Show I r r 2 I Ix O x r I J. J f G u SYNOPSIS Schuyler comes from New York Pori rt to Pr Prosperity Farm In Maine Malno Inh Inherited from her uncle to tomake tomako make mako a 3 new life UCo for herself and her brot brother Da David whoso hoso health has been been broken by tragedy Tho second day on her farm Pru falls from the tho barn loft Into the arms of ot Rodney Rodney Rodney Rod Rod- ney ney- ney Gerard rich young man mane man who lives 3 at t High Ledges There Thero Is nt at once a n mutual attraction between the he h two o but Pru Prudence ence decides to 10 maintain a D. cool attitude toward him She Shoo suspects men men sinco her sisters sister's sisters sister's sis sis- tel ter's husband ran away with her brothers brother's wife Len Galloway Calloway a rival of Gerard tries to to buy tho timber Umber off orr Prue's land but she dislikes him and contracts with Rod Hod to dispose of ot tho the tr trees s. s On the evening Prue Is s ex ez expecting David from Now York she he la to visited by Mrs Walter Gerard Gerand Ger- Ger Ger Ger- and ard and hor year old daughter daugh- daugh ter er cr Jean They are re hateful curious persons and leavo leav o Prue rankled CHAPTER H IV Continued Continued IV S 5 5 Ge Gerard ard caught her hand Started on ou I a 8 run Out o of Qt f the tho garden Around the house y j rIS It fat far a Ill I'll tell tell tt Dont Dont stop top for or anything or you m y fose lose th them m Action girl acS actIon action ac ac- ac- ac S tion H He pulled t ie-d ie open the door of his liIs' liIs roadster roa lster standing at the entrance entrance en- en ir trance ce ceto to townie the brick walk Hop In n Were We're bo bound nd for tor High Ledges The nurserymen are there with bulbs and plants for the Glen They alWays alys al- al Ways nays ys thin thina a lot of or perennials no perennials-no no reason why you shouldn't have hae them Is that where where- Where my mother and father are buried You wont won't mind going will you It Isn't In the least de de- pressing Ml Mind d Of Ot course not Mrs Si has told me about It She says it Is beautiful Mother planned It I try to l keep keepIt It t as she loved lo to see It It They drove droe the r rest st of ot the way In sn sIh uce nce As they pa passed ed the vine vine- covered ere stone to nn and 0 oak a ho house se Prudence Prudente Prudence Pru Pru Pru- dence dente gave a fleeting thought to Mrs W Walter ter Gerards Gerard's reaction were s she to s see e her on th the pl place c with her b 1 butterfly t brother In b other brother law Punctiliously Punctiliously Punctiliously she shel hats had ri returned her first call within the time ilme limit ordained by etiquette and had been overjoyed to lo to be told that she was not at home r Gerard Gerard stopped the roadster at nt the Uie entrance nce to a n dusky green trail lie led lcd the leil-the the way as It sloped gently hill At the top of ot three boulder steps he stopped Look I The frost hasn't touched It yet jet et me The Sheer sneer beauty of the tle garden below caught a at Prue's heart Such Sucha a n a- a garden I Regal lilies crimson crimson- spott spotted whites s tinged pink lilies mammoth zinnias In In pastel colorIngs colorings color color- Ings spikes es of purple monkshood plum plumes s of pale paJe blue larkspur a n second second sec see ond and blossoming snowy drifts of g gladioli pink purple mauve e white amber wine-red wine clumps of Chinese nots me sprays sprays of pale yellow tall dahlias single apricot ot c colored lored Water Vater rifled gently over oer a ledge to 1 tinkle into a rimmed fern-rimmed pool Ro Rodney ney Gerard parted the ferns and crimson gladioli which almost obscured a a bronze tablet set In a moss grown rown b boulder ulder She read rend the Inscription Whispered How lovely I I What profound si silence s- s fence lence It sinks Into ones orie's soul Cant Can't you ou Imagine Ine the spirits of ot your father father father fa fa- fa- fa ther and mother walking here heie hand handIn In n hand In the cool e evening Tho The place almost restores ones one's belief beller In fn faithfulness and love and and and- There Is faithfulness and love loye Prue lots Prue-lots lots of or It You only hear of ot the heartbreaks aks You must must believe JIt lt It I I Dont DontI r Please Dont Don't spoil It Even the purple shadows east cast by the moving clouds pass more more softly here How t far r does docs the forest stretch On and on to the Canadian line Well We'll go back and Ill I'll show you the direction in which The Hundreds lie A A. A few feet beyond the top of ot the steps he stopped Your lour r land lies to the east enst ab about ut half a mile from here herc eyes followed ved the narrowing narrow narrow- lag ing perspective e of of eta a trail carpeted with velvet cIvet moss It was bordered on each side by trees Their breath was resinous their green was almost almost al nl al- al most black their height Incalculable Incalculable Incalculable able their grandeur gave a sense of eternity Do DC I own on trees like that Hundreds of ot theta them Must those magnificent things come down Yes for the good of the forestI forest I lain am told The mature trees are tn taking the place Ilace of productive e tim ber Besides there are a thousand bucks or more for yo you going to waste so lon long