Show fill 0 F R T PAR an 0 AGE A GE CIE 4 jb TONI aa 1 U 1 BY WC TAN IANNE HIM I 1 copyright by the bobbs merrill C company 0 mcany THE MEMBERS OF THE congregation FORGET THAT THE PARSONAGE FOLKS NEED NED MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS SO LITTLE CONNIE CONNIE TELLS BANKER SOME PLAIN TRUTHS mr starr sarr k a widower methodist minister cornea to mount blount mark ismark la ia to take charge of the congregation there ile he has five charming daughters the eldest of whom prudence age nineteen keeps house and mothers the f family her younger sisters are fairy the twins carol and lark and constance the baby the fam ilys coming stirs the curiosity of the townspeople after a few weeks the starrs are well settled prudence has her hands full with vit h th the e mischievous youngsters but slie she loves them devotedly despite their outrageous pranks it isa ts a joyous household but the parsonage girls are embarrassed at christmas tt time me because the congregation has failed to pay the pastors salary little connie needs clothing and sadly disappointed takes matters into her hei own hands CHAPTER VI continued a oh I 1 had her dressed warmly underneath der neath very warmly indeed declared prudence but no no matter how warm you are underneath under you look cold li if you arent visibly prepared tor for winter we weather alfier I 1 kept hoping enough money would come in to buy her a coat tor for once in her life she has been looking forward to one long enough put in fairy this will be a bitter blow to her and yet it Is not such a bad looking coat after all and she quickly ran up a seam scam on the machine here comes conniel connie 1 prudence hastily swept abile a pile of scraps out of sight and turned to greet her little sister elster with a cheery smile come on oa in connie she cried with a brightness she did not f feel eel fairy a ry and I 1 are making you a new coat it pretty and so baim warm I 1 see the nice velvet collar and cuffs we tv e want to fit it on you right away dear connie picked up a piece of the goods and examined it intently dont you want some fudge connle connie exclaimed fairy shoving the dish toward her hurriedly connie took a piece from the plate and thrust it between her teeth her eyes were still fastened upon the brown furry cloth where did you get this stuff she inquired as soon as she was able to speak out of the trunk frunk in the garret connie n e dont you want some more fudge 1 I put a lot ot of nuts gifts in especially on yau your r account its good said connie taking another piece she examined Emit mined the cloth teri very closely say pru prudence fence this that goldbrown old brown lbrown coat of fathers fairy shoved her chair back from the mach machine ine and ran to the wand window ow 1 ook look prue she cried that mrs adams coming this way I 1 an wonder no it answered connie gravely its just miss avery getting home from school it prude prudence nee fathers coat I 1 mean yes connie it is said prudence very very gently but no one here has seen it and it Is such nice cloth just jug exactly what girls are wearing now but I 1 wanted a new coat ill t connie did not cry she stood looking at prudence d en ce with her wide hurt eyes oh connie im just as sorry as you are cried prudence with star starting tink tears 1 I know just how you feel about it dearest I 1 but the people pa pay y father up last month maybe after christmas we can get you a cont coat they pay up better then 1 I think id rather wear my summer coat until then said connie soberly oh but you cant dearest it is too cold wont you be a good girl now eind and not make sister feel badly about it it really Is becoming to you and it Is nice and warm take some more fudge dear and run out of doors a while feel better about it presently im sure connie conale stood solemnly beside the table her eyes still fastened on the coat coa cut down from her fathers can I 1 go and take a walk she asked finally may 1 I you mean suggested fairy yes may 1 I maybe I 1 cart can reconcile myself to iua it yes go and take a walk urged prudence prom promptly pUy eager to get tile ho small sober face beyond her range of vision it I 1 am not back when the twins twin f s get home gobright goi right on and eat without me rii ill come back when I 1 get things straightened out ilmy in my mind min d when connie conale was aul quite to beyond hearing prudence dropped her head on the table and wept 1 oh fairy it if the members just knew bow how such things hurt maybe pay up a little better hoddo how do they expect parsonage people to beep keep up appearances when they any money oh now prue youre worse than connie 1 theres no uso to cry about it parsonage people find hap in spite of ot 1 fici fini b cial misery money the first yang with folks like us poor attle amali I 1 1 if she bad cried about it I 1 have cared so much but she looked sp heartsick she fairy connie certainly was heartsick more than that she was a little disgusted she felt herself aroused to take action things had gone too far I 1 go to church in her fathers coat she could not I 1 she walked sturdily down the street toward the city froni ironically cally so called her face won wan stony her hands were clenched but finally she brightened her lagging steps quickened she skipped along quite cheerfully she turned westward as she reached the corner comer of the square and walked along that business street with shining eyes in front of the first national bank she paused but after a few seconds she passed by on the opposite corner was another bank when she reached lt it she walked in without pausing and the massive door swung behind her the four older girls were at the table when connie came home she exhaled quiet satisfaction from every pore prudence glanced at her once and then looked away again aishe she has reconciled herself she thought dinner was half over before constance burst her bemb are you going to be busy this afternoon