HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1952-05-30, Page 7d4'
J69' JAMES M. CAIN
CHAPTER VIIi
Synopsis •
Despite Leonard. Borland's pro-
tests that his 'hank account is
ample, though the contracting
business in New York is dead, his
pretty, opena.etruck wife Doris(
.resumes her "career," interrupted
by her marriage 'at 19 and' the
birth of two children Borland
knows her avowed purpose, to
bolster the family income, ie just
-another subterfuge. Hugo Lor-
entz,
orentz, her teacher, always around,
irritates him. After Doris gives a
Town Hall recital, Cecil Carver,
opera singer, phones Borland. At
YOUR FAV?URIiE BEVERAGE
KIST
TIN
,
T IN ALL FLAVOURS 1
her hotel, Cecil says. Doris has a
good voice but llagks style, Cecil
• is Ito sing for war veterans 'but
hasn't the words. of •a certain
song. He sings it aid she gayis
he has a fine' baritone voice. Cecil
, knows of Doris through Lorentz,
says Hugo is 'hopelessly in •love
with Doris, and that Doris tor-
tures every man she 'gets in her
clutches. Leonard ought to wake
her up 'by giving a recital, she
says. "Go get yourself a triumph.
Hurt her where it hurts." Cecil
demands payment for lessons—
kisses. He pays but declares he
loves hie wife. He spends much
time with Cecil, making good pro-
gress. Doris tells him Jack Leigh-
ton is, getting her an engagement
in a, movie palace. Cecil, on tour,
wires 'him, he sings in upstate re-
citals, makes a hit and she gets
him an engagement with an opera
company. Again he makes good
and tearfully 'Cecil, telling him
she loves him, •says he's making
a man of himself and can bring
Doris to his. feet, Leonard further
establishes 'himself in opera by
learning a role in Faust during
one morning. At the end of the -
run he returns to New York. He
is at home waiting for Doris.
"Yes, he did." •
SI AFORTH MONUMENT WORKS
OPEN DAILY —
PHONE 363-J
T. PRYDE & SON
ALL TYPES OF CEMETERY MEMORIALS
Enquiries are invited.
Exeter
Phone 41-J
Clinton
Phone 103
Town of Seaforth
TAX PRE -PAYMENT RECEIPTS
for 1952
The Town of Seaforth will pay 4% per annum,
up to August 31, 1952, on all Prepaid Taxes.
Certificates and full particulars may be ob-
tained at the 'Town Clerk's Office in the Town
Hall.
D. Hr WILSON,
• • Treasurer
Your Business Directory•
LEGAL
A. W. SILLERY
Barrister, Solicitor, Etc.
Phones: Office 173, Residence 781
SEAFORTH ONTARIO
McCONNELL & HAYS
Barristers, Solicitors, Etc.
PATRICK D. McCONNELL
H. GLENN HAYS, Q.C.
County Crown Attorney
SEAFORTH, ONT.
Telephone 174
OPTOMETRIST
JOHN E. LONGSTAFF
Optometrist
Eyes Examined. Glasses Fitted.
Phone 791,
. IN ST. : SEAFORTH
Hours: 9 - 6
Wed. 9-12.30; Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
CHIROPRACTIC
D. H. McINNES
Chiropractic - Foot 'Correction
COMMERCIAL HOTEL
aiioneay, Thursday — 1 to 8 p.m.
MEDICAL
DR. M. W. STAPLETON
Physician and Surgeon
Phone 90 - Seaforth
JOHN C. GODDARD, M.D.
Physician and Surgeon
Phone 110 Hensall
JOHN A. GORWILL, B.A., M.D.
Physician and Surgeon
Phones; Office 5-W ; Res. 4115-J
Seaforth
SEAFORTH CLINIC
E. A. McMASTER, 8.A., M.D.
Internist
P. L. BRADY, M.D.
Surgeon
Office }ours: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m..,
daily, except Wednesday and Sun-
day.
EVENINGS: Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday only, 7-9 p.m.
Appointments made in. advance
are desirable.
