THE STRATFORD MIRROR . roe Friday, October 12, 1945. -- Job Printing with Quick Delivery LETTER HEADS ENVELOPES STATEMENTS TIME SHEETS | BUSINESS CARDS The Stratford Mirror Press Tel. 115 123 Ontario St. oe tire: MT was chasing the er ee eee door--and I caught rs Mirror Short Story - April Foo By RUTH S. MYERS Diamond [* WAS April 1, 1944, when Lieu-) tenant Jeff Webster left the jewel-! ry store with the small velvet box tucked securely in his coat pocket.' In private life Lieutenant Webster. had been a salesman and very good: one. Perhaps he might have been, described as the high pressure type! but, as such, he had netted a nice! yearly income and that was '"'very| important"',as Lieutenant Webster: would say, Lieutenant Webster hadi not been above pinching a penny' and in so doing had saved and in-' vested, and saved and invested. He' was now in excellent financial cir-| cumstances. He had known what he' wanted; he had gone after it; and! he had got it! In fact he had been ) busy getting it that it was not. until Uncle Sam called him that he. had ever taken the time to give much consideration to love. _ It was at a USO dance that he met Becky Clark and fell in love very hard and very fast. There was. nothing unusual about Becky. She: was just a pretty girl with a tender smile and nice eyes. When Jeff put on the pressure he had no trouble. at all in selling her the marriage idea. War was one thing but with' Becky waiting for him to come back, it had a greater significance. Life with Becky would be simple and complete. It was as he passed the dime store with its windows full of April fool cards that he thought about April fooling Becky. He would buy the most awful looking ring he could find, put it in the little velvet box and give it to her. Then, after a few minutes, he would show her the lovely little quarter-carat diamond, ' and she would enjoy the joke. It was only the night before that he had remarked: "Since we are abso- lutely certain this is the real thing, Becky, it's about time one of us ee a nice diamond ring to sea e bargain. Ho hea cee g w would you "Wonderful, Jeff!" Becky's eyes were starry "'Are you sure,'"' she had asked, 'that you want to wait until the war is over before we get married?" "I'm positiive it's best,~honey,", he had answered. = "But how can we be sure? How do I know you will still want me?" Jeff had laughed delightedly.' { "Becky, you silly darling,' he re- plied, "this is the old-fashioned, en-' during love with us. It will last for-. ever just like the diamond you are' going to get! If it will make you feel any better, though, think of it this way. I'm too conservative a guy to sink a lot of dough in a piece of jewelry if I weren't sure I'd have you to parade it around for the rest of my life!" ~- © "I see what you mean," Becky: answered thoughtfully. As he re-! called that conversation, Jeff nearly laughed aloud. What would Becky | 'Say when she saw the poor little, five-and-ten ring? ) Of course she; would see through the joke in a! minute, but the fun would come! when she opened the velvet box. | That night there was an air of| excitement about Becky that Jeff! noticed' at once and it pieasea nim to think that he sensed it and under- cee oy, Just Among by Ina St stood the reason. Well, no use put- ting it off, he thought. With an ex- Pansive smile he reached into his| pocket and drew out the handsome: case. "Here, darling," he said' warmly. "This is hardly a surprise: and I just know you'll be crazy! about it!" 2 Becky's expression was quizzical: as she took the little box and opened it. For a second she stared in per- plexity at the trashy-looking ring.| "I -- I don't understand+" she be- gan, but Jeff interrupted her with a. burst of laughter. "April fool, Becky!" he shouted: and he rubbed his finger against' the real engagement ring in his: pocket. Just a moment more of teas-' ing before he would give it to her.' He was enjoying himself so much. | 'Don't you like my faultless taste?"! he asked. '"Didn't I pick out a! beauty of an engagement ring for. you--at the dime store?" Becky began to laugh--her mirth! was a little forced at first and then! was real. "It was more of an April fool joke than you think, Jeff," she' said weakly. 'At first I thought you} had really bought me an engage-; ment ring and that would have been! terrible!" sy : "You mean you don't want one! from me?" gasped Jeff, incredu- lously. 'Of course 1 do, you goose," Becky: chuckled. 'I've got one. I picked it} out this afternoon -- see?" And she: held up her hand for Jeff to inspect., "Isn't it just too beautiful, darling?": Becky continued. "I had it charged) to you. It's a full carat bhie-wiite! stone. You've got a thousand dollar! investment in me now, dear to come! back to!"' And Becky put her arms, around Jeff's neck and laid her head! against his shoulder. "Oh, Jeff!" she sighed. "You cer- tainly did April fool me!" "April fool you!" he choked.