| Show FL P RK U D IFF anc of the ae PARSONAGE by ETHEL HUESTON HUES TON a merrill ique L 7 5 r k irl i I 1 prudence and fairy entertain the good ladies of the congregation and the result is rather disastrous f for or prudence mr starr a widower methodist embed AN mot he has been bee assigned fill filled to th the 6 congregation at mount meant M mark k to lowa hit he end and hia hat daughter prudence pruden a she ehe is nineteen auta and the eldest ide st of five girls girl have a ve wal come on A head ahead to get the now new A v parsonage nage ready for far the younger members member of the family the whole town baanna especially ally th the methodist element efian ewt Is very curi e ous on about the acreage eti angera and I 1 individually a A HY members member of the church ell c IN call calf at tl if a parsonage and ad pump the girls for all ad worth but the starrs stam soon a ad just themselves to their new Bill round ings and nd after much preparation pr ratio prudence and ad fairy I are going go ng to entertain the la doa dies aid society some santa of the members member are am arriving now CHAPTER ill III continued co 4 not kot ayour on life said aid carol P and emphatically he s worse the than prad prudence like IS as not of he it give me a good thrashing into the bargain al 0 o I 1 ini al strong for or prudence when it comes me to P punishment i in ra pie eft ference nce to father I 1 mean I 1 can t seem to be fund fond of any kind of punishment from anybody for a while carol we was much depressed but by nature she ehe was as a bua buoyant soul bout and her bar spirits were presently soaring again in the meantime the ladles ladle of the aid society continued to 11 arrive prudence P and fairy freshly gowned bud and smiling illg raced faced received them file with fill cordiality curb corb d b aliby and many metry merry words it was not net difficult for far them the they had bad been reared lo in the hospitable atmosphere of methodist parsonages personages nages whom where if you hot but two tir adles dib of oatmeal art the A outsider an uhler la Is welcome to one gas that tbt is carol a description d of parsonage per sag life but at prudence pr dl c on as concerned cc c c ed to ob ar serve ara A that a big easy chile chair placed well bulk back in a secluded m mer corner er seemed to be gibing dissatisfaction it was mr mrs ada adams 8 who sat there first she squirmed quite quit a little and ad seemed 1 to ito be gripping the arms anus of th the A chair with tool unnecessary IF f terror presently pre aly she stammered mored an excuse and ad rising W wt went t into the other room ma after that id mrs miller then sirs him jack mrs mr norey and ad ml mrs bred beed I 1 in to turn sat net th there and ad did not hot toy stay pd Prude prudenco aco A was quite quit ago go nixed had bad the awful twi twins filled it with needles for the reception of 11 the poor poo r ladles ladies at firt opportunity she ile h hurried d into at the lial secluded holed corner intent upon trying the chair for hei sf jf she eat but down anxiously then she gasped and clutched frantically at the arm at of the chair pol for she file discovered at once A to her dismay that the chair was we hot dumess ond and that only ally lis by banging b ging oo 00 A for her bar i life if c could a old she he keep from drop ping through up rose prudence conscientiously pulling after her the thin cushion which had bad concealed the chat a short coming look fairy she he cried led did you tithe take the bottom out at of f this halt chair it must let hae he been horribly un on comfortable comfor t able for those who have sat eat there however did it happen fairy we was frankly amazed used imd and it a little if tile inclined to be amused aed ask the twins bhe lw said aid tersely 1 I an know w nothing about it at that moment the luckless ce carol 1 r went running through the hall pv pru 4 denee a knew it asa she he without frob seeing liZo because she had bad a peculiar skipping run that vas s quite characteristic le and unmistakable car carol 11 I 1 all she called and carol paused carol 1 more imperatively then carol slowly op opened d the do door she he we waa it a puts parsonage go girl and d rose to the at occasion wd u she smiled winsomely carol was early dearly always 1 Y winsome how do ou on doa do she said bald brightly be t it it lovely day did sou oil call me a prudence I 1 les as do you know where the bottom hotto botto to of that chair has gone goal why no prudence prud gracious grat iOus I 1 that chair 1 why hy I 1 dibut know you were going log to bring bri that let chair in 1 here her aby h I 1 am a so a sorry corryl 1 why in the world t you teu tell 1 us beforehand game of ft the ladles adim L smiled owned others arod their browa and shoulders shoulder in a mildly idly alvo way that