ACCOUNTING
RONALD G. MCCANN
Public Accountant
CLINTON : ONTARIO
Office: Phones:
Royal Bank Office 561, Res.'455
AUCTIONEERS
HAROLD JACKSON
Specialist In Farm and House-
hold Sales.
Licensed in Huron and Perth
Counties. Prices reasonable; satis-
faction guaranteed.
Per Information, etc., write or
phone HAROLD JACKSON, 661 r
14, Seaforth; R.R. 4, Seaforth.
JOSEPH L. RYAN
Specialist in farm stock and Im-
plements and household effects.
$atiallaetion guaranteed, Licensed
in limon and Perth Counties,
Per particulars and open dates,
write or phone JOSEPH L. RYAN,
R, R. 1, Dublin. done 40 r 6,
3)ablin. 4217163
EDWARD W. ' ELLIOTT
Licensed Auctioneer
(Correspondence promptly answer-
ed. Immediate arrangements can
be made for sale dates by phoning
466-1, Clinton. Charges moderate
and satisfaction guaranteed.
PERCY C. WRIGHT
Mee !sed Auctioneer - Cromarty
Livestock and Farm Sake
a Specialty
Tor a better aection sale, call the
WIUG1tHT Awotlb'dee't. Phone Hem
a'
VETERINARY'
TURNBULL & BRYANS
Veterinary Clinic
J. O. Turnbull, D.V.M.
W. R. Bryans, D.V.M.
Phone 105 : Seaforth
THE McKILLOP
MUTUAL FIRE
INSURANCE CO'Y.
HEAD 'OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont.
OFFICERS:
President - J. L. Malone, .Seaforth
Vice,Pres. - J. H. McEwing, Blyth
manager and Sec.-Treas. ,- M. A.
Reid, Seaforth,
DIRECTORS:
E. J. Trewartha, 'Clinton; J. L.
Malone, Seaforth; S. H. Whit-
more, Seaforth • Chris, Leonhardt,
Bornholm; Robert Archibald, Sear
forth; John H. McEwing, Blyth;
Frank McGregor, Clinton; Wm. S.
Alexander, Walton; Harvey Fuller,
Goderich.
AGENTS:
3, E. Pepper, 'Brucefleld; R. P.
etsitArsher, Dublin; Wan. Leiper,
3a'., Londesboro; J. P. Prueter,
tirodbligett; Selwyn taker, Brus-
'Did he offer V150? He said he
would."
"He came up to $200."
."What did you say?"
"I said no."
"Why?"
"I'm no singer. What would I
be doing trailing around with this•
outfit after you're gone?"
"They play (Baltimore, Philadel-
phia, Boston, and Pittsburgh before
they swing west. I could visit you
week -ends, maytbo oftener than
,that. I—I might even make a .ly-
ing trip out to the coast."
"I'm not the type."
"Whole the type? . . . Leonard
let me ask you something. Is it
just because his $200 a week looks
like chicken -feed to you? Is it be-
cause a big contractor makes a lot•
more than that?"
"Sometimes he does. Bight now
119 doesn't make a dime."
'If, that's what it is, you're mak-
ing
yaking a,,, mistake. Leonard, every-
thing has come out the way I said
it would, hasn't it? Now, listen to
me. With that Voice you can make
money that "a big contractor never
even heard of. After just one sea-
son with the Americanicala Opera
Company, the Metropolitan will
grab you sure. It isn't everybody
who can sing with the American
Scala. Their standards are terribly
high, and very well the Metropoli-
tan knows it. Once yod're in the
Metropolitan, there's the radio, the
phonograph, concert, moving pic-
tures. Leonard, you can be rich.
You --you can't help it."
"Contracting's my trade."
"All this—doesn't it mean' any-
thing to you?"
"Yeah, for a gag. But not what
you mean."
"And, in addition to the money,
there's fame—"
"Don't want it."
She 'sat there, and I saw her
eyes begin) to look wet. Then she
said, "Oh, why don't we both tell
the truth? You want to get back to
New York—for what's waiting for
you in New York, And' I—I don't
want you ever to go there again."
