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Page Eight THE COLBORNE EXPRESS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10th, 1944 OCKXX)COOCKXXXXXX)OOOOCKXX^ 8 Romantic While 8 It Lasted . § § By VALENTINE ERSKINE X 30ock30o0o00000ckx)oo0oc)0o00 j« HP HANK ye," said the druggist as he tied up the perfume, "here's yuh change." Josie took the package, and with a slight nod swept majestically out of the store on the Bowery. Josie McCarthy was a spinster, fifty-seven years old, and although time had not endowed her with charm, he had generously lavished her with avoirdupois. Josie lived all alone on the top floor of a three-family brown-stone house on Oliver street. She had lived there for 29 years. Everybody on the street knew who sne was and where she came from. They even 'inew. to a great extent, how she spent her time. But nobody knew Josie, until one day, the Hochmeyers moved into her house. One morning Mrs. Hochmeyer's bell rang furiously. "Who is it?" she shouted good-naturedly at the top of her lungs as she flung a spoonful of salt into the soup. "Candy for Miss McCarthy!" came back from the other side of the door. "Next floor," Mrs. Hochmeyer informed the messenger. "Miss McCarthy lives upstairs." "Well, land's sakes!" she remarked to herself. "That's a surprise. Who could be sending Josie some candy? It ain't, Christmas." As soon as she heard the messenger's footsteps going past her door on his way down, she put out the fire under the soup and ran upstairs. Not that she expected to be invited in to ■hare the gift, but Mrs. Hochmeyer had an uncanny instinct for news and knew that she would discover nothing about the mysterious box of candy by staying downstairs and peeling onions. To her surprise Josie's door was slightly ajar, and she could hear her voice issuing forth in dulcet tones. Mrg. Hochmeyer grinned complacently to herself and sat down to listen on the steps. "Yes, dear," Josie was saying with a giggle, "I just received your lovely box of chocolates. He-he-he! Thank you so much, sweetheart. How did you guess the kind I liked? . . . "What's that, Henry? . . . "Oh, yes, I'd love to. Please do BANKS • POST OFFICES DEPARTMENT STORES • DRUGGISTS GROCERS • TOBACCONISTS BOOK STORES and othir RETAIL STORES "No, don't bring me any more flow- "All right, sweetheart. . . . "Yes, dear, I think of you all the time. . . ." Mrs. Hochmeyer's jaw dropped in amazement, Josie with a lover? Josie receiving gifts? Why, why, this was Indeed a momentous discovery! Josie. whose double chin shook as she walked, and whose neck was coyly encircled in a black velvet ribbon, re-receiving telephone calls from a man? Mrs. Hochmeyer's chest expanded with excitement and she took a deep breath. Then she took another. And a third inquisitive sniff. As days went by, Josie's gifts from her unknown admirer became more >re frequent. Mrs. Hochmeyer usually knew about the candy, because aes the messenger rang her bell by mistake, and other times she would poke her head out of the door when she thought she recognized strange footsteps going upstairs. It was always the messenger boy, and to her great regret Mrs. Hochmeyer never once encountered the gentleman who could pass for Josie's swain. On Monday morning Mrs. Hochmeyer could stand the suspense no longer and decided to march boldly upstairs to Josie's apartment. In answer to her knock, the door was opened by a transformed Josie, clad in a brilliant pink silk negligee and exuding an overwhelming odor of perfume. The apparition transfixed Mrs. Hochmeyer. "Come in," cooed Josie sweetly. The visitor did not wait to be asked again. She stepped into the parlor and pounced on a chair before Josie could change her mind. "I'm so tired," yawned Josie as she settled her voluminous self on the sofa, while Mrs. Hochmeyer's searching eyes had already discovered two used wine glasses and a half empty five-pound box of candy on the table. "I'm so tired, we were up so late last night." "We?" queried her neighbor politely. "Yes, me and my gentleman friend. He's an awful nice man ; very refined; but he never lets me have a minute's peace. Always calling me up and coming to see me. But he's very refined. Did we disturb you last night?" "Oh, no. we didn't hear a sound." The conversation then turned to a discussion of lingerie. A few days later Mrs. Hochmeyer went upstairs again; but this time she really had to borrow some matches. She noticed the door once more slightly ajar, and pausing at the top step to regain her breath, she overheard Josie at the telephone. "No, sweetheart," lisped, the amorous one, "I can't go to the opera tonight. My dress won't be ready on time. ... "Yes, perhaps Frrday will be all right. . . . "Henry, dear, don't forget to . . ." Just then Josie's telephone rang. And Josie gave a startled sob as she saw her neighbor from the corner of her eye. Mrs. Hochmeyer decided not to go in. The next morning Josie suddenly became 111, and since there were no relatives, she was taken to the hospital. She died the following week. Mrs. Henpeck--Why, I