The Bluffton news. [volume], May 13, 1943, Image 7

About The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current

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THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1943
©NOWI
THE STORY SO FAR: Charlotte
(Cherry) Rawlings, an orphan, knows al
most nothing about her early history
when, acceding to the wishes of her
guardians, Judge Judson Marshbanka
and Emma Haskell, she becomes the
secretary of Mrs. Porteous Porter,
wealthy San Francisco invalid. Busy as
she is, Cherry sees the judge from time
to time and meets the members of his
household bis dictatorial old mother
Amy Marshbanks, debutante daughter of
his dead brother Fred and Fran, his
gay young second wife. Cherry soon
learns through Emma that her mother
(never married) had been Emma’s sis
ter Charlotte that her father was the
judge’s brother Fred—Amy’s father—
and that shortly after Cherry and Amy
were born. Cherry’s mother had switched
the two babies. Cherry is really Amy
Marshbanks’ The judge confirms the
amazing story but to protect Amy his
mother burns certain papers that would
have proved its truth. Meanwhile Cher
ry had fallen in love with Kelly Coates,
a young artist (who for a time had
been infatuated with Fran Marshbanks)
and Amy is determined to marry Count
Mario (Gogo) Constantino. The judge is
shot to death in his library and every
body is under suspicion. Kelly finally
convinces Cherry that he is over his
infatuation for Fran and she happily
agrees to marry him. Amy flies to Reno
to marry Gogo. Cherry discovers there
are gunpowder marks on Fran's negli
gee. Police find love letters Kelly had
written to Fran. She confesses, saying
she shot the judge during a quarrel over
Kelly and the police take them both to
headquarters for questioning. Kelly
doubts Fran’s story. George Comstock,
a lawyer, writes Amy stating he has a
document her father left for her.
Now continue with the story.
CHAPTER XVHI
Kelly, shedding his coat and hat,
drew Cherry into the drawing room.
“You’re hot!’’ he said anxiously.
“Feel all right? You haven’t caught
cold?”
‘Wo, I’ve been near a fire. Kelly,
what’s happened?”
His hair was mussed his eyes
were dark with fatigue. He put his
arms about her, and their cheeks
touched.
“What a comfortable person you
are, Cherry!” he said. “But your
face feels hot, sweetheart.”
“Has it been horrible, Kelly?”
“WeU, bad. Yes,” he admitted.
“But they don’t believe her, Kel
ly ?J^.—
“They didn’t for a while. I don’t
know what they believe now.”
“You told them she was lying?”
“I told them the truth. I feel
sorry for her, but I wish I knew
what she’s after.”
“They’ll not believe her,” the girl
said confidently.
“They didn’t to begin with. But
after several hours You know,
Cherry,” Kelly said interrupting
himself, “it occurred to me for the
first time today what a conviction
means to an innocent man. It hap
pens. It’s even happened when it
was carried as far as execution.”
“Oh, hush!” she said impatiently.
“Yes, I know. But I’m not talk
ing about myself. I’m just saying
that there have been cases of inno
cent men being convicted. It’s the
damnedest feeling. Evidence piling
up, and men whose mentality isn’t
of the first order weighing it and
misconstruing it and coming to their
own conclusions. Hours going by
and smoke thick in the air, and a
woman as white as a sheet answer
ing and sitting still and answering
again. ‘Mr. Coates and I had often
said we wished my husband was
out of the way.’ ‘Mr. Coates had
told me of poisons, without ever
mentioning that he thought we
would ever use them.’
“She didn’t say that!”
“Over and over. She had them
guessing, all right!”
“But what did you say?”
“That I had never had the slight
est animosity toward the judge, that
I couldn’t understand Mrs. Marsh
banks’ statements ... I only
stopped in to see you a minute, dear.
I’m on my way home I’ll be back
tomorrow.”
“Kelly!” Instinctively she clung to
him, her eyes frightened. “Don’t go
away! If I could only go with you!
