Show Prudence's Daughter CHAPTER VII VII Continued Continued 15 15 Those days in Jerrys Jerry's lovely home with t Jerrys Jerry's father Duane Dunne felt Celt were the happiest o of his entire life Ufe They had breakfast together In n the morning mornIng morn- morn Ing lug reading the papers over oyer their coffee coffee coffee cof cof- fee drove to the factory together and went out for luncheon to n a cafe or club dub somewhere And In the evening they played pinochle smoked and read sometimes just smoked and talked The They went to the Princess to patronize patron patron- ize the stock company which will go JO godown godown down In history as as the life start of ot Fay Bainter Once Jerrold had some men In and they played poker Sometimes Duane forgot that Jerrold Jerrold Jerrold Jer Jer- rold was to be his f tether law thought of hIm only as a remarkably companionable old chap and easy to have around You know Mr Harmer he said saIl one night sl since ce Ive I've been so so-so so so keen keenon on Jerry JerrY dad and so d n d-n n mad at her stubbornness stubbornness stubbornness stub stub- Ive I've sort of lost interest In you you know women know women and things That's not natural Do Doss Does s it hang over over over-or or do you get back bask when youve you've been marrIed married married mar mar- ried a R while 1 You act like a blase old roue said Jerrold but you talk like a kid And then he lie said with a great grent assumption assumption assumption tion of sternness See here young fellow Im I'm on Jerr Jerrys Jerry's s side Do Dont Don't t you i try to get anything out of me th that t you may Olav be able to to- use against me later on You stick sUck to the straight and nd nar nar- row He laughed a little I wont won't say that In all my twenty years I haven't felt the fleeting intrigue of a foreign dimple or curl or maybe an ankle ankle and and theres there's no denying that a woman does get on your our nerves especially especially es es- es- es the way she lugs your jour tobacco out of your our r reach reach but h but Im I'm strong for Prudence But of course there nr arent aren't nt many You wouldn't expect that One night he asked about that picture picture pic pic- ture In Jerrys Jerry's room the Ocean Rider Its a haunting thing he said It makes males you think of Jerry somehow somehow- Oh didn't you know Theresa The picture gave me the creeps too at first The eyes are Jerrys She has nice eyes maybe youve you've noticed it he added sl slyly ly Not as nice now I think as as' as when she left She IQ looks ks more more more- cloudy But nut very nice The picture isa Is Isa Isa a shock at first sight Makes you feel as if It youve you've caught her stepping out of the bath He told Duane then of Theresa and her tragic death her even en more tragic life Ufe Duane was shocked hurt It seemed a terrible thing for Jerry to togo togo go through and lacking the support of his tenderness and sympathy He hated himself as though b he had failed her when she had need of him Once he said Why do you suppose she Bhe wouldn't flirt with me when me-when when she shedid shedid shedid did with others And nd I f know she she she- liked meed me well enough Jerrold said I dont don't know what do you ou think And did not realize reaUze he IH had caught that cleverness of evasion from his wife Did she tell you rou I was drunk that night Duane persisted morbidly Jerry never neer tells us things until she needs us said Jerrold proudly She Site struggles along by herself until she knows she is whipped Then she comes to Prudence and me She was wasUke like Uke that when she was a baby She She would work for half halt a n day trying tring to fix fix fixa a broken toy by herself herself herself-a a thing I could do in a minute mInute but but she never came until she had worn herself out ont outworking outworking working at It alone and found it too much for for her Prudence likes es that she thinks it shows character After a blissful week th that t was full of reminiscences of Prudence and Jerry In the past and countless hopes for Prudence and Jerry In the future the telegram came carne to announce their returning returning returning re re- re- re turning and anti Jerrold said regretfully Sorry old fellow Ive I've got to chuck you out The girls will be home this evening e Du Duanes Duane's neB disappointment and his hits regret regret regret re re- re- re gret at leaving heaving were almost childish In the Intimacy of Jerrys Jerry's home he had almost forgotten their estrangement and felt she should be coming to him himas as Prudence came back to Jerrold I if wonder what would would happen If It I just stuck on and faced the music he lie said to Jerrold as If I had bad a right to tobe tobe tobe be here Oh good lord was lord was all Jerrys Jerry's father father fa fa- fa- fa ther tiler had to say So Duane Dunne packed his bags bitterly unhappily and moved back to the sordid sordid sordid sor sor- did stupidity of his hotel room Jerrold spent the rest of t the day going goIng goIng go- go Ing through the house removing every trace of ot evidence as to the presence ofa of ofa a guest He c cautioned the maids over o an ant ana over to breathe not a n word of what had transpired and In the the the- ev eve evening eve eve- fling ning met fits his wife wite and daughter at U the