Show affo it on WS ji FEE E R of the PARS 0 N af by ETHEL HUESTON 9 dobbs merrill copyright 1916 lea PRUDENCE FINDS BLUSHING AND breathless EVERY TIME SHE INTO THE EYES OF HER RESCUER mr starr widower methodist minister at mount mark in has five charming daughters prudence the eldest keeps house for him F fairy airy Is a college freshman carol an and d lark twins are in high school constance Is the baby the activities of the starr girls pru dences work faires school affairs the pranks of the youngsters and the family perplexities make the story it Is simply a recital of homely om ly incidents glorified by affection the preceding installment dese described abed the accident suffered by prudence when she went for an early morning bleyel bicycle e ride and her rescue by a strange young man CHAPTER VIII VI I 1 I 1 continued 11 oil oh whatever what eyer will mattle moore say to me its borrowed oli oh I 1 see now that it was just foolish pride that mode made me unwilling to ride ilde during decent hours what a dunce I 1 was as usual I 1 ile he looked ather at her curlo curiously sly this was beyond his comprehension she explained letl ne and then was silent a while r Fal a f ryll ryll have to get breakfast and she always gets fathers eggs too hard silence again maybe worry but then they know by this time that something always does happen to me so be prepared she turned gravely to the young man an beside her he was looking down at her too and ns as their eyes ekes met and clung for an instant a slow dark color rose in his face prudence felt a curious breathlessness caused by her hurting ankle undoubtedly my name Is prudence starr I 1 am the methodist Methodi pt ministers oldest daughter and my name Is jerrold harmer he was looking away into the hickory grovet grove now my home Is la in des moines oh des moines Is quite a city it ive heard quite a lot about it you might tell me about des moines Is it very nice are there lots of rich people there of course I 1 do not really care any more about rich people than the others but it always makes a city seem grand to have a lot of rich citizens I 1 think dont you so lie he told her ab about out des moines and prudence lay with her deyss eyes half closed listening and wondering why there was more music in his voice than man in most voices her ankle did not hurt very badly she did not mind it af at all in fact she never gave it a thought from beneath her lids she jepther kept her eyes fastened on jerrold harmers charmers Har mers long brown hands clasped loosely about his knees and whenever she could she looked up into his face and always there was that curious catching in her breath and she looked aay again quickly quickly feeling th that a t to look too long was dangerous 1 I have talked my share now he be w was saying tell me all about yourself and the parsonage and your family and who is fairy and do you attend the college at mount blount mark you look like a college girl oh I 1 hm am not said prudence reluctant to make the admission for the first time in her life 1 I am too stupid to be a college girl I 1 left high school five years ago and have been keeping house bouse for my father and sisters since then I 1 am twenty years old how old are you 1 I am twenty seven and he smiled jerrold harmer 1 she said slowly and very musically it Is such a nice name do your friends call you jerry 7 tho the boys at school called me roldie and sometimes hamble but my mother a always called me jerry she living now either you call me jerry will you yes I 1 will but it wont be proper but that never makes any difference to me except when it might shock the rn members abers you want me to call you jerry dont you yes cesi I 1 do and when we are arc better acquainted will you let we me call you prudence call me that now I 1 cant be too particular you see when I 1 am lying on your coat and pillowed billowed pill owed with your belongings you might get cross and take them away from me did you go to college yes to harvard but I 1 was waa not much of a student then I 1 knocked around a while looking at the world and two years ago I 1 went home to des moines I 1 have been there ever since except for little runs once in a while prudence sighed my sister fairy Is going to college now now ashes very clever oh ob very like her aarn I 1 am sure much better than you do me of course prudence Pruden cd was strangely downcast PI 1 I am sure I 1 wont said jerrold harmer with unnecessary vehemence 1 I dont curea care a thing tor for college girls I 1 like home girls jerrold flipped over abruptly abrupt lk and lay on the grass his face on his bis arms turned toward hep bet face they were quiet for a while but their glances were clinging did you play football at college yo too ere are so tall pallye tall too i faires very grand looking PYO ive tried my best to eat cut lots and exercise and make myself bigger but I 1 am a fizzle yes I 1 played football but girls gills do not need to be so tall as men dont you remember what orlando said about rosalind just as tall as my li heart eart I 1 imagine you sou come about to my shoulder well measure as soon as you tire are on your feet again aro are you going to live in mount blount mark now aro are you coming to slay prudence was almost quivering as she asked this it wa was of vital importance no I 1 will only be there a few days but I 1 shall probably be back every week or so Is your father very strict maybe he would object to your writing 1 to to me oh he strict at oil ail and lie he will be glad for me to write to you I 1 know Is des moines just full of beautiful girls 1 I should say not I 1 never saw a real beautiful girl in des in my life or any place else for that matter until I 1 came you know when you come right down to it there are mighty few girls that look just the aay way you want them to look prudence nodded the way with men too of all the men I 1 have seen in my life I 1 never saw one before that looked just the way I 1 wanted him to 11 before he questioned eagerly yes said prudence