"No, that's not it."
"Yes, it is . , . I'm doing just
exactly the opposite of what I
thought I was doing when we start-
ed all this. I thought I would be
the good fairy and bring you and
her together again, And now, what
am I doing? I'm trying to take
you away from her. I'm just a—
home-wrecker-"
She looked comic as she said it,
and I laughed and she laughed.
Then she started to cry- I hadn't
heard one word from Doris since I
left New York. I had wired her
from every hotel I had• stopped at,
and you would thing she might"
have sent me a post card. 'There
FN:•aef't eire.II tltat,,Isat there! We4ht
ing Ceeeil' anal trying to let her be
a 'tyome-wrepkor a the ca'P,ed' it. I
knew e'he was swell I rtrspeeted
everything about' her; I didn't have
to 'be teed • to- Peel I. Ware "3n-' love
with her, so I Could say let's both
stay with this outfit and lee the rest
go hang I couldn't. And then the
next thing I ''knew I was crying,
too
We hit New York Monday morn-
ing. I put Cecil in a cab and wept
on home. On the way, I kept think -
Ing what I. was going to say. I
had been away six weeks', and what
had kept me that long? The best I
could think of was that I had taken
a swing around to look at "condi-
tions."
When I got home I let myself in,
carried in my grip, and called...to
Doris. There was no answer I I
went out in the kitchen, and it was
empty. There wasn't a soul in
the house.
About eleven o'clock Nils came
home. He was the houseman. He
had been out taking the children to
school, he said, and buying some
stuff at a market. He said he was
glad to see •me back, and I shook
hands with him and asked' for
Christine. 'Christine is his wife and
does the cooking, and in "between
acts as maid to !Doris and nurse
to the children, He said Christine
had gone with 'Mrs. Borland. He
acted llkeeI must know all about it
and I hated to show I didn't, so I
said, oh, of course.
:About a quarter to 'twelve the
phone rang. It was Lorentz: "Bor-
land, you'd better come down and
get your wife."
"What's the matter?"
"I'll tell you."
"Where is she?"
"The 'Cathedral Theatre, Come
to the stage door. I'll• meet you."
I had a glimmer, then, of what
was going on. I went out, grabbed
a cab, and hustled' down there. He
met me outside, took me in, and
showed me a dressing -room. I
rapped on the door and went in.
She was crouched on the floor
leaning her head against a chair
and a theatre nurse was with her,
and, Christine. She was in an awful
state. She had on some kind of the•
atrical-looking dress, and her face
was all twisted. and her hands were
„clenching and unclenching, end, I
did'n't need anybody to tell me she
was' giving everything she had to
fight back hysteria.
I went out in the corridor with
Lorentz. "What's this about?"
"She got the bird."
There it was again, this thing
that Cecil had said if I ever heard
I'd never forget. "She sang here,
then?"
"It didn't get that far. She went
out there to sing. Then they let
her have it. It was murder;"
"Just didn't like her, hey?"
"She got too much of a build-up
—in the 'papers."
"I haven't seen the papers. I've
been away."
"Yeah, I know . . . 'Socialite em-
braces stage career—that kind' of
stuff. It was all wrong, and they
Start Them Young
Junior farm club work is rendering a
practical service to Canadian agriculture.
The organization and its leadership train
young people in the best farm practices
and home economics, which lead to "self-
help and community betterment".
The Canadian Bank of Commerce has
pleasure in sponsoring this new booklet, in
recognition of the valuable work being done
by the Junior farm clubs across Canada.
You can help to widen the usefulness of this
organization by taking an interest in its
work, and giving it your support and
encouragement.
The Canadian Bank of Commerce
weiv ready for heat, los' 'one, ;
those nice morning crowds:."
I .began to get sore. "It wolf
ae,eM to me you .should have
ma a sense t'h,an to put her o
here."'didn't.' :- .
"Oh, you did your part."
"I pleaded• with her not to do it
Listen, Borland; I'm not kid-
ded about Doris, and I don't think
you are, either. She can't sing for
buttons. I tried my best to head
her off. I even went to Leighton.
