Show ht til L k INT e 0 JI C Y lahme mu mah by kathleen norris by kathleen norris service V adv www 14 SYNOPSIS the luck that hael had bro brought tight the bo boston lawrences Lawren ces to california at the be ginning of the gold rush has deserted tho the present generation from a acre ranch theli their holdings have shrunk to a small farm and the old family homo home in tho the d death e ath of their fat father it er forced the three eldest children to work so that sim sam and little arlo ariel might continue their edu education phil now twenty five live had gone into the iron works gall to the public library and edith to the book department of Clippers villes largest store seventeen year old arlel ariel la is becoming a pru olem and phil Is fasal fascinated abed by that terrible lily cass whose husband has deserted her young van murchison hlson act scion 0 n of a wealth wealthy family returns front from yale Y ae and gill gall ahas has visions through marriage with mith him of the turning of the lawrence luck dick stebbins phila best friend chefs ali the run of the house arlel ariel la Is sneaking out of th the e house at night for loy joy rides van continues his social attentions to gall but the girl feels she Is making no progress in gaining his affections phil sug bug bests to the girls consternation that they invite lily cast cass to the bouso van asks gall to go with him tor for a weekend rid with the chipps his big uncle and aunt CHAPTER IV continued 7 urn um hum gall affirmed nodding she was grateful to edith for taking it as a matter settled dick continued to regard her with an odd an almost contemptuous smile you like alfthan all that sort of thing dont you he now asked well I 1 dont know that I 1 like I 1 it t especially I 1 dont know much about it gall answered slightly nettled never having been on a house party of this sorts sort I 1 say I 1 liked it or like it she went on pointedly meaning that I 1 dont know what im talking about dick asked with a not bulte laugh well gall said with a shrug which indicated that he be was at liberty to put that interpretation upon her words if lie he would the man laughed and sprawled a placating great hand across the table A aw dont be mad gall im not mad 4 yes you aret but what do you yon care what 1 I think of the murchison hlson outfit they aou dont t 1 I only think when you dont know a person and that person has never done one thing agal against fist you tile the girl commenced stiffly its only that I 1 get such a kick out of lt dick murmured subsiding gat gall I 1 tried her hei best to feel sorry tor for him later she told edith positively that she would not go to the chipps house party unless she heard directly from mrs chipp oh I 1 am so relieved dear dearest estill edith breathed gratefully no its not worth wor i tb while gall said she grew g a little bitter thinking about it it would be the best time I 1 ever had and if mamma had lived or papa I 1 should take all this sort of thing as a matter of course she said with dignified resentment however I 1 cant as phil said I 1 cant put myself in a false position I 1 gall gail she will telephone you I 1 edith predicted fervently 1 I dont know gall was tired and bluie they the y were still talking at one when ben phil came upstairs 1 I put the lights out everyone in he asked the sisters exchanged a look lombi arfel mugi must bel she went with the gang down to dobbins at about nine gall gaal stammered she said you said she could phill 1 11 I said if shed be back early phil exclaimed he crossed the hall opened a door db or and returned with an anxious and angry face where Is she ayou suppose he be asked wall she must most be oh this Is perfectly terrible phill she must be still down there we could telephone listen she cant get away away with phil interrupted its after twelve dobbins closes at midnight maybe one of the boys started to drive her home maybe she decided to stay at the Love laces I 1 tut tu tut t tuttu euttu tut tut t gall began on a wear note flinging the bedclothes aside as phil ran downstairs to the telephone and edith fled to her room for more clothing gall was all but dressed and phil returning g from downstairs three minute slater when arlel ariel iipp appeared eared in the upper hallway clad in pajamas and an hotd japanese jacket ket of brilliantly colored cotton with a pillow dangling in hei heri hand haild and her soft taffy tafry yellow hair tn contusion the excitement she de looking like anything in the world rather than a girl who had been g sva reitan arid chilly a cross open minis in III a roadster minister exactly thre tifford 11 ll ws iri I 1 ll ili 11 oel o el P cowit 1 I on the side lnier i 11 clr ia s s I 