Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 March 1917 — Page 2

PRUDENCE of the PARSONAGE

by ETHEL HUESTON

(Copyright, by the Bobbs-Merrill Company.) CHAPTER X—Continued. “Must you prepare meat for breading half an hour before cooking, or When?” demanded Fairy, from the dining room door. “What? —Oh! —Fifteen minutes before. Don’t forget to salt and pepper the crumbs, Fairy.” “Perhaps some time your father will let you and a couple of the others come to Des Moines with me in the car. You would enjoy a few days there, I know. I live with illy aunt, a dear, motherly little old soul. She will adore you. Prudence, and you will like her, too. Would your father let you spend a week? We can easily drive back and forth in the car.” “Maybe he will, but who will keep the parsonage while I am away?” "Fairy, to be sure. She must be a good fairy once in a while. We can take the twins with us, Connie, too, if you like, and Fairy will only have to mother your father.” "Prudence, shall we have tea or coffee?” This was Lark from the dodrway. “Fairy wants to know.” “What? —Oh! —Which do you want, Jerry?” Z~Z “Which does your father prefer?” “He doesn’t drink either except for breakfast.” _ ' ' / ”1 generally drink coffee, but I do not care much for it, so do not bother —” “Coffee. Lark.” “Did you ever have a lover, Prudence? A real lover, I mean.” “No, I never did.” Tm awfully glad of that; I’ll —” “Prudence, do you use half milk and half water for creamed tomato soup, or all milk?”—

“What?—Oh!—AH milk, Connie, and tell Fairy not to salt it until it is entirely done, or it may curdle.” “What in the world would they ever do without you, Prudence? You are the soul of the parsonage, aren’t you?” “No, I am just the cook and the chambermaid,” she answered, laughing. “But don’t you see how hard it will be for me to go away?” “But it isn’t fair! Vacation is coming now, and Fairy ought to take a turn. What will they do w’hen you get married ?” “I have always said I would not get married.” “Biit don’t you want to get married, some time?” JiQhr thatisn’t It, -1 just eftn’tbecause I must take care of the parsonage, and raise the girls. I can’t.” “But you will,” he whispered, and his hand touched hers for just a second. Prudence did not answer. She lifted her eyes to his face, and caught in her breat h oncemore. A little later he said, “Do you mind if I go upstairs and talk to your father a few minutes? Maybe I’d better.” “But do not stay very long,” she urged, and she wondered why the brightness and sunshine vanished from the room when he went out. “First door to the right,” she called after him. Mr. Starr arose to greet him, and welcomed him to his combination study and bedroom jvith great friendliness. But Jerrold went straight to the point. “Mr. Starr, it’s very kind of you to receive a perfect stranger as you have me. But I under fa tund that will* H girl. like Prudence, you will want” to be careful. I can give you the names of several prominent men in Des Moines, Christians, who know me well, and can tell you all about me.” “It isn’t necessary. We are parsonage people, and are accustomed to receiving men and women as worthy of our trust, until we find them different. We are glad to count you among our friends.” "Thank you, but —you see, Mr. Starr, this is a little different. Some day. Prudence and I will want to be married, and you will wish to be sure about me." “Does Prudence know about that?” “No,” with a smile, “we haven’t got that far yet. But lam sure she feels it. She hasn’t—well, you know what I mean. She has been asleep, but I kollnvo chn la n-uL-inir v oeueve tiuc is wuwug up f . "Yes, I think so. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” "No, indeed. Anything you like.” "Well, first, are you a Christian?” "Not the kind you are, Mr. Starr. I go to church, and I believe the Bible, though I seldom read 4L But I’ll get busy now, if you like. I know Prudence would make me do that.” And he smiled again. ~vs > L . "Po you drink?” “I dlda little, but I promised Prudence tins morning I would quit IL I gmoke, too. Prudence knows it, but

she did not make me promise to quit that?” . His voice was raised, inquiringly. “Would you have promised, if she Had asked it?” '*Z *■ “I suppose I would.” He flushed a little. “I know I was pretty hard hit, and it was such 2 new experience that I would have promised anythiiig she asked. But I like smoking.” “Never mind the smoking. I only asked that question out of Curiosity. Tell me about your relations with your mother when she was living." “She has been dead four years.” Jerrold spoke with some emotion. “We were great chums, though her. health was always poor. When I was in school, I spent all my vacations at home to be with her. And I never went abroad until after her death because she did not like the idea of my going so far from her.” “Jerrold, my boy, I do not want to seem too severe, but; —tell me, has there been anything in your life, about women that could come out and hurt Prudence later on?” Jerrold hesitated. “Mr. Starr, I have been young, and headstrong, andJmpulsive. I have done some things I wish now I hadn’t. But I believe there is nothing that I could not explain to Prudence so she would understand.”

