Show 4 I tr PRUDENCE SAYS SO r T Author of TH TO ll A PRUDENCE OF THE PARSONAGE r Copyright Bobbs Bobbs Merrill Co r r j CHAPTER X X Continued 11 11 1 1 v 1 r. r S She he looked at him queerly Maybe not DOt r I Connie Connle might suppose Connie Cormier she contradicted promptly prompt prompt- ly y 1 will probably marry a genius or ora I J a n rascal ora millionaire He He looked dazed dared at that r t She leaned forward n a little Carol CarolY Y might I Carol Carol She might She watched him narro narrowly narrowly nar nar- ro l a n smile In her eyes yes Carols too worldly J i a i u You dont don't believe that t No not really Carol why she she why you know what I think of ot It Carol r wouldn't be half halt bad for a n ministers minister's rs r's r I J wife She has a sense of ot humor that thatIs r t Is fa very Important She's generous she's patient she's unselfish a n goo good brood mixer some mixer some of the ladles might think her complexion wasn't real but but but- 1 1 Grace Carol wouldn't be half bad t I Oh William willlam she sighed cant you i r remember that hat you are a a. Methodist I f minister r and sand a grandfather and and and- x grow grov gro up a aIt little f z t After er that M Mr S Starr n r returned ed to r 1 normal again only many times he and andr andt r t Co Connie had little lttie outings tog together ther and talked a a. great deal And Aunt Grace 4 W seeing It smiled with satisfaction But the twins and amI Fairy settled settle It In their t ow own 1 minds mind by saying g Father was just justa a little Jealous of ot all aU the beaux benu H Hi He i was l looking for a pal and nd hes he's found r Connie Connie w 4 But In spite of his new devotion to toy y Connie Mr St Starr rr also spent a great f deal of time with Fairy We uWe must G get fast chums churns Fairy he often said r. r to her This Is our last chance W We if have to get cemented for a lifetime me lt c you know li r And F Fairy iy when h h he said so caught his hand and laughed a little I y Indeed he was right when he sal said It r was his last chance with Fairy in the 1 parsonage Two weeks before her t commencement sue she she had Iran slipped sUpped Into the library and lid closed the door cautiously cau cau- 0 t behind her Father she said would you be bevery very sorry If I didn't teach school after y nil nU all Not n a bit came cam the r ready dY answer 1 t I r 1 mean lIt if I you I-you you see father since f. f you sent me meito to c college I feel as If I 1 ought to work and help and help out It That s nonsense he e said drawing l a the tall girl down to his this knees I can take care of my own family thanks Are you trying to run me out of my job If you want to w work rk all aU right r d do tt Jt but for yourself y and not for us r r Or If you want to do anything else r he did not meet her eyes yes if yo you want to stay at home a year or so before f you get married it would please us 7 better than anything else And when v. v you want to marry Gene were we're exp expecting expect expect- ct- ct rf ing lag It you know ti r A Yes I she know she fingered the lapel 1 r of his coat uneasily Do you care how soon I get married i i 1 I Are you still stIn sure it is Gene x Yes Im I'm sure Then I think you you should choose rt y your our own time I I am in no hurr hurry But nut any ally time time Its its it's for you and Gene Gen to decide det de de- t t t cider cide Then you haven't ha set your heart on my teaching t T r set my h heart art o on giving you the It best t chan chance possible And I have done donez z it it For or the rest it depends on your you f r You may work or you may stay at home a while I only want you to be beJ o. o J happy Fairy But doesn't it seem foolish to go so I. I c clear ear through college an and spend the mone money and then then marry marry without us using ng the e education i I do not think so They've been fine years and you are finer because Y y of bt them Theres There's Just as much opportunity f to use your fineness In a home homet t of your own as ns in a public school m. m t. t That's the way I i look 1001 at it t e You dont don't think Im I'm too young Youre pr pretty tty young he said slow- slow l ly t. t I can hardly say Fairy Youve You've always been capable and self-pos- self t When you and Gene get so 0 t crazy about you ou cant can't bear beart i to be apart any longer its it's all right tIght t here She put ut her rin rm around his neck and rubbed her fingers o er his cheek lov- lov Ing J You understand nd dont don't you father that Im I'm j Just t going to be plain married when rhea the time com comes s1 Not a wedding g r like Gene and the girls and T Pru rp rue and p Jerr Terry Jerry and you ou father that Is all aU l. l r a I I i t. t i u Yes all right Its It's your day you know And we wont won't talk much about it beforehand We all know how we feel t i about things It would be silly for me meto to try to tell you what a grand sweet F father youve you've been to us I cant can't toll tell you you you-If If I tried Id I'd only cry You know 1 f what I think t. t His f face f ce wa was against hers har s and his ri eyes were away from her so Fairy did r. r not see the moisture In his eyes wh whet hen henhe he said In a low law Ow voice olce j Yes I know Fairy And I dont don't r t need nr-cd to say what fine tine gh gire you