| "Becky, honey, you've got it all wrong. The April fool is on me!" Heat Cloth In northern woolen mills, lamps heat the cloth to High SS tl so that unwanted particles of wood,! burrs and other foreign material in| the finished product are reduced to: carbon which can be easily shaken} free. i Blooa By-Product j A protector against measles has' been found in the gamma globulin, ' a by-product of the blood being: donated to the Red Cross. The new) product will be distributed by the; American Red Cross without cost. Spinster Insurance i It is possible for young girls in} Deutuark to take out spinster insur-, ance policies If they marry before they reach 40 the money is lost.' otherwise 'iney collect a regular spinster income, Canada's daily war production bill rose from $1,500,000 in 1940 to a peak of $9,000,000 in 1943. Since the begin- ning of 1945 it has 'averaged about A regular department conducted for Mirror readers Ourselves . John. FROM OVER THE BORDER Dear Miss St. John: My wife and I are visiting in Strat- ford. I want to take a trip north be- A ; fore returning to our home in the royak npiisseagi likely you are keeping the keys in a damp place! U.S.A. Can I hunt and fish without a license? Is it lawful to shoot or spear muskrat or beaver? Hoping you can oblige me with an answer this week-- - YANKEE. strict? You will require a license |morning. Then at night we go to one It is |of the homes and dance. or shoot |have them at our house, but Mother beaver or muskrat. We hope you will |and Dad just about stopped me from going out Sunday nights as well as refusing to have us home. Answer: for hunting or fishing, Yankee. against the law to spear have an enjoyable trip. INA ST. JOHN. COUSINS Dear Miss St. John: Last summer my parents went on a long trip. I stayed with my uncle's family. They have lived in the south- ern States so I did not see much of them until my visit. I fell in love with the eldest cousin. He took me around and we had a grand time, but he did not seem to realize that I am grown up. I am nearly eighteen. He is twenty-three. He has just got back from the army. I want to ask him to come here for Christmas. Do think I could make him see that I am grown up and that he is more than a cousin to me? DEANNA. Answer: You are young, Deanna. Try to think of your cousin as a cou- sin. It would be wiser not to ask him to your -home for Christmas. Your doctor will tell you that it is not well for cousins to marry, The young man regards you aS a young cousin. You should let matters stay that way. There will be many boy friends for you, my dear. Don't let your first fancy spoil things for you. INA ST. JOHN. SUPERSTITION Dear Miss St. John: Our door keys continually get rusty. My husband says there is some super- stition about this. Do you know what it: is? Thanking you-- MR. AND MRS. Answer: that if the household keys rust, some- one is saving money for the house- wife. Dear Miss St. John: There is an old saying We hope this is true, Mr. and Mrs. INA ST. JOHN. SUNDAY EVENING Don't you think my parents are too We all go to church Sunday I want to dance here at Don't you think they are old- fashioned, Miss St. John? BROWN EYES. Answer: Observing Sunday is very old-fashioned, Brown Eyes. In fact, it is as old as Time itself. It will also stand while the world lasts, because it is one of the few commands of the Most High. There are six days in the week in which to work and dance. It is for our own good to respect the Sabbath, Brown Eyes. INA ST. JOHN. THE RULES OF HEALTH If you have trouble with any junior members of the family in regard to the daily observation of health habits you might refer them to these twelve rules as laid down by the Junior Red Cross. 1. Eat plenty of whole cereals, vege- tables and fresh fruit every day, and some meat, fish, eggs or cheese. 2. Drink at least two glasses of milk and four glasses of water every day but no tea or coffee. 3. Sleep with the windows open or in the open air. Be in bed at least ten hours every night. 4. Be regular every day in going to the toilet. 5. Play out-of-doors every day. 6. Hold the body straight while sit- ting or standing. 7. Brush the teeth at least every night and every morning. 8. Take a warm bath oftener than once a week. 9. Wash the hands before touching food and after using the toilet. Keep the finger nails clean. 10. Use a handkerchief over the mouth when coughing or sneezing. 11. Keep _ fingers, pens, erasers and rulers mouth and nose. pencils, Ji Teepe game BEG Daca tEVERAGES | a i A monument to the Canadian army was recently unveiled in the little town of Hengelo in the Netherlands. It was erected in October, 1944, to commemorate Canadians who broke away from the 12. Do not spit. Use a handkerchief. ithrough German defences and liber-- 'ated the town. It is 15 feet high and the fence around the plot is designed. in the form of marble shells linked with silver stars. The cross is docor- | ated with a maple leaf on a greem: | background enclosed in a red circle. At its base are the names of Canadiam soldiers who lost their lives in the bat- nas Deen eee ee Definitely.. Autumn, 1945 TAILORED CHESTERFIELDS THE. ACE PRICE GROUPS ......... OF COATS A Chesterfield will beautifully solve your winter coat problem. 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