HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1931-12-04, Page 7"ll
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RUPTURE SPRcaIA,'l$T
. Rupture, Varicocele, Varicose Veins,'''
*bdominal Weakness, Spinal Deform-
ity. Consultation free.: Call or
write. J. G. SMITH, British Appli,
ance Specialists, 15 Downie St., Strut*
ford, Ont. 320245
LEGAL
Phone No. 9.1
JOHN J. HLTGGARD
Barrister, Solicitor,
Notary Public, Etc.
Beattie Block - - .Seaforth, Ont.
R. S. HAYS
Barrister, Solicitr, Conveyancer
and Notary Public. ` Solicitor for the
Dominion Bank. Office in rear of the
Dominion Bank, •Seaforth. Money to
loan.
' BEST & BEST
Barristers, Solicitors, Conveyan-
cers and Notaries Public, Etc. Office
in the Edge Building, opposite The
Expositor Office.
VETERINARY
JOHN GRIEVE, V.S.
Honor graduate of Ontario Veterin-
ary College. All diseases of domestic
animals treated. Calls promptly at-
tended tR and charges moderate. Vet-
erinary Dentistry a specialty. Office
and residence on Goderich Street, one
door east of Dr. Mackay's office, Sea -
forth.
A. R. CAMPBELL, V.S.
Graduate of Ontario Veterinary
College, University of Toronto. All
diseases of domestic animals treated
by the most modern principles.
Charges reasonable. Day or night
calls promptly attended to. Office on
Main Street, Hensall, opposite Town
Hall. Phone 116.
MEDICAL
DR. E. J. R. FORSTER
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat
Graduate in Medicine, University of
Toronto.
Late assistant New York Opthal-
mei and Aural 'Institute, Moorefield's
Eye and Golden Square Throat Hos-
pitals, London, Eng. At Commercial
Hotel, Seaforth, third Monday in
each month, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
58 Waterloo Street, South, Stratford.
DR. W. C. SPROAT
Graduate of Faculty of Medicine,
University of Western Ontario, Lon-
don. Member of College of Physic-
ians and Surgeons of Ontario. Office
in Aberhart's Drug Store, Main St.,
Seaforth. Phone 90.
DR. A. NEWTON-BRADY
Graduate Dublin University, Ire-
land. Late Extern Assistant Master
Rotunda Hospital for Women and
Children, Dublin. Office at residence
lately occupied by Mrs. Parsons.
Hours: 9 to 10 a.m., 6 to 7 p.m.,
Sundays, 1 to 2 p.m. 2866-26
DR. F. J. BURROWS
Office and residence Goderich Street,
east of the United Church, Sea -
forth. Phone 46. Coroner for the
County of Huron.
DR. C. MACKAY
C. Mackay, honor graduate of Trin-
ity University, and gold medalist of
Trinity Medical College; member of
the College of Physicians and Sur-
geons of Ontario.
DR. H. HUGH ROSS
Graduate of University of Toronto
Faculty of Medicine, member of Col-
lege of Physicians and Surgeons of
Ontario; pass graduate courses in
Chicago Clinical School of Chicago ;
Royal Ophthalmie Hospital, London,
England; University Hospital, Lon-
don, England. Office -Back of Do-
minion Bank, Seaforth. Phone No. 5.
Night calls answered from residence,
Victoria Street, ,Seaforth.
DR. S. R. COLLYER
Graduate Faculty of Medicine, Uni-
versity of Western Ontario. Member
College of Physicians and Surgeons of
(Irtai io. Post graduate work at New
York City Hospital and Victoria Hos-
pital, London, Phone: Hensall, 56.
Office. King Street, Hensall.
DR. J .A .MUNN
Graduate of Northwestern Univers-
ity, Chicago, Ill. Licentiate Royal
College of Dental Surgeons, Toronto.
Office over Sills' Hardware, Main St.,
Seaforth. Phone 151.
DR. F. J. BECHELY
Graduate Royal College of Dental
Surgeons. Toronto. Office over W. R.
Smith's Grocery, Main Street, Sea -
forth. Phones: Office, 185 W; resi-
lience, 185 J.
CONSULTING ENGINEER
S. W. Archibald, B.A.Sc., (Toronto),
O.L.S., Registered Professional En-
gineer and Land Surveyor. Victor
Building, 2881/2 Dundas Street, Lon-
don, Ontario. Telephone: Metcalf
2801W.
