Pages 220 - 261 Summary

Jeff hires a lawyer, Robert Greenstein, to help Ellen's case. He raises $25,000 from neighbors and Langhorne residents, but Ellen knows it isn't nearly enough to cover her court costs. Even so, Ellen likes her lawyer because he doesn't patronize her. He communicates honestly with her, never hiding information, never stretching the truth to serve his own aims, which she appreciates. In his office, Robert Greenstein keeps a copy of the essay that won Ellen the writing contest when she was fifteen. The essay is, ironically, about euthanasia. He reads her quotes from the essay and explains why this might hurt her case. On Good Friday, Ellen drives into town, despite her lawyer's warnings, to have a drink at the bar. The bartender is professional with her, but tells her curtly that the school board is threatening to fire Mrs. Forburg for...