Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-20
CHAPTER III. (Continued.)
.PETEY DINK

mo wedding fee for me-" she mum
bled bitterly. do you suppose there
can be seven devils in my tongue,
I Lark. like there are in the bible?'
'T don't remember there being seven
devils in the bible" said Lark.
ooh, mean the-the possessed peo-
pie 1t tells about in the bible-crazy,
suppose it means. Somehow l just
can't help repeating"
''You don't want to- said Lark, not
without sympathy. "You think it's
such fun, you know"
well, anyhow, I'm sure l won't get
any wedding fee tonight. 1t seems to
me Prudence is very-harsh some
b times"
lik1.-
."Not on your life" said Carol
promptly and emphatically; hes
worse than Prudence. Like as not
+ he'd give me good thrashing into the
bargain. No-I'm strong for Prudence
when it comes to punishment-in
preference to father, mean. can't
seem to be fond of any kind of punish
ment from anybody"
1 For a while Carol was much de-
pressed, but by nature she was buoy.
I ant soul and her spirits were presently
soaring again.
In the meantime the Ladies of the
h Aid Society continued to arrive. Pru.
4 dence and Fairy, freshly gowned and
I smiling faced, received them with cor
diality and many merry words. It was
not dificult for them, they had been
reared in the hospitable atmosphere
of Methodist parsonages, where, If
you have but two dishes of oatmeal,
THE outsider is welcome to one. That
is Carols description of parsonage life.
But Prudence was concerned to OBJ
serve that big easy chair placed we'll
I back in secluded corner, seemed to
Il be giving dissatisfaction. 1t was Mrs.
Y Adams who sat there first. She
squirmed quite little and seemed to
4 be gripping the arms Of the chair with
/ unnecessary fervor Presently she
stammered an excuse, and rising,
went into the other room. After that,
/ Mrs. Miller tried the corner chair, and
soon moved away. Then Mrs. Jack,
Mrs Norey and Mrs. Reed, in turn, sat
there and did not stay. Prudence
was quite agonized. Had the awful
twins filed it with needles for the re-
ception Of the poor Ladies'? At first
opportunity she hurried into the Sc
cluded corner. intent upon trying the
I chair for herself. She sat down
anxiously Then she gasped, and
clutched frantically at the arms of the
y chair For she discovered at once to
I her dismay that the chair was bottom
less and that only by hanging on for
4 her life could she keep from dropping
/ through. She thought hard for a mo-
ment- thinking did not interfere
b with her grasp on the chair arms
and then she realized that the wisest
thing would be to discuss it publicly.
Anything would be better than leaving
I. 1t unexplained. for the Ladies to COM
ment upon privately.
So up rose Prudence. conscientious
" pulling after her the thin cushion
which had concealed the chairs short
coming. Look, Fairy" she cried.
Did you take the bottom out OF this
chair? 1t must have been horribly un,
] comfortable for those who have sat
there! How did it happen?"
Fairy was frankly amazed and a
little inclined to be amused
ASK the twins" she said tersely
II know nothing about it."
At that moment the luckless Carol
went running through the hall. Pru
dence knew it was she without seeing
because she had peculiar skipping
run that was quite characteristic and
unmistakable.
Carroll she called.
And Carol paused.
Carol" more imperatively.
Then Carol slowly opened the door
d She was parsonage girl and rose to
Y the occasion. She smiled winsomely-
Carol was nearly always winsome.
How do you dor" she said brightly
Isn't It a lovely day? Did you call
me. Prudence?"