Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-01
CHAPTER XIV.
Friendship

~ INCE that night when Steele had asked
% Anne TO give him the life that she
~ valued so little he had made attempt
to see her. 1t was perhaps the most difficult
period of his life, for he was not accustomed
to delays and the restraint that he put upon
himself made him restless and irritable. But
he was determined to wait, and wait he did.
Every day Anne gained in strength until
finally there came time when it was no long
err necessary for her to remain in her room
She was still very fragile and DR.. Henderson,
when questioned by Marcia, pointed out the
danger of allowing the girl to take up any
definite work yet. REST is what she needs,
and an absence of responsibility of any kind
he cautioned And Marcia was forced to smile
and acquiesce when in her heart she wanted
only to be rid of Anne forever.
Steele had said nothing more to his mother
about his intentions concerning Anne, there
fore it was with some trepidation that Marcia
witnessed the meeting between the two on
Anne's first night down to dinner. Marcia
had had couple of her own dresses cut down
to fit the girl, who of course, had no clothes.
But although she had chosen the simplest
things. and Annes dress that night was a
straight one-piece frock of sheer white, her
beauty was almost dazzling, and Steele caught
his breath as she entered the room.
But his greeting was entirely without emo
ton of any kind save kindly interest. He
wanted to put her at ease, to convince her
that she had nothing to fear from him, and
after one quick look into his eyes, the tension
civ
she became charmingly un-selfconscious. She
talked through dinner easily, at times almost
brilliant, small talk for the most part, but
she showed a strangely deep insight into
things, and her observations on life were
were quaint and unusual
Only once did she falter, and that wee
when turning suddenly to her host she caught
him for a moment off his guard. His dark
eyes were blazing with the feeling she arous-
ed and for brief instant of time fear caug1t
at her heart. ~@t
Marcia had seen the quick look between
the two and had wondered at it, but it vague
Iy comforted her. 1t assured her of one
thing No matter how much John wanted
this girl, she was not in love with him. Per-
haps after all there might be one thing in the
world that John could not have for the ask
ing.
In the days that followed Anne forgot to be
afraid of Steele. If she ever thought about
that night when he had asked her to marry
him, it was to assure herself that he had only
intended to be kind and then one night some
thing happened.
It was in the library aftet dinner and
Marcia had been called away to the telephone.
For moment a heavy silence had settled
down upon the room and then suddenly Anne
spoke,
This will probably be the last chance I
shall have to tell you how grateful am for
everything you have done. am going away
tomorrow"
what do you mean? This is the first I have
heard anything about it, The suddenness
of the thing had swept away his cautiousness,
and he was on his feet in moment str1d1ng
across the room to her.
Next: 1.-THE Woman of Iron"
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