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Show PHJHNCB SaS50 foA.uTHoffiuocricorrHtmAJOAce- MwXom S ''jfw THE STARR FAMILY IS SETTING MUCH STORE BY JERRY JUNIOR, TO BE, BUT MOTHER NATURE DOESN'T TELL ALL HER SECRETS Synopale. The story concerns the household of Rev Mr. Starr, a Methodist minister at Mount Mark, la., and the affairs of his five lovable daughters I'rudence, the eldest; Fairy, tho next; Carol and Lark, twins; and Connie, the "baby." I'rudence marries and goes away. Her place ns "mother" In the home Is taken by Aunt Orace. Knlry Is engaged to wed. The twins nnd the "hnby," Just coming Into womanhood, have the usual boy-and-glrl love affairs, nnd the usual amazing adventures of adolescence. Carol discovers love. CHAPTER IX Continued. 10 "Yes, he wanted to. But Prudence has set her heart on coming home. She says she'll never feel that Jerry Junior got the proper start If It happens any place else. They'll have a trained nurse." "Jerry what?" gnsped the twins, after a short silence due to amazement. "Jerry Junior that's what they call It." "But how on earth do they know?" "They don't know. But they hnve to call It something, haven't they? And they want a Jerry Junior. So of course they'll get It. For I'rudence Is good enough to get whatever she wants." "Hum, that's no sign," sniffed Cnrol. "I don't get everything I wnnt, do I?" The girls laughed, from habit, not from genuine Interest, at Carol's subtle Insinuation. "Well, shall we have her come?" "Yes," said Cnrol, "but you tell Prue she needn't expect me to hold It until It gets too big to wiggle. I cnll them nasty, treaeherous little things. Mrs. Miller made me hold hers, nnd It squirmed right off my knee. I wanted to spnnk It." "And tell Prudence to uphold the pnrsonnge and hnve n white one," added Lurk. "These little Indian effects ef-fects don't make n hit with me." "Are you going to tell Connie?" "I don't think so yet. Connle'a only f urteen." "You tell her." Carol'a voice was emphatic, "There's nothing mysterious mysteri-ous about It. Everybody does It. And Connie may hnve it few suggestions of her own to offer. You tell I'rue I'm thinking out a lot of good advice for her, and " "You must write her yourselves. She wanted us to tell you long before." Fairy pleked up the little embroidered dress and kissed It, but her fond eyes were anxious. So, a few weeks later, weeks crowded crowd-ed full of tumult and anxiety, yes, nnd laughter, too, I'rudence and Jerry came to Mount Murk and settled down to quiet life In the pursonnge. The girls kissed I'rudence very often, leaped quickly to do her errands, nnd touched her with nervous fingers. But mostly they sut across the room and regarded her curiously, shyly, quite maternally. "Carol and Lnrk Starr," I'rudence cried crossly one day, when she Intercepted Inter-cepted one of these surreptitious glances, "you march right upstairs and shut yourselves up for thirty minutes. And If you ever sit around and stare at me like a stranger again, I'll spunk you both. I'm no outsider. I belong here Just as much ns ever I did. And I'm still the head of things around Inn I" The twins obediently marched, and after that I'rudence was more like I'rudence, I'ru-dence, and the twins were much more twlnnlsh, so thnt life was very nearly normal In the old parsonage. Prudence said she couldn't feel quite sntlsfled j because the twins were too old to be punished, but she often scolded them In her gentle, teasing way, and the twtM enjoyed It more than unythlng , else that happened during those days j of quiet. Then came a night when the four sisters huddled breatlil, ssly In the kitchen, and Aunt (Irnce and the trained nurse stayed behind with Prudence Pru-dence behind the closed door of the f.