Show PARSONAGE by ETOEL bobbs merrul copyright 1916 PRUDENCE FINDS HERSELF BLUSHING breathless EVERY TIME SHE LOOKS INTO THE EYES OF HER HANDSOME RESCUER clr starr widower methodist minister at mount mark la has five charming daughters prudence the eldest keeps house or him fairy Is a college freshman carol and lark twins are in high school constance 13 the baby the activities of the starr girls prudence s work faires school affairs the pranks of the youngsters and the family perplexities make the story it a recital of homely incidents glorified by affection the preceding installment described the accident suffered by prudence when she went for an early morning bicycle ride and her rescue by a strange young man CHAPTER VI I 1 I 1 continued 11 oh whatever will matue moor say to me its borrowed oh I 1 se now that it was just foolish pride thai made roe unwilling to ride during da cent hours what a dunce I 1 was as usual lie looked at her curiously this was beyond his comprehension she er and then was silent a while fairy 11 haie to get breakfast and ebe always gets fathers eggs toe hard silence again maybe papa 11 worry hut aties they know by athla time that something always does hap pen to me so they 11 be prepared she turned gravely to the young man beside her he was looking down at her too and as their eyes met and clung for an instant a slow dark color rose in his face prudence felt a curious breathlessness caused by her hurting ankle undoubtedly my name Is prudence starr I 1 am the methodist ministers oldest daugh ter and my name Is jen old barmer he was looking away into the hickory grove now my home Is in des oh des Is quite a city jsn t it I 1 ve heard quite a lot about aft you might tell me about des colnes Is it very nice Arel here lots of rich people there of course J do not really care any more about rich people than the others but it always makes a city seem grand to have a lot of rich citizens I 1 think dont drou so he told her about des and prudence lay with her eyes halt closed listening and wondering why there was more music in bis voice than in most voices her ankle did not ery badly she did not mind it at all in fact she never gave it a thought from beneath her lids she kept hei eyes fastened on jerrold JI long brown bands clasped loosely about his knees and when over she could she looked up into bis face and always there was that cu lious catching in her breath and she looked away again quickly feeling that to look too long was dangerous 1 I have talked my chare now he was saying tell me all about yourself and the parsonage and your family and who la fairy and do yon attend the college at mount mark son look like a college girl oh I 1 am not said prudence re lluc tant to make the admission for the time in her life I 1 am too ito be a college girl I 1 left high school five years ago and have been keeping bouse or my father and sisters since then I 1 am twenty years old how old are you 1 I am twenty seven and he smiled jerrold harmer she said slowly and very musically it Is such a nice name do your friends call you jerry T the boys at school called me rol dle and sometimes but my mother always called me jerry she living now either you call me jerry alu you 7 yes I 1 will buelt wont be proper but that never makes any difference to me except when it might shock the members you want me to call you jerryc dont you yes I 1 do and when we are better acquainted will you let me call you prudence call me that lowi I 1 cant be too particular you sec when I 1 am lying on your coat and billowed pillowed pill owed with your belongings you might get cross and take them away from me did you go to college yes to harvard but I 1 was not much of a student then I 1 knocked around a while looking at the world and two years ago I 1 went home to des I 1 have been there ever ernce except for little runs once in a while prudence sighed my bister fairy Is going to college now ashes very clever oh very like her I 1 am eure much better than you do me ot course prudence was strangely downcast 1 I am sure I 1 wont said jerrold barmer with unnecessary vehemence 1 dont care a thing for college girls I 1 like home girls jerrold flipped over abruptly and lay on the grass his face on his anna turned gowani her faan they were quiet tor a while but their glances were clinging did you play football at college an arc BO tall faires tall too faires grand looking ive tried my best to eat lots and exercise and make myself bigger but I 1 am a fizzle yes I 1 played football but girls do not need to be so tall as men dont you remember what orlando said about rosalind just as tall as my heart I 1 imagine you come about to my shoulder well measure as soon as you are on your feet again are you going to live in mount marl now are you coming to stay prudence was almost quivering as she asbed this it was of vital importance no I 1 will only be there a few days but I 1 shall probably be back every week or so Is your father very strict maybe he w object to your writing to me oh he strict at all and he will be glad for me to write to you I 1 enow Is des just full of beautiful girls 1 I should say not I 1 never saw a real beautiful girl in des in my life or any place else for that matter until I 1 came ayou know when you come right down to it there are mighty few girls that look just the way you want them to look prudence nodded tie way with men too of all the men I 1 have seen in my life I 1 never saw one before that looked just the way I 1 want ed alc to before he questioned eagerly yes said prudence frankly