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Show fHQLLTOIPS; jtj Pij EnuUe Loring . ,,vlJila l"rcluM, ove' , " ,(J When U ' ' ? t UUUleJ. A wKI. . (? transforuuM dripp from twits v' Tie s,tn pf ttis soa t,e slscMy fastened !:ls th car. The loan, sloped Hie ensine vJ oat- ,. , : the matter. Mr. Vu(- Schuyler hundred iTawraoM !oom ot th Vv. Guess they'll hold " M Uiw. though." ;or valiantly swallowed '."-j-Vo ' concern. She '-K on th.e hand via besU her. She roal--I-reor.e to pull her spirit pit of depression, she :5(if. - r p::nl '.r.;sido. Vi, Si? Whit's the mat-:cotK? mat-:cotK? FUtr .V's was hollow, mufT'.oJ. a shut i:!'ln the cur-P.tieEC cur-P.tieEC eou'.d see noth- - u&sr.rr mlstl 6: yet " ' ' ; ie fH?:ss of bis an-;v;.r;e.i an-;v;.r;e.i that Mr. rcfTer did :f :'.r tLe person who had ilr--!cee!' tl e.;:erress in the q.'.es-: q.'.es-: of aai!e:y. more than : ' .' irrejiiee. If the wheel :e 3.d ta'.fc- she would s.1 iit Its shake was warn- keep qiiet. Prudence de- yon wouldn't expect is :o come to the country In ax would yon? Whatta r.r-3 shell get to the red i :t 1H-k!onowi". ' : brick honse! Her house: '!.? in the fog was Inqulr-her. Inqulr-her. Prudence Schuyler. ' ii! It. Puffer evaded the '.;! She watched him as he :! his seat :a me the minute she ar- t from the man at the - i! the only response. A - -pt shot Into the eolden '-3 0TB powerful headlights to i spark. ': leaned forward, "TTas which sounded like a : - of the fog, Inquiring for me, :? U you sidetrack him? a tin that I was arriving Jfn. you wait an' jou'll -3 S-inyler. Whatta mean ' yrrow yonll have kinder :':"r;c's anil know what to feilowayll tie yon up -la, If he can." ;cp! Tou're not alluding -Maial tie by any chance, looked back. "Glad to 'Mgk When I met you ;'-;j''i, I was afraid you was ? ':ak out cryln'. it sure ' -yn night for you to arrive. .-'J further to go. We're ; wrard pace D0W 'evident that he considered -'" the fog a closed lncl-..'Ue lncl-..'Ue feel that she was 7 lth cariosity? Pru-, Pru-, herself. She had bet-:!1 bet-:!1 MJferenL She said k know there Is some-.4;5ble some-.4;5ble to pass." ;i'l sly8 like this; Just sWnes. Gerard Is w? the east-that ls. 4 fu it being a neighbor : iTJra only - to Ita, 1 reckon you've , . IWgln- by the truck LV np t0 tf'e red i oiner day." vp" 8he could explain f u;af Schuyler evad- j 'th the intention i flrlTer'g attention 5 e slv!'. 8he su?ested : at,0,lt the Gerard fam- 'T-:? tel1 you " mi,,08' Perhaps 'twill ! '"t .M lDdU1,,S nim.' E0lf llnks' ,I,0n.D59. an' 'bout two i,t!e townspf;o' '15r ro " one 01 those rnread ahout "ho dv la' hav0 strlnB of polo treak6fa Val'J '0 bring la? a crease tnlr 'Hut Ut,thelr Pink silk "e a'n't a bit utuck- "Souiula like a tlrsrt faintly of Holly wood." "Whatta mean la, folks here think a lot of Hod, hut ho tins nn older brother Walter nil' that brother has a lfe. Walt ns tlio on by old uiau Oerard's ttrst marriage; that wife didn't have nny money, neither neith-er did he. After she died, llerard, who was a handsome, gifted man, married an heiress and Kod's their child. They built a house of stone and oak on a lilli ledge-; that's the name of the place- High Ledges." "It has a sort of ppro:u-h-lf you-dare you-dare souml." "As I was s.ayln', Hod's mother loved every Inch of the land, turned abandoned quarry holes Into gardens. gar-dens. She and tier husband are burled In one of them. Old man Gerard died, then she went several years ago, and Hod well, llod was Jr.st out of law school nnd crary ahout living when he came Into a big fortune: perhaps you'e met fellers like that." "Just like that '" Prudence concurred con-curred bitterly. n:;d hoped In the next second that the man had not noticed the sting In tier voice. "He didn't show up here for two years after he lost his mother. Then last June he opened the place, and who'd he hrltig with him but Walt (Terard and his wife nnd little lit-tle girl. Walt lit out pretty quick, but th.e Mrs. seized the reins of management nnd how she did drive. She's or.e of ll.oni woinen h's fo busy help!:'.' God rr.r. his world that she lets her iw n folks get u'.w.g ns best ti.ey can. Si.es nil a twitter, winks or.e of her old blue eyes when she thli.ks she's bein' smart; before you've teen talkln' to her five minutes, she'll lug In a remark about 'my cousin, the ambassador.' She kept the l.oue full of company all summer, your.g folks, but the girls were so homely they'd have i .stopped even one of them electric l clocks which Is supposed to run forever. She's a wise one." 