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Home My WebLink AboutThe Huron Expositor, 1945-12-07, Page 7Barriatere,,i .Solicitors, Etc; retrial). McConnell i, Glenn Hay 81 41 OR w, ONT. Telephone 174 K, L McLEAN Barrister, Solicitor, Etc. SEAFQRTH , ONT,A.RIO Branch Office - Henea11 ldeneall Phone 113 Seaforth Phone 173 MEDICAL SEAFORTH CLINIC DR. E. A. McMASTER, M.B. Graduate of University of Toronto The Clinic is fully equipped with complete and modern X-ray and other np-to-date diagnostic and therapeutics equipment. Dr. F. J. R. Forster, Specialist in diseases of the ear, eye, nose and throat, will be at the Clinic the first Tuesday in every month from 3 to 5 p.m. Free Well -Baby Clinic will be held op the second and last Thursday in every me>ath,from 1 to 2 p.m. JOHN A. GORWILL, B.A., M.D. Physician and ,Surgeon IN DR. H. H. ROSS' OFFICE Phones: Office 5-W Res. 5-J Seaforth MARTIN W. STAPLETON, B.A., M.D. Physician and Surgeon Successor to Dr. W. C. Sproat Phone 90-W Seaforth DR. F. 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- pital, London, Eng. At COMMERCIAL HOTEL, SEAFORTH, THIRD WED- NESDAY in each month, from 2 p -m, to 4.30 p.m.; also at Seaforth Clinic Rrst Tuesday of each month, 53 Waterloo. Street South, Stratford. JOHN C. GODDARD, M.D. , Physician and Surgeon Phone 110 Hensall 4068x52 AUCTIONEERS HAROLD JACKSON i Specialist in Farm and Household Sales. Licensed in Huron and Perth Coun- ties. Prices reasonable; satisfaction guaranteed. For information, etc., write or phone HAROLD JACKSON, 14 on 661, Sea - forth; R.R. 4, Seaforth. F W. S. O'NEIL, DENFTE-LD, ONT. Licensed Auctioneer Pure bred sales, also farm stock and implements. One - per cent. charge. Satisfaction guaranteed. For sale dates, Phone 28-7, Granton, at my expense. LONDON and CLINTON NORTH Loudon, Lv Exeter Hensel] Kippen Brucefield .. - - r Clinton, Ar. SOUTH Clinton, Ly. Brumfield Kippen Hensall Exeter London, Ar. C.N.R. TIME TABL EA$T� Goderich Hoimesville Clinton Seaforth St. Columban Dublin Mitchell WEST Mitchell Dublin .Rt. Columban Seaforth Clinton Goderich A.M. 6.15 6.31 6.43 6.59 7.05 7.12 7.25 11.27 11.37 11.40 14.51 12.04 12.35 assesseasissi (Continued from last week). Bella turned away from the mirror, in abject humiliation and respaxr, mechanically putting the candle and the photograph on the table ast she reproof to . the o, lid never had nay 4 was, said •clu t correction in it, a •Capt when she Was,kelp pond coupe in a peSsion. Ali e -who often Oh- , and added: ' tamed sips of ale hen be mother • "But I don't. t was more or less the worse. for it, as far as that." - j t, 1 went past; but in: that despair thereland and was. already showing a liking that , `Why. way, 'a liking that was as unknown "Oh, nothing »- 11ch." "What do you moan?" he asked, terestedly. "Nothing, only • I think I've got en- ough, to •keep me straight now for a bit, whatever your mother does." Bella, now entirely calm and sober; was preparing for bed, and he turned his head -0164 at her; but her face was towards the glass, as she brush- ed out her mass of fair hair. Again she was examining every feature and thinking of Mary. Derreek said: "I don't quite follow you." "Oh, it doesn't matter -just now," Bella remarked casually, yet in a manner that told him she did not wish to pursue the subject, and that there was something unusual on her mind. "Perhaps it's best to wait and see." This, not altogether new pro- position but so contrary to her gen- eral protestations and promises, :Was, apart, from her uncommon serious- ness of bearing and tone, enough to quieten Derreek and set him wonder - i But, while• he was sufficiently wife to let the matter go by and alit enlightenment, he came no nearer to the springs of Bella's new and surprising determination to keep sober independently of his mother. So a week went by, and Derreek was about again, looking rather pale and pulled down by his spell indoors. Another week passed, and still Bella was true to the hint she had thrown out- Another significant feature was a decrease in her foolish and flippant moods, with a corresponding growth in a quietude that stood for deep ser- iousness in her. Both the unusual so-, braiiety and this