Chapters 17 through 20 Summary

Chapter 17 brings Lark and Mama arriving at Aunt Betty's house to witness utter disarray and filth. The two jump to attention and create order and cleanliness out of the chaos. On Lark's way to the grocer's, she suddenly becomes scared of a ghost story her grandfather recounted about a woman named Lena Bauer. Fear grips her, she sits down and "falls asleep" on Main Street. At Esterly's Groceries and General Merchandise, Lark and Mama learn that Betty and Stan Weller do not pay their bills. This worries Lark so much that she feels she needs to make a list and number her worries.

In Chapter 18, while Lark is tucked in on the Weller's couch at night, she overhears Mama and Aunt Betty's conversation, and feels unsettled to hear her mother unsure over what may happen in their life. When Lark awakens...