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Show By ETHEL HUESTON -prudence 'parsonage- Copyright Bobbs-Merrill Co. CHAPTER XV Continued. 17 "You're the nicest old things thnt ever lived," said Lark, still laughing, but with great warmth and tenderness tender-ness In her eyes and her voice, "But von can take the stockings back and sive your money If you like we love you Just as much." But this the happy donors stoutly refused to do. The twins had earned this wealth of hose, and finally, wiping their eyes, the twins began to smooth their hair and adjust their ribbons and belts. "What's the matter?" "Where are you going?" "Will you buy the rest of us some silk stockings?" queried the family, comic-opera effect. "Where are we going?" Cnrol repeated, re-peated, surprised, seeming to feel that anyone should know where they were going, though they had not spoken. "We're going to call on our friends, of course," explained Lark. "Of course," said Carol, jabbing her lalrpins In with startling energy. "And we've got to hurry. We must go to Hattle's and Jean's and Betty's and Fan's and Alice's and say, Lark, maybe may-be we'd better divide up and each take half. It's kind of late and we mustn't miss any." "Well, what on earth !" gasped Prudence, Pru-dence, while the others stared In speechless amazement. "For goodness' sake, Carol hurry. We have to get clear out to Minnie's tonight, If we miss our supper." "But what's the Idea? What for? What are you talking about?" "Why, you silly thing," said 'Carol patiently, "we have to go and tell our friends that we've got four pairs of silk stockings, of course. I wouldn't miss this afternoon for the world. And ve il go the rounds together, Lark. 1 want to see how they take it," she smiled at them benignly. "I can imagine imag-ine their excitement. And we owe It to the world to give it ail the excitement excite-ment we can. Prudence says -bo." Prudence looked startled. "Did I say that?" "Certainly.. You said pleasure--but excitement's very pleasing, most of the time. Come on, Larkie, -we'll have to walk fast." And with a fond goodby to the generous gen-erous family, the twins set out to spread the joyful tidings, Lark pausing paus-ing at the door just long enough to explain gravely, "Of course, we won't tell them er just how it happened, you know. Lots of things In a parsonage parson-age need to be kept dark. Prudence says so herself." CHAPTER XVI. The Girl Who Wouldn't Propose. It took a long time for Carol to recover re-cover from the effect of lark's disloyalty, disloy-alty, as she persisted in calling It. For several weeks she didn't twinkle at all. But w hen at last the smiles came easy again, she wrote to Mr. Duke, her P'fessor no longer, but -now a full-fledged full-fledged young minister. She apologized apolo-gized sweetly for her long delay. "But you will forgive me. when you '"ave read this," she wrote. "Cupid is working havoc In our family. Of course no one outside the home circle knows yet, but I insisted on telling you because you have been such a grand goofi friend to us for so long. We may ern young to you, because you -ean't forget when we were freshmen, but ffe ore really very grown up. We act Mte nature now, and never think of flaying jokes. But I didn't finish nay Cews, da 17" "It Is jrim Forrest he was In high school when we were. Remember him? wkle anfl I were out to spend a week, and but I oeedn't go into particulars. 1 knew you would be Interested. The whftle family Is very happy about It ; je 1 a great favorite with everyone. it hoW our family is going to pieces ! pnjl, lnee it Is' Jim 1 He is nice, SD't h? But you wouldn't dare say Co." Carol's eyes glittered wickedly as Ptle sealed this letter, which she had 1 J;nnel with greatest care. And a few ays later, when the answer came, she "aiiced gleefully up the stairs not at "'nature" In manner, and locked the "or behind her while she read : ! Carol: ... .. '"eed 1 am very Interested, and I wish u ail the joy In the world. Tell Jim for con very much I think he is to be and , 'ulated- He seems a fine fellow, suren W you wlU be happy- It was a the 1 admlt I knew he was doing to vVery devoteJ but you have seemed you t" to me' always. I can't Imagine in Krown up for Jokes, though you than n3 more "mature" In this letter K. , you have before. Lark will be lone-';, lone-';, 1 am afraid. mi am very Dusy with my work, bo you Ireoi, , tand lf mv letters come less juently, worl't you? And you wln Da too busy with your own happiness to bother witn an old orofessor any more anyhow. I have enjoyed our friendship very much-more than you will ever know -and I want once more to hope you may be the happiest woman In the world iou deserve to be. Very sincerely your friend. DAVID A. DUKE. Carol lay down on the bed nnd crushed the letter ecstatically between her hands. Then she burst out laughing. laugh-ing. Then she cried n little, nervously, and laughed again. Then she smoothed (he letter affectionately, and curled up on the bed with a pad of paper and her father's fountain pen to answer the letter. My Dear Mr. Duke:' However In the world could you make such a mistake. I've been laughing ever since I got your letter, but I'm vexed too. He's nice, all right: he's Just fine, but I don't want him! And think how annoyed Lark would be If she could see It. I am not engaged to Jim Forrest, nor to any one. It's Lark. I certainly didn't say It was I, did I? We're all so fond of Jim that it really Is a pleasure to the whole family to count him one of us, and Lark grows more deliriously joyful all the time. But I! I know you're awfully busy, of course, and I hate to Intrude, but you must write one little postal card to apologize for your error, and I'll understand how hard you are working when you do not write again. Hastily, but always sincerely. CAROL. 