Show I TELEGRAM FICTION I M An Annes Anne's n e Mistake i s t a k e eBy 1 By JOHN PATRICK LALLY ST Ir-ST INSTALMENT It was Saturday afternoon the first week end after the reopening of the schools for the raIl fall semester Jane among the first to o te be named for tor sub sub- work was in the living room with her mother She was reviewIng her first w week k kas as a school teacher and little storIes some tragically sad ad others highly humorous humorous hu- hu which had come to her attention atten- atten tion she was now telling her mother Mrs Herrick sat in the alcove overlooking overlooking over over- looking Touhy avenue A queer eagerness possessed her for the Incidents incidents in- in Jane recited reminded her of her own teaching days days-days when she was about Janes Jane's age ace and not unlike un un- like her ber in appearance As Jane talked Mrs Herricks memory mem- mem ory took her back through the years years cars that were steeped In the incense in- in cense ense of remembrance her marriage to Andrew James Herrick a high school teacher the bIrth of Anne Ann Annes Anne's s 's decision to teach And now Jane n a child today a serious young woman her daughter Her little Jane a teacher If Andrew were only at her side to share her joy joyl Mother youre you're not listening cx- cx claimed Jane chidingly but there was laughter in her voice Im sorry Jane Im I'm getting to tobe tobe be a selfish old woman but the things you were talking about brought bi back ck memories es I thought I 1 had forgotten Now mother saId Jane reprovingly as she might speak to one of her pupils I I must insist that you think of the future forget the past darling and listen to this Yesterday a child named Tommy Wilson came to my desk and asked to have bave his seat scat changed I wanted to know the reason back of the request re- re quest H He s said id the girl sitting across across from him was making faces and he couldn't study I 1 told old Tommy Id I'd speak to the girl I did and she making faces at him or anybody else I refused to change Tommys Tommy's seat scat That was In Inthe Inthe the morning At the noon recess a note was laid on my desk It read It DEAR TEACHER YOU BETTER BET BET- TER CHANGE TOMMY WILSONS WILSON'S SEAT OR HELL HE'LL DO SOMETHING DESPERATE THOMAS T. T WILSON Mother you should have seen the little darlings darling's face when I laid the note on his desk and asked him it If his father had written it He said he didn't know but th that was his fathers father's name Finally Finan Tommy admitted being the author and when the class was dismissed he came to me mc and begged me not to tell hIs father or 01 hed he'd be whipped Mrs Herrick laughed gently and a reminiscent light came to her happy eyes That reminds rae me ot of when I Iwas was veis teaching a little boy who gave me mc mean an apple every day for three months Then one day he told me mc he couldn't give me mc any more apples b because ause his mother had caught him stealing his tribute to me that morning They were still talking animatedly when an automobile horn tooted at atthe atthe the curb Jane went to the window and looked look out Its Peter she told her mother without turning She caned called through the screened window window- Come in Peter Peter stepped from his secondhand second car and walked rapidly to the house Jane was at the door He ripped gripped her hand and smilingly said I know what you and your mother are talkIng talkIng talk talk- Ing about Really questioned Jane 1 should Jane This has been a arite arite rite with me for the last four years I wasn't coming out today but somehow somehow some some- how the old bus just couldn't stay away avay Hello Mrs HerrIck Ito he crIed gayly Hello Peter Jane and I were just talking about the first school w week k kI I sort of thought you'd be out she added quietly I was telling Jane I 1 hadn't Intended In In- tended to come ome but I simply couldn't I stay seemed away lost somehow I was thinking Peter how we used to talk Anne her f father you and me so o happy weren't we Yes replied Peter slowly we used to have some great times N w now protested Jane What I did I tell you ol mother about the f fu u ture She shook a warning finger at Feten Pc- Pc ten ter and said Peter Nash when you come out here we insist that you talk what's coming n not t what has passed Excuse me Jane Tane youre you're right Now Jane you mustn't be too harsh on on Peter and me me said Mrs Herrick After aU all it not affect the future it If we sometimes talk ot of the past We mustn't forget torget that only a little over a year ago your father was here with us And only a few months ago Anne was here Peter S sat motionless And only a afew afew few months ago Anne was here He could not subdue the slight twist of bitterness that came to his lips He shouldn't have come out at all an He was spoiling the afternoon for lor Mrs Hernick Herrick Her Her- rick nick and Jane Hed He'd leave Hed He'd drive out into the country and maybe hed he'd forget the anguish that Was vas tearing aring his soul Before he could act on hl his decision Mrs Herrick said Peter tell us about your class Ive a wonderful bunch this year he said haltingly You say that every year ear replied II Mrs Herrick Indulgently Instinctively Instinctive Instinctive- ly she knew he was depressed and she knew the cause She wished she might cheer hIm for Peter Nash was wasas wasas as her as a son The kIds are wonderful Mrs Herrick Tier Her rick he repeated monotonously As h he spoke a fe feeling ling of apprehension sion swept her She thought Peter PeterIs Is deeply worried about something Jane Who h had d been watching him with sympathetic ud decided de- de to make a desperate bid to rouse him from the leth lethargy engulfing him She told hIm In r rapid pid succession the lau provoking laugh Incidents ts of the week But wh when n Peter tried to join Ira in the merriment his bis voice sounded fiat Jane was about to give up in despair de de- when th the doorbell rang She answered it and crIed Anne Peter leaped to his feet and strode through the ti-e hallway He seized Annes Anne's hand hancL Neither spoke As he stood holding her hand a faint red stained her cheeks and ran down her neck Jane turned and went into the living room To look at them would lave been a sacrilege to Janes Jane's way of thinking Anne broke the that bound I couldn't stay away Peter she said said- But I didn't expect to see you here He grinned they entered entered en en- the living room Anne kissed h her r mother then seated herself at her elbow She glanced at Jane then Peter and said U it feels good to be back home again agnin Her eyes were limpid and her hands trembled slightly Do you remember she began tremulously how we used to meet on the first Saturday and talk over what had happened in school that week Peter nodded quickly Yes Anne That's what brought me out today She smiled happily and just a little wistfully as she said Peter tell rue me you everything and Jane every single thing that has happened I didn't know how much I was going goin to miss the children Anne leaned forward in her chair Her chin was cupped in her interlaced inters fingers But Anne said Mrs Herrick tell us about yourself first Do you feel well and is Dick all right Dicks all right mother working hard just now I 1 imagine he misses Peter And Im I'm feeling tine fine Now go on Peter He seemed to find countless things that would interest inter inter- est cst her And when Annes Anne's face lighted light light-I ed so did his own And when her er eyes sparkled so did Peters Peter's It was wasas vas as though their souls were one I talked with some of the children you taught They miss you Anne And they told me to ten tell you that the teacher they had this semester wasn't nearly so nice as you Peter paused He studied Annes Anne's face for a moment and what he hc saw there caused him pain for Annes Anne's eyes were sad He qui quickly kIy looked away so as not to embarrass her then he swung to Jane and said Your turn Jane She related Wh what she deemed the themore themore more hilarious but Anne was not responsive alth although ush a fixed smile remained on her lips While Jane was talking Peter Peter- watched Anne He noticed that she was as pale that the veins stood out on h her r h hands and her dark vivid eyes now seemed dull even lifeless He wondered if Dick had told Anne Annethe Annethe the real reason for lor his leaving DIcks DIck's employ Then he dismissed the thought as absurd for tor Dick was too shrewd too trick tricky to do anything that might reflect favorably on on Peter Nash To Be Continued Copyright 1933 Chicago Daily News Copyright 1934 Register and Tribune Trib- Trib une Syndicate |