Show P 14 D E N TI Z C T he E PA aa V 0 a I 1 ETHEL BY WC W C TAN TANN N TA copl a by in uia babba merrall coniing Coni iny THE MEMBERS OF THE congregation FORGET THAT THE PARSONAGE FOLKS NEED MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS SO LITTLE CONNIE COMMIE TELLS BANKER SOME PLAIN TRUTHS mr sin stair r a widower MIdna methodist ht minister COMP comes S to mount mark la IS to take barge garge charge of the there them ile he hea has tie file chur daughters ill the eldest oysters of 0 horn prudence age nineteen keeps hon boll hono o and ad mothers the famil llev her y lunger longer asisten are am fairy the M twins his car carol and ad lark and constance constanc the hoar baby th the family H coming 19 1 stirs fittin curiosity of file ton townspeople poP after a few necks the start or aro well settled prudence be has he her sells hands full with ith the youngsters if but of she loves iowa alim delot devotedly edly despite lhoir ont outrageous pranks it Is a jay joyous ho household aalde but but the paa p AA girls are embar embarrassed romed bt at christmas time b because cause ill the s congregation has failed to pay the past pastor s misty LI little file connie needs clothing slid and sadly disappointed takes mites matters into her own oan hando CHAPTER vl VI conal continued d 8 oh I 1 had bad be her dressed warmly un no dernerth derne derau nth sah ve verr ey warmly indeed de blared prudence ill but no matter bow van aa are underneath A b you look lack cold it 11 in you SCIA aren t t visibly pard tor far winter weather ther I 1 ke kept pt b hoping pd enough money would come lu to 0 buy her a coat at for a bouce 1 in her I 1 life hs she has been looking colw forward rd to one long enough put pat TI in I 1 airy try tills this s bill ill be a bitter blow f to her and yet it is not such each a bad I 1 A ling coat 4 after nil 11 1 and she quickly ran me up a seam on the machine here mines cornea connie carmel 1 prudence heart hastily Y swept B p pile I 1 e 0 of f scraps r fic rOBIL out of fie breet 8 sight ight n and ad to turned d t to 0 greet her little later with idt a elmary cheery smile it cesae am s w in couple connie be ae cried with lith a blight slightness ness obe did not feel fairy and I 1 are making you a new coat 0 ill t it pretty T and so BO belal warma I 1 see the nice fee velvet test collar 22 or sm and cuffs te we want at to fit it on you right away lear elow connie picked up tip a piece of the goods foods and examined it intently D dont t yoa an want ant some fudge on con ulet me r exclaimed lairy fairy hog the te dish toward her fi hurriedly urr hAlly connie t took aft a piece from the plate and a d thrust thris I 1 it bet between her teeth her eyes were still fastened upon the brown blow furry cloth where did you get th this is stuff staff she Jim inquired fd as soon a as ehe he was able to peak out ont of the trunk in the garret coed conole dt D don t Y you want some more a fail fudge a au it I put a lot of f nuts bum I 1 in especially on your ocean account it a good gold said eald connie carol taking so an other placa piece ache sh 0 examined the cloth I 1 very closely S say Y P prudence dee a isn t this that old brown coat out of if cwb fathers 52 fairy shoved her bar chair back from the Bui machine chins and ran raa to the window IJ took look prue proe she cried Is t that sirs ir ad coming this way I 1 wa won der f 1 no it it I isn t answered connie gravely g its just misa mass avery getting larm home from school nn t itt it prudence penitence roda rather B ran coat I 1 me apau lea connie it Is said prudence very very guilty but no one here has seen it bud and it Is such nice cloth I 1 lust last ess exactly city what hat girls are am wearing bring mow maw bat batz I 1 wanted a new coral connie lid not cry she stood looking at pru tience with her wide hurt oh C connie ani 1 I m just us as sorry as you on are es effect cried Prad prudence Cae with starting tears team I 1 know just how you feel about it dearest deares tj 1 but the people t pay tather lathe up last ing mouth month liyim after christmas we can get you a coat they pay up bettor better then than 1 I think I 1 it rather wear my summer v oat until then 11 1 said it connie soberly barl oh but JOB ou carl can 4 t den dent dearest t it Is too cold cald JN wont on t you be a good girl now and not at wake make sister bister feel badly about 40 it I 1 it lt really Ss 1 becoming to you and it t la ai nice ce end bud we warm take some a more f fudge door dear bud and co run butof doors door a while stills you 11 feel better about it presently ily pal im sure or connie I 1 stood solemnly beside the table her eyes faill fastened A on the coat oat cut down from her s can S r go ga and take I a walk she 11 asked led omd finally way