Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1917 — PRUDENCE OF THE PARSONAGE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PRUDENCE OF THE PARSONAGE

by ETHEL HUESION

lIXUSTRATrD BY W. C . lAN

CHAPTER Xlll^-Contipued. “Will wp!” And Carol added. “Will yon kiss Prudence good night for us, and telpher we kept praying all the time? Prudence is such a great hand for praying, you know.” ' Fatry promised, and the twins crept -upstairs. It was dark' In their room. “We’ll undress in the dark so as not .ta awake poor little Connie,” whispered Lark. “It's nice she can sleep like that, isn’t it?” And the twins went to bed, and fell asleep after a while, never doubting that. Connie, in her comer of the room, was already safe and happy in the -oblivion of slumber. But poor Connie! She had not wakened when Fairy closed the dungeon door. It was long afterward when she sat up and began rubbing her eyes. She did not know where she was. Then she remembered ! She wondered if Prudence — She scrambled to her feet, and trotted over to the dungeon door. It was locked; she could not turn the knob. At first she thought of screaming and pounding on the door. “But that wHI arouse Prudence, and frighten her. and maybe kill her," she thought wretchedly. “I’ll just keep Still until someone passes.” Bnt no one passed for a long ftffie. and Connie stretched her aching body and sobbed, worrying about Prudence, fearful on her own account. She had no idea of the time. She supposed it was still early. And the parsonage was deathly quiet. Maybe Prudence had died! Connie writhed in agony on the hard floor, and sobbed bitterly. Still she would not risk pounding on the dungeon door. Upstairs, in the front room, Prudence was wrestling with fever. Higher and higher it rose, until the doctors looked very anxious. They held a brief consultation in the eorner of the room. Then they beckoned to Mr. Starr. “Has Prudence been worrying about something this winter?” f “Yes, she has.” “It is that young man, isn’t it?” inquired the family doctor —a Methodist “member.” “Yes.” “Can you hrfftg him here?” “Yes —as soon as he can get here from s>es Moines.” “You’d better do it. She Ijas worn Jierself down nearly to the point of —prostration. We think we can break this fever without serious ’ consequences. but get the young man as soon r-as possibie. She cannot relax and rest ‘ until she gets relief.” So. he went downstairs and over the telephone dictated a short message to Jerry : “Please come —Prudence.” When he entered the front bedroom again. Prudence was muttering unintelligible words under her breath. He kneeled down beside /the bed and put his arms around her. She clung to him with sudden passion. , “Jen*y4 Jerry !” she cried. Her fa-.. — ther caressed gad-petted her, -but--did-npt speak. “Oh, I can’t,” she cried again. T can-t, Jerry, I can't!” Again her voice fell to low mumbling. '“Yes, go. Go at • onfce. 1 p”drals«T, you kfimvr—They haven’t any mother I promised. Jerry! Jerry!" Then, panting, she fell back on the pillows. But Mr. Starr smiled gently to himself. So that was the answer! Oh, foolish- little Prudence!, Oh, sweet* hearted little martyr girl! Hours later the fever broke and Prudence drifted into a deep .sleep. Then the doctors went downstuij-s with Mr._ Starr, talking in qtiiet, 'ordinary tones. “Oh, she is all right now, no danger at all. She’ll do fine. Let her sleep. Send Fairy to bed, too. Keep Prudence quiet a few days—that’s all. She’s all right.” They .did not hear the timid knock at the dungeon door. But after they had gone out, Mr. Starr locked the door behind them, and started back through the hall to see if the kitchen doors were locked... .He distinctly heard a soft tapping, and he smiled. “Mice!” be thought. Then he heard something else—a faintly whispered,

“Father!” 1 With a sharp exclamation he unlocked and opened the dungeon door, and Connie fell into his arms, sobbing piteously. And he did the only wise thing 4o -do under the circumstances. He sat down on the hall floor and cuddled the; child against his breast. He talked to her soothingly until the sobs quieted, and her voice was under

control. “Now, tell father,” he urged, “how did you jet*in the dungeon? The twin*—”. .. , c*;—„—v— ■-— “Oh, no, father, of course not; the twins wouldn't do such a thing as that. I went into the dungeon to pray that Prudence would get well. And I prayed myself to sleep. When I woke Suit, door was locked.” - *%Ut ydo precious child,” he whispered* “why didn't you call out, or pound .qu the door?” , j “I was afraid it would excite Prue make her worse,” she answered simply. And her father’s kl3h was un-

