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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1947-03-21, Page 74 7 . (Cousins ed•.frgm last week) • "Thhte is nettling, misttrese. Yet I love•,' yop, for .your ,:pitiful. heart, and 331 Promise you that on Tnesday 1'li walk the firmer hos it. But do consider me, I';pray you. I': do hot- plate ot- plate I am ut pP�py: I would, that you. were not, sweet mistress. Tell met`why you have been used so :cruel ly?„ His voice was grave,.. and beguiling, like one whose soul has _deep places cin it. In -despite of the'slow , agony of, her, tears she had no choice but to Beed it. .There was in his' -tender speech a quality that melted her re- solve as though. it had been but , a flake of now. "Tell me, sweet mistress, I pray youY How could she tell him of her- fro-wardness? How could she -tell him, of ' 'the setting up of here -stubborn will and of the grievous fashion " of its breaking? How ,could she 'tell him that in a single night she was cured forever- of the . folly of holding ' her- self - other1han' she was? • But'' his gentle insistence was �be- yond her.. power to' put off. "I have been beaten," She said' with utter humility. "And all that has been done to me is no more theI1 nay mer- it." It was the elema star woman break- ing reak ing from the soul that yesterday was so `vainglorious. The young man look - fag upon,her from his precarious coign felt 'Idris heart leap to her in her abase- anent base znent. In the. delicacy of her youth she was the fairest thing upon which ever he hag set his eyes. It hurt him keener than his' own fate that a beau- ty so rare should, •whatever its faults,' have been chastened so cruelly. All that there was of chivalry in lir tender soul, went out to her in her desolation. In his three -and -twen- ty years of life he had never known love, but by God's grace was it given that he. would not . have to die with- out tasting the rarest of, all mortal experiences. •• Mistress"—his heart leaped in . his throat so that he could hardly breathe —"Give me your name, sweet mis- tress, and I. will promise as God is in His heaven that , on' Tuesday morning when Gervase Heriot comes to die by the ane he $heal ease with your .. upon life lips:" • ,•.T;ike '.'wells of :soft'. light her eyes 00110... uii to him. :My' name not • AQax`... she said; with a'' simplici t that 'yeste'rd'ay hail, set °been hers. "Miistreee Anne, _wi11 you pray me when I am passing?" He could not hear her' answer, he knew what it was, • "God keep you, sweet mistress! God keep you forever! I .will.- bear,`your name on my lips through all' the, wide fields' of eternity."' 'These high vaunting words were his last. No longer could he keep his ,precarious hold on the top of the .wall: The strain on arena and knees was too much. Suddenly the eyes so full of • courage and pity were lost to ''her. , Anne was left , •to reel against the wall of her prison, shaken with an anguish more terrible, than any, the long night had known. • • CHAFFER VI Gervase Heriot had" entered upon ,the last hours of his' life: It was ar- ranged that • he should die •at eight o'•clock of the April' morning, He lay in his cell during the watches of the night that was to ?,be 'his last upon earth,with every sense a -stretch. Try as he would — and God only could •know how he had..fought during ,these last weeks foie -self -mastery -he could not subdue the' insurgency of ardent. blood, the intense desire to' live. He, was too young for death. 'He loved. the sun, the blue sky, the green grass, the birds in the trees, the spring flowers, the abundant, sweet- -smelling earth. He loved his fellow- men. They amused and interested him: He ,adored the beauty of wo- men. His ears were attuned to deli- cate •harmonies .of sound, his eyes were ravished by feasts of color. The world, that wonderful, assemb- lance of things visible, entranced him in its glad, mysterious majesty. There was the soul • of a poet in a frame. all a -quiver with youth. Ass he lay in hie cell in the darkness, tossing feverish-' ly upon, his pallet through the slow, hours,. he could not bear the thought that all too. ,soon 'lie, would see the' sun rise for the last time.. It drove him nearly mad to think that he must leave it all, Ahat-.