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Show i Pradenee's Daughter By ETHEL HUESTON Copyright bjr the Bobbi-Merrlll Co. WNU 8ervlce fireplace a great pine log crackled In Kay defiance of wintry wind and sleet At the round table In the dining room Prudence and Jen-old lut opposi'e each other serosa a bowl of fragile Cecil Urunner roses. "It'a a nice night to be in," ahe said cheerfully. She was wondering If Greenwich Vllluge wag whipped with H pule like this. "Iiotten wenther to be out." agreed Jerrold absently. He was remembering remember-ing the dangerous rush of taxis, when city streets are glassed with Ice. And so they smiled cheerfully at each other, and rejoiced with pleasant words that they were warm and bright by the fireplace, with the pine log. nnd the rosebuds and the candle lights. ISut In their lieurta they were trying to assure themselves that Jerry wna a very alert nnd self-possessed young person who could certainly take enre of herself If anybody could, and what childishness to worry I The doorbell sounded suddenly. Cpon Intense Inward thoughts like theirs, even the soft reverberation of the most carefully modulated electric HOME AGAIN SYNOPSIS PART ONE At a merry party In ths studio apartment apart-ment of Carter Ulake, New York, Jarry tUeraldlne) Harmer, Pru-. Pru-. . dance's daughter, meets Duane t. Allerton, wealthy Idler. He ad mires her tremendously, and she likes him. Hut Allerton vets a bit eihllerated, with unfortunate results. Jarry, resenting- his assumption as-sumption of familiarity, leaves , ' the party abruptly. The story . "" turns to Jerry's childhood and youth at her home In Lea Moines. Only child of a wealthy father, when she Is twenty she feels the call of Art and aaks her parents ; to let her go to New York for ; study. With some misgiving, they agree to her going. In New York Jerry makes her home with a Mrs. Delaney ("Mlmt"), an actress, act-ress, who, with Theresa, a painter, paint-er, occupies the houae. Jerry takes an Immediate liking to Theresa, who la talented and - eccentric, and the two become fast friends. Jerry now devotes herself to Theresa, who returns i her liking. Jerry poses for Ther- " j esa's masterpiece, "The Ocean Rider." Allerton calls on Jerry. ' The girl refuses to see him. At a hotel dinner Jerry sees Dunne and Is conscious of his admlra.- Ij tlon, but refuses to change her attitude toward him. Jerry be-I be-I comes convinced she has not the . ability to become an artist. At .. a party Jerry again sees Dunne, and will not recnunlze him. f Theresa hints that Jerry should go home, and promises her a i "present." Returning from an evening of gayety, Jerry la shocked at hearing from Mlml that Theresa has killed herself. ( She also learna that Mlml la Theresa's mother. The "present" Theresa had promised Jerry proves to be her picture, "The Ocean Rider." CHAPTER VII Continued 9 "How should I know? She didn't ' tell me. She should have told me!" ; "Prudence would know," was all Jerry could say to that. Mlml lay rigid among the cushions, twisting her blinds Into painful knots, cutting her flesh with the gaudy stones. Jprry looked at her the lavish lav-ish toss of the henmied hair, the carefully care-fully lvorled skin with Its Inyers of cream and rouge, the voluptuous figure with Its molding of fine French stays. Jerry saw her In a cloud of artificial j lights, the center of artificial laughter, flirtations, iiffalrg and intrigues saw also the light kindliness, the generous delicacy of speech and manner, the friendly camuraderie. And she saw ... Theresa dead by her own hand In thj . 4 undertaking parlor with the flowers :'n the window, Mletta's. on the corner. And then, as poor, suffering Mlml faded out, Jerry saw Prudence, clear-cut clear-cut and vivid, saw the fine-lined, tender ten-der face, the gentle twist of the humorous hu-morous mouth, the laughing, plaintive sympathy of the soft, sweet eyes. Jerry Stared and stared, tier eyes burned painfully, her throat throbbed, there was a great longing In her heart. In that moment. Prudence's daughter, daugh-ter, she ran suddenly to Mind, caught her In her strong, tender arms, kissed her, cried over her, fondled her, and Mlml, after one slight, apologetic, high-strained laugh, buried her face in Jerry's arms und broke Into helpless weeping. Jerry helped her out of the lavish gown, out of the confining closeness of the French stays, nnd Into u loose, Iltrht rnlm huthpil her fHCo. . . hers, as If she had fooled us all-slipped all-slipped neatly out of a mess and left ua looking at cobwebs on our fingers. I can Just Imagine In heaven she would he laughing to think of the Joke