'T hadn't supposed there were any 'homely girls' now, they know so'well how to to.'k like a million. Why Is Mrs. Walter Gerard wise? Not because she doesn't care for beauty?" "Whatta mean Is, Walt, her husband. hus-band. Is handsome ns a movie actor. She Is tall, with horses' te-eth and a kind of horse-shaped face. Guess she was handsome once the women wom-en here say she's a nifty dresser-must dresser-must have been or Walt never would have married her. He well, he knows where the corn crib Is. Their kid is thirteen years old. She's cute, but that curious that folks lock up everything when they see her coming. Hod's awful pood to her and she worships hlm. The Walt Gerards haven't much money. Rod gives them an Income. That's another reason his sister-in-law doesn't want pretty girls around. Twould upset her apple cart terrible ter-rible if he should marry." 'Has Mr. Kodney Gerard no mind of his own?" yes yes, he has. but since his mother passed away, Rod's kinder lazy; besides, he's got the Idea some girl will marry him for his money." Puffer's voice deepened with affectionate anxiety. "You see, he has all he can spend. This Is, I'm guessing so. Perhaps he tmnks, why should I work now an' take a Job from someone else? "Here we are, Miss Schuyler, this is your uncle's place. I forgot; it's yours now. Sorry you had such a tough night to arrive." He stopped the car In the road before brick gateposts and sounded a lugubrious horn. In response, the house door opened and let out a stream of yellow light; a soft, cushiony cush-iony voice called : "That you, SI?" "That's Mother my wife," Puffer Puf-fer explained, as he unfastened the curtains on prudence's side of the car. He helped her out, then extended ex-tended a bony hand to the gaunt woman who seemed to unfold line an extension ladder as she stepped cautiously to the ground. Prudence Schuyler's throat tightened tight-ened as she blinked at the red brick house she had Inherited. A woman, designed on the feather-bed plan, with an extra chin or two In the best Rembrnndt manner, greeted her in the hall. "Come right In and wash and take off your hat. Suppers all ready, denrie. When you get something some-thing to eat, things'll look different differ-ent Life can seem awful dark and dreary, on an empty stomach' ' Prudence achieved a smile. J hann you. Mrs. Puffer. This Is Jane Mack, who has come to help me keep house. She has been a standby n our family since the first day she came to make little girl froc ks for me. Will you tell her where to find UAs3'thft:Co?"women disappeared, ""' ontered the room on her , f "' '.ves, ,,,,'ondy 1,1,11 U fn"" ''"'olio,,, (lh,UM s Kh'o saw he,-,olf ,-ellected In the, long old fashioned pier Klas.s between the windows, "Not too bad." si.o mado a Kmln faco t the looking giH!) )(,r()re ho turned to Inspect her surround-lugs. surround-lugs. Tb rtxnn was cozy, homey Her spirit stirred damp wlngH. Her hack lo-the farm venture might not Prove the Hop It had seemed n few moments ngo. The dining room was cheery with crackling logs In tho lcrnnklln flro-placo flro-placo when she entered a few mo-inonts mo-inonts later. A Imgo platter or savory sav-ory beef stew, garnished with flurry while dumplings Hanked by piles or plummy browu bread, gave out nn nppetl.lng nroiiia. li'or tho first time blnca alio had left Prim's heart felt warm. "Oh, how tempting! Come, Mucky, aren't you starved? Mrs. PulTer-, won't you sit with us nnd serve? It will seem more homey to have you here." Stark, thin lipped Jane Mack, her high cheek bones flaunting red lings or excitement, took her seat with an air