••his 'brief sojourn upon the fair andenoble earth. which .he loved so .passionately was at an end. He was too strong of bloo,d for such a death,: With all the', force of his will had he' striven to compose himself.. Many prayers 'had he - ad tressed to God that it might "b'e given to 'him to' meet his fate with, the high dignity; that was. the .due• of his manhood. But as now he lay shud- dering in , the darkness; do ^ es •he would he could 'not bring his mind. to accept •the end. Time and again he pressed his wild eyes • to 'hiss pallet with a half -strangled moan of, de- spair. The fact that he was an.entirely innocent pian• did' nothing to console him. Indeej, had he been guilty, death had been les,s,hard to bear. But coming to him ,iu this arbitary, unjust guise, its cruel tauselessness set his, every .fiber in revolt. • Faint sounds began to creep through the night. All too soon his quivering. senses caught them. Subtle as they were, be knew them . at once for the noise of hammers. upon wood. O God! they; •'were setting up the scaffold in the,. . courtyard. , In spite of "the •strei'igth he had won• in these last few weeks he eelle off the pallet on- to his "knees ane «hegan. to pray wild-. lye A. fevereshaok -bis mind. His nest --found strength was leaving him. Death -and such a death!—was a thing the did not know how to meet. A grim terror took hold of.hine. And then a thing. happened to him which •shook'the, central forces of his being. f uddenly he saw -the face of •Anne. He saw it 'ail wan and swollen with tears, And as he looked he saw the eyes grow ' starlike ..,and• great with their compassion. And then he re- name• He Beard the' door creak gently.,, It " ! then. came; open` with so' :little erond as to, thrill him with surprise; A faint in thread' of. light gleameds fitfully. But ty'; w'hoev'er' was the visitant, he was eh- far Ieoenpanied by a silence so profound' 'as:to fill Gervase Heriot with wounder. It was not t'hu's that his jailers had yet been wont to visit him. "Mr. Heriot." The;•name was breathed rather than spoken: - There was a curious fasnil Rarity he the •voice as it stole thrc agh the darkness. His heart seemed to stop, beating. • He tried to answer, but could not. -"Mr. Herlot." Beyond the faint • rays of a half - shuttered jantere was the outline of a dark form. "Mr. Heriot." • His name was being breathed in his` ears. A hand had touched him. - "Oh, it is you!" were the first words his tonguecould find. "Do not speak," whispered Anne ,Fevrersbam. "Do hot make. a sound. But if you would live follow close a miracle, such ;was their exaggera- wlthout a question." ' tion' of events, 'that the ; escape was He rose from his pallet unsteadily. not -known already. He w'as utterly bewildered and very At last they were come to the place weak from man vigil But 1 d LEGAL McCONNELL & HAYS - Barristers, 8oilcitors. Eta =Patrick D. McConnell -: H. Glenn Hays SEAPORTS, ONT.• Telephone x.174 A. W. SILLERY. ' Barrister, Solicitor, Etc. r SE &FORTH - ONTARIO Phone 173, Seaforth MEDICAL '''SEAJORTH' CLINIC-,•. DR. E. A. McMASTER, M B. Physician DR. P. L. BRADY, M.D. Surgeon mice hours daily.. except' Wednes- day: 1.30-5 p.m., 7-9 pm. Appointments for consultation may be made in advance.: ' JOHN; A. GORWILL, B.i1«; 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 00-W. - ` , Seaforth DR. F. J. R. FOiRSTER Eye,, Ear. Nose and Throat . Graduate in' Medicine, IInivetsity •df Toronto. Late assistant new York Opthal- mei and ° Aural Institute, •Moorefield's Eye and Golden Square Throat,Hos- ' .pital,;.Londonw Eng. At COMMERCIAL MOTEL, SMAJ'ORTH,• THIRD, WED - 'i BD_¢Tin each month, from 2 p.m. to 4.$0 0.1n. 53 Waterloo Street South, Stratford. JOHN, C. GODDARD, M.D. Physician"and Surgeon Phone 110 Hensall 4088x55 A 'C t1itEEES HAROLD JACKSON Specialist in Farm and Household Sates. Licensed In Huron 'and Perth Coun- ties. Prices reasonable;, Satisfaction Ignala it teed e For informatfp. it std., write or pinhe HAROLD JACKSON,, 14 on' 661, Sea - Borth; R.H. 4, Seaforth. PE`RCY„g�C. WRIGHT Liceitsed..AuCtloneer • • Household;' farm stock, implements end pure ,bred sales Special training and efDerleitre "enablei3 , me to offer Ton stiles sertce that ds most effici- ent and, aatisfafctol PHONE 90 r 22, Hansen. , • W. S. .O'NEIL, DENFIELD, ONT. Licensed' -'Auctioneer ; Pdro bred sales, 'also farm stock and . imbletttents •' One her , cent. • charge. Satief`action guaranteed. For Aare date'ey ' Pholno 28-7, Granton, at no: O'Apenne: membered his vaunt to her that he would walk haply in . his- last hour, and that' her•naaieeihoo�tld be upon his lips. Her image -was hhrid1 snore than that of a mortal• daughtejr of men; bet that which had•.