change of manner were carefully marked by Mary, Der- reck and Kingsworth, and comment- ed on by the two former ones. They a 1., thanked Providence for the bet- terment, hoped devoutly for a con- tinuance of it, and did not trouble themselves mucli-the elder man not at all -as to its cause. Twice Bella to had told Derreck that his mother need hot stay away for her sake -in fu- ture she would pay no heed to her. But he, thinking that it were better to let well alone, said nothing to his mother on the subject, and she kept away. *hilst peace and improvement could be maintained, he would help it along rather than give it hindrance. At the same time he knew -by past and still prosecuted heart-searchings -that his love was, indeed, leaving Bella for Mary, andhe doubted if even the reformation of his wife, would stop the change. ft did not occur either to him or to Mary that it was a suspicion, hardly a realiza- tion as yet, of this change which was prktinarily-., For this• Sion she thanked him it need go quite was more strength and determination. than she had ever felt before on the same subject -that is, behind it all. Still it was that hopelessness, back- edby real thirst, her natural weak- ness and inherent craving, that sent her straight to the jug of ale, which she had brought in oa her return from the neighbor's house, and 'had put down on a side -table 'and forgotten till now. It was the pint that she had brought in for Derreck's supper, because only in her very worst times' did she forget such duties to him. At this moment, however, and with that half -formed resolution still lingering in the backgrdund, she ..had no con scious thought except to ease her craving for that which she was all the time falteringly deciding to touch no more. The grinning sarcasm of the circumstance (which one might easily conceive as sitting in foul imp- ish form on that tittle pile of books at the back of the table, and point- ing at the 'jug while it leered its mag- netic eyes on her face) was Iost to Be11aa, all she felt was her thirst, the anticipated taste of the liquor, and that mocking despair -in a way laughing through tears and galling impotence -which was sending,her to seek surecease of sorrow in the cause of all her trouble. Just then, unheard by Bella - be- cause of her still rather dazed mind being fixed on the jug -Mrs. Kings - worth approached the back door, bent on her now usual evening visit to Derreck. With her hand about to lift the latch, she saw Bella through the window -for the door did not open directly into the kitchen, which was their general living room, and com- fortably furnished as such -noted her unsteady manner, puffed face and the imbecility of her smile at ,the jig, which Mrs. Kingsworth at once sur- mised to contain some of the cause of her daughter-in-law's condition. Bella took up the jug in her right. hand, put the left one to the side of the thing and steadied it to her mouth. "Lor', how I'd like to put pizen in it for 'ee!" muttered the elder wo- man to herself, as she fastenedaon Bella .one of *her baneful, piercing glances, which so • many persons dis- liked and noe ,could define -''with any degree of satisfaction; while her small, quick -moving, steely -grey eyes seemed to make her bird -like face the sharper as she, owing to her abort stature and her keen attention to Bella's movements," craned her neck towards the window. "'That I would, just zsame az I'd put a pinch 0' zsait in Alice's broth! Guzzling agen!-an' 'ee alyin' zick i' bed!" That Bella's lips had scarcely touched tie jug, when she put it down again,' made no difference to Mrs. Kingsworth. •Even if she had, known that her daughter- in-law, at the very touch of the liquor had exerted sufficient strength of will tom resist drinking what had been brought home for Derreck, she would still have felt the same desire for a pinch of ,poison. She watched Bello take the piece of cheap lace from around her neck and begin to make other preparations for a change of appearance, and said to herself, scornfully, "'Ee didn't want no valley wife, 'ee didn't -not a think like 'ee; but a good useful zsort o' wuman az ud make en comfor'a,ple, be a wife to en's chiler an' not kee / en