-ont room upstairs. And the doctor went In, too, nfter he had Intllcted n few light hearted remarks upon the two men in the little library. After that silence, an Immense hushing silence settled down over the pareoMie. Jerry and Mr. Starr, alone In the library, where a faint odor of drugs, anesthetics, something that mailed like hospitals lingered, stared away from each other with persistent determination. "Where are the girls?" Jerry asked. ptCklnf UP r"11 "f cotton which hiul been left on the library table, and Hinging it from him as though It scorched his lingers. "I think I'll go and see," said Mr. Starr, turning heavily. Jerry hesitated n minute. "I think I'll go along," he said. For an Instant their eyes met, sym j pathetically, and did not smile though i their lips curved. Down in the kitchen, meanwhile, Fairy sal somberly beside the table with pile of darning which she Jttbbed at vblmisly Willi the needle Lark was perched on the lea cheat, but O toI. true to her childish Instincts, hunched on the floor with her feet curled beneath her. Connie leaned against tho table within reach of Fairy's hand. "They're awfully slow," she complained com-plained once. Nobody answered. The deadly silence si-lence clutched them. "Oh, talk," Carol blurted out desperately. des-perately. "You make me sick I It Isn't anything to be so awfully scared about. Everybody does It." A little mumble greeted this, and then, silence again. Whenever It grew too painful, Carol said reproachfully, reproach-fully, "Everybody doea it." And no one ever answered. They looked up expectantly when the men entered. It seemed cozier somehow when they were all together In the little kltchehn. "Is she all right?" "Sure, she's all right," came the bright response from their father. And then silence. "Oh, you make me sick," cried Carol. "Everybody does It." "Cnrol Starr, If you say 'everybody does It' again I'll send you to bed," snapped Fairy. "Dont we know everybody every-body does It? But Prudence Isn't everybody." ev-erybody." "Maybe we'd better have a lunch," suggested their fnther hopefully, knowing know-ing the thought of food often aroused his family when all other means had failed. But his suggestion met with dark reproach. "Father, If you're hungry, take a piece -of bread out Into the woodshed," begged Connie. "If anybody eats anything any-thing before me I shall Jump up nnd down and acream." After that the silence wns unbroken save once when Carol began encour-aglngly encour-aglngly : "Every" "Sure they do," Interrupted Fairy uncompromisingly. And then the hush. Long, long after that, when the girls' eyes were henvy, not with want of sleep, but Just with unspeakable weariness weari-ness of spirit they heard n step on the stnlr. "Come on up, Ilnrmor," the doctor cnlled. And then, "Sure, she's all right. She's flue and duudy both of j them are." Jerry was gone In an Instant, and IL'r. Starr looked after him with Inscrutable Inscru-table eyes. "Fathers are only fathers," fa-thers," he sold enigmatically. "Yes," agreed Carol. "Yes. In n crisis, the other man goes first." Ills daughters turned to him then, tenderly, sympathetlcully. "You had your turn, father," Connie consoled him. And felt repaid for the effort when he smiled at her. "Jerry Junior," Lnrk mused. "He's here. 'Aunt Lark, may I have a cooky?'" A few minuted later the door wns carefully shoved open by means of a cautious foot, and Jerry stood before them, holding In bis arms a big bundle of delicately tinted llnniiel. "Ladles anil gentlemen," he began, benmlng at them, his face flushed, his eyes bright, embarrassed, but thoroughly thor-oughly sntlsfled. Of course I'rudence was the dearest girl In the world, und he adored her, ami but this was different, dif-ferent, this was fatherhood! "Ladles and gentlemen," he sold again In the tender, hiilf-laughlng voire that I'rudence loved, "let me Introduce to you my little daughter, Fairy llar-mer." llar-mer." "Not not Fairy!" cried Fairy, Senior, Sen-ior, tearfully. "Oh, Jerry, I don't believe be-lieve It. Not Fairy! You are Joking," "Of course It Is Fairy," he said. "Look out, Connie, do oii want to break part of my daughter off the Hist thing? Oh, I see. It was Just the flannel, flan-nel, was It? Well, you must be careful care-ful of the flannel, for when ladles are l be sle of this one, you can't tell which is flannel and which Is foot. Fairy Marnier! Here, grandpa, what do you think of this? And Prudence said to send you right upstairs, and hurry. And the girls must go to bed Immediately Immedi-ately or they'll be sick tomorrow. Prudence Pru-dence says so." "i Hi, that's enough. That's Prudence all over! You needn't tell us an more Here, Fairy Marnier, let us look