Show 1 l thie lucky Lawre V AIM aces 44 i by kathleen an norris 0 it 1 s copyright by kathleen norris SYNOPSIS the boston lawrences Lawren ces came to california at the beginning of the tha gold rush but the holdings of the family have shrunk to a small email farm an and d the old family home in Clippe ravIlle phil twenty five civi Is in working in the tha iron works gall in the publio public library and edith in the book dep department artmen t of a store sam to Is in school and seventeen year roar old arlei ariel 11 Is becoming sl a problem phil Is in fascinated by that terrible lily cass whose husband has hae deserted her young van murchison hlson scion of a wealthy family returns from yale an and d gall has visions through marriage with him of the turning of the lawrence luck dick stebbins phils friend has the run of the house gall call goes with van tor for a weekend week end with the chippi his uncle and aunt sho she Is in received coldly at a roadhouse gall sees arlel ariel at midnight next day arlel ariel admits all the was wall at iha the pla place e and bisp displays ays no remorse A policeman brings artel ariel home announcing that a child has been killed in an automobile smashup arlel ariel was driving one of the cars dick stebbins who has been admitted to the bar has the case against arlel ariel dismissed ased gall suddenly realizes that she loves dick and not van stebbins and arlel ariel elope according to a note left by the girl erl CHAPTER VIII continued is 18 oh no use at all he told me that the cheapest place he be could move to with the three children and I 1 dare say another coming oh gall no I 1 well I 1 be one bit surprised he told me that the only decent places he could find were sixty and seventy five and that he simply pay it they ran up a bill of more than two hundred at V you u know when lilys clothes were 0 all aborted burned up 1 I know invisible invigible stockings and fourteen dollar hats I 1 edith said in the pause and now that joe cass Is dea dead dand and lily getting nothing from her people I 1 suppose phil cant afford it we never near gadany had any too much as it was and phils simply added four more persons to the list I 1 1 think said edith in patient scorn that phil might have seen that coming coining 1 1 I try fry I 1 really do try to bo be decent to lily gall said after awhile 1 I i try to think up tip things that will inter est her and be reasonable when ashes helping me la in the kitchen but when I 1 hear a thing like her telling sam that phil has bas as much right in the house bouse as we have another silence lence st then gall gail added very low something rises up in my soul and I 1 feel that I 1 could murder her I 1 I 1 1 I wish we could get away gall you and L i oh I 1 mean to tot I 1 if we could live in carmell 1 I know and if we rented the corner for a gas station and you and I 1 had bad that we could 11 live there then that reconciles me to the gas ga 3 station I 1 edith said fervently 1 I suppose gall summarized it all somberly the only decent thing the only square thing Is to make the best of it its one of those things that would be so darned easy so picturesque in a book and its so hard bard the voice that to edith was always brave and gallant faltered a little but call C all wanted no sympathy there was u scowl between her eyes a gruffness in her aspect that repudiated LL it this effort to make the best of it wont getus get us anywhere she said yet edith was quite keen enough to notice the courage with which gall carried the whole situation that night the atmosphere which in the three weeks since phils marriage had been charged with dangerous electricity cleared gall was pot lot only nice to lily she seemed able with her own peculiar winning sweetness to put herself in lilys place it was as if she had a part to play and was determined to play it to its utmost limits for the first time tonight she spoke of the marriage its suddenness and surprise if lily suspected some isome lingering n trace of apology in this she gave no sign but she brightened visibly and the dinner table was more like its old self than it had been since the saturday of editha and galls calls return phil in the fatuous blIn blindness doess of love loie was radiant with satisfaction and edith felt that ho he would feel that they could all go on living together indefinitely the happy family faintly in which men are so pathetically eager to bel bileve no he wont do thail said gall for im going to talk to him tomorrow and get gat everything definitely settled then well only have to work inward our goal enough money for the lie smallest overhead e expenses we can manage land then hen you and ril ill get out out of ClIppers ville fo forever reverl I 1 1 I love edith said dren invy 1 1 I dont thinly think anyone coi kiive ti pla f I 1 ni always vInis think of mn zis lc file ie rm etes i iest place la in the world the younger sister