Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-11-13
CHAPTER IV-Continued

serious. His heart sank within MIN.
He thought of Prudence and her happi-
ness in having Jerry with her.
"Pll call her up" he volunteered.
And when he had his daughter on the
wire, he said cheerfully
"Oh, by the way, Jerry, / have
young man from New York here look
ing for a job-letter from you as
recommendation"
Jerrold waited. He waited until he
realized that his daughter had nothing
to say on the subject.
"Well, what shall l do with him!
Shall bring him up to the house|
And then suddenly there came such
q torrent of tumultuous words over
the wire as caused Jerrold to gasp
with dismay, while confusion and con
sternation spread over his kindly face
Presently a sharp click on the wire
informed him that the conversation
was at an end. He hung up the re
ceiver. There was a deepening anxiety
in his face as he said:
"My daughter says Do you want
to know what my daughter says"
every much"
81 am panied to report that my
daughter says If / bring you near the
house she'll shut the door on both of
us, that you came here for job and
am to give you a job, and the harder
you have to work the better 1t will be
for you, but that personally she hasn't
the slightest interest in you or in what
becomes of you, as long as you keep
out of her sight,
"Well, I'll be id" said Duane, and
could say no more.
Both of u.s." corroborated Jerry's
father gently.
This turn of affairs burdened Jer
rold with the entire responsibility for
the young man. He did not like it. He
didn't know what to do with him. He
wished Jerry might have been more
communicative about her impulses be-
fore she yielded to them. He thought
she might at least have discussed the
affairs of the Harmer Motor company
with its official head before she in
volved the establishment in foreign
complications of such portentous mag
nitude.
"Do you like the Middle West?" he
asked weakly, remembering his duties
as host, although he felt very much as
If he had suddenly become the trou-
bled owner Of white elephant placed
in his Christmas stocking by some mis-
guided well-wlsher.
"Never saw it," said Duane Allerton
And then, suddenly feeling that per-
haps some slight explanation was due
this plainly harassed father, he went
on: ''You see, Mr.. Harmer, l tried to
well, flirt little-with your daugh
ter in New York. And she didn't like
IT,"
"Oh, didn't sheT Jerrold was sur
prised. He shot a quick look at the
young man. He was very good to look
at, even TO perturbed and troubled
Jerrold. He was inclined to doubt the
sincerity of his daughters dislike.
"But she does flirt," Duane went on
positively. Everybody said so. And
besides, 1 saw her myself But she
seemed to single me out for her re-
sentiment. For no good reason, as far
as could make out"
"Wait a minute. I'll call her up
again and tell her she can't do these
things" Jerrold spoke quite sternly.
But when he got the number, it was
Prudence's voice that answered. She
said that Jerry had gone wildly away
in the Baby" and didn't know when
she would come home, and If her ia
Their brought any strange young men
around the house she'd never be home
''See here" said Jerrod sharply,
glad 1t was Prudence, with whom ii
was much easier to be stern than with
imperturbable Jerry. "You should have
told me about this"
Prudence professed her complete
and absolute ignorance of it, at which
her husband felt somewhat better. 1t
was always a source of grievance to
him when Prudence knew things first.
He began to feel quite gratified he
cause he had been selected for the
brunt of the burden
"Oh, 1t must have been a shock to
you" he said sympathetlcally.
mot bit. I knew there was man
in 1t somewhere"
"How did you know that? Did she
tell you"
"She told me nothing. knew by the
way she looked"
"Well, what shall do with him?
don't know what to do with hint
don't think he knows how to work
and he doesn't want to work anyhow.
What shall +"
Il don't know" said Prudence clev-
erly. what do you think?"
When Prudence said that. both Jer-
rold and Jerry stepped warily, afraid
of laundering. 1t was Prudences way
of getting herself out of tight place.
With those few words she could shift
the entire responsibility for any mat