down in the world!" And she Lade at the back of her throat such a sound of disgust as English letters would not spell, Bella, with the jug in her hand, was moving towards the scullery, to put Derreck's ale in the pantry till sup- pertime, then to wash herself and generally improve her appearance. Seeing this, Mrs. Kingsworth abrupt- ly opened the door, with the inten- tion that' the jug should strike the door -edge or thereabouts and be shat- tered at the impact -and if Bella also collided with it, well, that would be rather as butter to the bread than otherwise. But she was deceived, The click of the latch caused Bella to swerve aside in the nick of time. Chagrined at her failure, Mrs. Kings - worth slammed the door somewhat and made straight for the staircase. To this, not unusual, ignoring of her- self Bella paid no heed. Happily- her lightness of mind had sufficiently re- turned for her to treat both the oc- casion and her mother-in-law with* in- differenee. if the old cat would be a cat, and apparently she always would -well, let her, thought Bella. On the other hdnd the interruption caused her to turn back into the kitchen for the articles of apparel which she,had forgotten; in gathering these up She put the jug down again, and left it there. Just as she was returning to complete matters by the lamplight and the mirror fit the kitchen, Alice, issuedfrom the staircase and ran in With her mother. Presently Bella hap- pened to turn her head aside and saw Alice on a chair by the side'table, `yipping the ale jug to her month. "Attlee, Alice you naughty girl,!---; put that dawn?" said Bella, tut her A.M. 9.00 10,17 10.34 10.43 10.55 11.20 P.M. 3.10 3.32 3.44 3.53 4.10 5.25 ,M. 2.30 2.50 3.13 3.21 3.27 3.35 3.47 10.33 10.44 10.56 11.10 11:35 C.P.R. TIME TAB -LE EAST God ch eset eGaw A 'burn B1 Walton .McNaught 'Toronto Toronto McNaught Walton /Myth Auburn McGaw • WEST Meileeet .... • 413odieirieb •�S0* to Derreck as it was 'te his mother - knew this quite well, .and merely look- ed sideways at her mother and laugh- ed, all the time holding the tilted jug between her hands. `"Will you put it down and come away?" Bella added. On the ,contrary, Alice pretended to drink again. For which reason Bella made a dash to stop her; and, in her hurry to get away, down came Alice, jug a$d chair. •OHAPTER XI A LONGSHORE HERO - "You little silly!" Bella exclaimed,. nil 'momentary anger, as she stooped to pick lice up. "Whatever----" . "An' if .zshe be zilly, what be 'ee, then, az let's a mite like that go a- drinkin' ale?" Bella jerked up her head, to see her mother-in-law's scornful face protrud- ing, wedge-like from the bottom of the staircase. "What do you mean?" she cried, straightening up and lifting the child with her. "Lor', az if you knowed nothen!" was the biting answer. "I zeed en a- drinkin' at the- devil's zstnff,..same as 'ee did; an'-" Heedless, of Mrs. Kingsworth's con- tinuing the accusation and increasing the charge with every half-dozen words, Bella stepped to the bottom of the stairs ' and called, "Mary, come down, please!" Still rather exhaust- ed by her late spasm of hysteria -as she always was for hours after such a fit: -Bella was neither in the condi- tion nor the mood to have a set-to for mastery with her wire -strung mother-in-law Instead of the flare -u• that would have happened at othe.. times, she adopted the wiser Course of calling Mary down and quietly ex- ulaining ctbe whole 'matter to her -still regardless of Mrs. Kings - worth's contradictory interruptions. Bella knew that while, Derreck might lean towards his mother -in the lai- r's presence. at any rate -he Would elieve her story when told by Mary, d she was well aware that Mary woui not doubt her version of the matter. Her object was that Mary should go up again and tell Derreck the simple truth -that this was the ale for his supper; that she had not been. allowing Alice to drink it; and -that if his mother did not go home or be quiet, she would leave the 'rouse herself. And Mary did so; while Bella cleared up the damage, finished her- toilet and got _a neigh- bor's boy to fetch another pint of ale.