The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-07-12

Ann Houghton folded the knitting
into the bag, rose briskly from the
wing-chair with, Gay thought, an
appearance of relief. She took a
tray from the window sill and began
to clear the small table from which
Gay had eaten her breakfast.
LET me help you" Gay, too, rose,
stood watching Ann Houghton's
competent movements
mo, thank you. know just where
everything goes Ann Houghton's
voice was gracious but chillingly re-
served. "Amuse yourself if you can
with our limited resources. l sup
pose that John will come tonight"
''He said he hoped to when he
called last night"
Ann Houghton glanced at the win
dow through which sunlight streamed
in dazzlingly across frosting Of
snow on the sill.
81 hope he won't attempt it UNI
less the roads are clear" She turned
to place the vase containing the ivy
and geranium on the mantel above
the fireplace.
Was she going to tell her that
John wasn't strong? Gay wondered.
AS though anything, other than an
emergency call would keep him
from coming now that the storm
was over.
John is accustomed to icy roads,
suppose" she said, faint note Of
evaporation in her voice. HE
drives all winter
Ann Houghton took up the tray.
cts foolish of me to worry" she
said, ''but when his work isn't in
volved, don't like him to take I'M
necessary risks. Will you 60 for a
walk now or wait until the sun is
warmer? ! do the upstairs work on
Friday while Huldah is cleaning
downstairs. It's tiresonne for you to
be exposed to all the household ma
chinery but when there are only two
of us to keep the wheels turning we
must observe routine. try to spare
Sarah, and Debby hasn't natural
bent toward housework, I'm afraid"
''Let me help you," Gay urged,
smiling, ashamed Of the exaspera-
ton her voice had revealed. II
haven't natural bent for house,
work, either, but I can learn"
Again Ann Houghton smiled faint
ly.
you're far too decorative, my
dear, to-"
"To be useful?"
''-to be expected to be useful"
Ann Houghton finished smoothly.
Besides, it's cold upstairs. No, you
stay here by the fire until it's warm
enough for walk. Have you an
interesting book? There are maya
zines on the table,"
ssI'n amuse myself" The warmth
and friendliness faded out of Gays
voice. She walked to a table against
the wall and picked up magazine.
Johns mother went out Of the
room. Gay returned to the hearth,
dropped into a chair, sat with the
magazine unopened on her lap. Ann
Houghton resented her, she thought.
It was obvious, though no reference
had been made to it, that she was
opposed to Johns marrying her.
That was little ironical. Mothers
of eligible sons had courted her
persistently since she was seven
teen, that toothy dowager in Eng
land, the Swiss countess who was
a patroness of the school she had
attended, mothers in New York and
Palm Beach and Southampton. She
was relieved when her engagement
to Todd had put an end to that form
of pursuit.
It didn't matter, except just now,
when she was here-except that she
felt, or imagined she felt, a diff
ference in John. The afternoon he
had brought her here, at dinner,
later in the evening, she had felt
Ann Houghton's influence working
a change in John. It was nothing
she could define, feeling that he
was seeing her through her moth
er's eyes, weighing her words, her
gestures, her reactions to the family
life familiar to him by some scale
of values which his mother supplied.
A feeling She had imagined it,
perhaps. But when he came tonight,
would she feel the same tension and
strain? There was no change in Ann
Houghton's manner toward her.
Would John?
But this brooding was morbid.
She needed to get out of the house.
The sun was shining and the sky
was clear and blue. She wanted to
explore the town where John had
lived as child, boy, when he
had spent his summers during the
period that he had been in college
and medical school. She would ask
for Debby's moccasins, since that
seemed to be important. The maya
zine slid to the floor as she rose
from the chair.
Climbing the stairs, she heard no
sound on the upper floor, but as she
walked along the hall, she caught
a glimpse through the open door of
Johns room of Ann Houghton's
brown skirt and dark red cardigan