•sprung •frgm her ovn bruised spirit, "which looked, Out of her eyes as now he say -them in the darkness,;, was ,the Only evidence he. bad of the Eternal. Some immer- tat'essence had fused her heart as so humbly and so pitifully she had look- ed up to him. Through those eyes he had seen God. Sue'h a thought had the ;power to offset a measure of ease ,to his tor- ments. The dreadful tumult began to grow less.' Tbose eye's were as' stars .in that gross darkiless. No tenger 'a;as he afraid.' A strange peace, had begun. to bear him, upon its wings. No longer had he cause to fear the noise of the hammers. -"rot the morn- ing orn ing break. Let death 'come when it Would, His fainting spirit had now a manifestation to which to cling. He would walk to the scaffold with this noble image in his heart,. and It ,should accompany him forever in his wanderings' through the Wide fields of eternity.. - .. 'ffe crept back to his pallet, and §tretehed out his fever -racked limbs to their full length. A, profound• peace was enfolding him. ^ If only dearth could come now! • Long he lay thus, and as he lay he strained •his eyes to cathh the first faint light of the dawn. Would it never -arrive? AU his fear `now ova's lest this now strength should flee as suddenly as it had been .given, tut no!—the ineffable spirit that had en'- tered into him wo`u'ld continue throti•g'h all eternity, to bear his coul. • ' At Iti.st and^quite suddenly a more instant sound began to 8iingle with the distant noise of the baramere. A key was grating in the lock of the door., Yes, his Hour was here' at lash' and he had not known it. 'With a feeling. akin to relief he sat up on his pallet. But •shell position w48: stiff agile •pf very ga pat peril; 't`1 e wh�,ale ',place seemed ,t`e. be astir ZJen and,:li tett were moving In °;ail., ii'eci!ons •""%thee , es :of soldiers, attritrpen and OrY0A s of the Oastle.••were net about . thom. A.e, yet thei e was not a single heck of the "d w:n "to le seen, but already the bird's? rhgd begs; tbheir early notes:; Daybreak must he ,YerYY near. Not for air instant must they eBay In the 'ghee they. were now in. Byrn as they is els close' .,by the wall they expected to hear, -the startled;' outcry that would gnheen ce the escape ed the condenanehemau, Q ..:'$RVII They had only: ,eoae hope of gettiaf free. By some means they must eroas the :cued ctitartyard, and creep round to the ,Cgstle gate before, the c9m_ing dawn, . had . brie to . - reeveal . them. On hands and ,knees,•„ they made for the open. With .no longer: the sha- dow of the Castle walls to conceal them, their peril . was greatly Increas- ed More than"once.:they stopped and lay full length on the ground,, so near they were• to discovery. It seemed as if they would nevex:..be able to get to the point they had,Sxed upon, which was the precarious'` shelter of a few stunted shrubs growing near to •the.. Castle gate. It was a , long while before they cotild reach that security. • Not long perhaps In point;.of "fact but an age in experience. Each time they Jay down *on the hard, cobblestones to avoid • some new danger they expect- ed, xpect ed the dread proeiamation to ring in their ears, It ,.seemed little short of T2 ,4 week's, votes in the I^Iouse of Commons have stopped all the,"elee- tion 'talk" in politic'ethircles. here, The "r�ogressive- t',onservativ'e amendment. to the speech repro, the Throne wasp carefully phreee�d so that all true op- position could combine -in an effort to defeat the government. _Under these circumstances, a majority of 50 vot- ing confidence is considlered .'insurance that the government Will live out its usual term of office. Those who have been criticizing the. attendance -in the House also receiv- ed • a setback in last week's crucial' vote. By .parties' the vote showed an attendance of Liberals 95 per cent,' Progressive Conservative 93 per cent, C.C.F. 79 ,per cent, Social Credit 100 per cent. It