she had played on us. It's what Theresa The-resa would !" Jerrold would have gone away then, taking Prudence with him, feeling that overwrought and highly strained young daughters would do best In bed. Prudence, Pru-dence, with that tender Insight of hers thnt was never known to fall, knew belter Jerry was unburdening her heart, lading relief, had come to them, as she always came, when the things she undertook to do had proved too hard for her. And so they stayed on and on, and talked more of Theresa, The-resa, and presently Jerry was talking of other things of the mad frenzy that goaded all artists to desperation, of their Intemperate folly, their unbounded un-bounded love. And then she was telling them of Greta Vol, the little chambermaid, and how Gruves McDowell was fairly living liv-ing In her talent, feasting his own starved heart on the fuel he fed to hers. She told them of her little part In the drama, of how she had piled her wealth together, brushes and easel and hoards, and with a profuse hand had tossed thorn on the unfortunate little tramp of the alleys. "And what do you think she did? She stood up, and glared at me, and slapped me In the face right there 1" Jerry could laugh at It now, could laugh, and did. particularly at Jer-rold'g Jer-rold'g amazement, at Prudence's maternal ma-ternal displeasure. "What are you going to do now?" Jerrold asked at last. Jerry clouded again. She did not know. "What do other girls do?" she asked him. "Girls who are not geniuses gen-iuses by birth and lucky they lire, it you nsk me but girls who would ro mad doing nothing 1 What do they do?" Jerrold cleverly evaded the Issue by reaching for a cigarette, a prettily perfumed, gold-tipped thing that Jerry had brought In a handsome box, parting gift from a young admirer, thua shifting the question to Prudence. Prudence was very sober. "I don't know," she said. "What do yon think?'' They talked of girls, of some who became teachers, some who went Into the public libraries and museums, some Into business. "That's all right if you have to earn a living," objected Jerry. "But doesn't It seem silly to work hard at something some-thing you don't care a thing about. Just to earn a little money you do not need? Of course, If one has a real fondness for a thing but I haven't I I think It would be perfectly trashy of me to go downtown and pound a typewriter type-writer eight hours a dHy for twenty dollars a week when I don't adore pounding typewriters and can get the money by asking futher." "And besides," said Prudence, "It would be keeping some girl out of a position who does need the money." "It's a treut responsibility, having a daughter," Jerrold said, standing up, suddenly shocked to know it was after four o'clock. "I'm afraid we went Into this thing too lightly, Prudence." They till laughed over that, and Jerry kissed both purents a warm good night, and closed the door behind them. In their own room, Jerrold turned to his wife to air a grievance that had lurked within his memory throughout I coming, how It was the last thing In the world she had dreamed of. "But aee here," remonstruted Jerrold, Jer-rold, "you told me all the time ah would come hack. You said " Prudence gave him a furious look. "I did not," she declared quite passionately. pas-sionately. "Oh, for a visit, of course but to bring all her things nnd stay forever, I never dreumed of such a thing. I can't tell you how surprised I ami" "But, Prudence, you said " Prudence glowered him Into silence. "Now, Jerrold, I know what I raid I i knew she would come for a visit, but this Is really coitdng home, and I couldn't remotely fancy such a lovely thing!" They went upstairs, the three of them, to Jerry's lovely mom, and Prudence Pru-dence and Jerrold stood about, getting get-ting In the way, while Jerry unpacked the bags, the boxes and the trunk. Everything was exhibited, exclaimed over, admired. And while she unpacked she told them of New York, of Graves McDowell, Mc-Dowell, and the lessons In Art, of Ithoda. and her passionate devotion to her work. She told them of lovely Almee, and the trashy column of society so-ciety scandal she wrote for a dally pnper. When Prudence asked about the girls In the house with her, Theresa, The-resa, and Mlml, Jerry's lip quivered, her eyes shadowed, as she said : "I'll tell yon about them after a little. I'm coming to that." She told them of her conquests In the city, her gay flirtations, her proposals. pro-posals. She showed them the .little marble four the Husslan sculptor, Korzky, had done for her. She exhibited exhib-ited the autographed novels and books of poetry, warmly Inscribed to her by authors