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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1929-04-12, Page 7e Publishers The Musson Book Company, Ltd. Toronto (Continued from last week) "What is the meaning of all this mystery? He said you were too sick to see me." "Permit me to explain," Gray' be- gan, as he closed the door behind them. "Buddy and I came to blows ovee, you; you were in a manner of speaking, an apple of discord between us, and the melancholy results you be- hold. Jealousy of your charms was not my motive; I merely asked Bud- dy to defer a contemplated action. He refused; I insisted. Argument failed to budge eithet of us and—" The young woman's sympathetic re- amed of Gray's victim changed to a glare of hostility as she turned upon the speaker, crying: "You brute! You ought to be arrested!" "He ast me to ait, Arline—" "To delay asking you a question which I felt should be more seriously eonsidered. an the absence of is family I took it upon myself to—'l "To butt in!" Miss Montague ex- claimed, with curling lip. 'Quite so. I merit your disapprov- al, but not your disdain." With some heat Buddy declared:— "Pa an' Ma know that I got a mind of my own. It won't do 'em any goad to come." "See here," the woman demanded. "What have you heen telling Buddy about me? I told him all there was to teal." "Quite all? I fear you have not been as frank as you would have me believe. That, in fact, explains my connection with the affair. Believe me when I say that I am interested only in seeking justice done to both of you young people, and in making sure that you do not deceive each other. It is an impulse of artless sieruth to trick itself in glowing colors but you should know the whole truth about Buddy and he about you. If, after you are thoroughly acquainted with each other. you still maintain a :mutual regard I shall have nothing further to say—except to beg that I be allowed to show my true friend- ship for both of you." "Wtell, spring the bad news," said Bliss Montague. Briskow-.now displayed the first op- en resentment he had shown since his defeat of the day before. "You lick- ed me, Mr. Gray, an' I took my medi- cine," he growled. "You changed my looks, but you didn't change my mind. I'm waitin' for the folks to come, but It ain't goin' to listen to 'em." "Let him get this off his chest, uddy. Go ahead with the scandal, Saint Anthony." Gray bowed. "Suppose we ignore the early convent training and the Old Kentucky Home and agree that they are pleasant fictions, like the kbt aao 44144 bkaa, Tient denger' Of ittheritiar,•Time? Pal sere 'yea Willeadeid are ea)tirely hadagillarZn., Welter/a semi - lett eyelid'wider? hie tumid lips parted, end ele eNIVesaton of surprise spread over his dropsical went/mance, °Step oa it," tsneered Miss on- tague. °Dish, the diitirr "Buddybelief, howeVer, that your stage, careen was blasted and yeur young life laid waste by the scion of a rich New York house should, in the interests of truth, be corrected." "Ble knows I was married." "True. But not to Bennie Felton, the jockey." "That is a lie!" ''Nor that the esthnable Mr. Ful- ton, instead of perishing upon the field of glory, dodged the draft and is doing as well as could be expected of a jockey, who has been ruled off ev- ery track in the country, and is now a common gambler against whom the finger of suspicion is leveled—" "It's a Her the woman stormed. Of Buddy she inquired: "You don't believe that, do you? You don't in- tend to listen to that sort of stuff?" The •object of this appeal was torn by conflicting emotions. Doubt is a weed that sprouts faster in dull minds —suspicion is the ready armor of ig- norance; to young Briskow came the unwelcome vision of those oil wells. Was Gray telling the truth? Could it be that Arline had made a fool of him? But no, she was smaller, pret- tier, more adorable than ever, now that she was whipped by this gale of anger. and a girl like that could not be a deceiver. Buddy longed desper- ately to believe her refutation of the charge. He closed his eyes and made himself believe. "Even now," Gray was saying, "if you would tell the boy all he ought to know, I would take myself off and have nothing more to say." "You—you make me sick!" Miss Montague cried, vibrantly. "What right