Show U D of the lov A R S 0 N A E by ETHEL HUESTON 1910 U in this new serial of ours we have lave the story of a small town ministers family and its struggles with poverty with hardheaded and fatheaded fat headed church officers with temptations of flesh and spirit we have too a picture of its joys its inspirations its ambitions yes and its love affairs miss hueston the author writes with perfect sym pathy she Is a small town ministers daughter and this tale Is dedicated to her mother who devoted her life to rearing a whole houseful of young meth 11 we feet feel sure you will enjoy prudence THE EDITOR CHAPTER 1 I introducing her none but tile residents consider mount mark iowa much of a town and the very most patriotic of them all has no word of praise for the ugly little red 0 B Q railway station mount mark Is anything but proud of the little station at tile the same time it certainly does owe tho the railroad and the state slate a debt of gratitude tor for its presence there it Is the favorite social rendezvous for the community 1 the arrival of 0 a passenger train in mount mark Is an event sam something ething in the nature of a 0 B Q at home and Is always ht attended tended by it a large and enthusiastic thusia gathering of our best people all that Is tacking lacking tire are the proverbial light refreshments I 1 so it happened that one sultry morning late in the month of august there was tild the usual flutter of excitement and confusion on the platform and in the waiting room of the station the lia ha blitzes bitnes were there in force conspicuous among them were four gayly dressed young men smoking cigarettes and gazing with lackluster lack luster eyes ees upon the animated scene which evidently bored them the dally daily news reporter in a well creased light gray suit and tan shoes and with eyeglasses scientifically balanced on ills his aquiline nose was vas making pointed inquiries into the private plans of the travelers the young woman going to burlington to spend the weekend was surrounded with about fifteen other young women who had come to see her off mount mark is a very respectable town be it understood and girls do not go to the station without an excuse 1 A man in a black business suit stood alone on the platform his hands in his pockets his eyes wandering from one to another of the strange faces about him ills plain white ready made tie proclaimed his calling its the new methodist minister volunteered the baggage master crossing the platform 1 I know him hes not it bad sort they say hes got five kids and most of era em girls responded the adams express man 1 I want to be on hand they get here to pick out a girl yahl yah I 1 mocked the telegraph operator bobbing his lead head through the window you need to they tell me every girl in mount mark has turned you down ur aready eady but the methodist minister gazing away down the track where a thin MOUNT JURK f oun aun father aunill curl url of smote smoke announced the coming of it no band 0 and prudence heard nothing rf of this conversation he was not a handsome land some man his hair was gray at the he temples ills his face was earnest only saved from severity by the little clus aclus ers of lines at his eyes and mouth which velch proclaimed that thae he laughed aten often and with relish train going east I 1 the minister stood back from the crowd but when the train came caine pounding lu in it a brightness leaped into ills his eyes A slender girl gill stood in tile the vestibule waving win ing wildly mildly tit at him a small gloved globed hand when the train slopped she leaped lightly from the steps eatherl ri Fa therl she died cried excitedly and small and slight as she was she elbowed her way swiftly through the gaping gabing crowd oil oh father I 1 and she flung her arms aims about ailin joyously un conscious of admiring eyes her father her warmly where Is 1 youir 5 our I 1 baggage lie he asked a hand held out to relieve her here I 1 and with a radiant smile she thrust upon him a box of candy and a gaudy gaud covered magazine your tour suitcase lie he explained patiently tient ly oil alil 1 she gasped run father run I 1 I 1 left it on the train I 1 F father did run but prudenca fleeter footed outdistanced him and clambered on board panting when she rejoined lier her father lier hu face was vas flushed oil father slie she said quite snappily lly that just like rue me yes very like he agreed and lie he smiled arid and so this is mount marki mark 1 it a funny name father why do they thes call it mount mark maik 1 I dont know I 1 thought io to inquire we turn here prudence this Is main alain street the city the town the business part Is to the south its a pretty street it she cried such nice big maples and such shady dorchy houses I 1 love houses with porches po iches dont you lias has the parsonage a porch yes a big one on the south and n tiny one in front we have the house fl lived ed up pretty well w ell prudence but of i course lune have to go over it youl self and arrange it as you like I 1 must go to a trustees meeting at two but we can get a good deal done before then mrs adams is coming coining to help you this afternoon she is one of our ladles and very ery kind there that is the parsonage prudence gazed in silence many aandy would not have hae considered it a beautiful dwelling but to prudence Piu dence it was wab heavenly F fortunately the wide grassy shaded lawn greeted one first great spreading maples bordered the street and clustering rose rosebushes bushes lined the walk leading up tip to the house the parsonage to Pru dences gratified eyes ees looked homey and big and inviting 9 there were many windows windon vs and the well known lace curtains looked down upon prudence tripping flipping happily