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Show Prudences Daughter By ETHEL HUESTON Copyright by the Bobbs-Merrlll Co. of her bobbed hair dangled about b r face In free disorder. "Why didn't you do it all?" demanded demand-ed Jerry quickly, her eyes on the bristling bris-tling curlers. "Why such partiality?' Following the direction of Jerry'e eyes, Ithoda lifted a languid hand and felt vaguely about her forehead, coming com-ing to a sudden, electrical alertnesa as she felt the two curlers. She ran to the mirror for a minute Inspection. "For heaven's sake," she walled, "did I go like that to the party?" Jerry assured her she did not, and Rhoda sighed In greut relief. "Well, I don't know how It happened," hap-pened," she said, "and I don't care, llertrande brought me borne. I'erhapa he did it for a Joke. As long as I did not disgrace myself at the party, I don't care." She tumbled npon the bed again, and Jerry sat down beside her, "Oh, such a head," moaned Rhoda, lifting her hands to her throbbing temples. "I swear every time I'll never do It again, and then I do." Jerry took off her gloves, removed her hut, folded her coat nicely over the buck of a chair, and went to work. She got out cups and saucers, measured meas-ured coffee and water Into the electric percolator, and connected the switch. "You'd better have it black," she said, "but I'll take cream as usual." Encouraged by her gentle activity, Rhoda pulled a dressing-gown about her shoulders, bathed her flushed face, brushed out her tousled locks, and then drooped wearily upon the tumbled tum-bled couch once more. "We didn't come home until six o'clock," she said. "We had breakfast before we left ham and eggs and everything. I made the toast Burned myself, too." "Sir o'clock I But, Rhoda, how can you work " "Who's going to work? 1 told yon yesterday I couldn't work today. That's why I finished the picture. Ob, such a hend !" "Well, of all the silly things," Jerry said. In her most pompously Prudence voice. "Work all night, or dance all night, or It Is plain Intemperance, Rhoda. You ought to use a little Judgment Judg-ment about things I No wonder you're lng not one word, Theresa working steudily at her easel, Jerry curled up comfortably on the tumbled couch. "I'm glad your eyes are blue," Theresa The-resa said suddenly, with one of her rare smiles. "I don't mind your staring star-ing about Brown eyes give me the Willies." "Was I staring? I'm sorry." Theresa looked at her curiously. In Jerry's abstraction, she found food for conversation. "Oh, I don't mind. I wonder If It Is because your eyes are so blue that your lashes seem so cloudy, or because your lashes are so dark that your eyes seem so blue?" "I don't know." Again Theresa swept her a quiet look. "Or perhnps It Is the midnight blackness of your hair, and the olive cream of your skin, that effects the subtle combination." Jerry said nothing. "Have a good time at the party?" "Oh, yes, lovely." "You're late for your class. I'm going go-ing to report you to the Amalgamated Middle West. You're supposed to be prompt." "I'm not going to the class." "Why not? Too much party?' "I'm not going to study Art any more." "Why not?" "Because I can't paltt You knew it all the time, didn't you?" "Yes. How did you find out?" "I don't know. It Just came to me, alt of a sudden. Why didn't you tell me, Theresa?" "You do very nicely, Jerry for amusement for for passing away wraps, they were In a taxi on their way to Brooklyn. That wns the night of Jerry's first studio party, the night of Carter Blake's "contract souse," as It was affectionately af-fectionately recorded In the memories of his friends forever after. And that was the night when Jerry, basking warndy In the Intoxicating Intimacy of iHiane Allerton's friendly smile, lost the glamorous Illusion of her girlhood's tenderest dream. CHAPTER IV When Jerry Gave Up It was four o'clock In the morning when Jerry reached her little studio apartment on Rellly'a alloy after Cur-ter Cur-ter P.lake's hilarious "contract souse" In Brooklyn. She went In very slowly, very quietly, and placed her great fur cloak carefully on Its hanger In the small closet. And then she set to work, with the minutest care and orderliness, or-derliness, piling together every