Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1917 — PRUDENCE of the PARSONAGE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PRUDENCE of the PARSONAGE

By ETHEL HUESTON

(Bobbs-Merrlll, Copyright, 1916)

. CHAPTER lll—Continued. “Not on your life,” said Carol promptly and emphatically; “he’s worse than Prudence. Like as not he’d give me a good thrashing into the bargain. No —I’m sffohg for Prudence when it comes to punishment —in preference to father, I mean. I can’t seem to be fond of any kind Qf punishment from anybody.” For a while Carol was much depressed, but by nature she was a buoyant soul, and her spirits were presently soaring again. In the meantime, the Ladies of the Aid society continued to arrive. Prudence and Fairy, freshly gowned and smiling-faced, received them with cordiality and many merry words. It was not difficult for them; they had been reared in the hospitable atmosphere of Methodist where, if you have but two dishes of oatmeal, the outsider is welcome to one. That is Carol’s description of parsonage life. But Prudence was concerned to observe that a big easy chair placed well back In a secluded corner, seemed to be giving dissatisfaction. It was Mrs. Adams who sat there first. She qulte a little, and seemed to be gripping the arms of the chair with unnecessary fervor. Presently she stammered an excuse, and, rising, went into the other room. After that, Mrs. Miller, then Mrs. Jack, Mrs. Norey, and Mrs. Beed, in turn, sat there —and did not stay. Prudence was quite agonized. Had the awful twins filled it with needles for the reception of the poor Ladies? At first opportunity she hurried into the secluded corner, intent upon trying the chair for herself. She sat down anxiously. Then she gasped and clutched frantically at the arm of 5 the chalr. For she discovered at once to her dismay that the chair was bottomless, and that only by hanging on for her life could she keep from dropping through. Up rose Prudence, conscientiously pulling after her the thin cushion which had concealed the chair’s shortcoming. “Look, Fairy!” she cried. “Did you take the, bottom out of this chair? It must have: been horribly un-

comfortable for those who have satthere! Hbwever did it happen?” Fairy was frankly amazed, and a little inclined to be amused. “Ask the twins,” she said tersely; “I know nothing about it.” At that moment, the luckless Carol went running through the hall. Prudence lrnew it w r as she, without seeing, because she bad a peculiar skipping run that was quite characteristic and unmistakable^ I —“ Carol i” she called." And Carol paused. “Carol!” more imperatively. Then Carol slowly opened the door — she was a parsonage girl and rose to the occasion. She smiled winsomely— Carol was nearly always winsome. “How do you do?”-she said brightly. "Isn’t it a lovely day? Did you call me, Prudence? 1 ! - - “Yes. Do you know where the bottom of that chair has gone?” “Why no, Prudence — gracious ! That chair! —why, I didn’t know you were going to bring that chair in here. Why — oh, lam so sorry! Why in the world didn’t you tell us beforehand?” Rome of the-Padies^miledT-Dthers gifted their brows and shoulders in n mildly suggestive way, that Prudence, after nineteen years in the parsonage, bad learned to know and dread. “And where is the chair-bottom now?" shfe inquired. “And why did you take it?” “Why, we wanted to make^— ’’ . "You and Lark?” * r “Well, yea—but it was really all my fault, you know. We wanted to make a seat op high in the peach-tree,’and-the bottom off the chair was just fine, ,It'a a perfectly adorable aeat,” bright* ening, but sobering agaitFa* she realised* the gravity of the occasion. “And

we put tlie cushion iu the chair so that it wouldn’t be noticed. We never use that chair, you know. I’m so sorry about it.” Carol was really quite crushed, but true to her parsonage training, she struggled valiantly and presently brought forth a crumpled and sickly smile. But Prudence smiled at her kindly. “That wasn’t very naughty, Carol,” she said frankly. “It’s true that we seldom use that chair. And we ought to have looked.” She glanced reproachfully at Fairy. “It is strange that in dusting it, Fairy—but never mind. You may go now, Carol. It is all right.” Then she apologized gently to the Ladies, and the conversation went on, but Prudence was uncomfortably conscious- of -keen and quizzical eyes turned her way. Evidently they thought she was too lenient. “"Well, it wasn’t very naughty,” she thought wretchedly. “How can I pretend it was terribly bad, when I feel in my heart that it wasn’t!” The meeting progressed, and the business was presently disposed of. So far, things w r ere not' too seriously bad, and Prudence sighed in great relief. Then the Ladies took out their sewing, and began industriously working, at..uiauy articles, designed-for the clothing of a lot of young Methodists confined in an orphans’ home in Chicago. And they talked together pleasantly and gayly. And Prudence and Fairy felt that the cloud was lifted. But soon it settled again, dark and lowering. Prudence heard Lark running through the hall and her soul misgave her. Why was Lark going upstairs? To be sure, her mission might be innocent, but Prudence dared not run the risk. Fortunately she was sitting near the door. “Lark!” she called softly. Lark stopped nhmptly,.nnd.-Sometfaing-fell-to the floor. “Lark!” The Ladles smiled, and Miss Carr, laughing lightly, said, “She is an attentive creature. Isn’t she?” Prudence would gladly have flown out into the hall to settle this matter, but she realized that she was on exhi-

bition. Had she done so, the Ladies would have set her down forever after as thoroughly incompetent—she could not go! But Lark must come to her. “Lark!” This was Prjidence’s most awful voice, and Lark was bound to heed. : . “Oh, Prue,” she said plaintively, “I’ll be there in a minute. Can't you wait just five minutes? Let me run upstairs first, won't you? Then I’ll come gladly ! Won’t that do?”