1 y y r ter reproaches she should have told them I 1 arlel ariel looking sleepy warm bewildered vanished into her room with a yawn nobody followed her to discover pe clothes flung wildly here and there just as they had fallen when she he had torn them oft off or to kiss the cheek still so cold from night wind indeed among the three three elders I 1 in n galls room there was even a feeling that injustice had been done little arlel ariel who had run down to the drug store so innocently for a soda after her lessons were done and who had been home and in bed for almost three hours phil produced two small round well wrapped cakes of violet soap and presented baca girl with one peace offering he said humbly but with a little laugh in the corner of his eyes 1 I was sort of oh rotten about galls visit I 1 I 1 he said sly my dear old girl ede and id trust you to go with anyone you like to china you know that why we depend an on you youre the thing that lias has held us together all these years youre the guardian angel of the lucky law re ren aces I 1 galls heart swelled to bursting she could not speak she made up her mind that she would not consider the los gatos weekend week end unless some formal recognition odthe of the invitation came from mrs airs chipp but this heroic mood oozed away when friday passed and satt saturday ir passed and there was no sight of van and no word from him gall call bore it as long as she could and then telephoned suddenly deluc reluctantly ta antly d on n sunday morning to the chipp house to ask for mr murchison hlson A voice oice slightly amused slightly surprised very sophisticated answered her van hlson was with friends in burlingame and who was this please gall dared not reveal her identity it was mrs airs chipp herself she suspected it might have been the solution of her whole problem it if she had been able to ask easily cheerfully are you expecting me on that house party next week mrs chipp but she could not do it instead she mumbled something that might have been a name and might not lind and hung up the telephone with her heart pounding 11 irl the excitement and her cheeks red moving about the quiet sunday kitchen busy with the eternal dishes and chairs bread box and pudding bowls she raged at herself for her cowardice you fool foell I 1 how I 1 hate you I 1 you poor fool I 1 she gathered the dishes expertly wandering back and forth between sink and dresser dr easer she put them one by one into a shining line on the shelf soliloquizing as she did so burlingame eh I 1 imagine id hate it how can I 1 say that I 1 dont know anything about but I 1 imagine or r rather I 1 should think a boy would hate it it I 1 wish I 1 hadet telephoned she know who I 1 was though I 1 well why I 1 telephone her no harm donel done I 1 suppose she does tell him some girl telephoned and he suspects its me what of it everybody ls Is telephoning everybody else all the time edith came in flushed and pretty from church its boiling out its going to be a marvelous day what a day tor for a picnic I 1 with a long sigh as they wandered through the great dim front hall way and looked through the opened front door into the mellow greenness of the garden 1 I know gall sighed too they were halfway upstairs loitering A voice spoke from the doorway behind them any swill this morning ladles ladies and instantly the day burst into bloom edith tactfully retreated to the UPP upper er regions gall call came out on the front steps stepson in ln her dark blue kitchen apron van stood there grinning up at her lie he seated himself on the steps gall in a wicker rocker had her elbows on her knees her hands over her face it was heaven sitting out in the shade ath this big tweed clad young man the violence of last weeks hopes and fears had all faded away it was enough to sit here together without past or future no golf today I oh I 1 could have played but I 1 dont play very well ell the other fellers were all too good besides my aunt wanted me my cousins from sacramento are here be rotten gall laughed we might take our supper and go up ill to the old dam at cabin allver she paid ns as une unexpectedly to herself as to him how ayou get there end of the trolley line and them thee walk he stayed about an hour and the laughed continuously so joyous sc unstrained was waa this particular meeting that gall presently could say eay this house party next weekend week end oh the usual thin thang gill 1 down at the Clil chapps place yep up in the santa cruz mountains t a las back of los gatos how many will there be van oh about a dozen she somehow bring him to anything definite about the invitation he seemed to feel that that was settled but gall was in wild spirits