is recognized that the re- suit of the "non -confidence" votes will create greater confidence in industrial, labor and 'financial circles which'. should tend to maintain employment and markets at'a high level. Parliameentary Representation There is a great deal of new and interesting discussion here, stimulat- ed by the work of .the Redistribution y s: a res y they sought, hard by the gate. And the lantern had begun to move away, here it was that the Provident h h - from him, and. it was a talisman that ? e w is had the'power to draw him ' after it: ( ed, far had used them so well seem- had before he was aware of what d now to desert them. To their hor- he did he.' realized that he was be- , ror they -realized that the east was phut the door of his cell.. already' Might • The only hope of get- "Pleas'e wait while I lock the door ting clear had been,. to slip unseen again," whispered, hiss deliverer, "so through the gate at a moment it that they may not know too 'soon." might chance to be open for the ad - Her deliberation, her calmness fill- • mission -of others. But from the first ed him with wonder, they had known that daylight would Step by step they groped their way !make the risk too great -to &dealt of along a very narrow corridor :thatany such expedient smelled close and, evil. The' damp glistened from the walls in the light of the lantern, " With infinite caution they made their way to the end of the, long pas- sage. And as' they neared. its- end there arose the sound of a man snor- ing heavily. • A jailer' was fast asleep on a low, stool that 'had been placed just within the 'outer door of the pri- son. He, was 'a, gross -looking fellow, andhis large legs were stretched' out to., the full, barring completely the narrow way, They used great caution in striding over these legs lest they should wake their owner. 'Attlee. they ,had safely cleared this obstacle Anne gave Ger-, 'vase the lantern, and also a poniard from a belt which she wore round' her. waist. "1' ani 'going to replace the keys in his girdle," •' she' whispered resolutely.. "I do not think he will 'wake; a powders has been. shaken him his posses. •Butshould.you see him rousing himself:"plunge the dagger in- to his•heart. I'have not the cgurage. to do it myself:" ' With a delicate deftness. with . a cool precision that Was remarkable, Anne reattached the keys to the girdle' of the sleeping man. He dad not so much es stir in his sleep. "Now!" she whispered. In the next moment they Arad crept noiselessly through, the unbarred out- er door. The cool morning air -rush- ed upon -them. They ,felt the delicious - green turf under their feet. ' , Por all that the shrewd air .piay- ed about the condemned man's tem- ples, for all that the soft grass under him, for all that a'young. moon and a sky 'of faint stars was .over ,hi ehead; he could hardly believe he was alive, ot• if alive cold -hardly -el ^ realize, he was broad, aveake. .' Less than a hundred yards. :away; round an angle of the great building, the hammers were still mutilating the peace of the night. ' As Gervase and Anne stood to listen, not 'knowing what to do next and uncertain of the way to 'go., since peril hemmed them in on every side, they were •greatly, startled by a scrunch of feet on _,the gravel quite 'close , to them. • There was a sudden d•ron'e of voices which - told 'them that two men were quickly approaching the spot on which they stood. Indeed they • had .barely time to put out ,the light. of thh lantern and to crouch elose under the shadow of the huge wall of the prison before• the men passed them They came so' near that they ale most touched Anne and Gervase a they knelt. They heard the men op- en.' the •door throtigh 'Which they..had just come, and as it swung back, so close were Anne and Gervase to it that it concealed them behind it.. The sudden flash of the light that one of the' men carried was very. ter. rifyieg. 'Wake up; Nick."' The rough voice ,the other side of the door was so loud In the ears of she fugitives that they held their breathse. "Wake up, Niek." They heard the man grunt as he gave a vigorous shake to the turnkey, who was still snoring tremendously. "What a devil you are for sleeping and, drink- ing! Master Norris the headsman le bete - and"' would have a few words with the condemned." A 'perfect tornado of shakes accom- panied• the words, which yielded- :pres- ently to a series o8 kicks-. Evidently. the business' ,of'.arousing the turnkey was to prove no light 'one. "Wake,...you..dr-unken.