prudence hm after years year in I 1 the parsonage par anage h had ad learned to it know and ad dread and oliero la the chair bottom BOH r she inquired and why did you take lale itt why we wanted to make you and ad lark well 4 abu yea but it was wa really all my banit t you u kaow we wanted mcd to make A beat ju up high in itin the tree and ad the bottom off the chair a was lust just fine file durable adorable eest ol 01 bright it B a perfectly oah fening g but bat sobering adi agal again as an she he teal real aises the gravity of t the be occasion and we put the cash cushion fint in the chair so sc til that I 1 it w wouldn 0 ulan t be noticed AV we over never use that chair you know twi im at so sorry about be it carol wit was really quite crushed crashed fl but t true to her ber parsonage train training g she straggled d valiantly alb ottly and ad presently PI pre hently atly bro brought gli t forth a crumpled and sickly lidz mile 13 but u prudence smiled at her bar kindly th that W t very roughly naughty carol she he fraul aid frankly u Y it to a true that we sel INA had dom use that limit chair and W we ought to ahnie he looked ired she lw 91 glanced reproach fully at rhy fairy it I 1 la strange that in duA dusting tIlls it pat fairy U but devermond never Dever mind you xou may go now how carol it is in all 11 tight right then the she he apologized P 1 9 gently to the ladies bud and the I 1 went on but prudence we was ably ell con BA scions A of keen kee and quizzical eyes turned her way evidently they thought she was too to lenient well it t very naughty at she thought wretchedly how dow can I 1 pre tend it nas ban terribly bad when 1 iveel feel in my heart that it wool fasot I 1 to the meeting progressed and ad the business W was presently disposed of so far things thing 0 were not art to too see seriously ly bad and prudence sighed 1 in great re ilof then the ladles ladies took Q out their e ir s sing sewing ing and began industriously IF work rk ing at many articles designed for the clothing of f a lot let of f young methodists confined and m no an orphans ph b home A I 1 ia ch cat cogo cage and they talked to together gether pleas plea antly and gayly and prudence and fairy folt pit that the load cloud was we lifted but soon boon it settled again dark and towering lowering prudence heard lark run ning through the hall and her ter soul mis 1 save ve her why we was lark lack going up sani to be surp dr her mission task might be b loan innocent cent but prudence dared not run ran the risk fortunately she was a sit ting long near hear the door lark arklo she h called softly lark lack topped piled A abruptly b raptly and wreathing something tell fell to the floor lark the ladles ladies smiled and miss carr lAgh laughing lg bald aid she Is in an attea etc five creature shet after prudence would 1 it gladly be have flown out into info the hati hall t to settle tilt this matter but she real realized ld that she he was on acid D A 1 that a handsome vr biu iid he done so the ladies world b av at III d forever after hughly as incompetent she could not go I 1 but lark want mine to her lark pd P d ti at A voice and lark was wait bound to b hied bd d I 1 oh prue she said plaintively of 11 be there in a min minute oto co cant t you yen wit wait just five minutes let me ma run up stairs 11 alist I 1 at u won on t you then ile I 1 it c come gl clyl wont that eliut do da her voice 1 I was hopeful but pru pro den deuce with ith dangerous duneer oua calm come at once lark all right then an and added daddea threat f but you 11 alta I 1 haan hadn t 0 lark opened the d door a woeful figare I 1 in one hand band she carried A an empty Y shoe ones box and her face we was site streaked u 1 ked with good rich I 1 loa mud and clr e clothes were plastered with it one khoe was caked train the sole sale to the very top button and a great gash h in cs air ILE her stocking looking revealed a gep generous per uon ot of round white lea hat poor ioor prudi prudence at that moment cut she AN would have exchanged the whole par monago bathroom el elmetric etric lights and all 11 for a tiny log cabin in the heart of it a great forest where here 1 l she ehe and lark might be alone together and fairy laughed prudence pruden looked at he her with tests tears in her eves and then turned to the wretched had girl thel ft hat have you been doing lark the heartbreak expressed in the face of lark would have made the angels weep bence beneath the brodus of mud A on her ai k blia 1 we was pallid and ad try as all she would she sha could not hot keep her chin fr trembling trem bline her r voice olce when she W was as able to speak wag v barcly recognizable wr we w we we or are malting mud age prudence prudenc atit it it was awful messy I 1 know but at they say imy 1 it t 1 inch uch it good 9 od and d u useful