/
ETHEL HUESTON
ILLUSTRATFD BY
AV.C .TAN ME
5
(Copyright, by the Bobbs-Merriil Company.)
r
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I—Prudence Starr, eldest of
five motherless girls, comes to the Meth
adist parsonage at Mount Mark, as house
mother for her father, the Methodist min
ister.
CHAPTER II—The girls entertain a vis
iting minister at luncheon, to his discom
fiture. Carol, one of the twins, rides the
family cow with disastrous results.
CHAPTER III—Prudence and p'airy re
ceive the Indies' Aid society while Lark,
Carol and Connie practice modeling in
mud on the dining ruftm table.
CHAPTER IV—The twins prepare Con
stance for initiation into their private
secret society with results unexnecled to
themselves.
CHAPTER V—When Fairy entertains
Eugene Babier in the evening, the twins
convince Prudence that etiquette has small
place in the Starr family.
CHAPTER VI.
Practicing Economy.
It was a dull day early in Decem
ber. Prudence and Fairy were sew
ing in the bay window of the sitting
room.
“We must be sure to have all the
scraps out of the way before Connie
gets home,” said Prudence, carefully
fitting together pieces of a dark, warm,
furry material. “It has been so long
since father wore tills coat, I am sure
she will not recognize it.”
“But she will ask where we got it,
and what shall we say?”
“We must tell her it is goods we have
had in the house for a long time. That
is true. And I made this fudge on pur
pose to distract her attention. Poor
child!” she added very sympatheti
cally. “Her heart Is just set on a brand
new coat. I know she will be bitterly
disappointed. If the members would
just pay up we could get her one. No
vember and December are such bad
months for-parsonage people. Every
one Is getting ready for Christinas now
and forgets that parsonage people need
Christmas money, too.”
Fairy took a pin from her mouth. "1
have honestly been ashamed of Connie
the last few Sundays. It was so cold,
and she wore only that little thin sum
mer jacket. She must have been half
frozen.”
“Oh, I had her dressed warmly un
derneath, very warmly Indeed,” de
clared Prudence. “But no matter how
warm you are underneath, you look
cold if you aren’t visibly prepared for
winter weather. I kept hoping enough
money would come in to buy her a
coat for once in her life.”
“She has been looking forward to
one long enough,” put in Fairy. “This
will be a bitter blow to her. And yet
it Is not such a bad-looking coat, after
all.” And she quickly ran up a seam
on the machine.
Here comes Connie. rruuence
hastily swept a pile of scraps out of
sight, and turned to greet her little
sister with a cheery smile.
“Come on in, Connie,” she cried,
with a brightness she did not feel.
“Fairy and I are making you a new
coat. Isn't it pretty? And so warm!
See the nice velvet collar and cuffs.
We want to tit it on you right away,
dear.”
Connie picked up a piece of the
goods and examined it intently.
“Don’t you want some fudge, Con
nie?" exclaimed Fairy, shoving the
dish toward her hurriedly.
Connie took a piece from the plate,
and thrust it between her teeth. Her
eyes were still fastened upon the brown
furry cloth.
“Where did you get this stuff?” she
inquired, as soon us she was able to
speak.
“Out of the trunk in the garret. Con
nie. Don’t you want some more fudge?
I put a lot of nuts In, especially on
your account.”
“It’s good,” said Connie, taking an
other piece. She examined the cloth
very closely. “Say, Prudence, isn’t this
that old brown coat of father's?”
Fairy shoved her chair back from the
machine, and ran to the window.
“Look, Prue,” s{io cried. “Isn’t that
Mrs. Adams coming this way? I won
der—”
“No, it Isn’t,” answered Connie
gravely. “It’s Just Miss Avery getting
home from school.—Isn’t it, Prudence?
Futher’s coat, I mean?”
“Yes, Connie, it is,” said Prudence,
very, very gently. “But no one here
has seen it, and it is such nice cloth—
just exactly what girls are wearing
now.”
“But I wanted a new coat!" Connie
did not cry. She stood looking at Pru
dence with her wide hurt eyes.
“Oh, Connie, I’m just as sorry ns
you are,” cried Prudence, with starting
tears, “I know just how you feel about
it dearest! But the people didn’t pay
father up last month. Maybe after
Christmas wJe can get you a cout. They
l>ay up better then.”
“I think I’d rather wear my summer
coat until then,” said Connie soberly.
