Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 9, Number 46, DeMotte, Jasper County, 5 October 1939 — Page 2

Prologue to Love

Lovely. Independent Autumn Dean, returning home to British Columbia from •broad without hep father's knowledge, stops at the home of Hector Cardigan, •n old family friend. He tells her that she should not have come home, that things have changed. Arriving home at the "Castle of the Noras,” she is greeted lovingly by her father, Jarvis Dean, who gives her to understand that she is welcome—for a short visit. Her mother, former belle named Millicent Odell, has been dead for years. Autumn cannot understand her father's attitude, though gives him to understand that she is home for good. She has grown tired of life In England, where she lived with an aunt. Her father gives a welcoming dance at the castle. Autumn meets Fk>rian Parr, dashing, well-educated young man of the countryside. Late in the evening Autumn leaves the dance, rides horseback to the neighboring ranch where she meets Bruce Landor. friend and champion of her childhood days. He takes her to see his mother, an invalid. His father is dead, thought to have killed himself. As soon as his mother sees Autumn she commands Bruce to take her away, that death follows in the wake of the Odells. Autuinn is both saddened and perplexed. Bruce, apologetic, can reason for his mother’s attitude. Autumn calls again on Hector Cardigan—this time to find out the reason for Mrs. Landor's outburst. From his conversation she inferred that Geoffrey Landor killed himself because he loved Millicent Dean, her mother. Meanwhile, Bruce Landor rides to the spot where his father's body was found years before. There he meets Autumn, who, leaving Hector, was searching for a lost child. Bruce had found the child, and there Autumn and he talk of their families. They agree that her mother and his father loved each other deeply—and that their love is the cause of present antagonism. Florian Parr, at the Castle for dinner, proposes t* Autumn. She refuses him. The next day Autumn rides toward the Landor ranch. She meets Bruce in a herder's cabin.

CHAPTER IV— Continued / ~ 7 “ Bruce rose abruptly, strode to the open door and stood looking out. A thin, misty rain had begun to fall. He tossed his cigarette out into the wet darkness and kept his eyes upon the spark until it died. He turned where he stood and looked at her. “Autumn,” he said simply, “you have been living in a world where men who were skilled in the art have made love to you. I know very little about that sort of thing. When I tell you that I’ve thought of nothing but you since that first night—l mean just that.” She looked at him gravely. “I rode over here tonight because I have thought of no one but you/ she said softly ' But it'■hasn't frightened me.” “I’ve been thinking of one .other thing, perhaps.” “I know, Bruce.” “Of course you do. We have talked about that. We will never know .whether it wa that caused that tragedy twenty years ago. Perhaps no one kn >ws.“ “We do know they loved each Other, Bruce.” “And we must settle between ourselves, once and for all, what bearing that has on our own lives. I have settled it for myself.” He moved back into; the room arid leaned against the fable looking down at her. She returned his gaze for many moments without speaking At last she got up impetuously and began to pace to and fro, her hands deep in the pockets of her coat. Bruce looked at her, and his muscles seemed to ripple all over his body. Her lithe, tempestuous motion back and forth across the room was like that of some beauti ful; caged animal. Presently she turned on him. “ You and 1 have our own lives to live,” she said vehemently. “It's absurd to think that we should be ruled by something that befell two people whom we can scarcely remember They lived their lives as they wished — I shall live mine, in my own way." He lifted one of her hands and kissed its soft palm. Then he took hold of her shoulders and turned her about so that she faced him. She let her head fajl back and met his eyes solemnly. “Autumn,” he said. “My darling Autumn!” Autumn slipped forward and was in his arms, and Bruce was kissing her in a glowing dimness which seemed to have caught them both up from the surrounding shadows. The rain drifted in gently over the still depth of their kiss. It was a rain that left a light, glistening web over their hair, their eyes, a young rain that spun them into one indistinguishable passion. ‘T love you, Bruce.” Her voice was a stumbling whisper “Terribly—so terribly.” Her lips moved softly over his eyes, over the line of his brown cheek where a hollow came when he smiled, and over his lips and throat. Presently Bruce placed his hands strongly upon her shoulders and studied her face ,'j “Enough to stand by me against them all?" he demanded gravely. “It will not be easy, darling— at first.” “I'm strong enough for anything—with you, Bruce." she replied CHAPTER V The Laird was still up. though it was already an hour past his usual bedtime. He had come back from town and had gone to his study to wait for Autumn's return. When he finally heard the door open downstairs, he was startled. The dead stillness of the house and the sleepy patter of light rain had drugged his senses so that any sudden sound would have disquieted him. But as he got up and went to the door of the study, his heart throbbed so that he pressed his hand to his side and caught his breath. In a moment Autumn was at the head of the stairs. “Why, Da!” she exclaimed. “I thought you would have gone to bed long ago. You haven’t been worried about me, have you?” “It’s late,” he said. “I had begun to wonder what had happened.” “Oh, I’m sorry, darling,” she said, coming into the study and throwing off her jacket. “But I’m glad you’re up. The fire feels good.”

