Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-09-29
weakly.

weakly.
This called forth more laughtc,.
Its her conscience" said Fairy.
"It's matching pennies. Maybe she
swallowed one"
ITS probably those two pieces of
pie she ate for dinner and the one
that vanished from the pantry shortly
after" suggested Aunt Grace.
Carol sat up quickly. Welcome
home, Aunt Grace!" she cried. did
you have pleasant visit?"
Carol" reproved Prudence.
IT didn't mean it for impudence,
auntie,' said Carol, getting up and
bending affectionately over the ham
mock, gently caressing the brown
hair just beginning to silver about her
forehead. But it does amuse me to
hear lady of your age and dignity
indulge in such lavish conversational
exercises"
Lark swallowed with forced ef-
fort. Did it hurt. Carol? How did
you get it all out in one BREATH"
Lark, do wish you wouldn't gulp
that way when folks use big words"
said Fairy. 1T loks-awful.'
| well, | won't when ! get to be as
old and grabbed as-father." said
Lark. "Sit down, Carol, and remem-
Der you're sick"
Carol obediently sat down and look
ed sicker than ever.
"You can laugh if you like she
said 81 am sick. at least, was this
afternoon. I've been feeling very
| 81 I
think I'm quite over IL yet
PIE! You were right, Aunt Grace!
That's the way pie works.
| ITS not pie at ALL declared Carol
heatedly And I didn't take that
piece out of the pantry least, not
exactly. l caught Connie sneaking 1t,
and gave her a good calling down.
and she hung her head and skunk away
in disgrace. But she had taken such
big bites that 1t looked sort of unsani-
tary. so thought I'd better finish 1t
/ before it gathered nay germs. But its
not pie. Now that think OF it, 1t was
i my head where l was sick. Don't you
remember, Lark, l said my head
ached?"
Yves, and her eyes got red and
bleary when she was reading. And
! and there was something else, 100,
Carol. what
] Your eyes are bodshot, Carol.
They do look bad" Prudence exam
med them closely. Nov, Carol
Starr, don't you touch another book or
magazine until after the wedding. Il
! you think l want bloodshot brides
/ maid, you're mistaken"
They all turned to look across the
yard at Connie, Just coming in. Con-
ME always walked, as Carol said, AS
If she mostly wasn't there But she
usually arrived" by the time she got
within speaking distance Of her sister.
Goodness. Prue, aren't.you going to
do anything but eat after you move to
Des Moines? Carol and were count.
{ ing the napkins last night-was 1t
hundred and sexenty-six, Carol. or
some awful number know. Carol
piled them up in two piles and we
kneeled on them to say our prayers.
and-I can't say for sure, but l think
Carol pushed me- Anyhow. | lost my
balance, and usually I'm pretty well
balanced. toppled over right after
God save and Carol screamed. the
napkins'-Prue;s wedding napkins! II
was an awfully funny effect; couldn't
finish my prayers"
Carol Starr! Fifteen years old and
l."
That's very. much exaggerated
story, Prue. Connie blamed II on me
as usual. She piled them up herself
to see If there were two feet of them
she put her stockings on the floor
first so the dust wouldn't rub of. 1t
was Lark's turn to sweep and you
know how Lark sweeps, and Connie
was very careful. indeed, and"
Come on, Fairy, and see the veil!'
The veil. Did it Gomez"
| With joyous undignified whoop the
parsonage girls scrambled to their feet
and rushed indoors in fine Kilkenny
tumble Aunt Grace looked after
them thoughtfully. smiling for sec
ond, and then with girlish shrug OF
her slender shoulders she slipped out
and followed them inside.
The last thing that night, before she
said her prayers, Prudence carried a
big bottle of witch hazel into the
twins room. Both were sleeping, but
she reused Carol, and Lark turned
over to listen.
! You must battle your eyes with
this, Carol forgot to tell you
What would Jerry say If he had a
bleary eyed bridesmaid"
And although the twins grumbled
and mumbled about the idiotic non
isense Of getting married folks. Carol
obediently bathed the bloodshot eyes
For in their heart Of hearts, every one
of the parsonage girls held this wed.
ding to be the affair of prime import
ance, national and international, as
well as just plain Methodist.
Ito be continued.)
Rev Malcolm Dana, of the FiIst Con