“All right. If you are the man, God bless you. And, do you mind if I just suggest that you go a little ; slow with Prudence? Remember that she has been sound asleep, until this morning. I do not want her awakened too rudely.” “Neither do I,” said Jerrold quickly. “Shhll Igo down now? The girls have invited me to stay for supper, and Prudence says I am’ to come back tomorrow, too. Is that all right? Remember, I’ll be going home on Monday !” “It is all right, certainly. Spend as 'much time here as you either get worse, or get cured, and — which ever it is, you’ve got to have a chance. I like you, Jerrold. Prudence judges by instinct, but it does not often fail her.” Prudence heard him running down the stairs boyishly, and when he came in, before she could speak, he whispered, “Shut your eyes tight, Prudence. And do not scold me, for I can’t help it.” Then he put his hands over hers, and kissed her on the lips. They were both breathless after that. Prudence at last was aroused from her slumber.

CHAPTER XI. She Orders Her Life. That was the beginning of Prudence’s golden summer. She was not given to self-analysis. She hadn’t the time. She took things as they came. She could not bear the thought of sharing with the parsonage family even the least ardent and most prosaic of Jerrold’s letters. But she never asked herself the reason. The days when Jerry came were tremulously happy ones for her —she was all aquiver when she heard him swinging briskly up the ramshackle parsonage walk, and her breath was suffocatingly hot. But she took it as a matter of course. She knew that Jerry’s voice was the sweetest voice in the world. She knew that his eyes were the softest and brightest and the most tender. She knew that his hands had a thrilling touch quite different from the touch of ordinary, less dear hands. She knew that his smile lifted her Into a delirium of delight. Prudence never thought of that. She just lived in the sweet ecstatic dream of the summer, and was well and richly content. So the vacathm- passed and Indian summer came. It was Saturday evening. The early supper at the parsonage was over, the twins had washed Hi e difahes. ii.na still.

“Do You Drink?"

the daylight lingered. Prudence and Jerry sat side by side, and closely, on the front porch, talking in whispers. Fairy had gone for a stroll with the still faithful Babbie. Connie and the twins had evidently vanished. Ah—not quite that! Carol and Lark came swiftly around the corner of the parsonage. ■ - - “Good evening,” said Lark politely, and Prudence sat up abruptly. The twins never wasted politeness 1 They wanted something. ‘ “Do you mind if we take Jerry around by the woodshed for a few minutes, Prue?” Prudence sniffed suspiciously. "What are you. going -to do 1 to him?” she demanded. •• -

{/ ■ ,■ - • THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

“We won’t hurt him," grinned Carp) impishly. _ ■s “Maybe he’s afraid to come,” said Lark, “for there are .two of us, and we are mighty men of valor.” “That’s all right,” Prudence answered defensively. “I'd sooner face a tribe of wild Indians any day than you twins when you are mischief-bent." “Oh, we just want to use him a few minutes,” said Carol/ impatiently. “Upon our honor, as Christian gentlemen, we promise not to hurt a lialrof his head.” . “Oh, come along, and cut the comedy,” Jerry broke in, laughing. Then the twins led him to the woodshed. Close beside the shed grew a tall and luxuriant maple.

“Do you seO this board?” began Lark, exhibiting with some pride a solid board about two feet in length. “Well, we found this over by the Avery barn. We’ve found a perfectly gorgeous place up in the old tree where we can make a seat. We thought you could nail this on to the limbs —there are two right near each other, ly put there on purpose for us. See what dandy big nails we have!” “From the Avery’s woodshed, I suppose,” he suggested, smiling. “Oh, they are quite rusty. We found them in the scrap heap. We’re very good friends with the Averys,? very good, indeed;” she continued hastily. ‘‘They allow us to rummage around at will—in the barn.” “And see this . rope,” cried Carol. “Isn’t It a dandy?” “Ah! The Avery barn must be inexhaustible in its resources.” “How suspicious you are, Jerry,” mourned Lark. “We thought when you

Side by Side Talking in Whispers.

had the board nailed on, you might rope it to the limbs above. Do you suppose you can do that, Jerry?” “Well, let’s begin. Now, observe! I loop this end of the rope lightly about my—er —middle. The other end will dangle on the ground to be drawn up at will. I bestow the good but rusty nails in this pocket, and the hammer here. Then with the admirable board beneath my arm, I mount —” And Jerry smiled as he heard the faithful twins, with much grunting and an occasional groan, following in his waker —, ■ .