e eI I station In deference to the returning of Prudence Prudence Prudence Pru Pru- dence dence- he generously removed the bronze smoking stand from the side of the bed and put it back In the stairway lounge where she had left It It He al always always alwn al- al wn ways s 's made that concession on the night that Prudence returned And Prudence in gratitude for his generosity generosity gener gener- always carried It back when they went to bed and put It where his hand could not fail faU to find it the mo moment moment mo- mo ment he should awaken He kissed Prudence first kissed her twice Then he lie turned to Jerry Jerr Jerry alwa always s 's surprised him She took hold of ot both of ot his arms and looked deep seep Into his eyes her own unsmiling leading anxious Jerrold met them bravely although his heart sank guiltily guilt guilt- guiltily ily Uy beneath the w wet weight ht on his this con- con By y ETHEL HUESTON ON 1 Co Bobbs Copyright br by th the n Bobbs Service science He wondered If It he bore a amarie amark amark mark marie engraved upon his features that her lynx-bright lynx eyes could read and un un- But J Jerry em said nothing She released released released re re- re- re leased her tense grip upon his arms after a moment and kissed him CHAPTER VIII Between Friends During the dinner hour on an early evening e In November Jerry was called to the telephone and when she came ame back a moment later to her place there was a curious quizzical smile upon her lips Ups and ana Jn In her eyes It was Adela Longley she explained ex ex- She wanted me to go to the theater with with her Adda Adria Longley I 1 Prudence was gently gently gen gen- surprised hAre Are you going asked Jerrold with hb usual lack of ot Inter It was Adela Longley Jerry repeated repeated repeated re re- for his liis enlightenment Of or course I am nm not going I told her I Iam Iam Iam am very busy tonight Jerry and her mother exchanged glances of ot smiling tolerance tolerance tolerance-toler- toler tolerance ance f for r Jerrolds Jerrold's mannish incomprehension IncomprehensIon Incomprehension hension of ot de delicate social situations smiling they loved him h For from New York down the hamlet hamlet ham Imm- let has its central select set which seems a thing tiling of merest Idle chance and yet the laws of ot the Medes and Persians themselves were not a whit whitmore whitmore whitmore more binding Adela Longley was was- one who hovered as It were in the remote whorls of that society which circled about Jerry as a point of pivot She belonged to the large social life Ufe of Des Moines but was not nott and could not be a part of ot that Inner nucleus which Is so rigidly a thing tiling apart And yet Jerry was the very soul of democracy she said she abhorred snobbishness of all things In Inthe Inthe inthe the world she made no slightest distinction dis dIs- as fiS to place or person person only only as to personality She didn't care for Adela Longley Oh she's a different sort very nice of ot course I course I dont don't care about ner ner It was Adela Jerry felt who kept Adela In the so social Ial fringe Maybe she thinks f If she gets a little lit lit- little tle tie clubby with you I may give her a better price on a car suggested Jerrold Jer Jer- J Jerrold errold er- er rold always glad to help out with this Ills opinion Jerry was vas interested A car carl I Another An An- other car Why she has a car now I tired tired of it She wants to trade It in on a Harmer She has been In three times this week to see about it ft Jerry lowered the misty lashes re re- Only Jerry knew how v very strange a 0 thing th that t was She was not above sounding her father for confirmation confirmation con con- confirmation of her suspicion She has bas a Harkness I It cost nearly nearly nearly near near- ly five thousand dollars dollar more than mine Yes she said she would have nothing nothIng nothing noth noth- ing but a n Harkness In the beginning but she doesn't like Uke It now she has It SI She Slie wants to trade It in for a Harmer roadster like Uke yours Like mine I But you had mine made specially for tor me and I designed designed designed de de- signed signed- signed Yes I know Duane told her her her- Who told her Oh Oh Mr Allerton you know Duane Allert Allerton n. n He Be Is on the floor you see He showed her the models and she's been talking to Mm biro about It It ItOh itOh Oh I see Jerry had her mation Well go on What did did he lie lie- tell her He said we will not duplicate the tile body of your car for anybody but that we will design another special for her any style she likes But Bute we e do not care to duplicate yours under any cir cir- Adela Long Longley y made fun of the Harmer when she got hers bers said Jerry reflectively She said she anted wanted a good car or none at all fill The girls used to tease nie me about It Well ma maybe be she thinks more of It now v. Duane says she was enthusiastic tic about the demonstration Who her the gave demonstration t He did I should think Jerrys Jerry's voice was wasso wasso wasso so soft as to o be almost Inaudible I 1 should think the salesmen would do that They do ordinarily But she had tall talked ed to him hilt on the floor several times and asked him particularly ulmI to take her out So of course he lie did Jerry had lost her hel