THE ANNES _Books by Marion Ames Taggart_ AT AUNT ANNA’S BETH OF OLD CHILTON BETH’S OLD HOME BETH’S WONDER-WINTER BETTY GASTON THE SEVENTH GIRL BLISSYLVANIA POST-OFFICE BY BRANSCOME RIVER CAPTAIN SYLVIA DADDY’S DAUGHTERS DAUGHTERS OF THE LITTLE GREY HOUSE DOCTOR’S LITTLE GIRL ELDER MISS AINSBOROUGH FRIENDLY LITTLE HOUSE AND OTHER STORIES HER DAUGHTER JEAN HOLLYHOCK HOUSE IN THE DAYS OF KING HAL JACK HILDRETH AMONG THE INDIANS JACK HILDRETH ON THE NILE LITTLE AUNT LITTLE GREY HOUSE LITTLE WOMEN CLUB LOYAL BLUE AND ROYAL SCARLET MISS LOCHINVAR MISS LOCHINVAR’S RETURN NANCY AND THE COGGS TWINS NANCY PORTER’S OPPORTUNITY NANCY, THE DOCTOR’S LITTLE PARTNER NUT-BROWN JOAN ONE AFTERNOON AND OTHER STORIES PILGRIM MAID, A STORY OF PLYMOUTH COLONY IN 1620 PUSSY-CAT TOWN SIX GIRLS AND BETTY SIX GIRLS AND BOB SIX GIRLS AND THE SEVENTH ONE SIX GIRLS AND THE TEA ROOM SIX GIRLS GROWING OLDER SIX GIRLS GROWN UP SWEET NANCY THE ANNES THREE GIRLS AND ESPECIALLY ONE TREASURE OF NUGGET MOUNTAIN UNRAVELING OF A TANGLE WINNETOU WYNDHAM GIRLS [Illustration: “_Before she could gather herself together ... Anne felt little Anne’s arms clinging around her waist, and looked down into the shining eyes of the child._”] _The_ ANNES BY MARION AMES TAGGART FRONTISPIECE BY W. C. NIMS GARDEN CITY, N. Y., AND TORONTO DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 1921 COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN TO ELIZABETH CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. LITTLE ANNE’S CALLING 1 II. THE OLDEST ANNE 13 III. THE QUIET ROOM 23 IV. ANNE AND ANNE 33 V. SMALL FURTHERING BREEZES 45 VI. “THE FACE THAT LIT THE FIRES,” ETC. 56 VII. THE POET’S CORNER 68 VIII. CANDOUR 81 IX. SOUNDINGS 93 X. THE STRAY PAGE 104 XI. PENITENTIAL 115 XII. MAKING ALIVE 127 XIII. THE ILL WIND 139 XIV. ADJUSTMENT 150 XV. OPPORTUNITY 162 XVI. REVELATION 174 XVII. HONOUR 187 XVIII. MADE IN HEAVEN 199 XIX. THE END OF THE PLAY 210 XX. RICHARD 222 XXI. WILBERFORCE, THE PAINTER 235 XXII. EXITS AND ENTRANCES 248 XXIII. THE FALL OF THE CURTAIN 261 THE ANNES CHAPTER I _Little Anne’s Calling_