have you to preach? Wihat kind of a man are you? If he .believed your lies for a minute I'd never want to see him again. He has been a true friend to me"—her voice quavered, caught in her throat—"the only true friend I ever had. I don't care whe- ther he's rich or poor, but men like you are all alike. What chance has a girl gat against you? You want to use his money, so you p -poison his mind—break a woman's heart—just b -because you—hate me." The last words were sobbed forth. Miss Mon- tague broke down. "Hell!" hoarsely exclaimed young Briskow, "you're rnakin' her cry!" Gray sighed; he stepped to the door, opened it and called, "Come in, both of you." Arline Montague's shoulders ceas- ed to shake, she lifted her blond head alertly. Then she uttered a breath- less exclamation. Buddy, atteanwhile, had been staring at the thior, and he was surprised when, instead of his family, he saw entering a strange man and a boy small of stature but old of face, a boy insouciant, impudent, swagger- ing. It was this boy who spoke first. "Hello, mamma!" he cried. At sound of, that voice Buddy re- coiled, for it was deeper than his ovine His expression of dismay was no doubt ludicrous, at any rate the urchin's lively eyes leaped to his face and remained there, while a grin spread over his features. "Hully Gee!" rumbled the lad. "Here's another one that ought to buried!" "Mrs. Fulton" —it was Gray speak- ing—"I took the liberty of asking your son—" Buddy Briskow heard no more, for his ears were roaring. Her son! That Internall and ExternaA Pans are prom ay relieved by TmomAs9 EC ECT -C THAT IT HAS BEEN SOLD FOR NEARLY FIFIV YEARS AND IS TO -DAY A GREATER SELLER THAN EVER BEFORE IS A TESTIMONIAL THAT SPEAKS FOR ITS NUMEROUS CURATIVE QUALITIES. r 241 Th Nos one Royal ,Maser go a:thousand will ever puncture. Not one in five thousand will blow out tinder two years of service. SEAFORTIE IDT • G‘EAT D HAS S The Royal Master was. built without regard for cost. It is the finest tire that can be built. Its massive tread is double thick, cured by a new slow process. Its carcass is made with extra plies of web fabric. Side-walls are guarded against scuffing. The Royal Master is made oversize. Os rather, the right size for real rire,economy. If you want tires that will last as long c you keep your car, then buy Royal Masters. On sale at every J. F. nallY Smith Brothers s'str „sees sie p ow Res neragnake A I Me di 0701.63 Yew deems will tell you how chewing relleveo nervous tension, w the healthful *easing action of Wrigley's refreshes the mouth end tones you up. Wrigley's does • esuch—costs llttis voice! Being little more than a boy himself, nothing could have hurt him more cruelly than this; his impulse was , to flee the room, for his world h:(4. Come down in crashing ruin. She had lied! She had made a fool of Lim. Gray had been right. The others were still talking when Fuddy broke in faintly. His batter- ed visage was white, his lips were col- criess. "I reckon this—ends my part of the 'entertainment," said he. Slow- ly he seated himself and bowed his read in his hands, for he had become cra:te Aere Montague—Margie Fulton— once ;be blow had fallen, behaved rather well; she took Bennie in her arms end kissed him, then in answer to his quick look of dismay at her agi- tation, she patted him on the shoul- der ana said: "It's all right, son. You d:dn't know." "Didn't know what?" demanded the :ad. "Say—" He started angrily from one face to another. "Is it a plant?" "Hush! You wouldn't understand." Tiennie's suspicions now were in full :ay and his gaze came to rest upon Calvin Gray; his eyes began to bleze. "You—you big bum!" he cried. "I might have known you were a dou- ble-crosser." • "Hush, Bennie. please!" "MY get you for this." The mid- get -szes quivering with rage. "You'll ,00k worse'n that, you—you big balm." "'Take my key. Here!" The mother thrust her room key into the boy's hand. 