Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-22

4
ont into the hall to settle this matter
4 but she realized that she was on ex
hibition. Had she done so the Ladies
3 would have So. her fown forever after
as thoroughly !ncompetent--she could
not 70! But Lark must come to her.
Lark" This was Prudence's most
awful voice and Lark was bound to
heed.
ooh, Prue," she said plaintively,
I 'I'll be there in minute. Can't you
wait Just five minutes? Let me run
upstairs first, won't you? Then I'll
come gladly! Won't that do?''
u Her voice was hopeful. But Pru'
dence replied with dangerous calm:
Come at once. Lark"
"All right, then" and added threat
1 eningly. ''but you'll wish I hadn't
Then Lark opened the door-a woe
L full figure! In one hand she carried an
/ empty shoe box. And her face was
4 streaked with good rich Iowa mud.
( Her clothes were plastered with 1t.
u One shoe was caked from the sole to
\ the very top button and a great cash
Ii her stocking revealed generous
& portion of round white leg.
4 Poor Prudence At that moment
\ she would have exchanged the whole
i parsonage, bathroom, electric lights
I and all, for tiny log cabin IN the
heart Of a great forest where she and
Lark might be alone together.
And Fairy laughed. Prudence looked
~ her with tears in her eyes and then
Y turned to the wretched girl.
what have you been doing, Lark"
The heart-break expressed in the
face Of Lark would have made the an
Il gels weep. Beneath the smudges OF
! mud on her cheeks she was pallid
ana try as she would, she could not
4 keep her chin from trembling ominous-
sgly. Her eyes were fastened on the
I door for the most part, but occasion
4 Ally she raised them hurriedly, ap-
Il pealingly, to her sisters face, and
dropped them again. Not for worlds
would she have faced the Ladies'!
Prudence was obliged to repeat her
] question before Lark could articulate
az reply. She gulped painfully a few
times shaking meanwhile desper'
ste effort to hide the cash In one
\ atocking by placing the other, across
it rubbing it up and down in great
Embarrassment and balancing herself
with apparent difficulty. Her voice,
when she was able to speak, was
bare recognizable.
"We-we-we are making-mud
Images, Prudence. lit was awfully
messy, / know, but-they sag--it is
f.such a good-and useful thing to do.
We've didn't expect-the-the
Ladies' to see u.s."
R~~L py>116
aand even Fairy stared incredulously
lrWhere in the world did you get hold
fof an idea like that?"
It-it was in that-that Mothers
Hone Friend paper you take, Pru-
Ndence.'' Prudence blushed guiltily.
TIT was modelling in clay; but-we
haven't any clay, and-the mud is
very nice, but Oh, know look just
horrible. I-I-Connie pushed me
I'm the -puddle-for fun. II was
Bvexed about 1t, Prudence, honestly. I
I'll was chasing her, and I fell, and
More my stocking-and-and-but,
Prudence, the papers do say children
ought to model, and We didn't think
lof getting caught" Another appeal
Ing glance into her sisters face, and
Lark plunged on, bent on smoothing
matters If she could. Carol ISIS
GUST fine at it, really. She-she's
making Venus de Milo and it's good.
But We can't remember whether her
arm is of at the elbow or below the
shoulder" An enormous gulp, and
by furious blinking Lark managed to
crowd back the tears that would slip
10 the edge of her lashes. "I-I'm
very sorry, Prudence"
Very we'll, Lark, you may 60. I do
not really object to your modelling in
mud, am sure. Il am sorry you look
10 disreputable. You must change
your shoes and stockings at once and
theh you can go on with your model
lnx. But there must be no more push