Mexico Missouri message., 1918-01-31
CHAPTER IX-contlnusd.
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10
STes, he wanted to. But Prudence
,Sas set her heart on coming home. She
Sayz she'll never feel that Jerry Junior
get the proper start If 1t happens any
Qzice else. They'll have trained
aarse"
%JerTy-what?" gasped the twins,
l9zeE a short silence due to amazement.
~Ierry Junior-thats what they call
-"
Hut how on earth do they known
""They don't know. But they have to
'.ssSi It something, haven't they? And
tEAzY want Jerry Junior. So Of
-aHlrse they'll get it. For Prudence
- good enough to get whatever she
e7aafs'
Hum, that's no sign" shifted Carol.
~ don't get everything want, do II"
The girls laughed from habit, not
SrQnn genuine interest, at Carols subtle
sn,simuafion.
well, shall we have her come"
~Yes," said Carol, "but you tell Prue
she needn't expect me to hold it until
- gets Zoo big to wiggle. I call them
nasty, treacherous little things. Mrs.
&EfIler made me hold hers, and 1t
4B71irmed right off my knee. wanted
"a spank IT,"
@And tell Prudence to uphold the
xvarsOnage and have a white one"
Issdded Lark. "These little Indian eff
Hsefs don't make q hit with me-"
~Are you going to tell Connlef"
81 don't think so-yet. Comics only
g. urfeen."
%YOu tell her." Carols voice was
-aszunbatic. 'There's nothing mysteri-
szGis about 1t. Everybody does 1t. And
Gyoylnie may have a few suggestions of
Eser own to offer. You tell Prue I'm
esinking out lot of good advice for
her. and"
~You must write her yourselves. She
wanted us to tell you long before"
Ralry picked up the little embroidered
sSress and kissed it, but her fond eyes
were anxious.
So, few weeks later, weeks crowd
cd full of tumult and anxiety, yes, and
Slaughter, too, Prudence and Jerry came
a9 Mount Mark and settled down ia
quiet life In the parsonage. The girls
ElsSed Prudence very often, leaped
.s5aIcIIy to do her errands, and touched
FieF with nervous fingers. But mostly
they sat across the room and regarded
-aeE curiously, shyly, quite materially
Carol and Lark Starr" Prudence
,,ux7ed GROSSLY one day, when she inter
1sepseSd one of these surreptitiou'
chances, ''you march right upstairs ant
.esksnf yourselves up for thirty minutes
And If you ever sit around and stare
at me like q stranger again, I'll spanl
-zua both. I'm no outsider. belOnI
here Just as much as ever did. Ant
6Ha still the head of things arount
gAeE@, tool"
The twins obediently marched, ant
szHzR That Prudence was more like Pru
SSenHe, and the twins were much NOR
,rNzanlsh, so that life was very nearl,
7a6ruaI in the old parsonage. Prudenc
safd she couldn't feel quite satisfies
aeczuse the twins were too old to b
.gMn7aAed, but she often scolded then
tEm her gentle, teasing way and tn
twins enjoyed it more than anythln
+Z1se that happened during those day
az quiet.
Fhe1 came a night when the fou
sEsGeEs huddled breatllCssly in tn
Ikaaeheny and Aunt Grace and tn
Trained nurse stayed behind with Pru
-StRuce behind the closed door of tn
En0nE room upstairs. And the docto
7we1k in, too, after he had inflicted
-Ets@ Nght-hearted remarks upon tn
aH9 men In the little library.
AfAer that-silence, an immens
7nMshR1g silence-settled down over tn
,BArsDnage. Jerry and Mr.. Starr alon
IN the library, where faint odor o
dguSx, anesthetlcs, something tina
snneKIed like hospitals fingered, stare
-zR1y from each other with persisten
discrimination.
~Where are the girls2" Jerry asked
pEeking up q roll of cotton which ha
been left on the library table, an
as89ing II from him as though
za0oEcsaed his fingers.
@K-GhInk I'll go and see" said MI
sazex, turning heavily.
Jzxy hesitated a minute. "I-thin
r I'm - along" he said.
ESr an instant their eyes met, syn
gAfheflcalIy, and did not smile thong
EhHzr lips curved
nUEn In the kitchen, meanwhile
Ez1xF sat sOmberly beside the tabl
Ngffh n pile Of darnlng which sh
Sahhed at vieiously with the needle
MEk was perched on the ice chest, bu
aRmaL, true 10 her childish instinctl