appetite for din din- ner Her Hex thoughts were running along alonga a new line Myrtle Mrtle Ingersoll and I went ent to a n matinee Wednesday she said slowly She wanted to come by the office n and d dask ask you OU to go with us Ask who You father She thinks you are such a dear I told her a you cu are ate i a iper perfect per feet slave to business and und never go out In the afternoon and ond she wanted to come b by and ask you anyhow thought you ou might be pleased with the attention I didn't think anything of ot It then But Dut Im I'm thinking plenty now v. Jerrold laughed easily Oh they think up sillier simer excuses ses than that to get a look at him Not that I blame them at all aU I There arent aren't enough looking good-looking young fellows to tp go the rounds here you yon know j I It had bad not before occurred to Jerry to wonder what hot Duane was doing dur dur- I ID Inc far the e evening with whom he was friendships he was going out what this tills phase of the Now that forming to her drawn was so fO It situation she realized ze very clearly attention Ire size Ize of Des Moines that In n a town t the s whoa who of f good od appearance e man 0 go a young with bridge and could dance play personal charm to JO h his credit great to pass ass by y was vas not at all likely P served And Ad If further corroboration tl on onI onn were necessary n she rece received I e d it in painful plenitude on Monday evening at Gra Grad Gra j McCartney's shower for Rae Forsythe when all the girls of their particular clique were together Jerry was late at once in arriving and amI was greeted outburst with a gay protesting b bl to so how bow could you O Oh l Jerry selfish I 1 Jerry Harmer you ought to be ashamed of ot yourself 1 Anything as looking good g as that I Where in the w world did your father find it J Jerry rry realized It would be foolish to pretend Ignorance as to their their meaning meaning In a n town as small and as fraternal I I as ns Des Moines She laughed it off oIl as best she could explained e gayly that she left the management of the Harmer Harmer Har Har- mer Motor to her father and agreed that Duane All Allerton was certainly avery avery a avery very handsome thing Do you know him Jerry asked Edith Weatherby Yes I met him In New York This was greeted with merry sIgnificant significant significant cant exclamations and laughter Oh so its it's like that I they cried No wonder I It seems he lie had some sort of financial financial finan finan- cial reverses she went on quickly f l I lM r Ili I I I I V I I Ft I Jerrold Carefully Placed the Great Cloak About His Daught Daughters Daughter's rs r's dersI dersI dersI ders I dont don't know much about It but he wanted to make a change and n you know father Is always taking on men Do you like hike him J Jerry err t persisted Edith Weatherby Jerry was not to be caught ed edOf Of course ourse Why not I hardly know the man And youre you're not personally interested interest Interest- ed are you ou continued her gator Because he he told me he lie had bad lost a lot of money and I told father futher- father likes him very ery much much and and I told father I was sure he lie would rather work in a bank bunk than in n a factor factory You know my father is always taking on OD men too Jerrys Jerry's eyes were serene and un un- clouded Yes of course couise That would be lovely for Mr Allerton I am sure his opportunity would be much greater In the bank banI than with my ray father More than ev ever Jerry ever r Jerry regretted that hasty Impulse of hers which had brought Duane Allerton to Iowa Andret And yet ret she took a bitter morbid satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction tion in having them Know that after atter all nil she had known him first that that she had been In I a sense the mot motive ve of his coming coming coming-as as Indeed she had and in ina Inn ina a n far fur more intimate sense than Jerry would have them suspect t. t On the evening of Thanksgiving occurred occurred oc oc- oc- oc the annual dinner-dance dinner at the club one of the real events of the year eat eatto to which the younger set sel at least looked forward for weeks with keen anticipation Usually Jerry made one of a n group of ot her particular friends while Willie Prudence and Jerrold filled up upa a table with couples of th their Ir own age and Interests But for this night J Jerry err persistently refused all invitations Invitations Invitations and l d Insisted on a family trio Prudence Jerrold and herself To ro her friends she said suld ehe she thought her mother would like it It To Prudence she said honestly Oh mother Im I'm tired I dont don't feel like Uke pretending to be Interested In a lot of when things when I am not On the afternoon of the dance she I sat curled In a big chair before the fire I with a magazine she did not read and Jerrold sat opposite her with the eve eve- evening ning fling paper smoking and aud neither of them answered when Prudence reminded reminded re reo minded them for tor the third time that they must hurry burry and dress Finally i at h her r Insistence Jerrold dropped the paper and sighed d. d Im Pm getting too old for tor such goings- goings on he sa said d plaintively I 1 feel Just like sitting here In my own house by my my own fire and going to bed at a hour |