I seared him, but not enough. You
try to stop Doris when she gets set
on something."
"Couldn't you telt her the truth?"
"Could you?"
That stopped' me, but I was still
sore. "Maybe not.. But you start-
ed this, „ just the same. If you
knew all this, what did you egg
her on for? You're the one that's
been giving her lessons, from 'way
badk, and telling het how good she
is, and—"
"All right, Borland; granted. I'm
in love with your wife. And if egg-
ing her on is what makes her like
me, I'm human. Yeah, I trade on
her weakness."
"I've socked guys for less than
that."
"Go ahead, if it does you any
good- I've about got to the point
where a sock would be just one
more thing. if you think being chief
lackey to Doris is. a little bit of
heaven, you try it—'or maybe you
have tried it . . . This finished me
with her, if that interests you. Not
because I started' it. Not because
I egged 'her on_ No—but I saw it.
I was there, and 'saw them nail her
to the cross, and rip cher clothes
off, and throw rotten eggs at her,
and ask her how the vinegar tasted
—and all the rest of it. That'•s un-
forgivable."
He walked- off and left me- I
found' a pay phone, put in a call
for a private ambulance. When it
came I went in 'the dressing room
again. Doris was. up and Christine
was helping her into her coat.
She was over the hysteria, but she
looked like something broken and
shrunken. I carried her to the am-
bulance, put her in it, anade her
lie down. 'Christine got in. We
started off.
At home, I carried her upstairs,
undressed her, and' put her to bed,
and called a doctor. Undressing
Doris is like pulling the petals off a
flower, and a catch kept coming in
my throat over how soft she was
and how beautiful she was., and how
she wilted into the bed. When the
doctor came he said she had to be
absolutely quiet, and gave her some
sleeping pills. He left, and I closed
the door and sat down beside the
bed. She -put ter hand in mine.
"Leonard."
"Yes'?"
"I'm no good."
"How do you know? They didn't
even give you a chance to find out."
"I'm no good."
"A morning show -in a picture
house—"
"A picture house, a vaudeville
house, an opera house—it's all the
same. They're out there, and' it's
up to you. I'm just a. punk who's
been a 'headache to everybody she
knows anw who's got' wise to
herself at last. I've got voice, fig -
use, looks—everything but what it
takes. Isn't that funny?"
"For me, you've got everything
it takes."
• "You knew, didn't you?"
"How would I know?"
"You knew. You knew all the
time I've been just rotten to you,
Leonard. All because you opposed
my so-called career."
"I didn't oppose it."
"No, but you`ditln't believe in it.
That was what made me, so furious.
You were willing to let me do what-
ever I wanted to do, but you
wouldn't believe I could sing. I
hated you for it." -
"Only for that?"
"Only for that .. . Oh, you mean
Hugo and Leighton and all my oth-
er official hand -kissers? Don't be
silly. I had to tease you a little,
didn't I? But that only 'showed I
cared whether you cared,"
"Then you do care?"
"What do you think?"
Doris took my head in her hands
and kissed my eyes and my brow
and cheeks, as though I were some-
thing too holy for her to be worthy
to touch, and I u -as so happy I
couldn't even talk. I sat there a
long time, my head against here,
while she held my hand against
her cheek, and now and then kissed
it. . . The pills are working."
"You want to sleep?"
"No, I don't want to. I could
stay this way forever. But I can't
help it."
"I'll leave you."
"Kiss me."
d kissed her, and she put her
arms around me, and sighed a
sleepy little sigh. Then she smiled
and I tiptoed out.
.I had. a bite to eat, went down
to the office, and shad a look at
what mail there was. Then I sat
down at the desk, hooked my heels
on the top, and tried to keep my
head from swimming till it would
be time to go back to Doris. I
was' so excited I wanted to laugh
all the time, but a cold feeling be-
gan, to creep up my back, and
pretty soon I couldn't fight it off
any more. It was about Cecil. I
had to see her, I knew that. I had
to put it on the line how I felt
about Doris and how she felt about
me, and there could be but one an-
swer to that. Cecil and I, we
would have to break. I tried to
tell. myself she wouldn't expect to
see me for a day or so, that If I
ji.1 t let things. go along she would
Shake the move anyway. It was no
good'. I had to see her, and' I
Couldn't stall. I walked around to
her hotel.
