Show rl CAROL GOES TO THE ASSISTANCE OF LARK WHEN DEEP EMBARRASSMENT THREATENS AND A NEAR NEAR- PAINFUL INCIDENT BECOMES A COMEDY Synopsis The The story opens in the house of Rev Mr Starr where Prudence his eldest daughter and feminine head of ot the house consisting consisting con con- stating of her father herself her sisters Fairy the twins twins Carol Carol and Lark Lark and and Connie the youngest are arc awaiting the arrival of their aunt Grace Liveliness of the smaller members of the family results diey disastrously disastrously dis dis- for their appearance Carol Curol and Lark Investigate Christian Science Prudence postpones her wedding when Carol catches measles Then Carol tries to convert comert the town roughnecks CHAPTER V V. 5 Substitution The twins came in at nt time dinner-time wrapped In unwonted silence Larks Lark's face was darkened by an anxious shadow while Carol wore an expression expressIon sIon slon of heroic determination up Connie asked when the rest of the family dismissed the matter with amused glances Lark sighed and looked at nt Carol seeming to seek courage from the Spartan Spartan Spar Spar- tan countenance Carol squared her shoulders Well go on Connie urged Dont be silly You know youre you're crazy to tell tellus tellus tellus us about It you only want to be coaxed Lark sighed again and gazed appealIngly appealingly appeal appeal- n at t her stout hearted stout twin Carol Caroln n never ver could resist the appeal of those pleading eyes Larkie promised to speak a piece at the Sunday-school Sunday concert two weeks from tomorrow she vouchsafed vouchsafed vouch vouch- as ns unconcernedly as possible Mercy I 1 ejaculated Connie with an nn astonishment that was not altogether complimentary Careful Larkie cautioned Fairy I disgrace the parsonage If It you dont don't watch out Nonsense declared their father Lark can speak as well as anybody if she Just keeps a good grip on herself and doesn't get stage fright Aunt Grace smiled gently Connie frowned Its a l risky business bustness bustness bust bust- ness she said Lark cant can't speak any anymore anymore anymore more than a n rabbit and andI andI and and- i I know It was the humble sion Dont be a goose Con Con Interrupted Carol Of course Lark can enn speak a piece She must learn It learn It learn It it so she can rattle rL it oft off backards backwards backwards back back- wards ards with her eyes shut That's the whole q secret Of course she can peak speak J I How did It happen Inquired Fairy hairy I III dont don't know Lark said sorrow sorrow- fully Nothing was ever farther from my thoughts I assure you The first thing I knew Mrs Curtiss was thanking thanking thank thank- ing m me for my promise and Carol was St Ic In marching tn mg like Uk grim death darol smiled re relieved lev d now ow t that the family commentary was over It was very natural Mrs Curtiss begged goo her herto to tp do It and Lark refused That always always al al- ways happens every time the Sunday school gives an entertainment But Mrs Curtiss went on to say how badly ithe he e Sunday school needs the money and how big a n drawing card It would be for both of us twins to be on the program program one right after atter the other and how now well It would look for tor the parsonage parsonage parsonage par par- and it never occurred to me mo to warn Lark for tor I never dreamed of her doing it V t If I I thought t it wouldn't hurt me to try It once nce Lark volunteered In her own defense Aunt Grace nodded with a smile of Interested approval Im proud of you Lark quite proud Of you her father said warmly Its n n n. big thing for you to make such a plunge just plunge Just fine Im proud of you now too Connie said darkly The question Is will we webe webe webe be proud of you after the concert Lark sighed dolorously Oh pooh I encouraged Carpi Anybody Anybody Any ClAny- body can speak a silly little old piece tyke tike ke that And It will look so nice to have our names nt mes right together on the program It'll br bring ng out all the high J school bool folks sure sure Yes they'll come to hear Lark all allright allright right Fairy smiled But shell she'll make It go of course And It will give Carol Carold Carola d a chance to s show ow her cleverness by telling her how to do it So o as ns soon as supper was over Carol said decidedly Now Connie you'll have to help me with the dishes the next two vo weeks for Larks Lark's got to practice practice practice tice on that piece Lark you must read It over very vety thoughtfully first to get the meaning Then Just read it ft and read It and read rend it a dozen times a hundred times over and over and over And pretty soon you'll know it it Ill ll bet I dont don't was the ing lag retort as Lark with pronounced distaste took the slip sUp of paper and sal at down in the corner to read the bloomIng blooming blooming bloom ing thing as she muttered crossly to Connie and Carol did up the dishes In dreadful sile silence ce and then Carol r returned re re- re turned to the charge How many times did you read It IU Fourteen and a half halt was the patient patient pa pa- tient answer Its a silly aily thing Carol r Theres There's ere s no sense to it t. t The wind wen went drifting oer o'er the lea Oh that's not so bad Carol said helpfully Ive had pieces with worse lines