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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1922)
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX. PORTLAND, OCTOBER 13. 1922 9 1 He Was So Honest That It Hurt, but Duty Is Duty and Must Be Performed, No Matter What the Cost. , IF ANY man had told me I should ever find it hard to be honest he'd have had the rough edge of my tongue without a doubt; for, along of my parents and schooling, not to mention my own particular nice bent of mind, there were some things,' eveu as a young man, that would have given me more pain than pleasure to do, no matter what the re ward. And one wa3 to covet my neigh bor's goods, and another was to break my word. At 25 I was outdoor man at "The Coach and Four," a little public on the Plymouth road out Yelverton way and, though a small house, it had a lot of custom and there was plenty of work for me with the traffic and the hosses, especially in winter, when hounds met at our place pretty often. My father was coachman at Eylesbar row Manor till he went home, and he'd bad but one brother and sister. Aunt Sarah died in a lunatic asylum. Door soul the first in our family ever known to be tootlish and Uncle Geoffrey, he'd gone to Canada, or else Australia, in his young days. M,y father never could call home which it was, and it didn't matter, for us heard of him no more and he was only a name to me. . ' . But then happened the first of my twc adventures, and after Jane Blight came in the bar of "The Coach and Four" I was a -lost man. I dare say she stood three inches taller than .me, for at 22, which was her age when we first met, she'd rose to her full growth, and nobody ever saw a finer woman with a deeper bosom, or bigger shoulders, or stronger- arms. She was high colored and she had blue eyes and a proper mane of wonderful hair that kept the bar warm on the coldest day. 'Twas like a burning, fiery furnace. Most times, with that sort, you get a temper to match the flame, and a hustling way, and sometimes rather a high hand; but though Jane was a towser for work end the cleanest creature that ever wast ed time washing herself, her temper was sweet and she'd got it well under con trol. In fact, Miss Blight stood long ways ahead of any female that I'd ever come across, and, whereas, until she appeared, no girl had struck me' as a very interest ing object, with her the case was entirely altered and she set me thinking very seri ous and roused in me a sort of muddle headed and bitter-sweet frame of mind as I hadn't felt before. Months passed and it got worse, and still I couldn't under stand what distraction had overtook me; but then all of a sudden I found 'twas Jane awoke these queer sensations, and I axed her to go for a walk on her after noon out, little thinking she'd consent to it. In fact, so foggy be the beginnings of love that when she said she'd come I was half sorry I'd spoke. But it would have been a rude thing to back out of it after she'd agreed to walk, so I fixed out with Jack Codd, my fellow-worker, to look after my job that Thursday afternoon, and me and Jane footed it up to Prince town on Dartmoor, and she consented to take a cup of tea at "The Three Feathers" in that place. Well, I hadn't gone above a mile be side the woman When I knew that I'd failed in love with her; and the astonish- ment of it tied my tongue to such an ex-" tent that I dare say I didn't speak more'n ence in 500 yards. But she made up for that, and I soon saw., she was friendly disposed and found herself very comfort able in my company, tine told me about her family and how she had to send most of her money to her mother and father, him being out of work. And she drew . rather a sorrowful picture of their posi tion, but she weren't in the least sorrow ful herself, being far too clever and cheer ful to whine over what couldn't be helped by her. ' And I listened in wonder, for I'd never guessed a woman could be so sensible. In fact, such a witty way of looking at life made me think better of females in gen eral, because till then I'd never met one with the sense of a woodlouse. The friendship got red hot in six weeks, and just after Christmas, or it.might have been New Year's day, I offered for her, but not afore I felt as sure as death she was going to take me. For, such is my modest nature that I don't believe I could have axed if my love-quickened senses hadn't made me see that 6he'd be down my throat the moment I did. . Then, after six months, which didn't cool our fine affection nor yet bring mar- riage a day nearer by the looks of it, I gUh OU 1 ' r 1 ...... .. , . . - o on Dartmoor and stopping at "The Coach and Four." He liked me and reckoned I might be worth 30 bob a week to him, so I talked it over with Jane and, though she felt the sting of the parting a good deal, she knew this was a useful step along the road to better times, and agreed that I should accept and give notice. Then my troubles began; for, after two months with my new master, he had a sad disaster and lost all his money and didn't want me no more. 