Show ahk LUCHT ca N C ak BI ahleen norris morris nw mm r rn illustrations 1 ask sit 64 auf Irwin Myar mso mw fu covick CHAPTER IV dick stebbins turned up with his reconstructed roads roadster ter and thea th picnic suddenly became a glittering reality edith and gall gail as they so loved to do plunged into a glory of preparations when phil came in the usual picnic uproar bet abet in they all go in dicks car obviously but those that rode going could walk and trolly back I 1 phil thought he might borrow jim slakes car it was an awful looking old thing but it did move at four they were all off they picnicked on the grassy plateau two hundred feet from the dam looking down at the world listen i ing to the ripple and chuckle of the creek hidden bidden in the redwoods be bind them the grass smelt of dew I 1 and pungent tarweed tar weed the redwoods were caught in solemn shade gail sat with her back braced squarely against a massive oak olphil r phil lay jay stretched with his head against her knee the others were still eating 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 ariel cutting herself off in the middle of a word to join they sang for half an hour and A nd when they got back to the dark old close odorous house at ten there was a message pinned on the kitchen door it read rea d crooks why you wait t for me it was signed V M 11 so this was one of gails completely happy evenings the day had been full of pleasantness and content everything was vas exactly as it should be monday passed no word from van no sign of van gail began to hope fervently that the weekend 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 amy news of our swain swain today and quite suddenly gail told the desired lie he yes he and mrs chipp came in just for a minute oh gail darling gail felt her heart turn a little sick as she saw her sisters generous pleasure oh ob that makes it all right saia said edith she say about the weekend week end emol well just just that she ex pacts me after all they might do just exactly that thing tomorrow van and his bia aunt gail reflected uncomfortably fort ably they might easily make the lie merely an an anticipation she tried meanwhile to it they only stayed for a second he had probably parked the car right across the middle of the street ariel coming in edith instantly r communicated the news and then gail knew it was too late to retreat innocent as the deception had bad seemed at first it began to gather size and momentum like a rolling snowball the next afternoon van stopped his flat open racy looking roadster at the library at four and gail descended the steps she looked charming in her old brown coat the fox skin mary tevis had given edith her own brown hat aniels best blouse with the frill and new chamois skin gloves charged that day at van leaped out to take her suitcase they were laughing delighted t to be together again as they stowed it in the rumble then gail was where every girl loves to be sunk runk into the comfortable slanted seat beside the man she likes off for a holiday one thing had bad especially disturb ed her among many small disturbances it had not been a happy day there had been the consciousness of her untruth about the invitation to begin with there had been the allied disappointment of the fact that lira chipp had not neutralized the lie by coming into the library or sending a note but these were minor considerations when compared to the disquieting effect of a conversation ariel had had with her older sister just before ariel had gone off to school that morning ariel after some interested questions regarding the days plans had said suddenly did you notice what happened to the challenge last night no I 1 11 gail had said with a puzzled expectant glance 1 I got rid of it ariel had announced in a conspirators tone got rid of it what for because ariel had murmured with a cautious glance about for possible eavesdrop eavesdroppers eaves dro P pers because it said that mr and mrs arthur chipp had bad gone down to their los gatos gates place on tuesday and were opening it for the summer oh P gail had stammered with a suddenly deepening color and a sickly laugh oh her voice had dropped flatly she the mentor the guide the example of this little sister had stood shamed and detected trying to find amusing what was a most painful and humiliating moment 1 I dont blame you arlel ariel had said A quick protective instinct to add lie to lie had shaken gail but she was too unused to falsehood she had stood silent presently saying in a troubled voice 1 I was sorry to to have to do that but it it as if phil were my father he has no right and edith has no right neither of them she had recommended with a little difficulty neither of them understands how much how awfully one wants to go places do things phil who runs around with lily gibser Wib ser ariel had helped her scornfully and the younger sister had given her a sudden passionate kiss 1 I love you gail ariel had said quickly but this rare demonstration from cool little arlel ariel had brought no responsive spon sive ha happiness triness tp iness to galls gails heart to have ariel arfel protecting her abetting her in deceit in dealing with what was not open and fair had given her a wretched sensation that the solid ground was falling beneath her feet even the scornful reference to philip had bad alarmed her after all phil was the head of the family phil was sacred there was w no law nor order anywhere if phil was to be scorned 0 0 0 0 0 driving along the country roads that were smothered in spring beauty galls gails spirits rose nothing could prevent her from having a weekend week end in a los gatos gates country house now on sunday evening she would join the family at the dinner table on monday morning she would be back at work and everything would return to normal but she would have this wonderful memory as so much pure gain she was always in a gale of high spirits when she was with van anyway it was impossible to be otherwise he was the gayest of the gay she questioned question od him as they drove along who vrho else will be on this house bouse party van on this souse party van responded cheerfully will be first mine host and his buxom wife dame martha they will draw the ale heap oaken logs in the great fireplaces 11 oh for heavens sake you I 1 idiot diot his shout of joyous laughter no therell be the chipps he began again seriously and three or four good auction players they have to have those play morning all tomorrow night and all this evening all tomorrow all day sunday in between games eat drink and ask if anyone wants to swim badly enough to take the bother of undressing then therell be lucia tevis ashes a cute kid ashes eighteen she goes to vassar next fall miss mary tevis niece yep then theres mary spence ashes from boston visiting lucia ashes a keen girl too and jim speedwell and fred