Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-08
CHAPTER I. (Continued.)

Esss CHATTER /. (C0nunued.)
Two whole stories and an attic be.
n sides! Not to mention the bathroom!
II oh, father, the night after you wrote
d there was q bathroom, Constance
h thanked God for it when she said her
Il prayers. And couldn't reprove her,
& for felt the same way about it N.Y.
& self. It'll be SO splendid to have a
whole tub to battle in! I spent half
the time bathing this week at Aunt
Grace's. A tub Is 50 bountifpl! A pan
\ III .awfully insufficient, father. even for
Il me! often think what trouble 1t
sssmust be to Fairy! And furnace, too!
& And electric lights! Don't you think
Nthere Is something awe-inspiring in
the idea of just turning little knob
ION the wall and flooding a whole room
with light? l do revel in electric
lights, l tell you. Oh. we have waited
. long time for it and we've been very
D 6atiDnt indeed. but. between you and
me, father, I am most nightly glad
we've hit the luxury land at last! I'm
SSurS we'll all feel much more ren-
Neious In . parsonage that has bath
Groom and electric lights! Oh, father!"
81 He had thrown open the door and
fPrudence stood upon the threshold of
her new home. It.was not fashion
able building by any means. The hall
WAS narrow and long, and the stair
Cease was just a plain businesslike
\ staircase. with no room for cushions,
Eand flowers, and books. The doors
h Heading from the hall were open and
sPrudsnce caught glimpse OF three
\ rooms furnished, rather scantily, in
q - Sf,,,rn hot ho6
sbeen IN that other parsonage where
Prudence was born. nineteen years be-
fore.
Together she and her father went
from room to room, upstairs and down,
moving table to the left, bed to
/ the right according to her own good
4 pleasure Afterward they had cozy
luncheon for two in the dining
room"
'.Oh, 1t is 50 elegant to have din
ing room," breathed Prudence hap
PLY. Il always pretended it was
rather fun, and a great saving of
work, to eat and cook and study and
live In one room, but inwardly the
idea always outraged me. Is that the
school over there?" RI.
Eyes, that's where Connie will go.
There is only one high school in
! Mount Mark so the twins will have
10 60 to the other side of town-a long
walk, but in good weather they can
come home for dinner. I'm afraid the
kitchen will be too cold In winter,
Prudence its hardly more than a
shed really. Maybe we'd"
"Oh, father, If you love me, don't
suggest that we move the stove in
here in winter! I'm perfectly willing
ITO freeze out there for the sake of
having dining room. Did ever tell
you what Carol said about that kitch-
Observation-Disclosures combina-
ton at Exminster? Well, she asked
us q riddle, When is a dining room
not dining ROOM? And she answered
It herself, When it's little pig PEN
And I felt so badly about 1t, but it did
look like pig pen, with stove here.
and cupboard there, and table yonder,
and-oh, father, please let me freeze!"
Il confess l do not see the connec-
ton between a roomful' of furniture
and pig pen, but Carols wit is often
too subtle for me-"
"Oh, that's a lovely place over
there, father" exclaimed Prudence,
looking from the living room windows
! toward the south. Isn't it beautiful?"
Yes. The Avery family lives there.
The parents are very old and feeble
and the daughters are all-elderly-
and all school teachers. There are
four OF them and the youngest is forty
six. It is certainly beautiful place.
See the orchard out behind, and the
vineyard. They are very wealthy and
they are not fond of children outside
of school hours, am told, so we must
keep an eye on Connie. Dear me, it's
- o'clock already and l must go at
once Mrs. Adams will be here in a
few minutes and you will not be lone
ly.' ~
Butwhen Mrs. Adams arrived at the