Show the th lo 10 L lucky U C p k Y la laurences lawrences Lawren wrenches ces by KATHLEEN NORRIS copyright by kathleen norris CHAPTER XII continued 25 theres one thing I 1 cant do it without 1 dick admitted folding the telegram gra in to put it back into his bis breast pocket money moneal Mo neyl sam asked nope dick looked at gall and all the others laug laughed hedL 1 I wont do it without my wife he said simply but gosh I 1 this was sam again have to be married right off I 1 dick said nothing lie looked at gail gall could be married tomorrow and get out like a fire horse 1 lily bald and they all laughed it was exciting things were happening fast and furiously to the lucky lawrences Lawren ces at last miss bliss arkels secret wedding had had all the town buzzing now miss plans had the right of way find and the little town was stirred with a deeper emotion I 1 to for the lands sakel to where to london mrs pine fine for two years for the lands sake I 1 well dont forget your friends in Clippers ville gall As it if I 1 could I 1 next Thurs thursday dayl 1 next thursday for heavens sakel why the rush I 1 dick mr stebbins has to sail for london on the fifteenth and we have ten days or two weeks in new york well you certainly have taken folks breath away not any more than mine I 1 assure you mrs brush be back in some day oh indeed I 1 hope sol when ayou leave the 1115 ll bary ary gall OT tomorrow night might 0 well I 1 declare it wont seem like the same place without youl T they hey were all so kind old assoil tes in tears old friends carrying arm fuls of brightly polie polished hed bucki huckleberry eberry and pungent chrysanthemums to the lawrence house presents presents presents every one in town had to have a finger in galls gails new equipment in sit slie e looked at the incredibly smart ensemble the tan silk blouse the tobacco brown coat with a i treat great white fur collar the tag seems to be gone mr mul ler not that I 1 think its just my price it Is IB thirty dollars said old muller steadfastly the saleswoman almost cried out even unsophisticated gall looked bewildered thirty dollars 6 thirty she tried it on that night for the family pulled down the rich little to bacco brown hat over her eyes youre stun stunning nin il said eald lily and arlel ariel gee youre cutel cute sam and phil said aid dick said nothing the days were full of delights in the long evenings she and dick sa sat by the fire and planned what keeps us in new york tor for ten days dick oh I 1 have to see mr leavitt and we have to get you a winter coat or maybe we could get that in london all I 1 know Is gau gail said that when you say a london coat you say something but need it on the steamer you see dick I 1 assure you in all seriousness that I 1 cant believe my ears its ita going he said slowly with a rich content in his bis voice to be fun imagine our paying for things in shillings and pence dick I 1 it was an inexhaustibly diverting thought once she said wistfully ully would any of dickens london be left dick do you suppose I 1 mean all around Lincol ns inn where trad dies had bad all the girls and down round the docks and bridges where lizzle lizzie flexam and her father rowed and in the law courts where bolted his bis bread and butter lie he laughed at her tenderly my aly darling I 1 dont know dickens as you dot dol 1 I should love to see the old marshalsea sh alsea site she mused and dArthur an arthur clen hams house and the gate where they found lady deadlock Ded tock lock old miss bliss roundtree born in london came especially to warn her the alyde park neighborhood was the nice neighborhood bor bo bood my dear there were very nice flats in all those streets the steb bainses do better unless they meant to go as far out a as st johns wood but they must keep away from the pimlico distri district cL these things were important at ome mrs lilys extraordinary mother also had advice to impart you might easily take it for seasickness dye tee see but therell be a good doctor on board and you look him up the first thing hell tell ye the difference not that theres anything to be afraid of but its as well to take care of yourself from the beginning im not one bit worried about that eliat what does worry me is that I 1 might be the sort that never well youre botill said the oracle firmly youre one have to look out now not to get all run down I 1 Llou honestly estly ma llly lily bald your idea of conversation with a girl chos going to be married in two days simply gets me 1 tire mrs was undaunted she instantly recalled the case of a had mistaken a discomfort far more I 1 significant for seasickness sea sickness and who bad died and been burled at sea lily and gall laughed the tears into their eyes the older woman could not see why harln childrens as natural as breath ln she blie said indignantly they say the indian