If we could only be alone over there,
out of all this, where it’s cool and
quiet, just by ourselves! If we could
have a fire, talk and forget it all!”
"We will, Cherry. This won’t last
long. Before you know it we’ll be
heading for San Rafael, we’U get
that license, and have lunch, and
then go back to Topcote, and fuss
around getting it ready ...”
_"It sounds like, hsavenl” she
si
I
**1
think Fin going out
mind!” she said in
"e^RRflMKS
"/KATHLEEN NORRIS
of my
a
whisper—
W.N.U. RELEASE
stammered, laughing through tears.
Then she raised her face for his
last kiss.
May stopped Cherry as she was
slowly and thoughtfully mounting
the stairs.
"Would you go in to see Mrs.
Jud, please?” the maid said.
Cherry’s voice was all reluctance
and distaste. "Did she ask to see
me?”
"She did before ever Mr. Coates
left. She was so upset we tele
phoned the doctor.”
"Cherry,” Fran said, in a tragic,
quiet voice. "Sit down, won’t you?
Has Kelly been talking to you?”
“Yes, we were talking,” Cherry
said coldly. And then suddenly
breaking, and sinking on her knees
before the bed, "Fran, how could
you! You know you had nothing to
do with this all, and you know Kelly
didn’t!”
"I think I’m going crazy,” Fran
whispered, her eyes closed, her fe
verish hand tight on Cherry’s. "I
suddenly—suddenly wanted it all to
be over—to be out of it! And Kelly
had loved me, Cherry
Still acting. Cherry’s heart, opened
on a sudden impulse of hope and
confidence, closed again in despair.
“What do you think they will do?”
Fran breathed the question, not
opening her eyes.
“I don’t know what they’ll do. I
know it will ruin his life,” Cherry
answered bitterly.
"Oh, no, no, no! Oh, my head!”
Fran murmured. "Amy’s here,”
she announced faintly.
“Yes, I know.” Cherry sat back
on her heels, chilled and weary.
“They stopped off here on their way
to Del Monte,” she said.
“They’re not on their way any
where until they find out the mean
ing of that notice from Comstock.
I never knew anyone to show his
hand quite as plainly as Gogo did!”
"You saw him?”
“No, but she came in here a few
minutes ago to find you. She’d been
crying. And married yesterday!”
“She waited me?”
“Yes. It seems Gogo couldn’t
wait to go down to the office tomor
row, and telephoned the lawyer to
night. Comstock’s coming up at half
past eight. He asked Gogo if he
knew how to get in touch with you,
and Gogo said you were right here.”
"Tonight!”
“And Cherry,” Fran said, open
ing her tired beautiful eyes, “about
this other thing, don’t judge me too
hard! I never would have dragged
Kelly in. They did that—these great
husky .beasts of men—asking me
question after question!”
“But why should you say you did
it, Fran?” Cherry demanded sim
ply-
“Because I did it,” Fran persist
ed. "Or at least I know who did!”
she added half aloud. "Or at least
I think I do.”
"But you wouldn’t say who did it
to protect Kelly, Fran?”
"Why should I? Nobody’s protect
ing me. I’m sick of the whole thing.”
Fran tossed on her pillows.
“I think I’m going out of my
mind!” she said in a whisper.
"I’m going down to dinner, Cher
ry,” she added, “I can’t stay here
and think or I’ll go mad!”
At dinner they all talked triviali
ties by fits and starts. When the
lawyers arrived Cherry and Gogo
and Amy took them into the draw
ing room, and sat solemnly facing
them.
George Comstock opened a long
envelope and took from it another
long envelope. He asked which of
the young women was Amelia
Marshbanks, and, upon Amy claim
ing the title, handed it ceremonious
ly to her.
Amy opened it. The lawyer then
stretched his hand for it, and she
surrendered it obediently enough. He
read it aloud.
