The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-04-26
CHAPTER xl-Continued.

Y did look horrible, from above rs
well as below. But Jerry, when he felt
the first light twinge as Connie lifted
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 clung 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. X, Prue," he called, and then he
dropped. He landed on his feet, n 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-
dence Prudence!" Then her arms
dropped, and with q brave but feeble
smile, she swayed little. Jerry took
her in his arms. Sweetheart" 7" 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, all 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 Jerryl Then
they saw Connie, staring at them with
interest and amusement.
81 think we'd better go to bed. ell
three of u.s." declared Lark sturdlly.
And they set off heroically around the
house. But at the corner Carol
turned.
"Take my advice and go iito 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 morei
At twelve, Jerry went upstairs to
bed, his lips tingling with the fervent
tenderness of her parting kiss. He
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, "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"
fxt.n ~
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
yes later-he heard light tap on his
door. 1t came again, and. he bounded
out of bed.
prudence! Is anything wrong?"
Hush, Jerry, not SO loudl" And
what strange and weary voice. "Come
downstairs, will you? l want to tell
you something. I'll wait at the foot
of the stairs. Be quiet-do not wake
father and the girls. WIN you be down
soon?"
In two minutes -
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-I honestly Oh, / didn't think
what l was saying last night. You were
SO dear, and l was so happy, and for
while / really believed we could
belong to each other. But can't, you
know. I've promised papa and the
girls dozen times that l would never
marry. Don't you see how 1t is?
must take 1t back"
Jerry smiled little, It must be ad-
mitted. This was SO like his consci-
entioas little Prudence!
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, II will never
be happy again, / 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 1t is? They
haven't any mother. They haven't
anyone but me. OF course, they would
not allow 1t, but they will not know
anything about it. l must do 1t my
self. And father especially must
never know. want you to go away
this morning before breakfast and
never come again."
She clung 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 l can
never let you go, know 1t. VIII you
do this fc- me?"
HXnu ora narvoua and axcita1 ba