THE STORY THUS FAR

She went and stood before it, ruffling her hair with her hands. “You'd better get out of those clothes,” her lather advised her; “They're wet.” “Not really,” she protested. “I’ll dry out here in a minute. 1 don't want to hurry away to bed just yet. It’s so cozy here.” Jarvis seated himself before the fire, “Where have you been?” he asked. “I've covered half the countryside,” she said, smiling at him. “I started out early and rode up the valley for a look at the sheep. It’s the first time I've seen them like that in nearly ten years, Daddy, and it was lovely—in the sunset and—” “You had a lot to do,” Jarvis said, disgruntled. “Now, darling, you’re not going to be cross with me for that, ' she coaxed. “I'm in no mood for a scolding.” • “A lot of good it would do you u.nyhb.w," the Laird replied. “Not a bit, dear. ' She laughed at him, then went and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “But 1 don’t want you to. worry about me one bit. I don't want to do anything to make you unhappy—and you know it.” Jarvis stirred uneasily in his chair. “You’re going to drive down to Kelowna tomorrow—to the Parrs’, aren’t you?” he said, by way of changing the subject. “Aren't you corning, too?" she asked him. "There’s too much to do here,” he told her. “Besides, what would I do spending two nights away from home when there’s no call for it? I like my own bed best.” “I may not stay over Sunday, then,” Autumn replied. “I’m not sure that I won’t be bored with it all—if the rest of them are like Florian,” Jarvis smiled “You don’t care much for the boy?” “He’s all right, darling—for what he is. I’ve seen so much of his kind during the past few years that I'm not particularly thrilled any more by ’the species.’’ “I can’t say I’m sorry for that,” the Laird observed “They don’t amount to much.” Autumn turned and gazed into the fire for a moment. She kicked a half-burned stick into place and watched the sparks go trooping up the flue. “The fact is, Da,” she said at last, “I came back to you to get away from all that. It doesn’t mean a thing to anyone except those who are cut out for it. And I wasn’t cut on that pattern, darling. I never realized it so much as I did tonight when I stood and watched the sheep moving Up the valley. It made me lonely as the devil.” “And so you stayed out all hours in the rain just to cure yourself of a fit of the blues,” he retorted. “No,” Autumn replied softly. “I didn’t do that exactly. I knew you wouldn't be home, so I rode on over to the Landor place and talked with Bruce for a while ” She glanced at her father’s face to see what effect her words would have upon him. He gave no outward sign of having heard her except that his frame seemed to have become rigid and one corner of his mouth twitched nervously. He spoke to her at last, his eyes gazing steadily into the fire. “I hope you are not going to make a habit of that,” he said. ”Of what, Daddy?” „ “You know what I mean, my girl. I don’t want you going around with Bruce Landor.” “Have you anything against J3ruce?” she asked abruptly. “Damn it all.” Jarvis burst forth, “must I be cross-questioned by my own daughter? Or isn't it enough that I should give my opinion and look to have it respected?” He leaned forward in his chair and placed his hands heavily upon the arms, preparing to rise. “It’s time we were in bed. Let’s have no more of this tonight.” Autumn did not move. She stared at her father, aware that she was becoming angry. She clenched her fingers and strove to control her voice. “Da," she said, “I am not trying to cross-question you—and I respect your opinion more than the opinion of any other man alive. But when I ask you what you have against Bruce, I naturally want to know.” When he lifted his face after what seemed to her an intolerable inter-