penciled pen-ciled sketch, every laboriously painted tree and flower, every anxiously outlined out-lined face and figure that was even remotely connected with the pursuit of Art. When she had it all In one heap, she wrapped It In heavy paper and tied it with a stout cord. Then she cleaned her brushes with pulnful, painstaking Inteiitness, closing every bottle and tube and Jur of paint and oil, wiping them neatly and packing them all In their boxes. These she put away on the top shelf of her closet Last of all. she released the supports of her easel and let It down, and then, with a great effort, managed to shove It Into tier bath closet behlud the ridiculously small tub. Jerry did not know why she did these things. She did not even wonder why. She only knew that she must banish every reminder of a dead passionthough pas-sionthough really Art had never been a passion with her, but only a pleasant, pleas-ant, luke-warm Interest When easel, sketches and paints were gone from her sight, she sighed a little wearily. She removed the flume-colored gown and went to bed. At ten o'clock the next morning she went up to Theresa, carrying a gaudy tray, on which she had arranged a charming little breakfast wttb that daintiness which characterized every- JERRY QUITS dTNOPHIS PAItT ONE At a merry party In the studio apartment apart-ment of farter lilake, New York, Jerry (Ueraldlne) Hurmer, Pru-Uence'a Pru-Uence'a daughter, nieeta Duane Allerton. wealthy tdlr. Ha ad-mlrea ad-mlrea her tremendously, and aha likes him. liut Allerton geta a bit exhilarated, with unfortunate resulta. Jerry, renentinu hla aa-aumptlon aa-aumptlon of familiarity, leavee the party abruptly, the story turna to Jerry a childhood and youth at br home In DeaMolnea. Only child of a wealthy father, when aha la twenty ahe feela the call of Art and aska her parent to let her so to New York for study. With aome mla-Klvlng, mla-Klvlng, they agree to her icolntf. In New York Jerry makes her home with a Mrs. Delnney ("Mlml"), an actreea, who, with Thereaa, a painter, occupies the house. Jerry takes an Immediate liking to Theresa, who la talented tal-ented and eccentric and the two become faat frlenda. CHAPTER III Continued 5 "Now wear your very fliiffy-rullllost party clothes, so they'll all fall In love ivlth you," admonished Ithoda. "He's lure to have some awfully amusing folks, and you'll he crazy about It. You get dressed nnd come by for me. We'll be rather late. I have to finish a Irawlng before we go. You come along about ten, and we'll start as soon as I get the darned old lamp In the right place." "The lamp? What Inmp?" . "In my drawing. It's a background thing. There hns to be a floor lamp, and the lady villain falls under It There's only one place In the picture It can possibly go, and when I put it there, It throws a shadow where there should be a light. On the ludy's face-see? face-see? I've been having the devil's own time with It all day. My lamp Isn't tall enough, so I'm going to borrow one of Mlml's to take along home, and perhaps It will go better." "Why don't you let It go nntll tomorrow?" to-morrow?" asked Jerry. "Then you'll be nice and fresh for It. If you work tonight you'll be all tired out Wait till tomorrow." "Oh, but I can't work tomorrow. We're going to a party!" a wreck." Rhoda laughed feebly. "Now, Iowa," she protested teaslngly. "There speaks the corn-fed baby I" Then she added soberly: "Did you enjoy It, Jerry? Every one liked you so much. They thought you were perfectly lovely, rl-though rl-though discreet. Korzky said you were quite annoyed because he kissed you at least be thought it was you. And Dunne" "I had a lovely time, thanks," Jerry interrupted. "It was the most amusing amus-ing thing I ever saw in my life. No wonder we hear these little stories about Greenwich I" "That Isn't Greenwich, that's Brooklyn," Brook-lyn," objected Rhoda. "But anyhow we admit it We do nothing by fractions. frac-tions. When we Jazz, we Jazz. But remember this, Old Mississippi. When we work, we work. I've slaved away every night but three in the last three mouths. The theater twice, the party once. If I want to Jazz until morning" morn-ing" "It's nobody's business but your own," Jerry put In, laughing, as Ithoda hesitated. "Righto I Rush