Her voice was hopeful. But Prudence replied with dangerous calm: “Come at once, Lark.” "All right, then.” and added tbreateningly, "but you'll wish 1 hadn’t.” Then Lark opened-the door—a woefql figure! -lu oue hand-ehe-eaTriethan: empty shoe box. And her face was streaked with good rich lowa mud. Her clothes were plastered with it. One shoe was caked from the sole to the very top button, and a great gash in her stocking revealed a generous portion of round, white leg. Poor Prudence! At that moment she wmtM have exchanged the whole parsonage. bathroom, electric lights and all, for a tinyi log cabin in the heart of a- great forest, where .she and Lark might be alone together. , And Fairy laughed. Prudence looked ■et her with tears in her ey'es, and then turned to the wretched girl. “What have you been doing, Lark?” The heartbreak expressed in the face of Lark would have made the angels weep. Beneath the smudges of mud_ ■warherrheeks she WfcS -pHWdrancl, try" as she would, she could not keep her chin from trembling ominously. . Her voice, when she was able to speak, was barely recognizable. *

“We —we —we are making—mud images, Prudence. It —it was awfully messy, I know, but —they say—it is such a good—and useful thing to do. We—we didn’t expect —the —the Ladies to see us.” “Mud images I” gasped Prudence, and even Fairy stared incredulously. “Where in the world did you get hold of an idea like that?” “It —it was in that —that Mother’s Home Friend paper you take. Prudence.” Prudence blushed guiltily. “It was modeling in clay, but —we haven’t any clay, and —the mud is very nice, but—oh, I know I look just —horrible. I —I —Connie pushed me in the —puddle —for fun.” Another appealing glance into her sister’s face, and Lark plunged on, bent on smoothing matters if she could. "Carol is—is just fine at it, really. She —she’s making a Venus de Milo, and it’s good. But we can’t remember whether her arm is off at the elbow or" below the shoulder —” An enormous gulp, and by furious blinking Lark managed to crowd back the tears that would slip to the edge of her lashes. “5 —I’m very sorry, Prudence.” “Very well, Lark, you may go. Ido not really object to your modeling in mud, lam Sure. I am sorry you look so disreputable. You must change your shoes and stockings at once, and* then you can go on with your modeling. But there must be no more pushing and chasing, fll see Connie about that tonight. Now go.” And Lark was swift tb avail herself of the permission. —Followed a quiet hour, aud then llig~ Ladies put aside their sewing and walked about the room, chatting in little groups. With a significant glance to Fairy, Prudence w r alked calmly to the double doors between the dining room and the sitting room. The eyes of the Ladies followed her with interest, and even enthusiasm. They were hitnpy Prnrtoncit. slowly- opened wide the doors, and —stood amazed! The Ladies clustered about- her, and stood amazed also. The dining room was there, and the table! But the appearoftheplaee was vastlydifferentt The snowy cloth was draped artistically over a picture on the wall, the lowest edges well above the floor. The plates and trays, napkin-covered, were safely stowed away on the floor in distant corners. The kitchen scrub bucket had been brought in and turned upside down, to afford a fitting resting place for the borrowed punch bowl, full to overflowing with fragrant lemonaae.

j And at the table were three dirty, disheveled little figures, bending seriously over piles of mud. A not-unrec-ognizable Venus de Milo occupied the center of the table. Connie was painstakingly at work on some animal, a dog perhaps, or possibly an elephant. And — The three young modelers looked up In exclamatory consternation as the doors opened. “Oh, are you ready?” cried Carol. “How time has flown-! We had no idea you’d be ready so soon. Oh, we are sorry, Prudence. We intended to have everything fixed properly for you again. We needed a flat place for our modeling. It’s a shame, that’s what it is. Isn’t that a handsome Venus? I did that ! —lf you’ll just shut the door one minute, Prudence, we’ll have everything exactly as you left it. And we’re as sorry as we can be. You can have my Venus for a centerpiece, if you like.” .... Prudence silently closed the doors, and the Ladies, laughing significantly, drew away. “Don’t you think, my dear,” began Mrs. Prentjiss too sweetly, “that they are a little more than you edn manage? Don’t you really think an older woman is needed?” “I do not think so,” cried Fairy, before her sister could speak, “no older woman could be kinder, or sweeter, or more patient and helpful than True.” "Undoubtedly true! But something more is needed, lam afraid! It appears that girls are a little more disorderly than in my own young days I Perhaps I do not judge advisedly, but it seems to me they are a little—-un-manageable.1 ’ ’ ,

Prudence and fairy entertain the good ladies of the congregation and the result is rather disastrous for Prudence. Mr. Starr, a widower Methodlet minister, has been assigned to the congregation at Mount Mark, lowa. He and his daughter Prudence—she is nineteen and the etdest of five girls—have come on ahead to get the new parsonage ready for the younger members of the family. The whole town, especially the Methodist element, is very curious about the strangers, and individually. member* of the church call at .the parsonage and “pump" the girls for all they’re worth. But the Starrs soon adjust themselves to their new surroundings—and after much preparation, Prudence and Fairy are going to entertain the Ladies’ Aid society. Some of the members are arriving now.

Don’t you think that Mr. Starr would save Prudence much worry and responsibility rs he jjave a little less time to his peri sonal duties and a little more to helping her manage the youngsters? """"""TtOBECONTINUED.)

“Isn’t That a Handsome Venus?”