"Oh, but you can’t, dearest. It is too
cold. Won’t you be a good girl now,
and not make sis!*T feel badly about
It? It really is becoming to you, and it
is nice and warm. Take some more
fudge, dsmr, nn<l run out-of-doors u
while. You'll feel better about it pres
ently, I’m sure.”
Connie stood solemnly beside the
table, her eyes still fastened on the
eoai, (lit down from her father’s. “Can
1 go and lake a walk?” she asked
finally.
“May T. you moan.” suggested Fairy.
“Yes, may I? Maybe I can reconcile
myself to it.”
"Yes. go and take a walk,” urged
Prudence promptly, eager to get the
small sober face beyond her range of
vision.
‘‘If I am not back when the twins
get home, go right on and eat without
me. I'll come hack when 1 get things
straightened out in my mind.”
When Connie was quite beyond hear
ing. Prudence dropped her head on the
table and wept. “Oh. Fairy, if the mem
Prudence Dropped Her Head on the
Table and Wept.
hors just knew how such things hurt
maybe they’d pay up a little better
How do they expect parsonage people
to keep up appearances when thej
haven’t any money?'”
“Oh, now, Prue, you’re worse than
Connie! There’s no use to cry about
it. Parsonage people have to find hap
piness in spite of financial misery.
Money isn’t the first thing with folks
like us.”
"Poor little Connie! If she had
cried about it. 1 wouldn't have care.l so
much. But she looked so—heartsick,
didn't she, Fairy?”
Connie certainly was heartsick. More
than that, she was a little disgusted.
She felt herself aroused to take action.
Tilings had gone too far! Go to church
in her father’s coat slit* could not ' Site
walked sturdily down the street toward
the “city"—ironically so called. Her
face was stony, her hands were
clenched. But finally she brightened.
Her lagging steps quickened. Sip
skipped along quite cheerfully. Site
turned westward as sin- readied tin
corner of the square, and walked along
that business street with shining eyes.
In front of the First National bank sin
paused, but after a few seconds /die
passed by. On the opposite corner was
another bank. When she reached it.
she walked in without pausing, and tin
massive door swung behind her.
Tlie four older girls were at the
table when Connie came home. She
exhaled quiet satisfaction from every
pore. Prudence glanced at her onee.
and then looked away again. "Site has
reconciled herself,” site thought. Din
ner was half over before Constance
hurst iter bomb.
“Are you going to be busy tills after
noon, Prudence?” slie asked quietly.
“We are going to sew a little,” said
Prudence. “Why?”
“I wanted you to go downtown with
me after school.”
“Well, perhaps I can do that. Fairy
yvill be able to finish the coat alone.”
“You needn’t finish the coat—I cnn't
wear father’s coat to church, Pru
dence. It's a—it’s a—physical impos
sibility."
The twins laughed, Fairy smiled, but
Prudence gazed at "the baby” with
tender pity;>
“I'm so sorsj, dearest, but we haven’t
the money to buy one now.”
“Will five dollars be enough?” In
quired Connie, and she placed a crisp
new bill beside her plate. The twins
gasped! They gazed at Connie with
new respect. They were just wishing
they could handle five-doliar bills so
recklessly.
“Will you loan me twenty dollars un
til after Christmas, Connie?” queried
Fairy. *
But Prudence asked, “Where ditl you
gel this money, Connie?”
*1 borrowed it—from the bank,” Con
nie replied with proper gravity. "I
have two years to pay it back. M \
j Harold says they are proud to have my
trade.”
Prudence was silent for several long
seconds. Then she inquired in a low
voice, "Did you tell him why you w ant
ed it?”
"Yes, I explained the_whole situa
tion.” (
"What did he say?”
“He said he knew just how I felt,
because he knew lie couldn't go to
church in his wife’s coat.—No, I said ,
that myself, but he agreed with me. He
did not say very much, hut he looked
sympathetic. lie said he anticipated
great pleasure in seeing me in my new
coat at church next Sunday.”
“Go on with your luncheon, twins,”
said Prudence sternly. “You’ll he late
to school. We’ll see about going down
town w hen you get home tonight, Con
nie. Now. eat your luncheon, and
don’t talk about coats any more.”
When Connie had gone back to
school. Prudence went straight to Mr.
Harold’s bank. Flushed and embar
rassed, she explained the situation
frankly. “My sympathies are all with
Connie,” she said candidly. "But 1 am
afraid father would not like it. We are
dead set against borrowing. After—
<>ur mother was taken, we were crow d
ed pretty close for money. So we had
to go in debt. It took us two years to
get it paid. Father’'and Fairy and I
talked it over then, and decided we
would starve rather than borrow again.
