” Car “MISSING” ‘(rom War Supplement of “Acta Vic- torian I was not at home when Ed. Gar- wood was reported missing. Examl- nations were over, but I had to go back to hospital for a while after- wards to get rid of some more of thai old Somme shell I had brought back anxiety and suspense had brought to her features, but not more so than wher now I saw the sudden: ruddy shining-through. of the gladness of the home days. Then I understood.} She was having her momentary il- lusion, too. With an aching heart I watched it pass away. with me. So it was July before 1} “They didn’t know you were com- reached Leston, with an uncertain: ing,” she said. leg, and a geology star. 1 was not “No, Mrs. Garwood. They didn’t expected until the next day at noon. so I had to walk out home. It is a trick of mine to drop in unexpectedly. If I had not felt just a bit unsteady L should have gone a mile and quarter around by the back road, so as to avoid passing Ed’s old home I could not meet Mrs. Garwood yet. To-morrow, next week, any other time—-but mot just now. However I hobbled off down the road, walking as close to the fence as possible. I might slip past, since the house stood a full hundred yards back from the concession. But she saw me as I came opposite the little old gate. It had to be lift- ed into place every time, for Ed. and I had ruined its hinges long years ago. I saw her standing op the ver- andah, shading her eyes with her) an nd would not hear it. apron and clinging with one hand to} “¥You think I am just passing the a post while she leaned forward. For; puck, as you call it.’ a moment the magic of old familiar | exp@rience whisked away a dozen) years. I fully expected to hear her: call back into the house, and invol-| quired her sports vocabulary. untarily I turned toward the corner, to seg a boyish figure come swinging! round the walk. Then I looked again | at the peering form, and all the ecs- | tatic illusion had gone. For all I saw | was a ghost of that joyous scene, 80 | often rehearsed. The spirit was gone, | and in its stead, even at that distance, | I could see in her bearing the drear! suspense of a hope deferred, if not de- expect me until to-morrow. to surprise them.” Then the pain came at last into ler voice. . “I wouldn't do that, Joe—I wouldn't do that. It hurts too much. You boys don't see it, but it hurts too much. Oh, Joe, I think that is what Ed. is doing, I'll be so glad when he does come—but oh! it would shorten the days and nights so if he would only tell me he is coming.” She paused and looked at me, wild- eyed, appealing to me to confirm her poor little hope. But there was noth- ing I could say. dead. “Joe! I wante > she cried, “Joe! you don't ly, as if she knew what I would say I'm not. Do you know what done? files of the Toronto papers for four months, and I have counted a bun- ed missing and then turned up and! had to be reported alive. It’s those | silly, cruek,casualty list people that edsieen I pe yeti but she ‘are in such a hurry. I just know! ac isoen mes mUariee: | that Ed. is all right. Now. don’t you) She watched me tor a few mo-! ments, then she came hurrying down , the gravel walk with the old carpet covered camp stool that had served bare possibility of his being a pris- in our play days so many purposes. ner, and I spoke of that. Her query “Sit down on this and rest a min-; was too insistent for silence. ute!" she called out, as soon as Il was, «no no. Joe! she said, more sharp- within bearing. Then she opened it, ly than I had ever heard her speak and set it beside the path, digging 8/ )orore. “No. he isn’t a prisoner, I little hole in the uneven ground for just know he isn't. Why, you know one leg of the stool. about Jim Horwood's boy. over in That almost finished me. It was Ancaster. He was missing for months. so characteristic of her Anothet and the War Office of the colonel or might have done it because of a full: somebody reported him at last as Of- heart that could not speak. but sh® gejally Presumed Dead, or some- did it because she was a mother, thing, and the next day the boy walk- whose function is to do for others, eq in for breakfast. And I've pray- only. ed about it, Joe, and I just have the 1 sat down. mumbling some words feeling that it’s going to be the same think he'll be home any time?” I could not tell her what I thought. 