The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1917-03-02
CHAPTER ~.
The Rest of the Family.

| II was Saturday morning when the
four young parsonage girls arrived In
Mount Mark The elderly Misses Avery.
next door, looked out of their windows,
pending their appearance on Main
| street, with interest and concern. They
were EpiscOpalians themselves, and in
all their long lives they had never so
| much as heard of a widowCr-reCtOr
with five daughters and no housekeep-
er. There was something blood-cur-
ding in the bare idea.
The Misses Avery considered Pru-
| dence herself rather sweet, silly
| little thing.
you have some real nice people in
| the Methodist church." Miss Dora had
told her. II dare say you will find u
| few of them very likable."
"Oh, | will like them ALL" said Pru-
| dence quickly and seriously.
Like them ALL" echoed Miss Dora
"Oh. impossible!" :"
mot for u.s." said Prudence. "We
are used to it, you know. When we
| dislike people at first sight, we visit
them, and talk 10 them, and invite
| them to the parsonage, and entertain
them with our best linen and silver
ware, and keep on getting friendler
! and friendlier, and-frst thing you
know, we like them fine!"
So the Misses Avery concluded that
Prudence was not entirely responsible
And they wondered, with something
akin to an agony OF fear, If the younger
girls had it, too" and when Miss
Alice cried excitedly, quick! Quick 1!
| They are coming ~. they trooped TO
Miss Alice's window with a speed that
would have done credit To the parsOn-
| age girls themselves.
First came the minister. whom they
knew very well by this time, and con-
Sidered quite respectable. He was
| lively, as was 10 be expected of a
| Methodist minister, and told jokes,
and laughed at them! Now, a cOmical
| rector-Oh, very different matter
| it wasn't done, that's all At any rate,
here came the Methodist minister,
laughing, and on one side Of him
! tripped u small, earneSt-looking maid
en-, clasping his hand, and gazing alter
nately up into his face and down at
the stylish cement sidewalk beneath
her feet. On the other side was Fairy.
The Misses Avery knew the girls by
name already-having talked much
with Prudence.
such a Fairy!" gasped Miss Mill
cent, and the others echoed the gasp
but wordessly.
For Fairy was very nearly as tall
as her father, built upon generous
lines, rather commanding In appear
ance, little splendid-looking. Even
from their windows they could discern
something distinctly Junolike In this
sixteen-year-old girl. with the easy,
elastic stride that matched her ia
ther's, and the graceful head, we'll car
ried. A young goddess-named Fairy
Behind them, laughing and chatter
ing. like three children, as they were
came the twins with Prudence, each
with an arm around her waist. And
Prudence was a very little taller than
they. When they reached the fence
that bordered the parsonage. the scene
for q moment resembled q miniature
riot. The smaller girls jumped and
exclaimed. and clasped their hands.
Fairy leaned over the fence. and
stared intently at this, their parsonage
home. Then the serious little girl
scrambled under the fence, followed
closely by the lithe-limbed twins. A
pause, a very short one-and then Pru-
dence, too, was wrigglag beneath the
fence.
Hold the wire up for me, papa !"
cried Fairy. I'm too Tat" And a Sec
ond later she was running gracefully
across the lawn toward the parsonage. |
The Methodist minister laughed boy
ishly, and placing his hands on the |
fence post, he vaulted lightly over !
and reached the house with his daugh- |
ters. Then the Mlsses Avery. school
teachers and elderly, looked at one an
other.
did you ever7 gasped the oldest |
Miss Avery. and the others slowly |
shook their heads.
Now. think Did you ever see rec.
tor jumping a three-wlre fence. and /
running full speed across his front |
yard In pursuit Of flying familyi II |