The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1928-01-19
When She Belonged
to Somebody
By CLARIssA MACKIE

her large brown eyes, nor did ne
even remotely guess that his secre-
tary was unhappy. But deep IN
AIMS lonely heart was Wish tnat
she could get away from the noisy
city.
Ann managed a smile at her
charming reflection in the mirror.
eff / only had some relatives l
only belonged to somebody sne
told herself rebelliOusly as sne
went down In the elevator to the
street.
Ann never knew what prompted
her to get on the Fairfield car that
had stoppd at the corner. She sank
comfortably into one Of the for
ward-facing seats and looked from
the window as the car passed until
at last they drew near Fairfield.
Ann loved the charming houses
with their fresh green lawns. Tne
car stopped many times along this
way and then 1t went on into the
golden June of countryside. 1t was
then that Inn yielded to tempta-
tion and got out at quiet green
corner and walked slowly along
pleasant country lane.
She was pretending that she was
going homel
Suddenly something happened
Ann could never have told you how
1t happened that she did not see
the deep hole that some children
had made in the path that day nor
how it was to affect her destiny
she came to a rise In the path and
continuing her way stepped directly
into the deep excavation. Her
pretty, high-heeled shoe twisted
and wrenched her ankle into ago.
nizing pain, and she sank half
fainting on the path.
It was half an hour later that
some one came along and found her
there some one big and broad
: shouldered, with a merry sun
Drowned face under the Hopping
sun hat. He was dressed In khaki
shirt and Overalls and one shapely
brown hand carried a rack over his
shoulder. He bent over Ann and
lifted her easily and when he found
her eyes were closed and that one
foot was wedged into the hole, he
guessed the truth, and hurried to-
ward the house Of the chimneys.
'Telephone to the doctor, Mrs.
Raynor," he said to the housekeep-
,er who came out to meet him. Show
about your sitting room upstairsT'
"Of course, Mr.. Peter! Put her
on the broad couch and will bring
some hot water with me-"
1t was not until after the doctor
had been there and bound up the
badly sprained ankle that Ann
IBeebe opened her lovely eyes and
looked at them with blank surprise.
"What-what is the matter? Why,
where am I?' she questioned.
The doctor answered her I'm
iquiries. "You were crossing Peter
ILarkin's field when you stepped In
to hole and sprained your ankle.
Mrs. Raynor, who is Mr.. Larkin's
housekeeper, will take good care of
you for a week or so, unless your
people could come for you with a
car. OF course Mr.. Larkin could
take you home If you wish"
st live in a boarding house land
] have no people-on1y good
friends" admitted Ann. "But real
ly, should not intrude here-and
If Mr.. Larl1in will kindly drive me
to the boarding house, ! will be
quite all right"
"Then you must stay right with
U.S." said Peter Larkin's deep pleas
ant voice. 'Mrs. Raynor will be
delighted to have you to take care
of and Doctor MacFee will be glad
to come and see you every day.
The country air will be good for
yeu. What say, Mrs. Raynor-
doctor?"
"Of course she must stay here"
decided the housekeeper in a moth
serly way, and when the doctor add
led his approval, Ann accepted
gracefully. Mrs. Raynor went
downstairs to telephone to the
boarding house and to tell the and
lady to pack some of AIMS clothes
land send them out by a messenger,
while a trim maid prepared dain-
ity supper. for the girl who had so
strangely appeared.
That night Ann slept in q dainty
room that opened out of Mrs. Ray
5Inor's own bedroom, and it was late
before she finally sank into slum-
der, so delicious was the contact
with people who seemed like ones
family! Mrs. Raynor had gossiped
la little and told Ann that Peter
tLarkin was a lawyer In the city.
HE lived alone with his housekeep-
ser In this charming old place that
The had inherited from an aunt and
they often had guests, when the
place was full of music and activity.
The next morning Ann had
little fever and the ankle was very
painful. The doctor came and min
Iistered to her and she was feeling
METER at noon when Peter Larkfn
brought her luncheon tray and
waited upon her deftly. Afterward,
he read to her and Ann went right
off to sleep, awakening to a delight
full sense of being taken care of.
Mr.. Wentworth, her employer,
sent her a basket Of fruit and
flowers and some of her friends
came to see her, but wise Mrs. Ray
nor smiled to herself those days be-
cause she knew that handsome
Peter Larkin had at last lost his
heart to this little brown-eyed girl
who had "no home and no people"
q w -, IL 80