"ANN STEPS OUT"

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 December 1938, Page 10

"ANN STEPS OUT"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

By

MARGARET GORMAN NICHOLS.

CHAPTER I.—Continued. ‘T'm Ann Dryden. I came with Douglas St John. And I’m a stenographer for Hamill and Harriman.” She looked up quickly. "You’re not “I’m John Hamill's brother." "Tonight I’m meeting people I never thought I'd meet.” "People are the same," he said kindly. "You’ve let those girls downstairs with their fast lines and imported dresses scare you away. Go on —I’m interested in Ann Dryden.” “There’s nothing to tell. My parents are probably the nicest parents in the world, and I have a sixteen-year-old sister, who is probably going to develop into a gold-digger. We’re poor. And I —l know now that I should not have come tonight.” She looked at Nick Hamill, wondering about him. He was probably in his late twenties, and there was a look about him as though he had experienced the world’s delights, and was tired of them. His brown eyes were humorous and friendly. “Why are you here,’’she asked, “if the party bores you?” “Betty is my cousin. You see I am an unattached bachelor, and I promised to sample Betty’s cocktails, dance with the amazing Gail and join some of my friends at a New Year party. “I’m keeping you.” “On the contrary. It's far more pleasant here in. this room before the fire.” “I’ll bet,” said Ann, with a faint smile, “that you make a habit of rescuing unwanted cats and dogs and girls.” Amusing and friendly though he was, she could not keep her mind from the thought of Doug downstairs. He hadn’t missed her! No doubt he was still dancing with, “the amazing Gail.” “This is New Year’s Eve,” said Mick, “and time for celebration. Don’t be sad Ann.” “I think I’ve just realized tonight that I’ve been walking on a cloud for years. Doug’s returns from school were always New Year eves for me, and times for celebration. Now tonight —it’s finished, done with . . .” He leaned closer. “Perhaps not. Tomorrow he’ll phone you and blame the potent cocktails’.” He tossed his cigarette in the fire. “I want you to get your wrap,” he said severely. “We’re going places, my Ann.” “Why, I can’t . . .” “But you are,” he said. "We’ll go to the hotel party I was headed for, and you’ll be the loveliest thing there. It’s time some one took you in hand.” “And you are my guardian?” “Self-appointed—from this moment on.”

They looked at each other in the half-light as the clock struck twelve. And Ann, who had thought she would share the coming of the new year with Doug, found herself looking at a strange man, and feeling the strong pressure of his hands on hers. “Let’s go,” he said. “We’ll use the back steps and avoid the crowd downstairs.”

She went in the bedroom and got her wrap. As she gave a last fleeting look in the large mirror, her eyes fell on Doug’s flowers. She unpinned them from her shoulder slowly and put them on the dresser Then she went out to meet Nick Hamill. The servants in the kitchen smiled at them as they crept past. Soon they were outside in the biting air and Nick guided her to a low-slung roadster parked in the driveway. "Life is full of surprises. I had begun to think that I was never going tc. be surprised again,” he said. “I feel like Cinderella even more now. In two days I’ll be back in my office taking dictation from your brother.” “And I'll wager,” he laughed, "that John has never noticed how pretty you are. Seriously, Ann, you are very pretty, but some one should take you in hand.” “You appointed yourself.” He stopped the car before a great downtown hotel, and they went in. In the glittering ballroom he found a party of his friends who promptly welcomed them. The music started and in what seemed an incredibly short time the evening had changed from one of utter misery to one of pleasure. Nick’s friends claimed her for dancing and the girls were friendly. When she was dancing with one of the other men, she felt Nick’s eyes watching her, watching, she thought, as Doug’s once had watched her. For breakfast they went to Nick’s spacious Charles street apartment. Couple by couple left reluctantly until only Ann remained. “It’s dawn,” she said, standing by the window looking over the Hopkins campus. “And New Year's Day,” said Nick. He came to her and took her by the shoulders. "When am 1 going to see you again?" he asked. "I should never see you again,” she said.“ You would only let'me see the things I shall never have. Don’t you understand? I'm a working girl, and I saved a month to buy this dress. It will be months before I can buy another.” “Dear child," said Nick Hamill, “do you think I care about your dress — whether it’s new or old? Come up here for dinner next week, and we’ll plan our campaign." "What campaign?” “To win your Doug back, of course. You love him. don't you? A girl like you can't forget a love in one night.” “1 wonder. I'm sure I do love him," she smiled, “but competition is frightfully keen with Gail Tracy. It's a losing battle. Tell me something, will you? Why did you take me to the hotel tonight? Surely not because you just felt sorry for me.” "Because I like you,” he said vaguely, “and I like to be surprised. I had a much better time meeting you suddenly and showing you a good time than if I had thought for weeks in advance about the girl I was going to take. That's Nick Hamill, Ann. He’s impulsive. He does what he wants.” “I think he’s great, anyway,” she laughed. “Thank you for this —for everything.” “You want to go now?” “I must. This is my first all night party.” She told him good-bye in the hall of her home and promised to have diner with him the following week. It was a bewildered and wiser Ann who crept into bed at dawn. She had just fallen asleep when the telephone beside her beg rang. She lifted the