at you. Mold her down, Jerry. Mercy! Mercy!" "Nn't she u beauty f Donated the young father proudly. "A beauty? A beauty! That!" CatQl rubbed her sleiuli r Bngetl over her pwu velvety cheek, "They talk aixjDt the matchless skin of u ucw-boru Infant. Thank. T '. t ss ' f have my own." ")h, ahe Ian t c .ted yet, that's all. Do yon think she looks like me?" "No, Jerry. I don't," said Lark candidly. can-didly. "I never considered you a dream of loveliness, by any means, bnt In due honesty I must admit that you don't look like that" "Why, It hasn't any hair I" Connie protested. "Well, give It time," nrged the baby'a father. "Be reasonable, Connie, What can yon expect In fifteen minutes." "But they always have a little hair," she Insisted. "No, Indeed, they don't, Miss Connie," Con-nie," he said flatly. "For If they always al-ways did, ours would have. "Now don't try to let on there's anything any-thing the matter with her, for there Isn't. Look at her noae, If you don't like her hair. What do you think of a nose like that now? Just look at It." "Yes, we're looking at It," was the grim reply. "And and chin look at her chin. See here, do you mrn to say yon are miking fun of Fairy Manner? Come on, tootale, we'll go back upstairs. They're craey about us up there." "Oh. aee the cunning little footles," crowed Connie. "Here, cover 'em up,' said Jerry anxiously. anx-iously. "You mustn't let their feet stick out. Prudence saya so. It's considered con-sidered very er, bad form, I believe." "Fairy I Honestly, Jerry, Is It Fairy? When did you decide?" "Oh, a long time ago," he said, "years ago, I guess. You see, we always al-ways wanted a girl. Prue didn't think ahe had enough experience with the stronger sex yet, nnd of course I'm strong for the ladles. But It seems that what yon want la what you don't get. So we decided to call her Fairy when she came, and then we wanted a boy, and talked boy, and got the girl I Let go, Connie, It la my daughter's bedtime. bed-time. There now, there now, baby, was she her daddy's little girl?" Flushed and laughing, Jerry broke nwny from the admiring, giggling, nearly tearful girls, and hurried np-stnlrs np-stnlrs with Jerry Junior. But Fairy stood motionless by the door. "Prudence's baby," she whispered. whis-pered. "Little Fairy Manner! M iiimmmmm I" CHAPTER X. The End of Fairy. Now thnt the twins had attained to the dignity of eighteen years, and were respectable students at the thoroughly thor-oughly respectable Presbyterian college, col-lege, they hnd dates very frequently. And it was along about this time that Mr. Stnrr -developed a sudden interest In the evenin : callers at his home. He bobbed up unannounced In most unexpected unex-pected plncea and at most unexpected hours. He vnlkwl about the house with a sharp, sly look In his eyes, in a wny thnt could only be described as Carol said, by "downright noisiness." And the Doctor Went In, Too. The girls discussed this new phase of his character when they were ulone, but decided not to mention it to him. for fear of hurting his feelings. "Maybe "May-be he's got a new kind of a sermon up Ids brain," snld Carol. "Maybe he's beginning to realize thut his clothes nre wearing out again," suggested Lark. "He's too young for second childhood," Connie thought. So they watched him curiously. Aunt Orace, too, observed this queer devotion on the purt of the minister, and finally her curiosity overcame her habit of keeping silent. "William," she said gently, "what's the matter with you lately? Is there tinvHiinir on vour mind?" Mr. Starr started nervously. "My mind? Of course not. Why?" "You seem to be looking for something. some-thing. You watch the girls so closely, you're alwny? hanging around, and " He smiled broadly. "Thanks for that. 