Part 10 (1/2)

But that night when the twins went up to bed, they were doomed to disappointment. They had no chance of making it up with Constance.

For Prudence had moved her small bed out of the twins' room, and had placed it in the front room occupied by herself and Fairy. They asked if they might speak to Constance, but Prudence went in with them to say good night to her. The twins broke down and cried as they saw the pitiful little figure with the wan and tear-stained face. They threw their arms around her pa.s.sionately and kissed her many times. But they went to bed without saying anything.

Hours later, Lark whispered, ”Carol! are you asleep?”

”No. I can't go to sleep somehow.”

”Neither can I. Do you think we'd better tell Prudence all about it?”

Carol squirmed in the bed. ”I--suppose we had,” she said reluctantly.

”But--it'll be lots worse for us than for Connie,” Lark added. ”We're so much older, and we made her do it.”

”Yes, and we ate all the apples,” mourned Carol.

”Maybe we'd better just let it go,” suggested Lark.

”And we'll make it up to Connie afterwards,” said Carol.

”Now, you be careful and not give it away, Carol.”

”You see that you don't.”

But it was a sorry night for the twins. The next morning they set off to school, with no chance for anything but a brief good morning with Connie,--given in the presence of Prudence. Half-way down the parsonage walk, Carol said:

”Oh, wait a minute, Lark. I left my note-book on the table.” And Lark walked slowly while Carol went rus.h.i.+ng back. She found Prudence in the kitchen, and whispered:

”Here--here's a note, Prudence. Don't read it until after I've gone to school,--at ten o'clock you may read it. Will you promise?”

Prudence laughed a little, but she promised, and laid the note carefully away to wait the appointed hour for its perusal. As the clock struck ten she went to the mantle, and took it down. This is what Carol had written:

”Oh, Prudence, do please forgive me, and don't punish Connie any more.

You can punish me any way you like, and I'll be glad of it. It was all my fault. I made her go and get the apples for me, and I ate them.

Connie didn't eat one of them. She said stolen apples would not taste very good. It was all my fault, and I'm so sorry. I was such a coward I didn't dare tell you last night. Will you forgive me? But you must punish me as hard as ever you can. But please, Prudence, won't you punish me some way without letting Lark know about it? Please, please, Prudence, don't let Larkie know. You can tell Papa and Fairy so they will despise me, but keep it from my twin. If you love me, Prudence, don't let Larkie know.”

As Prudence read this her face grew very stern. Carol's fault! And she was ashamed to have her much-loved twin know of her disgrace. At that moment, Prudence heard some one running through the hall, and thrust the note hastily into her dress. It was Lark, and she flung herself wildly upon Prudence, sobbing bitterly.

”What is the matter, Lark?” she tried, really frightened. ”Are you sick?”

”Heartsick, that's all,” wailed Lark. ”I told the teacher I was sick so I could come home, but I'm not. Oh, Prudence, I know you'll despise and abominate me all the rest of your life, and everybody will, and I deserve it. For I stole those apples myself. That is, I made Connie go and get them for me. She didn't want to. She begged not to. But I made her. She didn't eat one of them,--I did it. And she felt very badly about it. Oh, Prudence, you can do anything in the world to me,--I don't care how horrible it is; I only hope you will. But, Prudence, you won't let Carol know, will you? Oh, spare me that, Prudence, please. That's my last request, that you keep it from Carol.”

Prudence was surprised and puzzled. She drew the note from her pocket, and gave it to Lark. ”Carol gave me that before she went to school,”

she explained. ”Read it, and tell me what you are driving at. I think you are both crazy. Or maybe you are just trying to s.h.i.+eld poor Connie.”

Lark read Carol's note, and gasped, and--burst out laughing! The shame, and bitter weeping, and nervousness, had rendered her hysterical, and now she laughed and cried until Prudence was alarmed again.

In time, however, Lark was able to explain. ”We both did it,” she gasped, ”the Skull and Crossbones. And we both told the truth about it. We made her go and get them for us, and we ate them, and she didn't want to go. I advised Carol not to tell, and she advised me not to. All the way to school this morning, we kept advising each other not to say a word about it. But I intended all the time to pretend I was sick, so I could come and confess alone. I wanted to take the punishment for both of us, so Carol could get out. I guess that's what she thought, too. Bless her little old heart, as if I'd let her he punished for my fault. And it was mostly my fault, too, Prue, for I mentioned the apples first of all.”

Prudence laughed,--it was really ludicrous. But when she thought of loyal little Connie, sobbing all through the long night, the tears came to her eyes again. She went quickly to the telephone, and called up the school building next door to the parsonage.