Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute - Acta Nostra Yearbook (Guelph, Ontario Canada)

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ACTA NOSTRA 55 so1111-lliiug Wllbllg. ,X1111-lig1 kuvw I11' llllil loo, H1-1 liluc cya-s dziuu-d w1tI1 LI11- Illil' ol llll'lHSlIy I1111 SIIL' wus loo lmollln- Io zisk mlziryis 1l11- llllilllillg ol wl1:11 I11- llllll klllsl szud. .X1111-lin wzis i11d1-1-d ll pri-11y 111111111-. II1-1' snowy WIIIIL' Illlll' wus lDI'llSIIL'lI 11lI ll SIIUIIL' :uid wus lightly rollcd IIIIO ll 111-111 I11111 111 llll' lizuk ol I11-1' Ilt'2lll. II1-1' l11d1'd IIILIUYK' di-1-ss4111d I11-1' 1111111-o I11'oo1l1 sn-1 oll IIUI' da-lic-zitv rosy sliill. V1-ro11i1-11 rm-fn-1111-r1-d 1I11- roo111, llllll s41id, 1Xll right, iX111y.Yo11r1g1l1 is Ilk'l'L'.U ,'XlIll'IIll suid goodliym- Io Igiryis :uid wulkcd lo llic- door. xvL'l'UIlIi'2l kissc-d IIUI' goodbyn-. IIZIIHICCI IICI' lu-r s11i11:1sc-, llllll opn-111-d lllc door to I1-I I11-1 o11l.'I'I11-door closn-d In-I1i11d .X1111-lia1 llllll sI11- lrollcd down tlu- sidc-w:1Ik. 'l'l1z11's odd, tliouglu ,X1111-lin :is slu- rodc to tl11- stziliou. HXvCl'1lllILll Sl'L'l1lL'lI to sz1y goodbye l'llIIlL'l' quickly .... Oli, I SIIIJIJUSC NIIL' is worric-d z1l1o11l Uryilln- . . . Iilll sl11- ftllllllllil lic. Donor clllllll' szud llll' ollicr dziy that fjlylllk' wais pro- grcssiiig' ya-ry wr-ll. I wish BIIL' would pziy uiorc 11111-11lio11 to Orville. - XV1-II, ilis llillll' ol llly lmsiiicss 1lllyH'lly.n liiglit daiys IlllL'l ,X1111-li:1 l'L'llllIll'lI. V1-12 Ulllliil gliL'k'li'lI IIt'l' 111 lI11- door. Hello, Xll'l1lllICll,n ,Xiuy sziid. Hlvlll sorry I stziyc-d ll dxny Ioiigvr. l1u1 .Xlicc so 111-1-dvd 111y co111lm:111y. 'I'l1z11's11Il right. s:1id V1-1'o11ic':1. UT- tllllllvl rczilly lIL'L'lI you 1111 1111-o1111I ol' Wlllll I111l1l11-111-cl. IVl111t II2lIDIJl'IlL'Kl?H 11111-1'i1-ml .X111y. ucifllllt' i11toll11- IIYIlIgI'lNPlIl Llllll I will 1-x1l:1i11, Mllll xYl'I'UIlI11l. I3o1lo1' Clarine- I 1 is I11-11-. .X1111-Ii11 Iollowvd V1-1-o11i1:1 iulo the room. I Good cya-11i11g, Dr. CillIllC.H sluilcc .-X1111-Ii:1. Good 1-yn-11i11g, ,X1111-liar. Did yo11 l'll- loy yillll' y1s1tr Oh yn-ry 11111cl1, IIILIIIIQ you, MINI .X1111-Ii11. Sir down, ziskc-d V1-1-o11i1'11. . . This will ln- IILIIKQI to tp-II you, but I will do 111y In-st. .X1111-li:1, looking 11111111-d, opciicd I11-1 111ou1l1 ns il. to zisk Z1 11111-s1io11 but sl1C