'Run along. see yea in a few minutes." To Mallow she said: ''take hint- out, please. Yen brought him." Mallow. fluehirg uncomf .rtably, tock leeneie by be wrist and dragged him tc, the door. "Dirty work. • said the waman, when •:,e two ead gone. Her eyes dark .vith angsr as she state at Gray. "It r-Lst look ss you," he agreed "Frankly I didn't enjoy it." "Bah!" Marge: turned to Br:skow, but in 1 is attitude, his averted gaze sre read the doom of her hopes. One final chance remained, however, and desperately she snatched at it. "Bud- d -r!" she cried. "Buddy!" Her voice was poignant as she pleaded. "I couldn't tell you the truth. I wanted to—I laid awake rights trying to get the courage, but I was afraid you wculdn't understand. I'd have told you the whole thing,if you'd ever given me the chance. You know I've been married; does it make so much difference that I have a son?" When the object of her appeal only stirred she went on, reproachfully: "Are you going to allow this—this man to— come between us?" "I wouldn't believe you now, if—" Buddy choked. "I'm through!" ' "You mean that?" The young fel- low nodded. "Very well!" Some- thing in the tone of the lag w esls, some accent of desperation, canssd Buddy to raise his head. Re was in tihie to see Margie fumble with her purse and extract something there- froin; to Biddy's yes it resembled a bettle. "There is no use fighting any7 rsore. You have ruined my life." "My God!" young Briskow yelled in dismay. "Don't do that! Stop her!" He leaped to his feet and lunged for the poison vial which was trembling upon Arline's lips. Gray, too, had been galvanized into action, but of an unexpected nature; he grappled with Buddy and held him. "Look out!" the latter gasped. "She's killin' herself." The Texan was weak with horror; he could only paw impotently at his cap- tor and cry: "Arline! You wouldn't do that? For me? Lemme go. Arz line—" "This is the end,"noaned the wo- man, still holding the bottle to her lips. Her despair was tragic; nev- ertheless, she did not instantly hurl herself into the hereafter. This hesi- tation at meeting death was only na- tural, perhaps, for none but the brav- est,can leap into the unknown with- out a moment of farewell. "Drink hearty!" Gray exclaimed, over his shoulder, meanwhile closing tighter his embrace 0 r the terrified youth. Buddy's struggles suddenly ceased, for at last the bottle had been drain- ed; the girl was groping blindly to- ward the nearest chair. "Godlinighty1 You let her do it!" he cried, hoarsely. "You -;--you mur- derer! We—we gotta get a doctor, quick." "Nonsense! Water won't hurt her; and that's all it. is. She's known as 'the Suicide Blonde.'" "Say! You're bursting with infor- mation, aren't you?" It was MISS Montague, tottering upon the brink of the grave, who vbiced this explos- ive inquiry. Her drooping shoulders straightened, she raised her head and fleng the empty bottle violently from bee. Her faco was deathly white, to be sure, hut not with darting agonien. "You Ireaow everything, don't you? You make plain the past, the wet- ent, and the future. Well, Madatee Thebes, you're Wider the wire vtritth tho horsariboo on 7our Wide With t 10044 tct tf 00,rVO turue4' tbigo aud 111z4 14,5' gieme4X ,UT bobbed eznl aiM4u�'ak; she spoke; "Take, that sellitir4 plater back to the • ear horn, whore he :belongs. I'm off ' boobs for life. It knew you had . in on me the Mingt.001 eaw yott, for I broke my pi rrer the day You; breez- ed in. Seven years bad luck? My God, you're all of thateand more! Wiry • you'd bring bad luck to a church! I'll beat it now While you give little Rollo his bottle and rock him to sleep. If he cries, tell me end—ad I'll furnish the rock." The door slammed to behind the diminutive fury, and Gray sank feeb- ly into a chair. He was laughing sil- ently. "By Jove! She's splendid!" he chuckled. "Buddy, I—I like that wo- man." It was midforeneon of the next day. Mr. Fulton, after a restless night; was packing her trunks; her room was in disarray, what with open suitcas- es and piles of dresses, lingerie, shoes and the like strewn carelessly about. She had halted her labors for a sec- ond time to scan a brief note that had arrived a few moments before and ran as follows: Dear Mrs. Fulton,—I am not really such a bad sort as you consider me, and I'm genuinely interested in that boy of yours. Let's cry quits and have a serious talk about him and— perhaps other things. Sincerely yours, CALVIN Q.RAY. She was thus engaged when there came a knock, and in answer to her voice the writer entered. "Thank you for letting me come up," he began. "I'm becoming ac- customed to dodging chambermaids