hunter freds a polo man but he broke his bis arm so hes resting and bill billings and maybe his sister and the duchess lenore phillips mrs phipps she was lenore they drove through los gatos sleepy in the late afternoon sun and ringed with wooded hills and turned southwest on the boulevard that led to the ocean 26 miles away the car mounted slopes rolled smoothly under mighty oaks left the paved highway for a comfortable dirt road few houses bouses were visible now but the gates bore names el nido Hill railways ways jackson farm road hidden paradise road the gate gat e into which van at last turned the car was marked far niente under a loaded rose vine on one of the porches four persons were playing bridge gail as she and van approached recognized one of these as her hostess mrs chipp looked up at them sharply and without chan changing gingher her position concentrated her cards in her left hand and stretched a hand band toward van oh hello dear how ayou do miss lawrence she said in a quick aside van all swimming and theres nobody here to excuse me just one second hilyer she interrupted herself speaking to one of the players van she went on im not sure where the duchess has put miss miss lawrence but you take her up to the girls cottage and just let her park herself somewhere until the duchess explains will you do that like a darling resolutely gail would not let herself feel that it was rude that it left everything unsaid undone ill be all right she said with a smile and a nod walking off with van mrs chipp made no answer van led the way to one of the cabins a brown enchanting place with geraniums and lobelia in the window boxes and a wide vade open door into a central sitting room take any of these rooms gosh all full of suitcases van said peering in at doorways here heres one this must be you make yourself comfortable are you going to swim 1 I think not not well maybe I 1 win will she decided against the swimming and walked out to meet van ten minutes later looking her prettiest in a white frock white shoes a white hat the boy lingering in the garden path waiting for her was trim in a black bathing suit with a towel across his shoulders boys and girls wet and sleek as seals were sprawled in the late sunshine on the grassy ramp beside the pool they were drinking a pale yellow drink from tall ice filled gasses g aisea a cocktail shaker chrt er stood on the grass gail found herself the only person who was not drinking in the group the me circumstances seemed to all alienate enate her from them she listened smiled made herself appear at ease as a low toned conversation that had evidently been interrupted was begun again by the girls the men merely rolled in the sun yawned dawned and exchanged monosyllables you did not quit say listen gail heard over and over again the girls lucia mary and lenore murmured interestedly oh ob come on said bald the duchess suddenly when there had bad been a good deal of this well never get dressed immediately they were all running down the path to the cabin gall gail with them the only one who took any notice of her was the boston girl named mary spence mary spoke now and then kindly to gail as they all began a flurry of dressing for dinner they left their bedroom doors open and ran back and forth lightly clad or not clad at all gail who was not going to change sat on the upper porch step a few feet above the path and stared at the beauty and lu luxury ury of far niente as it lay on the slope below her and pretended to be satisfied and absorbed in what she saw she knew now that all the vague shy fears she had bad fell in anticipating this visit were more than justified she knew that mrs chipp was not going to be nice to her that the girls were entirely indifferent to her and that she should not have come her clothes were not right her training was not right her background was not right she simply did not belong here and they were all more or less conscious of it this nice miss spence herself a s tranger stranger in the group was being cordial merely on general principles it was nothing to her that these californians had bad social distinctions ions between themselves they were all the same game to mary spence 1 I shall have to work gail told herself grimly she must work talking smiling keeping herself occupied for all this endless evening and all tomorrow and most of sunday it sounded like an eternity suddenly she noted two of her companions in the cottage lucia and lenore walking with two boys named bill and jim down the path to the house they must have hav C I 1 left C ft the cottage by the back door which faced toward the mens cabin perhaps the boys had called for them that lef left t only mary in the house and if she also slipped away gail would have to go down to dinner at some spot unknown all alone her heart began to beat hard in nervous anticipation presently a middle aged woman came up the path toward her and with a not half smile for gall gail stood a few feet away calling mary gail recognized her as one of the card players yes mrs billings mary called putting her head out of the porch door mary you know what I 1 asked you to do the woman said oh yes mary answered will you do it now dear oh yes instantly said mary running out of the cabin she and mrs billings conferring went rapidly down the path together gail swallowed once with a dry throat then she got up and began to saunter after them she encountered named fred hunter in the path pan and fell upon him with all the boldness of desperation she laughed with him narrowed her blue eyes in their thick black lashes at him and when he said somewhat nervously that he had been going up to the cabin to wake van whose aunt felt sure he had fallen asleep gail said gaily that she would go too they awakened the drowsy surprised van and they all laughed together and gail still holding firmly to the now manageable fred red waited for van on the porch of the mens cabin she wal walked ked down to the house between the two of them disposing of vans good natured attempts to shake young mr hunter by a determined if light hold upon the batters lat arm ana at dinner which began immediately she was between the two young men so far so good but it was work it was bitter hard endless work all struggle no relaxation anywhere she was conscious of carrying a heavy handicap the girls were all against her they ignored her they looked bored when she spoke they deliberately libera tely carried the conversation into channels where she must be ill at case and unfamiliar gail fought on her cheeks blazed her blue eyes shone she lost all consciousness of van as the man for whom she was beginning to rare care of the beauty of the place and the summer night of the novelty of dining here with these fashionable folks it was a blur through which she was determined ter mined to hold bold her own despite them all to be continued |