"My dear daughters, if both of you
survive until the day set for the
reading of this will,” it began. Cher
ry’s head was rocking.
"... beg you, my daughters,
who read this, to believe that it
was only the conviction that my
child by my wife could not possibly
survive, and my hope that the sub
stitution of Charlotte’s baby in fter
place would be .an act of charity
to all concerned
It was true. The expressions on
the faces of the others told her
she was Amelia Marshbanks, Amy
was Charlotte Rawlings. The long
mystery had come to its end
The voices about Cherry seemed
suddenly loud and confusing. She re
membered saying, "Air!” and then
everything was blackness.
Cherry awoke three days later to
a new world. She had been vague
ly, uncomfortably conscious of what
was going on about her through long
nights and sleepy days. Now it was
morning.
"May, I feel wonderful,” she sud
denly said to the maid. "Was I
very sick?”
"Well, we had the doctor come in
once,” May said, “and then yester
day he looked in when he was here
to see Mrs. Marshbanks.”
"Was Mr. Coates here?”
“Right along until this morning.
He went home to get some sleep
He’s coming back. Mrs. Marsh
banks,” May pursued with a jerk of
her head toward Fran’s room, "re
tracted. That’s what they call it.
She confessed and then she said he
did it, and then she retracted that.”
A great wave of utter thankful
ness and peace to match the relief
of her body went through Cherry’s
soul.
“Mrs. Marshbanks said she’d not
been telling the truth?”
"Said she didn’t know what she’d
been saying. She and Mr. Coates
had a long talk about it yesterday.”
“Oh, my God. I thank thee!”
Cherry said, in her soul. Her break
fast had come she fell upon it rav
enously.
Cherry finished her coffee and the
tray was taken away. She lay lazily
looking about, going from a haff
sleep into a real sleep and waking
much later to see Kelly sitting
watching her.
"Feeling all right?” he asked.
“May tells me you had some break
fast. Good girl.”
"It’s so good to see you!” she
said with a little effort. “Don’t—
don’t go away.
"You are the Marshbanks heiress.
Your Grandfather Wellington left
you a pot of money.”
"That was really true then?”
"That was really true. Your fa
ther, Frederick Marshbanks, left an
unequivocal statement, and old
Judge Comstock, the one who died,
also left a paper confirming it. Your
father believed you were dying his
wife had taken the other child to
her heart, and as time went by I
suppose it grew harder and harder
to think of undoing it all.”
"What’s Gogo doing?”
“He’s keeping very mum. But he
looks years older.”
“What will Amy have, Kelly?
What money will she have?”
The next visitor, unannounced,
was old Mrs. Marshbanks. She came
in carrying her knitting, spoke qui
etly to Cherry as if this were the
most natural procedure in the world,
and seated herself comfortably near
the bed.
“Amy came into my room a few
minutes ago,” said the old lady,
"to tell me that you had made her
a very generous offer.”
“She won’t accept it,” Cherry told
her.
"She may not have any choice,”
said her grandmother dryly. "She
mentioned it to him, and I gathered
that it made a big difference in his
plans. Amy’s married now to a
man in whose country women don’t
count at all. He’ll accept or he’ll
refuse things, he’ll do the deciding,
from now
oil”
Cherry’s face brightened as Kelly
appeared in the doorway. He spoke
to the old lady, asking her solici
tously of her health.
"Well,” Kelly said, "I came in
here with news this afternoon, la
dies. Dreadful news, and yet news
that is going to be a relief to us all.
The mystery is over. They have
made—or they are making at this
moment—an arrest.”
"yran]” both women whispered
together?
“Not Fran, no. But Fran knew
all the time—What’s that?”
"What would have been enough
and more than enough for you and
me, Marchioness.”
The name brought back her color
and her smile.
"Not the Porter money. But she’ll
have some of the money he left her
long ago. And the legacy the judge
left, supposedly to you. She is you,
now. And what her grandmother can
leave her. Plenty. Plenty, if she
hadn’t brought Gogo in.”