or being nbout to commit a social blunder. The rosy-raced stout woman plumped Into her chair with a contented sigh. "Pearle, I'll do Just that." After nn interval devoted to serving and eating, she sympathized: "Hope you didn't mind the trip from tho railroad rail-road station. Seven miles Isn't tar, but It's a long way to drive over a strange road In it fog." "Only seven 1 I thought It must nt least have been a thousand." The satisfying food was ringing up the wmmk Prudence Schuyler's Throat Tightened Tight-ened it She Blinked at the Red Brick House She Had Inherited. curtain of depression. "That Is ungrateful un-grateful when Mr. Puffer diverted our thoughts by most Interesting description of our neighbors." Jane Mack made her one contribution con-tribution to the conversation. "Do you have movies here, Mrs. Puffer?" "Three times a week In the village. vil-lage. The manager tries to show the films people want to see." "Does he?" Jane Mack's eyes snapped. "I love mystery and gangster gang-ster pictures." Prudence gazed -at the thin face in speechless amazement. She had known the woman almost all her life, but had she been taking her to a picture, she would have selected one with de luxe settings and smart frocks. How little one could tell what was going on In a person's mind, even the mind of someone near and dear. She said aloud : . Now we'll help clear away and do the dishes." "Not you, dearie. You go Into what your uncle called the living room, and set. If Miss Mack wants to lend a hand, perhaps she'll be more contented to be busy." Curled In the depths of a wing hofnrf the purring fire, Pru dence looked about the room Indubitably Indu-bitably a man's room which almost al-most over night had become hers. Her Interested eyes wandered on. Above the mantel hung the one picture pic-ture the room presented: a delicately delicate-ly colored engraving of Franklin at the court of France. Benjamin, stage center, bent his head to receive re-ceive a wreath from the gorgeously appareled Countess Pollnnc; while from a divan, Louis the Sixteenth and Marie Antoinette looked on with royal Indifference. They all had been real once, the g,rl mused; they had held their heads high while their hearts broke, K had B"ed thr0Ugb trBgedy' whUe she, with youth, health oppor-. oppor-. , k.nfhor harl fair V mnltv and ner inu., ------ wallowed in self-pity these last few W fhe'sprang to her feet. "I'll make a vow now, that from this moment Reswear self-pity. I w. . regar mthateruf it? I know I Prosperity farm! rrand!-at Prosperity farm as an adventure which will lead to health toz Da"ld and great, feood fortune -I thought I was coming to a tread-mll tread-mll of endless monotonies, and w bin i the first hour a hollow voice which aet Utile merry pranks pTTcHlng through my veins-rum-ules through the fog: 'tins the girl come? -Mean.n, m. Why does the , man T1 t0llkrtrrtoD't meVuln X T hat ,s an interesting bit lC b :UhyMr.rner volunteered "hont our neighbors. I'm willing to wager my first crop of chickens that I shall dolest the Gerard heir. Rich playboy. I have no illusions nbout his type. If 1 meet him, I'll bo colder than an electric Ice-box running on high. Also something tells mo that Mrs. Walt nnd I will bo antagonistic from the start. Maybe, though, I won't meet her; mayho she wou't seo her farming neighbor even as a dot on her social horizon."' "Miss Pruo, I'm rendy to go up now," loan, lank Jane Mack announced an-nounced from tho threshold. "Mrs. PulTer showed mo whero to find the supplies. I guess she'll bo a good neighbor. Wish I hadn't seen Unit procession In my ten cup, though." "Now, Mucky, don't look for troublo In ten grounds ; haven't wo had enough fairly Bitting In our lnps mesa last weeks witnout nuiuing out more? Come on up, let's seo the rest or the house." Interest In Prue's eyes glowed Into excited anticipation as they went rrom room to room. "Mncky, think or having a whole house In which to spread out arter years In an apartment! We'll make It a dream. We will warm It with color till it makes hearts glow Just