Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-20
PrudenceSaysSo
By Ethel Hueston,
Author of Prudence Of the Parsonage
The BobbsMerrill Publishers Indianapolis
BIZ Ethel Huest0,1,
III. aobns.m.rrln Co. Publisher. 1ndlan.po...


I cinated, half frightened, and then
looked into the serious faces Of their
aunt and sister.
II don't believe It," whispered
Carol "Shes not old enough"
Aunt Grace smiled.
"She's older than mother was said
Fairy.
Lark took the little dress and exam.
ined it critically. "The neck's too
small" she announced decidedly,
Nothing could wear that"
Were using this for pattern y
said Fairy. lifting a yellowed, much
worn garment from the sewing bas.
ket. Il wore this, and so did you and
so did Connie-my lovely child"
Carol rubbed her hand about her
throat in puzzled way. II can't seem
to realize that we ever grew out Of
that" she said slowly. SIS Prudence
all right?"
Eyes, just fine"
The twins looked at each other
bashfully. Then, 'Ill bet therell be
no living with Jerry after this said
Lark.
ooh, papa" lisped Carol, in high
pitched voice supposed to represent
the tone of little child. They both
giggled, and blinked hard to crowd
back the tears that wouldn't stay
! choked down. Prudence! And that!
"And see here, twins, Prudence has
a crazy notion that she wants to come
home for It, She says she'll be scared
in hospital, and Jerry's willing to
come here with her. What do you
think about it,"
! The twins looked doubtful They
say it ought to be done in hospital,
announced Carol gravely. Jerry can
afford it,
Eyes, he wanted to-. But Prudence
has set her heart on coming home.
She says she'll never feel that Jerry
Junior got the proper start If it hap
pens any place else. They'll have q
trained nurse"
Jerry what?' gasped the twins,
after a short silence due to amaze
ment.
Gerry Junior-that's what they call
lit"
But how on earth do they know"
They don't know. But they have
to call 1t something, haven't they?
And they want Jerry Junior. So of
course they'll get it. For Prudence
Is good enough to get whatever she
wants"
Hum, that's no sign. shifted Car.
oil. ~ don't get everything I want, do
IL?
The girls laughed, from habit not
from genuine interest, at Carols
subtle insinuation.
well, shall we have her Gomez"
EYES," said Carol, "but you tell
Prue she needn't expect me to hold
1t until 1t gets too big to wiggle l
call them nasty, treacherous little
things Mrs. Miller made me hold
hers and 1t squirmed right off my
knee. wanted to spank it."
and tell Prudence to uphold the
parsonage and have white one" add.
ed Lark. These little Indian effects
don't make hit with me-"
| Are you going to tell Connie?"
81 don't think so-yet. Comics only
fourteen"
You tell her" Carols voice was
emphatic. There's nothing mysteri-
GUS about 1t. Everybody does it. And
Connie may have few suggestions of
her own to offer. You tell Prue I'm
! thinking about a lot Of good advice for
her, and"
you must write her yourselves She
wanted us to tell you long before"
Fairy picked up the little embroidered
dress and kissed 1t, but her fond eyes
were anxious.
So few weeks later. weeks crowd
ed full Of tumult and anxiety, yes, and
laughter, too. Prudence and Jerry
came to Mount Mark and settled down
to quiet life in the parsonage The
girls kissed Prudence very often,
leaped quickly to do her errands, and
touched her with nervous fingers. But
mostly they sat across the room and
regarded her curiously, shyly, quite
materially.
| Carol and Lark Starr Prudence
cried GROSSLY one day. when she inter-
copied one of these surreptious
| glances, you march right upstairs
and shut yourselves up for thirty min
utes. And if you ever sit around and
stare at me like a stranger again, I'll
spank you both. I'm no outsider
belong here just as much as / ever
did. And I'm still the head Of things
around here, too"
The twins obediently marched, and
after that Prudence was more like
Prudence, and the twins were much
r,ora fwjpnfch an that life WINS worry