Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-13
CHAPTER vi. (Continued.)

E sGood heavens! The what?"
B The bugs! can't bear for you to
near me. because I keep wondering
Esif there are bugs and things in your
kspocket. I'm afraid they'll get over
ION me. Even now it makes me sh1ver
when you hold my hands, because
know you've been handling the horrid
little creatures with yours" He drop
ped her hands abruptly and stared at
her. "And after you leave, l get
d down on my hands and knees and
look over the floor and examine the
chairs. to see If any have crawled OF!
X It's terrible feeling, Mr.. Rayburn.
you know told you hated bugs.
I'm afraid I've hurt your feelings she
said sadly. z@,
e.Where In the world did you get
such an idea as that?' ne demanded
rather angrily. DO you think have
/ pet bugs to carry around with me Tor
company" 49,. .
s Il ..No-but don't you Remember the
sspicnic-and how you kept gathering
\ them up in your handkerchiefs and
B putting them in your pockets? And
how l kept squirming around to get
sson the other side-1 was trying to get
@away from the bugs!"
u 'But, my heavens, Prudence, those
were my field clothes. / don't put
bugs in these pockets-these are my
n Sunday togs!" He smiled a little.
s..And i always wash my hands, you
Know" He found it humorous, and
yet II hurt him. Such little thing
ITO prejdice girl SO strongly-and one
-
You might forget, and put them in
these pockets-it's a kind of habit
With you, I suppose. And just plain
washing won't take the idea of bugs
4o6 your hands"
Prudence, you are only a child-a
Il childish girl, but very sweet one
2l want you to like me. When you>grow
q up. you are going to be a wonderfully
Il good and lovely woman. IL am 60
Isfng to want you then. I know it. Let's
\ Just be friends now, can't we-until
q later-for long time yet? I'll prom
Use GA my word OF honor never to put
another bug in my pockets or my
But I can't promise
not to touch them. for I have to do 1t
IN class. That's how I earn my liv-
ting! But I will wash my hands with
Ivory soap and sapolio, and rub them
With cold cream, and powder them,
md perfume them, before ever come
D near you again. Won't that do?"
Prudence shook her head. 81 know
you are laughing at me-" she said.
\ sbut l always told you 1 was just a
silly simpieton. And-it isn't the bugs
altogether. IL like 1t better to be
Y With my sisters than"
Than with me? see. AS I said,
4 the woman of you is still sleeping.
well. We are young, and I will wait.
II : won't bother you any more for a
lang time, Prudence, but I shan't for
- you. And some day 1 will come
&oEk to you again" He stared at her
modify Then he put his hands be-
/ meath her elbows and looked into her
4 eyes searchingly. "You are strange
\ girl, Prudence. In some ways, you are
i IS womanly, and in other ways so
girlish! All the woman in
your heart seems to be given to your
sisters and your father, and But
you will waken and I won't hurry
!. you" Then he put his arms around
her again, and whispered in her ear,
"But love you, Prudence, and-if
some one else should do the awaken
ing-it would hurt" Then he kissed
her and went away.
But Prudence ran up stairs. sing
Y ing happily. "Oh, feel like Gagged
mp bird that has broken loose" she
cried to her reflection in the mirror
1ubilantly. "Qh, what fun 1t will be
to come home from church with Fairy
and the twins, the way I used to do!"
CHAPTER VII.
Lessons in Etiquette.
Connie was lying fiat on her back
! near the register. The twins were
sitting on the floor near her, hearing
!. each other conjugate Latin verbs. And
I Prudence. with her darning basket,