O MARTHA OSTENSO—WNU SERVICE

By MARTHA OSTENSO

val, it was the face of a man grown incredibly old and worn. He passed his hand across his brows, and she could see that he was making an heroic attempt to speak. Jarvis subsided into his chair. “I have nothing against the boy,” he said at last. “But you know as well as I do that there are reasons why I do not want you to go around with him.” “I know what you .have in mind, Da,” Autumn replied. “I have thought about it, too—and I’ve talked to Bruce about it. Bruce can-i not be held responsible for the fact that his father took his own life—and I think it a little unfair that any stigma should—” . “Will you stop this talk!” her father commanded suddenly. All Autumn's resoluteness surged up within her. “If you insist. Da,” she said levelly. “I should prefer to talk everything over with you, but if I must order my life without coming to you—” “Do you know that your mother and Geoffrey Landor were in love with each other?” His face was blanched as marble, and even his eyes seemed to have gone white with fury. “I do, Daddy,” she said in an even tone. “And I know that Geoffrey Landor probably shot himself be-

“Must I be cross-questioned by my own daughter?”

cause of the hopelessness of that love. Bruce, and I talked about it tonight.”. ’’You talked with him—about that? ” 1 “We had to, Da,” she told him simply. “Bruce and I are in love. I’m going to marry him.” The Laird had risen slowly from his chair, like some tremendous iceberg lifting its appalling shoulders above the frozen waters of the sea. “God in heaven!” he muttered, and then, completely and without warning, he crumpled back into his chair, his chin fallen forward on his breast, his gaunt frame heaving lyAutumn flew to him. Kneeling on the floor, she threw her arms about hirh. “Da—for pity’s sake, what is it?” she pleaded, clinging to him. He lifted one hand and placed it tremblingly upon her hair. His lips shook as he tried to speak, but the; words would not come “Tell me, darling,” Autumn urged “What is it?” He swallowed as though he would strangle, and shook his head. “You —you Can't marry him,” he said thickly, and then his voice sank almost to a whisper. “Geoffrey Landor —did not take his own life.” Aiitumn fell away from him. but. her eyes were fixed upon him still as though in some terrible enchantment. Realization came upon her in agotjiy. “Da —tell me did you do you mean that you killed Geoffrey Landor?;” Her voice had . been the merest whisper, coming remotely from her stiff lips. The old man's eyes became terribly revealed, as though some power had gone beyond his body and murdered his very soul. They were suddenly stark and desolate beyond any need | of words. The brief interval that passed before Autumn heard her father's voice again seemed to encompass an aeon of torture. She sat facing him, her hands tightly clenched, sat waitifig against eternity, hoping against hope, for words from him that would dispel the horror that had descended upon her. She saw his lips drawn back in a livid grimace against his teeth, as though the thing he must tell were too cruel for utterance, too cruel to be transmitted from his own mind into the awful silence of that room. Summoning her last reserve of courage, she leaned toward him and took his hands gently into her own. “Tell me about it, Da,” she said, scarcely above a whisper. Her touch seemed to restore the life that had all but ebbed from his