'Carol jumped up nnd caught up her hat and rushed all the way downtown to the postoflice to get that letter started for Danville, Illinois, where the Rev. Mr. Duke was located. Her face was so radiant, and her eyes were so heavenly blue, and so sparkling bright that people on the street turned to look after her admiringly. She was feverishly inrpatlent until the answer arrived, and was not at all surprised that it came under special 31 Then She Smoothed .the Letter Affectionately Affec-tionately and Cutt.'ed Up on the Bed. delivery stamp, though Lark lifted her eyebrows quizzlcaliy( and Aunt Grace smiled suggestively, and her father looked up with sudden questioning In. his face. Carol made no comment, only ran up to her room and locked the door once more. Carol, you awful little scamp, you did that cji purpose, and you know it. You never mentioned Lark's name. Well, lf you wanted to give me the scare of my life, you succeeded. Of course, I don't want to lose my little chum, and I knew very well that no man in his proper tenses would allow his sweetheart to be a good a comrade to another man as I want you to be to me. Of course I was disappointed. Of course I expected to be busy for a while. Of course I failed, to see the sterling worth of Jim Forrest. I see It now, though. I think he's a prince, and as near worth being In your family as anvbody could be. I'm sure we'll be great "friends, and tell Lark for me that I am waxing enthusiastic over his good qualities even to the point of being inarticulate. in-articulate. Tell her how happy I am over It, a good deal happier than I've been for the past several days, and I am wishing wish-ing them both a world of Joy. I'm having hav-ing one myself, and I find It well worth Having. I could shake you, Carol, for playing such a trick on me. I can Just see you crouch down and giggle when you read this. You wait, my lady. My turn Is coming. I think I'll run down to Mount Mack next week to see my uncle he's not very well. Don't have any dates. Sincerely, D. D. And Carol laughed again, and wiped her eyes. The Rev. Mr. Duke's devotion to ms elderly uncle In Mount Mark was a most beautiful thing to see. Every few weeks he "ran down for a few days, and If he spent most of his time recounting re-counting his uncle's symptoms before the sympathetic Starrs, no one could be surprised at that. He and Mr. Starr naturally had much in common, both ministers, and both at any rate, he was very devoted to his uncle, and Carol grew up very, very fast, and smiled a great deal, but laughed much less frequently than In other days. There was a shy sweetness about her that made her father watch her anxiously. anx-iously. "Is Carol sick, Grace?" he asked one day, turning suddenly to his sister-in-law. She smiled curiously. "N-no, I think not. Why?" "She seems very sweet." "Yes. . She feels very sweet," was the enigmatic response. And Mr. Starr muttered something about women" and geometry and went away, shaking his head. And aunt Grace smiled again. But the months passed away. Lark, not too absorbed In her own happiness to find room for her twin's affairs, at last grew troubled. She and Aunt Grace often held little conferences together to-gether when Carol was safely out of the way. "Whatever do you suppose is the matter?" Lark would wonder anxiously. anxious-ly. To which aunt always answered patiently, "Oh, just wait. He Isn't sure she's grown-up enough yet." Then there came a quiet night when Cnrol and Mr. Duke sat In the living room, Idly discussing the weather, and looking at Connie, who wns deeply Immersed Im-mersed in a book on the other side of the big reading lamp. Conversation between them lagged so noticeably thnt they sighed with relief when she finally laid down her book, and twisted nround in her chair until she had them both In full view. "Books are funny," she began brightly. bright-ly. "I don't believe half the written stuff ever did happen I don't believe It could. Do girls ever propose, Mr. Duke?" No one ever proposed to me," he answered, an-swered, laughing. "No?" she queried politely. "Maybe no one wanted you badly enough. But I wonder if they ever do? AVriters sny so. I can't believe It somehow. It seems so well unnecessary, some way. Carol and I were talking about it this afternoon." Cnrol looked up startled. "What does Carol think about it?" he queried. "Well, she said she thought in ordinary ordi-nary cases girls were clever enough to get