Show LE GRAM t Ann Annes Anne's i k TEi FICTION e 5 t a e eBy By JOHN PATRICK LALLY LLIE T Mr Major spoke Now Peter you must t bear ar In mind that if theres there's any publicity our work willbe will willbe be rendered useless You under tinder stand dont don't you ou For a moment Peter didn't grasp the import of Mr Majors Major's implication tion then comprehension came and his hands relaxed Suddenly he felt weak and h he dropped Into his chair Hardy may may- deny everything when you face hIm went on Mr Major evenly so Im I'm going to give you this report which you ou may show him it If he dog do He glanced at Peter and saw that hat Peter was not listening Peter he called Im sorry Mr Major forgIve m me I 1 was thinking thinking ot of I know Peter but listen please He repeated the statement about the report and Peter acquiesced When do you ou Intend seeing him I Right away replied Peter curti curtly Just as soon as 31 I can find him Think hell he'll be e at his office I I No I 1 dont You mega youre you're going looking for him Yes Mr Major I rather imagIne tha that's 8 what Ill I'll have to do do Mr Major gripped Peters Peter del der Peter stood tood up They faced aced each cach other Peter said the older man dont forget that your mission tonight is isa a sacred acred on one And remember there is a chance remote to b be sure but yet ct a chance that Hardy can be saved We must sec that he is given that chance N t for himself as you know but for Peter didn't wait to her hear Mr MaJor Majar Ma Ma- jar Jor speak the name he had Cherished cher Cher- for five years He almost ran to the corrIdor As the door ot of the Herrick home closed behind Peter after his call to Sir Mr Majors Major's office otrice Anne shivered and the room though warmed by a fiery September sun seemed suddenly sud sud- denly cold and appallingly empty despite the presence of Mrs Herrick Herrick Her Her- rick and Jane both ol of whom pleaded with wordless compassion for tor the prIvilege of sharing Annes Anne's anguish The call from Mr Major to Peter Anne knew presaged tragedy And the knowledge sent a flash of terror into her soul that numbed her cal se senses cs for the moment and Jetther left Jett her powerless to move or to think Gradually like liko receding waves after a violent storm she he emerged from the black shadows shadow of oC despair only to experience the agony of oC the fear that tragedy affecting Dick Impend ed cd She glanced about the familiar room Ever Everything thIng was the same yet ct different Had she fainted No there was Jal e on the piano bench and mother was sitting in the alcove looking look look- ing out on Touhy Touby avenue But wh why were the they so silent She glanced down at her own hands They were lying listlessly in her lap Her mother was staring at her in inthe inthe the strangest manner And Jane seemed about to cry Were they pitying pity ing her Feeling sorry for her Why Then she thought I want ant to go home I 1 must know Ill I'll call Mr Major Maybe Mabe Dick will be at atthe the hotel Maybe worrying about nothing at all It Wil was Mrs HerrIck who broke the silence She said Anne child wont won't you lie down for a while andrest and anc rest before you go to the hotel hotd Lie down doom The words struck with the force o of a hammer No she must go home Maybe ever everything thin was all right but she had to know I think Id I'd better go mother she replied shakily I dont don't feel just justl r right h She brushed her hand across her forehead and when she glanced at atit atit it her fin fingers ers were wet with per Anne I forgot to tell you about a little boy in school who who- Janes Jane's voice was tense but her brave stray strat eg egy to divert Anne was futile for Anne raised her hand and said Dont Don't Jane not now dear some other time I must leave mother Anne said aid miserably Will you ou call COll a taxi tai Jane Instead ot of complying ing Jane looked at Mrs Herrick who shook her head then said Jane I want to talk to or a few minutes Jane stood up kissed Anne linger and whis whispered red Dont worry Anne rely on Peter and Mr Major As she left lert Mrs Herrick moved her chaIr near Annes Anne's She reached out and took her hand She stroked it for lor a few minutes Her touch seemed to possess magic for Annes Anne's distorted world unexpectedly a. a as the old familiar form tarm And there came to her a feeling of tranquillity Iran tran- she had not felt in many