The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-04-19
CHAPTER xl-Continued.

the rope, foresaw what was coming
and was ready for 1t. AS he went down,
he grabbed firm hold on the branch |
on which he had stood, then he drop
|, ped TO the next, and held again. On
the lowest limb he really cung for
fifteen seconds, and took In his bear !
ings. Connie had dropped the rope |
when the twins screamed, so he had |
nothing more to fear from her. He saw |
Prudence, white, with wild eyes, both |
arms stretched out toward him.
80. r.. Prue," he called, and then he
dropped. He landed on his feet. lit
tie jolted, but none the worse for his
fall.
He ran at once 20 Prudence. "rm
all right" he cried, really alarmed by
the white horror in her face. "Pru-
dence. Prudencel" Then her arms
dropped. and with brave but feeble
smile, she swayed little. Jerry took
her in his arms. "Sweetheartv he
whispered. Little sweetheart! Do
do you love me so much, dearest?
Prudence raised her hands to his
face, and looked intensely into his
eyes, ali the sweet loving soul of her
shining in her own. And Jerry kissed
her.
The twins scrambled down from the
maple, speechless and cold with terror,
and saw Prudence and Jerry! Then
they saw Connie, staring at them with
Interest and amusement.
~ think we'd better go to bed, all
three of u.s." declared Lark sturdily.
And they set Off heroically around the
house. But at the corner Carol
turned.
"Take nIy advice and 60 into the
woodshed," she called. "for all the Av-
erys are looking out of their windows"
Prudence did not hear, but he drew
her swiftly to the darkest corner of the
side porch-and history repeated it.
self once more!
At twelve, Jerry went upstairs to
bed, his lips tingling with the fervent
tenderness of her parting kiss. He
stood ut his window, looking soberly
out into the moonlit parsonage yard.
"She is an angel. pure, sweet, unself-
ish little angel" he whispered, and his
voice was broken, and his eyes were
wet, "and she is going to be my wife
Oh, God, teach me how to be good to
her, and help me make her as happy as
she deserves"
At two o'clock, thinking again the
soft shy words she had whispered to
him, he dropped lightly asleep and
dreamed of her. With the first pale
streaks of daylight stealing into his
room he awoke. 1t was after four
o'clock. A little later-just few min
Ves later-he heard light tap on his
door. 1t came again, and he bounded
out of bed.
prudence Is anything wrongT
Hush, Jerry, not SO loudw And
> what strange and weary voice. "Come
downstairs, will you? want to tell
: you something. I'll wait at the foot
. Of the stairs. Be quiet-do not wake
! father and the girls. VIII you be dowI
soon"
"In two minutes"
And In two minutes he was down
, agOnizlngly anxious, knowing thai
something was wrong. Prudence wa,
; waiting for him, and as he reached
the bottom step she clutched his hand.
desperately.
"Jerry," she whispered. "T-forgiy'
, mel honestly oh, / didn't thinl
. what was saying last night. You wer'
/ SO dear, and was so happy, and fol
4 while I really believed we coul,
1 belong to each other. But can't, yo,
know. I've promised papa and th'
girls dozen times that would neve
marry. Don't you see how 1t is?
= must take 1t back"
Jerry smiled little, It must be nd
. mitted. This was so like his conscl
entious little Prudencei
dearest" he said gently. "You Low
] me. Your father would never ALLOW
|. you to sacrifice yourself like that. TIL
girls would not hear of 1t. They wan
you to be happy. And you can't b
happy without me, can your
. Suddenly she crushed close to hin
{ "Oh, jerry" she sobbed, ~ will neve
be happy again, know. Butt
o right for me to stay here and be tn
}. mother In the parsonage. 1t is wicke
Of me to want you more than all G
! them. Don't you see 1t ISL The
. haven't any mother. They haven
y anyone but ne. OF course, they woul
o not allow it, but they will not kno'
anything about it. must do 1t m!
self. And father especially mus
never know. want you to go ava
u this morning before breakfast an
y never come again."
" She clung to him as she said thi
but her voice did not falter. sand yo
must not write to me any more. Fo
. oh, Jerry, If see you again / ca
never let you go, know it. VIII yo
do this fc- mel"
"You are nervous and excited"
snid fenderly "I Iefis whit until aftI