| Show ne lucky lawrences laurences Lawren ces by KATHLEEN NORRIS it by kathleen Eithle tn norris coralo a I 1 SYNOPSIS the tha luck that brought the boston lawrences Lawren ces t to 0 call california f ornia at the beginning of the 9 gold 0 id rush has deserted the present gene generation catl 0 n from a arre ranch their holdings lol dings have shrunk to a small mall farm and the old family home in ClIppers ville phil now twenty five has gone into the iron works gall to the public library and edith to the book department of a store sam Is in school and seventeen year yea rold r old arlel ariel Is becoming a problem phil Is fascinated by that terrible lily cass whose husband has deserted her young van murchison hlson scion melon of it a wealthy family returns from yale and gall has visions through marriage with him of the of the lawrence luck dick stebbins phils friend has the run of the house arlel ariel Is sneaking out of the house at night for joy rides phil suggests to his sisters misters consternation that they invite lily cass to the house gall goes with van tor for a weekend week end with the chippa chapps his uncle and aunt she Is received coldly at a roadhouse road houie houRs gall sea arl ariel el at midnight next dy day arlel ariel admits she was at the place and displays no remorse gall again accompanies van to los gatos for a w weekend week e ek end visit A pol policeman leeman brings A ariel r lel home announcing that a child has been killed in an automobile smashup machup ma arlel ariel was driving one of the cars CHAPTER VI continued 13 in the ley icy grip of horror and fear they all ran together up the kitchen steps across the dark porch arlel ariel opened the door of the inner passage as the others rushed in from the porch and stood at bay facing them she spoke impatiently a note of reproach and complaint in her voice where were you gall ive been hunting ive been all over everywhere I 1 youre hurt I 1 gall whispered beside her no im not cot hurt at all and for heavens sake dont make such a fuss P I 1 ariel said quickly oh lva ita you fargo farco dick said to the policeman 1 I recognize you out there been an accident eh hello mr stebbins the policeman said laid with a sort of deliberate solemnity yes sir mr theres been a bad smash there was a little girl killed mr lawrence they took her to the hospital but later we heard she the officer coughed respectfully she passed out on the way he finished simply miss lawrence and the feller that was driving the other car are booked on a charge of manslaughter mr stebbins the judge Is going to sep them in the morning I 1 presume he cleared his throat 1 I presume tor for an investigation he added mildly it was a question of ball 1 I see dick said ill be right down ill take care of everything ill be right over why take your time take your time the officer ol licer departing said in a faintly protesting note manslaughter phil said slowly in the dead silence that followed his going what happened he demanded sitting down heavily in the old kitchen rocker his eyes never leaving Arl aniels els why just this arlel ariel began in a voice she bhe tried to make sound easy and natural A drunken idiot drove his bis car out into the middle of the traffic and forced our car over against the other side of the road and we hit bit the car this little girl was in all al 11 1 I had no more to do with it than well sam herel here this man he was drunk cut in from behind a bus and came straight at us they said he was as going fifty an hour he headed right at us and we swerved to the right do you see and this child was in the car we hit it sort of swung round and all the cars jammed and every one shouted dick who had followed the policeman out of the room for a few private words had returned to the kitchen it looks to me from what fargo says as it if it was up to the other fellow dick said now sitting down beside gall on the end of the table whose child was was it dick moss A little girl named janet moss five years old five years old my G dl 1 I dont know why you all look at me I 1 agree with you that I 1 ts its simply terrible arlel ariel said quickly and hotly but you dont think im im fm enjoying it oh shut up phil commanded her brushing the little spurt of temper aside his dark look not brightening but but arlel ariel to blame phil I 1 it her fault dick why why should they why should they want to tase her to jail gail demanded turning from one of the men to the other its what they call a technical charge now lets leta keep cool everybody dick said and find out just where we stand in the first place what time was this ariell ariel ten minutes to six and you and buddy raisch and the baechl boy were in the car in buddys buddes roadster was dorothy camp there no not then where was she shed left us left laft you it if give me a chance ariel interrupted the interrogation with bitter patience III try to tell you but I 1 cant get anywhere if you keep looking as if rd id done all this an a a joke I 1 there was no answer to this but phil said as it if thinking aloud god knows its no jokel you toil driving arlell ariel gall asked in a sick tone yes I 1 was you dont know how bow to drivel oh yes I 1 do good 0 dl phil whispered under 1 ills his breath ariel arfel not when it happened you driving then 1 I say I 1 was gall aniels weary colorless face crack cracked with an unnatural ted smile she looked about the circle scornfully almost sneeringly you all look so tunny 1 she gasped shaking trying to laugh you all take things so d n seriously 1 gall tightened an arm about her shoulders pull yourself together arlell ariel 1 she said sharply youve gotten us all into horrible trouble and been partly responsible for a little girls death and it if you cant take it seriously why we can all what were you doing driving buddy baische car are you crazy 7 ive told you what I 1 was doing we were coming back from monterey and buddy was sleepy and so was larry and I 1 was driving we were in the middle lane where you have a perfect right to be on that hill bill and the bus was coming up and I 1 saw it perfectly well and I 1 knew the lineon the right was where it was and I 1 was driving along about twenty five I 1 guess when this drunk came lunging out from behind the bus straight into my face and of course I 1 had to jerk right I 1 jerk left into the bus and I 1 stop because of the cars behind me the car the car this drunk miller was driving came head on and hit our guards and smashed the headlights they said it was badly smashed but the man hurt and at first I 1 dont think they thought anyone was hurt and then they saw this little girl on the grass why buddy driving arlel ariel gall asked very gently in a silence he was sleepy I 1 told you we were all up late last night dancing we were over at monterey we just went there for dinner buddy and