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and John Douglas sat without smiling。
At the tea table Mrs。 Douglas gracefully asked Janet to pour
the tea。 Janet turned redder than ever but did it。 Anne wrote
a description of that meal to Stella。
〃We had cold tongue and chicken and strawberry preserves； lemon
pie and tarts and chocolate cake and raisin cookies and pound cake
and fruit cake and a few other things； including more pie
caramel pie； I think it was。 After I had eaten twice as much
as was good for me； Mrs。 Douglas sighed and said she feared she
had nothing to tempt my appetite。
〃‘I'm afraid dear Janet's cooking has spoiled you for any other；'
she said sweetly。 ‘Of course nobody in Valley Road aspires to
rival HER。 WON'T you have another piece of pie； Miss Shirley？
You haven't eaten ANYTHING。'
〃Stella； I had eaten a helping of tongue and one of chicken；
three biscuits； a generous allowance of preserves； a piece of
pie； a tart； and a square of chocolate cake！〃
After tea Mrs。 Douglas smiled benevolently and told John to
take 〃dear Janet〃 out into the garden and get her some roses。
〃Miss Shirley will keep me company while you are out
won't you？〃 she said plaintively。 She settled down in her
armchair with a sigh。
〃I am a very frail old woman； Miss Shirley。 For over twenty
years I've been a great sufferer。 For twenty long； weary years
I've been dying by inches。〃
〃How painful！〃 said Anne； trying to be sympathetic and succeeding
only in feeling idiotic。
〃There have been scores of nights when they've thought I could
never live to see the dawn；〃 went on Mrs。 Douglas solemnly。
〃Nobody knows what I've gone through nobody can know but
myself。 Well； it can't last very much longer now。 My weary
pilgrimage will soon be over； Miss Shirley。 It is a great
comfort to me that John will have such a good wife to look after
him when his mother is gone a great comfort； Miss Shirley。〃
〃Janet is a lovely woman；〃 said Anne warmly。
〃Lovely！ A beautiful character；〃 assented Mrs。 Douglas。 〃And a
perfect housekeeper something I never was。 My health would
not permit it； Miss Shirley。 I am indeed thankful that John has
made such a wise choice。 I hope and believe that he will be happy。
He is my only son； Miss Shirley； and his happiness lies very near
my heart。〃
〃Of course；〃 said Anne stupidly。 For the first time in her life
she was stupid。 Yet she could not imagine why。 She seemed to
have absolutely nothing to say to this sweet； smiling； angelic
old lady who was patting her hand so kindly。
〃Come and see me soon again； dear Janet；〃 said Mrs。 Douglas
lovingly； when they left。 〃You don't come half often enough。
But then I suppose John will be bringing you here to stay all the
time one of these days。〃 Anne； happening to glance at John
Douglas； as his mother spoke； gave a positive start of dismay。
He looked as a tortured man might look when his tormentors gave
the rack the last turn of possible endurance。 She felt sure he
must be ill and hurried poor blushing Janet away。
〃Isn't old Mrs。 Douglas a sweet woman？〃 asked Janet； as they
went down the road。
〃M m；〃 answered Anne absently。 She was wondering why John
Douglas had looked so。
〃She's been a terrible sufferer；〃 said Janet feelingly。
〃She takes terrible spells。 It keeps John all worried up。
He's scared to leave home for fear his mother will take a
spell and nobody there but the hired girl。〃
Chapter XXXIII
〃He Just Kept Coming and Coming〃
Three days later Anne came home from school and found Janet crying。
Tears and Janet seemed so incongruous that Anne was honestly alarmed。
〃Oh； what is the matter？〃 she cried anxiously。
〃I'm I'm forty today；〃 sobbed Janet。
〃Well； you were nearly that yesterday and it didn't hurt；〃
comforted Anne； trying not to smile。
〃But but；〃 went on Janet with a big gulp； 〃John Douglas won't
ask me to marry him。〃
〃Oh； but he will；〃 said Anne lamely。 〃You must give him time； Janet
〃Time！〃 said Janet with indescribable scorn。 〃He has had twenty years。
How much time does he want？〃
〃Do you mean that John Douglas has been coming to see you for
twenty years？〃
〃He has。 And he has never so much as mentioned marriage to me。
And I don't believe he ever will now。 I've never said a word to
a mortal about it； but it seems to me I've just got to talk it
out with some one at last or go crazy。 John Douglas begun to go
with me twenty years ago； before mother died。 Well； he kept
coming and coming； and after a spell I begun making quilts and
things； but he never said anything about getting married； only
just kept coming and coming。 There wasn't anything I could do。
Mother died when we'd been going together for eight years。
I thought he maybe would speak out then； seeing as I was left
alone in the world。 He was real kind and feeling； and did
everything he could for me； but he never said marry。 And that's
the way it has been going on ever since。 People blame ME for it。
They say I won't marry him because his mother is so sickly and I
don't want the bother of waiting on her。 Why； I'd LOVE to wait on
John's mother！ But I let them think so。 I'd rather they'd blame
me than pity me！ It's so dreadful humiliating that John won't
ask me。 And WHY won't he？ Seems to me if I only knew his reason
I wouldn't mind it so much。〃
〃Perhaps his mother doesn't want him to marry anybody；〃 suggested Anne。
〃Oh； she does。 She's told me time and again that she'd love to see
John settled before her time comes。 She's always giving him hints
you heard her yourself the other day。 I thought I'd ha' gone through
the floor。〃
〃It's beyond me；〃 said Anne helplessly。 She thought of Ludovic Speed。
But the cases were not parallel。 John Douglas was not a man of
Ludovic's type。
〃You should show more spirit； Janet；〃 she went on resolutely。
〃Why didn't you send him about his business long ago？〃
〃I couldn't；〃 said poor Janet pathetically。 〃You see； Anne； I've
always been awful fond of John。 He might just as well keep coming
as not； for there was never anybody else I'd want； so it didn't matter。〃
〃But it might have made him speak out like a man；〃 urged Anne。
Janet shook her head。
〃No； I guess not。 I was afraid to try； anyway； for fear he'd
think I meant it and just go。 I suppose I'm a poor…spirited
creature； but that is how I feel。 And I can't help it。〃
〃Oh； you COULD help it； Janet。 It isn't too late yet。 Take a
firm stand。 Let that man know you are not going to endure his
shillyshallying any longer。 I'LL back you up。〃
〃I dunno；〃 said Janet hopelessly。 〃I dunno if I could ever get up
enough spunk。 Things have drifted so long。 But I'll think it over。〃
Anne felt that she was disappointed in John Douglas。 She had
liked him so well； and she had not thought him the sort of man who
would play fast and loose with a woman's fe