Show WON e lucky aka y A lawre Lawren laurences lawrences ces by KATHLEEN NORRIS copyright by kathleen norris W service SYNOPSIS the luck that had bad brought the bos boa ton lawrences Lawren ces to california at the be ginning of the gold rush has deserted the present generation from a acre ranch their h holdings have shrunk to a small farm and the old family home in Clippe raville the death of th their 1 fath father e r forced the three thre 0 eldest eldest lir ch children drift to W work 0 rk so I 1 that hat sam am and little ittle arlel ariel might continue their education phil now twenty five had gone into the iron works gall to the public library and edith to the book department of Clipper avilles largest store seventeen year old artel ariel Is becoming a problem and phil Is fascinated by that terrible lily cass case whose husband has deserted her young van murchison hlson elon clon of a wealthy family returns from yale tale and gall has visions through marriage with him of the turning of the lawrence luck dick stebbins lna phil best friend has the run of the house hous ariel el la Is sneaking out of the house at night for loy joy rides phil suggests to the girls consternation that they invite lily case casa to the house gall sots goes with van tor for a weekend week end with the chipps his uncle and aunt she to Is received coldly by mrs chippa and her guests arnes tB CHAPTER IV Continued 9 for a moment gall could not see the point then it came upon lier her with sickening force and she felt choked and a little nauseated the men roared the girls laughed briefly and lenore said bald jim dont be so revolting 1 you low swine I 1 lucia tevis who was eighteen years old added affectionately tiona tely well what can you do gall gail asked herself fiercely she shame van by getting up and walking away from the group her face burned wretchedly for half an hour she would not give in she slept waked breakfasted went to luncheon at some soul m club in whose chintzy dressing room the girls were notably rude to her wate watched hed her first polo game she would not give in fight fight fight she made herself pretty she made herself amusing she fought back the constant impulse to say eay oh van take me homel no no not no I 1 this was her chance she would hotl not lose it she grew almost feverish ier c clear 21 ear skin unusually pale her blueeyes bluee yea unusually bright and was tye ehfe prettier for it aca n saw nothing ue he was nas in great sp its rushing from one thing to another 0 er cocktails bridge tennis swim ing polo goll golf at breakneck spead by saturday night all these were exi hausted radio and had done the their ir worst and it was decided that Mocker sons sous offered the only possible amusement this was at about nine into cars they all accordingly plied piled and off into the night they went A dreary dressing room after the cold run and the girls powdering their noses reddening their lips again another bleak looking table with a limp spotty cloth on it they were all so tired they almost laid their heads on the cloth and gall was seared scared when she saw the hip flasks flacks and the red wine again van had bad driven like a crazy man on those steep circuitous roads coming over he be certainly would not be in a condition to drive more carefully going back of 01 course they would get back to the ranch somehow but it was frightening funny to think of herself as home again tomorrow night playing soll solitaire well one thing was sure it if she oyer ever married van murchison hlson or anyone like him she would cure him of this sort of craziness Mocker Bons sons was as dull as ditch water tonight there were parties in the curtained alcoves shouting and singing but the main room was empty A heavy fog was rolling in from the sea the motor cars that went by made a muffled sound in the dark night youre awful cutel van said eald affectionately tiona tely covering galls hand with his own A noisy party stumbled out of an alcove and scattered wearily toward dressing rooms for or wraps we ought to be going too I 1 4 lenore nore decided this Is too aw awful full 1 v they stumbled up in their turn staggered up the smelly unpainted stairs to the odorous damp bleak dressing room its window on this raw night was wide open the salty air blowing in deliciously cold and fresh this wont dol gall said going to close it it standing beside it it both hands bands raised to the center rill she looked down at a pool of bright light from the tavern doorway below come here duchess the color hair I 1 meant lucia said suddenly at galls elbow also looking down ash blond and a rea real 1 one too look looka I 1 gall looked too looked down at the