along the coffee, Angel-face. My merry-go-rounds are back-firing on me." Jerry hastened to pour the coflTee, and they drank a cup in silence, then another. With the third serving Jerry broke the silence. ' "Rhoda, who is Francy? I haven't met her, have I?" "Francy? Oh, you mean Francy England. Well, she Is Duane Allerton's Aller-ton's new flame, since Kitty Karson got married. What did he say about her?" "He didn't mention her. It was Almee. She didn't say anything Just spoke of her." "She's not really In our crowd, you know. She's one of the Batik Trailers." Trail-ers." "The Batik" "I'm, you know. Batik Trailers the Idle rich those who can't paint, can't sing, can't write but like the atmosphere at-mosphere and move In to get the air. We have to provide entertainment for them. Sometimes It's china painting, sometimes weaving, or beudwnrk; right now It's batik. Heaven knows what next! It's the ralson d'etre for the Art Trailers." Now that Jerry realizes that she Is no genius, what is she going go-ing to do? And is Allerton out of it? TO BE CONTINUED.) thing she did. Theresa, who kept her door forbiddingly barred to Mlml, and to all the world besides, after the first few days of their acquaintance, bad given Jerry a duplicate key. "Come In whenever you tike," she said. "You have an easy way about you that doesn't drive me wild, like everybody else. But don't knock I Just use the key and come right In 1 There's never any love-making to Interrupt In-terrupt here." Theresa's abhorrence to knocking was a frenzy with her. A state of nerves, Jerry called It, but Theresa, who never acknowledged nerves In any shape or form, denied It, although the slightest tapping startled her to such a degree that It was a physical pain. "Oh, I'm off In the clouds, and it Jerks me down to earth so fast it makes my teeth chatter," was the way she described the sensation. There was a huge black and white sign on her door which read: "For God's sake, don't knock. Cough, nnd I'll let you In, if I want to see you." Jerry, with that delicate reserve acquired ac-quired In twenty years with Prudence, would not for the world have Intruded so bru.skly even when Invited to do so. and was always careful to approach slowly, with a slight clearing of her throat, fumbling a bit with the key. and then pausing a long moment he-fore he-fore opening the door, to give Theresa time to adjust herself to company, whether she wished for time or not. Theresa looked up at her entrance and nodded briskly In greeting. Theresa The-resa never said "good morning." She held that a nod meant welcome, and a frown requested your absence. "Come and eat," Jerry said, without preamble. "You've got on my conscience con-science so I can't sleep nights, thluk-ing thluk-ing of you up here wasting away to a shadow, and for no good reason either. I'm expecting any time to find you've devoured your easel." Theresa was thinner, wanner, the dark circles shadowing her brilliant eyes deeper and wider than before. She took the tray gratefully and bal-auced bal-auced it on her knee. "You are the nicest kid, Jerry," she said. "I am hungry. I wish I could mess about with a grill the way Ithoda does, but everything comes out burned, or raw, or too much salt. 1 haven't the knack for it, and It makes me peevish anyhow. The sight of a pan arouses all my evil Instincts. I wish I had been horn a cave man, and then I could eat my food raw Just catch a bird, and gobble him up." "You're cave man enough." Jerry warned her. "Don't wish for any more of It. Do you notice an Improvement in my cooking? Ithoda has been showing show-ing me, and It's really rather fun, Theresa. The-resa. I'm glad that you dou't mind my practicing on you." They sat for a while In silence, Theresa The-resa drinking the hot coffee, nibbling the crisp toast with warm appreciation. apprecia-tion. The silence was not unusual. Sometimes they ?at for an hour ay "Another party tomorrow?" "No, no, this one. tonight. But I can't work tomorrow. I never can work the day nfter a party." Jerry dismissed the subject with a shrug of her pretty shoulder. She had long since ceased trying to understand the ways of eager Rhoda and tired Theresa. She was going to the party, too, as well as Rhoda. Jerry was sure she would be at her