may 1 I you mean basin I 1 suggested fairy el lea am may I 1 maybe I 1 me can recon reconcile ede ra myself self to 1121 it mate Y yea go 90 had and take a walk urged P prudence promptly eager to get the small 11 bober her face blood beyond her range of vision baon it if I 1 am in not at back when the twins go get t home go right on an and set cat without ne A come bulk when I 1 get it ahma bow out in my mind ulan call connie I 1 was quite beyond hearing prudence dropped her bad on the tabla his and ad sep n ept I 1 oh retry I 1 if lie be meni an bers bar I 1 just bet knew aw how suh each things hurt maybe they d pay up a 4 little better BO how do 40 they expect parsonage people to kl keep up appearances when they ahto haven beey te t any money ey oh b now prue youre y W ww worse w than A connie C 1 th therea no use to cry about t arc mb gad h it fc porfi parsonage g people w e hn hava to find happiness p in spite of fina annu 11 caal 1 misery money say is t the first thing thine with kith talk biks its like us pa pow little if she he had bad cried about it I 1 would t have base cared red so much mch but she looked BO he heartsick dult she he fairy connie certainly was heartsick more than han that she are was a little disgusted site felt herself caused aroused to take action till things g tied had go gone to too far 11 1 I go to church in her I 1 r father a coat she could not I 1 she 1 walked a ked sturdily dis do down n the street towed toward the elev ironically so called her face we waa st stona her bet hands were clenched but finally she brightened her lagging steps quickened she skipped along quite it cheerfully S she a ill tinned tied westward as aa oil bhe reached the corner ot of the square and walked along that tha t m street with shining eyes eye bushue to la f front at of A r t the h first at A if I 1 1 anh k she h 2 numbed b ant t after a few seconds claude she P passed mad b by Y on the opposite car corner act was another bank when she ra reached had it she walked allied in without pausing kuttim and the massive ma door swung behind her the four older girls were at the table able when hen creole connie came home ionic she exhaled quiet from every cry pore pon prudence glanced at her once and then looked away again she has reconciled died herself she be thought ed din nor ner was b halt it over before constance bare burst her bomb ell are you going to be busy this after noun loon prudence she ehe asked quietly V N e we are going 9 19 to slow sew a little said prudence ru dence why 1 I led you to 9 go d downtown tow with me ne after school I 1 well all perhaps I 1 ran can do that rally fairy will be able to finish the coat cast blue alone tou to finish the cow coat I 1 cant wear fathera father coat out to church pro dens dence it a a it its a physical ahe twins laughed fairy waited but P ru dence gazed flexed at the baby with food ender 1 pity I tm so sorry or dearest but we haven I 1 the be money only to buy one A row now will five 11 delta dollars be enough 1 I 1 inquired count connie old and she ehe placed a crisp 0 ica bill beside her bar p a the I twins ins ns O g gasped P rill gae gazed a at connie with saw new respect they war were just ut wishing the could handle five dollar bills bill so a ill you loan me twenty d dollars ol 01 lam un til after connie quelled fairy but prudence asked NN here did you get this chii money connie 1 I borrowed it f from fra ra the bank co con me replied with ah proper clity 1 I hum have two tao years year to pay it back 31 mr humid harold s sais 5 they we are proud to have my trade tra tie a prudence I 1 was silent for far seleria long loag se corsh then she inquired I 1 in a low law oure oice did lou tell him why ya lou want A ed ad ill etc les le I 1 explained the whole situation fl A ft hat did hemaya he say t ile he said aid be knew just hoai how I 1 f felt it because because he knew ha be could t go to church 1 in his wife a coat no I 1 said aid that in mi so self but he agreed with will me he va ty did not eay Y very much but he looked sympathetic he sold he anticipated great pleasure in seeing boeing we me in my new coat at church next bunday go en aith ill your year lin luncheon chron twins said prudence sternly 1 boull I on 11 be let late to school well we see shop about t going down town toon when jou iou get b home tonight it con can 1 alc IM bow eat your luncheon fird and do don t talk beat about coats at SAY any mure NN ft hen gen connie had bad 9 gone if butk ah to A school prudence went want straight to mr harolds hareld a bank flushed and embar tossed he explained th the situation frankly my ApS sympathies this are all W with rh C connie I 1 she be said aid cura idd but bar I 1 am afraid to father therwood would not at like it vie are dead set