'And they wouldn't take me back at the "Coach" neither, because my place was filled. I was on my beam ends for a bit and the -20 pounds I'd saved had to be all eat up to keep me going. We wrote to each other, Jane and me; but her letters were scarcer than mine, because pens and ink was always pain and grief- to her, and then I dried up, too, for a bit. for my new master had died very sudden, and I was out in the world again and didn't want to make my future wife sorrowful about it. For a matter of three years we did keep in touch, and then I lost her. I'd not wrote for six months, but presently my conscience spoke and, being with good work once' more at a big hotel in Bir- . a, V (iff . llllPw ftilPf""; w0w: w iiiip Y pm' t mm- m ilfii m . 1 CW&I3S&1 , " r ff! ill . "I knew that I'd fall mingham, I wrote and told Jane' that thhigs were looking up and I hoped, if I could get a few day off at the end of the autumn, to come down to the Vest and see her. But the letter was returned to me marked "not known." and to get a letter you've wrote to another person come back staring you in the face again be a great shock, I'm sure. I was a good bit put about, though Jane had grown a litle faint to my mind's eye by that time! but I wrote to my old mas ter for her address, and he sent a post card saying that Jane Blight had been gone from the "Coach" for six months and he didn't know more'n the dead where she was got to, or what she was doiffg. I felt it a good deal for an hour or so, and then I went out and axed a friend of mine at Birmingham what I ought to do in such a case. She was a young person in a tobacconist's shop, and I was drawn to her because she came from Devon a Devonport woman, born and bred in the Three Towns. We'd seen a good . bit of each other, chiefly of a Sunday, and she understood my nature and I understood her very well. Indeed. Aggie Bassett her name was, and she had a nice, stand-off manner and well knew what she owed to herself. We were both homesick and her hope and prayer, like mine, was to get back to Devon some day. On the subject of Jane I found Aggie not too helpful. , I though to advertise, but remembering that Jane had no use for newspapers and seldom opened such a thing, I doubt ed if that would not be to throw away good money. And Aggie feared so, too. She reckoned that Jane was probably in Plymouth at her trade and wondered if I could get a list of the public bouses and send a postcard to each of 'em. We was turning over that and other project for a few weeks, when I -made the shameful discovery that I'd pretty near forgot Jane and was now fallen in love with Aggie; and then, crushing in upon this, there came the second and greatest adventure of my life. A letter arrived to me from my old home North Tawton village, where my father and mother had lived all their days. It'wts from a lawyer, and it had been sent to "The Coach and Four," and, along of me having written the year previous to ax for news of Jane Blight, my old master knew where I was and sent the letter after me. And I got it. The lawyer wrote that my father's brother was dead at the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, so my father was wrong after all about where he'd gone to, but the -amazing thing followed. Uncle Geoffrey had left my father all his money, and, father and mother being dead, the money was mine. Five thou sand pounds he had saved, though whether such a hugeous sum had been honestly come by who shall say? There it was, however, and when I tooK the news to my friend at the tobacco shop she congratulated me and said that no man ever deserved a fortune better. "Five thousand pounds is two hundred and fifty pounds a year at 5 per cent, Noah," she said, "and don't try to get no more." "And what shall I do first, I wonder?" in love with her." I axed her, and, like the Christian woman she was, she made answer. - "Find your Jane, 1 should think," said Aggie Bassett. Needless to say the words