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liked him so well； and she had not thought him the sort of man who
would play fast and loose with a woman's feelings for twenty years。
He certainly should be taught a lesson； and Anne felt vindictively
that she would enjoy seeing the process。 Therefore she was delighted
when Janet told her； as they were going to prayer…meeting the next night；
that she meant to show some 〃sperrit。〃
〃I'll let John Douglas see I'm not going to be trodden on any longer。〃
〃You are perfectly right；〃 said Anne emphatically。
When prayer…meeting was over John Douglas came up with his usual request。
Janet looked frightened but resolute。
〃No； thank you；〃 she said icily。 〃I know the road home pretty well alone。
I ought to； seeing I've been traveling it for forty years。 So you needn't
trouble yourself； MR。 Douglas。〃
Anne was looking at John Douglas； and； in that brilliant moonlight；
she saw the last twist of the rack again。 Without a word he turned
and strode down the road。
〃Stop！ Stop！〃 Anne called wildly after him； not caring in the least
for the other dumbfounded onlookers。 〃Mr。 Douglas； stop！ Come back。〃
John Douglas stopped but he did not come back。 Anne flew down
the road； caught his arm and fairly dragged him back to Janet。
〃You must come back；〃 she said imploringly。 〃It's all a mistake；
Mr。 Douglas all my fault。 I made Janet do it。 She didn't
want to but it's all right now； isn't it； Janet？〃
Without a word Janet took his arm and walked away。 Anne followed
them meekly home and slipped in by the back door。
〃Well； you are a nice person to back me up；〃 said Janet sarcastically。
〃I couldn't help it； Janet；〃 said Anne repentantly。 〃I just felt
as if I had stood by and seen murder done。 I HAD to run after him。〃
〃Oh； I'm just as glad you did。 When I saw John Douglas making
off down that road I just felt as if every little bit of joy and
happiness that was left in my life was going with him。 It was an
awful feeling。〃
〃Did he ask you why you did it？〃 asked Anne。
〃No； he never said a word about it；〃 replied Janet dully。
Chapter XXXIV
John Douglas Speaks at Last
Anne was not without a feeble hope that something might come of
it after all。 But nothing did。 John Douglas came and took Janet
driving； and walked home from prayer…meeting with her； as he had
been doing for twenty years； and as he seemed likely to do for
twenty years more。 The summer waned。 Anne taught her school and
wrote letters and studied a little。 Her walks to and from school
were pleasant。 She always went by way of the swamp； it was a
lovely place a boggy soil； green with the greenest of mossy
hillocks； a silvery brook meandered through it and spruces stood
erectly； their boughs a…trail with gray…green mosses； their roots
overgrown with all sorts of woodland lovelinesses。
Nevertheless； Anne found life in Valley Road a little monotonous。
To be sure； there was one diverting incident。
She had not seen the lank； tow…headed Samuel of the peppermints
since the evening of his call； save for chance meetings on the road。
But one warm August night he appeared； and solemnly seated himself
on the rustic bench by the porch。 He wore his usual working
habiliments； consisting of varipatched trousers； a blue jean shirt；
out at the elbows； and a ragged straw hat。 He was chewing a straw
and he kept on chewing it while he looked solemnly at Anne。 Anne
laid her book aside with a sigh and took up her doily。 Conversation
with Sam was really out of the question。
After a long silence Sam suddenly spoke。
〃I'm leaving over there；〃 he said abruptly； waving his straw in
the direction of the neighboring house。
〃Oh； are you？〃 said Anne politely。
〃Yep。〃
〃And where are you going now？〃
〃Wall； I've been thinking some of gitting a place of my own。
There's one that'd suit me over at Millersville。 But ef I rents
it I'll want a woman。〃
〃I suppose so；〃 said Anne vaguely。
〃Yep。〃
There was another long silence。 Finally Sam removed his straw
again and said；
〃Will yeh hev me？〃
〃Wh a t！〃 gasped Anne。
〃Will yeh hev me？〃
〃Do you mean MARRY you？〃 queried poor Anne feebly。
〃Yep。〃
〃Why； I'm hardly acquainted with you；〃 cried Anne indignantly。
〃But yeh'd git acquainted with me after we was married；〃 said Sam。
Anne gathered up her poor dignity。
〃Certainly I won't marry you；〃 she said haughtily。
〃Wall； yeh might do worse；〃 expostulated Sam。 〃I'm a good worker
and I've got some money in the bank。〃
〃Don't speak of this to me again。 Whatever put such an idea into
your head？〃 said Anne； her sense of humor getting the better of
her wrath。 It was such an absurd situation。
〃Yeh're a likely…looking girl and hev a right…smart way o' stepping；〃
said Sam。 〃I don't want no lazy woman。 Think it over。 I won't change
my mind yit awhile。 Wall； I must be gitting。 Gotter milk the cows。〃
Anne's illusions concerning proposals had suffered so much of
late years that there were few of them left。 So she could laugh
wholeheartedly over this one； not feeling any secret sting。 She
mimicked poor Sam to Janet that night； and both of them laughed
immoderately over his plunge into sentiment。
One afternoon； when Anne's sojourn in Valley Road was drawing to a
close； Alec Ward came driving down to 〃Wayside〃 in hot haste for Janet。
〃They want you at the Douglas place quick；〃 he said。 〃I really
believe old Mrs。 Douglas is going to die at last； after pretending
to do it for twenty years。〃
Janet ran to get her hat。 Anne asked if Mrs。 Douglas was worse than usual。
〃She's not half as bad；〃 said Alec solemnly； 〃and that's what
makes me think it's serious。 Other times she'd be screaming and
throwing herself all over the place。 This time she's lying still
and mum。 When Mrs。 Douglas is mum she is pretty sick； you bet。〃
〃You don't like old Mrs。 Douglas？〃 said Anne curiously。
〃I like cats as IS cats。 I don't like cats as is women；〃 was Alec's
cryptic reply。
Janet came home in the twilight。
〃Mrs。 Douglas is dead；〃 she said wearily。 〃She died soon after
I got there。 She just spoke to me once ‘I suppose you'll
marry John now？' she said。 It cut me to the heart； Anne。
To think John's own mother thought I wouldn't marry him
because of her！ I couldn't say a word either there were
other women there。 I was thankful John had gone out。〃
Janet began to cry drearily。 But Anne brewed her a hot drink of
ginger tea to her comforting。 To be sure； Anne discovered later
on that she had used white pepper instead of ginger； but Janet
never knew the difference。
The evening after the funeral Janet and Anne were sitting on the
front porch steps at sunset。 The wind had fallen asleep in the
pinelands and lurid sheets of heat…lightning flickered across the
northern skies。 Janet wore her ugly