as they stand stand Pru Practicality vs sentiment rm Pm not a D practical person when It comes come to beauty I 1 hear henr yo voices Ices Coming this way The nurserymen Im going before they tIley disturb the peace and beauty of ot this place But the plants Dont Don't you jou ou want to select them Let the men save me anything they hey can spare I shall love having them hem them from from here She looked down Into tho the hushed garden how liow could I I don dont don't t know anyone be false or wicked ed with this heavenly heaven heaven- I ly 11 y spot to come to Rodney Gerard He followed her along the trail odorous of ot spruce and pine dimly lit t with unspoken thoughts Prudence glanced at her wrist wristwatch wristwatch wristwatch watch as she stepped Into the shin shin- Ing ng black car Almost noon David Davidw w would think her lost Some time ho must see that heavenly garden She would ne er never forget forg-et it It would help when sl she o was engulfed In a tide of bitterness to think of the shades of ot husband and wife who perhaps wall walked ed there hand In hand In n the dusk dusky twilight I The liThe Idea Miss ler I Didn't I they tell you Oll that I was on the rear terrace snipping off ofT a few dead blossoms from the boxes when you stopped at the house Mrs Walter Gerard had appeared as soundlessly as a wraith beside the car The woman woman knew perfectly well that she hadn't been at the house louse it was he her het way of ot making her ler feel like a n trespasser Prudence concluded hotly She assured polItely po po- It was a disappointment not to find you rou II Mother Iother Mother Iother I 1 Jean dashed along the drive drle Youre wanted on the he phone The Idea Iden 1 I hope It Isn't a regret regret regret re re- re- re gret at the last moment It might mean rearranging the luncheon ta tn- bles Without so much as a n word to Prudence Annie Gerard Gerar fluttered toward the house Jean dropped d to the bank and regarded the girl girlin irl irlIn In n the roadster with her puckish e eyes es I 1 dont don't believe bellee jouve youve set your cap for Uncle Rod she observed ed judicially setting your our cap anyway Prudence shut her teeth hard to keep back a sharp er ans answer The child was merely repeating something something something some some- thing she had overheard something her mother moHler had said probably she wouldn't put It past her Lucky she lied had said it It would remind Prudence Schuyler ler of what con con- she was forg forgetting that she sue was to treat Rodney Gerard with chill disdain She said lightly Speaking of or caps I love that floppy floppy floppy flop flop- py hat of yours ours Jean The child pulled off the frail pink stra straw wand and flung clung It to the grass The milliner who ho sold It to Moth er said It did a lot for me She knew her sales talk a all I right What's the use having pretty things If It you never neer see other girls Just beca because se were we're the Gerards of ot High nigh Ledges Mother Iother wont won't let me Have kave the village village village vil vil- vil- vil lage children come to play with me Id I'd like Ulee to be with someone someone kind of young Poor lonely little soul Prue's heart warmed to her Could she help Time she snapped out of or self self- absorption and thought of ot someone beside David and herself But Jean was so unattractive All the more reason to help her Como Come and play with me sometimes sometimes sometimes some some- times will 7 Prudence you ou Invited ln as cordially as she could with the memory o of the childs child's pr prying propensity propensity propensity pro pro- pricking Im Jm not very young oung but theres there's heaps to do Jane Mack will show you how v to make cookies and Ill I'll teach you to use my tools tools some some of ot them them you yon can can make malc a silver bracelet for your mother Wouldn't you ou like that Jeans Jean's usually pale face was was radiant radiant radi radi- ant That goes over big with me mel I She called to Gerard who charged along the trail Oh Uncle Rod Miss Prue has invited In me mo to come and play with her May I go now Rodney put his arm arID about the thin shoulders Not this time K IC K Ill I'll toke take you tomorrow Be Bea a good sport he added as the tho childs child's lips quivered You know your jour our mother wants you at her party Tomorrow sure Jean Jenn Prudence called as life 1110 roadster started I was Just In ini time lime tl to stop the themen themen themen men from digging up plants Gerard remarked truck a n load loud of ot stuff stutT over to your jour garden tomorrow v and set Bet It out all you OU need do Is 5 to buss boss the Job joh Prudence suddenly remembered the refrigerating process to which she was committed commItte But nut I cant can't let you do so much for me Now youve you've gone Icy ley a again aln Why shouldn't I send you jou a n lot tot of worthless worth less plants Dont Don't be pre pre war war Ive I've heard from Jim Armstrong Who Is he lie I 1 tell you ou that I 1 was Importing importing Im Im- porting a forester forest r to advise us us what trees to take e out Ues Ue's a a. a grand guy guj You'll like him hes he's Just your jour our type watch but but watch your step T i saw you ou first remember She looked up between long lon sweeping lashes with a gay chal