The Price of Salt, or Carol Chapter 20 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • All by herself, Therese takes a room in Sioux Falls.
  • She has letters from Dannie and Phil, but she doesn't answer them.
  • She calls Carol, who has no news.
  • However, she does say that Abby went to retrieve the letter and the check—and she found the check, but not the letter. Uh-oh…
  • The next day, Therese leaves the hotel and rents a room from a woman named Mrs. Cooper.
  • Therese spends her days hanging out at the library or the diner, and occasionally she works on set models she plans to show someone in New York whenever she returns.
  • She waits for news from Carol, but Carol rarely calls, and when she does, she speaks with a short, cold tone.
  • Therese worries Carol won't return to her.
  • Therese finally receives a letter from Carol, and it has bad news and good news.
  • First the bad news: Florence the maid found the letter and sold it to Harge. What a devious maid.
  • The good news, though, is that Carol says she misses Therese, and that Therese's courage gives her strength. That's sweet.