Show of ache by ETHEL HUESTON bobbs copyright 1916 e lloil 11 nil lit 8 n ii 11 i iian i i tf mr starr Is a widower methodist minister with five charming daughters THE TWINS TRY TO EMBARRASS prudence the eldest Is nineteen she keeps house fairy aged seventeen is a college freshman carol and lark twins are in high school and constanca Con stanco FAIRY WITH Is in the grades mr stark Is assigned to the congregation at mount mark la and the advent and establishment of his interesting family in the parson SOME PRACTICAL JOKING agett herc stirs ac curiosity of the whole town the story concerns tho WHEN HER BEAU affairs of the parsonage girls prudence has her hands full with the mischievous twins and connie fairy has just announced that her beau Is COMES TO VISIT HER coming to spend the evening the twins decide to have some fun and have made their plans accordingly CHAPTER V continued As soon as they finished supper lark said dont you think red better go right to bed prue we dont want to taint the atmosphere of the parsonage of course fairy will want to wash the dishes herself to make sure they are clean and shining oh no disclaimed fairy good natu 1 I can give an extra rub to the ones we want to use that Is enough I 1 do appreciate the thought though thanks very much so the twins plunged in carefully keeping connie beside them connie bad a dismal propensity for discoveries the twins had often suffered from it then they all three went to bed to be sure it was ridiculously early but they were all determined you keep your eyes open fairy prudence whispered melodramatically those girls do not look right and she added anxiously oh 1 II 11 bo so disappointed it things go badly fairy was a little late getting upstairs to dress but she took time to drop into her sisters room they were all in bed breathing heavily she walked from one to another and stood above them majestically asleep 1 she cried ah fortune Is kind they are asleep now I 1 love these darling little in their sleep an audible enoff from beneath the covers and fairy smiling mischievously went into the front room to prepare for her caller the bell rang as she was dressing prudence went to the door preternaturally i and ushered mr babler into the front room she did not observe that the young in a peculiar manner as be entered the room m call fairy she said demurely tell her she primp for me he answered laughing 1 I know luat how she looks already but prudence was too heavily burdened to laugh sho smiled hospitably and closed the door upon him fairy was tripping down the stairs very tall very handsome very gay she pinched her sisters arm as she passed and the front room door swung behind but she did not greet her friend she stood erect by the door her bead tilted on one elde sniffing what in the world she wondered eugene babler was strangely quiet he looked about the room in a peculiar questioning way shall I 1 raise a window be sug finally its rather er bafit in here yes do she urged raise all of them its do you do you notice a u funny smell in here or am I 1 imagining it it it almost makes me riall yes there Is a smell he said in evident relief 1 I thought maybe you 1 I been cleaning the carpet with something its ghastly cant we go somewhere else come on she opened the door into the sitting room were coming out here if you do not mind prue and fairy explained the difficulty why that s very strange said prudence knitting her brows 1 I was in there right after supper and I 1 notice anything what docs it smell like its a new smell to me laughed fairy but something about it is strangely suggestive of our angel twins prudence went to investigate and fairy shoved a big chair near the table waving her hand toward it lightly with a smile at babble then he sank into a low rocker and leaned one arm on the table she wrinkled her forehead thoughtfully that smell she began 1 am very suspicious about it it was not at all natural excuse me fairy he said at ease for the first time in her knowledge of him did you know your sleeve was coming out fairy gasped and raised her arm both arms apparently he continued smiling but his face was hushed excuse me just a minute will you fairy was unruffled she sought her sister look here prue what do you make of this im coming to pieces im banging by a single thread as it were her sleeves were undoubtedly ready to drop off at a second s notice I 1 im dence was shocked abo grew positively white in the face oh fairy she walled we are disgraced not a bit of it said fairy coolly I 1 remember now that lark was looking for the before supper aren t those twins unique this Is almost bordering on talent it dont look so distressed prue etl quette itself must be subservient to twins it seems don t forget to bring la the ste at a quarter past nine and have it as good as possible please dear 1 I will vowed prudence ill ill use cream oh those horrible twins 1 go in and entertain babble till I 1 come down wont you and fairy ran lightly up the stairs bumming a snatch of song but prudence did a poor job of entertaining babble during her sisters absence she felt really dizzy I 1 such a way to introduce etiquette into the parsonage parson aee life she was glad to make her escape from the room when fairy returned a graceful figure la fine blue A little after nine she called out dismally fairy 1 and fairy tearing fresh disaster came running out what now what 1 I forget what you told me to say whispered