Cherry’s eyes were far away she
spoke thoughtfully: "Kelly, have I
quite a lot of money?”
“You have indeed, Marchioness.
Under a capitalistic system you
have done well. I don’t know how
much. It’ll take weeks to get things
straightened out.”
Kelly watched for a moment the
pale cheeks and dropped eyelashes,
and then telling her not to worry
about anything, he went quietly out.
Dozing and waking, and some
times seeing May quietly busy in the
room, and once seeing Kelly’s sil
houette against the window, Cherry
let the day slip by in utter rest
and peace. But she was wide awake,
and feeling more like herself every
minute when at dusk the door
opened softly, and Amy looked in.
"Oh, I wanted to see you, Amy!”
The girl came in with a perfunc
tory smile, a perfunctory question
about Cherry’s health. She went at
once to a chair at the window and
balanced herself on its wide arm.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Rawson
Sunday callers of Mr. and Mrs.
R. S. Trask were Mrs. LaVaun
Bradford of Racine, Ohio, Miss Jus
tine Gilbert, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson
Trask and daughter Mary Jo of
Findlay and Mr. and Mrs. Wright
Hughes.
Rev. Hilliard Camp and Mrs. C.
C. Camp were Monday callers of
Mrs. Olive Crozier.
Mr. and Mrs. R. V. Wentz of
Bluffton were Saturday callers of
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wentz.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Latham and
family spent Mother’s Day with
Mrs. I. A. Smith and Mr. and Mrs.
C. L. Russell and son Max of Jenera.
Mrs. Olive Crozier spent Mother’s
Day with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hart
man and son Fred of Eagle town
ship.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wells of Fos
toria were week-end guests of Mrs.
C. E. Wells and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Glee Cantner spent
the week-end with Mr. and Mrs.
Dale Heineman of Gibsonburg.
Prof. Clayton Tooley of Fremont
spent Mother’s Day with Mr. and
Mrs. W. C. Tooley and son Billy.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hoch and son
Billy Joe of Fairfield, Chaplain and
Mrs. Carl Hoch and son Melvin of
Findlay and Mr. and Mrs. Earl
Hoch and family spent Mother’s Day
with Mrs. Anna Hoch.
Pvt. Milford Beltz of Ft. Bragg,
N. C., is spending a fourteen day
furlough with his parents Mr. and
Mrs. Sandy Beltz.
Farmers normally use about 7,000,
000 pounds of pyrethrum as an insec
ticide, but only 2,700,00 pounds are
available for this purpose in 1943.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS. BLUFF TON. OHIO
Maitdy
PeManal
Well the boys have scratched
corn planting off the calendar this
week and gone mushroom hunting in
stead rains which started over
the weekend and continued Monday
and Tuesday put an end to corn
planting hopes this week but the
rains and warm humid weather real
ly made those fungi pop and the
boys say there’s no time like the first
two weeks of May to find the best
ones and maybe there’ll be good
corn planting weather next week for
everyone excepting Gust Basing
er and Irvin Amstutz and two or
three others who hustled the work
thru during the nice weather last
week and speaking of hustling,
they say that Gust did it with horses,
too tragedy last Thursday night
indicated that rubber tires, at least
when wet, are no protection against
lightning altho it’s said that
the 110 volts on the lines in your
home claim many more victims and
is not to be trifled with with
wise electricians say it’s a good idea
to have the light switch, electric fan
and radio out of reach from the
bathtub.
From Dallas, T£xas, comes word
from our good friend Bob Maxwell,
former Bluffton mail carrier, now
chemist with the federal department
of agriculture. “Believe it or not”,
writes Bob, “Bluffton, Texas, is
northeast of Lima, Texas, a distance
of approximately 85 miles”. There’s
a coincidence for you.
