The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-03-16
CHAPTER vll--contlnusd.

MIR. Starr had gone to Burlington
that morning 10 attend special revival
services for three days, and Prudence
had nfty whole dollars In the house,
an unwonted sum In that %parsonagel
Aud the dungeon was not locked, With
out d word, she slipped softly out OF
the room. ran down he stairs, making
never a sound In her bare feet, and
| saw, somewhat to her surprise, that
the dungeon door was open. Quickly
she flung II shut, pushed the tiny key
that moved the "catch," and was rush
ing up the stairs again with never a
pause for breath.
A strange sight met her eyes In the
twins room. The twins themselves
were In zach others arms, sobbing bit
terly. Fairy was still looking hurried
ly through the dresser drawers.
'They are gone walled Carol, 'our
beautiful ruby rings that belonged to
grandmother"
"Nonsense," cried Prue with
anger, you've left them In the bath
room, or on the kitchen shelves.
You're always leaving them somewhere
over the place. Come on, II We'll
search the house just to convince YOU"
"No, no. shrlekcd the twins. Lets
lock the door and get under the bed"
The rings were really valuable.
Their grandmother, their mothers
mother, whom they had never seen,
had divided her real 1ewelry" between
her two daughters, And the mother OF
these parsonage girls, had further d.
vided her portion to make 1t reach
through her W family Of girlsl
aOur ringsl Our rings r. the twins
were wailing, and Connie, awakened
by the noise. was crying beneath the
covers Of her bed.
"Maybe we'd better phone for Mr.,
Allan,'' suggested Fairy. %rhe girls ARE
SO nervous they will be ~hystcrical by
the time we finish searching the
house."
"well, let's do the upstairs then,
said Prudence. 'Get your slippers and
kimonos, and we'll go into daddy's
ROOM"
but inside the door of daddy's room
with the younger girls clinging 10 her
and Fairy looking odd and disturbed
/ Prudence stopped abruptly and staret
3 about the room ~curiously.
"Fairy, didn't father leave his watcl
hanging on that nail by the table
Seems to me / saw 1t there this morn
ing. / remember thinking l woul,
tease him for being forgetful."
q And the watch was not there.
S II think II was Sunday he left 1t,
r answered Fairy In a low voice. II re
o member seeing it on the nail. and think
ing he would need it-but l believe
q was Sunday"
Prudence looked under the bed, an
4, in the closet, but their fathers ROOF
S. was empty. Should they go farther
n Eor a moment, the girls stood lookin
"a at one another ~questioningly. Then
ID they heard a loud thud downstairs. 9
/. of someone pounding on a door. Thei
:, was no longer any doubt. Someor
was in the housed Connie and Il
i. twins screamed again and chung
"a Prudence frantically. And Fairy sal
II think we'd better lock the door al
IN stay right here until morning, Prue.
But Prudence faced them stubbor
+. ly. "If you think I'm going to let an
IS n steal that fifty dollars, you a
IRE mistaken. Fifty dollars does not cor
ter often enough for that, l can tell you.
ew tits probably stolen already" c
jected Fairy.
well, if it is, well find out who Z
it, and have them arrested. I'm goi
down to telephone to the police. Y