1 knew, however, that there was a Ns I felt sure he was! maturely-bent form, She almost smiled as she said it.) and I smiled too, until I remembered! Mrs. Garwood as a poor old soul—“‘I with a pang from whom she had ac-| think it wouldn't hurt a bit for you “You think I'm just fooling mj-| self, but I’m not, Joe, really and truly { don't think she’ll ever be right in_her I've| mind again, anyway, and for the life I have gone over all the back! of me I don’t see where your going dred and thirty-two that were report- | she is | t _ strangest feeling FESS A if Ed. was honfe now and just Oke somewhere. - I had it only a min- ute ago. I> believe that is just God cheering me up till he does come. Do you think he’d let me feel. that way if Ed. was gone? And, Joe-———” She stopped abruptly and looked out to the road. “Oh, there’s Mr. McIsaae going out/ with the mails, He'll give you a lift right to the door. So I won’t keep you. Don’t bother with the gate.” She came out with me and herself hailed the mail carrier. Then, as. I climbed in, I heard her again: “Oh, Joe, will you come over as soon as you can? I got Ed’s fishing tackle and baseball things out yes- terday, and I wish you'd see if they’re all right. I want to have them ready.” I looked -back in the slowly fading light of the glorious summer day, back to where that brave and pathet- ic mother, with her slight and pre- struggled with the gate. Three days later I went back to! think he's gone? she continued quick-| hospital. I. It was mother who thought I , ought to go over to see Mrs. Garwood. “Poor old soul!’’—-It sounded so ludicrous to hear mother speak of ; to go and see her for a little while. I don’t care what the doctor says, I there will spoil her chanees, if she has any, which she hasn't. And all the time asking for you to go over. You haven't seen her since a year ago last July, the night you sneaked in on us with your bad leg— and paid for it with four months in bed,’ So I went over. Mrs. Garwood came out to the verandah, as she had done in the old days, as she had done fast year. She turned and called back into the house. Then she hurfied down to meet me, both hands out- stretched. As I saw the radiance of her face, and thought of the last tim I had seen it. I almost thanked Got that she had lost the reality of this sorry world. “So vou thought you'd come over: to see us at last!”’ she cried. Her voice was pitched perhaps a| litthe higher than of old. It was slightly louder. Her gaze was not so direct nor steady, more color in her face than I had seen for quite a number of years. I forgot, he isn’t But come in and Sit Gown, i along any m ‘ ~ I tollowed her’ into:tiie: binee aul ‘started: the ofd low’ chair,} toward that always stands by the bay. win- dow. ButgMrs. Garwood ‘called ag! quickly,. peremptorily: “Not that one, Joe. That's the one Eddie always sits in, dida’t you know. He'll he along any minute. Here, take this rocker.” ? She seated herself by the table and, with her elbows resting on it, she re- garded me with a half-quizzical smile.} “Mary said she was going over home for a little whife.” Then she called out,. “Mary!’” Quickly she rose, walked over to the side door and threw it open, From my seat I could catch a glimpse of Mary’s lrat, as the girl crossed the fields. Mrs. Garwood resumed her seat. : “Do you think I'm crazy?” she ask- ed in a low tone, but with the most winsome and wistful of smiles." “I thought maybe you mightn’t. But the rest do. That is the reason why Mary is here so much. I used to be ahnoyed, but I don’t care now. Only 4t is strange, isn’t it, that they est asset you could be- Call at the’factory and get prices. KARN-MORRIS PIANO & ORGAN CO. LIMITED. Manufacturers of Pipe Organs Reed organs Morris &2 Player pianos. Read don’t understand. And it’s funny the way they try to make out that they don’t think I’m crazy. Even Mary does it. Oh, say, wouldn't you Hike to see Eddie’s room? If he comes in while we're up there he won't mind. seeing it's you. Just wait a second we're upstairs. He may come in any moment,. yor know We climbed the old ereaking stairs to the room that had been Eddie’s. His mother knocked before entering “He might have sHpped in qufet- ly,” she explained. The room was al most exactly as I had seen it last The same group pictures hung on the walls, together with the snowshoe: and his shotgun and a 1915 calendar, torn off at September 27th, the da: he left for college. There were the Scripture texts and the three old prints he liked so well. On the bed were laid out his carefully pressed civilian clothes, and pajama suit. His slippers were by the little table, with while I scribble a note to tell Bim} NOTICE TO EVERYBODY ! ALBERT IZEN | WILL PAY CASH for Beer and Whiskey Bottles, Rags, Rubbers, Newspapers and Magazines, Iron and Scrap Metals ot all kinds. Highest market prices also paid for Furs, Beef and Horse Hides, Wool and. Poultry. PHONE 65, LISTOWEL its Bible, its bracket lamp, and and thefe was; Other-| three university calendars, 1917-18. ; 1918-19, 1919-20. Folded up on his box was his rugby suit. “IT took them out last week,’ said, * she ‘and I put the baseball vuiies ‘away. I blackened his rugby boots when he went away, but I dusted them off again a few days ago. He’H want to take them down with him. This is the end of August, you know." So simple, so natural. so convinc- ing was her absolute belief in her delusion that, for the moment. I, too. | half believed in it. Mrs. Garwood who had begun a chose inspection of the little wardrobe—probably the hundredth