It was a delightful location, aS they had said. The board fitted nicely on the two limbs, and Jerry fastened it with mvty nftilv The twlnswyra jubilant and loud in their praises of his skill and courage. “Oh, Jerry!” exclaimed Carol, with deep satisfaction, “it’s such a blessing to discover something really nice about you after all these months!” “Now, we’ll just—” “Hush!” hissed Lark. “Here comes Connie, Hold your breath, Jerry, and don’t budge.” “Isn’t she in on this?” he whispered. He could hear Connie making weird noises as she came around the house from the front. She was learning to whistle, and the effect was ghastly in the extreme. Connie’s mouth had not been designed for whistling. “Sh ! She’s the band of dark-browed gypsies trying to steal niy lovely wife.”

“I’m the lovely wife,” Interrupted Carol, complacently. “But Connie does not know about it. She is so religious she won’t be any of the villain parts.” Connie came around the corner of the parsonage, out the back walk be. neath the maple. Then she gave a gleefuFscream. Right before her lay a beautifulheavyrope. Connie had been yearning for a good rope to make a swing. Here it lay, at her very feet, plainly a gift of the gods. She did not wait to see where the other end of tne rope was. She just grabbed what she saw. before her, and started violently back around the house with it, yelling: "Prudence! Look at my rope!” Prodence rushed around the parsonage. The twins shrieked wildly, as there was a terrific tug and heave of the limb beside them, and then—a crashing of branches and leaves. Jerry was gone! (TO BE CONTINUED )

Influences the Brain.

Every organ in the body exerts Ip some way an influence upon the brain. Those whose lives are along the systematic, plodding way the great crowd of, us—have no excuse for “temperamental fits* If we take care of our health every organ does its duty, and brain and nervous system do. net become temporarily polsohed.

Wooden Sailing Vessels of Type of 50 Years Ago are Being Built

The great demand for ships growing out of the present war has brought ~wjwTHe~f shipyards, which are how running at full speed turning out wooden vessels, some of them steamers and some of them of the sailing types which cruised the seas 25 and 50 years ago. The picture shows a wooden vessel in course of construction at Essex, Mass., and one of the old shipbuilders of 50 years ago who is back at his job after years of inactivity. Essex was a great shipbuilding center in the old days, but the coming of the steel ships almost wrecked the industry there. Some of the old shipbuilders now at work are more than seventy years old, but are happy as schoolboys as they shave down the planks and fit -hem to the ships.

Where the Army Blanket Fails

By DR. SAMUEL DIXON, Commissioner of Health of Pennylvania. United States army blankets are not _ economical for private or permanent

the body by preventing it from being taken off by the general atmosphere. Therefore, you want blankets soft and pliable so that they will fall of their own weight and fit snugly to the body, so as to prevent the air from circulat- . ing -between the blanket .and- -the body,.. The army blanket is woven so closely and becomes so rigid when thrown over the body that it fails to fall in dose, but stands out and permit's an air space between Itself and the body. This interferes-with its heat-retaining qualities the extent that after practical application in our large hospitals in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania we find In the cold high mountain regions we can get along with three softer woven blankets instead of having to use five army blankets. With this discovery and practical application we not only save much money in maintaining our hospitals, but we give our patients more comfort. The blankets are warmer and at the same time arejighter in weight. The army blanket was made originally so that it would be strong and could be used in active campaigns, where it had' to be carried on the soldiers’ backs, or on saddles of horses, or in the supply wagon. Owing to the fact that they were made of all wool, had long lives, and were made in a substantial way, they soon found their way into general use, particularly into hospital use, and more especially Into hospitals where the open-air treatment was necessary.

Quail an Ally of Farmer.

"The meat value of the quail is Inconsiderable— negligible—when compared to the services these birds render to the farm,” a bird expert of the University of Oklahoma says. “They prey upon 145 different kinds of destructive insects and consume no less than 129 varieties of noxious weed seeds. They stay on the job 12 months in the year and labor continually when weather condition? permit. I do not believe that the land owners should permit a multitude of so-cqlled sportsmen ,to destroy _this ally of the farmer.”

Chance for the West.