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54 ACTA NOST RA The house was quickly built. It was built too quickly so that when it was finished a small alcove had been creat- ed in the living room wall where there should have been nothing at all. Veron- ica grumbled about this as she consider- ed it quite an eyesore, but she turned down Amelia's idea of putting shelves into it so as to make a book case or shelves for ornaments. Instead she left it as it was, saying that there might be some use for it someday. Orville returned within the month and he, Veronica, and Amelia moved into the new house on fashionable Crest- wood Hill. Orville had to be looked after con- stantly. He got up for a little while each day as he had to have fresh air and exercise. Doctor Jarvis Caine visited him frequently and Veronica, in spite of herself, looked forward to his visits. He often stayed in the house after see- ing Orville and he would talk to Veron- ica and she would listen to him. her brown eyes shining with admiration for his knowledge. Veronica became colder and more aloof towards Orville and more friendly towards Jarvis. Amelia did not approve and told Veronica so. but Veronica laughed and told Amy what an old fuss budget she was. Amy didn't like Jarvis really: he was too clever and overly nice lor her liking. l'm beginning to hate Orville, Ver- onica confided to Jarvis, one evening when he called. He whines and grum- bles so much about his meals, his medi- cine, and my going out to have a bit of fun. He makes me so sick. She Spzlt out her words as if they were dirt. . . . Sometimes, I wish he were dead! Doctor Caine smiled and murmured, I can make you happy, Veronica. About a week later Veronica, holding an open letter in her hand, walked into the kitchen where Amelia was working. Amy, she said brightly, perhaps too brightly, I received a letter from Ber- tha this morning. She says that Aunt Alice is feeling her age very much now. She isn't well and you know how she has always been bothered with her rheu- matism . . -Oh that's too bad, said Amelia, interrupting Veronica as she paused to turn the page. Does Bertha say any- thing else? Yes she does, Veronica continued. She would like you to go there for a week to see Aunt Alice - - - to keep her company and to cheer her up. I, - - I can't go. said Amy hurriedly. There is too much work to be done- there's the cleaning, the washing. look- ing after Orville- -It's quite all right, said Veronica. You can leave today if you like. Don't worry about Orville. I'll look after him . . . I'll manage. Yes, I suppose I should go, said Amelia. All right dear, run upstairs and pack. I'll finish the baking. Veronica stood by the kitchen table as Amy left the room. A faint smile played on her face as her words, I'll look after him . . . I'll manage, ran over and over through her mind. Sud- denly she laughed. About half an hour later Amelia tot- tered down the stairs carrying a small suitcase. She paused at the bottom of the staircase to catch her breath, and as she did so, she heard Dr. Caine talking in the living room and a few seconds later, Veronica's bubbling' laughter. Dr. Caine and Veronica were sitting on the couch as Amelia entered. They looked at her strangely, Amelia thought, as if she shouldn't have butted in or heard what they had said. The atmos- phere of the room was tense. Veronica snapped the silence. Oh, I see that you are ready to go, Amy . . . I'll call a cab for you . . . You will be able to catch the 11:40 train. Jarvis greeted Amelia and urged her to sit down while she waited for the cab to COIHC. You're a pretty picture, Amy, corn- plimented Jarvis. I can't see how any- one would want to hurt y-you---. He stopped suddenly, realizing he had said

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56 ACTA NOSTRA changed her mind and sat back in her chair to listen. Amelia, began Veronica, you left the house on Saturday morning. On Sun- day afternoon Orville had a seizure of his heart- Oh, no! exclaimed Amy. Please, Amy, don't interrupt. It is hard enough to tell you this as it is. You know how weak he was after his illness-and he always did have a bad heart. He was rushed to the hospital where Doctor Caine attended to him. I waited there until eight o'clock at night when Doctor Caine told me that Orville had passed away. Do-Doctor Caine, is this right? ask- ed Amelia. Yes, my dear, said Jarvis. I did the best I could, but he slipped away. He didn't sound very convincing, Amy thought, and why didn't Veronica seem sad: surely it was a hard blow for her. B-but why didn't you call for me to come home? murmured Amy. feeling rather hurt. The strain on Veronica was enough, explained Jarvis, without having an- other to sympathize with her and cry with her over her loss. But surely I could have helped, contradicted Amelia. I don't believe in your line of reasoning at all. Oh, it is of small consequence anyway.-Humph, modern doctors, she mumbled under her breath. Please go on, Veronica. Veronica continued, Orville was cre- mated on Tuesday- Cremated? interrupted Amy. But he always said that cremation was a heathen practice, that he would rather not be buried at all than to be cremat- ed. Veronica seemed to start a little when Amelia said this. Her eyebrows went up and she frowned. Jarvis was scowling too. I'm sure you're imagining things, said Jarvis. Please let Veronica contin- ue. I'm sorry, Amelia apologized. Veronica went on, The will was read on Thursday. Orville willed all his pos- sessions to me save five lumdred dollars which he has left to you. You can see Dryden, our lawyer, about your money. That's about all, Amy, Vernica sighed. I'll go and make some coffee while you unpack. I'm sorry Orville has gone, said Amelia. Then she added, more or less as an afterthought, or as something she should say, You have certainly borne the blow well, Veronica. Thank you, my dear. Amelia went upstairs to her room to unpack. XfVhen she had finished, she sat down in her old cane-bottomed chair by the window. IfVhy didn't Veronica call me home? she wondered. I think she was unkind .... But this generation is not as considerate as ours was .... She thought that I didn't care. Amy was beginning to cry. She sniffed, dried her tears, powdered her nose, and returned downstairs. She walked in to the living room, sat down and tried to read a magazine, but her mind wandered and she could only think of Orville. Giving up, she put the paper back in its place on the coffee table and rubbing her delicate fingers over her forehead, stared at the blank wall in front of her. Just then Veronica and Jarvis came in carrying a tray and a plate of cookies. Have you finished unpacking? ask- ed Veronica. Amy felt that Veronica was annoyed that she had. Oh, yes, said Amelia, forcing a smile upon her face, . . Veronica! es. Something is different in here. . . Oh! you've covered the alcove . . . VVhat- ever for? -er, I-I had it covered on VVednes-er -Monday while you were away. I was- I was sick of looking at it and it was too small a space to be of any use, so I had it filled in. Amy was going to ask another ques- tion but Veronica noticed and quickly said, Now, my dear, would you like some coffee? tix,