• Be drawn into the quarrel again she would not; nor was this the first time, by a good many, that she had shifted such an affair from herself and Mrs. Kingsworth to the latter and Derreck. Experience had taught her -although on occasioffs it suited her purpose to deny the fact --that Derreck would both see justice done to her in the matter and put amend to the altercation. Thus, without a thought beyond the moment, did Bella add another fag- got to the pile which her weakness was accumulating about her. Mary, 'Derreck, his mother and his step- father. It wab a small affair, but one that would .lead to great ' results. When Derreck heard what Mary said he called his mother from her one- sided conflict with Bella, and very quietly, very emphatically he told her that if she could not come to the house without quarrelling with his wife, then she had better go home at once and stay there till she could come and go in peace. To the whole of them this was tantamount to or- dering her out Of. the place for good. She saw the matter in this light; and left the room, remarking in her pas- sion, "I'd pizen en if I could!" -said much the same to Bella downstairs while kissing and hugging Alice; then she went home, with the uncon- sidered violence of a demon raging in her. P.M. 4.35 4.40 4.49 4.68 6.09 5,21 5.32 9.45 in- .>s•i on illi)? ber}Ft o wad. 1.0$4 '0ve+ryt i x an4, deli • she de6ei lir• d ,pr' i4d •wren; she: and they ,e will pirfur aid put 404 44, *,),,T00- cobquering desire satiety i ee .ora.v ing. But, then, ejfcm141 1?•RS'$a „wexe such that she must needs hold clo,skt to Mary in order to i'e*ain, that which Mary had taken fro= her. Thus she. was now more uniform in her sister- IutesS, • as had been the case during same theat previous aceasion of s me kind; and when Mary, at the dictat- ing of her conscience,. began: to hold off somewhat (as she had done be- fore, when Bella showed signs of. more permanent sobriety), Bella be- came all the more pressing for her company. As to Derreck, he went his wan, outwardly as usua4'; wondering where it would all end and never thinking that a sort of end was quite close at hand. So came the middle of April, dragging with it a protracted fag - end of March weather that robbed. the longshoremen of a living. It was at this time, early on a rather fine night,- that .Derreek-none too strong as' yet -and his step -father put out to do some fishing at the beginning of the flood -tide, and be handy to any incoming vessel when the tide was made. A twelve-hour breeze, that fell away at sundown, had left a heavy lop on; but not enough to stop two other boats from venturing forth, though they did not go so far as the "Night Queen" went. What %vi'�tin there was came out,on the starboard tack, acrose the swell, almost to the new fishing ground, which he would have reached had Kingsworth not been ..uneasy .of the -weather: •As it was they put their net down on the inner edge of a shoal, about a,mile inside the lucky spot, which lay in deep water• beyond the shoaL They were now on the port tack and heading up Channel towards Blue Anchor Bay, with nothing to do; so ,they fell to talking, mostly of mat- ters •ashore. Amongst these there was of course, Bella's perseverance in so- briety; and Derreck told his step- father of how she was generally im- proving from what she had been dur- ing the past eighteen months to two years. He had felt sure that she was going from bad to worse, he said, and would continue so till some awful end came along; but now,,.sheiwasNjust as she had been during the first six months of their married life. Derreck did not know that this return of the old affectionate attentionp now con- tinuous because of its deep purpose and of there being no drunken spells to interrupt it, was 'a part of Bella's tactics to reinstate herself in that corner of his heart which ,she so fear- ed was going from her -a re -capture for which she was sedulously imitat- ing Mary in all that was possible to her; and daily consulting the mirror, with that photograph as a guaging mark by which to note any advance towards the wished -for change, and doing many little odd things to bring back her Lost beauty. What Derreck did think of, and pretty frequently about this time, was how to meet this change of front on