'Hanging around.' In my own parsonage. That Is the gratitude of a loving family !" Aunt OraCU smiled. "Well, I see there's nothing much the matter with you. I was seriously worried. I thought there wns something wrong, and" "Sort of nuutnlly unbalanced, Is that It? oh, no, I'm Just watching my family." She looked up quickly. "Watching the family! You mean" "Carol," he said briefly. "Carol! You're watching " "Oh. only In the most honorable wnv. Of course. Ton see," he .Me bis e I imiuailou with an air of relief, "Pru dence always says I must keep an eyu on Carol. She's so pretty, and the boy get stuck on her, and that's what Prudence says. I forgot all about It for a while. But lately I have begun to notice that the boys are older, and we don't want Carol falling In love with the wrong men. I got uneasy. I decided to wstch out. Tra the head of this family, yon know." M8uch an Idea I" scoffed Aunt Orace, who wss not at all of a scoffing na-true. na-true. "Carol waa born for lovera, Prudence soys so. And these men's girls have to be watched, or the wrong fellow will get ahead, nnd " "Carol doesn't need watching not any more at least." "Pm not really watching her, yon know. I'm Just keeping my eyes open." "But Carol's all right. That's one time Prudence was awny off." She smiled as she recognized a bit of Carol'a Car-ol'a slsng upon his lips. Don't worry sbout her. You needn't keep an eye on her any more. She's coming, all right." "Yon don't think there's any danger of her falling In love with the wrong man?" "No." "There aren't many worth-having fellows In Mount Mark, you know." "Cnrol won't fall In love with a Mount Mark fellow." "You seem very positive." "Yes, I'm positive." He looked thoughtful for a while. "Well, Prudence always told me to watch Carol, so I conld help her If she needed It." "Olrla always need their fathers," came the quick reply. "But Carol does not need yon particularly. There's only one of them who will require especial es-pecial attention." . "That's what Prudence says." "Yes, Jnst one not Carol." "Not Carol I" He looked at her In astonishment. "Why. Fairy and Lark are different. They're all right. They don't need attention." "No. It's the other one." "The other one! That's all." "There'a Connie." "Connie?" "Yea." "Connie?" "Yes." "You don't mean Connie." Aunt Grace smiled. "Why, Orace, you're you're off. Excuse Ex-cuse me for saying it, but you're crazy. Connie why, Connie has never been any trouble In her life. Connie I" "You've never had any friction with Connie, she's always been right so far. One of these days she's pretty likely to be wrong, and Connie doesn't yield very easily." "But Connie's so sober and straight, and" "That's the kind." "She's so conscientious." "Yes, conscientious." "She's look here, Orace, there'a nothing the matter with Connie." "Of course not, Wllllnm. Thnt Isn't what I mean. Bnt you ought to be getting very, very close to Connie right now, for one of these days she's going to need a lot of that extra companionship companion-ship Prudence told you about. Connie Con-nie wonts to know everything. She wants to see everything. None of the other girls ever yearned for city life. Connie does. She snys when she Is through school she's going to the city." "What city?" "Any city." "Whnt for?" "For experience." Mr. Starr looked about him helplessly. help-lessly. "There's experience right I here," he protested feebly. "Lots of It. Entirely too much of It." "Well, thnt't Connie. She wnnts to know, to see, to feel. She wants to live. Get close to her, get chummy. She may not need It, nnd then ngaln she may. She's very young yet." "All right. I will. It Is well I hnve ' some one to steer me along the proper road." He looked regretfully out of the window. "I ought to be able to sec these things for myself, but the girls seem perfectly nil right to me. They always have. I suppose It's be-cuuse be-cuuse they're mine." Aunt Ortiee looked at him nffoctlon-ntely. nffoctlon-ntely. "It's because they're the finest girls on earth," she declnred. "That's why. But we want to be ready to help them If they need It, Just because they 1 are so fine. They will every one be splendid, If we give them the right kind of a chance." He Bnt silent a moment. "I've al-wags al-wags wanted one of them to mnrry a preacher," he sold, laughing apologetically. apologeti-cally. "It Is very narrow-minded, of course, but a mnn does mnke hobby of his own profession. I always hoped Prudence would. I thought she was born for It. Then I looked to Fairy. and she turned me down. I guess I'll have to give up the notion now." Carol's awakening to life's seriousness reveals the career for whici ahe waa destined. iT UK CONTINUED.) |