are arc and hov how proud I am of you You know e It already But sometimes he added I uI wonder that I haven't been beena a bigger man and haven't done finer fined I Work with a houseful of at of girls like M My y t. t l Her er arm pressed more closely about his neck Father she whispered dont say that We think you are wonderfully splendid Just as you are nrc It Isn't what youve you've said not what youve you've done clone for us its it's Just because you have always made us so sure atou of at you ou We never had to wonder about father or ask ourselves we ourselves we were sure Weve We've always had you She leaned over and kissed him again Now we understand each other dont don't we J 1 I guess so Anyhow I understand that therell there'll only be three daughters In Inthe Inthe inthe the parsonage pretty soon All right Fairy I know you will be happy He paused a moment So will wIllI I. I But the months passed and Fairy seemed content to stay quietly at home embroidering as Prudence had clone done laughing at nt the twins as they tripped gayly riotously through college And then in the early spring she sent an nn urgent note to Prudence You must come home for a few days Prue you and Jerry Its It's Just because I want you and I need you and I know you wont won't go back on me Just wire you are coming the coming the three of ot you I know you'll be here since It is I who ask It It followed naturally that Prudence's an answer was satisfactory Of course well we'll come Fairy's plans were very simple Well have n a nice family dinner Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day dlly evening Well We'll all be together nice and quiet just our own little bunch Dont Don't have dates twins twins twins-of of course Gene will wUl be here but hes he's part of at the family and we dont don't want out out- 4 I r 4 11 III r bl blk k N Nf f 1 You Dont Don't Think Im I'm Too Young skiers sIders this time His parents will be bein bein in town and Ive I've asked them to come up I want a real family reunion just for once and its it's my party for I started started start start- ed it So you must let me have it my myown myown myown own way After the first confusion of welcomIng welcoming welcoming welcom welcom- ing Prudence home and making fun of daddy Jerry and testing the weight and length of little Fairy they all aU settled down to a n parsonage hoWe hoWe- home home- gath gathering Just a few minutes before the dinner hour Fairy took her fathe fathers father's fa fathers ther's the s hand Come into the limelight she said softly I want you He lIe passed little Fairy over to the outstretched arms of the nearest auntie and allowed hImself himself him hIm- self to be led Into the center of the room Gene said Fairy and he lIe came to her quickly holding out a slender rollof roll rollof of paper Its our license said Fairy We think wed we'd like to be married i row ItOW ow father If It you wIll He looked at her questionIngly but understandingly The girls gills clustered about them with eager outcries half protest half halt encouragement Its m my day you know cried Fairy and this Is my way way wayn She held out her ber hand and Gene took It very tenderly In his Mr Starr looked at them gravely for a moment and then In the gentle voice that the parsonage parsonage girls Insisted was his most must valuable ministerial asset he gave his second girl in marriage It surely was Fairy's way plain and sweet without formality And the dinner that followed was Just a happy family dinner Fairy's face was so glowing g with content and Genes Gene's attitude attl- attl tude was so tender and so ludicrously proud that th the tv twins Ins at last lost were we're were convInced convinced con- con vInced that this was right and nIl all was wits well But that evening when Genes Gene's parents par par- cuts had hUf gone away and after Fairy and Gene Gune themselves es had taken the carriage to the station for their little vacation together and Jerry and Prudence Prudence Prudence Pru Pru- dence were putting little Fairy to bed the three girls left In the home sat drearily In la their bedroom and talked it over Were thinning out nut said Connie Who next Well stick around as long as ns we like Miss Connie you needn't try to shuffle us off said Lark indignantly Prudence and Fairy Fairy it It was pretty cute of ot Fairy wasn't it J Lets ULet's go to bed said Carol rising I 1 suppose well we'll feel better in the morning A good sleep is almost as ns fillIng fillIng fill- fill Ing fag as a big meal after a blow like this Well Veil that's the end of Fairy We have to make maIm the best of us Come on Larkie Youve You've still sUll got us to boss you Con so you needn't feel too for for- lorn My but the house Is still In some ways I think this family Is posItively positively post post- sickening Good night Connie And after this when you want rant to eat candy In bed please use your own i got chocolate all aU over my foot last night Good night Connie Well Its It's the le end of Fairy The family is going to pieces sure enough I l i 4 CHAPTER XI i. i f Sowing Seeds Have you seen Mrs 1 Harbert Intel lately Carol Yes she's better father I was there a few minutes yesterday Yesterday You were there Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day weren't you Carol looked uncomfortable Well yes I was Just