The state herald., 1918-02-15
CHAPTER Ix-contInued.
10

-1V
"Yes, he wanted to. But Prudenc
has set her heart on coming home. Sh
says she'll never feel that Jerry Junio
got the proper start II 1t happens an,
place else. They'll have traine,
nurse"
"Jerry-what?" gasped the twins
after a short silence due to amazement
Jerry Junior-that's what they cal
It."
"But how on earth do they knowi'
''They don't know. But they have Il
call 1t something, haven't theyi And
they want Jerry Junior. So o.
course they'll get 1t. For Prudence
, is good enough to get whatever SHIT
wants."
Hum. that's no sign" shifted Carol
Il don't get everything I want. do IT
The girls laughed. from habit, NOT
from genuine interest, at Carols subtle
insinuation.
swell, shall we have her conner
"Yes," said Carol. "but you tell Prut
she needn't expect me to hold 1t until
It gets too big to wiggle. I call them
nasty. treacherous little things. Mrs
Miller made me hold hers. and II
sQuirmed right of my knee. I wanted
to spank it."
"And tell Prudence to uphold the
parsonage and have white one.'
added Lark. ''These little Indian ef
fects don't make hit with me-"
"Are you going to tell Connief"
~ don't think so-yet. Comics only
furteen."
"You tell her" Carols voice was
emphatic. There's nothing mysteri
Gus about It. Everybody does II. And
Connie may have few suggestions Of
her own to offer. You tell Prue Tn
thinking out lot OF good advice for
her, and"
"You must write her yourselves. She
wanted US to tell you long before"
Fairy picked up the little embroidered
dress and kissed II, but her fond eyes
were anxious.
So, n few weeks later. weeks crowd.
ed full Of tumult and anxiety. yes, and
laughter. too. Prudence and Jerry came
to Mount Mark and settled down ia
quiet life In the parsonage. The girls
kissed Prudence very often. leaped
quickly to do her errands, and touched
her with nervous fingers. But mostly
they sat across the room and regarded
her curiously. shyiy. quite materially
"Carol and Lark Starr" Prudence
cried GROSSLY one day. when she inter
cepted one Of tnese surreptitiou,
giances, "you march right upstairs and
shut yourselves up for thirty minutes
And II you ever sit around and starr
at me like stranger again, I'll spanl
you both. I'm To outsider. belonl
here Just as much a. ever did. Ant
I'm still the head Of things arount
here. toow
The twins obediently marched, ant
after that Prudence was more like Pru
dence, and the twins were much NOR,
twinnlsh, so that life was very nearl!
normal in the old parsonage. Prudenc,
said she couldn't feel quite satisHe,
because the twins were too old to b,
punished, but she often scolded then
In her gentle. teasing way, and tn
twins enjoyed II more than anything
else that happened during those day
Of quiet.
Then came q night when the fou
sisters huddled brcnta,.ssly In III
Kitchen. and Aunt Grace and tn
trained nurse stayed behind with Pru
dencs behind the closed door Of tn
front room upstairs. And the docto
went In. too. after he hnd inflicted
few light.hearted remarks upon III
two men In the little library.
After that-siDsnce. an immens
hushing Gilencc-settled down over III
parsonage. Jerry and Mr.. stnrr. alon
In the library. where a faint odor q
drugs. nnesthcties. something tha
smellcd like hospitals fingered. stare
away from each other with pcrsisteu
determination.
"whcre are the Rirls" Jerry nskc,
picking up n roll q cotton which hn
been left on the library table. nm
ninging II from him MS though
scorched his fingers.
I-thlnk I'll 20 md see" said MI
starr. turning heavily.
Jerry hcsitatcd q minute. "I-thin
I'll 70 along" he said.
For mn instnnt their eyes met. syn
pnthcticnily, md did not smile thoue
their lips curved.
Down 10 the kitchen. meanwhile
Fury sat sombcriy beside the tabl
with pilc Of dnrning which Nh
3abbcd M yiciously with the needle
Lark wns pcrchcd on tho ice chest. bu
smrol true To her childish lnstlncti