Bella's part -or causing the desired end in Bella. Had rather what was to happen if it con- they seen this tact, the current of •tinned. She had previously kept sob - events must naturally have been di- er during' a longer period than this verted; because that knowledge could one. It was the other change that not have done other than make great troubled him the more; for he saw differences in their conduct. And 't that she was making a serious effort was their behaviour towards each to reform herself on Mary's lines; and other and herself, and concerning one the unexpected calm and steady way another when apart, that Bella was in which she was doing it formed a carefully watching -with what inher secondary cause of great interest to ent cunning, or rather skill. nature Derreck. He knew that it was too and sex 'had been able to put into her late to stop his love from going out composition along with her large to Mary. Nothing could stay it now; share of open-mindedness. So far she especially not a semblance of that had seen nothing new; simply be- which was ,stirring the new love in cause existing conditions between him, till 4,e sometimes felt that he Derreck and Mary, which would have would have to leave the place at once caused much comment amongst or bring irreparable shame on Mary, strangers. was the result of eighteen Mr. Milroy, himself and all else con - months' steady growth. He was :no cerned-unless Mary should stand off whit different,,from what he had been at a proposition for them to flee to - for months past. -Mary was on a gether. It was at such'times that he rkeping doubt could fell to looking at Mary's care"of hint during these past, versus Bella's clinging to him and d taken to com- wanting him to look after her. He caring towards her saw that with ,all her affection Bella ®en up to a year i rarely thought of doing for him those ago. just as she d compared, and little personal services which were so still reverted to at times, her lost natural .to Mary. While Mary thought beautywith her present appearance. only of serving, Bella looked for ser - It was the outcome of this common- vice. She loved her husband -just as�. son that had strengthened her suspi- thousands of,other women love theirs cion, and stiffened up her half -resolve, and most men love their wives -but (desire to imitate Mary into a fix- she was more a receiver by constitu- ed dternation the equal of which tion than a server, and it was not in She had not felt before. Notfthat she her to be other than she was at heart. was even now in any degree melan- In such things she was too transpar- choly, or so generally quiet and ser- ent, too much of a child. He wondered now and then howl he could still be kind enough to Bella and restrained towards Mary to keep the truth from the former, yet it nev- er occurred to him that it was a sus- picion of this truth which had set his- wife doggedly back on the road to complete respectability. What, then, should he do. he asked himself, if Bella were to continue to be suc- cessful and he find it impossible to hide his growing affection for Mary? During these few weeks past he had repeatedly felt a flood ,of pity for his wife, and It came to him now in the boat, while he gave short, half -heed- ing answers to Kingsworth's remarks. Presently the wind freshened and suddenly became puffy. The old man gazed around, said he di'd . pot Bite the look of things, and Derreck gave a seemingly close scrutiny to the hor- izon. He also had no gpod opinion of the weather; but .he did not think there 'would be anything to- hurt theN, for 'a eduple, of hours. Had helooked more keenlly into ,himself he twoutd A.M. 8.20 P.M. 4.04 1 1 12.28 12.3'9 12.41, 12;14' 1;00 To Derreck there was nothing -ry painful in the prospect of a perman- ent breach between him and his mother. He had no illusions concern- ing her. She had steadily killed them from his boyhood upwards; and had done her interfering and spiteful worst in so many general cases, both of his and of others, for .him to be Bouch affected by a complete break in this quarter. tip to the .develop- ing of her hatred for Bella., he had been a dutiful son; and that fact, to- gether with his natural equanimity