only married you to spite Dick Jones. Mr. Henpeck--Glad to- hear tt Heretofore I thought It was because) you had a grudge against me. JUST A TEASER Customer--How is It that the quail on your bill of fare is always struck off? Walter--That's just a fancy toucn. We never had a quail In the joint. REASON FOR CONFIDENCE "I have great confidence In Jones," "That so?" "Yes, I had a good 10-cent cigar exposed In my vest pocket the other CHILDREN IN WAY The Nurse--Are you going to take) the children out In the automobile today, ma'am? Mrs. DeSwell--Oh, no, not today, think Fldo needs some air today. THEY'LL DROP DEAD "How can I get rid of my erM tors?" "Pay 'em something on account ■ they'll all drop deed." GOOD USE FOR JOKES Humorist--Were those jokes of mine) accepted? Editor--Yes, we'll use them In th* puzzle department and offer prises t» the lucky guessers of the points te> doc>ooooooooooc>ckx>ockdco^ ««XJOW, I'll be out of town Monday ^ but I'll be back Tuesday morning and I'll call you. Maybe we could go to a show that night. Would you like to?" "I'd love to go," she smiled up at him. "That's a bargain then. I'll call you Tuesday. Good-by." Big Jim Spearman pressed her hand lingeringly for a second and was gone. Constance Miller walked back into the living room after he had left and wondered what had happened. There was a strange loneliness about the place and yet a peculiar cheer, too. She. felt somehow both the presence and the absence of his big wholesome personality. "And he's going to call me Tuesday morning. . ." she whispered to herself. "Sunday, Monday . . ." she counted them off on her fingers "Only "I believe he likes me a little--I honestly believe he does," she told her mirror as she stood in front of it brushing her hair for the night. "And just think, two weeks ago I didn't know him. I didn't even know him." With the languid, preoccupied motions of one who is thinking of something else she finished her toilette at last and slid into bed. She was so sleepy yet so incredibly happy. "Tuesday . . . Tuesday . . . Tuesday."" She wished she could stay awake all night just to think about it. The words floated around in her brain, now distinct, now dim, now distinct again. "Tuesday . . . Tue--" Down, down flhe sank Into the land of Nod. And when she awoke it was Sunday and time to get dressed for breakfast. "Day after tomorrow!" That sounded so much nearer than Tuesday had the night before. "Day after tomor Sunday jogged along somehow. Breakfast, ..-hurch, dinner, a long afternoon of piaao and books, peaceful, informal, servantless supper. Leavings from the midday feast--chicken and dressing, sliced veal, jam and bread and butter, tea, scraps. Delicious. And then Monday. Less time for dreaming. A hurried hour of piano practice, then the lesson and afterward more practice. The afternoon was filled with golf. And Tuesday--Constance decided to break her engagement with the dentist to stay home. He might telephone while she was gone. She practiced a little, then the window and looked out, §he did not know what for. The telephone bell raitg suddenly, sharply. With a start she picked lt up, her heart beating strangely. "Yes?" Her voice was athrill with expectancy. "Hello, Conny, this Is Marga- She could scarcely restrain herself. A tide of disappointment swept over her. That telephone bell rang again and again and each time she flew to lt certain that lt was he, only to find that it was some one else. The tension became unbearable, and that night she cried herself to sleep, one moment certain that he had been killed In some way or had fallen suddenly III, the next moment certain that he was a flirt and had completely forgotten her. Wednesday she decided to telephone to his office. But she hung up the receiver just as the operator asked for the number. "No, if he can't take the trouble to call me he may go for all I care." (That was one of the moments when she was sure he was a flirt.) Thursday was a replica of Wednesday--only worse, cumulative tension and disappointment adding to the Then came Friday and with the evening Jim Spearman appeared, cordial, debonair, conscienceless. "Mighty glad to see you again." "Well, where shall we go tonight?" She had not spoken a word as yet "I--I don't think we'll go. . . ." "Why, Constance, you promised me tonight." "I did not," she answered with spirit. "I promised you Tuesday night and Tuesday's been gone--a year!" "But I sent you a special delivery explaining that I'd be detained and asking you to go tonight. I only got back an hour ago." "Tt--lt didn't come." "Well, I mailed lt I put lt In this pocket and mailed it Monday night at the post office myself." He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out-- the letter. There it was stamped and caled and addressed to her. Limply he dropped into a chair--a ig, pathetically crestfallen man. "Well, what on earth do you suppose that night anyway?" all over. All the suffering ilcion and doubt. Conny laughed the happiest rippling laugh. : imagine," she said, "but I thing--it wasn't my special