Even the twins understood it, but Con
nie was too little. She doesn’t know
how heartbreaking it is to keep hand
ing over every cent for debt, when one j
is just yearning for other things. I do
wish she might have the coat, but I’m
afraid futher would not like it. She
gave me the five dollars for safekeep
ing, and I have brought it back.”
Mr. Harold shook his head. “No,
Connie must have her coat. This will
he a good lesson for her. It will teach
her the bitterness of living under debt !
Besides, Prudence, I*think in my heart j
that she is rigiit this time. This is a
ease w here borrowing is justified. Get
her the coat, and 1 11 square the ac
eount with your father.” Then he
added, “And I'll look after this salary
business after this. I'll arrange with
the trustees that 1 am to pity your fa
ther his full salary the first of every
month, and that the church receipts are
to be turned in to me. And if they
do not pay up, my lawyer can do a lit
tle investigating! Little Connie earned
that five dollars, for she taught one
trustee a sorry lesson. And he will
have to pass it on to the others in self
defense! Now, run along and get the
coat, and if five dollars isn’t enough
you can have as much more as you
need. Your father will get his salary
after this, my dear, if we have to mort
gage the parsonage!”
CHAPTER VII.
A Burglar’s Visit.
“Prue!”
A small hand gripped Prudence’s
shoulder, and again came a hoarsely
whispered :
“I’rue!”
Prudence sat up in bed with a
bounce.
“What in the world?" she began,
gazing out into the room, half-lighted
i.v the moonshine, and seeing Carol and
[.ark shivering beside her bed.
“Sh ! Sh ! Hush!” whispered Lark.
‘There’s a burglar in our room!"
By this time, even sound-sleeping
(‘’airy was awake. “Oh, tliert- is!" she
scoffed.
“Yes, there Is,” declared Carol with
some heat. “We heard him, plain as
day. He stepped into the closet, didn't
lie. Lark?”
“He certainly did.” agreed Lark.
“Hid you see him?”
“No, we heard him. Carol heard I
him first, and she spoke, and nudged
me. Then 1 heard him, too. He was |
at our dresser, but he shot across the
room and into the closet. He closed
the door after hint, lie’s there now.”
“You've been dreaming,” said Fairy,
lying down again.
“We don’t generally dream the same
thing at the same minute." said Carol
atormily. “I tell you he’s in there.”
“And you two great big girls eaiue
off and left poor little Connie in there
alone with a burglar, did you? Well,
you are nice ones, I must say.”
And Prudence leaped out of lied and
started for the door, followed by Fairy,
with the twins creeping fearfully along
in the rear.
“She was asleep,” muttered Carol.
“We didn’t want to scare her,” added
I,ark.
Prudence was careful to turn the
switch by the door, so that the room
was in full light before she entered.
The closet door was wide open. Con
nie was soundly sleeping. There was
no one else in the room.
“You see?” said Prudence sternly.
“I’ll bet he took our ruby rings,” de
clared Lark, and the twins and Fairy
run to the dresser to look.
But a sickening realization had come
home to Prudence. In the lower ha!!,!
under the staircase, was a small dark
closet which they called the dungeon.
The dungeon door was big and solid,
and was equipped with a heavy catch-1
lock. In this dungeon. Prudence kept
tlie family silverware, and all the
money she had on bund, as it could |
there be safely locked away. But more
often than not, Prudence forgot to lock
it.
Mr. Starr had gone to Burlington
that morning to attend special revival
services for three days, and Prudence
had fifty whole dollars in the house,
an unwonted sum in that parsonage!
; And the dungeon was not locked. With
out a word, she* slipped softly out of
the room, rati down the stairs, making
never a sound In her bare feet, and
! saw, sohiewhnt to her surprise, that
the dungeon door was open. Quickly
; she flung It jdiut, pushed the tiny key
til til moved dir ~'cii L'n,-"1 "amT/was "rush
ing up tin- stairs attain with never a
pause for hretith.
A strange sight met her eyes in the
twins’ room. The twins themselves
were in each other’s arms, sobbing bit
terly. Fairy was still looking hurried
ly through tin* dresser drawers.
“They are gone,” wailed Carol, “our
beautiful ruby rings that belonged to
grandmother.”
I “Nonsense.” cried Prue with nervous
anger, “you’ve left them in the bath
room, or on the kitchen shelves.
You’re always leaving them somewhere
over the plaee. Come on. and we’ll
search the house just to convince you.”