it had received—paused, Nstened a moment and then cried out: of thanks. We didn’t shaké hands.; with Ed. He’ll just come. And Joe,| wise my dull eyes could detect no She stood there, and I watched her, I'll not keep you from your mother,| difference between this deranged wo-! face. I had been startled at the, but you must come in and have a’ man and the glad mother of our boy-! dreadful downward lines that the cup of tea before you go on. I have hood time. . é ——— eS —— Ee [| me DBepariment of Finance Return Every unmarried person, of widow, or widower, without de- All other individuals, who during the calendar Important Notice! Dominion of Canada Your Income lax Should be Filed at Once!! All persons residing in Canada,employed in Canada, or carrying on business in Canada, are liable to a tax on income, as follows: Every corporation and joint steck company, whose pendants cs defined by the Act, ; profits exceeiled $2,000 who during the calendar year,1919, || ¥2T 1919, received OT | Giring the fiscal year end- received or earned $1,000 or more. || earned $2,000 or more. ed in 1919. CLASS 1 . an CLASS Forms to be used in filing Time Limit Forms to be a i filing on or before the : returns on of ore the 31st of March, 1920: All persons in Class 1. a8 | 30th of April, 1920: shown hereon, must file on executors, ad- or before the 31st of All individuals other ministrators,” agents and March, 1 1920 than farmers and ranchers assignees must use Form ° must use Form T 1. T 3. All persons in Class 2, as Farmers and ranchers making a| shown hereon, must file | must use Form TIA. return of the names and on or before the 36th of Corporations and Joint amounts i all di- April, 1920. Stock Companies must use rectors, agents or — Form T 2. a employees must use PENALTY orm . —— General lastructions maken return, who ails todo making a so wit t time t, return of all dividends and | yomctors ‘or Assistant «| ciamencuiert foe penalty | | uses paid to sharehold-} jnepectors of Taxation, or | of the amount of the tax and members durin Sanus Centnatnte paya 1919, must use Form T 5. , whether tazable 4 Read carefully all in- | or otherwine, wits fails to a met a soeres Soe structions on Form before | HES* Site oe PENALTY — Ofte Ant, chal be liable on Every penven whale sequined Prepay postage on *“qariction to 8 to this return, who fails letters and documents for- penalty of $100.00 for each oo oo se _ ae ee ap day 4 ‘pick default \ genni of $8.00 for each Say tors of Taxation making 2 false statement baagyecne ad a in any eturn or in any Slee shell be asecased and} ‘Make your returns | ‘utocnantion tree Hable, collected from the person promptly, and summary conviction, Hable to make the return in avoid penaity not exceeding $10,000, the same manner in which a or to six months’ - taxes ure assessed and col- penalties ment or to beth fine and fected. t. Address of Inspector of Taxation for this District. LONDON, ONT. i R. W. BREADNER, Comunissioner of Taxation. tout of the window. “Dear me! We must go down. That Bboy will be downstairs waiting.” In a flutter of anticipation she hur- ried down. I followed, leaden-heart- ed. Once down. she glanced quickly round the room, and looked hopefully She turned to me, and | saw the working of the gnawing care had robbed her of her reason, but had, by overreaching it- self almost given her peace. Had I sat then I should have wept. It. 1 told mother this fall that I shouldn't be home for Thanksgiving. The week would be all broken up with the Re-union, and I thought I could not afford to lose any more time. But when Saturday morning came and I saw the boys with their suitcases bulging with the accumulat- [ed laundry that was to go home to be washed, ! wandered about, dis- consolate—as long as I could. Then I gave in and caught my old train, the IL.58. The 1.58 reaches Leston, as you know, some time before dark in the summer months, but by October it has become an evening train. So I swung briskly off down the road in the clear, cold night. The moon had not risen yet. In the exhilaration of this stolen visit I had forgotten Ed’s mother, but I remembered with ali the more startling vividness as T came past the old elm to which the end of the Garwood line was anchor- ed. Poor Mrs. Garwood! I pictured her ase I had seen her Iast. and when the cheery little slits of light peeped slyly at me below the almost drawn blinds I could not help a feeling that was very close to fear. an alternation of creeping chills and flushes that came insistently over me. Behind those blinds a mother waited confidently the tmminent home-com- ing of a slain son, was perhaps even now performing one of those wonder- ful little services of anticipation that are the jewels of unselfishness. Drawn blinds, a crazed heart that listened ever for a footfall, a phantom son forever cofning, always just outside the door! Pity was lost in the horror of the scene I imagined. So it is not much to be