The Big House

The Big House — page 7 — Generous and forgiving to a fault said the judge describing Marietta But Marietta and Lionel were the reason Dan and Carol were going to jail Why would Ray and Ivy live with them Who said so Did they have to Thwack The hammer went

The Big House — page 8 — The Big House Carol and Dan's parting words to their children as they were being led off to jail were these Carol whispered to Ivy Watch your brother's back And when Ivy hissed to her father that it wasn't fair Dan Fitts shrugged and told her Looks like we met our match with that old witch Marietta And then they were gone led out the back way off for more years than Ivy could imagine Ivy and Ray were instantly surrounded by a cluster of grownups they didn’t know all of whom parted as Marietta and Lionel her ancient husband made their way from the opposite side of the courtroom where everyone who had been against them had sat Ivy felt a light clawlike hand on her shoulder and turned to look up into Marietta’s leathery

The Big House — page 9 — C6 Child the old woman began She said it like it was a dirty word Please accept our hospitality while your parents she paused and gave a ghastly smile pay their debt to society Ivy remembered that the lawyer had called Marietta and Lionel pillars of society Lionel stood behind Marietta now withered rocking slightly a husk of a man He didn't look like any pillar to Ivy Can we get a picture someone called out and Marietta said By all means perhaps the steps of the courthouse would provide a pleasant setting and the whole group shuffled its way out into the bright

The Big House — page 10 — Ray and Ivy were positioned in front of Marietta and Lionel for a picture that would appear on the front page of the Hammerhill Tribune that very afternoon Their parents lawyer had told Ray and Ivy what to do if a reporter asked to take their picture say yes and look sad like you just lost your puppy He said they had to play the sympathy card since they didn't have a whole lot else going for them Ray had asked Ivy what the sympathy card was Ivy didn't know even though she and Dan played card games a lot She wasn't bad at poker The wild card she told him Kind of like the

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