bister pursued just the same im going to get a et out edith lawrence I 1 and just the same im going with you abigail I 1 this on a monday tho last of sepi on the tuesday on the wednesday gall all looked for her chance to talk to phil in vain on thursday gall went home to lunch to find edith and lily in a n glory of house housecleaning cleaning they appeared to be working together harmoniously enough ond and gall call walked back to the library at one mor aiL zing in her own soul upon the desirability sir ability of making the best of things in this curious world putting up tip with what could not be changed enduring what could 11 not ot be cured the only way to get past certain things in lifes life lg to plunge right through them like them or pretend you did learn from them and go on ito to ot dofher her lessons the early october day was somber and overcast without rain but equally without sun leaves were turning restlessly in the gardens other leaves I 1 heaps of them were being raked into damp somber piles that smoked in the lifeless ominous air and scented the world with autumn A strange hush lay over the town something was expected something was drawing nearer and nearer across the great range of the eastern mountains aind under the pale cool sky edith E and gall almost always walked home together but edith was not downtown today and gall gail had bad no need to stop at book department as usual it was the third the night they called the houses birthday and gall reflecting rather ungraciously that they might as well break lily into some of the customs of the lawrence household since the poor little creature appeared to be only too tod anxious to copy her new fam ilys ways and ideas stopped at the hardware store and bought twelve new drinking glasses did you wish them wrapped as a gift miss lawrence well yes gall said with a whimsical twist to the corners of her mouth wrap ti them lem as a gift we given phil and lily anything she thought as she walked on well they give us any warning perhaps edith and ill 1111 make some gesture some day before we leave and ariel arfel Mot mothers bers poet I 1 to have no wedding no fun no beauty and not to have loved us she have loved us to walk out that christmas night and send us no word never to write its a funny world things seem to happen to us lawrences Lawren ces but bat such queer things and in such funny ways the two older cass boys they were to be lawrence boys soon for phil in his gentle way adored hla his stepsons stetsons step sons and was eager to have them take his name the two older cass boys were digging contentedly down at the end of the gerden garden where the grass was sprouting gr green n and pale in the shadow of the heavy evergreen fence gall waved at them as she followed the uneven discolored flags of the path to the side door and then phil in the kitchen chopping ice chopping lea ice and lily flying down the back stairway with a ter terrible face a terrible face gaill edith was hurt edith P 1 she fell she struck her head this was lily she gestured with an arm gall ran edith was unconscious on the couch her eyes closed her soft tawny hair was damp her forehead wet wel A girl mary blary was there white and concerned not touching edith 1 I thought you were the doctor gall mary said in a still voice we took ON off her shoes she added lucon inconsequentially gall was breathing in great spent breaths she could not speak her ups moved soundlessly she fell asked the si silent lerit moving lips no phil was beside his sister his arm about her she leaned against him sud suddenly denly spent no it was waa the statue the neapolitan boy he said one of the kids danny ran against it IL mary and edith were just going out and ede leaned over and caught at the pedestal and it toppled and struck her how long ago ten minutes we telephoned you doctor hes on his way phil jill phil she whispered swallowing 1 I 1 dont know gall we dont know lily says that one of her brothers lily knelt beside editn Effit li and with tier gentle common stubby little hands fitted rin an improvised ice bag on editha head ah lovely gaill edith said unexpectedly in a clear low happy voice are we swimming green green green water like emeralds wet emeralds she e lapsed a into silence again sighing contentedly ashes coming out of it etwas it was only a shock phil said frowning with a reassuring nod and glance tor for gall gall vas ras not conscious of the passing of time she was conscious of but one thing edith she must hold edith here by the sheer power of that sisterly love that was the strongest love in her life doctor peters was here and doctor reynolds they wanted another opinion a man from san francisco concussion cus sion slon undoubtedly uc and possibly fracture but it might be that both were slight in undertones under tones inthe la the hall old doctor peters told phil of other cases cases from which one never would have supposed that