for a second She tells me youve you've been running In nearly every day since she took tool sick Carol bent sharply inquiring ey eyes s upon her father What else did she tell you ou She said you were an nn angel Y yes she yes she seems somehow to think I do It for kindness And dont don't you Why no father of course I dont Its It's only two blocks out of my way ant and its it's such fun to pop In on sick folks and show them how disgustingly strong and well I am am Where When did you yon get the money for that basket of fruit I 1 borrowed It from Aunt Grace Carols Carol's face was crimson with cation callon But It'll be a sweet time before before before be be- fore Mrs Harbert gets anything else from me She promised she wouldn't tell Did any of ot the others know about the fruit Why Why not not exactly But she thinks It was from the whole family She thanked me for It I I I made her think that that Carol explained I want her to think were we're the nicest parsonage bunch they've ever had in tn Mount Mark lt really was from the family Aunt Grace loaned me the money and Ill Til have to bor borrow ow It from you to pay her And Lark did my dusting so I could go on the errand though she did not know what it was And I I er er acci accidentally dentally took one of at Connie Connie's ribbons to tie it with Isn't that a family gift Mr Scott tells me you are the prime- prime mover in the Junior League now he continued Well goodness knows our Junior League needs a mover of some sort And Mrs DavIes says you are a whole mercy and help department nil all by yourself What I cant can't can t understand said Carol mournfully Is ls why folks dont don't keep their mouths shut I know that sounds very Inelegant but It expresses my idea Iden perfectly Cant Can't I have a good gool time in my own way without the whole church peddling me from door to door The twinkle In her fathers father's eyes deepened What do you call it Carol sowing seeds of kindness' kindness I uI should say not not came the emphatic emphatic em em- retort I call It sowing sowIng- seeds of ot fun Its It's a circus to go around and gloat over o folks when they are sick or sorry or or- or But they tell me you dont don't gloat Mrs Marling Mailing sa says s 's you a died ched led with Jeanie half halt a day when her dog died I Oh that's my way of gloating said saki Carol nothing daunted but plainly to get away without further tion It was a n strange thing that of all the parsonage girls Carol light-hearted light whimsical mischievous Carol was the theone theone theone one most dear to the hearts of ot her fathers father's fathers father's fathers father's fa fa- ther's people Not the gentle Prudence Prudence Prudente Pru Pru- dence dente nor charming Fairy not clever Lark nor conscientious Connie could rival the naughty twin In Mount Marks Mark's affections And In spite of her odd curt speeches and nd h 11 hir tr openly I vaunted vanity Mount Mark Insisted she was good Certainly she wa was willing Get Carol Starr shell Starr-she'll shell she'll do doIt doIt doit It was the commonest phrase in Mount Marl Marie's Maries s vocabulary Whatever was wanted whatever the tile sacrifice Involved Involved involved In In- Carol stood ready to fill the bill Not for kindness oh kindness oh dear no no no- Carol f disclaimed all any such niceness nicene s as that She did It ht for fun pure and simple She said she liked to show off She Insisted tl at she liked to feel that she was the pivot on which little old Mount Mark Murk turned But this was only hen she was found out As far as ns she could she kept her little seeds of fun carefully up her ter sleeve I and It was only when the indiscreet adoration of her friends brought the budding plants to light ht that she laughingly laugh laugh- laughingly I declared It t was a circus to go gond and nd gloat over folks Once In hi the early dusk of a n summer evening she discovered old Ben Den Peters Peters Peters Pe Pe- halt half intoxicated slumbering noisily on a pile of ot sacks In a corner of or the parsonage barn Carol was sorry but not at all frightened The poor kindly weak old man was as familiar to her as any figure In Mount Mark He was always in a more or orless orless orless less helpless state of ot intoxication but also he was always harmless kindhearted kindhearted kind kind- hearted and generous She prodded him vigorously with the handle of r the pitchfork until he was aroused to consciousness consciousness con con- and then guided him Into the woodshed with the buggy whip When he was seated on a chunk atwood of at wood she faced him sternly Well VeIl you are a dandy she said Going Into a parsonage barn of all places in the world to sleep off on odor like yours Why didn't you go downto down do to Fred Greers Greer's harness shop that's where you got It ft Were We're such an awfully awful awful- ly temperance town you know But the parsonage I Why if the trustees had happened Into the barn and caught a whiff of ot that smell have lost his job Now you Just take warnIng warning warning warn warn- ing from me and keep away from this parsonage until you can develop a good Methodist odor Oh dont don't cry cry about it Your very tears smell rummy Just you hang on to that chunk of ot otwood wood and Ill I'll bring you some coffee Like a thief In the night she sneaked into the |