•fool: Here -ds Master .Norris . • the headsman, don't you heat? Are you going to keep us here all day'!" • Hardly daring to draw' breath, Anne and Gervase continued to_.kneel close behind the open 'door, 'Their terror and their peril soddenly made Aurae desperate. Not daring to speak; she plucked her c'ompanion's sleeve; and then putting 'all to • the touch , and keeping close under the shadow .of the *all, she started to creep away on hands a'nd lttrees from this peg!. Iron of.'•immineht •anger. Niven, by the time they had made h, distance of .fifty yardd In this painful fashion, and had set a buttressoe the Castle'be- tween theist and the open door, three could atilt hear..the iudigfrrt hciee of him vwho had.•laid upon hinasel'f the task of rousing the sleeping jaflehe They 'eovld breathe a'little new. M1' They must find some other way. Yet Anne well knew there was no other way, The Castle Was surround- ded by walla it was impossible to scale. except on the -south side. Here the parapet• was Iaw, and for a suf- ficient reason. Beyond the south wall. the Castle rock ended abruptly. A terrible • chasm, hundreds of feet in depth,• lurked beneath. . They • had soon decided 'that the, gate could not, avail them now. Thu they crept awaytto 'the left in the direction ,of . the. south wall,' taking - cover as they went beneath a row of laurel -bushes,. But' no sooner had they reached the:wall than they saw, even_ in the gray twilight: that it• was certain death to climb it and hazard a descent of the sheer' precipice on the farther side. What could . they do? Every moment it was growing ligh.ter,. ; By now Gervase• had. shaken off his' lethargy. ; One who has lain weeks in. a prison and has composed .himself for death can hard'i he -expected' to take occasion by the bend.' But the fine and' keen air of the "morning and, the almost ,miraculous 'chance of life . 'that had been, given him. had done much to restore his numbed faculties. A resolve' had already been born in his heart to sell his life very dearly. In the ..last resort, he was determined to attempt the almost impassable face of.the cliff. ,. But there was his brave.-,compan- • ion. She seemed to read his mind. And reading it she summoned the courage of despair. "If there• is no other way we .will. crawl down the rock," she said. "It would be.. death, mistress.' The clear, eyes that were so un- .. afraid shone- like stars. through the gray light, "I do not rear' death," she said in a low voice. "Rather death than the whip or a duugeon un- ' derground." • Dismally he realized that there w no answer to this: argument, "We will go together, mistress„'wherever it be—unless—” a deadly chill' cor- roded the young man's veins --"I walk back to myprison." -"No, no," said his deliverer tpnse- tY. "Anything rather than that," , Every minute it was growing light- ed. They crouched under the scanty cover of the laurel -bushes, not know- ing which way to turn or what to do. Au' their senses •Were strung to catch the alarm• they were ever expecting to hear. .But the miracle stili endur- ed; the alarm was not yet given. Yet it was impossible that it couitb be much, longer delayed. • In, despair they crept farther along Wall. all. They must choose a place for the grisly 'descent, yet even as they looked far dow-n , over the para- pet of the wall they hardly knew how to race such a hideous alternative. "It is' certain death for use both," said Gervase. "It is better that I re- turned to my prison if you are sure there is no other- way of escape." "I?o you fear the'rock?" The: firm voice vias low and'ca1m. "Por you I fear it, mistress." The starlike eyes pierced him with their light- "For myself," said Anne, - "I fear only to be left alive." Vert- deliberately erydeliberately sthe•took the dagger from her . belt. • "Where'ver ,you go," she said as she offered it . by'• the hilt, "'I would have you plunge this into :my heart rather than you left me." His cold fingers trembled on the hilt of the dagger, but even as' they, touched Wile knew that such a deed 'was far` beyond his present strength. "Be'ttei; the rock than that," he said. (Continued Next Week) WHEN IN .TORONTO rek• Y•er N•uo• Intra. awrrrtrg LOCATED •.