"ANN STEPS OUT"

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 December 1938, Page 12

"ANN STEPS OUT"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

MARGARET GORMAN NICHOLS.

CHAPTER IV. —Continued

Ann glanced at her watch again and got up. “I’ve got to go to the office now.”

“Office,” mocked Jean, “and take shorthand on a little pad and make letters out of it. Break your back over a typewriter and ruin your eyes. Take sarcastic remarks from some dumb old boss. Not me!”

“Well, I’m certainly a success at giving advice,” said Ann. Jean stretched her bare, rounded arm toward her sister. “Gosh, you take a lot of pains with me. I won't forget, either. You know, the way you are standing there you look like . . . .” “Some stage actress, I’ll bet,” laughed Ann.

Waiting for a street car and on the way downtown, she thought continually of her sister. Jean’s loveliness, her childish impulsiveness, and her kind little gestures forbade harsh treatment of her. But her firm mind was made up.

Ann felt that the threads of her life were being drawn together. Doug was a finished chapter. Nick Hamill had telephoned hurriedly, and said that he was going out of town on business. Jean’s problem was perplexing and annoying. And the new work at the office kept her mentally on tiptoe. John Hamill was bent over his desk. He murmured a throaty “good morning,” and did not look up. Ann went about her work.

That evening at closing time he called her in. She thought he looked very tired.

“You must think I’m the world's worst slave-driver,” he said. “It just happens that all these important matters have had to come up while Miss Wallace is away.” Of late she had ceased to regard him with awe. Friendship with Nick had made it easier for her to understand John Hamill, and yet in personality and character they differed greatly. Where Nick took life with calm indifference, John took it seriously. Nick laughed away the things that made John worry. Nick had known many women in his life and John Hamill’s work had been his only love.

“I haven't really minded,” said Ann, ‘because I’ve been so interested. When the chance you’ve been waiting for comes aloijg, you don’t mind the work. Besides, I needed work. I want to be busy.”

He didn’t reply to that. Obviously like Nick, he understood without details. He smiled. “I’ve really been paving the way to tell you that we must work tonight. Sorry I couldn’t let you know sooner . . .” “I’m not going anywhere,” she said. He twirled his pen.round and round in his hand. “Nick told me,” he said at length, “that you are a charming dinner guest. Will you—will you have dinner with me tonight” She stopped very still and looked at him, trying to analyze her feelings. Whether she wanted to go with him or not, she must, of course. But actually did she want to. She knew, while thus debating with herself, that loneliness for Nick, missing his companionship, made her want to go to dinner with his brother. They walked to a well-known restaurant, and across the white-clothed table faced each other for the first time outside the atmosphere of the office. CHAPTER V. “I'm beginning to believe,” John Hamill said, “that employers should become better acquainted with the people who work for them. It’s rather amazing when you think that people work side by side in an office and never really know anything about each other. The office is a separate world

“When you enter it,” Ann said, “You try to forget everything else in your other world, the worries. . .” “The love affairs,” said John Hamill. “If I may speak frankly, I have watched you take dictation when your mind was far away. It isn’t difficult for a man to detect when a woman is thinking of another man” ‘Thave been thinking of a man,” Ann said, and was suddenly struck by the thought that she didn't know whether it was of Doug or Nick she had been thinking. John Hamill smoked thoughtfully and looked at the girl opposite him. “There is a great deal to this girl,” he thought. “She is lovely, but she isn’t vain or shallow. Beneath her prettiness is strength of character and honesty. She is the sort of girl to stick to her ideals because she believes in them herself. She has moved to and fro in my office for two years, and I have been too blind and too absorbed to notice that,” he hesitated at his thought, "that—she is the sort of girl I’ve always said I'd marry.” The thought embarrassed him for fear that she might suspect his thoughts. He was not in love with her. and John Hamill began to wonder exactly what love was. To him her fine qualities were of primary importance, and he smiled at himself because brother Nick, likeable, amusing and distinguished, had looked for only beauty in women. “This woman,” thought John, snuffing out a cigarette, "is frank and sincere and beautiful. I’ve missed all the pleasant things that Nick lias had. Ann has missed money. I believe.” he mused, "that we could make a fair exchange, I believe I could love Ann Dryden because’ I think she could leach me the meaning of love.” A week passed. The weather was very cold. Ann came home one night bringing extra work with her. Of late she had been thankful that work gave her little or no time for thinking and trying to analyze the recent changes in her life.

Everything since the new year had undergone an amazing change. Since Doug had angrily stepped out of her life, two oilier men had stepped in. Iler little world had become a much enlarged world since knowing Nick and John. When Ann went to her room after dinner to work, Jean came in and hovered over the desk.

“What’s on your mind?” asked Ann, resting her hands for a moment on the typewriter keys. Jean’s bright face coloured. "Oh. nothing. I—l went back to school, you know.” “Is it so bad?”

“Work,” she said, “and work and work.”