AUCTIONEERS
THOMAS BROWN
By Joseph Co Lincoln
Continued from last week.
"No, sir -no," he protested. "I
can't tape the appointment. I thank
you very much. I appreciate your
thinking of me, but -well, I can't take
"
it, that's all.
Kellogg stared in surprise. "Can't
take it?" he repeated irritably. "Of
course you'll take it. T want you to
take. it. Have wanted just that all
along. And so have you. You told
me so. 'Eh? Didn't you?"
"I told you last November that I
wanted to be keeper here -yes. But
I have changed my mind. You see
-well, I can't tell you, Cap'n Kellogg
-but---4--""But what? Are you crazy too?"
"I hope not. But -+-T"
"Oh, be hanged. You'll have to take
the job -to help me out, if for no
other reason. . . . There, there;.
I can't spend any more time arguing.
You can think it over; there'll be time
enough. And there are a few days
yet before the first of March. You
can't quit before then without break-
ing your word to me. And until then,
anyhow, you'll act as keeper. You've
got to. I need you."
"But -but Cap'n Bartlett will be
here."Maybe he will, and maybe he
won't. That's up to me. I'm in-
clined to let him down easy, mainly
on his daughter's account, so I'm go-
ing to give him a few days to resign
in. . Resigning doesn't mean much to
outsiders. A man can resign for a
whole lot of different reasons. He
can be fired for only a certain kind,
and they are the kind that hurt. I'm
going to forward my report and re-
commendations to Washington. He'll
have until I hear from there to re-
sign in. And I ifiean to write to his
daughter, explaining everything, and
telling her to use her influence to get
him to quite and save a lot of talk,
talk that will hurt him. I think she'll.
understand and do it. . . . Mean-
while, Calvin, you're keeper here. Yes,
you've got to be. Afterwards -well,
we'll see how you feel when the time
comes. . There! that's enough.
Come on! "I'm going home."
CHIAPTER. XV
Calvin's letterto Norma Bartlett
had been duly delivered to the mem-
ber of the Orham Station crew at the
half -way house. He took it back
with him when he returned from pa-
trol. But, when he reached the sta-
tion, the mail had already gone over
to the mainland, and so he put the
letter on the shelf in the mess -room,
where, in the ordinary course of ev-
ents, it would have been taken on the
following day. But, as it happened,
no one went to the village that day
or the next. There was nothing very
unusual in this, for often several days
elapsed before the station mail reach-
ed the post office. 'In this case Nor -
ma's letter did not leave Orham until
the afternoon of the fourth day fol-
lowing that of the great storm. And
that same afternoon Norma left Fair -
borough for Boston, on her way to
Setuckit.
She had read the accounts in the
newspapers of the rescue'' of the Fly-
away. These accounts were brief, but
in one of them was a hint of trouble
at her father's station. It was but a
hint, -derived from a local correspond-
ent's interview „at Vineyard Haven
with the Flyaway's skipper. The lat-
ter had learned from one of the Set-
uckit life-savers a little of what had
happened before the lifeboat was
launched, and the paper printed a
distorted story made up, for the most
part, of rumour and surmise. Cap-
tain Bartlett, keeper at Setuckit, had
not, so it said, led his crew to the
helpless schooner. Instead a man
named Homer was in command and
this same Homer was, according to
the reports of the Flyaway's men and
judged by the few words vouchsafed
by 'Captain Higgins of the revenue
cutter Amgansett, extremely able and
very much on the job. But the ques-
tion as to why he, instead of Bart-
lett, had led the 'Setuckit crew that
day was still a question at the time
the article was written. There were
rumours of dissatisfaction, culminat-
ing in open rebellion. More particu-
lars were to follow.
This was the tale which Norma read
in the Boston newspaper. It was dis-
turbing enough and sufficiently alarm-
ing, of itself. She slept but little that
night and made up her mind, provid-
ed she heard nothing more next day,
to telegraph to Calvin, asking for ex-
planation and reassurance. There
was not the slightest doubt in her
mind of her lover's loyalty. He had
promised to keep faith with her father
and he would do it, she was sure of
that. What she feared ways that her
father's health had broken, that he
was ill. If so she must go to him. It
would be difficult to leave her desk at
the library but those difficulties should
not matter. She would go, even if it
meant giving up her position there
at Fairborough.
The morning mail brought no word.
The papers, when they came, contain-
ed none of the promised "particulars".