and poets of a dozen nationalities. nation-alities. She displayed a hundred little testimonies of her triumph In the city, a triumph social, If not artistic. "It Isn't the laborers who are slave-driven," slave-driven," she declared warmly. "They don't need unions to protect them. It Is a genius union we need, something to keep geniuses from working themselves them-selves -to death. There was a violinist vio-linist In our building mother, I tell you truly, that man began to work hefore I was up, and was at It every night when I went to bed. There was a composer at Rhode's once I was staying all night at two o'clock In the morning we heard, oh, very softly, a little tripping melody on the keys. Ithoda said It happened often ran through his mind during the night, until un-til he got up and worked It out of his system using the soft pedal not to disturb the others. There was a 'young writer across the alley from us whenever I went out, or enme In. I could hear that dull thud of her typewriter, type-writer, twelve o'clock, one o'clock, two o'clock. A union for genius, that's the need of the crtitury !" At half past two In the morning Prudence and Jerrold were still sltfltg enraptured, spellbound, on the wide day bed against the wall, listening as Jerry talked. And when at last the trunk was emptied, she turned slowly to the great crate she had brought with her all the way, so carefully, so tenderly, and released the safety fastenings fas-tenings on the end. Then she drew It , LMf Hal Jerry Was Going Home. bell In the world could not sound less than clamorous. "Such a night 1" gasped Prudence at that sudden ringing, thinking that a telegraph boy would have to face the gale to carry a message. Jerrold shoved his chair back quickly quick-ly from the tuble, and both listened, Intent, alert, as Katie opened the door. Above the Incoherent breulhlessness of her murmurs of amazement, a fresh voice sounded brightly. "Where's mother?" And Jerry herself, wrapped In her great fur cloak, a soft fur tarn drawn protectlngly low over her ears, ran In upon them, leaving the mafd and the driver to handle boxes, bags and trunk as best they could. 1 1 1 i. . . . , ' i. in i i all the happy evening. "See here, Prudence, you did, too, expect Jerry to come home to stay Tou said all the time she would come back." Prudence cought his broad shoulders In her two slender hands, and shook him sternly. As a measure of discipline dis-cipline It was absurd, for Jerrold was tail and strong, and Prudence both slender and slight In strength. But as expressive of her pent-np emotions and representative of her scorn for his understanding, un-derstanding, It was triumphant. "Oh. Jerrold, will you never learn?" she walled. "Don't you know that you must always be surprlsea at a woman?" "But you said" "Always be surprised at a woman! It pleases her. It flatters her. It makes her feel how very unusual she Is to do the unexpected thing. Be surprised. Jerrold. always be surprised! Women love it!" "Then you did expect her home!" "Of course I did." Prudence said this with a complacent pride In her astuteness. "But you suld " "Oh, bother what I said. Tou be a little careful after this, and don't go about telling everything you hear." "Shudes of the Parsonage and John Wesley defend us," be ejaculated devoutly. de-voutly. "Oh, well. If It comes to that," said Prudence, "I learned a great many things in the Parsonnge that John Wesley never heard of!" Well, Jerry is home again, where she belongs. And now what's she going to do? tTO BE CONTINUED.) I "Look who's here!" she cried, as she caught Prjdence In her arms. And a moment later she went to her father, to be lifted bodily from her tiptoes and kissed a dozen times. "And you'd better help him with the tunk, father," she said, ..hen she could think of it. "It's terribly heavy." "Your trunk, Jerry !" Prudence was amazed. "Did you bring your trunk !" "Yes, I brought everything." Jerry assured T gayly. "I'm coming home. I'm moving back !" Then sho kissed Katie, who was hastily has-tily laying another place on the table and setting a chair for her which Prudence slyly pulled nearer to hers, nnd Jerrold whipped back toward his own. And very soon they wer" at the table, three oi them new. smiling almost tearfully at one another across the bowl of Cecil Brunners, with never a thought for the dangerous Icy streets of Greenwich Village nnd New York. "But. Jerry, we never dreamed jt st.ch a thing; why didn't ou tell us! Why didn't you send us word, why ' . "I didn't know if myself." she said. "Just all of a sudden I knew 1 was coming, and here I am. You're looking look-ing darling, mother. I'll