Unpretenders

Excerpt: "e;"e;Perhaps Anne--"e; suggested Michael. "e;Why, yes-certainly, Anne,"e; seconded Doromea, eagerly. "e;Of course Timothy's our friend, but Anne knows that we have just this last chapter and-all we need do is to ask her."e; "e;Um-m. What is she doing?"e; "e;She was trimming a hat on the west porch a few minutes ago."e; "e;Trimming a hat? Why, she never has one on her head!"e; Anne's husband looked at his unfinished manuscript aggrieved. "e;I think it was Gladys-Marie's hat."e; Doromea struggled back of plot to remember. "e;It had a look{10} of Gladys-Marie-an incoherent sort of cloche, you know, that was meant to have been a sunbonnet."e; Michael laughed. "e;If you weren't my sister I should be afraid of you,"e; he said, looking at her admiringly. "e;You see too deep-even in hats."e; "e;But I cannot trim them,"e; answered Doromea, seriously. "e;Anne can-she can make the most delicious hat out of an old square of lace or something. I can't even tack a plume in place and have it look like anything but a curled poker."e; "e;You can only help write books,"e; smiled Michael, "e;and this one"e;-he smoothed the thick pile of closely written paper-"e;is the best you've ever helped to write. Er-suppose we just go and speak to Anne."e;"e;