She had not really expected Calvin to
write; if there had been or was ser-
ious trouble he would be too busy for
that. But she had hoped he might
telegraph. And no telegram came.
Licensed auctioneer for 'the counties
of Huron and Perth. Correspondence
arrangements for sale dates can be
made by .calling The Expositor Office,
Seaforth. Charges moderate, a n d
satisfaction guaranteed. Phone 802.
OSCAR KLOPP
Honor Graduate Carey Jones' Na-
tional School for Auctioneering, Chi-
cago. Special course taken in Pure
Bred Live Stock, Real Estate, Mer-
-chandise and Perm Sales. Rates in
keeping with prevailing markets. Sat-
isfaction assured.
rite or
rPhone Wire,
Oscar Klopp, ' Phone :
13-93.
R. T. r!tJKER
Licensed auctioneer for the County
of Huron. Sales attended to in all
parts of the county. !Seven years' ex-
perience in Manitoba and. Saskatche-
wan. Terms reasonable. Phone No.
178 r 11, Exeter, Centralia 1'. 0., R.B.
14o. 1. Orders left at The Huron
nt-
at-
tended tOffice, Seaforth, pro
C'�:' .• 4 �:,'�3ih'Vkv'ni'c,��f:'JwxY 2Yu�',.o.r'v��EllS: '!i
board Peleg,. Myrickis catboat, had
that letter iii his pocket. He posted
it in ,Orham that very night. He had
written it partly at Benoni Bartlett's
dictation, but its phrasing and a
large share of the accusations and im-
plications contained in it were his
own. Bartlett, at the time, was far
too agitated and irrational to think
or speak connectedly. He had wailed
that "she ought to know-Norma's
got to know," and when Oaks volun-
teered to write.her the offer was eag-
erly accepted. The letter was writ-
ten that evening when Homer arid the
crew were aboard the Flyaway. Wal -
lie sat at the table in the skipper's
room, while Benoni paced the floor, al-
ternately railing at his men, particu-
larly Calvin, for their resertion and
disobedience, and calling upon the Al-
mighty for self-justification and aid.
If Oaks had written what his super-
ior ordered hint to write, the letter
would have carried with it, even to
as fondly prejudiced a person as Nog.-
ma, absolute conviction of her father s
insanity. But the writer ignored all
the incoherences, the quotations from
Scripture and revival hymns, • and
wrote only what his own hatred and
spite inspired. These feelings, long
present but suppressed, had reached
their culmination that day, and Wal -
lie, to whom the task of writing an
ordinary letter was drudgery,- thor-
oughly enjoyed himself.
He overdid it a little, of course, and
Norma -who had disliked and dis-
trusted him from the first -read the
spite between the lines and believed
only partially. But even partial be-
lief was dreadful. According to Oaks
there had been open 'mutiny at Set-
uckit. Her father'S' orders were flat-
ly disobeyed and, so the letter said,
there had been violence and blows.
"Captain Bartlett [wrote Oaks]
wasn't very well and he hadn't been
for two or three days, and yet Cal
and the rest pushed him a-
round' and would have hit him if I
hadn't staved them off. Cal Homer
did hit me in the face when my back
was turned and knocked me down and
injured me pretty bad. I shall see
a Doctor soon as I can on account of
it. But I don't mind Viet so much.
I done my duty in standing by my
captain which is according to rules
and regulations. And your father was
right in not ordering out the boat. He
was looking out for his crew and that
is what he is there for. But the real
reason for the trouble is way•back of
all that. It is part of a plan that has
been going on for a long time to get
your father in bad and make Cal Hom-
er keeper. He has been working for
the place all the time and doing Cap-
tain Bartlett dirt every chance he got.
And pretending to the district super-
intendent and you to I guess likely
that he is captain Bartlett's best
friend. He isent and I have known it
all along. He and Seleucus Gammon
and Josh Phinney are the head ones
in the plan but they are all in it. They
will swear all sorts of lies but don't
believe them because what I am tell-
ing you is the truth so help me god.
I have not got nothing to gain by
telling you this for I am going to
quit my job here right off. I made
up my mind to that a long spell ago.
But you ought to know what is what
and how Cal Homer and them have
worked underhand against him all the
time."
