Out of the Burning

Out of the Buvnin( Chapter Five ENVIRONMENT could not transform Curly Harrison overnight. For weeks she remained the timid, shy child of the hills. But gradually the dip- ped hair regained its natural color and lustre, the pimples disappeared, the grimy skin yielded to proper foods and tender care. The worn nails yielded to polishing, and a dentist managed to save her teeth. Dr. Locke cured the injured toe, all the while berating the mountain people for ignorance and neglect. Echo came frequently, timing her visits to court sessions. She brought clothes surpassing Curly' s wildest dreams. Trim oxfords encased the feet which had only known shoes for winter; stylish coats, clever hats, always duplications of the clothes purchased for the judge's daughter Portia. A beautiful white bed, all her own, was the most val- ued gift. Curly thought often of the home-made, narrow, hard couch on which she and Millie had slept for so many years. UNLIKE Portia Har- rison, Curly did not accept her new fortune as a divine right. While Portia's eyes became calculating and appraising, Curly's filled with the wonders of her good fortune, and joy in her surroundings. She never ceased to marvel at the changes. Water, hot or cold, flowed into the beautiful white sink as you willed. No toting of heavy buckets up a hill. Milk in shiny bottles appeared on the porch over night. No weary hunt for an elusive cow over barren hills. The kitchen stove cooked at the turn of a button. Aunt Eunice did not know what doty chips were. She did not even put the precious coal in her stove, which the beautiful cardinal had helped Curly to find. It became a pleas- ure to watch the girls of Harrison Home do their laundry. No bar- rel tubs; no back-breaking rubbing over faded old clothes; no "bilin' over outdoor fires. A wonderful machine did all the work and the waste water miraculously disap- By "Whenever Portia encountered Curly dressed like herself, she flushed in anger." peared through a hole in the floor! A little at a time, as they felt she could grasp it. Eunice and Echo told Curly the story of her life. She learned that the dignified, stern judge, who always wore a white carnation in his buttonhole, was really her father; that the pretty Echo, who showered her with kiss- es and hugs and clothes, was actu- ally her mother; that the dainty, overdressed, spoiled Portia Harri- son was her twin sister. She learned with astonishment that the Turner family were not father, mother, brother and sister, but in reality, kidnappers who had altered her whole childhood. G ,URLY accepted all these changes and alterations with the adaptability of childhood, and an older philosophy flavored with the knowledge of privation and want. She felt no bitterness to- ward the mountain family, for they had loved her as their own. She felt no resentment toward the real father who refused to ac- knowledge her as his child. She expressed only humor at her sis- ter Portia's superior airs, at her ill- mannered stare which never hinted of recognition. Whenever Portia encountered Curly dressed like her- self, she flushed in anger, hurried arrogantly on, and later berated her mother for allowing Aunt Eunice to copy her clothes for a foundling! It became a game be- tween them — Portia and her fath- er on one side; Eunice and Echo on the other, secure in their claims, but willing to allow time its own course of adjustment. While Portia IVY WILLIAMS STONE learned to swim and dance and ride, her sister passed through a period of marvelous readjustment. While Portia quarreled with her governess, quelled her mother and wheedled her father, Pamela acquired a real education from Aunt Eunice. The old judge had owned a fine library, enlarged by many additions from Eunice. Curly had free access to this treas- ureland. While Portia spoiled her digestion with too frequent sodas and vexed her riding master with wild rides, Curly learned the secrets of the masters. Dickens and Scott, Hugo and Maupassant, Cooper and Longfellow became her friends. History and poetry, essays and fic- tion were consumed avidly by the starved soul. Studies that were irksome tasks to Portia were priv- ileges to the child who had known so much poverty and privation. While clothes, amusements and en- tertainment made up Portia's life, they were only accessories to Curly, who dreamed daily of future ac- complishments. J_yAD," announced Portia at one of the morning class- es, "I want a car — all my own. There's a clever little roadster over at Beacon's; pale blue. My, but it's keen!" "Who," continued Judge Har- rison unperturbed, "who was the predecessor of Charles the first of England?" "It can do fifty per, easy," mused Portia. "Now, Dad, please, lay off that musty old history. Why worry over dead kings when the hills are green and blue cars are coaxing?" "If you want a car, you will merit it. You cannot go on to law college unprepared. You must have grounding in languages, history, literature and mathematics." "Who wants law college?" countered Portia. "Not me!" "You will be educated as an at- torney, Portia. Meet me at the li-