bet Katie has spoiled you without me here to hold you down " Ami she Jumped up to kiss Katie, thinking she had forgotten her. and out to the. kitchen to greet Mary, but not needing to go so far, for Mary was just putBlde the door, peeping Joyously In upon her. She came back after a moment, said she was ravenously hungry, but she did not eat. She laughed at her mother, at her father, and presently they left the tuble. and Jerry sat In Prudence's tap a ridiculous lap-full for slender rudence and laughed at her again. And Prudence shnwed the few silvering silver-ing threads In her hair, and declared they would all turn brown again now that Jerry was home. And then Jerry went over and sat Fedately In a chair to let her mother rest, and Prudence tagged across at her heels, and sa! on the arm of her chair, and told her over and over again how surprised she wan, how she had not the slightest suspicion of her stroked bee hair, hung over her "ith I ' pitiful, sweet solicitude. And Mind v clung to her all night long, sobbing , brokenly, writhing In hystericul an-t an-t gulsh, and would not let her go. I Jerry stayed with Mlml In the house I in Itellly's alley until after the funeral I . Theresa's funeral when groups of I her brilliant, wondering friends orovd- I cd Into the little flower-filled room ut I Miettn's to do last honor to her tragic I memory, and went away again, after- I ward, slowly, talking It over, agreeing I that after all, in a way, It seemed I rather a congruous thing thnt such I a one as Theresa, divinely driven, I should flash like a meteor across a I tnrry sky to fade at once In a final. I dominant flash at the height of her I brilliance, rather than fade away, as I many do, into a dull and doddering I mediocrity. I The night after the funeral Jerry, I slipping softly down the hall toward I Mind's room, was arrested by the silken, silvery voice. I "Oh, you bad hoy! This Is the I third at six dollars a pint!" I Jerry turned slowly back to her I room. She was not deceived by that I brave resumption of the old routine. I She knew that Mlml's heart, artificial, I shallow though It might be, had suf- I fered a grievously cruel shock and she I marveled that the hollow shell could I send back an echo so musical to a I world that had given her only Its I bitter dregs. I Jerry went Into her room, pulled I out her bags, and began at once to I pack the things of her possession. I Jerry was going home. I Part Two I CHAPTER I I Tie Coming of Jerry I It was a blustering, hlizzard.'y nlcht I m early March. The state of Iowr I lay flat and bare under the lash ot an I angry winter, reluctant to loose Its I hold. I Inside the Harmer home was qnlet I warmth and cheery light In the wl1 i out slowly, the snanows deepening In her eyes Theresa's gallant "Ocean Klder" with eyes like Jerry's own. Jerry's parents stared at It, exclaiming, ex-claiming, marvt.Ing at Its beauty. "It It looks like you," Prudence whispered. "The eyes tliey are mine. As they were when I went to New York, when she first snw me Theresa" Jerry choked over the words, 'i.tt me tell .vou." She hastily switched out the bright lights, leaving only the one soft Roman candle burning on her dressing table, for Jprry did not wish to pain them with the emotion her vivid face could not fall to reveal. And she came across to them, piled cushions on the top of one of the three steps which led up to the raised day bed, and snuggled In between them. "Do you want me to go out?" Jerrold Jer-rold offered generously, feeling that thiH was to be the climax of Jerry's confidence. Jerry smiled at him. drew both his knees Impulsively within the clasp of her arm. "Oh, no, father, of course not." And then she told them of the house on Itellly's nlley, of Miml, with the golden hair and the silken gowns, of terrible, tragic Theresa in her attic room upstairs. "I felt just like a mother toward that girl," she declared brokenly. She told of Theresa's rare talent, of her strange Intensity, her Impatient, Impulsive Im-pulsive kindliness. "Mother, she killed herself " Jerrold let his cigarette go out, II; another feverishly, let It go out again. Prudence held Jerry In a close arm. weeping with her softly. And Jerry talked sadly on and on, told them of Mlml's pitiful, frivolous life, her wasted wast-ed motherhood. Sometimes as she talked, the lay In Prudence's lap, crying cry-ing bitterly, only to sit up again with passionate earnestness to go on with the tragic tale. "The worst of It or maybe the best of It," she amended doubtfully, as she tried to shake away her tears. "Is that I know she Is glad of it. I can Jnsi imagine that gay, deliunt laugh of |