The nursery at Bluffton hospital
is empty—it’s the first time in more
than a year there have been no
babies to care for, Miss Sylvia Bied
erman, superintendent, stated Tues
day.
And speaking of babies, a cable
message sent this week to George
Moser with the army signal corps in
England, told the birth of his son,
Gregory, at St. Rita’s hospital in
Lima, Saturday. Mrs. Moser is the
former Pearl Beery, a sister of Mrs.
Clayton Murray of West Elm street.
Mrs. M. J. Stough, who observed
her eighty-fifth birthday anniversary
at her home on Cherry street last
Friday wishes to thank the friends
and neighbors for the cards and re
membrances received on that occa
sion. Besides her children and twelve
grandchildren, she has seven great
grandchildren.
Comes word from Sgt. Carl Stein
er at Camp Polk, La., “Always glad
to get the News as it keeps me post
ed about what’s going on at home”
and Kermit Herr from Lima
says the same.
Marion and Harry Criblez, sons of
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Criblez, killed a
large blue racer Sunday afternoon in
the woods of their farm, three miles
southeast of town. The reptile
turned out to be more than five feet
long.
Frank Gunther, Jr., tells us that
he has so many nick-names that he
doesn’t know what to respond to
any more. Here are a few of them:
Franco, Franklin D., Gunny Sack,
Gusty, Junebug, Nicotine, Reverend,
Professoi, etc.
Marvin and Imogene Bronson have
been singing at the Missionary
church. Marvin says that the sing
ing made him a little shaky in the
kness at first but that now it doesn’t
phase him any more.
Will the day of wonders never
cease? Walking into the gymnasium
at the junior-senior prom at the
high school Friday night we were
astonished to see a large fountain of
water spouting up right in the mid
dle of the floor. We rubbed our eyes
in amazement. Yes, sure enough it
was a fountain of water. Where
did it come from? Careful examina
tion revealed that the fountain was
provided by an electric pump. The
wire to the motor was cleverly con
cealed by what appeared to be a
tree growing beside the fountain.
Because of the heavy rainfall
Monday, Levi Gable, janitor at the
grade school, was kept quite busy.
According to reports it was neces
sary to use the mop on Mary Mar
garet Dunbar who fell unceremon
iously in the mud.
People near the Rev. Steiner home
on South Jackson street are aware
of an extra amount of piano playing.
Explanation: Daughter Carolyn is
trying to keep her promise to prac
tice faithfully so that she might re
ceive the magazine “Jack and Jill”.
Jimmie Howe showed real gallant-
QUICK SERVICE
FOR
DEAD STOCK
Call
ALLEN COUNTY FERTILIZER
23221—LIMA, OHIO
Reverse Tel. Chargee E. G. Bucheieb, Ine.
ry coming home from the 7th grade
party at Fox hill the other night.
He took pity on classmate Mary
Schmidt and allowed her to ride
home on his bike all the way to
Bluffton.
Larry Mathewson, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Dana Mathewson of Riley
street, caught a 20 inch sucker at
Buckeye lake last week. The fish
was so large that Larry had diffi
culty in negotiating the landing.
The high wind one day last week
mercilessly blew off the pretty red
hat of a young lady walking down
Main street in front of the high
school. Rev. Grover Soldner was
driving down Main street and sens
ing the plight of the lady stopped
his car, retrieved the hat and the
lady was duly thankful.
i
Martha Mae Edgecomb, Bluffton
WAAC is stationed at Camp Custer,
near Rattle Creek, Michigan, as a
member of the army motor corps of
that place. The young women serve
as chauffers and drivers, know the
intricacies of a motor as well as
your garage mechanic and can
change a tire in less time than it
takes to tell about it.
Horseback riding reported at Har
mon field last Sunday brought the
comment from one of the board of
education members at the meeting
Monday night that “they’ll probably
be wanting a bridle path next”.