frankly you look just as I 1 wish you to CHAPTER IX father starr reads the signs and id the meanwhile at the parsonage fairy was patiently getting breakfast prudence went out for an early bicycle ride so the members catch her she explained to the family and she back yet shell probably stay out until afternoon and then ride right by the grocery cery store where the ladles ladies have their saturday sale prudence all I 1 I 1 S t do your friends call you jerry over oh father I 1 did forget your eggs again I 1 am afraid they are too hard here twins you carry in the oatmeal and we will eat eal no use to watt wait for prudence Pruden cd it would be like waiting for the next comet indeed li it was nearly noon when a small one horse spring wagon drove droe info the parsonage yard mr starr was in his study with a book but he heard a piercing fig shriek from connie and ashriel a shrill prudence I 1 from rom one of the twins he was downstairs in three leaps and rushing wildly out to the little rickety wagon and there was Pru prudence dencel 1 dont be frightened father ive just sprained ray my ankle and it hurt hardly imy any but the bicycle Is broken and well have to pay for it IL you can use my own money in the bank poor mr davis had kowalk to walk all tho way to town because there any room for him in the wagon with me lying down ule like this will you carry me in connies Conn lea single bed was hastily brought downstairs and prudence deposited upon it theres no use to put me upstairs she assured them 1 I won wont stay there awant I 1 want to be down hero here where I 1 can boss the girls the doctor came in and bandaged the swollen purple ankle then they had dinner they tried to remember to call it luncheon but never succeeded edl I 1 after that the whole parsonage family grouped about the little single bed in the cheery sitting room whose coat Is this prudence asked connie anti and where in tha world did you get these towels and silk shirts ada added fairy prudence blushed most exquisitely they are mr Har charmers harmers II mers she said and glanced nervously at her father whose chorused the family if you will sit down and keep stilli awill will tell you all about it but you must not interrupt me what time la is lt it fairy two oh two then I 1 have plenty oe oc time and in her own frank way sho she told the story then mr davis came along with his cart she concluded and jerry er harmer you know helped put me in and the cart was so small they both had to walk where is lie he now Is teyoung he young Is heland he handsome some did lie he look rich dont be silly girls he went to the hotel I 1 suppose anyhow he left us as soon as we reached town he ha said sned he was ida hurry and had something to look after ills coat was underneath der neath me in the wagon and ho he w talce take it out f for or fear of hurting my ankle so the poor soul Is probably wandering around this town in his shirt sleeves already in the eyeshot the girls th this is jerry er cr harmer II armer had taken unto himself all the interest of the affair uell hell hake have to come tor for his coat said lark were bound to see him where does he live what was he doing in the hickory grove inquired mr starr with a strangely sinking heart for her eyes were alight with new and wonderful radiance ile he lives in des dea moines he be was just walking into town and took a short cut through the grove walking from lies lea moines prudence flushed uncomfortably 1 I think of that she said but I 1 do not see why lie he should not walk if lie he likes lies hes strong and ath athletic leile and ad fond of exercise I 1 guess hes bes plenty able to walk if he wants to im sure hes no tramp father it if that Is what you are tb thinking inking 11 1 I am not thinking anything of the kind prudence he said with dignity but I 1 do think it rather strange that a young man should set out to walk from des moines to mount mark and why should he be at it so early in the morning he require sleep its as the rest of us do how should I 1 know I 1 guess if he be likes to be out in the morning when it is fresh and sweet it Is all right I 1 like the morning myself lie ile had as much right out early its as I 1 had ills clothes were nice and lie he Is a harvard graduate and his shoes were dusty but not soiled or worn anyhow lie ha is coming at four if you want to ask if he is a tramp you can do it and prudence burst into tears dramatic silence in the cheerful sitting room I 1 then F fairy airy began bustling about to bathe the face and throat of poor little prudence and her father said sympathetically youre all nervous and wrought up with the pain and excitement prudence tence im glad he ha Is coming so we can thank him for his kin kindness driess it was mighty lucky he happened along it A harvard graduate I 1 yes they are arc pretty strong on athletics at harvard better straighten this room a little and have things looking nice when lie iia gets here said father starr with great diplomacy and he was rewarded and startled by observing that prudence brightened wonderfully athis at his words yes do she urged eagerly get some of the roses from the corner bush and put them on the table there and when alion you go upstairs fairy better bring down that little laco lace spread in the bottom drawer of our dresser look very nice on this bed work hard girls and get everything looking fine hell be here at four he said you twins may inay wear your white dresses and connie must put on her blue and wear her blue bows boft s fairy do you think it would be nil all right for you to wear your silk dress of course the silk Is rather grand for home but you do look so BO beautiful in it rather father will you put pat on your black suit or are you too busy and dont forget to wear the pearl cufr cuff buttons aunt grace sent you do you think that the si stranger ranger la Is what he ahe says he Is in that case why should he be walking from des moines to mount mark and why ou out t so early might he not be an adventurer TO BE co CONTINUED V |