“No, no,” shrieked the twins. “Let’s
lock ihe door and get under the bed.”
The rings were really valuable.
Their grandmother, th dr mother’s
mother, whom they lmd never seen,
had divided her “real jewelry' between
her two daughters. And the naulur of
these parsonage girls, had further di
vided her portion to make it reach
through her own family of girls!
“Our rings! Our rings!” the twins
were wailing, and Connie, awakened
by the noise, was crying beneath the
covers of her bed.
“Maybe we'd better phone for Mr.
Allan,” suggested Fairy. “Tin* girls are
so nervous they will be hysterical by
the time we tinish searching the
house.”
“Well, let's do the upstairs then,”
said Prudence. “Get your slippers and
kimonos, and we’ll go into daddy’s
room.”
Hut Inside the door of daddy's room,
with tin* younger girls clinging to her.
and Fairy looking odd and disturbed,
Prudence stopped abruptly and stared
about the room curiously.
“Fairy, didn’t father leave his watch
hanging on that nail by the table?
Seems to me I saw it there this morn
ing. I remember thinking I would
tease him for being forgetful,”
And the watch was not there.
“I think it was Sunday he left it,” !
answered Fairy in a low voice. “I re- j
member seeing ft on the nail, and think
hut.
Quickly She Flung It
tng he would need It—hut I believe It
was Sunday.”
Prudence looked under (he bed, and j
In the closet, but their father's room I
was empty. Should they fro further?
For a moment, the Kiris stood lookmg
at one another (Hiestioningly. Then—
they heard a loud thud downstairs, as
of someone pounding on a door. There
was no longer any doubt. Someone
was in the house! Connie and the
twins screamed again and clung to
Prudence frantically. Anil Fairy said,
‘‘I think we’d better lock the door and
stay right here until morning, i’rue.”
But Prudence faced them stubborn
ly. ‘‘If you think I’m going to let any
one steal that fifty dollars, you are
mistaken. Fifty dollars does uyt come
often enough for that. 1 can tell you.”
“It's probably stolen already,” ob
jected Fairy.
“Well, if it is, we’ll find out who did
it, and have them arrested. I'm going
down to telephone to the police. You
girls must lock the door after me, and
stay right here.”
The little ones screamed again, and
Fairy said: “Don't he silly, Prue, if
you. go I’m going with you, of course.
We’ll leave the kiddies here and they
can lock the door. They’ll be perfectly
safe in here.”
But the children loudly objected to
this. If Prue and Fairy went, they
would go! So down the stairs they
trooped, a timorous trembling crowd.
Prudence went at once to the tele
phone. and called up the residence of
the Allans, their neighbors across the
street. After a seemingly never-ending
wait, the kind-hearted neighbor left
his bed to answer the insistent tele
phone. Falteringly Prudence explained
their predicament, and asked him to
come and search the house. He prom
ised to bo there in tive minutes, with
his son to help.
“Now,” said Prudence more cheer
fully, “we’ll just go out to the kitchen
and wait, it’s quiet there-, and away
from the rest of the house, and we’ll
be perfectly safe.” To the kitchen,
then, they hurried, and found real
comfort in its smallness and secure
ness. Prudence raked up the dying
embers of the fire, amt Fairy drew the
blinds to their lowest limits. The
twins and Donnie trailed them fear
fully at every step.
Every breath of wind against the
windows drew startled cries from the
younger girls, and both Fairy and Pru
dence were white with uuxiety wheu
they heard the loud voices of the Al
lans outside the kitchen door. Pru
deuce begun crying nervously the mo
ment the two angels of tuercy ap
I ten red before iter, and Fairy told theii
tale of woe.
“Well, there now ” Mr. Allan sold
with rough sympathy, “you just got
scared, that's all. Everything's sus
picious when folks get scared. I told
m.v wife the other day I bet you girls
would get u good fright sometime, left
here alone. Oolite on. Jim, and we’ll
go. over the house in a jiffy.”
lit* was standing near the dining
room door. He lifted his head sud
denly, and seemed to sniff a little.
There was undoubtedly a faint odoi
of tobacco in the house.
“Been any men in here tonight?" he
asked. "Or this afternoon? Think,
now I”
“No one," answered Prudence. “1
was alone all afternoon, and there has
been no one in this evening.”
He passed slowly through the din
ing room into the hall, closely followed
by his son and the five girls, already
much reassured, As he passed ttu
dungeon door 1# paused for n moment,
listening intently, his head bent.