chat lenge Then something happened It t as If It she had caught her spirit rushing toward him caught aU lt It and dragged it back Into the stron strong room room of ot her will There lher was wasa I In a n hint of breathlessness In in her v voice oice Taking the tho broad view of ot the tho matter why should I watch watch m my step slop Have Ha I 1 a free an and u tram tram- I soul or haven't I I II I was referring to your jour our heart Gerards Gerard's voice was not quite steady When Jim comes well we'll take lale a look hook see at your our property You ou ought ht to know something about It before we begin to cut cutIs cutIs Is it wild Yes res There are old lumber roads grown up now no but well we'll have those I those I think the technical term Is swamped out out before before we start a sizable stream stream- used stream used to bo be full of trout and a log cabin All mine All yours How soon will you begin to to cu cut As soon as Jim gets lo logging plans read ready so 80 that we may know what trees to take tale out out Will Will will Mrs Walter Gerard stay until you get through She wont won't be asked to stay As soon as I know when Jim Is coming com lag ing I will toll tell Annie Anne that she and and Jean are free to return to the bright lights Prudence visualized Mrs Walter Gerard leaving her law in In the Maine wilds lumbering for a female neighbor in the early Iz r r r I r It i ii i 1 r 1 Hey What's Happened ties I As the roadster stopped before be fore the red brick house Prudence mused aloud Something tells tells' me that your sister law wont won't go Wont go O Of course shell she'll go What would J. J keep her when lien I want the house to m myself sel Prudence made no answer Prudence In a sleeveless slee white linen fro frock k stopped before the scoured table pine to regard proudly proud proud- ly the shining Jars of rub ruby beets arranged with with the precision of an Infantry squad on a mammoth white tray I cant can't wait walt to see you on the tho storeroom shelf helf she said aloud Come on Ill I'll put you there She lifted the Ooch but tray you jou ou weigh a ton 1 Am I lone one good little the lander as she started toward the cellar door or A squirrel storing nuts for the tho winter has nothing on onA on- on on onA A thunderous knock resounded through the house Prudence took tooka a quick step forward A trl frightened frightened fright fright- ht- ht ened cat reached the tho same spot In one leap The girl tripped the tray tipped the Jars o of beets struck the floor with a crash calculated to tomake tomake tomake make the pilot of or the last word In bombing plan planes s pale pulp with envy Ruby liquid flew new In all directions It dripped from rom walls alls and nd ceiling It splashed the tho white frock It trickled In crimson rivulets rl down Prue's trues cheeks It did a modernistic design n on her shoes and lavishly polka polka dotted dotted her bare arms l For or Foran Foran oran an instant she stood in dazed consternation con con- consternation then as as she saw her face reflected in a small mirror she laughed Oh you demon can cnn can can Tho The words choked Into a spasm of ot mirth She sank to a chair dropped her head to her arms flung out on the table an and tried to control con con- the tile peals penIs of laughter which shook her A hand caught her shoulder Hey I What's happened Quit lau laughing like Tike that I 1 You'll go goofy goof In n a minute Lips twitching nostrils quiverIng quiverIng quivering quiver- quiver Ing e eyes ejea es gleaming through t tears tars ars Prudence looked up at U Rodney Gerard C canning trouble e t She chol choked ed edon on the words Gerard administered an nn authoritative tive Ue shale shako Stop laughing Its It's painfully evident evi dent that you arc are toppling on the brink of or h hysterics I know of or only one sure remedy for that I should hate to do lo It but It-but but 1 I may feel obliged to kiss you jou Prudence was as on tier hel feet Just naturally helpful arent aren't yon jou ou You Yau wouldn't dare dare dare- She met mel his e eyes ejes es SIn and changed her tone Ill stop I Signor Mussolini Only you ou could stand there like a graven gra Imago image In Inthe Inthe Inthe the midst of or this this this-this this slaughter You see sec I e gone thrifty Ive I've been preparing for the long 1 hard winter by canning young tender beets beets no no taste t to them when they g grow g-grow up I was carr carrying the Jars on a tray when a thun thunderous thun-thunderous thunderous knock sent Cleopatra scurrying to cover cr Cleopatra's the cat In case you dont don't know with know with the result of or a n foot f collision I I- I Stop m and l get your jour breath Irs Irs- I will get you jou ou if you ou dont don't watch out The rhe hint of oC amuse amused warning In to Gerards Gerard's voice olce set Prue's pulses throbbing The They w wont won't nt I shant shan't need your our prescription thank you Why aro are you jou here It would bo te you jou ou wouldn't It What did you come como for My word woid I I b believe It was your knock that brought on the catastrophe Are Arc you responsible for this this this' mess She Indicated the smeared room with an accusing wave of ot her hand Im sorry Cant Can't I help clean dean cleanup up 7 You can not Macky will bo be down In a |