The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-08-11
BY ETHEL HUESTON
Copyright, 1915.
Bobbs, Merrill 90.
Continued from Our Last Issue

eddy in the sitting room when
knock was heard.
"Tll go to the door," said Fa-
Their Starr, and Prudence looked at
him beseechingly.
II am sure he is all right.
father. You will be nice to
him, won't your"
| Without answering, Mr.. Starr
left the room. He could not trust
his voice.
Listen, girls, want to hear"
whispered Prudence. And she
smiled as she heard her fathers
cordial voice.
you are Mr.. Harmer, aren't
you? am Prudence's father.
Come right in. The whole family
is assembled to do you honor.
Come back this way. Prudence is
resting very nicely"
| When the two men stepped into
the sitting room, Prudence, for
once, quite overlooked her father.
She lifted her eyes to Jerrold Har-
mer's face, and waited, breath
less. He walked at once to the
bed, and took her hand.
"My little comrade of the road"
he said gaily, but with tenderness.
81 am afraid you are not feeling
well enough for callers today"
i "Oh, yes, l am" protested Pru-
dence with strange shyness.
He turned to the other girls,
and greeted them easily. Miss
Starr told me so much about you
that know you all to begin with
He smiled at Prudence as he add
ed, you look tired. l am afraid
1t was an imposition for me to
come this afternoon"
"Oh, don't worry about that"
put In Connie. "She wanted you
to come. She's been getting us
ready for you ever since the doc
tor left. | think it was kind of
Silly for me to wear my blue just
for one caller"
The twins glared at her, realiz-
ing that she was discrediting the
parsonage, but Jerrold Harmer
laughed, and Prudence joined
him.
1T is quite true,' she admitted
frankly. "The mule and l dis
graced the parsonage this morn
ing, and l wanted the rest to re-
deem 1t this afternoon" She
looked at him inquiringly. Then
you had another coat?"
mo, I didn't. I saw this one
in a window this morning, and
couldn't resist it.. Was the ride
very hard on your ankle
Mr.. Starr was puzzled. Evil
IDENTIFY it was not lack of funds
which brought this man on foot
from Des Moines to Mount Mark
halfway across the state! He
did not look like a man fleeing
from justice. What, then, was
the explanation?
You must have found II
rather a long walk" he began
tentatively, his eyes on the young
mans face.
Yes, l think my feet are lit
tie blistered. l have walked far
Their than that many times, but
am out of practice now. Some
times, however, walking is a pain
full necessity"
well, / think It was mighty
brave of you to walk that far
don't care why you did it," an
nounced Connie with emphasis.
"Brave!" he repeated. II have
walked three times seven miles,
often, when l was in school.
II "Oh, I mean the whole thing
clear from Des Moines!" Then he
burst out laughing. II drove
from Des Moines In the car.
and"
THE automobile!" gasped
Carol.
Eyes, just so. I stopped several
places on business as I came
through. | drove from Burling-
ton this morning, but I got off the
road. The car broke down and
couldn't fix 1t. So had to walk
in. That is what I was seeing
about today-sending a man out
for the car. and arranging about
the repairs" He smiled again.
What in the world did you think
would walk from Des Moines
for?" he asked Prudence.
81 did not think anything about
il until they asked, and-I did
not know about the car. You
did not mention it,"
mo. I remember now. We
we're talking of other things all
the time" He turned frankly to
Mr.. Starr. Perhaps you have
heard OF the Harmer Automobile
Company, of Des Moines. My ia
Their was Harvey Harmer. Two
years ago, when I was running
around in Europe, he died. 1t
was his desire that I should take
charge of the business. So I hur-
ried home, and have had charge
of the company since then. We
are establishing sales agencies
here and in Burlington, and sew
eral other towns That's what
brought me to Mount Mark"
4 For the first time in her life
Prudence distinctly triumphed
over her father. She flashed him
the glance OF a conqueror, and he
nodded, understandingly. He liked
Jerrold Harmer. He was glad
that things were we'll. But--they
would excuse him, he must look
after his Sundays sermons.
A little later the twins and