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p::!rience of rthe wiser nations. However, we hiave made it work moreso than any alternative yet devised.
We have never known exactly what w ~ were doing, or where it l£d, but we were con.tent so lon~ as it worked and kept us indep•endemt of other nations. Contrary to our native Lmstincts. we ma.intain this paradox. This is the best proof tha•t the insti- tution of the Crown is dura,ble ::>nd flexible enough to our needs. Otherwise we would have re- pl?ced it with something el:>e.
We are one of the few peoples
who have been allowed to build our natio·n•, as we pleased, from the foundaUon upwards. Can- ada is young. Canada is just beginning. Her future is giga.n1tic but beyond reckoning, and we nEed SYJilbols, not to be under- stood by reason but to be seized upon by instinct, if we are to be ~re;at in spirit ,as in body. Our Queen is such a symbol.
It is this symbol, this lin•k, that holds two races, a sprawl- ing ha.ndful of people, and a vas.t physical structure togeth- er, and makes us all Canadians.
SENIOR ESSAY COMPETITION
First Prize - Terry Irwin THE 'PORCELAIN CAT
Paul Jordan waitled patiently for &omeone to answer his knock. The Museum h.ad sure sent him an easy job this time. All the way to San Carlos, Mex- ico, to pick up .a porcelain cat.
The description of it Wlas im- planted in his mind. Of bla.ck porcelain witlh green emerald eves, it represented .a panther about to sp•ring. The nhotograph of it had fascinated him.
He knocked again, a little louder. Where was Wayne? He had s;Jid in his letter to the Museum that he would hand over tlhe cat a;t eight o'clock the night of June 20th to the Mu- seum representative. Well, he was on time.
_Finall:v he pushed onen t;he rloor •and went in. In San Oar- los, as in many Mexican towns, doors were rarely locked. There was no sound in the hou::;e, but ? light golerumed from a room in the back of the bo11se. PaJUl went •tow::~rds it 13nd looked in.
"HeY. Mr. Wa\"ne. are you ... '' P~ul !rave a soundless whistle. "I guess vou are a.t home, per- m~nen tlv."
Mr Wayne was snrawled on the ftonr by his nesk, a knife nrotruding rudelv from h\s back. 'T'bPre was no auestion about it; h" was de.arl.
Paul carefully looked around C. D. C. I. GLEANEIR
the room but there was no sign of the c~ut anywhere. He was .ius't a.bout ·to go out a.nd find the local police when he heard a small moan. It seemed to come from behind the drapes. Cau-
tiously he •a.pp.roa.cehd the win- dow. As he .ierked the curtains aside he spoke.
"Alright you, com·e out."
A small brown lad came for- ward. Paul stared .at him in sur- prise.
"Well, my little man. who are you? And what •are you doing here?"
"Ple•ase, senor," he Sltammer- ed. " I have done nothing. You let me go?"
Paul laughed .a bit grimly, nlacing a hand on his shoulder. ''I don •.t think you could have done this. But why are you here?"
" I 'am !Pedro Mendirez and thflt man," he indicated W:ayne's body, ''give me some money to nick un something- for this bil- lrte.'· He banrled a pawn ticket to Paul. ''While we talk :>orne- nne onen the front door. Senor Wayne .tell me to hide. I do and two hombres ~'Orne in. Tbev h<!V~ hig tight 'and the big hombre. be-be sh.b Senor Wayne. I am I'O sc<>rPd. but after iooki·nP.: ::~­ round hO'D'lbres leave. Then you 'l'"rne.''
"'nh::~nk Y~"U.. Pedro. .Did you 1know these men?"
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