“Oh, Mr. Allan,” cried Prudence,
“let’s look In the dungeon first. I want
to see if the money is safe.” Her hand
was already on the lock, hut he shoved
her away quickly.
“Is there any way out of that closel
besides this door?” he asked.
“No. We call It the dungeon,”
Inugligd Prudence, her self-possession
quite recovered. “It is right tinder
the stairs, and not even a mouse could
gnaw its way out, with this door shut.” j
“Who shut the door?” he inquired, i
still holding Prudence’s hand from the
lock. Then, without waiting for an I
answer, he went on, “Let’s go back in j
the other room a minute. Come on, all
of you." In the living room he hur
ried to the telephone, and spoke to the
operator in a low voice. “Call the po
lice headquarters, and have them send
two or three men to the Methodist par
sonage. right away. We've got a bur
glar locked in a closet, and they'll have
to gel him out. Please hurry.”
At this, the girls crowded around
mui again in rrut'wt'u iear.
“Don’t be scared,” he said caliuly.
“we’re all right. He’s in there safe
enough and can't get out for a while.
Now, tell me about it. How did you
get him in the closet? Begin at the
beginning, and tell me all about it."
Carol began the story with keen rel
ish. “I woke up, and thought I heard
someone in the room. I * supposed it
was Prudence. I said, ‘Prudence,’ and
nobody answered, and everything was
quiet. But I felt there was someone
in there. 1 nudged Lark, and she woke
up. He moved then, and we botli heard
him. He was fumbling at the dresser,
and our ruby rings are gone. We
heard him step across the room and
into a closet, lie closed the door after
him, didn’t he Lark?”
“Yes, he did.” agreed Lark. “His
hand was on the knob.”
“So we sneaked out of bed. and
went info Prudence's room and woke
her and Fairy.” She looked at Connit
and blushed. "Connie was asleep, and
we didn’t waken her because we didn’t
want to frighten her. We woke the
girls—and you tell the rest. Prudence.”
“We didn't believe her, of course.
We went hack into their room and
there was no one there. But the ring.
were gone. While they were looking
at (lie dresser, 1 remembered tnat I
forgot to lock the dungeon door, where
we keep the money and the silver
ware. and I ran downstairs 'and
slammed the door and locked it, and
went back up. I didn't hear u sound
downstairs.”
Mr. Allan laughed heartily. “Well,
your burglar was in that closet after
the money, no douh% and he didn’t
tiear you coming, and got locked in.”
In a few minutes they heard foot
steps around the house and knew the
tffioers had arrived. Mr. Allan let
them into the house, four of them, and
led them out to the hull. There could
50 no doubt whatever that the burglar
was In the dungeon. He had been
:msy with his knife, and the lock was
nearly removed. If the officers had
neen two minutes later, the dungeon
would have been empty. The girls were
sent upstairs at once, with the Allan
noy as guard—us guard, without re
gard for tile fact that he was probably
nore frightened than any one of them.
The chief officer rapped briskly on
he dungeon door. Then he clicked his
revolver.
“There nre enough of us to over
tower three of you,” he said curtly.
‘And we have men outside the house,
no. If you put your firearms on the
Joor. and hold both hands over you*
lead, you'll be well treated. If your
lands are not up, we fire on sight. Get
four revolvers ready, boys.”
Then the officer opened the door.
Evidently the burglar was wise enough
o appreciate the futility of fighting
(gainst odds. Ilis hands were above
lis head, and in less than a second he
vas securely manacled.
The chief officer had been eying him
rlosely. “Say !” he exclaimed, “Aren’t
tou Limber-Limb Grant?” The burglar
jrinned, but did not answer. “By
love!" shouted the officer.- “It is!
?nll the girls down here," he ordered,
ind when they appeared, gazing at the
nirglar with mingled admiration, pity
ind fear, he congratulated them with
tonsiderable excitement.
“It’s Limber-Limb Grant,” he ex
plained. “There’s a reward of five
lumlred dollars for him. You’ll get
he money, as sure as you’re born."
Then lie turned again to the burglar.
‘ ■'ay, Grant, what’s a fellow like you
loing on such a fifth-rate job as this?
V Methodist parsonage is uot just in
tour line, is it?”
i
Limber-Limb laughed sheepishly.
‘Well,” he explained good-naturedly,
•Chicago got too hot for me. I had
;o get out in a hurry, and I couldn't
jet my hands on any money. I had a
Ine lot of jewels, but I was so noshed
“Pape’s Diapepsin” fixes sick,
sour, gassy stomachs in
five minutes.