THE KANKAKEE VALEEV POST

gaunt frame. She saw him utOft an heroia effort to draw himself up right in his chair; she saw his hands pass across his eyes as though tc clear his vision, and then the rigid lips moved in barely audible words “You’re getting me, Geoffrey/’ h« said softly at last. “After all these years, you’re getting me!” Autumn turned from him, her limbs unsteady beneath her, and hurried to the small cupboard in the corner. Her hands trembled as she poured a drink into her father’s glass and returned with it. To her surprise, he was sitting erect and staring before him with brilliant, almost fierce, eyes, and color lay along each rugged cheekbone like a bright leaf. He ignored the proffered glass at first and Autumn seated herself on a chair in front of him and waited for him to speak while the silence seemed a grostesque din of the throbbing of her own heart. When she could wait no longer, she placed the glass at her father’s lips, and spoke softly. “Da—take this, darling.” 0 Mechanically he took the glass into his own hand, and without removing his eyes from their gaze upon vacancy, he drained the liquor to the last drop. Autumn took the glass from him and saw that his clenched hand relaxed upon the arm of the chair. “Thank you, my dear, thank you,” he said. “Let us talk quietly—and slowly, Da.” Autumn said. ”1 shall under stand.” She heard herself speaking, as though the words were coming through her from someone else, someone who had fortitude beyond, fortitude, a. stoicism she had never known. His eves rested upon her in a brooding gentleness: He seemed to be contemplating her. she thought with a qualm, from beyond death. She rose quickly, took a cushion which she placed on the floor at lus feet, and seated herself with her head against his knees. So they sat. looking into the flames that licked at the great logs of the fireplace, while Jarvis unfolded the tragic past, sometimes stro Autumn's hair, sometimes .Jetting his hand fall in absent idleness upon her shoulder, as though die were comrhuning with himself and had quite forgotten her presence. ( She did not interrupt him while hie talked, but sat. gazing fixedly into the fire. It seemed to her as if each detail of his story were fantastically visible there “Your mother was a siren and ar angel. Autumn.” he said, “—as her mother had"been in her time. Your grandmother's hupt breakfasts were the talk of the Okanagan—she had sent, to England in the early days for hounds and hunters and brought them all the way ’round the Horn. Her daughter, Millicent, was even more lovely than she was. You must know this if you are to understand what I am to tell you about your mother—and if you are to judge her kindly.” He paused, and into the monotony of his voice came a break. “Every man who met your mother, Autumn, fell in love with her,” he went on. “It was 30 before our marriage—and it was so after our marriage. I never found that hard to understand—l had fallen in love with her myself. Nor was it hard for me to understand how she came to fall back somewhat into her ways of coquetry after we had been married for a few years. Men would not leave her alone. They could not, it seemed. She loved me—l have never doubted that. But I was many years older than she and she loved life and youth and gayety. I was too set in my way's, perhaps.” He sighed, and Autumn patted his knee affectionately without speaking. “There was nothing serious in any of these these ‘affairs/ as she called them—and she always tired of her admirers as soon as the novelty wore off, and as soon as they began to grow serious. It was an innocent sort of vanity with her, which she indulged quite openly. She loved the admiration of men, but she loved even more to let the world about her see that she was being admired. She would have found no pleasure in any sneaking love affair That was carried on where others might not see.” He paused while the clock on the mantel struck the hour. It was midnight. “Not long after you were born,” he continued, “Geoffrey Landor came here from the Old Country and bought the ranch that lay next to mine. We had been boys together in England. He was younger than I—a sort of ne'er-do-well who had married a woman of his own age who thought she might make something of him, I think. She had written to me and it was on my advice that they left England and came here to settle. I was as anxious to bring him around as if I'd been his brother.” One of the great logs broke softly in two, the sparks cascading into the glowing embers. “Geoffrey was restless and reckless and full of charm. Millicent fell in love with him—and he with her. It was a new’ kind of love for her, but I mistook it for another of her brief infatuations..l knew it was different when it dawned on me that she never made anything of him when they were in public together. Discretion—that was new in Millicent. And then one day she told me—confessed that Geoffrey had won her heart.” (TO BE CONTINIED)

Crusty, piping hot bran muffins are family favorites. See Recipe Below.

For a Special Treat Serve Hot Breads Was there ever a family that didn’t adore hot breads? Biscuits that melt in your mouth, muffins that are feather-light and crusty and full of flavor, or a goL/en corn bread with the tantalizing taste of bacon to make it ever, more delicious -all these are special treats for a hungry - Serve’ h.o'r muffins or flaky biscuits '

achieve success! with hot breads., if you’ll follow .just a lew basic ru’es. A. tested recipe, good imp ecuonts, accurate measurements, deft handling, and the proper temperature for baking are the factors of success. . It you’\ i : ad dalicuity u;!h q.uvk breads that are coarse textured and full ot the lung holes called “Urn nets” m all probability you’ve been over-conscientious in mixing. Unice s otherwise'■'specified, mix lightly and only enough to blend the ingredients. When you’re making baking powder biscuits, remember that a little kneading goes a dong way toward making biscuits flaky and light. A. simple recipe for baking powder biscuit is the starting point for a variety of tempting breads. Make “Pinwheels” by rolling out biscuit dough to 1 ;-inch thickness, brushing With melted butter, and spreading generously with grated cheese, devilled ham, or thick jam. Roll up the dough as for jelly-roll, cut in slices, and bake in a hot oven (425 degrees). Quick Butterscotch Rolls are made in the same fashion. Ginger Cheese Muffins. 2 cups cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1 teaspoon soda Q teaspoon ginger ! 2 te'aSpoon salt % cup cheese (grated) I egg (beaten) I h cup milk 1 2 cup molasses I I cup butter (melted) Mix and sift all dry ingredients. Add grated cheese. Blend egg, milk, molasses, and melted, butter! Pour this mixture slowly into the dry ingredients and mix lightly. Fill well greased muffin tins approximately - 3 full and bake in a hot oven (425 degrees) for 12 to 15 minutes. Old-fashioned Nut and Raisin liimid. 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 cups bread flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 2 teaspoon salt m cup milk h cup seedless raisins 5 1 cup nutmeats (broken) Cream butter and add sugar Mix and sill all dry ingredients ai 1 add