“Brother John,” said Nick, “must be testing your efficiency.” He paused. "Or is he? He probably likes your yellow head, too. After looking at poor Miss Wallace so many years, I can readily understand why he finds so much for you to do at the office at night.” “I’m a target for gossip,” said Ann. "Don’t rub it in. I assure you I haven’t been trying to vamp your brother.” “And why not?” “It’s rather a long story, and you said you were sleepy.” "I am. But how the affair between my brother and adopted daughter is going off interests me more than sleep. By the way, have you seen Doug?” "Not since that night at the penthouse. He hasn’t gone back to school. I heard. That means he won't graduate. You think I have him on my mind, don’t you. I don’t. I haven’t lime for brooding these days.” "Good girl. And now, Ann. I must sign off. I suppose I shall be back within a couple of weeks. I’ll call you then.”

“Shall 1 tell your brother you called?” “No. Don’t tell him.” “And why not?” ’ “Competition frightens John,” said Nick. When Ann went into John’s office the next morning, he had not come in. She went about her work busily. About ten o'clock Mr Harriman came in and closed the door. He looked very solemn.

“Mis Dryden," he said standing over her. clasping and unclasping his hands nervously, "you probably haven't board. Mr Hamill . . .”

Ann felt cold. The papers she held dropped from her hand.

“You need not look so alarmed,’’ said Mr Harriman quickly. “He isn’t dead. He’s ill though. He is subject to heart attacks. Taken last night.” He looked down on her. "Good heavens ■ —you are disturbed! He’ll be glad to know how everyone feels about him." "You frightened me,” she said, feeling more at ease. "I —1 expected the worst. You looked so solemn."

.Tie smiled. “When he's ill, I have to look solemn and get down to work. Look here, his servant just called and said that Mr Hamill wanted you to come out to his house, and do some work. I told the servant to tell him we could handle things here, but he was obstinate. Wants to handle things himself. Afraid they won’t be done to suit him." “What is his address?” Mr Harriman told her and said, "Get a cab at once. This is,” he said going out, “a bit irregular," (To be Continued.)

"I'm back in the work. 1 don’t think I’ll ever catch up and all the teachers are on my neck.” She sat down and swung her legs over the arm of a chair.

“I met a boy some time ago,” she said.

Ann turned her head. “Oh!” she didn’t look at Jean. She looked out of Ihe window and said, “You met a boy, and you like him. Who is he?” Dick—Dick Nelson. You’d like him, Ann. He walks home from school with me every day. I —he's the sort of boy I've always wanted to avoid.”

“Why?” “He's 100 nice. He's serious.” She got up and walked to the dresser and rested her hands on it. Looking through the mirror at Ann, she said. “You probably think I’m just a kid. But I know my mind and I’ve figured things out. I —l don't wqnt to fall in love with anybody. 1 want to get somewhere. Love would ruin everything." "Still thinking of the stage, aren’t you?” “Sure! I’m not going to let myself be led away from my ambitions by a boy who’s terribly sweet and crazy about me. I’m not going to let happen to me what .happened to you! Gosh — can’t you see what I mean? I’m not going to see this boy any more. And I like him. That’s what gets me. I like him and he’s so darn nice!”

Ann laughed. “You've got your problems, too. You think I’ve wasted my life on a boy who wasn’t worth it. Perhaps. But I certainly learned a lesson. Poorer but wiser.” Jean came back and sat down.

“You’re not wiser. You could go far in business. You’re smart and goodlooking, but you’ll probably marry some boy one of these days with high ambitions like mine but with not a nickel to his name. You’re like that.”

“That’s one of your predictions that won’t come true, Jean. At least, I don't think it will.” She smiled. “You are really amazing. Where do you get all those hard ideas?” “Well, money is all that’s important, and the easiest way to get it is the best way. I don’t believe in working hard if you’ve got looks. Plenty of smart girls have gotten far on their faces.” z

“I can’t cope with you at all,” said Ann. “If I have ideals about the right kind of love, I can’t help it. And I can’t help admiring the right kind of man.” “Is Doug the right kind of man?” “No. He’s selfish and sulks and wants everything he sees. I’m just beginning to know the meaning of ‘the right kind of man.’ ”

“You’re only kidding yourself,” said Jean flippantly. “When a woman loves a man, she loves him no matter what he is. You love Doug. That’s the beginning and end of it.” “If I were sure about that, it would save me a lot of thought, Jean, I’ve got to finish this work. What are you going to do?” Jean shrugged. “Skip out, if I can, to meet Dick at the movies.” “Why don’t you bring him home?’’

“And meet the family? No. I don’t like that arrangement. He’d soon discover that I’m not as nice as he thinks I am.”

Ann’s fingers were flying on the typewriter when the telephone rang. “Long distance,” said a voice, and after a while she heard the deep voice of Nick Hamill. She sat upright in the straight chair and smiled into the mouthpiece. It was as though she could see him; his voice was such a vivid reminder of the man himself.

“How’s my guardian?”,she asked. “Your guardian,” said Nick’s voice, “is cold and sleepy and tired. The hotel food is terrible, and it is snowing like fury.” “You don’t sound as though you are having a very pleasant trip?”

“It’s been horrible. I think of the warm fire in my apartment, and my cook, who can cook. But enough of that!” He chuckled. !‘Only the sight of that bright head of yours could bring me out of gloom now. Seriously, Ann, I’ve been wondering how you were.”