The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-24
CHAPTER XII

Ann's letter was 8 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 Vivano was a miserable failure. It seems as if all I want now is to have you close to me, so I can forget these last weeks with my foolish hopes and dreams of success. Perhaps 1t was necessary to teach me lesson. For the rest of my life I will ask nothing more than to be happy in the real blessings of my family and my beloved Kent"
 It was signed Ann" and it looked suspiciously as if a tear had plotted 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 the find of century.
 At last, April Burnett knew there was only one thing to do. Ann was returning to be, as she had written it, happy ill the real blessings of my family and my beloved Kent"
 Ann's 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 your Wits?'
 T think am."
 For what for you goin' to sail out in storm like this?"
 April was reaching for her own fur jacket and the tiny calot she wore like monks cap on the back of her shining hair. "If you must know she said, tits to bring a little breath of April to the winter blizzard"
 Octavia coaxed, cajoled, threat ,ened, and finally glowered sus- piciously. Wait til your mother hears about this. And your father, why he's like to clean get rid of me after the 20 years Ans spent raising you and Miss Ann"
 April was to remember this afterwards, even 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 Aprils head. If Ann hadn't writ ten, If the letter hadn't arrived at tlsis deadly psychological time with its pathetic appeal, April knew she would have remained stubhornly silent. Frankly, as she told herself, she would have lacked the courage to have con- fessed to Kent. Ann's letter changed everything.
 This time when April started out there was no pretense of be- ing Ann. From the calot and the jaunty coat with its lingering scent of the corsages that had been pinned on it, right down to the suede shoes with the high heels, she was all April. Yes, April Bur- nett on her way for the reckon ing with Kent Carter. !, The trip up the hill in the road ster would always remain some thing out of nightmare.
 At a garage along the way, April stood ankle deep in snow while mechanic put on chains. Bad night for driving, isn't it?" he asked with a bumptious cheeri- ness.
 What - oh, yes, very bad"
 Should I charge this to your Rather, Miss Burnett?"
 ITO my father? Yes, please"
 Better take it easy on the road up to the Carter place. The me- chanic grinned knowingly.
 Vaguely, she wondered how he should know she was going to the Carter home. Small towns were funny. They knew everything.
 Ann would never honk a horn. She thought it rude, bad-man- nered. But April honked tonight until the home on the hill opened and . wrinkled face appeared briefly. Then the door opened again and Kent came out, a stopped old Negro beside him to help him to the car with his bags.
 Kent, April found herself saying, 'Ill take you to the train. There's something I must tell you"