The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-05-04
CHAPTER xIll-continued.

CHAPTER Ktii--Gonfinueu.
ID
aWill wei' And Carol added, "Will |
You kiss Prudence good night for us,
and tell her we kept praying all the
timer Prudence Is such great hand
FOR praying, You know"
Fairy promised. and the twins erept
upstairs. 1t was dark In their room.
EVEN undress in the dark so as not
to awake poor little Connie" whis-
pered Lark. ats nice she can sleep
like that, isn't it7"
And the twins went to bed, and fell
asleep after while, never doubling
that Connie, In her corner OF the room,
was already safe and happy In the OBJ
llvion of slumber.
But poor Connlei She had not wax
ened when Fairy closed the dungeon
door. II was long afterward when she
sat up and began rubbing her eyes.
She did not know where she was. Then
she remembered She wondered IL
She scrambled to her
feet, and trotted over to the dungeon
door. II was locked; she could not
turn the knob. AT first she thought of
screaming and pounding on the door,
s'But that will arouse Prudence, and
her, and maybe kiln her" she
thought wretchedly. 'I'll Just keep
still until someone passes"
But no one passed for long time,
and Connie stretched her aching body
and sobbed, worrying about Prudence,
fearful on her own account. She had
no idea OF the time. She supposed 1t
was still early. And the parsonage
was deathly quiet. Maybe Prudence
had died Connie wrlthed in agony
on the hard floor, and sobbed bitterly.
Still she would not risk pounding on
the dungeon door.
Upstairs, In the front room, Prudence
was wrestling with fever. Higher and
higher 1t rose, until the doctors looked
very anxious. They held brief con-
sultation In the corner of the room.
Then they beckoned to Mr.. Starr.
EnEEIas Prudence been worrying about
thing this winterf"
es, she has"
Is that young man, isn't itf' IN
d the family doctor--a Methodist
lber"
es."
Pm you bring him heref"
es--as soon as he can get here
Des Moines."
pu'd better do It. She has worn
If down nearly to the point OF
ration. We think we can break
fever without serious conse-
es. but get the young man as soon
Bsible. She cannot relax and rest
She gets relief"
he went downstairs and over the
Bone dictated short message to
"Please come-Prudence."
EN- he entered the front bedroom
Prudence was muttering unin'
ble words under her breath. He
ed down beside the bed and put
rms around her. She chung to hin
sudden passion.
erry Jerryl" she cried. Her ia
caressed and petted her, but die
peak.
S kh, I can't" she cried again. =
Jerry, / can'tr Again her voic'
, low mumbllng. Eyes, go. Go a
i promised, you know. The!
be any mother II promised
Jerryl'' Then. painting, sh,
nck on the pillows.
Mr.. Starr smiled gently to him
c.. Af~A
in little Prudencei Oh, sweet
Eed little martyr GIRL
surs later the fever broke an,
ence drifted into a deep sleer
the doctors went downstairs wit
Starr, talking In quiet, ordlnar
b, she is all right now, no DANCE
She'll do fine. Let her sleeI
Fairy to bed, too. Keep Prudene
a few days-that's all. She's a
ey did not hear the timid knoc
Be dungeon door. But after the
gone out. Mr., Starr locked til
behind them, and started bac
IS gh the hall to see If the kitche
X were locked. He distinct
d soft tapping, and he smiles
er' he thought. Then he hear
thing else--a family whispere
herp
With sharp exclamation he u
/, locked and opened the dungeon doc
and Connie fell into his arms, sobbiI
: piteously. And he did the only wi
5 thing to do under the circumstance
n He sat down on the hall floor al
: cuddled the child against his breaI
! He talked to her soothingly until t
sobs quieted, and her voice was und
! control.
: "Now, tell father he urged, she
= did you get in the dungeonP T
: twins"
- "Oh, no, father, of course not; t
= twins wouldn't do such thing
: that. went into the dungeon to pr