it against b borrowing g A after f t takA ranh od our mother waa as taken we w were am e crowd r ed it pretty city cloae in for damn so W we bad to go in debt it took us two y years to lot it paid path father and ad fairy and ad I 1 tallied talked it over the then and ad decided we would old starve rather than borrow again even the twins understood it but con can ale 1 waa as too little she docan t know inal how heartbreaking it I 1 Is to keep head hand ing over every rear cent tor far debt who when one la Is just yearning tor far other tillage I 1 do wish ali she might caught have the coat but I 1 in wield all aid father would not of like it she go gave me a th the file dollars dollar tor for safekeeping ana it I 1 have brought it back mr hit harold harald shook his bill load bead no connie 1 ennst act have her coat this will be a good lesson for her hei it will teach her the bitterness of living under debt I 1 Be besides addes fred prudence nee I 1 think in my hourt heart that lie is right this time A this hu la a cos bahe where borrowing Is justified get her ill the coat and ad III aqua square the account aci I 1 act with ith war father then he added and III look of after lid salary 1 1 I 17 business after this ill III adanee with trustees that I 1 mea am to pay your year father his fui fil salary the first of every avery mo ill and that the church pta a are to be to turned id 1 in to an me and if ft they do not pay up my fia lawyer al can cam do R little littie investigating I 1 I 1 little C connie Is earned that ill five flail dollars for far she tie ought one trustee a sorry lesson lemon and ln he ad will have to pass it on to tile file others in self defense I 1 no now run along and get the coat 4 and it if file fie dollars dollar I 1 isn t a enough you co can bei have as much rich more to as you yon need Y tour r fouler father wilt III get aft his salary after this my dear cast if we be tune a to wort mort gage age the par parsonage parson ge c CHAPTER VIL VII A burglar visit I 1 A small samil hand gripped prade prudence B shoulder should and ad caroa came a hoarsely ahtye ft d true pe I 1 prudence sat up in bed with a bounce what in the world ald she began swing gazing out into the room a inc half if if lighted glit by the AmO moonshine and ad seeing carol a and d larl lark sl mering beside her bed I 1 sh hush bush ic I 1 whispered lark there theles a burglar 1 in our room by this time A even sound oil sleeping fairy we waa annle WI oh off there Is c she scoffed yes there Is 11 declared carol with till some beat we its heard him plain as day ile he stepped into the file c inset closet dlan do t lw he luck 11 he certainly did c agreed lark did you see him no we heard beard him carol heard board him first and she spoke and ad nudged me a th then I 1 heard based him too he ha 11 waa at our dreiser dramer but he shi shot it or across to ill the room bud and into the closet clo abet ile he closed the door after him he a a there now tome you A been fairy lying down dow again g in we dont gew generally rally deep dream the am same thing at the A bame minute said aid carol I 1 tell you he B 1 in there and you two mo great big girls came A bec ff and left poor little connie com in there that V I 1 is I 1 prudence D dropped ropp ad H her head on the T table able and A d wept a pt alone with mth a burglar did you well I 1 ion on are nice ones once I 1 must say 11 and prudence leaped out of bed and started for far the door foll followed d by fairy with alth the tome creeping fearful along in the rear she we was asleep uttered muttered carol we dian didn I 1 want to sears scare her added lark ark Prod prudence prodoc cc was careful to turn lam the switch by the door so eo that the room a n as s in full light before she he entered the the closet door was wide pan open co connle to was soundly annually bleeding bleeping Ble ping there that was waa I 1 no one else in the room I 1 you we asel said prudence pradel sternly bet he took our ruby rings d declared lark rod and the t twins ans and fairy a y ran to the dresser to look i but a sickening rea had come he home to plan Piu prudence dence in ill the lower hall half under the staircase was waa a small dare dark I 1 closer which they called the dungeon the dungeon door we waa big and it solid and was equipped with ill a heavy catch lack in this dungeon prudence kept t the h fard family IY silverware Ilver ware and all the m money a she he had ad a on hand blind na it bould there them be safely locked so away bu but t more often than not prudence forgot to lock it have hav you e ever er r awakened to find ad a burglar in your roo room A I 1 what chat did you do P pretend stand sloop blepp or shout or keep still ti at hr has command fular nami t tiu fas bh alls rinji |