bareheaded loudly laughing girl a big raccoon coated man was bet helping ping into a roadster she recognized the ash blond hair the curve of soft I 1 cheek it wa was sAriel ariel I 1 CHAPTER V gall had a sick flick moment of vertigo of terror what she saw what irsig it signified where she was and where arlel ariel was everything very thing rushed together in a complete of mind ana senses after a while she turned lind and dazedly readied for herbron her bron brown coat and buttoned its bolt belt about her she followed the other girls downs downstairs falis not knowing J wh where ere she was nor what she was doing she was next to van on tho the drive home the elie cars shot away into the foggy night the big engines throbbed on the grade when they reached the top of the long rise and the machines could run quietly cautiously through the enveloping thick mists gall gail spoke for the first time van you saw those men find and the two girls the ones who were making so much noise no lse notice ent cm sc specially lally why van shouted oil oh nothing is 1 gall actually writhing saying the soundless words of prayers with trembling lips added no more moie but her soul was sick ariell ariel I 1 oh my G d not yet eighteen I 1 then night and fog and the exploring lights of the car and her own sick heavy heartbeats again it was like a horrible dream she was miles miles from home from phil and edith and security and goodness and help the need to be at home gnawed at her flesh like teeth hir her face burned she could not breathe van how far are we from home prom from los gatos lets see no from Clippers vIlle 1 I oh Clippers ville oh well about seventy miles seventy miles I 1 they seemed to fall on tier her heart like so many separate blows was somebody driving arlel ariel seventy miles home tonight what was she doing away from home where did phil and edith think she was perhaps phil and edith were vere dead perhaps they were scouring the town for ariel telephoning dorothy tele ash blond and a real one looka phoning the Lovelace Love laces sl 1 and she not therel there t papa told us to take care of ane children I 1 and little arlel ariel that mother only stayed with four days I 1 and what does arlel ariel know about danger nothing ashes a baby men think ashes pretty and it sinuses amuses her she never dreams oh my gd G d I 1 where Is she now it was impossible that 12 hours must pass before she could be home again and know the worst hours hours 1 they proved to be the longest through which she had ever lived vaguely secondary things penetrated the flaming wall of thought that shut her in she Slie realized alone in her comfortable cabin room that she was not going to sleep arlell ariel 1 arlell ariel ariel she walked out under the redwoods just as dawn began to paint the western face of the mhd canyon with streaks of vermilion then she must have gone back and flung herself on her bed and fallen asleep tor for she was awakened by the other girls laughter and voices at ten and roused herself stiff and half sick with heavy eyes and chilled wet feet she crept down to the main cabin for breakfast only anxious to avoid notice to secure the earliest possible escape for home they were we re all going up to san mateo tor for it appeared that van was to take the place of a missing 9 polo player every one was very much excited about the game but she was in a fever to get home vans arguments his pleading fell on deaf ears ariel perhaps murdered phil and edith crushed with terror and doubt and they wanted her to go to san mateo and applaud the chuk kers of a polo game gamel I 1 in the end she had her way and was established in the roomy empty back of a big closed car van baw her off reproachfully you piker I 1 1 I know it she smiled a sickly smile at the handsome boy why dont you stay and swim anyway its noon cook driving home through the val valley leyl I 1 1 I cant I 1 promised arlel ariel oh arlel ariel nothing I 1 listen I 1 got one good look at your little sister and I 1 want to tell you something she can manage her own affairs her face already pale with lert lent and emotion grew whiter how dyon mean you yon you saw arlel ariel wh why lie he looked at her in puzzled surprise why she ehe was at your house that thal sunday night two weeks ago ile he had not seen been her at Mockers oue then I 1 gall sank back come on have a chastia ot of heart and lets swim I 1 and then well go u up to san mateo his laughter the grip of hla his big brown hand would have been irresistible twenty four hours ago but gall was hardly conscious of them now absently apologetically she persisted said tier her farewells the world that was all pleasure swimming bridge