Part 5 (1/2)

”Yes,” whispered Carol, ”peek through the keyhole, Lark, and see if Mrs. Prentiss is looking under the bed for dust. They say she----”

”You'd better not let Prudence catch you repeating----”

”There's Mrs. Stone, and Mrs. Davis, and----”

”They say Mrs. Davis only belongs to the Ladies' Aid for the sake of the refreshments, and----”

”Carol! Prudence will punish you.”

”Well, I don't believe it,” protested Carol. ”I'm just telling you what I've heard other people say.”

”We aren't allowed to repeat gossip,” urged Lark.

”No, and I think it's a shame, too, for it's awfully funny. Minnie Drake told me that Miss Varne joined the Methodist church as soon as she heard the new minister was a widower so she----”

”Carol!”

Carol whirled around sharply, and flushed, and swallowed hard. For Prudence was just behind her.

”I--I--I--” but she could get no further.

Upon occasion, Prudence was quite terrible. ”So I heard,” she said dryly, but her eyes were hard. ”Now run down-stairs and out to the field, or to the barn, and play. And, Carol, be sure and remind me of that speech to-night. I might forget it.”

The girls ran quickly out, Carol well in the lead.

”No wedding fee for me,” she mumbled bitterly. ”Do you suppose there can be seven devils in my tongue, Lark, like there are in the Bible?”

”I don't remember there being seven devils in the Bible,” said Lark.

”Oh, I mean the--the possessed people it tells about in the Bible,--crazy, I suppose it means. Somehow I just can't help repeating----”

”You don't want to,” said Lark, not without sympathy. ”You think it's such fun, you know.”

”Well, anyhow, I'm sure I won't get any wedding fee to-night. It seems to me Prudence is very--harsh sometimes.”

”You can appeal to father, if you like.”

”Not on your life,” said Carol promptly and emphatically; ”he's worse than Prudence. Like as not he'd give me a good thras.h.i.+ng into the bargain. No,--I'm strong for Prudence when it comes to punishment,--in preference to father, I mean. I can't seem to be fond of any kind of punishment from anybody.”

For a while Carol was much depressed, but by nature she was a buoyant soul and her spirits were presently soaring again.

In the meantime, the Ladies of the Aid Society continued to arrive.

Prudence and Fairy, freshly gowned and smiling-faced, received them with cordiality and many merry words. It was not difficult for them, they had been reared in the hospitable atmosphere of Methodist parsonages, where, if you have but two dishes of oatmeal, the outsider is welcome to one. That is Carol's description of parsonage life.

But Prudence was concerned to observe that a big easy chair placed well back in a secluded corner, seemed to be giving dissatisfaction. It was Mrs. Adams who sat there first. She squirmed quite a little, and seemed to be gripping the arms of the chair with unnecessary fervor.

Presently she stammered an excuse, and rising, went into the other room. After that, Mrs. Miller tried the corner chair, and soon moved away. Then Mrs. Jack, Mrs. Norey, and Mrs. Beed, in turn, sat there,--and did not stay. Prudence was quite agonized. Had the awful twins filled it with needles for the reception of the poor Ladies? At first opportunity, she hurried into the secluded corner, intent upon trying the chair for herself. She sat down anxiously. Then she gasped, and clutched frantically at the arms of the chair. For she discovered at once to her dismay that the chair was bottomless, and that only by hanging on for her life could she keep from dropping through. She thought hard for a moment,--but thinking did not interfere with her grasp on the chair-arms,--and then she realized that the wisest thing would be to discuss it publicly. Anything would be better than leaving it unexplained, for the Ladies to comment upon privately.

So up rose Prudence, conscientiously pulling after her the thin cus.h.i.+on which had concealed the chair's shortcoming. ”Look, Fairy!” she cried.

”Did you take the bottom out of this chair?--It must have been horribly uncomfortable for those who have sat there!--However did it happen?”