and common-sense, prevented him from seeing the matter in too melan- choly a light. Truth to tell, he had several times thought that it would be really necessary, in the interests of Bella and himself, to stop her vis- its to the house. This was partially why he paid to Bella -when Kings - worth and Mary had gone, both of whom ,had keenly felt tie poignancy of the elder woman's case, • as not ev- en Derreck had -that if she would let the drink alone, his mother should not come into the house any inure. Not thht this Was offered in the na- ture -of ,a contracts as• ^had- previously been the case concerning Mary; .it ro loll d! he ^!�'�atkleri ani'brpatht t#,e;. >tiepse Then they- begat to' lti. Poe Rlidst of .;phis clown„ U Wooed,., 'by els because of •the work yint, it caught the "Night Queen' head e or she would have Bose over,- glance was enough to show that their must either leave the net while they shortened sail or take the risk of B- ing capsized. Naturally all haste was made to the former course. A spring- line pringline was hitched to the towline, So that the beat would not fall oft the wind. Then down came jib and main- 'sail, ain'ail, the former "yipping and yap- ping" its sheet-cringle up in the breeze like the short snaps of a ter- rier, while the larger sail shook. and flapped with the anger ,of a retriever. Kingsworth unhooked and stowed 'a- -way. the jib, replaced it by a smaller. one; then . joined Derreck at reefing the mainsail. Quickly, the work was done, and the shortened after -nail went up, to flutter and creek its leech in the wind till the net was aboard again; then the little jib followed, and Derreck took the tiller. He look- ed away into the wind's -eye and shook his head dubiously to himself, then saw that the other boats were already away inshore* Fully' alive now to all about him, he recognized the stupid- ity of his error in not paying closer attention to the weather an hour be- fore. So far as it could be seer by the rising- --moon; ---which- . was - -just showing -its -upper horn over a jagged cloudin the east, the whole being more picturesque than pleasant to contemplate, the windward horizon was an ugly threat of foul. things. Even those fifteen minutes, which were lost in hauling the net and re- ducing canvas, had brought a bad change, over the scene. Instinctively the old man looked as Derreck did and said, with that half -cheery fatalism of the longshore- man who has the milk of human kind- ness in him unsoured by the ironic thunders of his life, "Put en up, Der- ry, me lad -put en up." He meant the tiller. "We be in vor it. Let her scoot, or us'll never<get out'n it." The "Night Queen" 'was paying off the wind and curiously seeming to feel uneasy in herself, while,Kings- worth eased out the mainsheets, add- ings VThe .more zhe vly, the less, zhe vounder." • It was an old saying of his, the last word being sometimes "vlounder,"- and the whole meaning: The lighter a boat was in her move- ments .on such a run, the less she was in danger. Derreck agreed; and away went the "Night Queen," sails to starboard, nearly dead before the breeze that was now whistling an infernal air ot its own and topping the waters ev- everywhere with snarling whitish pedestal where not reach her. two weeks Bell paring Derreck's with what it h- nR ious as to arouse uncommon inter- est in the minds of those around her. Probably her intimate neighbors no- ticed no change, except the almost complete abstinence from drink. We all know that saw about the leopard's spots; yet in certain seasons they are more dull and indistinct than at others. Bella could not change her natural temperament; but when threatened as she had never been be- fore, when, she saw slipping away from her that which 'site most prized in life, she was likely to level down the inequalities while the strain of the matter lasted, if no longer -or' to bring them out further by greater ex- cesses due to sheer despair, andthe very lightnes"s and flippancy of her nature prevented her from rushing to that extreme whilst the situation was one of mere suSpieiotn. Thus her ac- tion was still baek8d,: mainly by ber eecretly comparing his present sort tlf hard, even- kindness, 'which was lamely habit, ttgajt at the greater Wanner, readier acts ;of affection tks1Pt ti 41614 forests; prevtous gale ea?