News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-02-07

alive and quite as always. They told
her of Comics sac experience, and
Prudence cOlnforted her sweetly.
."It just proves all over again" she
declared, smiling, but with sigh
close following, shat you can't ger
along without me to look after you.
| Would l ever go to bed without maxi
! ing sure that Connie was safe and
sOundT
Downstairs, meanwhile, Mr.. Starr
was plotting with Fairy, a willing as
sistant.
He'll surely be in on this train, and
you must keep him down here until /
get through with Prudence. l want to
tell her a few things before she sees
him. Bring him in quietly, and don't
let him speak loudly. do not want
her to know he is on hand for few
minutes. Explain it to tie girls, will
you"
After sending the younger girls
downstairs again, he closed the door
of Prudence's room, and sat down be-
side her.
prudence, can't tell you how bit
terly disappointed l am in you"
Father"
"Yes, l thought you loved us-the
girls and me. 1t never occurred to me
that you considered usa bunch of self
ish, heartless. ungrateful animals
"Father p
as that your idea Of love? Is that
-"
"Oh, father!"
at really did hurt me, Prudence. My
dear little girl, how could you send
Jerry away, breaking your heart and
his, and ours, too-just because you
thought us such a selfish lot that we
would begrudge you any happiness of
your own? Don't you think our love
for you is big enough to make us hap
by in seeing you happy? You used to
say you would never marry. We did
not expect you to marry, then. But we
knew the time would come when mar
riage would seem beautiful and desir-
able to you. We were waiting for that
time. We were hoping for it. We
were happy when you loved Jerry, be.
cause we knew he was good and kind
and loving, and that he could give you
all the beautiful things of life-that |
can never give my children. But you
thought we were too selfish to let you
go, and you sent him away"
''But father! Who would raise the
girls? Who would keep the parson-
age? Who would look after your"
Aunt Grace, to be sure. We talked
1t over two years ago, when her bus.
band died. Before that, she was not
free to, come to us. But she said then
that whenever we were ready for her
she would come. We both felt that
since you were getting along so magni.
ficently with the girls, it was better
that way for while. But she said
that when your fitting time came, she
would come to us gladly. We had il
all arranged. You won't want to mar.
ry for year or so, yet. You'n want
to have some happy sweetheart DAYS
first. And you'll want to make lot
of those pretty, useless, nOnsensical
things other girls make when they
marry. That's why / advised you to
save your burglar money, so you would
have it for this. Wen have Aunt
Grace come right away, so you can
take little freedom to be happy, and
to make your plans. And you can
initiate Aunt Grace into the mysteries
of parsonage housekeeping"
A bright, strange light had flashed
over Prudence's face. But her eyes
clouded little as she asked, DO YOU
think they would rather have Aunt
Grace than me?
"Of course not. But what has that
to do with it? We love you so dearly
that we can only be happy when you
are happy. We love you so dearly
that we can be happy with you away
from US, just knowing that you are
happy. But you-you thought our
love was such hideous, selfish, little
make-believe that"
"Oh, father, l didn't! You know ]
didn't = But-maybe Jerry won't for.
give me now?"
'Why didn't you talk it over with
me, PrudenceT"
Il knew you too well, father. knew
it would be useless. But-doesn't il
seem wrong, father, that-a girl-that
I-should love Jerry more than-you
and the girls? That he should come
first? Doesn't it seem-wicked"
"No, Prudence, it is not wicked. At
ter all, perhaps it is not a stronger
and deeper love. You We're willing to
sacrifice him and yourself, for our
sakes! But it is a different love. 1t !
is the love of woman for man, that is
very different from sister love and IA
Their love. And it is right. And it is
beautiful"
81 am sure Jerry will forgive me- |
Maybe if you will send me paper and |
pencil, l can write him a note now? |
There's no use waiting, is there? Fairy |
will bring it, l am sure"
But when a few minutes later, she |
heard a step in the hall outside, she /
laid her arm across her face. Some
how she felt that the wonderful joy |