wontedly tender as he carried her upstairs to bed. Prudence slept late the next morning. and when she opened her eyes her father was sitting beside her, “All right this morning, father,” she said, smiling. “Are the girls at school?” ■ . “No, this is Saturday.” “Oh, of course. Well, bring them ap.; I want to see them.' 1 r • .Just then the distant whistle of a locomotive sounded through the open window, but she did not notice her tattler’s sudd«n start. She nodded up at him again and repeated, “I want to see my girls.” Her father sent them up to her at once, and they stood at the foot of the bed with sorry faces, and smiled at her. “Say something,” whispered Carol, kicking Lark suggestively on the foot. But Lark was dLiub. It was Carol who broke the silence. “Oh, Prudence, do you suppose the doctors will let me come in and watch them bandage your head? I want to begin practicing up, so us to be reudy forthe next war.” • ' :r_ Then they Taughed,and the girts realized that Prudence was really iTtive and nuite as always. .They told her of Connie’s sad experience, and Prudence comforted her sweetly. “It just proves all over again.” she declared, smiling, but with a sigh close following, “that you can’t get along without me to look after you. Would I ever go to bed without making sure that Connie was safe and sound?” Downstairs, meanwhile, Mr. • Start was plotting with Fairy, a willing assistant. “He’ll surely be in on this train, and you must .keep him down here until I get through with Prudence. I want to tell her a few things before she sees him. Bring him in quietly, and don’t

let him speak loudly. Ido not .want her to know he is on hand for a few minutes.. Explain it to the girls, will you?” After sending the younger girls downstairs again, he closed the door of Prudence’s room, and sat down beside her. “Prudence, I can’t tell, you how bitterly disappointed I am in you.” “Father!” “Yes, I thought you loved us—the girls and me. It never occurred to me that, you considered us a bunch of selfish, heartless, ungrateful animals!” “Father!” “Is that your idea of love? Is that » “Oh, father!**- ~~ ~ “It really did hurt me, Prudence. My dear little girl, how could you send Jerry away, breaking your heart and His, -and ours, too —just because you thought us such a selfish lot that we would begrudge you any happiness of

your own? Don’t you think our love for you is big enough to make us happy in seeing you happy? You used to say you would never marry. We did not expect you to marry, then. But we knew the time would come when marriage would seem beautiful and desirable to you. We were waiting for that time. We were hoping for it. We were happy when you loved Jerry, because we kncW he wqs good and kind and loving, and that be could give you all the beautiful things of life—that I can never give my children. But you thought we were too selfish to let "you go, and you sent him away.” : “But father! Who would raise the girls?; Who would keep the parsonage? Who would look after you?” “Aunt Grace, to be sure. We talked it over two years ago, when her husband died. Before that, she was not free to come to us. But she said then

I (hat whenever we were ready for her she would come. We both felt that i since you wefe getting along so magnificently with the girls, it was better ! that way for a while. But she said that when your flitting time came, She would come to us gladly. We had it all arranged. You won’t want to marry for a year or so, yet. You’ll want to have some happy sweetheart days first. And you’ll want to make a lot of those pretty, useless, nonsensical things other girls make when they marry. That's why l advised you to save your burglar money, so you would have it for this. We’ll have AunJ, Grace come right awqy, so you can i take a llttfe freedom to he happy, ahd to make your plans. And you can, initiate Aunt Grace into the mysteries of parsonage housekeeping.” A bright, strange light had flashed over Prudence’s face. Gut her eyes clouded a little as she asked, “Do you think they would rather have Aunt

Grace than me?” “Of course not. But what has that to do with it? We love you so dearly that we cap only be happy when you "are happy. We tnve ymr w dearly that we can be happy with you away from us, just. knowing that you are happy. But you—you thought our love was such a hideous, selfish, little make-believe that —” “Oh, father, I didn’t! You know I* didn’t!— But —maybe Jerry won’t forgive me now?” “Why didn’t ydu talk it over with me, Prudence?” “I knew you too well, father. I knew it would be useless. But—doesn’t it seem wrong, father, that —a girl—that I —should love Jerry more thun—you and the girls? That he should come first? Doesn’t it seem —wicked?” “No, Prudence, it is not wicked. After ail, perhaps it is not a stronger and deeper love,. You were -willing to sacrifice him and yourself, for our sakes! But it is a different love. It iw tfie love bf woman for man. that.i3 v ery di lie rent, from sister love: amlfa—ther love. And it is right. And it is beautiful.” “I am sure Jerry will forgive me. Maybe if you will send me a paper and pencil, I can write him a note now? . There’s no use waiting, is there? Fairy will bring it, I am sure.” But when a few minutes later,, she l hoard a step in the hall outside, she laid her arpi across her face. Somehow she felt that the wonderful joy and love shining In her eyes should be kept hidden, until Jerry was there to See. She heard the door open, and close again. --- -- “Put them on the tabie,~Fairy dearest, and, leave me for a little while, will you ? Thank you.” And her face was still hidden. Then the table by the bedside was swiftly drawn away, and Jerry kneeled beside her, and drew the arm from her -face. ... . ■ .IJ. J “Jerry!” she whispered, half unbelievingly. Then joyously, “Oh, Jerry !” She gazed anxiously into his face. “Have you been sick? How thin you are, and so pale! Jerry Harmer, you need me to take cure of you, don’t you?” But .Terry did not speak. He looked earnestly and steadily into the joyful eyes for a iflomenti and then ne pressed his face to hers. THE END.

But Mr. Starr Smiled Gently to Himself.