Mexico weekly ledger., 1920-12-16
ANN AND ANDY
By BERTHA S. CARNEY.


va 1870. BY Meclurs Newspaper syndicateJ
Ann Vrnimen had been a week now
al Cousin Allies In the city. and with
each succeeding day Ann felt smaller
and more awkward. Her hair had abb
solutely refused to bob" at her ears,
city fashion, and there were times
that, despite her efforts, her tongue
would slip back into the country
Vernacular that she had spoken for
the eighteen years of her life. Sub
stantial she looked, substantial she
felt, and, besides all this. there was
he terrible name of Ann for a handl-
cap-and as for the incest young man
who lived upstairs-how could she
ever get acquainted with him if one
dared not speak?
These were the thoughts that we're
running through the back of little
AIMS head, as she threw the rugs over
the piazza railing and attacked them
vigorously with the carpet heater.
She made q pretty picture there in
the morning sunshine, the sleeves of
her pink slnock rolled up to her ell
bows, and her cheeks flushed with the
exercise, and as she worked an old hit
of doagerel that she had learned as a
child came into her head, and she
sang, because the morning was so
bright and the young man upstairs was
so hands0me-Nol That wasn't what
she had meant to think at all. but she
kept singing and keeping time with
the carpet beaten.
Good morning, Jenny Wren! viii
you kindly stop your housewifely ac-
tivities long enough to allow me to see
my way down the stairsf Your great
clouds of dust have blinded my eyes
to everything except the loneliness of
my Industrious neighbor."
Ann stOpped-mouth open, just as
she had been about to carol forth the
highest soprano note, and carpet beat
er raised. He was speaking to her. but
he was only joking with her, for even
at her most vigorous swings only a
feeble trail Of dust floated out on the
air; but the last thing he had said
AIMS eyes sought the toes of her
sensible rOund-toed' shoes before she
looked across at him shyly.
The young man from upstairs was
looking at her, and IT seemed as
though If he really wished to navigate
the stairway In such a terrible storm
Of dust there was nothing to hinder
his doing so. Instead. he leaned
against the railing.
This is a fine chance to get &c,
%quainIed." he said. "Fate sends me
out on an errand while you are on the
porch and ms we are going to be such
near neIghbors. it's all perfectly prop
er. I'm Andrew Leonard. Andy suits
me better, and you're Ann Vraimen.
saw your name on your trunk In the
cellar, and you're not yet old enough
to he called Miss Vraimen."
Ann, who wasn't old enough to be
called Miss Vraimen. found herself
shaking hands with Andy, whom. she
thought, was old enough to know bet
ter, and after that II was easy.
When she had beat back the redness
into the roses. and the greenness into
the grass. Ann tugged n of the rugs
down from the rail and Andy dropped
on his knees and began to fold 1t witt
def turns of his wrists.
where did you learn to do that?
J Ann inquired. Andy was a gentleman
at least. even though there had been nc
formal introduction, and the warning
voices of her staid country ancestors
for the first time In her life went un'
Needed.
Handy Andy. that's me-" he
grinned. II lived for five years on my
uncle's farm, 30 miles out"
Underneath the pink smock AIMS
heart gave a futter Of pure JOY. Now
she could own up to her IS years Of
country existence. He wouldn't care
He d~idn't--f0r on file following sun
1 day Andy was helping her over I'll,
stumble and exclaiming with her ovel
the five little, bigs that had just ar
rived ut his untlc's farm.
II was the ihfrd month Of thcil
friendship and they were on n %
their frequent Sunday excursions Il
the farm. when Ann preached The
subject Of changing her name to An
nette. or Marian. or any other form
of Ann, as long as there was trimming
enough to take away the p%lainness.
"Cur It out. kiddie," Andy advised
II surely was fine TO he able to hos
Ann. ~ like your name fine. NJ!
grandmother's name was Ann. and jus
look at mine-Andyl But you don
catch me calling myself any foo
name like Androclus, do your
Ann laughed. How could she tel
him that all the time she had beer
planning to change it only for him?
81 like Andy for a name; it's so
so substantial" and then she laughed
again, for was that not the very quail
itv that three months ago she hat
most hatedf
That's It." Andy nodded, "a goo'
substantial name, just like Ann. Why
| knew you could do housework Xix
all possessed the minute I lamped tn
name on your trunk"
He drew her down beside him on a
Old. fallen tree trunk.
"Ann snd Andy" he unused. holdin
her close. "a good combination. Don