to come Into It." A ralnt pink crept under the woman's wom-an's skin, ller washed-out eyes shono with a lovely light. "You'll make hearts glow. all right, Miss Prue. Your brother said to me Just before we left the apartment, 'I'm not afraid for Prue. She'll make a home wherever she'ls. She's like her mother.' " Pruo slipped her hand within the croon oi toe woman s miu i hum for an Instant pressed her check against her hard shoulder.. "I suppose there Isn't a person In this village who doesn't know thnt my brother's wife ran away with my sister's husband," she said in a muffled muf-fled voice. "There, there. Miss Prue, suppose they do? 'Twasn't your brother David's fault nor your sister Julie's. If folks here know about It nt all, they know that. If you make too much of it, they may think there's something back of it all you're ashamed of. I know folks." Prudence smiled nnd patted the woman's bony hand before she entered en-tered the room she had selected for herself. Long after she had extinguished tho light, she lay with wide-open eyes staring at the fog which hung like a curtain of gray gauze before the wide-open window. She .watched the steamy fringe of water dripping n,n n-iniirm- n hp lived over the last weeks. As if his heart had not been sufficiently uprooted by the desertion nnd tragic death of his wife, David, whose health had been undermined by service ovt-rsoas, had been ordered to give up work and live In the country. The country! The Inexorable command had staggered ner at nrsc. now could they go with no money for living? When the crash had come In their fortunes six months before, she had opened a studio and had worked professionally at what had been a delightful avocation the craft of designer nnd maker of Jewelry nnd silver boxes. Each month had -seen an Increase In the number and Importance of her orders; or-ders; then had come the command to g'o to the country, which had meant that she must give up her shop. While she was struggling with her problems and doggedly assuring herself her-self that she would find a way to relieve re-lieve the situation, a way opened, but not from her effort. Her father's fa-ther's brother, Austin Schuyler, had Invested part of his small fortune in an annuity, then had made the dream of years come true. by buying and stocking a Maine farm with the remainder. For the first time In his life, he had said, he had what he wanted and then one morning he didn't waken. He had willed the Maine property and five, thousand dollars in cash to his niece Prudence. Pru-dence. The legacy had providentially answered an-swered the on-to-the-coun.try prob lem. Now that the strain was eased, she had but a confused remembrance of the days during which she had cleared and sub-leased the apartment apart-ment At the last moment, Jane Mack had begged to go with her. Her eyes were giving out for sewing sew-ing she had said, but she knew almost al-most everything there was to know about a house she had been trained by a New England mother. Prudence Pru-dence had hugged her In her relief re-lief Jane Mack might be grim and a confirmed pessimist but she could cook while she herself farmed and, If opportunity and time allowed, worked at her craft. Could she afford to keep SI Puffer as helper on the place? her thoughts ran on. She couldn't afford not to i..nir ha linrl fironrl at present. Aireuuj like a guardian angel between her aud the voice In the fog; how he had growled the name, "Len Carro-way!" Carro-way!" What had the man wanted? Something in his demand had antagonized an-tagonized her. "Tomorrow' was almost here. Soon she would know. The muslin hangings swung into her room like two frail, transparent win-s. Had the wind changed? She ran to the window. The fog had cleared as if by magic. With a siire of Indefinable longing, the girl looked up at the star-punctured heavens. With a shaky laugh at her own absurdity, she flung out her hands toward the man in the ""your excellency, I thank you for this royal welcome I Prue of Prosperity Pros-perity farm salutes you !" I (TO BE CONTINUED.) |