and scurrying up back stairs. But I'm looking better, don't you think?" "There's only one way you'd look better to me," the woman said, un- smilingly, "and that is laid out." "Please put me at my ease. I am physically sore and mentally distress- ed." "You sore distressed! Humph! I wouldn't have consented to see you except for what Mallow told me. Af- er what he said I'd like to give you a piece of my mind. What right have you doing a thing like this? Do you know what I think of you?" "I do. Also what Mallow thinks of me, for he told me. You see, he be- lieves firmly that I am a—well, a person of much looser principles than I really am, and my protestations of honesty only excite his veiled deris- ion!' • "He says he's sorry. Sorry! After spilling the beans." "Mrs. Fulton, I have learned that life is a mixed affair, and that most of our actions are the results of con- flicting motives. Yes, and that we ourselves are products of conflicting forces, good and evil. Few of us are as good as we would like to have peo- ple believe nor as bad as we appear. I wonder if you will believe me when I say that I—like you." "Certainly not." "Nevertheless, I do. For one thing you are a good fighter and a good loser. I try to be, but I fear I lack your spirit. /1 would not lieve hurt you willingly!' The woman tossed her head and turned away; when she spoke, it was wearily: "I might have known I couldn't make the jump. I never did win a big race. A good loser, eh? Well, I've had enough practice at it. How is Buddy? Hurt, I suppose. His young life is blasted; he'll never trust another woman." "He is standing it pretty well, and is greatly cheered by the fact that he can see out of his left eye practically as well as ever. He is going back to the oil fields and learn the business. I am going to put him to work. What are you going to do with Bennie?" "Do with him.? What can I do with him?" "He is a bright boy." "I'm bright, too, but I have all I can do to get by." "It is a shame to think he will grow up into what his father was." Margie Fulton dheeled and her blue eyes were dark. "I suppose you think I'm a bad mother. But what do you know about it? How do you know what I've gone through for him; the sacrifices I've made? I've made plen- ty and they came hard." "I'd like to help you make a RI BD of him." "What? You? How ?" "I' like to put him in business and teaeh him that there is no profit in short-changing chstomers; that the real wise guy isn't the fellow who gets the best of every bag of pea- nutst but the one who can go back to the same customer and sell him an- other bag. The abstract princille has been put much more succinctly, but I doubt if it would carry the same weight with him. I'd enjoy giving the boy a hand up, but—'he is more than I'd care to tackle alone." "There't Mallow to help you. He'd be a refining influence." The mother's lip curled. "How about you?" eme?” lIsn't the—sort of life; you are living becoming a bit tiresome? Are you not about fed up on uncertain- ties?" The object of these queries drew a deep breath; her eyeslids flickered, but she continued to stare at the speaker. "Worry brings deep- er wrinkles than old age. Wouldn't you like to tie to something solid and be able to ,ohow Bennie that you are, at heart, the sort of woman I con- sider you? He'll soon he getting old enough to wonder if you are what he thinks you are or if—" "I suppose you learned this—bay- onet practice in the army,'/ Mrs. Ful- ton said, hoarsely. "Anybody can make a good living in a country like this if he cares en- ough to try. I'll back yeti if you need money' "And—what's the price?" "My price? Oh, T'd feel well re- paid if Amite day Bennie aeknowledg- ed that I was a 'regular guy,' and if you agreed." "Ie that all?" "Quite all. Is there sontething you ?" 'tan cook. Pin a good took. W41.• men like mo weirdly helm hobbies they never can foliage—nd I have two. 10DIT nuke a fool a t stove and lf--41C can -design chi drent althea —Azelktdorltil thin, 12ttins--“P se- —e-eseestere seeeeellieeFfeleliF4',` 7 e` • pke • -1.0se dangers afire tlap, buildings adhai to. baihd, by ms 11 t�i 1 -!OO WILTH The appearance dads roo thousant z Wheslever.,1 roo of t laid in an district, it It media preference, andothers W110 are roo kind of building, whether it be barn, house, garage, shed or warehouse insist on, irb Roll. EilliM,STAPRO, It is made to famous "Council '241.A4n4aul44-") Standard" upec piCstj�uj. • AR•18 141.