Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1917 — PRUDENCE OF THE PARSONAGE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PRUDENCE OF THE PARSONAGE

by ETHEL HUESTON

ILLUSTRATED BY W.C .TANNEIbt

CHAPTER Vl—Continued. “Oh, I had her dressed warmly underneath, very warmly indeed,” declared Prudence. “But no matter how warm you are underneath, you look cold if you aren’t visibly prepared for winter weather. I kept hoping enough money would come in to buy her a coat 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 on the machine. “Here comes Connie!” Prudence hastily swept a pile of scraps out of sight, and turned to greet her little sister with a cheery smile. “Come on in, Connie,” she cried, ■with a brightness she dld not feel. “Fairy and I are making you a new coat. Isn’t it pretty? And so warm! See the nice velvet collar and cuffs. We' want to fit it on you right away, dear.” Connie picked up a piece of the goods and examined it Intently. "Don’t you want some fudge, 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 in the garret, Connie. Don’t you want some more fudge? I put a lot of nuts in, especially on your account.” “It’s good,” said Connie, taking another piece. She examined the cloth very closely. “Say, Prudence, isn’t this that old brown coat of father’s?” Fairy shoved her chair back from the machine, and ran to the window. “Look, Prue,” she cried. “Isn’t that Mrs. Adams coming this way? I wonder—” “No, it isn’t,” answered Connie gravely. “It’s just Miss Avery getting home from school.-—lsn’t it, Prudence? Father’s coat, I mean?” “Yes, Connie, it is,” said Prudence, very, very gently. “But no one here has seen it, and it is such nice clothjust exactly what girls are wearing now.” ■ “But 1 wanted a new coat 1” Connie did not cry. She stood looking at Prudence with her wide hurt eyes. “Oh, Connie, I’m just as sorry as you are,” cried Prudence, with starting tears. “I know just how you feel about it dearest 1 But the people didn’t pay father up last month. . Maybe after ’Christmas we can get you a coat. They pay up better then.” “I think I’d rather wear my summer coat until then,” said Connie soberly. “Oh, but you can’t, dearest. It is too cold. Won’t you be a good girl now, 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. You'll feel better about it presently, I’m sure.” Connie stood solemnly beside the table, her eyes still fastened on the coat, cut down from her father’s. “Can I go and take a walk?” she asked Anally. - • “May I, you mean,” suggested Fairy. “Yes, may 1? Maybe I can reconcile myself to it” “Yes, go and take a walk,” urged Prudence promptly, eager to get the small sober face beyond her range of vision. I “If I am not back when the twins get home, go right on and eat without me. I’ll come back when I get things straightened out in my mind.” When Connie was quite beyond hearing, Prudence dropped her head on the table and wept. “Oh, Fairy, if the members just knew how such things hurt, maybe they’d pay up a little better. How do they expect parsonage people to keep up appearances when they haven’t any money?’” “Oh, now, Prue, you’re worse than Connie! There’s ah use to cry about It. Parsonage people Have to find happiness in spite of financial misery. Maney isn’t the first thing with folks like us.” “Poor little Connie! If she had

cried about it, I wouldn’t have cared so much. But she looked so 2 —heartsick, didn’t 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 Go to church in her father’s coat she could not! She walked sturdily down the street toward the “city”—ironically so called. Her face was 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 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 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. “She has reconciled herself,” she thought. Dinner was half over before Constance

burst her liomh. “Are you going to be busy this afternoon, Prudence?” she asked quietly. “We are going to sew a little,” said Prudence. “Why?” “I wanted you td go downtown with me after school.” ~ “Well, perhaps I can do that. Fairy will be able to finish the coat alone.” “You needn’t finish the coat —I can’t wear father’s coat to church, Prudence. It’s a—it’s a—physical impossibility.” The twins laughed. Fairy smiled, but Prudence gazed at “the baby” with tender pity. “I’m so sorry, dearest, but we haven’t 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! They gazed at Connie with 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?" - “I borrowed it—froffiTfie bank,” Connie replied with proper gravity. “I have two years to pay it back. Mr. 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 why you wanted it?” “Yes, I explained the whole situation.” “What did he say?” “He said he knew just how I felt, because he kfiew he couldn’t go to church in his wife’s coat —No, I said that myself, but he agreed with me. He did not say very much, but he looked sympathetic. He said he anticipated great pleasure in seeing me in my new coat at church next Sunday.” “Go on with your luncheon, twins,” said Prudence sternly. “You'll be late to school. We’ll see about going down town when you get home tonight, Connie. Now, eat your luncheon, and don't talk about coats any more." When Connie had gone back to school, Prudence went straight to Mr. Harold’s bank. Flushed and embarrassed, she explained the situation frankly. “My sympathies are all with Connie,” she said candidly. “But lam afraid father would not like it. We are dead set against borrowing. After—our mother was taken, we were crowded pretty close for money. So we had to go in debt It took us two years to get it paid. Father and Fairy and I talked it oyer then, and decld 1 we would starve rather than borrow again; Even the twins understood it but Connie was too little. She doesn’t know Ijow heartbreaking it is to keep handing over every cent for debt, when one is just yearning for other things, Ido wish she might have the coat, but I’m afraid father, would not like it She gave me the five dollars, for safekeeping, and I have .brought it back.” Harold shook hia head. “No, Connie must have her coat. This will be a good lesson for her. It will, teach

