Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1918-02-08


against the table within reach of
Fairy's hand.
They're awfully Slow" she COM
planned once.
Nobody answered. The deadly 81
lence clutched them.
"Oh, talk" Carol blurted out des-
perately. "You make me sick! 1t isn't
anything to be so awfully scared about.
Everybody does it."
A little humble greeted this and
then, silence again. Whenever it
grew too painful, Carol said reproach-
fully, Everybody Goes it." And no
one ever answered.
They looked up expectantly when
the men entered. 1t seemed cozier
somehow when they were all together
in the little kitchehn.
us she all right?"
"Sure, she's all right" came the
bright response from their father,
And then silence.
"Oh, you make me SICK" cried Carol.
Everybody does it."
Carol Starr, If you say everybody
does it. again I'll send you to bed"
snapped Fairy. Don't we know every
body does it? But Prudence isn't ev-
erybody."
Maybe we'd better have a lunch"
suggested their father hopefully, know
ing the thought of food often aroused
his family when all other means had
failed. But his suggestion met with
dark reproach.
"Father, If you're hungry, take a
piece of bread out into the woodshed,"
begged Connie. "If anybody eats any
thing before me l shall jump up and
down and scream"
After that the silence was unbroken
save once when Carol began encour-
aglngly:
"Every-"
"Sure they do" interrupted Fairy
uncompromisingly.
And then--the hush.
Long, long after that, when the girls
eyes We're heavy, not with want of
sleep, but just with unspeakable weari-
ness of spirit-they heard step on
the stair.
"Come on up, Harmer" the doctor
called. And then, "Sure, she's all
right. She's fine and dandy-both of
them are" -
Jerry was gone in an instant, and
Mr.. Starr looked after him with inscru-
table eyes. Fathers are-only ia
Tiers" he said enigmatically.
Eyes" agreed Carol.
Eyes. In crisis, the other man
goes first"
His daughters turned to him then,
tenderly, sympathetically
you had your turn, father" Connie
consoled him. And felt repaid for the
effort when he smiled at her.
Jerry Junior" Lark unused. "He's
here.-'Aunt Lark, may 1 have a
| cookyT"
A few minutes later the door was
| carefully showed open by means of a
cautious foot, and Jerry stood before
them, holding in his arms big bundle
of delicately tinted flannel.
Ladies and gentlemen" he began,
beaming at them, his face flushed, his
eyes bright, embarrassed, but thor
oughly satisfied. OF course Prudence
was the dearest girl in the world, and
he adored her, and--but this was diff
ferent, this was fatherhood!
Ladies and gentlemen" he said
| again in the tender, half-laughing voice
that Prudence loved, "let me introduce
to you my little daughter, Fairy Har-
mer."
"NOt-not Fairy!" cried Fairy, Sen
ior tearfully. "Oh, Jerry, don't be-
lieve it. Not Fairy! You are joking"
"Of course it is Fairy" he said.
Look out, Connie, do you want to
break part of my daughter off the first
thing? Oh, see. 1t was just the fan
mel, was it? Well, you must be care
full of the flannel, for when ladies' are
the size Of this one, you can't tell which
is flannel and which is foot. Fairy
Harmer Here, grandpa, what do you
think Of. this? And Prudence said to
send you right upstairs, and hurry.
And the girls must go to bed immed-
ately or they'll be sick tomorrow Pru-
dence says So"
"Oh, that's enough. That's Prudence
all over! You needn't tell us any more
Here, Fairy Harmer, let us look at you.
Hold her down, Jerry. Mercy Mercy /"
isn't she a beautyT boosted the
young father proudly.
"A beauty? A beauty! That ~
Carol rubbed her slender fingers over
her own velvety cheek. "They talk
about the matchless skin Of a newborn