Canada at War: ONTARIO,THE PROVINCES: Patience Rewarded

ONTARIO

In Oil City (pop. 300), where he lived in a dilapidated shack and worked for the gristmill at 75¢ a day, Elmer Mott popped the question to his boss’s daughter, Ethel Trott. That was in 1908. Many years afterward, a court judge recorded Ethel’s answer: “Yes, Elmer, but let us wait until you get something to marry on.”

Elmer left the mill, went beekeeping in Enniskillen Township, saved and saved. By 1919 Ethel felt that he had saved enough. But now Elmer hung back. He had got religion, felt that marriage to the unconverted Ethel would not be blessed in heaven. Still they kept company.

In 1941, Elmer, by then grown affluent through beekeeping, still hung back. Ethel, all hope gone, haled him to court, sued for breach of promise. Elmer won round one when the judge took the case from the jury. Ethel won round two in the Ontario Court of Appeal. Elmer appealed Ethel’s appeal, and the Supreme court ordered a new trial. Ethel won again. Last week the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed Elmer’s second plea, rewarded patient Ethel with $7,000. Elmer pondered whether to pay or appeal once more.