than that The Imprint of n a dainty foot for Instance When you say The wind went drifting oer o'er the thelea thelen len lea you must kind of let your voice glide along very rhythmically very very very- Windily suggested Connie who remained remained remained re re- re- re to witness the exhibition You YU keep still Constance Starr or you can get out of here I Its It's no laughIng laughing laughing laugh laugh- ing matter I can tell you and you have to keep out or I wont won't help and then then then- Ill keep still sun But It ought to be windIly you know since I Its It's the wIn wind I meant It for a Joke she Informed them The twins had a n very disheartening disheartening ening way of falling to recognize recognise Connle's Connie's Connies Connle Con Con- nie's nies Jokes jokes jokes-it It took the life out of them Now read It aloud Lark so I can see If It you get the proper expression Carol continued when Connie was utterly utterly utterly ut ut- terly subdued Lark obediently but unhappily read the quaint poem aloud and Carol said It was very good You must read It aloud often otten very often That'll give you a better Idea iden of the accent Now put ut It away and dont don't look at It again tonIght If you keep It up too long you'll get so dead sick rick of It yon you cant can't speak It at nt all By the evening of the Sunday-school Sunday concert they concert they were concerting for the sake of a hundred-dollar hundred subscription to o church repairs repairs Lark Lark had mastered her recitation so perfectly that the minds of the parsonage were nearly at peace She still felt a deep resentment toward oward the situation but this was partially partially partially par par- counter-balanced counter by the satIsfaction sails satIs- faction action of seeing her name In print directly directly di dl- beneath Carols Carol's on the ilie program Re Recitation Miss Carol Starr Recitation Miss Mies Lark Starr It looked very well Indeed and md the whole family took a proper Interest In Int It t No one gave a Carols Carol's recitation a second thought S1 She e always recited and did It Jt easily and w well lI It was quite a commonplace c occurrence for her On the nI night ht of the e concert she superintended superintended su su- Larks Lark's dressing with maternal maternal ma- ma ernal care You Yon look all right she satin aid Just fine e. e Now dont don't get scared Lark jark Its It's so silly Billy Remember that you ou know all those people by heart you ou can talk a blue streak to any of them hem Theres There's no use use use- But I cant can't talk a blue streak to the whole houseful at once Lark pro- pro tested ested It uIt makes me have such euch fc n- n hollow feeling feelIng to to see so many white whitefaces whitefaces faces aces gazing up and Its It's hot aad and and- Stop that came the stern com com- mand You Yon dont don't want to get cold feet before you start If you do acci acct accidentally dentally forget once or twice dont don't worry I know the piece as well as you do and I can prompt you yon from behind behind be- be hind without anyone noticing It But Dut you wont won't forget She kissed her You'll do fine Larkie Just as fine as you look and it couldn't be better than that Just then Connie ran In Fairy wants to know If you are getting stage fright right Lark My you do look nice I INow INow ITow Now Tow for goodness' goodness sake Lark remember remember remember ber the parsonage and dont don't make a fizzle of It it Who says fizzle demanded their father ather from the doorway Never Never saydIe saydie say saydie die my girl Why Lark I never saw you look so sweet You have your hair fixed a new way haven't you Carol did it It was the shy reply It does look nice doesn't It Im I'm not scared father not a u bit yet bit yet 1 But theres there's a hollow feeling feeling- Have the boys come No but they'll be here In a minute Jims Jim's late I 1 do get sore at Jim Jim Jim-I'd Id I'd forty orty times rather go with him than Hartley but Hartley but he always puts of off asking ask ask- I ing ng us until UI the last minute and then I Ih h have l e a n date and you get him I b believe believe believe be be- lieve he does it on purpose Come on down And Grace looked at nt the pale sweet face with gratified delight and kissed her warmly Her father walked around hor her nodding approval Aunt Grace trace he said solemnly its a wretched business having a parsonage parsonage parsonage parson parson- age full of daughters Just es tS soon as they reach the age ago of beauty grace and charm they turn their backs on their thello fathers and smile on lads Youve got me father sold Connie consolingly And me when me-when when Babbles Babble's In Chicago Chica Chica- go added Fairy Yes that's some help Connie be bean bean bean an old maid Do Dol I 1 I Implore you Oh Connies Connie's got a beau already said Carol Its the fat Allen boy They dont don't have dates yet but they've got an awful case on Hes He's going to make their living by traveling with a show You'll have haye to put up with auntie she's she's beyond the be beaning stage 1 Suits me he said contentedly I r Iam Iam ram am getting more than my deserts Come on Grace well we'll start So will we Connie said Fairy But the boys came both together and the family group set out together Carol and