her the bitterness of living under debt! Besides, Prudence, I think in my heart that she is right this time. This is a case where borrowing is justified. Get her the coat, and I’ll square the account with your father.” Then he added, “And I’ll look after this salary business after this. I’ll arra'age with the trustees that I am to pay your father his full salary the first of every month, and that the church receipts are to be turned in to me, ’ ’And if they do not pay up, my lawyer can do a little investigating! Little Connie earned that five dollars, for she taught one trustee a sorry lesson. And he will have to pass it on to the others in selfdefense ! Now, run along and get the coat, and if five dollars Isn’t enough you can have as much more as you need. Your father will get Ms salary after this, my dear, if we have to mortgage the parsonage!"

CHAPTER VII. — 2 _______ A Burglar's Visit. “Prue!” A small hand gripped Prudence’s shoulder, and again came a hoarsely whispered: “Prue!” Prudence sat up in bed with a 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. “Sh! Sh! Hush!” whispered Lark. “There’s a burglar in our robin!” By this time, even sound-sleeping Fairy was awake. “Oh, there is!” she scoffed. Ss “Yes, there is,” declared Carol with some heat. “We heard him, plain as day. He stepped into the closet, didn’t he, Lark ?” “He certainly did,” agreed Lark. “Did you see him?” “No, we heard him. Carol heard him first, and she spoke, and nudged me. Then I heard him, too. He was at our dresser, but he shot across the room and into the closet. He closed the door after him. He’s there now.” “You’ve been dreaming,” said Fairy, lying down again. “We don’t generally dream the same thing at the same minute,” said Carol stormlly. “I tell you he’s in there.” “And you two great big girls came off and left poor little Connie in there

alone with a burg!at*, did you? Well, you are pice ones,-1 must say.” And Prudence leaped out of bed and started for the door, followed by Fairy, with the twins creepihg fearfully along In the rear. “She was asleep,’’ muttered Carol. “We didn’t 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. Connie was soundly sleeping. There was no one else In the room. “You see?” said Prudence sternly. ‘Til bet he took our ruby rings,” declared Lark, and the twins and Fairy ran to the dresser to look. But a sickening realization had come home tov Prudence. In the lower hall, under the staircase, was a small dark closet winch they called the dungeon. The dungeon door was big and solid, and was equipped with a heavy catchlock. In this dungeon. Prudence kept the family silverware, and all the money she had on hand, as it could there be safely locked away. But more often than not, Prudence forgot to lock It

(TO HE CONTINUED.)

THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION FORGET THAT THE PARSONAGE FOLKS NEED MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS, SO LITTLE CONNIE TELLS BANKER SOME PLAIN TRUTHS Mr. Starr, a widower Methodist minister, comes to Mount Mark, la., to take charge of the congregation there. He has five charming daughters, the eldest of whom, Prudence, age Nineteen, keeps house and mothers the family. Her youpger sisters are Fairy, the twins * Carol and Lark, and Constance, the “baby.” The family’s coming stirs the.curiosity of the townspeople.- After a few weeks the Starrs are well settled. Prudence has her. hands full with the mischievous youngsters, but she loves them devotedly despite their outrageous pranks. It is a joyous household, but the parsonage girls are embarrassed at Christmas time because the congregation has failed to pay the pastor’s salary. Little Connie needs clothing, and sadly disappointed, takes matters into her own hands.

Have you ever awakened to find a burglar in your room? What did you do—pretend sleep? Or shout? Or keep still at his command?"

(Copyright, by the Bobbe-Merrill Company.)

Prudence Dropped Her Head on the Table and Wept.