wondered at that I literally jumped at hearing my. name called. I was just opposite the! e@ gate. I turned and, for a moment, was chilled to absolute suspension of ali conscious thinking or action. It was Mrs. Garwood, and she had ap- parently crossed the road as I came up. ° Her voice was gruesomely vivac- ious and natural and homely. “Did I scare you, Joe?” she ask- ed. Then she continued. “Up to your old tricks! Coming home on the sly. Don't do it, Joe. But you'll have — to Ed. isn't in just now, but he'll So we went up the path together I thought I could detect in the tones, of her voice the encroachment of her, malady, and when we opened the door it seemed still more plainly evi-! dent. The last time I had interpreted | the fearful expression that at unex-| pected times made her face and eyes, so tragie as the protest of her dying! sanity. But now there was a pitifully; On!) consistent serenity, as though peace, y reigned, as though reason had died} and been buried. The whole situation —her cheery constant references Genuine Ed., the familiar objects of his old- | time daily life, perhaps even the com-| parative isolation of the house, all these enhanced the nervous tension from which I strove in vain to free myself. I remember how strong was| the impulse to raise the blinds. I did; leave the door a bit ajar. A ghostly unreality pervaded the whole atmos- phere, and it seemed as if the very | table and chairs and walls had caught} that weird expectancy. I felt it over- poweringly. but for me it took the form of a wild, unreasoning fear of| some impending horror, as though the thousand voices of the place in this awful perversion of faith must call, back that flown spirit from its un- | known battle grave. “IT am going to the woodshed to; see if Ed. has split me wood enough. said Mrs. Garwood, smilingly bright- | ly atm “Won't you let me split some?” I cried. “Oh, no. Ed'll be back in a minute. You see if these-skates are all right.” She thrust them into my hands as she spoke and walked briskly over to the woddshed door. It closed behind her. The skates were Ed’s old ‘‘Auto- mobiles.’ They were the same as mine, for we had bought them to- gether. I remembered we had toss- ed up to whether_we should buy them, or désrer ones. Then, after all, we had been compelled to take the less expensive skates, because we had lacked a necessary seventy-five cents. I stumbled across to the low box seat in the dark corner of the room, overwhelmed by the re-awaken- ed sense of bitter loss. “Mother!” I felt as I did when that bullet eaught my shoulder, the first time > ROSS LIMITED ACTURERS I was hit. I felt as if I were being MANUF. whirled round and round intermin- Established 1285 ably. At last I was able to look up. LONDON - - ONT. I had fallen under the reason-robbing spell of the bouse, for as far as my| senses were concerned, Ed. was stand- ing in the room. 1 could not see his face, but I knew him. Slowly he turned in my direction—and I could only stare. I had no power to) flee. I waited for the awful spectre’ of his face to be disclosed. “Why, great guns! It’s Joe! You old scoundrel! In the next second the other worl was gone, and my poor hand was be-! ing shaken with exceedingly corpor-| eal vigour. But in the mist of it he Elma Mutual Meeting— stopped. A meeting of the directors of. the “Where’s mother?” he demanded. | Elma Farmers Mutua) Fire Insurance I pointed to the woodshed. | aoa ae esa pee cae Gee os “Oh, yes. Now listen, I'll tell you! Slelend. Cowan and Shearer. In the the details later. Prisoner in Gef-| siconce of the president, the vice- many. d case of aphasia. Woke president presided, and signed the up and found myself in Bolshevik’ ninutes of the last meeting after Russia. Lord only knows how I e8-| ..m6 ned been read and confirmed caped. Got back here last night. Saw A claim was presented from Jas. Dr. Hurd at the station. He told me Huston of Elma, for damage to about poor mother. But he says she’ household contents by . freon ee: ene She isn't) December 15th., 1919, which was old, really. So gg let on any sur- adjusted at $10. A clains was pre- mother, as quietly as ever she had said it in the old, idyllic, provincial days. Then she laughed. “Now, Ed., you go out and split some wood, and ies will carry it in. I've an apijian turnover apiece for you when tis 4} wood box is full.’ “Hurrah!” we cried. prise. You know. You kogw I was! sented from Henry Cullen of Elma “liken - 2 — a fe gd for harness burnt in the Prueter har- Rees “We're 50 ph ness shop, Listowel, which was ad- a Ry td I Me oh ee at $4.00, to be paid when a make my place again on the Jennin certificate is produced from Br. any minute. we must hurry and get them put out of sight.” ‘ter. Applications for insurance, Cup team for old Vic. Eh, what, old stiff? Get my sammary?” . 73424, y oe. — mepenling A door opened. journed em Tuesday, April 20th. J. “Ob, here’s Ed. now,” said the’ R. Hammond, secretary.