women simply drop out on the march do you know whom im going to miss like everything gall asked in an undertone after awhile phil suggested phils wife phil too and of course the baby but I 1 meant waff bald gall lie and I 1 understand each other I 1 never dreamed that I 1 could coald love a little boy as much a as 9 t that b ft 1 lolu hell m miss 1 s 3 y you too lily said tears in her bright sharp eyes but wont we all aall I 1 she added simply it was only arlel ariel of them all of all who could not share the excitement and pleasure of gall law bences marriage arlel ariel had somehow lost her birthright of little sister ship there had been no happy lurry flurry of low flow ers gifts wedding frocks and wedding plans for her and she looked on at galls excitement and emotion with disillusioned hard young eyes and a faint curl of the lip sometimes gall dragged herself from her own roseate absorption to try as all her world had always tried to cheer ariel do you know anything about manchester llan manchester chester the new jersey town where van Is where live not much aniels tone would be utterly dreary van says theres a country club that might be funt fun 1 1 I dont imagine anything in new jersey Is fun it sounds bounds to me like a horribly jay place 1 maybe have a baby arlel ariel that will keep you busy maybe claybe I 1 wont arlel ariel answered setting her jaw firmly oh darling you love children 1 11 I know biow arlel ariel conceded grudgingly and was silent men allen always get the best of everything 1 1 she added resentfully well as far as I 1 can see sec gall said healthily van Is working hara barn on a rather dull job and seems to be an immensely improved she altered the word developed young danl she finished why should what a girl does be 8 so 0 much worse than what a man does boesl 1 ariel said darkly out of thought oh darling we cant go back to that I 1 1 I mean why should a man be able to throw anything up to its his wife when he himself was in it talked her into doing it arlel ariel demanded gall flushed with distaste 1 I dont think a decent man would do that arlel ariel I 1 she said warmly but words were no use twenty one beautiful married to the man she had bad chosen yet the secret of content was denied arlel ariel and she could only look forward with apprehension and backward war d with regret the look in dicks eyes when he came to steal a few words with his promised wife was a sealed book to arlel ariel as was the light that shone on galls face as she went to meet him there had wen been no mystery no waiting no fragrance and glory to arkels surrender excited reckless their sudden desire knowing no law their breath stained with faoa food and drink and cigarettes she and van had possessed each other casually without premeditation unashamed and before the hour that found them in each others arms ashamed and fearful forever afterward arlel ariel tried to feel contempt for gall so innocent so awed so trembling with love and faith at door of tb the temple arlel ariel was but twenty one but life had hardened lier her she elie had aged ten years in the last three nothing thrilled arlel ariel now no promises rung rang true in tier her ears no prospect allured her and gall at twenty seven gall who wrote stories and handled unmanageable little boys and novel loving old ladles bo expertly uail gall was only a clillie clil lil ll going in utter unknowingness to her bridal night to gall men could still be fine good worthy of trust and love to gall mariln marriage e and motherhood would be the very crown of life when gall and dick sat before the fire alre in the late evenings and when arlel ariel reading in the next room or lottering loitering discontentedly up tip to bed heard their low voices their low laughter she tried to despise them but after all it was hard to despise beauty and strength and hope it was hard to despise the prospect that embraced travel and new cities and the crossing of the great ocean above all etwas it was bard to despise love and how these two loved each other galls new cards came lion mrs richard alden stebbins Steh bins her new trunk came with a plain little A L S lettered letl ered on the blue stripe that encircled it why the blue fc tripe dick willoughby gave me that idea well be traveling olt off and on well go over to paris for christmas christinas maybe and it helps you pick C out your baggage oil oh thrills I 1 sang gall gail but listen to me llie dicky she said on the afternoon before the great day itself slark mark me well if you were running this ranch as your father did and if you and I 1 were moving in here tomorrow id be just as happy id be just as happy I 1 id bake you biscuits and sweet sweep out this old ohl kitchen on a quiet late october afternoon they were walking about the alie old place that was presently to be sams sains houie home