Evening star., 1931-06-20
THE, LUCKY LAWRENcEs
D. KAnAsa MORRIS

NSTALLAKNT XII.
A RIEL was not thinking. But her
~ mind was washing idly about
IA among the memories Of the
4 a last a hours, and Buddy
Raisch and his nerve. and that
| horrid hard kiss that had been plas-
tered against her delicate mouth when
she had got out Of the car at the hotel.
She determined to have nothing more
to do with him, roadster or no
roadster. But she could not 60 on hy-
ing In Clippersville. She was going TO
fail In her Midsummer examinations at
school, that was positive. She hated
this Jay town and these jay people and
this old house with o bitter hatred.
There must be q way QUIT
Edith told herself complacently that
all this was very nice. Here was Phil
home at Q time when he might have
been with Lily Cas-, which proved that
| getting on splendidly with her new and
wealthy friends, and would undoubtedly
marry Van Murchison. Ariel had had
O lovely little.girl time with Dorothy.
Everything was going beautifully.
Sans thoughts roved droWsily about
the kid who had been with the little
Wilcox girl at the movie last night
Gee, sae had been little peach. Sam
acquired o car, sitting here in the dusk
of Ariel's room in the dreaming hour
before Sunday night supper, and took
Jean Wilcox driving.
| Ariel Is smart about boys" Gail was
thinking. Her cheek flushed as she
remembered what Ariel had said. Gail
herself had vaguely observed some
! lack-some essential thing missing IN
/ her friendship with Van. But, 1t had
been left for Ariel to put it into merci-
what does It matter about Van
Murchison?" Ariel had demanded In
her wise young scorn. You don't want
to change him; you want to marry
hini"
Gail, pondering, recalled this uncom-
| fortably. Was It true? Well, no. not
entirely. There was some truth in 1t.
kof course. But II Van MUrchison hap
pened to be . Mght-hearted, unthinking,
| un-loving boy, young for his years, and
II Gail Lawrence was developed beyond
hers, matared by responsibility and
experience, that did not mean that they
could not fall in love with each other
How could she demand more OF him
than he naturally gave; what attitude
on her part would create in him q
| soberer,' q more dependable mood, on
which . woman might base real hopes
and plans?
Thinking these thoughts, she did moi
feel quite the usual thrill when he came
into the library o day or two later and
stood, as he often did, with an elbow
on the high desk, watching her
amusedly IS she stamped and scribbled
in the shabby old books.
Have you . good reference book on
the diseases. Of hawk parasites ?''-the
ringing voice said joyfully when she
was free. There was no change in
brown hand, but deep underneath she
was conscious Of change in~ herself
watching him today, even while she
joked and laughed with him, Gail told
herself that she must change him
indeed, before there would be any
| thought Of marriage.
This man was far from thoughts OF
marriage. BY what twist, she won
dered. did . girl bring her man from
such irresponsible gayety as this to the
definiteneSs Of an engagement? An
achievement, something quite extraor-
dinary.. > triumph. what thing q
girl accomplished when she could
simply, complacently tell her friends
that she and Tom So-and-so were
going to be married.
Say, let's 90 over and have lunch
ut Santa Cruz some Sunday, and
swim2" Van suggested.
"I'd love to" Mention OF Santa
Cruz reminded her Of Mockerson's, and
she wondered what Van would do II
she told him her anxieties about Ariel.
Would it develop anything new IN him,
responsibility, grAvity2 She could not
do It now, bVt she liked to think
Ah01lt II
He was gone. His motors powerful
engine roared in the hot midday that
simmered outside the library, shot
away under the trees that lined the
sleepy street. He was hunting an1use-
ment somewhere; that was all he
wanted. Van was like Q child looking
for someone with whom to play.
"Well, what Of it," she asked herself
nercely. That was not . fault. II q
certain happiness, q certain friyolity of
nature, was the worst falling woman
could find in her man, she was . for
Her thoughts were following him into
| the sunshiny June day. what run TO
be Afrg. AEurcfison, white and cool and
ct leisure, there on the tilted leather
seat beside him, and to 90 ana have
lunch at the country club and watch
tennis or perhaps play golf.
Anyway, she reflected. walking home
| to lunch, she NAs q good deal nearer 20
that envied position than any other girl
in Clippersvillel She had proved her
self on that grilling week end visit TO
Los Gatos quite the match Of the
women Of Vans act; she had won them
IN spite Of themselves. a
In . hAlf.hearted, highly unsatis.
factory sort Of way Mrs. Chipp had
asked Gail 10 EAR Niente again, and
this time everything had gone glo-
riousIy- athlessly. There had been
charadeg built on the Lawrence for
mula, there had been . hysterical game
lsOf "sardtnes" that left even the
grown-ups spent and agonized with
/ laughter; some Of these demigods had
gone 90 far as 10 remember Vans little
friend from the library IN ClippefSyille,
and had been ArAeioVN to her.