delivery." Well, after we've been married a few years you'll find out what an abounded old man you have for a husband." He said lt In the same iheery way he said everything else and with the same certainty--and he is right. Hours later that night she turned over and over In joyful restlessness. "Once explained, how understand able the ununderstandable is," she sighed happily. COME ALL to the TOWN HALL, golborne Friday, February 11, 1944 HELP YOUR FIGHTING MEN VALENTINE Euchre & Dance Auspices Ladies' Auxiliary Canadian Legion, B.E.S.L. Euchre 8 to 10.30 p.m. -- Dance 10.30 to 2 LUNCH SERVED Prizes for Euchre, Door, Lucky Dance MUSIC BY SERENADERS ORCHESTRA Admission--Anything suitable for overseas parcels. Value at least 25c. Cash accepted. ALL COME AND HELP THIS WORTHY CAUSE Womfy ^oUtf 7*k 76e %w CHEK-R-CHiX YES -- we think we've "got something" in Chek-R-Chix . . chicks with built-in vigor, livability, and potential egg laying capacity. They're produced from eggs from carefully selected, high producing, blood-tested flocks, fed a special breeder ration to insure high vitality and a quick start even during the 21 days the chick is developing inside the shell. We suggest you order early. Demand will be heavy this year, and there may not be enough chicks to go round. Come in and see us about Chek-R-Chix right away! * ST "MEET MY PALS"... «**«« /---emk. j^pw Three Way fir "ALL THREE RALL'S CHiCK HATCHERY Cobourg, Ontario statements In this ad have received Government Approval only insofar as they refer to baby chicks. Chickens remaining unsold are available on the following dates : February 22--300 Barred Rock Cockrels ............ 6c February 25--400 White Leghorns, mixed ..........14c February 28--250 New Hampshires, mixed ..........14c Redfearn keeps Co3.1 keeps Redfearn Quantity of Dry Wood on Hand LADIES' HOSE--Excellent Quality--Just arirved-- Priced at 39c -- 50c -- 75c --V-- SHIPMENT OF ENGLISH CHINA AND GLASSWARE CUPS and SAUCERS -- PLATES and NOVELTIES First Choice for Best Selection --V-- MEN'S NAVY BLUE WORK SHIRTS MEN'S WOOL WORK SOCKS GLOVES--Canvas backs and leather fronts Jas. & Redfearn Son PHONE No. 1 KING STREET COLBORNE A SURPRISE SUBSCRIPTION TO THE HOME TOWN PAPER -V- How about sending e weekly reminder to that relative or friend who has left town? You are too busy to write an occasional letter, let alone a weekly one. The home town paper will be sent regularly each week anywhere in Canada or the British Empire for $2.00 a year--less than 4 cents a week. $2.50 a year to the United States. THE COLBORNE EXPRESS United Church, Colborne Rev. Geo. D. Campbell ........ Minister Mr. Floyd Edwards.............. Organist Mrs. M. Roberts ............ Choir Leader Sunday, February 13th-- 10.00 a.m.--Sunday School. 11.00 a.m.--Morning Worship. Subject--Famine ! Where? India, China. 7.00 p.m.--Evening Service. Subject--Christ's Challenge to the Adventurous. Monday-- 7.30 p.m.--Young People's Union. Tuesday-- 4.20 p.m.--Mission Band. 8.00 p.m.--Prayer Service. Thursday-- 8.00 p.m.--Choir Practice. Salem United Church 2.00 p.m.--Sunday School. 3.00 p.m.--Worship. Subject--"Give Them to Eat." All are welcome. Baptist Church, Colborne Rev. F. Darnell, Minister 2.00 p.m.--Sunday School. 3.00 p.m. Service. Subject---"Wars, Famines, Earth-Quakes !" Are these signs of the end of civilization and the coming of Christ? Baptist Church, Wicklow Rev. Mr. Penner, Minister Service ............ 2 30 p.m. Old St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Colborne Rev. L. M. Smith, Minister Golborne--11.00 a.m. Lakeport--3.00 p.m. Mennonite Brethren In Christ Church Rev. H. L. Kennedy, Pastor Sunday-- Sunday School--10.00 a.m. Services--11.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. Wednesday-- Prayer Meeting--8.00 p.m. Friday-- Junior Meeting--4.30 p.m. Come and Worship ! Emmanuel Faith Mission Rev. L. E. Rabbie, Pastor Sunday Services-- Sunday School--10.00 a.m. Morning Devotion--11.00 a.m. Evening Service--7.30 p.m. Bible Study--8.00 p.m. Good music and singing. You are a stranger here but once. Free Methodist Church Castleton Rev.'A. F. Ball, Pastor Sunday-- Sunday School--2.00 p.m. Preaching--7.30 p.m. Wednesday-- Prayer Meeting--8 p.m. No Quarter for His Last Quarter. Bachelor--How long did your honeymoon last? Benedict--Oh, just like the other moons, lt faded away on the last quarter.--Science and Invention. Thoughtful and Sympathetic Singer--Did you note how well of rolce filled the great hall? Friend--Tes, people were kind enough to leave, so as to make room for It. IComing and Going. Alice--Gladys married Dick for his money. Virginia--And then divorced him for the same object.--New Xork Sun. Father's Definition. "Pa, what's a silent majority?" "A silent majority, my son, Is twn men trying to entertain one woman." --Boston Transcript. 8omewhat Different. I "That new star doesn't seem tt •rant the center of the stage." "Naw, he's an ex-mlnstrel and was always used to being end man."( --Louisville Courier-Journal. - V-- Give all the help you can to your local Salvage Committee.