larry and dorothy and L and then we stayed and danced we were going to come home last night but it was too late so we stayed buddy felt sort of sick anyway he had some oysters or something after gall went to los gatos you said you ou were going to santa cruz to well this man he was drunk have lunch on yacht and stay with dot over night edith put in anxiously accusing yes well we did we had lunch on the howards yacht in santa cruz we were coming right back and then afterward when we were starting home we sa saw the sign at soquel ade del 1 monte 38 miles and larry said he dared us to go down there and have dinner and da dance nee we started tor for del monte but then we thought that was too s smart mart ive we exactly dressed for it so we went to a n placed place in monterey a nice place too and we all wandered up and down the street and bought things and had fun she fell silent on the word go phil said well then we cleaned up for dinner and dressed our suitcases were in ahe the car and we went over to the hotel and bad dinner and fooled around but then the boys sot got sort of silly arlel ariel explained scowling and we know what to do with them then buddy said that if wed go over to del monte and dance hed rush us home right after so we agreed but at the hotel he be disappeared and I 1 know where he was dorothy was dancing with larry I 1 think engaged gall the forlorn attempt at diversion fell flat galls face was stern 01 1 dont know what I 1 would have done arlel ariel went on if van son come up of course he be said that I 1 to be there so late and that you and ede would be wild and nd we went out and sat on the poach porch waiting tor for buddy to show up van val took me home about half past one to the monterey hotel I 1 arlel ariel said and dorothy was there and what had happened to buddy well owell hed eaten these oysters phil i and he felt sick and then arthir ariel r dorothy and I 1 were so 0 scared we cried and she was wa going to telephone her mother but we thought that do so we locked our door and went to bed dorothy and I 1 went to sleep I 1 dont know when the boys boya got in they were on another floor anyway we got up early this morning and walked around monterey Mont crey and we met the boys boy athey they were all shaved shared and dressed and sober ot of course and they felt so BO sorry that we sort of forgave them and we gill all went to breakfast and then we were corning coming straight home we packed and we got started at about eleven but we stopped at the del monte links to see some of the golf we had some sandwiches at los gatos at about three and we came on over the dumbarton bridge and buddy kept feeling sicker and sicker and larry was half asleep finally dorothy said to stop the car for a minute and she jumped out and said she was going to take a bus she said the way larry was driving wed have an accident no bus goes by there anyway but after a few minutes dorothy signaled a car with a man and woman in it and got in I 1 think she really meant to and larry and it made us pretty mad you were alone with the two boys then arlel ariel yes and larry kept getting sleepier slee and slee sleepier 11 then what happened then larry asked me to take the wheel and said hed sit right beside me an and d help me out it if I 1 got into a jam ive had the wheel lots of times so we changed places we were only seven miles out and all I 1 wanted to do her voice thickened stopped all I 1 wanted to do was get home she S be r said kid 1 I drove along you go fast in that traffic just keeping my place in the line when the car ahead of me jumped forward and got clear and this crazy drunk lunged up in front of me there was the most awful crashing of glass and wood she whispered putting her head back closing her eyes every one began to shout and they saw the little girl and a nan man asked me if my car had hit her and I 1 said I 1 said I 1 know I 1 saw a man pick her up and her hat sort of drop back oh ob my G dl edith whispered in the pause sly my car was jammed against theirs arlel ariel said but there seem ia to be much harm ham done the police came up and they asked to see my license and buddy said that it was at home but afterward at the station I 1 told them I 1 have any that was right it it dick ariel asked with an appealing look well of coursel course dick answered impatiently they held as us on a manslaughter charge the innocent hoarse young voice went on they wanted me to telephone home but I 1 the recital was over there was silence in the kitchen no lawrence could speak ill go right around dick said glancing at his wrist now dont take this too hard it happens all the time if they can hang it on him that he be was drunk and that ariel had the right of way not hold her galls heart went to him the big homely gentle adequate friend and champion of the family with so passionate a rush that she felt an emotion like a physical pain in her breast ariel came white and weary and young and stood before dick and put her hands on his shoulders will you get me out dick she faltered why sure I 1 will he said a little litile gruffly st smiling rilling down at her as a big dog might look down on a puppy 1 I mean to do she whispered her mouth trembling her face crinkling into tears and then in sudden irritation and als disgust she exclaimed gall gall im going to be sick I 1 1 I thought sol gall call sprang across the room she and edith had an arm apiece about the convulsed slender ailt little figure as they rushed it to the familiar sanctuary of the upper rooms ten minutes later gall went with dick to the police station 1 I think it would look better to have one of you girls along dick suggested sam was left with ariel edith and phil went to call at the stricken home of the dead child im im terribly sorry about this dick presently admitted reluctantly 1 I ought to warn you this miller the man who was driving the other car might ask for a jury trial oh dick no I 1 her voice was war weak with terror lie ile might it if he can exonerate himself or prove that ariel was even partly in the wrong her heart pounded raced pounded again they were getting out of dicks car now at the city halt hall dick will they find out that she was at monterey Slon terey with those boys they might they shant I 1 alk have tier lie ile gall said fiercely dick dont you see that with every one here every one in clip pers ville shell be ruined 1 think ashes the sort of girl who runs around to hotels with boys gall begun began in an agony if the case against miller Is strong enough they muy may dismiss the charge against ariel dick pursued after a nio moment ment shall we he moved ills his head toward the building shall we go in just a mom moment ent I 1 gall had bad caught r his hands are you yon sure we cant a sitf her cant say that buddy daiv ing ine she sturn stammered mw mr TO tn us |