-•rid• SPAPINA AVE.. Al Co1•o• Street ... RATES ... Stogie $I.5043A0 DembI• $2.50- S1JI0 Write for Folder We Advise Early Reservation A WHOLE DAY'S SIGHT-SEEING INTIM WALKING DISTANCE A. M. PCNHJ. Nominal I: 1�1 aetatllil $nSt�T s lit favor oxiCi of trti'slerable, vete ln' a' lne 0,40.* s tuencies uric �.q t�4e ►ajar points iii depute; tls thed gvlestion of, rep azitatsion.' 1by ixop ziaf4on,. Oanada a xµQ,�t Atter, er dermopt^atie ::ri4lmtries given. rural ape faJVit .are'aff tete elle# quota of repreeentgtiona in , _, der -to mors nearly: '..rabic rtb i- , .sere,' in fluence Vitt the urban popniation'vw'ho are able to exert greet. pressure oh governments reason of the_ie daily press, 'Which "even reaeh ants and 'in- fluence farm thought and their ser-v_i;ce dubs, labor grganizationa and Boards of Trade, etc. given with Aids princi- plc apiculture has found it difficult. to compete for attention, with eity population ea many cowatries. ' 'Meat To Denioeracy There are °powerful forces now et work to abrogate this equalizing fee - tor and they point to New Zealand' where the "farm quota for represen- tation" epresen tation" was wiped out., This was. '0ia ly' one of. three changes made in its` method of parliamentary' representa- tion in New Zealand that is strongly criticized here, as a serious threat to democracy. • The second item wan'to change the basis of election from the population of constituencies'. to the number of electors in the constituency, a change that disregards the rights -of all who do not have a vote by reason of—age or citizenship, or•any other reason. The third change is to have the dis- tribution of constituencies taken away entirely from Parliament and, vested in a commission of seven.'The deci- sion of the commission is printed. in. the Gazette and has' the same stand- ing in law hs if it had' been passed by Parliament. Parliament haw no con- trol of veto power whatever. Ihhiger To Canada Some of these changes are now be- ai' order .:.,,. iigG the sake ql future use Rood ing 'advocated rn pan. au,, s ttenueg believers xn hmaeraey their`guard;. The C:�G.F_'pa'rty' ink House of Cemnions has. already ae 0 It ,that redastrihution lee made ,by a• rapt naisslon. «F, Tlts ahaslges were made rn Zealand altaitiat• strong but unaya pro. is trope. M i, Moved ,represents S o the. ed tdnat the ti4ile o the 'Act be c;yy�ha�. to "The Gove unbent .7ec a Aet'" •These'' is, great 'iiitere4•t' part 01 the , representation qor* talttea. in- the leglslaterre' in urinate Colu n� ,ia comwhichpulso;i"ecorymender ing anwhelehi°lm+ent in ; mvotxpehas little support in any circles here. Our imports Those' who talar glibly of •,Canada's? ability to produce many times ,her; needs are inclined to. create. the .the ference - that w e can be self support - A glance at the record•'of outbm ports of necessary, commodities^hetiee- escarp if our presen.t standard„of? liy ing is to be maintained,—iraprelehe with the importance to Caanada' Of world trade. Our imports of agricule ture and vegetable products last year were over 310 million dollars. This is ' eluded, nuts, fruits, rice; tea, coffee, rubber and sugar. Fil?res-ind textiles products of 264 million dollars inelud:: ed cotton, silk, artificial silk, flat,.• hemp and, jute. DRESSING STERILIZER' 'r Sterilizers in Red Cross Outpost 'Hospital derive heat from the kitchen' stove. Nurse Dorothy Stoughton is sho'Wn sterilizing dress- . 'ings at Outpost. Hospital at Wilberforce, Ont. There °are now 54 Out.' Post Hospitals and Nursing Stations operated by the Canadian Red . Cross Society and it is hoped to increase the number to 106' or share in frontier districts. " The sum of $1,390,000•is budgeted for the opera- • tion and expansion of the Outpost Hospital service in the $9.000,000 sou$,ht'in the present national appear. The label on your copy of The Huron Expositor serves a double purpose. It tells the postman that it, is your copy, but at the same time it tells you the date to which your sub- aeription is paid: Lok at your label. Yf the date shown is pi iior to February 14947 our. ? .... Sibscription is in arrears. 'If this is the case, please forward your renewal this month. he Huron SEAFORTH