Perhaps it was just what the doc
tor ordered—anyway Henry Huber,
Bluffton farmer and bank director,
who is a pneumonia patient at the
hospital here was served spinach for
dinner, Monday. Now Henry says
there are lots of things he likes bet­
If week-end jams you'd help unravel
Then pick a mid-week day to travel
1943 MAY *4?
■L ——i
3
5
Now when you take a trip some place
Please travel light and save some space
ter than spinach—but he ate his
portion without hesitation—and was
reported much improved Tuesday.
Nice summer weather the boys are
having down on Guadalcanal—any
way it’s warm enough writes Eman
uel Boutwell, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Boutwell of Orange township.
Daily temperature ranges from 114
to 135 degrees.
This global war is productive of
some remarkable coincidences but
when two brothers, utterly unaware
of each other’s whereabouts, happen
to meet on a far away lonely South
Pacific island we find our vocabulary
simply lacking in proper expressive
ness. Yet that is exactly what hap
pened to Gerald and Clifford Filhart,
sons of Jack Filhart and brothers of
Mrs. Fred Fritchie of this place.
Gerald, a petty officer in the
United States navy and Clifford, sea
man first class, took their prelimi
nary training in camps but a short
distance apart in Virginia. Even
though not far from each other the
two brothers never got together be
cause of the terrific schedule of
study and work. They finished their
training at about the same time and
were sent to San Francesco, Calif.,
to embark for a foreign port. Here
the brothers chanced to meet on the
streets of San Francisco.
Clifford stood on the wharf when
the ship bearing his brother pulled
out thinking that it would likely be
years before they would meet again.
Several days later Clifford’s ship
sailed for a destination unknown.
Then several weeks later on the
lonely Pacific island just as Gerald
was thinking where his brother
might be who should come walking
up in front of his tent but brother
2
Tuesdays, Wed
nesdays, Thurs
days are the best
wartime travel
times and
you’ll leave more
seats for the
armed forces on
week-ends.
“Budget” your
baggage when
you travel nowa
days—take along
less luggage than
usual, to save
extra handling
and extra space.
Please take your Greyhound agent's tips-
the
On which are
Your Greyhound
agent can sug
gest the right de
parture times
when more seats
are usually avail
able and travel is
more convenient.
Plus one extra thought—
Remember transportation for the men and women in the armed forces, in
war plants and cm civilian furloughs comes first—so avoid unnecessary trips!
PINE RESTAURANT
140 N. Main St. Phone 368-W
GREYHOUND
L/NgS
that will make your
trip more convenient—
and will help bus travel
do its big wartime job
Don't wait until mid-summer’s here—
Go now before the crowds appear
You can't afford to take a chance—
Get information in advance
6
least crowded trips
PAGE SEVEN
Clifford. The two boys were speech
less for a moment and then happily
related their experiences which re
sulted in the remarkable coincidence.
Federal officials advise farmers,
in view of the prospective feed situ
ation, not to increase fall pig litters
by more than 15 per cent over their
1942 production. The 1943 spring
pig crop is 24 per cent larger than
that of 1942.
Ohio produces annually about half
as many potatoes as are eaten in the
state every year. The remainder of
the annual supply comes to Ohio in
railroad cars and trucks, and the na
tion’s transportation problems will not
become any less complicated by the
time the 1943 potato crop is ready for
market.
Keep cooked meat covered. Chop
ped and sliced cooked meats spoil
more quickly than meat in the piece.
Cut or chop just before using.
FQgyiCTORY
BUY
UNITED
STATES
WAR
BONDS
AND
^STAMPS
You’ll help “bal
ance-up” wartime
transportation by
going before or
after July and
August when
travel is always
heaviest
Make a call to
Greyhound be
fore you make
your plans get
advance informa
tion on schedules,
fares and bus
connections.
Advice that's good these hectic days—
Avoid like sin all Holidays!
There’s no place
like home on holi
days— by avoid
ing travel at such
rush periods
you’ll avoid over
crowding wartime
transportation.