ivull thing t to a il da we W we we e expect th the th the L la dies to see us mud lineages li nages gasped g ped prudence P do and ad even a fairy stared incredulously 1 here in the world did get hold held of 0 an idea like their that lt it tt lt won wag in I 1 th that t that mother s home friend paper you take pru pro deuce dence prudence blushed guiltily it was we modeling in clay but we A haven I 1 say any alny I 1 by and nd t the he ran nind d la very nice ae but oh h I 1 know I 1 I 1 look a ir ju just horrible 1 I 1 I con connie a pushed mein roc in the fund for far tun another appealing glance 0 fat into her sister a 3 fat face a a and nd lark plunged a on n be bent t on ina smoothing madd g matters site I 1 it f shi ht could it carol 1 Is I is just fine flu at it rally a I 1 ly S abe hh h she h A making 9 a vale venus do de ki k mil allo 0 A nod it it s good gold but we co can t remember whether her or arm i is off at t the 5 tn elbow or below the shoulder should A an enormous gulp and by furious blinking lark among managed 0 it to crowd back the tears fear that would slip to the edge of her inal lashes 1 I 1 m very sorry try prudence ve verr well lark larh you may go ido I 1 do not zu t tl y object to your modeling in mud d I 1 a am m sure I 1 am sorry you twit look so A disreputable you must change owr shoes bc and ad at stockings king at once it and it the then you can go on with your year model 1 log 19 9 but there them faast at b be a no more am pushing and chasing see C connie 1 about that tonight NOW how go aud and lark we waa swift to avail herself of the per permission I 1 followed a hour hear and then the ladles ladies put aside aide their alg sewing and ad aale d beat about the room chatting in little groups with a mind significant r glance 1 to fairy prudence wallo walked d cuiba calmly y te to the double doors between th the is dining g ciui toad room aud the sitting tom room tj the ees I 1 0 of the ladies followed best beat her with int interest and ad even e thuel enthusiasm thu nl they were hill hungry gry prudence slowly opened wid wide the doors and stood am amazed it th the LI ladies clustered about her and stood it a amazed m als also 0 the dining g room was alred dla iut t there h I 1 and the be t t table but the appearance of the place pines was vastly different I 1 the im snotty imy Y cloth was draped an artis timaly over t a picture on an the th we wall th the a lowest edges 0 well ell above t the he floor the plates and tray napkin covered were a sf safely st stowed d away on the abfall floor 1 in 11 dis tant carneri 11 the kitchen scrub bucket had been blought in and turned turns it upside 0 down to afford a fitting resting asting 71 7 PI place pic c for the borrowed punch poach bowl 1 ill full to 01 overflowing 11 with Ir fragrant gt it lemonade and at the table able were see three dirt dirty disheveled little figures bending ser seriously over piles 0 mud A not unrecognizable wild sable zable venus de allo ile occupied pled the center of the table C connie in we was painstakingly palo gly nt at work on some coined animal a dog perhaps or possibly an elephant and acid the three young modelers looked up in exclamatory cont consternation ha aa the do doors ped pe d I 1 oh ob are you reads readi r cried carol now low time has bus flown 1 we had no idea you d be ready so soon oh we are sorry Prud prudence nce we intended to have every everything t ling fixed P properly perly for you agile agian we needed beede a flat fiat place for our modeling I 1 1 its t a shame at what it Is in LC chande B t t that h a handsome s 0 V venus nes I 1 did that I 1 if you 11 J just at shut shot the door ona minute P prudence r ude ce well have everything er Y exactly us As you left it and we to re as sorry a aa we can be I 1 iou on can fw have my venus V e aus tor for a centerpiece if you aile prudence silently closed the doors and the ladies Illg laughing lulli significantly dway daway drew don dan t you think my den dear r 0 began mb puss prentiss to too toso sweetly till tin tind the chev are a little aw more the than you can manage 1 dont t you yen really think an older woman ormin Is abd needed i 1 I do not think so cried fairy before f her bar sister ter could speak peak BO older woman could be kinder or sweeter enter or more patient and helpful than prue pro N undoubtedly true but something mei more Is deeded I 1 am afraid I 1 it ap all pears girls J are a little morar d dig orderly y than in my own young dins dais perhaps I 1 do not at judge ad adly be but I 1 it betija to roe am they A are a little dont you think that M mr starr would old save prudence pruden cil much worry and responsibility if he ha save gov A little IM tess lees time to h his A IN personal duties and nd a more a to helping her manage the young at etchet 7 ry Us bh |