The letter was long and hard to
read, but Norma read it all several
times. At the end of the final read-
ing her scornful contempt for the
writer was greater than ever and her
trust in Calvin still unshaken. The
idea that he had offered violence to
her father was ridiculous, and if he
had knocked Wallie Oaks down it was
because the fellow deserved it. But
it was certain that something very
serious had taken place, that her
father needed her, and that she must
go to him at once, :Hie must be ill,
otherwise he would have written the
letter himself. And, in spite of her
trust in Calvin, she could not under-
stand his silence. He might, at least,
have telegraphed just a reassuring
word. He must realize that she was
bound to hear something concerning
the trouble, and that she would be
alarmed and worried.
That very evening she wired him of
her intention to come to Setuckit, and
the following day she asked for leave
and obtained it. When that day, too,
passed witlr iso word from him her
anxiety began to be tinged with a
shade of resentment. How could he
be so neglectful of her peace of mind?
She was disappointed and hurt, and,
as she brooded over the matter dur-
ing her journey to Boston, her reflec-
tions concerning his remissness were
not too charitable. How could he .be
so thoughtless of her? The next
morning Calvin's letter reached Fair -
borough, but she was not there to re-
ceive it and they held it •at the library
awaiting her return.
From Boston she telegraphed Ham-
mond, the Orham hotel proprietor and
livery man, asking him to arrange
for a vehicle and driver to meet her
on her arrival and to convey her to
Setuckit. When she alighted at the
railway station she was surprised and
far from overjoyed, to find that the
person who stepped forward to greet
her was not Hammond, but a deputy,
and that deputy, of all persons, Wal -
lie Oaks.
The evening mail, however, brought
a letter with the Orham postmark. .writing riting on the envelope was un-
familiar; it was neither her father's
nor Calvin Homer's. An awkward
scrawl and her name'misspelled. When
she tore open the envelope her first
glance was at the signature on the
final page. To her great surprise the
letter was signed "Walter B. Oaks?'
As she read • her esurprise increased
and her alarmed fdrebodi'ngs changed
to even more alarming certainties.
Oaks, when he left the station to
,13
Norma."
He led her past the loungers. on
the station platform with an air of
solicitous protection which was- pro-
voking, and handed her into the bug-
gy with a flourish, 'He did not speak,
nor did she, until, as they moved a-
way from the depot, he turned the
horse's head to the right instead of
the left.
"This isn't the way to the village,
is it?" she asked quickly.
Wallie, beside her on the seat, turn-
ed his head and winked.
`�"It ain't the shortest way -no,"
he whispered. °But I knew you'd
want to talk with elle a little mite
and so I thought we'd drive around
by the West Main Road and come up
that way. See, Norma, don't you?"
She looked at him. "1 don't know
that I do," she answered frigidly.
"What should I want to talk'with you
about in pilrticular?" •
"Eh? Why -you got my letter,•
didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Yes. Yes, I knew you must have.
I mailed it right off the day after -
after it happened, you understand. See
there," pointing to his bruised cheek.
"That's what Cal Homer done to me.
The sneakin' scamp! He had his
gang around him or else -or else--
eh? You see what he done, don't
you ? "/ •
"Yes, I see that something must
have happened too you."
"Well, he's goin' to pay for it. I'm
goin' to see a lawyer fust chance I
get. He'll spend part of his keeper's
wages settlin' damages with me, that
is what he'll do."
'She made no answer and, turning,
he became aware that she was look-
ing at him intently. It was the first
sign of interest she had shown and
he was gratified by it.
"Yes, sir!" he repeated. "I'm goin'
to sue him ii~ it takes-"
"Wait! You said something about
wages -keeper's ..wages. Mr. Homer
is a Number One man, not a keeper."
"Humph! We ain't none of us ,too
sure of that. The story goin"'round
is that he's keeper down at Setuckit
Station right now, and that he's go -
in' to be made the reg'lar one just
as soon as they fix things up to Wash-
in'ton."
"But my father is keeper of 'Set-
uckit Station."
""Huh! He was keeper, but is he
now? That's a' question. And is he
ever goin' to be again? That's an-
other one. The story is that he ain't,.
It wouldn't surprise me, because-"
"Stop! Do you mean that my
father has been discharged and that
-that Mr. Homer has been given his
place?"
"Well, he couldn't get it no other
way, could he? I tell you, Norma,
Cal and his bunch • have been workin'
and lyin' and contrivin' for it all
along. Why, I wrote you that very
thing in my letter. I wrote you-"
"Oh," impatiently. "I know what
you wrote me! I didn't believe it, of
course."