weeks looking Into her face Mrs H saId Anne child you are upset badly upset and it hurts me to see you Ou suffer She paused The rIgid lines left Anne Annes s face Im no longer young oung Anne You and Jane are all I have to live for Id I'd gladly lay down my life lile to make either ot of you ou happy Motherhood Anne reaches Into the soul Theres There's no pain quite so terrifying And theres there's no joy quite so heavenly as becoming a mother Once more Mrs Herrick stopped You know mother asked Anne Yes Anne Ive I've known it for some time and every night before I Igo Io go o to bed I pray that thal God will give you ou strength to carry you ou through those awful hours Anne child in those black hours somethIng is taken from a mothers mother's soul Sul and given to her child What itis it is remains a m mystery but it gives to the mother the strength to make any to sacrifice even death for the happiness happi n ness s of her child chUd As Mrs Herrick ceased to speak Annes Anne's eyes were moIst But her nerves were no longer taut When her mother rose and stood before her Anne stood up also aIro and laid her head against her bosom Mrs Herrick car caressed ed her shoulders shoulders ders with her hand gently lifted her head and kissed her And as their Ups lips met the mother tugged playfully at Annes Anne's ear a gesture of affection she was wont to make when Anne was a little girl Anne looked up quickly Her moths mothers mother's moth moth- ers er's s 's c eyes es were swimming but her voIce was resolute as she said An Anything Any thing else worrying you Anne The temptation w was strong tron almost Irresistible but Anne subdued it and the Impulse to tell her mother the tear fears she entertained all night conferences died Absently she replied No mother r I feel better now She tried to laugh and failed but she he did manage a faInt smile that brought a delicate pink like a rose petal to her cheeks c Ill call Mr Major when I go home she said sad to herself Then back to her came the mood her mother moth moth- er had just dispelled She went to the telephone called a cab then sat down and tried to talk rationally about everyday matters to Mrs Herrich Her Her- rick rich When the cab came she went to the staircase and called goodbye to Jane Her mother went with her her- herto to the door and she seemed reluctant for her to depart Maybe Mabe Jane had better ride down with Anne she you suggested or orIll orIll Ill I'll JO go myself Im all rIght mother replied Anne Ann with what she seemed detach detach- ment Perfectly all rIght now She kissed her mother and was gone But Dut the ache in her heart began to throb again when she was alone llone in the cab She tried to analyze it it tried to thInk in orderly fashion Was she jealous Didn't she trust Dick implicitly im im- Wasn't it petty to view Dicks Dick's night all meetings with sus But why thy couldn't she bring herself herselt to tell Dick about their baby She quickly defended her reticence by telling herself that Dick had been drinking too much lately She had told him so o. o but he had explained that his business associates did the same thing couldn't get orders unless he did Anne tried to shake oft off th the feeling of foreboding tried to to b be nia gay and d she even went so EO far as to fo accuse herself of becoming a scold of nag nag- gin ging Dick when he was working day and night to make their future secure And hadn't he given her mother their old home on Touhy avenue A smile of gratitude curved her lips and she leaned back in the cab after convincing herself that she had hadnot hadnot not been as good a wile wife as she might have been and as she would be in the days to come A red light halted the cab at Walton Wal Wal- ton place and MIchigan avenue She absently watched the cars ahead thinking that in a few minutes she would be home The shiny hood o of one o of the car models that Dick spoke poke ot of buying came abreast or of her cab She leaned forward and took in the smartly dressed chauffeur then for forno forno no conscious reason she wanted to see the passengers A glance at al them and her eyes CYS closed She shrank back against the seat A moan of despair fell from her qUivering lips for she had seen Dick maudlin drunk being kissed by bya a gaudily dressed girl whose blond hair was streaming about her shout ders To De Be Continued Copyright 1933 Chicago Dally News Copyright ht 1934 1 Register and Tribune Syndicate |