Hartley one Hartley one of ot her high high- school admirers led admirers led off by running a arace arace arace race down the parsonage walk And Lark old worn and grave brought up the rear with Jim Forrest Jim was wasa a favorite attendant of the twins He had been graduated from high school the year previous and was finishing off at af the agricultural college In Ames But Ames was not far from home and he was still frequently on hand to squire the twins when squires were in demand For this broad minded devotion the twins gave him a seated deep-seated gratitude and affection and he always stood high In their favor Are you scared Lark he asked her as they walked slowly down the street toward the church Im not scared Jim she answered solemnly but Im I'm perfectly cavernous cavernous cavernous cavern cavern- ous If It you know what that means I I r sure do know he said fervently I have to do a speech at the commencement exercises There never was a completer cavern than I was that night But I 1 cant can't figure out why folks agree to do such things when they dont don't have to I had to It was compulsory Lark gazed at him with limpid troubled troubled trou Iron bled eyes I cant can't figure out either I dont don't know why I did It was a mistake mistake mis mis- take some way At the church which was gratifyingly gratifying gratifying- ly crowded with Sunday school enthusIasts enthusiasts enthusiasts the twins forsook their friends and slipped sUpped along the side aisle to the dressing room room commonly commonly utilized as the storeroom for worn-out worn song songbooks songbooks songbooks books Bibles and lesson sheets sheela There they sat In throbbing quivering silence with the rest of the flent entertainers ers until un un- until til the first strains of the piano solo d IU r I 1 x S s 6 Are You Scared Lark broke forth when they walked sedately sedate sedate- ly out and took their seats along the side of 01 the platform platform platform-an an antediluvian custom which has long been discarded by everything but Sunday schools and graduating classes The program went along smoothly with no more stumbles than Is customary customary customary custom custom- ary at such affairs and nicely punctuated punctuated punctuated with hand When the superintendent rend read Recitation Recitation Miss Miss Carol Starr the applause was enthusiastic for Carol was a prime favorite In church and school and town With sweet and charming nonchalance she tripped to the front of the platform and gave a graceful inclination of her proud young head In response to the applause Then her voice rang out and the room was hushed Nobody ever worried when Carol spoke a piece Things always went all right And back to her place she walked her face flushed her ber heart swelling high with the gratification of a good deed well done Carol Lark whispered I Im I'm Im I'm scared Instantly the triumph left Carols Carol's heart Youre not she whispered 1 passi passionately gripping her twins twin's hand closely you are not youre you're all right Lark trembled more more violently Her head hend swayed a little Bright flashes of light were blinding her eyes and her cars ears ere vere ringing I cant I cant can't she muttered muttered muttered mut mut- thickly Im flIm sick Carol leaned close to her and began a n violent train of conversation for the purpose of distracting her attention Lark grew rew more paleR pale Ri R notation Miss Miss Lark Starr Again the applause rang out Lar Larit t did not move I 1 cant can't she whispered red again I cant Lark Lark begged egged Carol desper desper- You Yo must go you must The wind went drifting oer o'er the lea lea Its its it's easy enough Go on Lark You must Lark shook her head she murmured indistinctly Remember the parsonage begged Carol Think of Prudence Think of papa Look there he Is IB s right down there Hes He's expecting you Lark You must 1 I Lark tried to rise She could not She could not see her fathers father's clear encouraging encouraging en en- face tace for those queer flashes of light You Youcan Youcan You can whispered Carol can cnn do anything If you try Prudence says so People were craning their necks and peering curiously up to the second row where the twins sat side by side The Theother Theother Theother other performers nudged one another smiling significantly I cant cant can't Lark whispered Im sick Lark Lark Lark called the Carol sighed bitterly Evidently It was up to her With a grim face she rose from her chair and started out on the platform The superintendent stared at her his lips parting The people stared stored at nt her too and smiled and then laughed stricken Panic-stricken her eyes sought her fathers father's face He nodded nodded nodded nod nod- ded quickly and his eyes approved Good I His lips formed the word and Carol did not falter again The applause was nearly drowned with laughter as Carol advanced for her second recitation The wind went drifting oer o'er the thelea thelea thelea lea she began her began her voice drifting properly on the words words and and so on to the end of the piece Most of the audience knowing Larks Lark's temperament had concluded that fear prevented her appearance and understood that Carol had come to her twins twin's rescue for the reputation of the parsonage The applause was deafening |