The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-04-06
CHAPTER x.
REUSED From Her sIumber.

HouSeu rom HeT oiunnDer.
At twenty minutes to four, the par
sonage family clustered excitedly in
the sitting room, which the sunshine
flooded cheerily. They were waiting
for the hero of Prudence's romance.
ooh, Larkie, will you run upstairs
and bring my lace handkerchief?
Would you keep these pearls on,
Fairy, or would you take them OFF,"
II would keep them on, Prue. You
do look so sweet, but your face is very
flushed. / am afraid you are feverish.
Maybe we had better not let him see
Prue today, father"
"Fairy |" exclaimed Prudence. Lis
ten, listen, girlsi Look, Fairy, and see
If that is hei Yes, it is, / know
can tell by his walk" Warm rich
color dyed her face and throat, and
she clasped her hands over her heart,
wondering If Connie beside her could
hear its tumult.
"Ill go to the door,. said Father
Starr, and Prudence looked at him
beseechingly.
I'll am sure he is all right, father.
JO0 VII OC AlCS ~ 1AlLu, " I JO0s
Without answering, Mr.. Starr left
the room. He could not trust his voice.
Listen, girls, l want to hear" whis-
pered Prudence. And she smiled as
she heard her fathers cordial voice.
You are Mr.. Harmer, aren't you?
I am Prudence's father. Come right
in. The whole family is assembled to
do unu hnnnr Tho nirlC hnrn aIrao6u
made you a. prince in disguise. 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 Harmer's face, and
waited, GREATNESS. Nor was he long
in finding her among the bevy of girls.
He walked at once to the bed, and
took her hand.
'My little comrade of the road" he
said gayly, but with tenderness. "I'm
afraid you are not feeling well enough
for callers today"
ooh, yes, 1 am" protested Prudence
with strange shyness.
He turned to the other girls, and
greeted them easily. He was entirely
self-possessed. "Miss Starr told me so
much about you that 1 know you all to
begin with" He smiled at Fairy as
he added, I'm fact, she predicted that
I am to fall in love with you. And so,
very likely, I should, If / hadn't met
your sister first"
They all laughed at that, and then
he walked back and stood by Prudence
once more. "Was it a bad sprain?
Does it pain you very badly? You
look tired. 1 am afraid it was an inn
position for me to come this after
noon"
"Oh, don't worry about that" put in
Connie a~nxiously. "She wanted you
to come. She's been getting us ready
for you ever since the doctor left. I
think it was kind of silly for me to
ear my blue just for one caller"
The twins glared at her, realizing
that she was discrediting the parson-
age, but Jerrold Harmer laughed, and
Prudence joined him.
st is quite true" she admitted
frankly. 1.-THE mule and I disgraced
the parsonage this morning, and I
wanted the rest of you to redeem it
this afternoon" She looked al him
inquiringly. "Then you had another
coat?"
"No, I didn't. I saw this one in a
window this morning, and couldn't re-
sist it. Was the ride very hard on
your ankle?"
Mr.. Starr was puzzled. Evidently 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 nan
fleeing from justice. What, then, was
the explanation2
you must have found it rather a
long walk" he began tentatively, his
eyes on the young mans face.
Eyes, I think my feet are a little
blistered. / have walked farther than
that many times, but l am out of prac-
tice now. Sometimes, however, walk
ing is a painful necessity"
"How long did it take you coming
from Des Moines to Mount Mark?" in
quired Carol in a subdued and respect
full voice, and curious, withal.
From Des Moines," he gasped.
Good heavensl I did not walk from
Des Moinesi Did you" He turned
to Prudence questioningly. did you
think l walked clear from Des
Moines7"
Eyes" And added hastily, "But l
did not care If you did. 1t did not
make any difference how you came"