aIU rnately with the milk. Mi# lightly and fold in the raisins and nuts. Place batter in a' wellgreased loaf pan, let stand 20 min-

utes, and then bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for approximately one hour. Quick German Coffee Cake. (Makes 1 coffee cake) 4 cup shortening 4 cup sugar 2 eggs (well beaten) [ft cups and 1 tablespoon flour Vz teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 4 cup milk 4 cup brown sugar 4 cup nut meats (chopped) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter Cream shortening; add sugar slowly while beating constantly. Add eggs and blend. Mix and sift together 14 cups flour, salt and baking powder and add alternately with

Household News

by Eleanor Howe

first fail dinner j . meotu g . ire ; guild,; and watch ; Mem / disai ■; cur. j like snow Jakes ! mi a warm spring 1 ■ It’s- easy to

milk. Mix lightly with a fork. Place half of dough in well-greased layer cake pan. Mix together brown sugar, chopped nuts, remaining 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle 2 ; ? of this mixture over dough. Top with remaining dough; sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture. Bake in moderately hot oven (375 degrees) for approximately. 30 minutes. Serve while, warm. Refrigerator Parkerhouse Rolls. (Makes .3. dozen Parkerhouse rod.-.) 2 cups boiling water 1 3 cup and 1 teaspoon sut r 1 tablespoon salt 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons lard 2 ; cakes compressed ye. ml M cup lukewarm wafer "2 eggs 3 cups flour Mix together boiling water. : . cup sugar, salt, butter xml lard. ('• -M slightly. Dissolve yeast and I teaspoon sugar m the lukewarm water and add. Add eggs and one-half of the flour; beat thoroughly-. Then add remaining flour. Mix well. Plage in refrigerator; When ready to i. <• roll dough about ;; »-ihch thiek r ai;d cut in circles. Then cut each ;r----cle almost in two. Turn circle of dough so that cut side is on the outside. Spread inside with melted butter and fold. Let rise until doubled m bulk. Then bake in a hot oven (400 degree - > approximoidy 20 minutes. Skillet Corn Bread. (Makes dhe 9-ineh bread) 1 1 2 cups : general purpose flour 1 1 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt I'2 tablespoons baking powder l 1 2 cups, yellow corn meal 3 eggs (beaten) 1 1 2 cups milk Bacon Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir m trie corn

moderateiy hot oven (375 degrees) for 50 to 00 minutes. If neee sary, the bread ..may be placed in the broiler for a few minutes to brown the bacon. Molasses All-Bran Muffins. (Makes 1 dozen muffins) 2 cups bran h cup molasses 1 1 2 cups milk 1 egg (beaten) 1 cup flour ’ 2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon soda Add bran to molasses and milk and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Beat egg. and add to first mixture. Sift flour, salt and soda together and combine with bran mixture. Fill greased muffin pans two-thirds full and bake in moderately hot oven (400 degrees) about 20 minutes.

Is it hard to get children (and grown folk, too) out of bed in. time to breakfast with the rest of the family') Eleanor Howe will give you, in this column next week, suggestions for unusual breakfast dishes which will help you overcome that problem.

This Practical Book. t In her new cook book, “Better Baking,’’ Eleanor Howe gives you her secrets for making delicious hot breads, cakes, cookies and pies. You'll find here over 125 recipe suggestions, too—recipes for “Eunny Cake,’’ “Jelly Tuck-A-Ways,” “Lemon Sunny Silver Pie,” and countless others just as interesting and unusual. Send 10 cents in coin to “Better Baking,’/ care of Eleanor Howe, 919 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, and get your copy of this grand book now. (Released by Western Newspaper Union.)

meal. Combine the eggs and milk, and blend with the dry ingredients. Pour into a greased, flinch skillet. Arrange bacon slices, latticefashion, over the top. Bake in a