"ANN STEPS OUT"

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 December 1938, Page 12

"ANN STEPS OUT"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

MARGARET GORMAN NICHOLS.

CHAPTER XVII. .-Continued.

When they got home, Aim went to her room and lay across the bed. She had had few private moments during the last exciting days. Her parents and Jean were in a frenzy of excitement and her own thoughts flew from one thing to another. So many things had to be done. Girls from the office called. Neighbours had come in to look at the girl they had known all her life, who was going to marry a millionaire. “Cinderella,” she thought.

She couldn’t think of anything now except tonight’s visit to the solitary house im Roland Park. : How could she overcome Mrs Hamill’s prejudice? What could she say? She fell off in an exhausted sleep. When she woke up, Jean had just come in from work. She sat on the bed close to Ann. “I know you are doing this for us.” “I suppose I am, in a way,” Ann said, closing her eyes wearily, .“but I want to marry him, too. I want to be secure. I’m-lhe kind of girl who had to have security—a safe harbour. And . . . I want to make him happy.” ” “Do you think,” Jean asked, “that you /could give me your old clothes now?” “They’re all yours.” .“Have you come to any decision about the wedding yet?”.

“We’re going to be married in church. Mother insists on it. No reception. We’re coming home, change, and get a train' to' New York. • When we come back from Bermuda, John is going to send-mother and father away on a long trip.” “What about me?”

“You and I are going to furnish them an apartment while they’re gone—to surprise them.” "Gosh, money can do a lot. can’t it?” Fit’s not money,” said Ann. “It’s the freedom it can buy.”

Mrs Dryden came into the room. “Ann, I want you to go downstairs and see your things. They’re here.” The living room was filled with boxes. Mr Dryden was down on his knees, untying them. “Is there anything left down town?” he asked.

Ann got on her knees beside him. He looked at her, soberly over his glasses. “I want you to be happy,” he said. “All those beautiful things won’t matter if you aren’t. People who ride in limousines very often have miserable faces.”

“I know,” she said, taking a diminuitive pair of silver sandals out of a box: “It’s give and take —that’s marriage. Fairness. Co-operation. I want to make myself worthy of him.” “And he feels,” said her father, who had had a long talk with John, “that he is unworthy of you.” “I want to do so much for you and mother,” said Ann. “I never want you to worry about money again.” Mrs Dryden came in. “Dinner is ready. Aren’t her things lovely, Father?” John was protectingly beside Ann when she walked into the house in Roland Park that night.. She wore the brown suit with the raccoon collar, and was a study in brown from her chic little hat to trim feet in tall-heeled slippers. The butler opened the door and Ann was ushered into the drawing-room. She didn’t have time to notice the rich, old furnishings or the oil paintings of the Hainills on the wall. She saw only Mrs Hainill, dressed in black lace, diamonds glittering on her hands and throat, her cane resting beside her. “This is Ann, my fiancee,” said John. “This is my mother.” Mrs Hamill lifted her eyes. “How do you do, my dear.” Like well dressed puppets, John and Ann sat on the tapestried divan. Louise, dressed in a dinner frock, came into the room. John introduced her to Ann. Mrs Hamill turned to the girl in brown.

“Naturally my son’s engagement was a great shock to. me. I should not have been surprised at Nick, but John has always been so much my own boy. You haven’t known him long, have you?” ‘T’ve been working for him since I came out of high school.” “But, my dear," the smile was mocking, “one doesn’t get Io know a man working for him. I asked you how long you had known him?” “Since the first of the year.” “Nick knew her first,” said John. Louise lifted already lofty brows. “Nick knows all kinds of women.” “We are a very proud family,” said Mrs Hamill in a very cultured voice. “You can, I am sure, readily understand my feelings at John’s engagement to a girl—a working girl.” Ann felt warm. Her head ached a little. She looked at Louise, and Louise looked away scornfully. She could not believe that there were people in the world like these two! “You can at least be kind,” said John suddenly angry. “There is no disgrace to being a working girl. I would rather marry Ann than any woman in the world. I could have married a society woman, but I didn’t want to.” CHAPTER XVIII. Ann found her voice. “I have never pretended to be anything but what I am. I assure you that although I have no family tree to boast about, John will never have cause to be ashamed of me.” Mrs Hamill's grey eyes lighted.

