Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-06-05
CHAPTER xI-continued.

the rope, foresaw what was coming
and was ready for it. AS he went down,
he grabbed a 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 chung 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. K, 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 to Prudence. I'm
all right" he cried, really alarmed by
the white horror in her face. "Pru-
dencel Prudencei" Then her arms
dropped, and with a brave but feeble
smile, she swayed a little. Jerry took
her In his arms. "Sweetheartl' he
whispered. Little sweetheart Do
do you love me so much, dearestT
Prudence raised her hands to his
face, and looked intensely into his
eyes, all the sweet loving soul of her
shining in her own. And Jerry kissed
her.
The twins scrambled down from the
maple, speeches. and cold with terror,
and saw Prudence and Jerry Then
they saw Connie, staring at them with
interest and amusement.
81 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 my advice and go 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 morel
At twelve, Jerry went upstairs to
bed, his lips tingllng with the fervent
tenderness of her parting kiss. He
stood at his window, looking soberly
out into the moonlit parsonage yard.
"She is an angel, a pure, sweet, unself-
ish little angel" he whispered, and his
voice was broken, and his eyes were
wet, land she is going to be my wifeI
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 a few min
utes later-he heard light tap on his
door. 1t came again, and he bounded
out of bed.
"Prudencel Is anything wrong?"
flush, Jerry, not so loud !" And
what strange and weary voice. "Come
downstairs, will you? 1 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 down
soon?"
I'm two minutes 70
And in two minutes he was down,
agonizingly anxious, knowing that
something was wrong. Prudence was
waiting for him, and as he reached
the bottom step she clutched his hands
desperately.
Jerry" she whispered. "I-forgive
me- honestly Oh, l didn't think
what I was saying last night. You were
so dear, and 1 was so happy, and for
while 1 really believed we could
belong to each other. But can't, you
know. I've promised papa and the
girls dozen times that 1 would never
marry. Don't you see how it is2
must take 1t back"
Jerry smiled a little, it must be adj
mitted. This was so like his consci-
entious little Prudencei
Dearest" he said gently. "You love
me. Your father would never allow
you to sacrifice yourself like that. The
girls would not hear of 1t. They want
you to be happy. And you can't be
happy without me, can your"
Suddenly she crushed close to him.
"Oh, Jerry" she sobbed. 81 will never
be happy again, 1 know. Butt is
right for me to stay here and be the
mother in the parsonage. 1t is wicked
of me to want you more than all of
them. Don't you see it is? They
haven't any mother. They haven't
anyone but me. OF course, they would
not allow it, but they will not know
anything about it. 1 must do it my
self. And father especially must
never know. 1 want you to go away
this morning before breakfast and
never come again"
She elung to him as she said this,
but her voice did not falter. "And you
must not write to me any more. For,
oh, Jerry, If / see you again 1 can
never let you go, know it. VIII you
do this fc~ me?"
"You are nervous and excited" he
said tenderly. Lets wait until after
breakfast Then Wen talk it all over
with your father, and it shall be as he
says Won't that be better?"
'Oh, no. For father will say what