Prudence Says So

Prudence Says So, by Ethel
Hueston,

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Title: Prudence Says So
Author: Ethel Hueston

Release Date: May 28, 2007 [eBook #21635]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
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SAYS SO***
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PRUDENCE SAYS SO
by
ETHEL HUESTON
Author of Prudence of the Parsonage
With Illustrations by Arthur William Brown

[Illustration: Come on. Let's beat it]

New York Grosset & Dunlap Publishers
Copyright 1916 The Bobbs-Merrill Company

To MY LITTLE DAUGHTER ELIZABETH MY COMRADE AND
MY INSPIRATION

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I THE CHAPERON 1
II SCIENCE AND HEALTH 19

III A GIFT FROM HEAVEN 39
IV HOW CAROL SPOILED THE WEDDING 58
V THE SERENADE 80
VI SUBSTITUTION 95
VII MAKING MATCHES 114
VIII LARK'S LITERARY VENTURE 130
IX A CLEAR CALL 154
X JERRY JUNIOR 179
XI THE END OF FAIRY 193
XII SOWING SEEDS 209
XIII THE CONNIE PROBLEM 222
XIV BOOSTING CONNIE 238
XV A MILLIONAIRE'S SON 252
XVI THE TWINS HAVE A PROPOSAL 277
XVII THE GIRL WHO WOULDN'T PROPOSE 297

PRUDENCE SAYS SO
CHAPTER I
THE CHAPERON
"Girls,--come down! Quick!--I want to see how you look!"

Prudence stood at the foot of the stairs, deftly drawing on her black silk
gloves,--gloves still good in Prudence's eyes, though Fairy had long
since discarded them as unfit for service. There was open anxiety in
Prudence's expression, and puckers of worry perpendicularly creased
her white forehead.
"Girls!" she called again. "Come down! Father, you'd better hurry,--it's
nearly train time. Girls, are you deaf!"
Her insistence finally brought response. A door opened in the hallway
above, and Connie started down the stairs, fully dressed, except that she
limped along in one stocking-foot, her shoe in her hand.
"It's so silly of you to get all dressed before you put on your shoes,
Connie," Prudence reproved her as she came down. "It wrinkles you up
so. But you do look nice. Wasn't it dear of the Ladies' Aid to give you
that dress for your birthday? It's so dainty and sweet,--and goodness
knows you needed one. They probably noticed that. Let me fix your
bow a little. Do be careful, dear, and don't get mussed before we come
back. Aunt Grace will be so much gladder to live with us if we all look
sweet and clean. And you'll be good, won't you, Connie, and--Twins,
will you come!"
"They are sewing up the holes in each other's stockings," Connie
vouchsafed. "They're all dressed."
The twins, evidently realizing that Prudence's patience was near the
breaking point, started down-stairs for approval, a curious procession.
All dressed as Connie had said, and most charming, but they walked
close together, Carol stepping gingerly on one foot and Lark stooping
low, carrying a needle with great solicitude,--the thread reaching from
the needle to a small hole on Carol's instep.
"What on earth are you doing?"
"I'm sewing up the holes in Carol's stocking," Lark explained. "If you
had waited a minute I would have finished--Hold still, Carol,--don't
walk so jerky or you'll break the thread. There were five holes in her

left stocking, Prudence, and I'm--"
Prudence frowned disapprovingly. "It's a very bad habit to sew up holes
in your stockings when you are wearing them. If you had darned them
all yesterday as I told you, you'd have had plenty of--Mercy, Lark, you
have too much powder on!"
"I know it,--Carol did it. She said she wanted me to be of an intellectual
pallor." Lark mopped her face with one hand.
"You'd better not mention to papa that we powdered to-day," Carol
suggested. "He's upset. It's very hard for a man to be reasonable when
he's upset, you know."
"You look nice, twins." Prudence advanced a step, her eyes on Carol's
hair, sniffing suspiciously. "Carol, did you curl your hair?"
Carol blushed. "Well, just a little," she confessed. "I thought Aunt
Grace would appreciate me more with a crown of frizzy ringlets."
"You'll spoil your hair if you don't leave it alone, and it will serve you
right, too. It's very pretty as it is naturally,--plenty curly enough
and--Oh, Fairy, I know Aunt Grace will love you," she cried
ecstatically. "You look like a dream, you--"
"Yes,--a