She had the same suite, the same
piano, the same piles of music lye
ing around. She had left the door
from the lobby, and when I went in
she was' lying on the sofa, staring
at the wall and didn''t even say
hello. I sat down and ask her how
she 'felt after the trip. She said all
right. I asked her when her re•
hearsals started. B.he said tomr•o
rause' I said that was swell.
"What is it, Leonard?" Her voice
sounded drys and mine was shaky
whenpend•." I answered, "Something. bap-
.—
, eel l li'esrd'Y
1t» --broke her Up,"
d "It generally does."
had ""It's—Made her feel d fleren,.t
n •about a lot of th'ngs, Abnut...=gt}it0
a „.few. things."
"Go on, Leonard. WI t did y au
come here to tell me? , y it."
"She wants me back '
"And you?"
"I want her b'u'k, too
"All right." •,.
She closed her eyes ' here was
no more to say - nd 1 new it. I
ought to have waked " et of there
then. I couldn't do it. I at least
wanted her to know ow 1 elt
about her, how mush sh' eant to
me. I went over, sat d» n beside
her, took her hand. "Cecil there's
a lot of things I'd like to "ay,"
"Yes, I know."
"About how swell you've been,
about how much I—"
"Good-bye, Leonard "
"I wanted to tell you—"
"There's only one thing a man
ever has to tell a woman. You
can't tell me that; I know you can't
tell 'me that; we've ,peen all over it
—don't offer me consolation prizes."
"All right, then. Good bye."
I bent over and'kiase-1 'bee.
She didn't oxen her eyes, didn't
move. "There's only oce thing I
ask, Leonard."
"The answer`'is yea ,vh (ever it
is."
"Don't come back."
"What?'
"Don't come (eek
You're
16144 t0?
any best wig#e
serge,sa, leges `
that, pt
"l'yg1`'heen• i,,,
a d IC've nA e+9P41445.4
1
ed to niQ, Rnll
eleavtier
All persons in the Municipality owe
or harboring dogs must purchase 1
License for same on or before lune"
1952
Licenses will be issued from the Trea04.
urer's Office in the Town Hall, or by the
Tax Collector, H. Maloney.
After that date summonses through the
court will .be issued to the owners or
harborers of dogs not having licenses.
ALL DOGS MUST WEAR TAGS
We'll g
-you
:Ve BIG ALLOWANCE
when you buy NEW
GOODj*?iEARS
Yes, we need old fires!
Here's your chance to cash in on our call for all the old,
worp tires in town—regardless of condition. We'll
give you the highest trade-in allowance on them when
you buy new Good Fars.
Why dela3r when our plan makes it so easy to ride on
new, long -mileage guaranteed Goodyear tires. Come.
in TODAY!
. * ,
it er ,lr :(, Yl'J(;�, f''?t1A:i�'('t
II"/
-\,\�' ''[f",j/,
rsa Sgt `\ All.1� ! :. '
ac
YOU BUY THE
MOST EFFICIENT.
MOST PROFITABLE
WORKING FORCE
when you invest in
up-to-date power
farming machiines
Making use of up-to-date
equipment to get more work
done with less help iso the
most efficient and the most
profitable way to operate a
business.
In farming as in other in-
dustries power mechaniza-
tion steps -up production,
increases the output of available manpower, and keeps
costs down. The steady adoption of new machines to re-
place worn out or old-style equipment is an investment
that pays off in easier more profitable farming.
In Massey -Harris machines you get the latest in equip.
trent built to save time, save labor, and save money.
Your local Massey -Harris dealer will be glad to give you
full particulars.
MASSEVNARRIS COMPANY, WAITED
Makers of H gk • uarity Farm implements :suets 184Z