up the little board walk or so it seemed to her two whole stories and an attic besides I 1 not to mention the bathroom b ith room I 1 oh father the night flight after you iou wrote there was a bathroom constance thanked god for it when she said her prayers and a furnace too I 1 and electric lights I 1 oh we have waited a long time for it and weve wee been very patient indeed but between you and me father I 1 am most mightily glad weve lift hit the luxury land at last im sure well all feel much more religious in it a parsonage that lins has a bathroom and electric lights oil oh fa father therl 1 lie ile had thrown open the door and prudence stood upon the threshold of her new nev home together she and her father went from room to room upstairs and down moving a table to the left a bed to the right according to her own g good pleasure afterward t they ley hid had a cozy luncheon for two in tie the dining room oh it is so elegant to have a din Ingo ln groom room breathed prudence Piu dence happily 1 I always pretended it was rather fun an and d a great saving of work to eat and cook and study and live in one room but bilt inwardly the idol idea always outraged me Is that the school over oer there yes where connie will go there is only one high school in mount maik so the twins will have hae to go to the other side of town a long walk but in good weather they can come home for dinner oh a lovely place over oer there fa father therl exclaimed prudence looking from the living room windows toward the south it beautiful yes the avery aery family lives there the parents tire are cay very old and feeble and the daughters tire are all elderly and rill nil schoolteachers school teachers there are tour four of them and the youngest is forty fort six dear nie me it is two already ali eidy and I 1 must go at once mrs adams will ie be hero here in a few minutes and you will R ill not be lonely but when mrs adams arrived at the parsonage nage she knocked repeatedly and in all finally she gathered her robes about her and went into the back yard sard site she peered into the woodshed and saw no one she went into the barn lot and found it empty in despair she plunged into the barn and stopped abruptly in a shadowy corner was a slender figure kneeling beside an overturned overturn ed nall keg her face burled buried in her hands evidently this was prudence engaged in prayer and in the barn of all places in the world I 1 A a a hem 1 stammered 21 mrs adams inquiringly I 1 amen this was spoken cloud and hurriedly and prudence leaped to her foot feet her fair hair clung about I 1 lier her fact in damp babyish tendrils and her face will was hushed flushed and dusty but alight with friendly interest int Liest sho she ran forward eagerly thrusting forth it a slim and grimy linc hac L you are mrs adams arent you 1 11 I am prudence starr it Is so kind of you ou to come boino tile very first day slie site cried it makes me love you right at the start ye yc yes acs I 1 am sirs adams mra adams was embarrassed slie site could not banish from lier mental vision that lint kneeling figaire by the nall keg interrogation was all over lier ample face and prudence promptly road read it and hastened to reply 1 I do not generally say my prayers pray err in the barn mrs mis adams I 1 assure you I 1 7 rm 17 in the barn of all places but well when I 1 found this grand grana old rambling barn I 1 was so thankful I 1 resist praying about it but a barnt ejaculated the perplexed member do you call that a blessing j yes indeed I 1 do declared prudence den cc then site she explained patiently oil it Is on the childrens account you know they have always longed for a big ro romantic mantle barn to play in im why I 1 resist saying nir prayers 1 I was so happy I 1 hold in As they walked slowly toward the alie house mrs adams looked at tills this parsonage girl in frank curiosity and some dismay which slie she strongly endeavored to conceal from the bright eyed prudence the ladles had said it would be so nice to have haie al a grown girl in the parsonage I 1 prudence was nineteen front from all account but she looked like a child and well it was not exactly grownup grown up to give thanks for a barn to say tho the very least I 1 yet this girl had full charge of four younger children and was inas further burdened burden d wt with h tj the ie entire care of a minister father well well belll I 1 mrs adams sighed a little you are tired said prudence sympathetically its so hot walking it lets sit on the porch until you are nicely rested this is a fine chance for us to get acquainted said the good woman with eagerness now if the truth must be told there had biad been some III feeling in the ladles aid society concerning the reception of prudence after the session of conference when rey mr air starr was assigned to mount mark the ladles of the lie church had felt great interest in the man and ills his family they inquired on every hand and learned several interesting te items the mother had been taken from the family five alve years before after a long illness and prudence the eldest daughter had taken charge of the household there ii ere five cl children i I 1 I 1 so much was known and being women they looked forward with eager curiosity curlo sIty to the coming of prudence the young mistress of the parsonage mr starr had arrived at mount mark a week ahead of ills family prudence and the other children had spent the week vl visiting at the home of their aunt and prudence had come on a day in advance of the others ot hersto to wind everything ery thing up tip as slie she lind had expressed it do you think that impulsive lovable prudence will make a hit with the saintly but gossipy members of the ahe ladies aid society TO nn BE CONTINUED |