Why don’t some, of our prominent collectors of old tapestries and other objets d’art, as the Metropolitan social bureau so well puts it, go in for old pants and give sonip of us connoisseurs out here* In the breezy middle West a chance to unload at a profit? —Columbus (O.) Journal.

hospital use. For the reader to fully appreciate this criticism he must disabuse his mind of a common fallacy that the purpose of blankets and clothing is to give heat off to the body. Blankets and clothing only retain the heat of

Primitive Australian Savage Most Marvelous of Hunters

Tn on dnrnncn and speed the Australian aborigine is not the equal of the American Indian, and his weapons of wood and poorly fashioned stones are effective only at short range; but as -a hunter the native Anstraitan Js marvelously adjusted to his environment, the National Geographic Magazine says. His success lies in an Intimate knowledge of the habits of animals on land, in the ground, In trees and under water, and his wonderfully developed power of observation. He decoys pelicans by imitating their cries, catches ducks by diving be-

Teaching Your Child the Value of Money Through Experience

In his “Children’s Story-Sermons” the Rev. Dr. Hugh T. Kerr tells the following story: One morning when Bradley came down to breakfast he put on his mother’s plate a little piece of paper, neatly folded. His mother opened it. She could hardly believe it, but this what Bradley had written: “Motherowesßradley = ===== For running errands .$0.25 For being good lo For taking music lessonsls Extras Total ~.. • .$0.55 His mother smiled, but did not say anything, and when lunch time came she placed the bill on Bradley’s plate with 55 cents. Bradley’s eyes fairly danced when he saw the money and thought his business ability had been quickly rewarded, but with the money there was another- Urtle bill, which read like this: g - Bradley owes mother For being good. ..SO.OO I’or nursing him through his long Alness with scarlet fever... .00 For clothes, shoes, gloves and (playthings ••••:• For all his. meals and his beautiful* room .00 Tears came into Bradley’s eyes, and he put his arms around his mother’s neck, put his little hand with the 55 cents in hers, and said: “Take the money all back, mamma, and let me love you and do things for you.” The homes of this country are frill of Bradleys who know nothing of rights and duties as related to money. And how should they know, never having learned? Among the children of

sow them, locates an opossum « a tree by marks on the bark or by the flight of mosquitoes, finds snakes by observing the actions of birds and ■follows a bee to its store of honey. Any attimal which leaves a track however dim, in the sand, on rock or in grass, falls* an easy prey to the black fellow. Children are taught to track lizards and snakes over bare rocks and to find their absent mother by following tracks too indistinct to serve as a guide for a European. When a white man is lost in the desert or a child strays from home, the final resort Is to secure a “black trackdr.”

Shark skins are not the only product of the sea one can make leather from. A French chemist more than 30 years ago succeeded in making leather from seaweed by washing it with, potash and steaming it in a boiler. The romance of leather lies in the tanning pf it, for the whole vegetable world is pressed into service! Russia leather owes its delicious aroma to the birch bark it is tanned with, and the inappreclatlve moth so dislikes It that the presence of one volume in. a row will keep all free from insects.

There’s a look on the face you can love away, a crease in the brow you can smooth today; There’s a gleam in the eye you cun change to one That is sweet as the ray of the morning sun— It’s the toufch of our loving, the sweet of our will, A'jgHT That scatter the shadows of anger T andiii. There’s a grouch that you think will be always the same, So. grim and so dark; but it goes as it came When you love it away with a tenderness born Of the spirit of brightness and gladness and morn — There isn’t a grouch ever lived very long 'Neath the spell of a love that is sweetened -with song.

You can love it away, love the ache —and the carer .T •- Love the heurt That Isi “heavy With grief and despair, Till it lifts to the sunshine, as flowers in the spring, And responds every time to the song that you sing— Forgetting its wrinkles and creases and frown — - At the touch of love’s fingers like velvet of down. —Baltimore Sun. Of wild bees 4,500 species are known, and of wasps 1,000 species.

By SIDONIE M. GRUENBERG.

the poor there usually develops rather early in life a keen appreciation of the value of money. Whatever money there is is quickly spent, and comes to represent pretty definitely the necessities and the luxuries of life. A nickel means'; a loaf of bread and a penny means a stick of candy. Money is hard to get and good to have, and without it there is privation and misery. On the other hand, in the homes of the well-to-do and in the country, where comparatively little cash is handled, the opportunity to become acquainted with the sources and properties of mor Ay' are comparatively narrow. Here people somehow have what they need, and no special effort or hardship is associated with getting these things. Money plays so important a role in modern life that we are apt to take It for granted without thinking especially of teaching children what they should understand of the matter. Children should learn these things definitely and practically, beginning as soon as they are old enough to appreciate relative values. .A child’ can begin by buying things {or the household when he is able to distinguish the coins and count up the amounts. The age for this will, of course, vary with different children. In households that do not manifest through their activities and conversation the methods by which the family Income Is obtained children should be explicitly informed on the Subject. It is not only embarrassing to the child to display his ignorance when comparing notes with other children, but it is a necessary part of his understanding of the world to know just how people obtain the precious tokens; by means of -which they secure all their necessb ties and luxuries.

Made Leather From Seaweed.

Loving a Grouch Away