what they wanted without asking for it." Carol moved restlessly In her chnlr, her face drooping a little, and Mr. Duke laughed. "Of course I know none of our girls would do such a thing," said Connie, serene In her family pride. "But Carol says she must admit she'd like to find some way to make a man say what anybody could see with half a-n eye he wanted to say anyhow, only " Connie stopped abruptly. Mr. Duke had turned to Carol, his keen eyes searching her face, but Carol sank In the big chnlr and turned her face away from him against the leather cushion. "Connie," she said, "of course no girl would propose, no girl would want to I was only joking " Mr. Duke laughed openly then. "Let's go and take a walk, shan't we, Carol? It's a grand night." "You needn't go to get rid of me," said Connie, rising. "I was just going anyhow." . "Oh, don't go," said Mr. Duke politely. po-litely. "Don't go," echoed Carol pleadingly. Connie stepped to the doorway, then paused and looked back at them. Sudden Sud-den Illumination came to her as she scanned their faces, the Ban's clear-cut, clear-cut, determined, eager carol's shy nnd scared and hopeful. She turned quickly quick-ly back toward her sister, pnln darkening darken-ing her eyes. Carol wns the Inst of all the girls it would leave her alone nnd he was too old for her. Her lips quivered a little, and her face shnd-owed shnd-owed more darkly. But they did not see it. The man's eyes were Intent on . Carol's lovely features, and Carol was studying her slender fingers. Connie drew a long breath, and looked down upon her sister with a great protecting tenderness in her heart. She wanted to catch her tip In her strong young arms nnd carry her wildly out of the room away from the man who sat there waiting for her Carol lifted her face at thnt moment, and turned slowly toward Mr. Duke. Connie saw her eyes. They were luminous. lumi-nous. Connie's tense figure relaxed then and she turned at once toward the door. "I nm going," she said In a. low voice. But she looked back again before be-fore she closed the door after her. "Carol," she said In a whisper, "you you're a darling. I I've always thought so." 1 Carol did not hear her she did not henr the door closing behind her she hnd forgotten Connie was there. Mr. Duke stood up and walked quickly across the room and Carol rose to meet him. He put his arms about her, strongly, without hesitating. "Carol," he said, "my little songbird" song-bird" and he laughed, but very tenderly, ten-derly, "would you like to know how to mnke me sny what you know I want to say?" "I I " she began tremulously, clasping her hands against her breast, and looking Intently, as If fascinated, at his square, firm chin so very near her eyes. She had never observed It so near at hand before. She thought It was a lovely chin In another man she would have called It distinctly "bossy." "You would try to make me when you know I've been gritting my teeth for years, waiting for you to get grown up. You've been awfully slow about It, Carol, and I've been In such a hurry for you." She rested limply in his arms now, breathing In little broken sighs, not trying to speak. "You have known It a long time, haven't you? And I thought I was hiding It so cleverly." He drew her closer in his arms. "You are too young for me, Carol," he said regretfully. regret-fully. "I nm very old." "I I like 'em old," she whispered shyly. With one hand he drew her head to his shoulder, where he could feel the warm, fragrant breath against the "lovely chin." "You like 'them' old," he repeated, smiling. "You are very generous. One old one Is all I want you to iike." But when he leaned toward her lips, Carol drew awny swiftly. "Don't be afraid of me, Carol. You didn't mind once when I kissed you." He laid his hand softly on her round cheek. "I am too old, dearest, but I've been loving you for years, I guess. I've been waiting for you since you were a little freshman, fresh-man, only I didn't know it for a while. Say something, Carol I don't want you to feel timid with me. You love me, don't you? Tell me, if you do." "I I." She looked up at bim desperately, despe-rately, "I well, I made you say it, didn't I?" ' "Did you want me to say it, dearest? Have you been waiting, too? How long have you " . - "Oh, a long time; since that night nmong the rose bushes at the parsonage." parson-age." "Since then?" . "Yes; that was why it didn't break my pledge when you kissed me. Because Be-cause I was wnlting then." "Do you love me?" "Oh, P'fessor, don't make me say It right out in plain English not tonight. to-night. I'm pretty nearly going to cry now, and " She twinkled a little then, like herself, "you know what crying cry-ing does to my complexion." But he did not smile. "Don't cry," he said. "We want to be happy tonight. to-night. You will tell me tomorrow. Tonight" To-night" "Tonight," she said sweetly, turning In his arms so that her face was toward him again, "tonight " She lifted her arms, and put them softly about his neck, the lnces fnlling back nnd showing her pink, dimpled elbows. "Tonight, my dearest-" She lifted her Hps to him, smiling. THE END. |