struck me dumb, for Jane was no more sweetheart cf mine, even though the solemn promise remained. The spell was properly broke . after all the years, and I didn't want to marry her, nor yet even see her again if I could help it. Aggie somehow knew, despite all my sad silence, what was moving in my mind. "You can't tell how you'll feel about it till you find her," she said. "So like as not when you do, if God wills for you to join her once more, the old feeling may blaze up in you again, Noah, and ;hen you'll see how. Providence-watches over the sparrow.!' "Yes," I said, "and I hope Providence have got my own views, and what that is nobody knows better than you." ' "I won't pretend I don't," she an swered, "but we needn't think so far ahead. Something tells me as you'll find Jane, If you honestly look for her; and if you wasn't honest about it then no doubt your sin would find you out." " 'Sin' is too big a word, Itold her; "but, be it as it will, I shall seek around APPLES REACH EUROPE LIKE THEY (Continued From Page 4.) Liverpool, London, Southampton, Glas gow and Copenhagen are the prime European markets and they know north-' west fruit and welcome it. The game, as far as they are concerned, even though limited, is a success. - With the present huge car shortage the plea is to build re frigerator ships and many, firms who want to get in the trade are hoping for the passage of the ship subsidy bill, with its $125,000,000 available for loans at 2 per cent for the purpose of building ships. Great 'corporations, such as the United Fruit company, with their vast traffic in tropical' fruits, have shown the possibili ties in an importing way; Now the chance is to work it out the other way round, to export American products and create new markets. To do this is possible only when ' first-class stuff is placed on the foreign market, and the fruit must be properly heated, chilled and ripened to be at maxi mum efficiency. Instead of making the fruit game a gamble,.the aim of the producer, who now is organizing in the northwest, is to place it on a stable basis. Brokers along the Atlantic coast will place orders in ad vance for . carload consignments, and would increase their orders were they certain ' of saving a few cents a box in freight tariffs and the receipt of the fruit in splendid condition. There seems no end to the possibilities of the water-dispatch system. The fruit must be landed at protected piert in consumer districts and the government is understood to have offered space at Norfolk, Va., where it might be possible to work out a solution of marketing zones for trans - shipment. Another way of stimulating the trade is suggested of sending emissaries to new districts, such as those in South America, In charge of ten-car consignments; the emissary charged with the duy of mar--keting this sample shipment and taking u. it it sharp as a needle for a fortnight, and if we don't meet, then I'll advertise in the Western Morning News, and, though she'll never see it, for she's no scholar, somebody that knows her may perhaps do so. And even that's going too far, in my opinion." We left it so, and when we got to North Road station, Aggie changed for her aunt at Devonport and I went on. I knew her address and she granted me permission to come to tea after I'd hunted for a week. -And then it was, just after lighting up time, that my great trial and temptation iell upon me, for half way to the office of the newspaper to hand in the adver tisement about Jane I corned across the woman herself! - I see a great, big creature, built much like a pouter pigeon, looking into a shop where they sold women's stays; 'and I coulda't help feeling with her generous build, no doubt stays interested her so much as anything. And then she turned and I saw Jane Blight. Twas the Jane I'd known, yet changed and grown ' from bud to blossom, you might say. She'd drawed the beam at eleven stone six when we kept company; but now, to my eye, she looked every ounce of thirteen atone, if not more. The fat had rose up to her face also and her high color hadn't got no fainter and her hair fairly jumped at you. Life to some men, no doubt, such a waman, but death to me. "My God! To live with that mountain ous woman!" I thought; and then I put everything but dlity away from me and evertook her. "You'll be Miss Jane Blight," I said, lifting my hat to her, and for a moment she didn't see who 'twas; and then she did, and stood still. Her face turned several shades paler and she put her hand to her