GI Brides by Grace Livingston Hill Read Free Book Online

there are only three slices of bread left.”
    “Well, for mercy sake! Why don’t you telephone for supplies? You can’t be spared to go down to the store. Somebody needs to look after those children! And they’ll be howling for food pretty soon. Be sure you get a lot of sweet things or Gerald won’t eat a thing. Get cookies. And that butter wasn’t so good. Get a better quality, even if you have to pay more. I can’t eat strong butter.”
    “Well, I’m sorry, Elaine, but that butter was some Mrs. Spicer gave me when I came yesterday, and I’m not sure I can get butter. You know we haven’t any ration cards here, and you can’t eat butter without points. The war is upsetting a good many old habits, but I suppose we have to be patient till things right themselves.”
    “The perfect idea!” said Elaine. “Of course I brought my ration books along, but they are in the trunks. They won’t come till tomorrow. It’s outrageous! Can’t you tell the storekeeper we have just arrived and I am sick?”
    “I can
tell
him, yes,” laughed Lexie, “but I’m sure from what Mrs. Wilson told me the other day that it won’t do any good. He is not
allowed
to sell butter without coupons. However, I’ll find something somehow. Now lie still and take a little nap. Will the children be all right playing by themselves?”
    “Well, I’m sure I don’t know. I certainly can’t look after them,” said the indifferent mother. “For pity’s sake, don’t stay long! And Lexie, while you’re out, telephone my lawyer and ask him to come over right away, this evening if possible; if not, early in the morning. You’ll find his address in my bag. I think I dropped it on the table in the living room as I came by. His name is Bettinger Thomas.”
    “Elaine! You don’t mean Bett Thomas! The boy you used to go to high school with!”
    “Why certainly!” said Elaine getting into her high, shrieking tone, prepared for an argument. “What’s the matter with that?”
    “But, Elaine! My dear, perhaps you didn’t know, but he’s scarcely considered respectable. He’s been connected with several shady cases the last few years. I don’t suppose you’d heard.”
    “Oh fiddlesticks! What difference does that make? He’s a
friend,
and he’s promised to see me through. I wrote to him. He was recommended to me out where I lived as being one who would carry his case no matter what, and that is what I want.”
    “But, Elaine, he’s unspeakable! You wouldn’t want to talk to him. You can’t ask him to come here!”
    “Can’t I? Watch me! If you won’t telephone him, I’ll find somebody who can. Go hunt that nurse for me. She’ll do what I ask her, and get her mighty quick, too!”
    Lexie stood at the foot of the stairs for a moment speechless, too angry to dare to utter a sound. Then she turned silently and went out of the house and down the street. Wild thoughts were rushing through her mind. How was she going to endure this? How could she go on? Was there any reason why she should?
    By the time she had reached the corner, and passed several smiling neighbors who greeted her cheerily, she had so far recovered her normal temper as to be able to smile, at least faintly. After all, why should she be so angry? Just because Elaine was determined to secure an unscrupulous lawyer to try to hunt out a flaw in her dear mother’s dealings? Well, why should she be so upset? They certainly couldn’t find any evidence. But a lawyer like Bett Thomas could
make
evidence even if there wasn’t any; he could get low-down people to swear to things that counted for evidence. She had heard of some of his dealings. Oh, what
should
she do? She couldn’t have her dear dead mother’s honorable name blackened by being dragged through a court trial. And yet—well, there was a God! Her mother believed that. And deep in her heart she did, too, although she had never paid much heed to Him, except that she had always tried to order her life in a good