little boys could recover but they had doctor from san fran casco la is coming phil toll tola gat gall when she emerged white and dazed from tile the sitting room at ten fen hell diffell be here alnut three and dr petera says that if edith goes gaes on all right until this time tomorrow ashes got a good chance the weary eyes were raised then the only thing to do la Is lire until this time tomorrow lily brought her warm worm wrapper her slippers downstairs set a cup of hot coffee before her oh thank yau you lily gall gail sald eald w with ith the first honestly affectionate look she had ever given tier her little slater sister in law lam IM oh gall it if it lily said eald weeping poor dannyl danny I 1 gall murmured with a steady dry eyed shadow of her old smile she went back to her post sitting in the low chair that had been mothers rocker for twenty five years old doctor peters came and went in the quiet room lily was up all night phil and sam kept vigil in the kitchen sometimes edith murmur murmured ed at about two she opened her eyes looked straight at gall and said in her own aal ling way ril ill tell you gall ill go first and get the cottage ready and be waiting for you I 1 all right my darling gaws galls trembling tender voice answered put that comforter over her feet will you lily she feel any too warm lily had been kneeling but she was on her hei feet fea now and as she brought the comforter a strange expression came into her face lets say some prayers gaill she said suddenly in a frightened tone ah as it if I 1 1 and she did too gall whispered back we said aur our prayers together just as we used to a little while ago and she seemed so BO sensible just hungry for them doctor Rem bremsinger singer Is here phil announced in the doorway phill phil I 1 lily ald aid quickly running to her husband catching him imports Im bately by the arm take gall away phil take gall echoed she got to her feet looked dazedly from phil to the doctor the san francisco physician was beside edith ile he had straightened up had said something to doctor peters they were trying to make her leave edith and she would not go she sha looked from face to face terrified then she was conscious 0 of choking and of seizing pall with both frantic hands and of trying to scream then the room rocked and the world rocked and there was nothing but blackness everywhere CHAPTER IX gall went to the strange country of grief she saw the sunlight changed and sickly the trees brassy and dead the country town where all her life had been spent was a pasteboard town now a place of un realities and emptiness every one was kind to her she was amazed at the kindness at the pains these good folk took to help her through the echoing queer days she thanked them absently came suddenly to consciousness confusedly thanking them again letters brought her beautiful messages she found other beautiful words in books blessed are they that mourn for or they shall be comforted grandma polk foremost in suffrage fraga suf and prohibition and social work generally for half a century copied out a poem for her ina trembling beautifully clear old hand I 1 shall ahall go gently never tear fear give little warning say pot not goodnight good grood night but la ig pom happier sphere bid you gcoy mornine I 1 old stan man whitman who had known stevenson sent her the exquisite verses that genius and had written for one in grief he Is not dead this friend not dead but in the path we wa mortals tread got some taw few ii steps ahead and nearer to the end so that you too once past the bend shall again aa faa fa ce to face thin tri briend d you faney tan cy in ead dead push gaily on strong jit ronit hearal tho the while you travel forward orward mile by mile 8 he loiters with a backward smile till you can overtake and strains his bli eyes even to search his hi wake or whistling an a he ba sees you through the brake walts wait on a stile attle the dove finding no place to rest her foot returned to him in the ark said the priest gravely at editha funeral and browsing brow slag among the books to which she turned with the sure in of the eving creature that must fight for its life gall thought in lines of music oh lyric love halt half angel and halt half bird 11 she whispered walking alone to the library in the cool winter m mornings am oh edith D edith adith come back to me beloved or I 1 die alel I 1 miss mary tevis the rich eccentric old maid who had once once given edith dresses and hats hati took gall with her to santa barbara tor for christmas they drove down in the big car and stayed at an enormous hotel saw movie queens entertaining hilarious friends frIend sat at dinner spent whole mornings wlm ming idling on the sand they went to a big inter collegiate game in pasa dena and canie back to ClIppers ville feeling that somehow they had bad cheated achl efred the year and that there had bad been no DO christmas at all TO BB |