Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-13
PrudenceSaysSo
BY Ethel H,lesto,,,
Author of Prudence of the Parsonage
m. pohhs Merrill Co.. Publishers. indianapolis.


I Lark blushed and lowered her eyes
modestly.
What happened" urged their faith
er, still more curiously.
did she get you out of scrape?'
Knocked Fairy.
"Oh, Just let 'em alone" said Con
ME. They think it's smart to J be
mysterious. Nothing happened at all
That's what they call being funny"
Tell it, Lark" Carols voice was
so intense that it impressed even
skeptical Connie and derisive Fairy.
| Lark raised the glowing eyes once
more, leaned forward and said thrill
ingly:
tits the literary career"
The silence that followed this bold
announcement was sufficiently dram
attic to satisfy even Carol and she pat.
ted Lark's knee approvingly.
well, go on urged Connie, at last
when the twins continued silent.
| That's ALL"
She's going to run the Daily
News"
"Oh, I'll only be a cub reporter,
guess that's what you call them"
| Reporter nothing" contradicted
!, Carol. There's nothing literary
about that You must take the whole
paper in hand, and color 1t up bit
And for goodness sake, polish up Mr.
Raiders editorials. / could write edi-
torials like his myself
lily notes for him." suggested Fairy
I'VE don't really care to know when
Mrs. Kelly borrows eggs Of the edi.
tors wife and how many dolls Betty
got for Christmas and Jacks grades
in high school. We can get along
without those personal touches"
Maybe you can give US a little
church write-up now and then with
out necessitating Mr. Raider as chair.
man of every committee interposed
their father, and then retracted quick.
~. Il was only joking, Of course,
didn't mean"
mo. of course, you didn't, father
said Carol kindly. We'll consider
that you didn't say 1t. But just bear
it in mind, Larkie."
Fairy solemnly rose and crossed the
porch and with hand on Lark's
|
"Now, Lark Starr, you begin at the
beginning and tell us. Do you think
we're all wooden Indians? We can't
wait until you make newspaper out
of the Daily News! We want to know.
Talk"
! Thus adjured, Lark did talk, and the
little story with many striking embel-
lishments from Carol was given into
the hearing of the family
give dollars a week." echoed Con-
ME family.
"Of course, I'll divide that with Car.
OIL" was the generous offer.
| mo, won't have it, haven't any
literary brains and l can't take any
of your salary Thanks just the
same" Then she added happily: But
know you'll be very generous when
| I need to borrow, and do borrow
pretty often, Larkie"
! For the rest of the week Lark's lit.
erary careers was the one topic of
conversation in the Starr family The
| Daily News became a sort of literary
center piece and the whole parsonage
revolved enthusiastically around it.
Lark's clothes were put in the most
Immaculate condition, and her ward
robe greatly enriched by donations
pressed upon her by her admiring sis
tiers. Every evening the younger
girls watched impatiently for the car
rier of the Daily News and then rush
ed to meet him. The paper was read
with avid interest, criticized, COM
mended. They all admitted that Lark
would be an acquisition to the editor
Hal force. indeed, one sorely needed.
They begged her to give Mount Mark
/ the news while it was news, without
| waiting to find what the other repub-
lican papers of the state thought
about it. Why, the instructions and
sisterly advice and editorial improve.
ments poured into the ears of patient
| Lark would have made an archangel
giddy with confusion!
During those days, Carol followed
Lark about with hungry devotion
that would have been observed by her
sister on less momentous occasion.
But now she was so full of the darling
Career that she overlooked the once
most darling Carol. On Monday morn
ing Carol did not remain upstairs with
Lark as she donned her most business
| like dress for her initiation into the
world of literature. Instead, she sulk.
ed grouchily in the dining room and
| when Lark, radiant, star eyed, danced
| into the room for the family's approx
al, she ALMOST glowered upon her.
Am l all right? Do look literary,