Wallie gasped. His involuntary
jerk of the reins brought the horse to
a walk.
"You didn't believe it!" he repeat-
ed.
"No," with scornful contempt, "of
course I didn't. And I don't believe
it now. Tell me, is that story of Mr.
Homer's taking my father's place
anything but a story? Do .you know
that it is true?"
"Well -well, I can't say as I know
it just exactly, but it's bein' said.
There's all sorts of yarns-"
She interrupted .once more. "And
they are yarns, of course," she de-
clared. "You really know nothing a-
bout it."
"Well -well, I-- Say, Norma, you
don't seem to realize what's been go -
in'' on down there to that station. I
thought I wrote you plain enough,
but it looks as if you didn't quite get
a hold of it. Let me tell you. That,
sneakin', lyin' Cal Homer is-"
She turned on him with a swiftness
that took his breath away.
"Stop!" she ordered. "I don't want
you to say another word of that kind.
I don't believe'you. If you try to
say any more I shall get out and
walk the rest of the way."
"But, say -look here -Norma-"
She leaned forward and pulled at
the reins. The horse -he was no
fiery animal -stopped.
"Let me out." she said.
"You -you don't mean it, do you? '
"I certainly do -unless you are
willing to drive me to the hotel at
once and without saying another word
about my father or Mr. Homer. That
is precisely what I mean."
Wallie glared at her. Then he hit
the horse a vicious slap with the end
of the reins.
"Git dap!" he snarled, and then
added, viciously, "By Godfreys, I'm be-
ginnin' to believe you're stuck on that
Homer, like a lot of other darn fool
girls in this town. I swear I do!"
She did not deign a reply and the
remainder of the journey to the Oc-
ean House was made quickly and in
silence.
Frank Hammond and Norma were
acquainted. Mrs. Hammond, she
learned, was i's.Boston on a visit. Her
husband gave this information dur-
ing dinner, a meal which he and Nor-
ma shared with Ezra Blodgett.
Wallie was polite to the verge of
obsequiousness. He explained that
Mr. Hammond had "another drivin'
job on this mornin'," and therefore
could not be at the depot to meet her.
"He's cartin' one of them New York
hat -and -cap drummers around this
forenoon," went on Oaks, "and, bein'
as, I happened to stop in at the stable
a couple of hours ago, he asked me to
take the hoss 'n' team and come af-
ter you and fetch you to the Ocean
House. !He's goin' to drive you down
to the station thio afternoon, though
He's 'fixed that up all right for you,
to 40411741
iF?king posh lig
ip ght Her
fiver fogn41ci3)artael R •
i U1 waX nntiia
c
toad. her. And She: Vias px
hint .now. ,Ie and she •wvubi o
getter vane inoxe f• be Spa ,1i j1 z ex
cverytliingg and she would''kilow and
understand . and be happy. She was
happy at that moment.
And then Hammond, who, like her,
had been silent for some minutes,
!l a turned to look at . her and
his expression was grave,
"Miss Bartlett," he said, "1 don't.
know a I ought to say it, it isn't any
of my 'business in .lay, but I've
been thinking not mt:oh of anything
else since I got word you was com-
ing. I' suppose likely you know what's
happened down at your father's sta-
tion? That's why you're here, isn't
it?"
She " answered his look with one
quite as grave. "I know something
has happened there," she admitted. "I
read an article in the paper, and then
1 got -a letter." •
"I see. From your father, of
course. Well, he -told you, didn't he ?"
She hesitated. "The letter wasn't
from father," she said after .a mom-
ent. "It was' from Mr. Oaks."
His surprise was evident. "Oaks!"
ne repeated. "Wallie Oaks?"
"'Wallie Oaks! How in•' the world
did he come to. write -you?"
She explained briefly. Oaks had
written the letter because he was with
her father that night and the latter
was too nervous and ill to do it him-
self.
"At least that is what Mr. Oaks
said in the letter, ' she added.
"Humph! I shouldn't wonder. He
told you a good many things, didn't
he?„
"Yes, in the letter. And he would
have told moo many more to -day if I
had let him. ] wouldn't listen. I
didn't believe him, and I said so, quite
plainly."
Hammond sniffed. "Wallie isn't
sweet enough to feed to a decent pig,"
.e observed. "Well, he told you'plen•
ty, you say?"