prudence wretchedly what was it the soup Is ready and piping hot but what Is it you want me to say fairy screamed with laughter you goose 1 she cried say anything you like it make any difference what you say oh I 1 am determined to do my part just right vowed prudence fervently according to etiquette and all what was it you said fairy stilled her laughter with difficulty and said in a low voice yes there Is a smell he said you like A nice hot oyster stew prudence repeated it after her breathlessly so fairy returned once more and soon after prudence tapped on the door then she opened it and thrust her curay head inside you like a little nice hot oyster stew she chirped methodically and fairy said ah yes indeed prudence this Is 80 nice of you the three gathered sociably about the table babble was first to taste the stew lie gasped and gulped and swallowed some water with more baste than grace then be toyed idly with spoon and wafer until prudence tasted also prudence did not gasp she did not cry out she looked up at her sister with wide eydi a world of pathos in the glance but fairy did not notice now please do not ask me to talk until I 1 have finished my soup she was saying brightly then she tasted she dropped her spoon with a great clatter and jumped up from the table mercy I 1 she shrieked it Is poisoned I 1 babble leaned back in his chair and laughed until his eyes were wet pru dences eyes were wet too but not from laughter 1 what would etiquette think of her after this what did you do to this soup pru dence demanded fairy 1 I made it nothing else faltered poor prudence quite crushed by athla blow and oysters forty cents n pint its pepper I 1 think gasped bab ble my insides bear startling testimony to the presence of pepper and he roared again while prudence began a critical examination of the oysters she found them literally stuffed with pepper there was no doubt of it tho tw ins bad done deadly work I 1 revenge ye gods how sweet chanted fairy the twins are getting even with a vengeance the same twins you said were adorable babble it must be said tor fairy that her good nature could stand almost anything even this did not seriously disturb her do you suppose you can find us some milk prue and crackers I 1 im so fond of crackers and milk arent you babble oh I 1 adore it but serve a microscope with if please I 1 want to examine it for microbes mic robes before I 1 taste but prudence did better than that she made some delicious cocoa and opened a can of pear preserves donated to the parsonage by the amiable mrs adams the twins were very fond of pear preserves and had been looking forward 0 o eating these on their approaching birthday they were doomed to disappointment I 1 the three had a merry little feast after all and their laughter rang out so often and so unrestrainedly that the twins shook in their beds with rage and disappointment it speaks well tor the courage of babble and the attractions of fairy that he came to the parsonage again and again in time he became the best of friends with the twins themselves but he always called them the ado and they never asked him why the punishment inflicted upon them by prudence rankled in their memories for many months the offense was against fairy said prudence with a solemnity she did not feel and the reparation must be done to her for three weeks you must do all of her bedroom work and run every errand she requires moreover you must keep her shoes well cleaned and nicely polished and must do every bit of her darning I 1 the twins would have preferred whipping a thousand times ihly felt they had got a whippings worth of pleasure out of their mischief 1 but a punishment like this sat heavily upon their proud ecung shoulders and from that time on they held fairy practically immune from their pranks prudence did not bother her head about etiquette after that experience I 1 m strong for comfort she declared and since the two cannot live together in one family I 1 say we do without etiquette and fairy nodded in agreement smiling good CHAPTER VI practicing economy it was a dull day early in december prudence and fairy were hewing in the bay window of the sitting room e must be sure to have all the scraps out of the way before connla gets home said prudence carefully fitting together pieces of a dark warm furry material it has been so long since father wore this conf I 1 am sure she will not recognize it but she will ask where we got it and what shall we say we must tell her it is goods we have had in the house tor a long time that is true and I 1 made this fudge on purpose to distract her attention poor child she added cry sympathetically iier heart Is just set on a brand new coat I 1 know she will be bitterly disappointed if the members would just pay up w e could get her one november and december are such bad months tor parsonage people everyone is getting ready tor christmas now and that parsonage people need christmas money too fairy took a pin from her mouth 1 I have honestly been ashamed of connie the last few sundays it was so cold and she wore only that little thin summer jacket she must have been half frozen there are a lot of us careless about providing for the preacher and his family some of us seem to forget that his needs are just as real and urgent as our own are you prompt with your tithes TO BE CONTINUED it Is better to be able to turn your hand to anything than to put i our tact in it |