The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-23

AIMS singing caused the quarrel
with Kent. The storm has pre-
vented her parents return from
their trip SO April is alone with
her grief and her problem. But
Kent will be leaving soon. Then
a letter comes 1t is from Ann.
KENT FINDS OUT
CHAPTER XII
AIMS letter was a brief scrawl,
written in a shaky hand.
Dear Ones-I will be home in
a few days. It's no use staying
any longer. The addition with vi
vano vas a miserable failure. 1t
seems as if all 1 want now is to
have YOU close to me, so l can
forget these last weeks with my
foolish hopes and dreams of sue
cess. Perhaps it was necessary
to teach me a lesson. For the
rest of my life l will ask nothing
more than to be happy in the real
blessings of my family and my
beloved Kent"
1t was signed Ann" and it
looked suspiciously as if a tear
had blotted it.
It's Ann April found herself
saying to Octavia. Our Ann is
coming home"
Octavia burst into such a halle
lujah of song that if Vivano had
heard her, he might have thought
he had tic find of a century.
At last, April Burnett knew
there was only one thing to do.
Ann was returning, to be, as she
had written it, happy in the real
blessings of my family and my
beloved Kent"
AIMS beloved Kent.
April must reach Kent at once,
confess to him what she had done
and beg his promise never to tell
Ann.
Don't bother with supper for
me-" she told Octavia. I'm going
out"
Octavia's cream and chocolate
smile vanished. Not tonight, Miss
April! You clean out of gu r
Wits?"
81 think I am"
For what for you goin' to sail
out in a storm like this?"
April was reaching for her own
fur jacket and the tiny calct she
wore like a monks cap on the
back of her shining hair. If you
must know" she said, Its tc
bring a little breath of April to
the winter BLIZZARD"
Octavia coaxed, cajoled, threat
ened and finally glowered suspi-
ciously. "Wait'til your mother hear
about this. And your father, why
he's like to clean get rid of me
after the 20 years Abs spent rails
ing you and Miss Ann"
April was to remember this
afterwards, w to the question.
ing look in Octavia's hurt eyes
and the last words, "Lawd help
us-Lawd help us ALL"
The sentence started ringing in
April's head. If Ann hadn't writ.
ten, if the letter hadn't arrived
at this deadly psychological time
with its pathetic appeal, April
knew she would have remained
stubbornly silent. Frankly, as she
told herself, she would have
lacked the courage to have con
fessed to Kent. AIMS lette,
changed everything.
This time when April started ou'
there was no pretense of being
Ann. From the calot and the jaunty
coat with it's lingering scent of thu
corsages that had been pinned or
it, right down to the suede shoe
with the high heels, she was al
April. Yes, April Burnett on he:
way for the reckoning with Ken
Carter.
The trip up the hill in the. road
ster would always remain some
thing out of a nightmare.
At a garage along the way, Apr
stood ankle deep in snow while
mechanic put on chains. "Ba
night for driving, isn't it?" n
asked wit a bumptious cheeriness
"What-oh, yes, very bad"
Should I charge this to you
! father, Miss Burnett?"
ITO my father? Yes, please.
! Better take it easy on the roa'
! up to the Carter place." The me
chanic grinned knowingly.
: Vaguely, she wondered how h
: should know she was going to tn
. Carter home. Small towns wer
funny. They knew everything.
: Ann would never honk a horn
, She thought it rude, bad-mannered
; But April honked tonight until tn
home on the hill opened and
: Wrinkled face appeared briefly
Then the door onopo1 aooin an,