-. • Old roofs like this are raPidlY becoming things of the past. Fireproof, perannent„ Rale Rat roofs mean lower insurance rates banish upkeep trouble and give your building an attractive, epic -and -Beau appearance. EASY TO 1LAY ON NEW JP lit OFS ' ' Ora. OVEN OED R*IFS . 44e,l'It The cost of Raying Rib Roll is Rome &watt/at of nearly 4;11 other types of ros!,, wg. Any who is handy with a baruneF can pat it '. •;. • .,. Its han4 .: orris appearance ad.ig. many 0,,,tmurt.i- ' rff_.., to the value of your property. ... Send ridge and niftier measure ..,,,, Aft asOCe or roorz in qUestiont, for free estimate f coat When ed this joint is ao tight that it ia quite invisible from even a short distaiaco away. Mustration shows the neat and at- tractivo pattern which is etamped inta tho sheeits ma huge press of 40 tons ...,sacity., Beware of aubstinates. There is Adeze_ earts,Rolt, ahowingthe.l.r1:3:0 Bala BolL Ge2 111)026C141120. E190102 .0171/e SPECIAL SLIELNG 0 R ONTIRIEtAl, PRESTON, ONT. "Will you come to Wichita. Falls and start a restaurant and make good things to eat, if I supply the money and the customers?" "Will I?" The speaker's face had flushed, her eyes had begun to spar- kle. "Then it's a bargain," 'Gray de- clared, gayly. "Why, you'll get rich for it is the chance of a lifetime. I'll guarantee patronage; I'll drum. up trade if I have to turn sandwich man and ring a bell. Leave the details to me." Margie Fulton sank slowly into the nearest chair, regardless of the fact that it was piled full of lacy, white, expensive things; her voice quavered, broke, as she said: "Gee, Mr. Gray! I figured there must be some decent men in the world, but—I never thought I'd meet one" CHAPTER XXIII In a long, relentless struggle be- tween two men psychology may play ToaCIRTO a part as important as in a campaign between two opposing armies, or so at least Calvin Gray believed. Tht, in fact, was one of his pet theories and from the first he had planned to test it. It was characteristic of Hen- ry Nelson, on the other hand, that he put no faith whatever in "imponder- ables," hence Gray's reference to morale, on that day of their first meeting, had amused him. Morale, indeed! As if a man of his tough fiber could be affected by the mere chanting of a Hymn of Hate! He considered himself the captain of his soul, and the antics of a malicious enemy, the wild waving of false dan- ger signals, instead of distracting a resolute mariner, would merely cause him to steer a truer course. But Nelson was a brooder. Time came when doubts distressed him, when he began to put faith in "ma- licious animal magnetism" and, de- spite his better sense, to wonder if some evil spell really had not been put upon laim. In his arrogance it had seem, at first a simple matter to do away With Gray. That had been mistake num- her one. The miserable breakdowr. of that plan, the refusal of his hire- ling to go forward, and the impossi- bility of securing a trustworthy sub- stitute convinced him finally that he had erred grievously in hie mettl*. Some men are invulnerable to open attack, and Gray, it seemed, had been wet in the waters of the Styx. No,. that had been a bad beginning and Nelson regretted it, for he feared it had served as a warning. (Continued next week.) The power to say "No" differ- entiates man from the lower animals. —Sir Robert Armstrong -Jones. Any man with a doubtful past has a doubtful future.—Financial A new concepdlon of 7Deenaty new peEk o2 perfortomEnc HE new Chrysler "75"—with its fresh interpretation of the princi- ples of classic beauty—is vivid proof that fine art can exist in stern metal. At the same time, Chrysler genius in engineering 6as given this mag- nificent car a range of power and a rhythm of motion that create new ideals of motoring eas. With its famous "Silver-Dotrielligh- compression eegine; with aecounter- balanced 7 -bearing crank- shaft; with iso -therm Invar- Strut aluminum alloy pis- tons; impulse neutralizer and rubber engine mountings, the "75" has speed, acceleration, smoothness and endurance. 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