THE ROAD TO HAPPINESS

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20694, 3 January 1939, Page 4

THE ROAD TO HAPPINESS

NEW SERIAL STORY

by ELEANOR DEERING

CHAPTER VL Carfax Hall The week-end passed quickly, and in the early hours of the Monday morning Anne got up in order to prepare breakfast for Bob. It was a litfle thing, but one which she had always done. It sent him back to his work with a feeling of contentment that he would otherwise have lacked. Despite thi6 he persistently asked her not to worry, and he had done so on the previous evening, after they had returned from a walk through the countryside. She was glad he had not attempted to discuss anything else. She felt that if he had- tried to talk of his love for her she have told him that she was by no means certain of herself. His stern self-control had averted the need for that. Now she realised that unless she did get up in the morning, just as she had done before, he would sense the change in her. Luckily there was very little time |for talking that morning. He had to be away by half past live, and Anne had deliberately started to cook breakfact later than usual in order to make sure there was no time to spare. Mrs Mayfleld had not come down, and Anne wished heartily that she had. She said nothing about it, however, and walked with Bob towards the front door.

Before he opened it, he slipped his arm round her shoulders.

“Enjoyed the week-end?” he asked, and the fervour in his eyes made her wince inwardly. She nodded, smiling the same set smile that had masked her true feelings throughout the week-end. "Of course," she said. “Have you?" He hugged kissed her lightly on the forehead. “I have,” he said, “and while I am with you I always will." Their hands were clasped for a minute, and then he opened the door and they hurried together to the end of the path. A few minutes later she was waving from the gate as he sped around the corner on the motorcycle. As he disappeared, Anne turned hack with a heaviness inside her. She wondered what the circumstances would be when she saw Bob again.

There was a bustle of activity in the Mayfield household during the next few days.

Janies Carfax was due to arrive on the Friday afternoon to take the two women to Carfax Hall for the promised week-end. Before this there were several things that both of them needed to buy, and on the Tuesday they went into Horsham and made the necessary purchases. Out of her slender savings Anne bought a frock, and inwardly she was tensely excited at the fact that for the first time she would be wearing an evening frock. She chose a gown of dark green with very little decoration, realising that simplicity would enable her to get the greatest advantage from her clothes. She could not afford to spend a great deal, and any'effort to Indulge in frills and fancies w’ould have spoiled the effect. She believed her mother was as excited about the coming week-end as she was herself. When in front of the full-length mirror in the cottage she tried the frock on, she could hardly believe the transformation it had made. Her satiny skin gleamed on her slim shoulders and arms. Quickly she made a temporary coiffure, assisted by occasional words of advice from her mother, and finally had set her hair in the way she thought most attractive. She had already booked an appointment on Thursday morning with the hairdresser in Horsham. She wanted to create an impression at Carfax Hall that it would be hard for the others to forget. It was. not sheer vanity. No-one who had khown Anne Mayfield could have accused her of being vain. But the fascination that James Carfax exerted over her made her anxious to make the best possible use of her ap-

pearance. She turned to her mother with flushed cheeks. “Do you think it suite me?**

“Of course." Janet Mayfleld’* eye* were gleaming, but as she looked at her daughter she seemed to be carried back to the days when she had worn her flrst dance frock, to the day* when she had flrst met John Mayfleid. She could enter into the spirit of the thing, and quickly she put her arm* round Anne and kissed her. “They'll love you," she said. ‘Noone could help it, dear." Anne smiled, and pulled a face. “You are an old flatterer,'’ *he said, cheerfully, and 1 won't listen to you. If you go on like this you ii be havii* me as vain as a peacock." Mrs Mayfield shook her head. She w r as quite 6ure that whatever happened nothing would turn Anne into being really vain. If only the older woman could have seen into the future, she would have acted very differently, but she could not know what was to happen. She had no idea of the developments that were to come about in the next few weeks; If she had she might have been able to change the course of events that followed. But Fate was laughing at them—- * * • • The Friday morning dawned fine and warm, but not so stiflingly hot as the weather had been on the previous week. Anne could hardly control her excitement as the hours sped by after lunch. She looked out of the window from time to time, and every sound made her step towards it to find whether James Carfax had arrived. He had promised to he there between three and four o’clock, and it was nearly half-past three before he arrived at the wheel of a Daimler car. lie was dressed, as usual, in immaculate silver-grey flannels, and his smile was brilliant as he stepped from the car and walked quickly towards the door. Anne had seen him arrive, but she had decided not to open the door to him. Mrs Mayfleld heard the knock and hustled along the passage. The door was opened, and Anne heard the hum of their voices; Carfax’s deep and pleasant, and striking a note of expectancy in her mind. She walked to the front room door and opened it as his hand reached the handle. They stood opposite each other for a moment smiling, and ahe felt a flood of colour rise to her cheek* at the fervour of his gaze. She shook hands immediately, and Carfax *aid: “Are you ready then?" Anne nodded. w “Yes, we’ve been waiting for you— Her eyes twinkled, and James Carfax told himself that she was certainly not without a sense of humour. With a gesture that became him well —too well, many people would have thought—he made an exaggerated bow\ „ “All my apologies," he 6aid, ana a moment later the three of them buret out laughing. (To be continued)