heart and heaved, like a Jelly, down to her boots. For a moment I thought she was going to faint and make a scene and hlock the aideway; but che gave a deep breath and it steadied her a lot. Then she put her great hands on my shoulders and said: - "You're Noah Scobull, or else his ghost." "The living man, Jane. And I've b.een looking for you a fortnight, and I was going to advertise in the paper for you next Mounday. It's in my pocket this moment. You've given me a lot of work you never did ought to have given me, Jane, and made a mystery where there was none However, we must let by gones be bygones." "You wanted me, then? You still orders for other shipments of like char acter and guaranteed grade. Thia sys tem would help work up a trade co operation and a method of direct pur chase, again preventing speculators from taking exorbitant profits. . Just as an instance of how fruit prices increase at the market might be cited the experience had with last year's crops, Extra fancy fruit that brought the grower . $1 a box of 56 pounds, or about 2 cents ' a pound, sold for 8 pence or 16 cents a pound in the English market. With 2 cents a pound as an average tariff charge the retail price of the fruit showed an increase of 400 per cent over freight and cqst of production. Great Britain is fond of apples, and if the cost could be re duced, for they must consider costs in a. country as nearly war-bankrupt as it is. the Englishman would eat four or five times as much. Prosperity in Europe as sures prosperity here for the fruit raiser as well as for other lines of industry. With 1,800,000 men out of work and war conditions yet prevailing, the market is, to say the least, curtailed. But the vision of what it will be when normality is again reached cannot help but be alluring to northwest America aa well as to the re mainder of the world. Then, again, commercial conditions the world over are on a similar basis. Nr longer are the firms content to make a reasonable profit. Not many have de flated any more of the war costs than they have been forced to do. They want to buy aa low as possible and turn over their stuff as rapidly as they can at as large a profit as they can get. This has served to curtail the markets by too high prices, and the great injury has been here in the shutting off of a volume outlet, so badly needed. ' In New York city the fruit shipments are assembled on Erie pier, an immense structure 800 feet in length and 200 feet wanted me, Noah?" she asked, and tears come in her eyes when she done so. "Duty's duty and a promise it a prom ise when I make it, Jane," I replied. - "The truth lies In a nutshell. I've come Into a bit of money very near three hundred a year, I shouldn't wonder and 1 remember my solemn word to you, though you have forgot yours to tne, beemingly; and, when I heard from 'The Coach' as you was gone and nobody could tell where, I thought that fifty to one you was in Plymouth, at your old busl ress and looking after your mother as before. And I was right, I suppose." "My mother's dead," she answered, "and I ain't looking after nobody but myself. And my home, so to call it, be the sea nowadays. I'm a stewardess on the Weston-Smerdon packet boat Lady bird that trades across from Plymouth to Havre." "That accounts for your marine ap pearance, then," I said. - "It do," ahe replied, brightening up. "I'm a born sailor, Noah." "So did I ought to be," with a name like mine," I answered, striking a light note, though I didn't feel it; "but I hate the deep and was never on it but once, going round Portland Bill; and never again for me." She thought a moment and then got an idea. "IS wo go down to the "Sextant' on the Barbican you can gigve me a glaaa of sherry wine," ahe said, "and we can talk." I followed her and she went pretty fst nd said but little on the way. What was to come I did not know, but ao far I couldn't disguise from myself that Jane had a good bit on her mind besides me. And I wondered why she'd chose ' the "Sextant," which was merely a sailors' public bouse somewhere down on the quay. "You don't aeem too pleased about our money, Jane," I aald Just to break the silence, which was growing a bit unnat ural between lovers joined again after three years and more. "I'm very pleased indeed about It," she answered. "And never a man de served a bit of luck better; and I shall be terrible interested to hear how you came ' by such a dollop of cash an unlucky Sort of chap like you." "You'r leaving Providence out," I said. "It was my Uncle