receiver. "This is Doug,” said the angry voice at the end of the line. “I’m glad you got home safely,” he said. "Yes, quite safely. I just got home." “May I ask where you were? It’s really none of my business, but I took you ...” Ann sat up in bed. "You took me and you left me,” she said vehemently. “Oh, I don’it really blame you very much because I should never have gone. I didn’t know anyone. They were so cold and unfriendly." “And you went off with Nick Hamill —of all people .. .” Ann's blue eyes were gleaming. “He was nice to me,” she defended angrily. “If he hadn’t found me in the library. I guess I’d be sitting there yet. Where did we go? To a party—his friends—at a hotel, and then to his apartment for breakfast.” "His apartment Have you lost your mind, Ann? Haven't you ever heard of Nick Hamill?” “Not until tonight. And I like him very much.” He started to talk again, but she stopped him. "I won’t argue with you tonight, Doug. I’m tired. I've got to sleep now. We’re going to Grandmother Dryden’s for dinner tomorrow.” “But I’ve got to see you,” he persisted in a calmer voice. “To warn me against Nick?” > “No,' I want to apologise.” She laughed quietly. “Come over tomorrow—or rather, today—at eleven.” It was late when she came down to breakfast and she didn’t .dare tell her mother that she had breakfasted already. “Well, ’ inquired Jean, "what kind of time did you have?” “Wonderful,” said Ann. “I noticed,” said Mr Dryden, with a smile, “that it was very late when you got in.” “Ann isn’t a baby,” defended her mother. “All girls must have a good time before they settle down. You’re young only once.” “Poor me,” lamented Jean. “I’ve been waiting for years to grow up.” At eleven Doug came in. CHAPTER 11. Ann was waiting for Doug in the living room. If only there was some hardness in her, she thought, so that she might be indifferent toward him. There wasn’t. Loving Doug was a lifelong habit not easily discarded. “I brought these,” he said and gave her the corsage of faded gardenias he had sent her, and she had left purposely at the Reynolds home. She put them in a vase on the table. “I’m sorry,” he said, “about last night. Excitement of getting home and seeing everyone. You must have had a rotten time with me.” He turned to her. “I don't blame you for running out on me. Il was your running off with Nick Hamill that got me.” “What’s wrong with him?” she asked.

“Oh, he’s rich and important and invited everywhere,” said Doug and shrugged, “but he’s notorious. He just isn’t good company. I Can’t bear to think of your .getting mixed up with a man like that.” “I’m not mixed up with him. But I like him.” He got up and walked to the end of the room and came back again. Ann had never seen him so disturbed. He sat beside her and took her hand. “I guess I want to have my cake and eat it, too.' You know, Ann, I’ve been in love with you for a long time. J want to marry you, but I’m afraid to ask you. I’m afraid I can’t be faithful. I know you can. but I’m afraid of myself.” “I’m glad you told me. You mean— Gail Tracy.” “Not only her,” he said seriously. “Others.” “I see. Two years ago you asked me to wait for you, and not to go out with other men. I’ve been faithful to you—as faithful as if we were married." He leaned forward intently. “I want you still to be faithful, even though I haven’t kept to my promise." Ann withdrew her hands from his. It was strange that last night had revealed so many things so clearly, things that before had been horribly confused. "I understand,” she said, “but I can’t do it. You expect me to wait until you are ready to settle down, and then you’ll probably marry somebody else. And I’ll be left out entirely. I can’t de it, Doug.” “You were never like this before," he said, suddenly angry. “Nick Hamill changed your mind about me last night.” “Nick! He had nothing to do with it.” He got up and went toward the door. "All right. Have this your way. I’m not throwing you over. You’re giving me the air. I’m going.” “I’m only trying to make you understand.” she said desperately, "that there are two lives connected with this. You’ve thought only of yourself. He looked down at her coldly. She did not know this Doug, quick to suspect, quick to anger. She had loved him all these years without actually knowing him. Now he was going . . . “I’m not sending you away,” she said. “You are. You’re sending me away so that Nick Hamill can take my place.” He turned and went out. slamming the door. The next moment she heard the purr of his car going down the street. Jean came in. "What’s wrong?" Ann covered her face wilh her hands. "He’s gone.”

Jean put her hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Poor Ann. I knew this was going to happen. You didn't come home with Doug last night. I leaned out of the window, and it wasn’t his car that drove away. Jean’s little hand was soothing. “Come on and go upstairs before mother comes in and wants the whole thing explained.” Upstairs Ann powdered her nose, put on a pert little hat, and went downstairs to join her parents. Uncle Joe was calling for the Dryden’s in his car. It was a family custom each year to celebrate New Year's Day by taking the noonday meal with the old people. Ann knew that only her sister suspected her thoughts. How could she go through the day feeling as she felt? It was as though something she had clung to for years had suddenly been snatched away. Leaning on Doug's love and his vague promises to marry her.

She had made few friends because the girls in her office and old school chums had insisted on “dating” her .with their brothers or casual friends. It seemed that she could not have girl friends without becoming involved with men. Driving toward Brooklyn in the downtown section Ann was suddenly snatched from her meditations by the sight of a green roadster. She lifted her head. It was Doug in the green roadster and beside him sat a stunning young girl in a fur coat' with a cigarette between her fingers. Doug and Gail Tracy. The brief holiday was over and Ann was back at her desk. Since the day Doug had left and she had seen him riding with Gail, and she had heard nothing from him. Her mother had, questioned her and Arm spared none of

the details. Mrs Dryden had shaken her head and said she didn't “understand young people these days." It occurred to Ann. sitting at her desk on that bleak January day looking young and unhurt, that she would have to start making new friends. After this, when the girls in the office asked her to go on “dates” with them, she wouldn’t refuse. The question that persisted in her mind was, "Do I love Doug still? In spite of all this horrible misunderstanding, do I still care for him?” She was about to answer that question for herself when she heard John Hamill ring for her. Ann picked up her pad and went into the luxurious office. (To be Continued)