when he went away none the less ile he had said 1 I take you in reference to the house party his aunt must be perfectly cognizant of that and she gall had talked to him easily unaffectedly in her old gingham and he had wanted to come and find her and her jealousy of his burlingame friends had been silly and everything was all right gain again a dici dick stebbins turned up with his reconstructed roadster and the picnic suddenly became a glittering reality edith and gall as they so no loved to do plunged into n glory of preparations eggs boiling frantically frantl enily blackened old coffee pot stored with small packages package s of sugar matches mustard pepper and salt halt cream poured back bach into a fat bottle and secured with a thick cap of paper and a rubber band when phil came in the usual picnic uproar set in they fill all go in ili dicks car obviously but those that rode going could walk and trolley back phil thought lie he might borrow jim stakes slakes car it was an awful lo 10 looking 0 icing old thing but it did move gall flew up and downstairs in and out of doors tying strings wiping olly oily fingers tying dingy old tin cups cup on a string at four they were all off they picnicked on the grassy plateau two hundred feet from the dam looking down at the world listening to the ripple and chuckle of the creek hidden in the redwoods behind them the grass smelt of dew and pungent tarweed tar weed the redwoods were caught in solemn shade gall call sat with her back braced squarely against a massive oak phil lay stretched with his head against her knee TN others were still eating matlag in a desultory protestant manner suddenly from where he lay like a dead body in the grass sams young boyish voice rose pure and strong theres a long long trail a winding they all sang even arlel ariel cutting herself oft off ta in the middle of a word to join they sang for halt half an hour and when they got back to the dark old close odorous house at ten there was a message pinned on the kitchen door it read lead crooks Crook sl I 1 why you wait for mel me it was signed V al so that this was one of 0 galls completely happy evenings the day had been full of pleasantness and content everything was exactly as it should be monday passed no word from van no sign of van gall began to hope fervently that the weekend week end party would be postponed her brain her heart were sick of the constant surging back and forth of hope and fear that night edith asked lightly delicately any news of our swain today and quite suddenly gall told the desired ile he yes he and sirs mrs chipp came in just for a minute oh gall darling dar lingl gall felt her heart turn a little sick as she saw her sisters generous pleasure oh that makes it all right 1 said edith she say about the weekend week end well just just that she expected 1 me after all they might do just exactly that thing tomorrow van and his aunt gall reflected uncomfortably they might easily make the lie merely an an anticipation she tried meanwhile to minimize m IL 11 they only stayed for a second ile he had probably parked the car right across the middle of the street etl I 1 arlel ariel coming in edith instantly communicated munica ted the news and then gall knew it was too late to retreat innocent as the deception had seemed at first it began to gather size and momentum like a rolling snowball she felt ashamed of herself all evening jumpy whenever the telephone rang nervous whenever the casual family conversation came back to tier her brilliant prospects for tomorrow the next afternoon van stopped his flat open racy looking roadster at the library at four oclo elt and gall descended the steps she looked charming in her old brown coat the fox fos skin mary tevis had given edith tier her own brown hat arkels best blouse with the frill and new chamois skin gloves charged that day at Ut illers van leaped out to take tier her suitcase they were laughing delighted to be together again as they stowed it in the rumble then gall was where every girl loves to be sunk into the comfortable for table slanted sent seat beside the man she likes off for a holiday one thing had especially disturbed her among many small disturbances I 1 it t had not been a happy day there had been the consciousness of her untruth about ab out the invitation to begin with there had been the allied disappointment of the fact that mrs airs chapp had bad not neut neutralized rallied the lie by coming into the library or sending a note but these were m minor inor considerations when compared to the disquieting effect of a conversation arlel ariel had had with her older sister just before ariel had gone off to school that morning TO BE CONTINUED |