Geoffrey, who left It to my father; and, father and mother be ' ing dead, I get the lot five thousand of the best, by all accounts." "Fancy! Somehow I never thought your Undo Geoffrey waa a real man," re plied Jane. I aaid no more. The "Sextant" was a small house on the Barbican, and Jane appeared to be well known there. We went into a little sitting room off the private bar her leading and then I ordered a glaaa of sherry wine and a biscuit for her and a half of stout for myself. She aaid a word to the maiden that served ua and I over heard It, though ahe didn't mean for me to do so. "Has Mr. K. been in?" she aaked, and the girl shook her head. With that we sat down and ahe took off her white thread gloves and cooled her face with a handkerchief. "You've given me a turn, Noah," she confessed. "They talk about the won ders of the deep, but I reckon the sea's tame compared to the shore." "And when do you. sail next, If I may ask?" I inquired. "Monday night at half after nine," ahe anawered. "What if I forbid it. Jane?" She finished her sherry wine at a gulp. "I'll have one more," she said, "and you cau't forbid it me going to aea. I'm rnder ordera and have signed on." "How soon can you sign off, then?" I asked, and rang the bell. Jane began to shake again and decided for a small brandy when the maiden answered me. ' "I'm a wicked woman," she began, when we was alone again. "Since when?" I asked. " "To thipk of you, so patient and faith ful, and never forgetting me! To think . LEAVE THE TREE wide. Here comes all the products from the world for millions of consumers In the nearby district. Never In its. history could Erie pier, with all its boasted vol ume of business, show as many apples aa any Portlander can view at one time at terminal No. 4 awaiting shipment This volume of business, for a trade ad mitted to be in its swaddling clothes, H astounding. Give the fruitgrower con trol of. the market, a uniform bill of lad ing so that full insurance coverage can be had and the risk eliminated of specula tion, proper inspection standards at point of loading and unloading and the conse quent establishment of a credit system that will protect all parties, and the northwest will be able to point out yet another major industry and one of the real big ones on the face of the globe. Once let the consignment feature of the fruit trade be eliminated and stability will draw new strength from many sources. The success to date has been notable, but a few years more should see, at the same rate of increase, ten ships in the harbor for fruit for every one this season. Vermilion Making Secret. For many years in Hongkong the in dustry of vermilion making, entirely In the hands of the Chinese, has been an im portant one. The factories at Hongkong have inviolate trade secrets. The manu facture of this pigment Is among the fore most of the colony's Industries. There are something like a hundred small plants for the manufacture of vermilion in Hongkong and Kowloon. The raw ma terial comes from Australia, and the ver milion Is prepared altogether by what la known as the wet method. The Chinese' made artificial cinnabar long before Eu rope was a civilized country, and to this day there are trade secrets in the ver milion industry. alt that time you could remember a pr-er soul like me! And now. shameful though It may sound to you, my drar man- " What ahe waa going to aay I can t 4e certain, but ahe didn't say It, for at that moment a lumping, great seafaring chap blew in smoking a pipe. He was by way cf being aome sort of officer from his rig, and he knew Jane. In fart, 'twaa clear he expected her; but equally clear he didn't expect me. .' "Hello. Jane!" he aaid. "Who the hell ?" She Introduced ua. "Thla la Mr. Sam Kitchen. Noah, the second engineer of the 'Ladybird': and thla be Mr. Noah Scobhu'.l, Sam hlm.--ou remember." "By Jake!" aaid the aecond engineer. "And what do he want down la theM parta?" . : : "He wanta me," aald Jane, firmly enough, but not aa If It gave her any great pleasure to mention it. ; : Mr. Kitchen waa a alx foot man, with muscle and bone to match, and yon could aee that he breathed In a good bit of oil along of hla profession. A big creation every way big face, big beard, big voice. "I'm hearing things, " he said. "Per haps you'll throw a ray of IlKht. Jane." "It'a like thia. Sam." ahe aald. "Noah'a the soul of honesty and a atralghter man never lived and never will. All tbee yeara. while I'd thought that be d forgot all about me and imagined that I waa