sum sam not only had theories about farming but he had an eye on OD pretty rieth beth tait tail who taught the grades grade lie ilea gall and dick wandered through the gaunt deserted farmhouse that still smelled of apples and rotting wood and through the sweet scented barns and tables stables 1 I believe you would I 1 dick said sam had left them alone for a minute in the kitchen it held the he homely adof air of a place to in which hard living loving hating eating gri grieving evinge and rejoicing rejo leing had had their way for generations erat ions the old stove had been polished thin lamps still stood crookedly on the old brass brackets two empty flower pots careened on the window sill bill how different it would hot be I 1 gall said well this was home to me you know I 1 learned to read in this kitchen sly my whole childhood was right in this yard if beth and sam ma make ke k e a go of it well come back some day danyl I 1 well come back anyway gall they stepped into the dooryard and looked up at the trees from which the leaves were drifting an and d dick a allowed her his big initials cut clumsily into the great healed bole of a pepper tree the girl stooped and touched her lips to them do you know what that Is dick she asked straightening up with eyes full of love and laughter love dear the love of a woman for a man 11 1 the miracle he sald kissing the glowing face under alie tawny mop on the way home they stopped at the graveyard and gall knelt dry eyed and thoughtful tit nt editha little stone and touched its carved inscription with tier her finger tips blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see god clod she read and au all that evening the last of her girlhood she thought of edith sly darling if you could share this I 1 oud love it sol but packing the trunk have so many little tricks out of the backs of magazines come to visit us maybe in london find and wed ned 7 prowl around together in th the e strand tr n d and in charing cross road Y 0 and be the first to touch my baby when he comes the evening was one long dream a dream that blended into the dreams of the short night when she ale slept pt lightly but sweetly mingling waking thoughts with happy confused journeys into the unreal she thought of the old house wh whose ose winter shadows rose about her and a nd below her and above her the stately old ugly rooms the books and books and books on the shelves and lying face downward on thel the chairs and sauci stuck between the railings failings rai lings of the winding stairway she thought of her poetic mother dying with innocent little golden headed arlel ariel on her arm and of motherless childhood days when site she and edith had bad whispered of school affairs going ot to sleep and had played mud pies and flower ladles ladies out in the old garden during the long vacations then papa oft off to the war as became a lawrence and a patriot and then the strange sense of suddenly growing up of responsibility that had come w ith the news of pupas papas death an and her first job poverty liard hard work discouragement ignorance how these shadows had darkened about the lawrence children I 1 the old house shabbier and poorer arlel ariel unmanageable sam playing hooky phil beginning to run with the girl and never any money any beauty any leisure any young pleasure for any of them I 1 she and edith had philosophized had bad read books and taken walks had refused the spurious cola coin when the genuine had failed them but ariel arfel had fluttered straight toward the name flame desperately determined to force from the world what th the world would not give edith always steadfast faithful corning coming to I 1 the library to help stack books planning supper in the side garden with raspberries rasp berries and iced tea but arlel ariel in open rebellion and gall not much better she remembered the lie day when van came suddenly back into her life and when tun fun excitement visits and ad frocks had seemed within reach unsatisfactory flippant nip pant giddy gaddy as he be had been she had accepted him site she had determined indeed to marry him should tue chance be offered her marry him to escape gall dreaming of all this on her wedding eve trembled with a sudden chill in the darkness and solitude of her own big chamber site she would have taken van to escape what well this tills this that slie she had tonight tier her friends her background her family phil and lily and the children all the beauty and dignity of home to escabel escape from her work her beloved sheets of yellow paper her green fountain pen to escape from dick and london and all the glowing future poor little arlel ariel had escaped escaped from life she had bad shut herself s elf into the jail of her own dissatisfied heart and there she would be for a long time to come perhaps forever TO DO BB CONTINUED |