Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-04

fCHAPTER v. (Contonued.)
PETEY DINK

YES, confessed prudence TeluC-
4 family ''but I hadn't thought of it be-
FORE
Now. what is wrong? What have I
done? Why, look here. The twins
think everything of Professor Duke
and I am sure Carol deliberately ne
4 elects her science lessons in order to
Be- kept in after school by him. But
though she hates mathematics-my
II s,lbiect-she works at it desperately
20 can't keep her in. She sits on
I Mr.. Dukes table and chats with him
3 BY the hour But she passes me up
II ! with q curt, Good night, Miss Allen =
And Larkie, too"
Lark is worse than Carol. Her dis.
IKE is deeper seated. believe could
win Carol in time. Sometimes way
9iay her when she Is leaving after
y school, and try my best. But just as
4 she begins to thaw, Lark invariably
1 comes up to see If she is ready to 60
& nome and she looks at both of us with
I superior icy eyes. And Carol freezes
l a 4 second. Ordinarily. she looks at
me with a sort OF sympathetic pity
II and wonder. but Lark Is always
naughty and nearly contemptuous. 1t
il different with the rest of the class.
{ Il Is nothing important to them. The
twins are popular in the class, you
know. and the others, realizing that
they dislike me, hold aloof on their
account"
q II cant fathom it," said Prudence.
Nov. Professor Duke is very bril-
liant and clever and interesting. And
! he does like Carol tremendously
Larkie. too. He says she Is the clev-
] crest girl he ever knew. But Carol
4 n his favorite But he does not like
Reaching, and he has not the real IN
terests Of the scholars at heart. Next
I year he Is to begin some very won
derful research work at big salary
i That is what he loves. That isNWhere
I his interests lie. But this year, being
\ idle. and his uncle being on the school
board here, he accepted this place as
sort of vacation in the meanwhile.
b That is all 1t means to him. But l
love teaching, it is my life work.
love the young people and I want to
help them. Why won't the twins give
me q chance? Surely am as attrac-
tive as Professor Duke. They are even
fond OF Miss Adams, whom most peo'
sple consider rather sour old maid.
But they have no use for me. want
YOU to find out the reason and tell
me. Will you do it? They will tell you
8 Il you ask them, won't they?'
Il think SO. It is partly my fault.
81 am very strict with them about say
Ing hateful things about people. do
not allow It, And l insist that they
like everybody-if they don't, l make
them. So they have just kept it to
themselves But will do my best"
one would have thought that Pru-
dence carried the responsibility for
the entire public school system OF
the United States upon her shoulders
that night, so anxious were her eyes.
so grave her face. Supper over, she
quietly suggested to Fairy that she
would appreciate the absence Of her
self and Connie and the two set out
for long walk. Then Prudence went
to the kitchen where the twins were
washing the dishes, and as usual,
laughing immoderately over some
thing.
Prudence sat down and leaned her
elbows on the table, her chin in her
palms. II met Miss Allen today she
said. closely observing the faces Of the
twins A significant glance flashed be-
tween them and they stiffened in
stantly. ,
Shes very pretty and sweet, isn't
she?" continued Prudence.
Eyes, very" agreed Lark without
any enthusiasm.
"Such pretty hair" added Carol dis
passionately.
"She must be very popular with the
students" suggested Prudence.
Eyes, most Of them are fond OF her"
assented Lark
"She has rather winsome manners,
i think" said Carol.
(Which Of your professors do you
Ike best?" queried Prudence.