a free woman, he'd done no eurh thing; but. on the contrary, always meant to keep me to my word, aa soon as ever he waa In a position to give me a home. And Slow a rich uncle of his. what I never much believed in, has gone and died, and left him a keg of beans; and the first thing he thought of was me. And be'a been wearing out his boots for weeka tramping Plymouth on the chance of meeting me; and he was Just off to ad vertise for me when he comes full steam cpon my weather bow me anchored afore a shop window at the time." Mr. Kitchen rumpled hla great bsnl; then he spit Into a spittoon, knocked out hla pipe, and began to load It SKaln. "You'll have one with me now. Stout! Lucky man! I winh I could drink It; but me and Jane daren't touch malt liquor. 'Twould be lingering death to a beamy pair like ua." "Go on," I said. "Why for do you talk about you and Jane Blight aa a pair ?" "That's the whole bitter truth." he -plained. "When first I axked this woman to marry me It waa on hr apoond voy age in the 'Ladybird' she told me your atory and I gave It all due weight. Hut In my Judgment you were fairly ruled out by paaaage of time, and I told her ao. and ahe waa thankful to God. because. a she aald being the soul of truth, aa you no doubt knowthat what ahe felt for you at the beat, compared to what she now feels for me, la bilge to rum. Therefore I put It to you that If you to think to keep her to her flrat engagement you'd be doing two things. You'd be breaking her heart and I shouldn't reckon you waa the kind of man who'd like to do that and you'd be atrlking up a quarrel with me that would be very bad for your health afore It had gone far." I now hesitated between two rouraea. I could either tell m the truth and aay they'd let In light In my darkneii and saved my aoul alive, or elae I could pre tend I was going to make a grent sacri fice for Jane'a aake and give her up and live on with all the salt out of my life. And very like I should hare done that. Just for the pleasure of hearing m thank me if It hadn't been for another and a deeper thought. There wa Aagle Bassett to be considered, and I felt pretty sure that when I told her I'd found Jane engaged to a marine enslncfr and not wishful to come back to me or my for tune, she'd want proofs. Heraum, on the ace of It, the aecond In the 'I.a lyblrd'a' engine room weren't much to put aralnut a gentleman at large with hia thounanda at the bank. So I done accord and owned up. "Well," I said, "then that leta me out. my dean, and I'm very glad for you and I'm very glad for myself. Love's loye every time." I aald. "and If Jane here feels that I'm no better than bl!e to jour rum, Mr. Kitchen, then thern ain't going to be no bloodshed between you and me, 1 do assure you. I came for duty, not pleaaure: and, though I chill alwaya feel a very good friend to Jane, aa I hope ahe will to me. atill there'a another wo man; I won't say ahe filla my eye better than Jane, because Jane would make two r.f her; but I will aay that I'd a long eight sooner marry her little floier than Jane'a whole body. And now I've done my duty, I ahall go to my reward." They were both much Interested at thla speech, and Samuel Kitchen went ao far aa to aay he'd never met with a high er minded man than me. "'Twas a very fine thing to hunt for Jane under them circumstances," he aald. 'and I'm proud to know you, and I hope we shall be friends. And I wish you luck with your young woman, and ao do Jane, I'm eare." "That I do." promised Jane, "and I'd much like to meet her. I hope aome dav 1 shall, because I can tell her a few gooa things about me. Noah, you'd never tell her yourself." "If you'll do that you ran meet her to morrow," I said. "And If you and your second engineer will take your dinner with me, ahe ahall be thore. And we ll all drink to Providence. I'm aure. And now I shall cast about for a house out Mannamead way. If there's any there to let; and so soon as Aggie Dassett can be iree of her tobacconist a I ahall certainly take her " And it happened Just ao within the year; and better frlenda to ua than Kit chen and his wife never waa known." Jane would have her first born called "Noah," after me. because I gave m a nice little wedding present of money, I may tell you: and when Aggie, after two plrls, had a very fine boy, we called him Samuel, after the aecond engineer. The man be flrat In a big cargo boat nowa tlaya: but Jane have long alnce left the merchant marine and Urea In a house oon Stonehouse way. (Caprriit. mx y the cat TrttennO