“I appreciate your coming to see me.” she said to Ann. "but. of course. I can’t attend your marriage. 1 don’t wish to be unkind, but this . . . this

marriage is unthinkable.” “You don’t think I’m good enough for him,” said Ann.

“Of course not,” she said crisply. “There are children to be considered, you know —my grandchildren. I should like to see them but,” she paused and added as a final thrust, “I —I do not care to see you again.” John was on his feet. “You won’t. I won’t give you the opportunity to insult her again. You'll never see her or me again, or a child of ours either! I asked you only to be kind to her. Can’t you think of anything but family. Your pride—you’ve lost your sons by it!” Ho looked at Ann. “Forgive me for bring you here.” “You didn't expect us to receive her with open arms, did you?" asked Louise. “She is marrying you for your money.” “Money!” John turned on his sister. “Did it ever occur to you, Louise, that when father made his will, he left you nothing? He left it to Nick and me. And when you want to go to Europe, to whom do you come. To me! Have you forgotten that?” Ann . sighed and shivered as they came out of the house. In the car he said, “Forgive me, Ann. I didn’t know it was going to be so frightful.”

“I didn’t know that there were mothers in the world like that.” When she went to her room, she looked at the boxes scattered here and there.

“Money doesn’t buy happiness. It didn’t buy it for Mrs Hamill and Louise. John and I will have to build our lives on something stronger.” April came and April 8 was Ann’s wedding day. The Dryden home fairly seethed with excitement —packages still arriving people going in, and out, John’s car, Nick’s roadster.

Her life had been so occupied during the past weeks that Ann had had little time for contemplation or thought. The unfortunate interview with John’s mother and sister still stayed with her. With the exception of that, she could scarcely believe that so much, happiness had come to her. But a letter from Doug from Paris brought her back to reality. “I wish you all the luck in the world," he wrote. “I suppose I’ll be meeting you socially this winter as Mrs John Hamill.” At the bottom he wrote, “Gail is making the dressmakers work overtime. Our honeymoon has turned out to be a clothes spree. She’s afraid you’ll get ahead .of her.”

Ann put a match to the letter. She watched it burn in her hand, thinking, “This is the end of Doug and all. those years I loved him. A year ago, I thought I’d be marrying him some day. Now he’s in Paris with his wife, and next week I'm going to marry John Hamill.”

Mrs Dryden came into the room. “Is John coming tonight?” "No,” said Ann. “He had to go to Washington on business. He won’t be back until tomorrow.” After dinner Nick called from Gibson Island.

“John is out of town tonight,” said Ann.

"Deserting you already,” he said. “I’m down here alone. I thought, if you wanted to. I’d drive to town and bring you down for the evening. Luckily I'm the prospective bridegroom’s brother, so no scandal can come of it.” Nick’s island, as he called it, had been to Ann since his house party, a place of beauty and enchantment. She hesitated. a moment, thinking of the view, of the bay from the verandah. "Do come,” urged Nick. “It’s much too lovely a place for a person to be alone in on a night like this. I crave company.” Nick called for her and they drove back to the island. It was a warm spring night.

"Such a nice green smell,” said Ann

The island looked less desolate tonight and the sloping lawn of Nick’s place was very green. “It’s warm enough to sit on the verandah tonight.” said Ann.

Nick went to fix drinks and Ann sat on the wicker divan on the verandah. When he came back, he gave her a cocktail and sat opposite. The light from the living room- fell across their faces. Nick sat there looking at her, and an odd smile crossed his month. (To be Continued.)