The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-03-08
CHAPTER u.
The Rest Of the Family.


four young parsonage girls arrived In
Mount Mark. The elderly Misses Avery.
next door, looked out OF their windows,
pending their appearance on Main
street, with interest and concern. They
were Episcopalians themselves, and in
all their long lives they had never SO
much as heard Of a widower-rector
with five daughters and no housekeep-
er. There was something blood-cur-
ding in the bare idea.
The Misses Avery considered Pru-
dence herself rather q sweet, silly
little thing.
"You have some real nice people in
the Methodist church," Miss Dora had
told her. II dare say you will find a
few Of them very likable."
"Oh. will like them ALL" said Pru-
dence quickly and seriously.
Like them ALL" echoed Miss Dora.
"Oh. impossiblel"
"Not for u.s." said Prudence. I'VE
are used to 1t, you know. When we
dislike people at first sight, we visit
them, and talk to them, and invite
them to the parsonage, and entertain
them with our best linen and silver
ware, and keep on getting friendlier
and friendlier, and-first thing you
know, we like them finer"
So the Misses Avery concluded that
Prudence was not entirely responsible.
And they wondered, with something
akin to an agony of fear, If the younger
girls had 1t, toor and when Miss
Alice cried excitedly, "Quick! Quick
They are coming!" they trooped to
Miss Alice's window with a speed that
would have done credit to the parson-
age girls themselves.
First came the minister, whom they
knew very well by this time, and con-
sidered quite respectable. He was
lively, as was to be expected of q
Methodist minister, and told jokes,
and laughed at them! Now, a comical
rector-oh, very different matter
it wasn't done, that's all! At any rate,
here came the Methodist minister,
laughing, and on one side of him
tripped a small, earnest-looking maid
en-, clasping his hand, and gazing alter
nately up into his face and down at
the stylish cement sidewalk beneath
her feet. On the other side was Fairy.
The Misses Avery knew the girls by
name already-having talked much
with Prudence.
"Such a Fairyi" gasped Miss Milli-
cent. and the others echoed the gasp
but wordlessly.
For Fairy was very nearly as tall
as her father, built upon generous
lines, rather commanding In appear
ance, little splendid-lOoking. Even
from their windows they could discern
something distinctly Junolike In this
sixteen-year-old girl, with the easy,
elastic stride that matched her ia
theirs, and the graceful head, well car
rfed. A young goddess-named Fairy !!
Behind them, laughing and chatter
ing, like three children, as they were
came the twins with Prudence, each
with an arm around her waist. And
Prudence was very little taller than
they. When they reached the fence
that bordered the parsonage, the scene
for a moment resembled q miniature
riot. The smaller girls jumped and
CACAuALuSu1 duo CA60RcU tuclE uduuSs
Fairy leaned over the fence, and
stared intently at this, their parsonage
home. Then the serious little girl
scrambled under the fence, followed
closely by the uthe-limbed twins. A
pause, a very short one-and then Pru-
dence, too, was wriggling beneath the
fence.
Hold the wire up for me, papa !"
cried Fairy. "Tm too fat" And a Sec
ond later she was running gracefully
across the lawn toward the parsonage.
The Methodist minister laughed boy
ishly, and placing his hands on the
fence post, he vaulted lightly over,
and reached the house with his daugh-
tiers. Then the Misses Avery, school
teachers and elderly, looked at one an
other.
Did you everr gasped the oldest
Miss Avery, and the others slowly
shook their heads.
Now, think Did you ever see q rec
tor jumping a three-w1re fence, and
running full speed across his front
yard in pursuit Of . flying familyf It