"One of the things he told me was
that you and he were great friends
-chums, he called it."
Her driver .Flhook his head. "Tut,
tut, tut!" he observed. "Wallies a
liar three hundred and sixty-five days
n any year but leap year -and ev-
en then his average don't suffer! Just
now be's loaded to the rails with
spite and meanness. Calvin . Homer
knocked him in a heap, so they say,
and if Cal was runnin' for office just
now he could get elected on account
of it. . Yes, if that was all,
Calvin would be the most popular man
in the township limits,"
The last sentence was spoken in a
tone different from those preceding
it. The change was slight, but she
noticed it.
"Do you mean that he isn't popu-
lar?" she queried.
Hammond seemed to be troubled
about something. As he did not re-
ply she repeated the question.
"What do you mean: "if that were
all'?" she asked.
"Eh? Oh, I don't know as I meant
anything in particular. . . . Yes,
I did too, but it is nothing to do with
your father, Miss Barlett. I guess
Homer is popular enough, so far as
that goes. There are some people
who don't like him, and lately a thing
has come to my notice that- But
that wouldn't interest you either."
"Anything to do with -with what
has happened at father's station in-
terests me very much. It does in-
deed."
"This thing I meant hasn't anything
to do with what's happened down
there, not really. Of course it might
help to explain -it might -well, it
set me to thinking when I heard it.
Yes, and I've been thinking about it
ever since. You know when you like
a person a lot and then learn some-
thing about him that kind of shakes
your faith -why, then you get kind
of mistrustful when you hear other
things. You begin to think up reas-
ons, reasons you never would halve
thought of thinking before. You say
to yourself, 'If he would play a mean
trick like that on one person, mightn't
he be playing mean tricks right a-
long?' That's what you say. . .
Humph! I guess likely you're won-
dering what I'm trying to say now,
don't you?"
She did not answer the question.
"So you don't like Mr. Homer," she
said slowly.
"Eh? Oh, I wouldn't say that. I
always used to like him, same as ev-
erybody else did. He's a smart, able
young fellow. Yes, there's no doubt
about that."
"But you don't like him rider? You
don't trust him, you said so."
"Humph! I said more than I
meant to, I guess. I do hate to mis-
trust 'Calvin. Maybe I haven't got
any business to. Only now, when
they're saying he has been made
keeper there at Setuckit- Eh?
What is it?"
She had uttered a low exclamation.
When he turned towards her he saw
that she was regarding him intently.
"What's the matter?" he demanded.
`'What--"
She interrupted. "Nothing, noth-
ing," she declared. "But, tell me,
please -has he been made keeper?"
He was surprised. "Didn't you
know?" he asked. "Didn't your
father write?"
"Father hasn't written me at all.
This morning Mr. Oaks said some-
thing about -about Mr.- Homer's be-
ing the new keeper -and father's be-
ing -well, he said discharged; but I
didn't believe him; I didn't believe
anything he said. Is it true? Tell
me, Mr. Hammond, please."
Hammond was disturbed. "She!'
he exclaimed. "I thought, of course,
you had heard from your father about
it and that that was why you came."
She was trying to be calm, but it
was hard work. Nevertheless she
made a brave attempt.
Air§ at .. t w.s>
she
51
takdn"
herad • 4,4sely p .
heard him' througk
prise, she,, seemed I,...,,
end.: titan at they begll'
"Father was ill .a
still is," she acid,
I. wish 1 bad ,conte ,s000nert, Beit
glad he bad a mans like 11 r. Homy...
take command during his eicknes;.
know father was glad•too. .s for all
those ridiculous and wickteeloh,
-they aren't anything 'else ---40.14
Mr. Homer's leading a mutiny 'and;,,,
planning to get father's place as keep
er, they are -I know • they are not
true."
The conviction in her tone was ab-
solute. H•e did not contradict her,
neither did he make any comment.
Perhaps she noticed the omission, for
when, after an interval of silence,
she next spoke, it was to return to
the subject which had led to his tell-
ing the story.
"You say you don't like Mr. Homer,
she repeated. , I'm very sorry. I like
him and so does my father. Why
don't you like him?"
"Hammond moved uneasily. "Oh, I
wouldn't go so far' as td say I didn't.
like him," he said. "He's able and
smart and---"
"Everyone knows that. But you
said you were beginning to doubt him
or suspect him -which is the same
thing. You said something about a
mean trick he had played which
shook your faith in hint I can hard-
ly believe that, Mr. 'Hammond. I
think you are mistaken. He is not
the kind of marl to 'do a mean thing.