you look just as I 1 wish you to CHAPTER IX father starr reads the signs and in the meanwhile at the parsonage fairy was patiently getting breakfast prudence went out for an early bicycle ride so the members catch her she explained to the family and she back yet shell probably stay out afternoon and then ride right by the grocery store where the ladles have their saturday sale prudence all do your friends call you jerry over oh father I 1 did forget your eggs again I 1 am afraid they are too hard biere twins you carry in the oatmeal and we will eat no use to wait for prudence it would be like waiting for the next comet indeed it was nearly noon when a small one horse spring wagon drove into the parsonage yard mr starr was in bis study with a book but he heard a piercing shriek from connie and a shrill prudence I 1 from one of the twins lie was downstairs in three leaps and rushing wildly out to the attle rickety wagon and there was prudence I 1 dont be frightened father ive just sprained my ankle and it hurt hardly any but the bicycle Is broken and well have to pay for it yon can use my own money in the bank poor mr had to walk all the way to town because any room tor him in the wagon alth me lying down like this will you carry me in connies single bed haq hastily brought downstairs and prudence deposited upon it theres no use to put me upstairs she assured them I 1 wont stay there I 1 want to be dowa here where I 1 can boss the girls the doctor came in and bandaged the swollen purple ankle then they had denaer ahey tried to remember to call it luncheon but never succeeded after that the whole parsonage family grouped about the little single bed in the cheery sitting room whose coat Is this prudence asked connie and where in the world did you get these towels and silk shirts add ed fairy prudence blushed most exquisitely they are mr charmers harmers Har mers she said and glanced nervously at her father whose chorused the family if you will sit down and keep still I 1 will tell you all about it but you must not interrupt me what time Is it fairy two oh two then I 1 have plenty of time and in her own frank way she told the story then mr dails came along with his cart she concluded and jerry er biarmer II armer you know helped put me in and the cart was so small they both had to walk where Is he now Is he young Is he handsome did he look rich dont be silly girls he went to the hotel I 1 suppose anyhow he left us as soon as we reached town he said be was in a hurry and had something to look after his coat was underneath der neath me in the wagon and he take it out for fear of hurting my ankle so the poor soul Is probably wandering around this town in bis shirt sleeves already in the eyes of the girls this jerry cr hanner bad taken unto himself all the interest of the affair hell have to come for bis coat said lark were bound to see him where does be live what was he doing in the hickory grove inquired mr starr with a strangely sinking heart tor her eyes were alight with new and wonderful radiance he lives in des he was just walking into town and took a short cut through the grove walking I 1 prom des prudence flushed uncomfortably 1 I think of that she said but I 1 do not see aby he should not walk if he likes hes strong and athletic and fond of exercise I 1 guess hes plenty able to walk if he wants to I 1 m sure hes no tramp father it that is what you are thinking 1 I am not thinking anything of the kind prudence he said with dignity but I 1 do think it rather strange that a young man should set out to walk from des to mount mark and why should he be at it so early in the morning he require sleep as the rest of us do how should I 1 know I 1 guess it he likes to be out in the morning when it Is fresh and sweet it Is all right I 1 like the morning myself he had as much right out early as I 1 had his clothes were nice and he Is a harvard graduate and his shoes were dusty but not soiled or worn anyhow he Is coming at four if you want to ask it he Is a tramp you can do it and prudence burst into tears dramatic silence in the cheerful sitting room 1 then I 1 airy began bustling about to bathe the face and throat of apor little prudence and her father said sympathetically youre all nervous and wrought up with the pain and excitement prudence im glad he Is coming so we can thank him for his kindness it was mighty lucky be happened along it A harvard graduate I 1 yes they are pretty strong on athletics at harvard better straighten this room a little and have things looking nice when he gets here said father starr with great diplomacy and he was rewarded and startled by observing that prudence brightened wonderfully at his words yes do she urged eagerly get some of the roses from the corner bush and put them on the table there and when you go upstairs fairy you d better bring down that little lace spread in alie bottom drawer of our dresser it 11 look very nice on this bed work hard girls and get everything leoung fine hell be here at tour he said you twins may wear your white dresses and connie must put on her blue and wear her blue bows fairy do you think it would be all right for you to wear your silk dress 0 course the sill Is rather grand for home but you do look so beautiful in it father will you put on your black suit or are you too busy and dont forget to wear the peart cuff buttons aunt grace sent you do you think that the stranger I 1 what he says he Is in that case why should h be walking from des to mount mark and why out so early might ho not be an adventurer tto BE CONTINUED |