polo tennis frocks trips closed behind her as a pool closes over a stone she would be homo before three she must be patient she would be rushing into the old house and what a haven of rest and coolness and ease it w would bei be at three she would find phil there haggard and wild edith stricken sam making frightful suggestions about dragging the river and notifying the police we lawrences laurences Lawren ces can never hold up our heads after this again she thought not that it matter mattered edif if arlel ariel frightened and sobered were home were cafe I 1 thirty miles morel her face was burned by the hot wind and her head splitting twenty miles ton ten miles the big gas tank came into view the red mills the canneries and finally the swimming treetops tree topa of ClIppers ville from which dazzling lines arose like hairs of white fire galls heart was suffocating her she said only incoherent farewells as aa she descended from the back seat into the heavenly green shadiness of the old garden and catching up her heavy suitcase ran for the side door on the threshold of the quiet shaded kitchen she stopped short edith was sharing it a light refection of artichokes and bread pudding with a book martin arlel ariel dainty and cool was sitting at tho the other end of at the kitchen table cleaning gloves in gasoline for a moment revulsion of feeling made gall feel actually dizzy and weak but if artel arlel saw anything amiss her smile of surprise and welcome gave no sign of it if and editha delight covered all other emotions for a space oh gall we expect you until imel oil oh darling did you have a good time was it fun ive been thinking and tb thinking inking but youve not had lunch t edith was in her arms was racing about the kitchen eagerly mixing iced tea taking rolls from the old black japa japanned nned bread box arlei ariel got up from the table to come and bestow one of tier her strange kisses G gall all seated her hat pushed off he hec damp pale forehead felt that she was still in the dream and that things had shifted themselves about on all sides strangely as they did in dreams but tell us tell us tell us 1 edith pleaded and you do last night gall could finally ask when the swimming pool the frocks and the oral incitement of far niente ha hadi d been p pretty te tty generally revl reviewed wed arlel ariel was with dorothy caipo so the boys and I 1 had to console each other I 1 gall gave arlel ariel her big sisterly sym pathetic smile was that fun she asked feeling that it was somebody else talking that it was all a part in a play in one of their sunday night charades charales cha rades N auni they stayed at the fairmont said the eager edith oh did you baby we went to a movie arlel ariel supplied then then the girl at Mocker sons arlel ariel or else galls first impulse to tell tier hep sisters of her sickness and fright died away she dared not risk that yet peace and shadiness held the kitchen ariel was expecting some boy friend for supper edith was going to walk over to mrs Apple bys at five to ask about the fiesta dresses sam was working phil had said that he must go to the office which I 1 shrewdly suspect Is thomas street hill mill I 1 edith confessed ruefully home the infinite peacefulness of gall looking at arlel ariel could not believe that her feverish frightened suspicions of last night had any basis whatever this was all reassuring all soothing it was not believable that this innocent child of seventeen in the blue organdy had upon her mind any secret as disgraceful as a midnight escapade at Mocker sons but as soon as they had an opportunity to speak to each other alone gall went straight to the point ariel did you ever hear bear of a roadhouse called Mocker sons the blond head with its drift of flyaway gold hair came up like a flash and gall knew arlel ariel shrugged slightly wary eyes on galls calls face yep she admitted briefly then teen there was a long silence art ari els eyes met her sl sisters some of us went over from the chipp ranch gall gail said returning the steady gaze what were you doing there arlel ariel the tone was dispassionate quiet but galls breast rose and tell fell once on a heavy sigh what what you were if you were there and saw me I 1 suppose I 1 arlel ariel blurted in a tone that was meant to be bold and turned out merely trembling and frightened gall took the shock without a sign going on patiently who were you with dearl dear oh dont dear me I 1 protested arlel ariel in sudden ugliness you know you think im a lost lout and youre going to tell phil and stir up all sorts of trouble TO bill glove making in a gloves have been manufactured in czechoslovakia toe for nearly years yeara |