I know he isn't."
"Well -well, maybe you are right.
Perhaps it didn't seem so mean to
him. Anyhow, it really hasn't any-
thing to do with the fuss at •Setuckit,
so what's the use of our talking about
it, Miss Bartlett?"
"I wish you would tell me what Mr.
Horner did that you consider mean? I
may be able to • show you that it
wasn't. I can't conceive of his be-
ing mean to anyone. Perhaps it is
something I know about."
,p.
"No. No, you don't. There's only
a few do know about it. All right,"
he said bluntly, "then I will tell you.
I don't know as there is any good
reasons why I shouldn't. It is a sort
of secret, in a way, but I'm not go-
ing to let you get the idea that I tell
lies about people behind their backs.
I did say it seemed to me that CaI-
vin Homer had played a mean trick;
I meant it. If being engaged to mar-
ifya girl and then writing her half a
dozen lines saying he is sick of her
and breaking the engagement isn't a
mean trick, then I don't know what
you would call it."
He heard her catch her breath.
' "Nonsense!" she exclaimed indig-
nantly. "Mr. Homer engaged to be
married and . breaking the engage-
ment! How ridiculous! It isn't
true."
"Oh, yes, it is! I ain't Wallie
Oaks. I wouldn't say a thing like
that if I didn't know it was true -
and about a fellow 'I used to like as
well as I did Cal Homer. He was
engaged to marry -well, I won't
mention any names, but the girl is a
relation of mine; her mother is my
first cousin by marriage. He' and
this girl had kept company for agood
while. He knew it, so did about ev-
erybody else. Things like that are
what folks, especially the women
folks, talk about in a place like Or -
ham. Only 'a few of us knew her.
She never showed it to me, but her
mother told me about it and I've seen
it on her finger."
Be paused, giving his attention to
the horse, which had strayed off the
road.
"When was this?" she asked.
'Beside Mr. Hammond, on the seat
of the buggy, as it rocked and shook
along the deeply rutted sandy lane be-
tween the dunes, her thoughts dealt
unceasingly with questions. Even her
worry concerning her father was
temporarily forced into the back-
ground; she did not realize this, but
it was so. The rumours in the paper,
the outrageous accusations in Oaks'
letter and diose he had made that
morning -she could not help thinking
of them. After all, she knew so lit-
tle of the man she loved. What did
she really know -except that she did
love him and that he bad said he lov-
"Eh? When did they get engaged,
you mean? Oh, a few months ago. I
heard of it -seems to me 'twas along
the first of December. The idea, so
her mother told me, was not to say
anything -not make any announce-
ments, you understand -for a while
because Calvin didn't feel he was in
any position to get married, and he
was hoping to get a better job. What
he planned to 'do -yes, and all hands
thought it would happen -yes to be
made keeper at Setuckit. The pay is-
n't so much better, but a station
keeper can have his wife with him.
Besides, I judge, knowing Myra, that
neither he nor she would hate been
contented even with a keeper's job
long. She, this girl I'm speaking of"
-he was quite unconscious that he
had mentioned her name -"is mighty
clever and ambitious. She would make
her husband get on in the world. Well
then Cap'n Bartlett -your father -
was made keeper and that plan was
knocked in the head, for a time, any-
how. I don't think 'twas given up -
her mother says neither of 'em gave
it up. The idea was to wait and see
how Bartlett made out. If he didn't
make good, why, then Cal was next in
line. See?"
He waited for a • reply, but she
made none. After a moment he con-
tinued.
"Well, so they were engaged and
she had the ring, and the girl and
her mother thought it was all settled;
naturally they would. I was surpris-
ed when I heard it, because, to be
honest, I wouldn't have believed either
of those women would have been sat-
isfied with anything so everyday as a
lifesaver. They aren't that kind.
Cap'n Fuller, my cousin, was an easy-
going plain man enough, but his wife
and daughter are different. Plain
things, so I'd have said, didn't satis-
fy either of 'em. . . . Eh? What
say?"
She had murmured something. Now
she spoke aloud.
"So her name is Myra Fuller," she
said. "That girl! And he was en-
gaged to her!"
"Eh? Oh, yes, be was engaged to
her all right. That much I do know
for sure."
