Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-08


and their carpetbags ashore.
years later, when Ariel was born, she
quietly, happily expired, to music, as 1t
were.
For Patterson had been reading
poetry to her, the four older children,
by some miracle, quiet and occupied
down by the creek, and Ariel in her
mothers arms taking fourth-day view
of life, when death came.
"She looks as If she were listening,
Pat! She's going to be great poet and
make all our fortunes!" Editha had
| said And one minute later she had
slipped away, leaving the prophecy to
gild little Ariels childhood:
The widowed elderly father did the
! best he could for them all until his
eldest son was nearly Is and Gail a
capable busting house manager two
years younger Then the big guns be-
! gan to boom across the water, the
service flags flashed in answer upon
many quiet flagpole in Clippersville,
and Patterson Lawrence, almost 60
years old, put copy of Keats in one
| pocket and copy Of Shelley in the
other and hurried off to die Of flu in
overcrowded Washington, just as sure
1 as his loyal children were sure that he
was helping his country and doing the
patriotic thing.
Then Phil and Gail had to shoulder
the burden. Gail Lawrence was SUI
premely the girl for the job. She was
squarely built, womanly at Is, brim-
ming with interests. activities, ambi-
! tons and enthus!aSms.
By this time the once lucky Law.
rences had almost no money. The
ranch three miles back in Stanislaus
was rented for something less than
. $500 a year and taxes were always over
5000. Phil had all but finished high
school. But as Phil and Gail quite
simply agreed, meals were more i'm
portant than education. So Phil went
to work at the iron works, and Gail,
upon being offered a job in the public
library, accepted it gratefully.
They were proud Of themselves and
of their responsibility, and all Clippers
vile applauded them. They scrambled
along in the disreputable old house
very happily: they were always laugh
ing, singing, going on picnics; they were
passionately devoted to one another and
every one was sure that they would
get along splendidly. Were they not
the last Of the lucky Lawrences?
Surest of all was Gail. the resolute
undaunted, optimistic mother and sis
| ter, cook, nurse and lawmaker in one.
Life had been a story to Gail for a
| few years and she had turned a fresh
page eagerly every day. She and Edith
were going to marry delightful men
and Phil should marry. too. And
Sammy should live in Edith'S house
and Ariel in Calls, and Ariel should
be plenty Of money for everything as
there always had been-soon.
But somehow it had not worked out
that way. Gail had grown a little more
sober, a little thinner, as the years had
slipped by; they had all grown shabbier.
Even to her. poverty began to seem
serious matter.
and unreSponSive when Gail had tried
to drag him into her dreams. Edith
hated poverty, too; it hurt her pride.
She had grown quieter, bookish, in
tellectual, something Of recluse.
Sammy had done nothing except
slide through his shoes and get D.
minus marks In his studies. And Ariel
was completely spoiled. They had all
spoiled the shy thistledown-heade
little girl OF 10, with a hoarse boys
voice, that she had been when her
father had died; they had all hailed
her as a poet before she could fairly
write. She did write poetry and that
was enough for Clippersville. Clippers
vile was, not critical; the Challenge
published everything Ariel wrote. And
she was discontinued, proud and I'M
manageable and would not go to school
without constant urging and under
constant protest.
Altogether the outlook was dis
SO. There were moments when even
Gail could not quite believe in the
luck of the Lawrences.
Her twenty-third birthday found
Gail a quick witted eager capable
girl secretly little bit scared and
doubtful but outwardly gay, irrespon-
sible and pleasant to look at like all
the Lawrences. The older four had
tawny thick hair: Phil's was closely
cropped; Edith wore hers wound about
her young head in severe braids. Sans
was often a disheveled scandal, and
Calls not much better. But Calls
was the waWest, the brightest, the
thickeSt.
These four had blue eyes, thick black
laShes, heavy eyebrows and square,
fingered hands. The Lawrence hands
were different from any other hands
in Clippersville. The Lawrences stood
on their feet peculiarly, too, braced like
young blooded horses at stance, their
names thrown back, the whites Of their
Ariel was different; frar, pink
checked and cream-skinned, with
frightened big hazel eyes and a small
mouth. Ariels hair was corn-silk, and
she never stood anywhere at all; she
floated or drifted or slipped through
life.
Phil worked In the iron works for
$50 a month, Gail was paid half that
monthly for seven-day week in the
public library, Edith made $50 a
month as assistant in the book depart
ment Of Muller's big store, Sammy was
supplementing his school career at 19
with eager labors as errand boy and
general Office help on the Challenge,
and Ariel was supposed to be in high
school. Ariel was now q fairylike
seventeen.
And Gail was 81. She had presents
at the breakfast table in the good old
Lawrence fashion. The Lawrences al
ways managed to give one another
presents on anniversaries. Phil rather
alf-heartedly gave her book, adj
hitting that Edith had suggested 1t,