class as usual the following duy. At ten o'clock that evening, radiantly radiant-ly lovely In a stunning little flame-colored gown of chiffon velvet, with pearls at her throat and swinging beneath the cluster of curls over her ears, snugly bundled In a great soft cape of finest kolinsky, she took a taxi to Rhoda'a studio. And opening the door, in response to a muffled, strangled. "Cm' on In," she stood aghast, staring, eyes wide. Hps parted. "Mimi's tallest, handsomest, rosiest floor lamp stood conspicuously In the center of the room, and on a rug directly di-rectly beneath It lay Ithoda herself. In a shimmering evening gown of gold nnd green, writhing, twisting, squirming, squirm-ing, studying herself frowningly In a small hand mirror to get the effect of her contortions. As the meaning of the curious pantomime panto-mime burst upon Jerry, she broke Into peals of merry lausihtcr. "Oh, Uhoda, you can't Imagine how ridiculous you look," she cried. Rhoda got up. She took Jerry's handsome kolinsky wrap and tossed It across a clialr. "You do It." She waved a light hand toward the picture on her easel. "See, It's like this. There's the lady. The lump has to be there. It throws her face into shadow, see? And it's got to be clear and In a bright light Now how the dickens " Under' her Insistence, Jerry was obliged, flume-colored chiffon velvet and nil, to sprnwl out on the rug on the floor turning this way, twisting that, head thrown backward, tilted higher, while Rhoda stood over her, scowling, criticizing, swearing softly beneath her breath, moving the lamp, now here, now there. And after some ten minutes of painful pain-ful effort on the part of good-natured Jerry, she suddenly found that a bright shaft of light fell directly across the lovely face on the rug. She cried out Joyously, clasping her hands. "Hold It, hold It, Jerry!" ahe ordered. or-dered. And caught uj iier brush to atch the light For thirty minutes the room was hushed with a great silence, while Khoda worked feverishly at the picture, pic-ture, and Jerry, on the floor, almost held her breath In her fear of spoiling the effect Presently Rhoda clicked out the brilliant light beside the easel, sighing loudly in relief, and laughed. "Done! That's fine! Much obliged, Jerry. You're the nicest little sport I ever saw." At eleven o'clock, muffled in heavv There Was a Huge Black Sign on Her Door. i the time, and all that. You Just haven't the spark, that's all." "I wish you had told me, Theresa." Jerry was wretchedly abject In her despondency. "Why should I? It amused you. and you have money to pay for uny amusement amuse-ment that pleases you. If you had gone In professionally, expecting to make a career of It a living McDowell McDow-ell would have told you. But you were never really one of us, you know." "You mean I I am a misfit." "Yes, a misfit." Theresa smiled upon i her. "You you don't like me very well, do you, Theresa?" Jerry's voice was pathetic. Theresa's answer surprised her. "I think you are the sweetest, the most lovable girl I ever saw in my life. In fact you're the only one I ever did see." Jerry flushed deeply with surprise and pleasure. "You muy not be an artist, but you're a heavenly fine kid. You're not going home, are you?" "N-no. IVi not. I think not. 1 don't know what I am going to do," Theresa put the tray on the floor, and Jerry went downstairs. e Jerry expected quite confidently to hear from Rhoda, by telephone at least, to make Inquiry as to her safe arrival aloce at that ghastly hour. But she neither telephoned nor came. And so, late In the afternoon, Jorry walked the six Intervening blocks to her studio. The muld assured her that Miss La Faye wus In, and sent her directly up, but although Jerry knocked twice, very smartly, there was no answer. She started down, hut as the maid Insisted that her friend was certainly In, she returned once more, and used the heavy knocker to such good effect that after a time there came a muffled groan, a flinging about of covers, and presently the shulfllng of soft-soled slippers toward the door. It was a flushed and disheveled Rhoda who confronted her, her usually bright eyes swollen. Inflamed and dull. Two grotesque kid curlers, protruded stiffly stif-fly over ber left eye, while tha rest |