o "oe a°' five prostrate hien or a'! eeco'n fired five shots from' his: revolver, one in each body. , The bullet intended for Augier furrowed a ridge to the bone across his forehead: Hp felt its burn- ing passage, the trickling blood, but lay still as if truly dead.. All day he laid there in the cold, suffering, but with gritted teeth waiting for the night. Would they come and bury before darkness? He did not know. He only prayed and thought of his Brittany home, of his mother. With the early dark he cautiously raised his head and seeing no one crawled away, finally after what seemed hours dragging' himself to the open beyond the village. There he. was found unconscious by a German patrol during the night, taken for 'a member of a French patrol that had been wounded in a skirmish and re- moved to a field hospital. On the way he asked himself if he would meet 'the officer or any of the squad that had executed him. In the hospital he was given medi- cal .treatment.. The German surgeon looked at his wounds and saidthe arm would have to . ,be amputated. Augier answered he did .notwant done. "But it will be useless and you may have blood poisoning," was `, the reply. "Let it be, bandage it, but let it be,", answered the soldier from Brittany. Reaps Life's Reward.. And so he was sent to the rear and later to a hospital in Germany, : and afterward to a prison camp. He suf- fered the tortures of hell during the journey, And he reached his prison "home", with 'his forehead healed, but showing a livid scar, his leg usable with a stick, his arm a withered thing; There he remained until four months ago, when he was exchanged through Switzerland,tas one of the hopelessly wounded. And when he reached Paris he was sent to a hospital, where the five bullets were extracted. To -day he wore a new uniform upon which were the Medaille Militaire the Croix de Guerre, the Legion of Honor, the uniform of a sergeant of, Chasseurs. He is about thirty, brown- haired, brown -eyed, the right leg stiff at the knee, the right arm withered, across the forehead from temple ,to temple a livid scar. To -day is his wedding day. lie had met his bride in the hospital, where She had nursed him. And the little god with the arrow had done the rest They are going to a Brittany village, where the husband has a little farm and where they will live out their young and, I pray, rid lives, Sa to