Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
INsTALLMENT AK.

| OIllS Will AAAAAIo "
change, Of endings and begin
i nings. She VIZ: in love and
was entirely different from wha
she had expected 1t to be. Far from
giggles, rapture and excitement, it wa!
q serious business; 1t made her Zee
grown up and responsible.
She could never love any one elSt
than Dick; it was all settled. Every
thing she thought now had to have
him in it; the future had narrowed
itself down to just Dick.
He had no money-it did not matter
Gail, who had always felt that Clippers.
vile limited and bound her, knew her.
self quite willing-ah, breathlesSly will
ing-to live contentedly in Clippers
vile forever, If Dick so decreed. VIVA
Ariel or Edith would think of this sud
den altering of all her dreams wa.
nothing; there was nothing anywhere
there was nobody anywhere, excep
DickI
And meanwhile Van had established
a more comfortable footing in the ole
Lawrence house than ever before, anC
while he and Ariel did not seem to bC
exactly having an affair; there was q
far more substantial base to their rela.
tionship than his friendship with Gal
had ever known. Very quietly, in ar
almost bored tone, Ariel told her sister.
in early November that Van was goinE
East to get to work.
mo more college?"
mo; he wants to get into the bust.
ness. His father says he'll start hin
in the New Jersey plant"
Then he won't come back to Clip
persville?"
yes. He's going to be back fol
a week in January"
Hes coming back after herl" Edith
said when she and Gail were alone
oh EIDE. it does look like It'll"
Calls imagination was of at full
speed again; Ariel married at l8 u
young Van Murchison: Edith and Phi
and Sam living on here at the ole
house; herself and Dick
But this last snatched at her breath
Herself and Dick. People in the library
would glance at her: She's engaged
she's going to marry that young lawyer
Richard Stebbins."
Dick would have cases and she would
study every detail of every case ano
keep up with him. And she would have
babies
Happiness, happiness, happiness-tc
be married to him, to have Dick all to
herself! The miracle of marriage, the
amazing flaming glory Of it, surrounded
her with cloud Of mist by day and OF
fire by night.
1t began to seem as II things were
happening in ClipperSville after all
The sluggish current Of Calls life was
stirred in many ways. 1t was not only
that Phil got a raise and that Var
Murchison might marry Ariel. Sam
was working for a scholarship and
might actually win a year at Columbia
University. Gail was assistant IL
! brarian now, with the name Abigail
Lawrence" printed in gold on the
library windows and salary Of SIS q
month.
And then Christmas was coming
Always exciting, it seemed doubly SC
this year. Gail fairly danced to work
In the mornings and Edith would come
home in the darkness of o'clock to
hear Gail singing in the kitchen.
Dick was boarding with them now
for his mother had gone to Oregon to
stay with a daughter newly widowed
There was one cloud IN the sky this
Winter to be sure. Gail and Edith
acknowledged its existence bravely one
December evening when they asked
Dick If he thought Phil really cared
for Lily Cas-.
That's hard question to answer, u
Dick said with a faint frown.
"Is she divorced, Dick?"
"No. But there's talk Of 1t. She
hasn't seen Joe for two years"
| And II she were, do you believe Phil
really would marry her?"
! Another pause. Then Dick asked
slowly, Would you girls csre?"
You've answered." Gail said with q
brief, mirthless laugh
Il suppose have" Dick sighed
again. "There-there never was any
thing wrong with Lily -" he offered
| doubtfully.
mol" Gail agreed forcefully. Except
that she was as common as fruit flies
and ran with that terrible box-factory
gang and chewed gum In church, and
talked way up in G major"
This rather finished Lily's case fol
said alphabetically, II don't know why
1 got so wild about poor Lily. Sht
certainly is having rather tough
time of it."
IN tell you'll" Dick said eagerly
"Phils the quiet sort. He loves Clip.
persville; he wouldn't change place.
with the President. He's more In
terested in the new bridge than II
international events; he thinks tn,
Gale is the most important bushes.
street in California. Phil wants t.
he loves Lily-or If he loves her"-Dicl
floundered, turning red and correcting
himself hastily.
1--WE know he loves her; you neednr
be so scrupulousr Gatl said with a
dry little laugh. II believe you'd stanc
up for Phil if he went out some nigh
and cut somebody's throat"
But she loved Dick for his loyalty
none the less.
Gail spent the day before Christina.
in the library. She walked up u
| at ~
wait for Edith but to help her effect.
ually while she was waiting. Edith
was in an exhausted whirl OF las
Christmas sales; Ariel also was there
as one Of her Christmas assistants
at two dollars a day.
Lights were blazing in Muller's
aisles we're packed with a slowly NOV
ing river of women who turned out o
the current to stop at the jewelr!
counter, the leather goods, the laces
Ariel shuf1led book jackets underfoot al
she rushed to and fro; her cheeks wer,
blazing, her eyes wild.
At the staff at Muller's began tc
drape lengths of white cotton over thu
tables and counters; rain was twtnklins
and sparkling In the black night as thu
Lawrences came YEARLY, excitedly, on
and started for home. Ariel was very
silent.
But Gail and Edith were gay. Christ
mas eve at library and shop was over
and nothing but fun and holiday ahead
Their words tumbled over each other
their thoughts we're busy with add
tional surprises and plans.
Edith thought Of the tissue paper anC
ribbons in her lower bureau drawer
She would begin wrapping and mark
ing packages right after dinner; sh'
had completely ruined herself on pres