Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-10
P rudenceSaysSo
By Ethel H,lesf0,,,
Author of Prudence of the Parsonage
The Bobbs- Merrill Co.. Publishers. indianapolis


Publishers, Indianapolis.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
wormed it out Of us, but-one of US
Il can't remember which one!"
Invited him to- come for dinner to-
might and he's coming
Goodness said Aunt Grace. 1--WE
were going to have potato soup and
| toast"
It'll keep" said Carol. "Of course
we're sorry to inconvenience you at
this late hour, but Larkie and l will
tell Connie what to do, so you won't
have much bother. Let's see, now, we
must think up pretty fair meal. -Four
thousand year-and prospects,"
Aunt Grace turned questioning eyes
toward the older sister.
"All right" said Fairy, smiling. Its
evidently settled. Think up your
menu, twins, and put Connie to work. +"
"Is he nice?" Aunt Grace queried.
| Yes, | think he is. He used to go
with our college bunch some. l know
him pretty well. He brought me home
from things time or two"
Carol leaned forward and looked at
her handsome sister with sudden in
tentness. "He asked about you," she
said, keen eyes on Fairy's. "He asked
| particularly about you"
/ did he? Thanks. Yes, he's.not bad,
He's pretty good in a crowd"
] BY the force of her magnetic gaze
Carol drew Lark out of the room and
the door closed behind them. A few
minutes later they returned. There
was about them an air of subdued ex.
element, suggestive of intrigue, that
Fairy found disturbing.
you needn't play any nonsense,
twins" she cautioned. "He's no beau
of mine"
S"Of course not" they assured her
pleasantly. Were too old for mis-.
chief. Seventeen, and sensible for our
years! Say, Fairy, you'll be nice to
Duckie. won't you? We're too young
really to entertain him, and he's so
nice we want him to have good time.
Can't you try to make 1t pleasant for
him this week? He'll only be here a
few days. Will you do that much for
us?"
why, would, twins, of course, to
oblige you. but you know Genes in
town this week. and I've got to-
"Oh, you leave Babbie-Gene, I
:mean-to U.S." said Carol airily. Fairy
being Junior in college, and Eugene
| Babler student of pharmacy in Chi.
cago, she felt obliged to restore him
to his Christian name, shortened to
Gene. But the twins refused to accede
to this propriety, except when they
particularly wished to placate Fairy.
| "You leave Gene TO u.s." repeated
4! Carol. We'll amuse him. Is he COM
ing tonight?'
"Yes, at seven-thirty."
Lets call him ny and invite him for
dinner, too suggested Lark. "And
you'll do us favor and be nice to
Duckie, won't you? Well keep Babb-
er, Gene-out Of the road. You phone
to Gene, Carol and"
III do my own phoning, thanks"
said Fairy, rising quickly. Eyes, we'll
| have them both. And just as a favor
to you, twins, will help amuse your
professor. You'll be good and help.
! won't you?"
The twins glowed at Fairy with a
warmth that seemed almost trium.
plant. She stopped and looked at
| them doubtfully. When she returned
&,
she said to her aunt:
Ppm not superstitious, but when the
twins act like that, there's usually
cloud in the parsonage sky-light. Pru.
dence says So"
But the twins comported themselves
most decorously. All during the week
they worked like kitchen slaves. do
Ing chores, running errands. And thew
, treated Fairy with a gentle censidera.
ton which almost drew tears to her
eyes, though she still remembered
Prudence's cloud in the parsonage
sky-light!
They certainly interfered with her
own plans. They engineered her of
to their beloved professor at eyery
conceivable turn. And Gene, who
nearly haunted the house, had saw
age CLEAN in his eyes quite out of ac-
cord with his usual chatty good hui
NOR. Fairy knew she was being
adroitly managed but she had prom
Used to help the twins with "Duckie."
At first she tried artistically and I'M
obtrusively to free herself from the
complication in which her sisters had
involved her. But the twins were both
persistent and clever and Fairy found
herself no match for them when it
came right down to business. She had
no idea of their purpose-she only
knew that she and Gene were always
on opposite sides of the room, the
young man grfnning savagely at the
twins merry prattle and she and the
professor trying to keep quiet long