The Improvement Era for April, 1930 399 brary tonight at five, and I will examine you for an hour. Sort of a quiz. If you meet my expecta- tions, we will then discuss cars." "I was going riding after school with Spike Reeves. We want to gather violets. Mother likes them so much." "If you pass my requirements, I may consider the purchase of a car," reiterated her father. For once Portia's tactics of persuasion were unavailing. She coaxed and pouted, and finally flounced from the room. She had only one sol- ace. She was wearing the be- coming new spring outfit of green which her mother had purchased. I HAT afternoon Cur- ly Harrison hastened from school to the library. She was trying for the debating team and the biblio- graphy of her subject called for varied references. How happy she was! She felt confident of a place on the team. Mother Echo, as she affectionately called Mrs. Harrison, had furnished a beautiful suit of green. Curly worked on, uncon- scious of time, until she felt, rather than saw, a shadow pause over her. In the subdued light she looked like Portia — green suit, tight green hat. Judge Harrison, punctual to the minute, sat down, laid his cane and silk hat on a chair, and proceeded with the ver- bal examination. He jumped from Savonarola to Mary, Queen of Scots; from the Renaissance to the World War ; from geometry to Ben Hur; from the nebular hypothesis to Evangeline. Other students put up their work and left, but the couple in the corner stayed on. The man was pompously erect, the girl deferentially attentive. Curly Harrison knew her father had made a mistake. Other people had made the same error. But he had never spoken to her before, and she could not resist this opportunity to prove her accomplishments. Finally he sat back, reached for his cane and hat, visibly pleased. "Really," he conceded, "you are better informed than I had hoped. Tomorrow we will inspect roadsters." He rose to leave, waiting for her to follow. "If you don't mind, I have more references to look up," Curly shrank from spoiling his compla- cency. "I will come later." Deliberately, dignified, his carnation seeming to revive with his own jubilancy, the judge descended the library steps. He collided with a young woman hurrying in. "Pardon me," she cried, then shrank back crestfallen. The judge, too, was nonplussed. "Portia!" he cried, "You — here? I have been interviewing — what does this mean?" "Spike ran out of gas, and we had to walk home. I couldn't make it sooner. My chest hurts now, I've hurried so." "Whom did I talk with?" de- manded her father. "For a long hour I have questioned a young woman whom I mistook for you. She was wearing your clothes. Who is she?" "Ask her," flashed Portia, vis- ioning a lost roadster. "Her an- swer might interest you." 5&ft J That afternoon Curly hastened from school to the library. UDGE Harrison did not re-enter the library. But he paced his study half the night, bat- tling with his traditional pride. The next morning he wrote the Governor and the Board of Par- dons, recommending the pardon of Silas Hoggan. He intimated that the sentence might have been too severe. The enticing days of April rolled on to June and commence- ment. Portia was determined to keep the matter of her graduation dress a secret. She did not want Aunt Eunice to duplicate it, as she seemed to have done so frequently before, so Portia refused to discuss Portia was beautiful, her curls im- maculately arranged, her poise perfect, but her pleasure was short-lived. its color or style with her class- mates. Some quirk of nature had made this other girl similar in ap- pearance; Aunt Eunice had given her the same surname, and dupli- cated their wardrobes whenever possible. It was unpleasant to Portia to be twitted about her double; to be asked concerning her understudy; to have their scholas- tic standings compared ; to be ques- tioned about her lost twin, who was buried out in Montana. For- tunately, the girl herself did not force her company upon Portia. She had other avenues of occupa- tion. While Portia played tennis, she studied Cicero; while Portia and Spike Reeves broke speed reg- ulations, the quieter girl walked for exercise, marked papers for overtaxed teachers, or assisted Miss Eunice in the many tasks of Har- rison Home. She gave no thought to her commencement gown; Mother Echo had taken that re- sponsibility, C OMMENCEMENT night. Judge and Mrs. Harrison in a box.. Privately, the judge was (Continued on page 433)