They drove on for some, minutes
without further conversation. It seem-
ed to him that having substantiated
his accusation against Homer, so far
as the latter's being capable of a
"I am glad you told me," she said.
"I am glad I found it out before I
saw father. He must be dreadfully
sick, .ever so much more so than I
thought. If he were not he never
would have given up his command. It
meant everything to him. Now that
you have told me so much, Mr. Ham-
mond, won't you please tell me the
rest -the whole story just as it hap -
`;'m'.� xt.�"�11 t!;�� ,.''%.,Sk:'..a lt..•�A,�'' i . a.;, be',' ..cw;� . , i, rfi°;y.
mean trick wan epic
enough. But she; alb
not finished with the ` l;
(Continuedne
Ship Canadian'' Barley.
The Ontario Marketing Board, hr.
co-operation with Dominion Seed . ",,
Branch officials, recently forwaiz ed.
to Mr. W. C. Noxon, Ontario Akexlt.
General, in London, a fifty pound•
sample of Ontario' grown bailleY as
typical of what could be supplied in "-
quantity for malting purposes.
Approval of this sample . has been,
expressed in the very practical and
acceptable form of orders for two car
leads of barley, one of 2,000 bushels
for Dublin and another of 1;500 bush-
els for 'London, both'of which will be
shipped from Montreal late in No-
vember.
Finish and Pack Poultry.
Farmers in the Campbell's Bay
area in Pontiac County, P.Q.,_ are try-
ing a new system in selling their
poultry for the Christmas market.
Most of the poultry raised in, the dis-
trict surrounding ,the Bay has been
signed up for the scheme and it seems
probable that much added value will
be realized. Under :the leadership of
the resident Agronome and of the
Provincial 'Poultry Promoter for the
district farmers. are crate -feeding and.
finishing their poultry-, and by ar-
rangement with the Poultry Division
of the Dominion Department of Agri-
culture it will be graded, tagged and
packed in boxes. It will be offered
for sale by open bid •on Assembly.
Day, December 10, and should prices
not prove sufficiently attractive the
whole lot as a pooled shipment will
be shipped to Montreal for sale
through the usual channels.
Mother Forced to Leave
Fatherless Children
Annette looks at you gratefullr
as yon pause at her bedside to ad-
mire her needle work. So expert
has she become that she feels sure
a table runner she hae made will
win a prise at the fair back home.
'Back home" -words that bring
tears as she tells you how she longs
to be there to look after her family
one more.
Annette's husband died of tuber-
culosis, leaving her to care for the
children as best she could.
It was not long, how+¢ver, before
she too was claimed b,' this dis-
ease. when she was sent to the To-
ronto Hospital for Consumptives
with no great prospect of recovery.
Here, the careful regimen. the
quiet, the fresh air and patient
nursing are greatly helping Annette•
to climb the steep road back to
health,
Such work can only be continued
with the aid of many generous
friends. y7111 you please send a gift
to Mr. A. E. Ames, 223 College St.,
Toronto.
LONDON AND WINGHAM
South.
p.m.
Wingham 2.05
Belgrave 2.22
Blyth 2.33
Londesboro 2.40
Clinton 3.08
Brucefield 3.26
Kippen 1 3.33
Hensall 3.39
Exeter 3.53
North.
Exeter s 10.59
Hensall 11.12
Kippen 11.18
Brucefield 11.27
Clinton 11.58
Londesboro 12:16
Blyth , 12.23
Belgrave 12.33
Wingham 12.47
C. N. R.
East.
a.m. p.m.
Goderich 6.35 2.40
Holmesville ... 6.50 2.56
Clinton 6.58 3.05
Seaforth 7.12 8.21
St. Columban 7.18 3.27
Dublin 7.23 3.32
West
Dublin 11.24 9.17
St. Columban 11.29 ...
Seaforth 11.40 9.30
Clinton 11.56 9.44
H+olmesville 12.05 9.53
Goderich 12.20 10.10
C. P. IL TIME TABLE
East.
a.m.
Goderich ..1141. 5.50
Menset 5.55
McGaw 6.04
Auburn 6.11
Blyth • 6.25
Walton 6.40
McNaught 6.52
Toronto 10.26
West
a.m..
Toronto 7.40
McNaught 11.49
Walton, i 12.01
Blyth . 12.12
Auburn . 1,2-.28
McGaw 12.24;. ,:
Menset MA
Goderich 12.4
w.,