prudence she asked quietly we are going to sew a little said prudence why 1 I wanted you to go downtown with me after school well perhaps I 1 can do that fairy will be able to finish the coat alone you tou finish the coat I 1 cant wear wea r fathers coat to church prudence its a its a physical impossibility lity 11 the twins laughed fairy smiled but prudence gazed at the baby with tender pity im so sorry dearest but we the money to buy one now will five dollars be enough inquired connie and she placed a crisp new bill beside her plate the twins gasped 1 they gazed tit at connie with th new respect they were just wishing they could handle five dollar bills so recklessly will you loan me twenty dollars until after christmas connie queried fairy but prudence asked where did you get this money connie 1 I borrowed it from the bank connle connie replied with proper gravity 1 I have two years to pay it back 31 sir harold says they are proud to have my trade prudence was silent for several long seconds then she inquired in a low voice did you tell him wh w hy you wa wanted ut iti it yes I 1 explained the whole situation what did he say he said he be knew just how I 1 felt because he knew lie he go to church in ia his cifes coat no I 1 said that myself but lie he agreed with me he did not say very much but he looked sympathetic he said he be an anticipated great pleasure in seeing me in ray my new coat at church next sunday go on with your luncheon twins said pr prudence I 1 sternly be lato late to school well see about going down town when you get home tonight con ale now eat your luncheon and dont talk about coats any more when connie had bad gone back to school prudence went vent straight to mr harolds bank flushed and embarrassed she explained the situation frankly my sympathies are all with connie she said candidly but I 1 am afraid father would not like it we are arc dead set against borrowing after our mother was taken wo we were crowded pretty close for money so we had to go in debt it took us two years to get it paid rather father and fairy and I 1 talked it over then and decided we would starve rather than sorrow borrow again even the twins understood it but con ale was too little she know knor how heartbreaking it Is to In ing gover over every cent for debt when just yearning tor other things ido wish she might have the coat butom afraid father would not like it she gaab gave me tle th five dollars for safekeeping wad bad I 1 lave have brought it back mr ir Itaro arold td shook his head no nd counte must inest ha have her cont coat this will be abud lesson leson for her it will teach her hei be 1 1 1 ernestr of cf living under debty bemid besides prudence defice I 1 thIn th inkIn klu iby heart that she Is right this time this li Is a case casa where barro borrowing whig Is justified get her the coat and ill square the account with your fat father lier then he be added and ill look after this salary business after this ill arrange with the trustees that I 1 am to pay your father hla his full salary the first of every month and th atthe church receipts drw are to be turned iri in 16 fa roe me and if they do not pay up ray my lawyer cando a little littie investigating I 1 Little Connie earned that five dollars dollari for she tough taught t 0 one lie trustee a sorry lesson and he be will vill have to pass it on to the others ingolf defense de fensel 1 now run aloag and geathe get the coat and it if five dollars asril enough en you can have as much more as you nead pd your father will ge get his Is salary after this my dear it if we have haie to mortgage the parsonage parsonage pars I 1 CHAPTER VII A burglars burg larla visit true prue I 1 A small hand gripped Prude neer shoulder and again came a hoarsely whispered true prue I 1 11 prudence sat up in bed with ai bounce what in the world she began gazing out into the room half lighted by the moonshine and seeing carol and lark shivering beside her bed ish sh I 1 sh I 1 hush I 1 whispered lark theres a burglar in our by this time even sound sleeping fairy was awake oh th there theres ereis Is I 1 sha scoffed yes there Is declared carol with some heat we heard him plain ni day ile he stepped into the closet he lark he certainly did agreed lark did you see bee him no we heard him carol heard him first and she spoke and nudged me then I 1 heard him too ile he was at our dresser but he shot across the room and into the closet he closed the door after him hes there now youve been dreaming said fairy lying down again we dont generally dream the same thing at the same minute said carol stormily storm lly 1 I tell you hes la ia there and you two great big lg girls came off and left poor little connie Connle in ln there v h ih ill prudence dropped her head on the table and wept alone with a burglar did you well you ore are nice ones I 1 must say and prudence leaped out of bed ani and started for the door followed by fairy with the twins creeping fearfully along in n t the ic r rear or she was asleep muttered carol we want to scare her added lark prudence was careful to turn the switch by the door so that the room was in full light before she entered the closet door was wide open con nie was soundly sleeping there was wag no one else in the room you see said prudence sternly ill bet he took our ruby rings de dared lark and the twins and fairy ran to the dresser to look but a sickening realization had come home to prudence in the lower hall under the staircase was a small dark closet which they called the dungeon the dungeon door was big and solid and was equipped with a heavy catch lock in this dungeon prudence kept the family silverware and all the money she had on hand as it could there he be safely locked awny away but more often than not prudence forgot to lock it lave you ever awakened to find a bu burglar aglar in your room what did you do pretend sleep or shout or keep still at his command TO BE CONTINUED |