Time it! In five minutes all stomach
’distress will go. No Indigestion, heart
*■ -vr. LolnVitmr of P'H S flpill
lie station I saw a detective from Clil
•ago get off the train, and I knew what
:hat meant. But I needed some cash,
ir.d so I wasn’t above a little job of
his kind. I never dreamed of getting
lone up by a bunch cf preacher’s kids.
[ went upstairs to get those family
lewels I’ve heard about, and one of
:he little ones gave the alarm. I al
ready had some of them, so T came
lown at once. I stopped In the dun
reon to get that money, and first thing
( knew the door banged shut. That’s
til. You’re welcome to the five hun
dred dollars, ladles. Someone was
tound to get it sooner or later, and
I’m partial to the ladles, every time.”
Mr. Starr on Thursday morning had
taken the early eastbound train to
Burlington. He attended the evange
listic services at the tabernacle In the
afternoon and evening, and then went
:o bed at the hotel. He slept late the
lext morning. When he finally ap
peared the clerk came at once from
Dehind the desk to speak to him. Two
Dr three other guests, who had been
lounging about, drew near.
“We've just been rending about your
jirls, sir," said the clerk respectfully.
‘It’s a pretty nervy little bunch I You
must he proud of them !’’
“My girls!” ejaculated Mr. Starr.
“Haven’t you seen the morning pa
per? \ ou’re Mr. Starr, the Methodist
minister at Mount Mark, aren’t you?"
“1 am! But Dsiiat lms happened to
my girls? Is anything wrong? Give
me the paper!’’
Five minutes later Mr. Starr and his
suitcase were In a taxicab speeding
toward Union station, and within eight
minutes he was en route for Mount
Mark—white in the face, shaky in the
knees, hut tremendously proud in
spirit.
Arriving nt Mount Murk, ho wns in
stantly surrounded by an exclamatory
crowd of station loungers. The name
of Prudence was upon every tongue,
and her father heard it with satisfac
tion. In the parsonage he found nt
least two-thirds of the Ladies’ Aid so
ciety, the trustees and the Sunday
school superintendent, along with a
miscellaneous assortment of ordinary
members, mixed up with Presbyterians,
Baptists and a few unclassified outsid
ers. And Prudence wns the center of
attraction.
She was telling the “whole story,’’
for perhaps the fifteenth time that
morning, but she broke off when her
! father hurried in and flung her arms
shout him. "Oh, papa,” she cried,
“they mustn’t praise me. I h»d no
idea there was a burglar in the house
when I ran down the stairs, and I hon
estly can’t see that much credit is
iue me.”
But Mount Mark did not take It *o
■ahul.v. And as for the Methodist
■Lurch—well, the Presbyterlun people
used to say there was “no living with
'hose Methodists, since the girls caught
i burglar in the parsonage.” Of course
t wns important, from the Methodist
point of view. Pictures of the par
sonage and the church were in all the
papers for miles around, and nt their
very next meeting the trustees decided
to get the piano the Sunday school had
been needing for the last hundred
venrs!
When the five hundred dollars ar
rived from Chicago, Prudence felt that,
personally she had no real right to the
money. "We must divide it." she in
sisted, “for I didn’t earn it a hit more
than any of the others. But it is
perfectly glorious to have five hundred
dollars, isn’t it? Did you ever have
live hundred dollars before? Just take
it. father, and use it for whatever we
need. It’s family money.”
Neither the younger girls nor their
father would consent to this. But
when Prudence pleaded with them ear
nestly, they decided to divide it.
“I will deposit two hundred and fifty
dollars for the four younger ones,” hrt
said, “and that will leave you as
much.”
So it was settled, and Prudence was
t happy girl when she saw it safely
put away in the bank.
(Continued Noxt Week.)
Notice.
The Union Saw Mill Company
vill pay $50.00 as a reward to any
one, not in its employ, who will fur
lish information from which any
person shall be convicted of depre
jating or trespassing upon the tim
oer of said Company.
This 1st. day of February, 1906
Union Saw Mill Go.
By F. W. Scott.
S*'-\ and Trea*
Few Now Care to Walk.
It Is hardly too much to say that
the nutomoliile as she Is at present
driven has made walking for pleasure
or walking for health—walking of
every sort, In fact, except mere pave
ment strolling or hurried, rnbbltllke
dashes for the shelter of the nearest
trolley car—practically Impossible, a;
source of annoyance and perpctnnl!
discomfort Instead of a pleasure.—Ex
change.