�te° ..9 5 j ly to leeward*� aernilred:new li ! around lite embrace in lblaekiish greG:ii *Syt with •eruntne It was ':an t h heave of flus swell, albpont the boat jibe, thatcaused DO* 84t sI say: "Lash the oars together, (dad "W'y. Do 'ee think she agq Sir?" "No; but it's best to be ie things are ugly," and be cast :4 glance at an on -coming roller-4'fid( as I've seen 'em for some time; n i eased the tiller down, sp that xiai swell took them scivarely astern• ai went by, then put the boat's . head ,of for the harbor again. He was now4 a h,fi�Yifi "zaucin' the devil" for something., But he had to be very careful in''lnis manoeuvring, for the breeze was al- ready too strong to allow him to come anything like broadside on; one -of those• -rushes•-of. -wind' at. -Feb a.. time would put. the "Night Queen"` on her beam end in a moment. "Don't know what I was doing .not to see it before!" All the time he was cettsuring himself for what he had been thinking about. "Well, I told en, Derry," was Kings - worth's comment, made casually, not as a complaint. "Yes, I know; but-" He paused to give all his attention to the boat, which was flying along under a sur - den puff of wind; while up from her bows came a cloud of fine spame; - which the breeze carried higher and mingled with its own spray -making till all around was like a bath of sa!t vapour. But /for the imminent dan- ger, it was o splendid sight, indeed: The big, heaving seas, with their hissing, angry tops running obliquely along them, to be left the next in- stant, spread outpatches of dying foam in the deep, dark -green valleys; the scurrying clouds; that black belt where the wind came from; the moonlight over, it all; and in the midst of itall that little boat, with ber brown 'wings brine -saturated, pat- tering and frothing her way helter- skelter through the water for dear life, death gaping unsatisfied all about her, and the. harbor still a mile or more away. (Continued Next Week) ii w i <SNAPSNOT GUILD STUDY THE BACKGROUND las .. �� ,:. .,•..nor -w+ Make sure you see what your camera sees before you snap the shutter. Careful choice of backgrounds will go far t& mprove your snapshots. MANY amateur snapshots are excellent as far as exposure, lighting and focus are concerned, but they somehow still manage to be just plain dull. A little fore- thought and imagination will im- prove your pictures amazingly. Ninety percent of amateur snap- shot failures are the result of poor choice of background. Next time you make an informal portrait, for in- stance, take a good look atthe scenery against which you pose the subject. Better still, make a mental catalog of possible backgrounds in advance, from day to day, and then pose your subject against ohe ot these ready-made backdrops when you get'hround to making a picture. The basic background for infor- mal portraits -time -tested and guar- anteeci,to give good results -4s the sky. Using that for a background, perhaps with an inexpensive yellow filter 4i capture a few cloud effeete, you ;are 'bound to be suece8eful. But for,aihlety its tun to toed, ittett •aak4 nee Whether a Attila ii y1 'mint 'it . 416,'t lit htP arVatl' those interesting sults. Remember that the ideal background for informal portraits is soft in its overall pat- tern, attern, without strong accent9 of shadow or highlight which will de- tract from the main subject, yet in- teresting enough to please the eye and complement the subject. The background and foreground in today's illustration are' a good example of how a carefully chosen setting can turn an average snap- shot into an- infoithal-1'rirtralt of distinction. It you are looking for stimulating ideas to help yolt find background ideas for your snapsiiotsea trip to the nearby art museum, or' an hour spent studying the repreductiont a good survey of paintings ivjll larovP highly rewarding. Another good source for idea'. the Werk of the comtherola1 tographers to be i!dliaa.ti in fir airier.. Thee() Men Y;nYii3 r lilt ^, tricks of ,glaraorialitg hiic't.:ft �tthe 0401.6 hiittl. bt ;tole vin_ *ontet+oig +e+ltlt: 3'bliiw' ., ;tl ;i