Prudence Says So | Page 7

entirely new in her experience of rearing a family.
"I--I don't think you ought to read it," she said slowly. "But at the same
time--"
"Of course, if you command us not to read it, we won't," said Carol
generously.
"Yes. We've already learned quite a lot about it," amended Lark, with
something of warning in her tone.
"What do you think about it, Aunt Grace?"
"Why,--I don't know, Prudence. You know more about rearing twins
than I do."
Prudence at that moment felt that she knew very little about it, indeed.
She turned to Fairy. There was a strange intentness in Fairy's fine eyes
as she studied the twins on the floor at her feet.
"You aren't thinking of turning Christian Scientists, yourselves, are
you?" asked Prudence rather humbly.
"Oh, of course, we aren't Scientists, Prudence," was the quick denial.
"We don't know anything about it yet, really. But there are lots of very
helpful things in it, and--people talk about it so much, and--they have
made such wonderful cures, you know, and--we'd thought we'd just
study up a little."
"You take the book and read it yourself, Prue," urged Carol hospitably.
"You'll see what we mean."
Prudence drew back quickly as though the book would sear her fingers.
She looked very forlorn. She realized that it would be bad policy to
forbid the twins to read it. On the other hand, she realized equally
strongly that it was certainly unwise to allow its doctrines to take root
in the minds of parsonage daughters. If only her father were at

home,--ten days between herself and the lifting of responsibility!
"When father comes home--" she began. And then suddenly Fairy
spoke.
"I think the twins are right," she said emphatically, and the twins
looked at her with a surprised anxiety that mated Prudence's own. "It
would be very narrow-minded of us to refuse to look into a subject as
important as this. Let them go on and study it; we can decide things
later."
Prudence looked very doubtful, but a warning movement of Fairy's left
eyelash--the side removed from the twins--comforted her.
"Well--" she said.
"Of course, Prudence, we know it would nearly break father's heart for
us to go back on our own church,--but don't you think if folks become
truly convinced that Christian Science is the true and good religion,
they ought to stand by it and suffer,--just like the martyrs of old?"
suggested Lark,--and the suggestion brought the doubt-clouds thick
about Prudence's head once more.
"We may not be convinced, of course," added Carol, "but there is
something rather--assuring--about it."
"Oh, twins," Prudence cried earnestly, but stopped as she caught again
the slight suggestive movement of Fairy's left eyelash.
"Well, let it go for this afternoon," she said, her eyes intent on Fairy's
face. "I must think it over."
The twins, with apparent relish, returned to their perusal of the book.
Fairy rose almost immediately and went into the house, coming back a
moment later with her hat and gloves.
"I'm going for a stroll, Prue," she said. "I'll be back in time for supper."

Prudence gazed yearningly after her departing back. She felt a great
need of help in this crisis, and Fairy's nonchalance was sometimes very
soothing. Aunt Grace was a darling, of course, but she had long ago
disclaimed all responsibility for the rearing of the twins.
It was two hours later when Fairy came back. Prudence was alone on
the porch.
"Where are the twins?" asked Fairy softly.
"Up-stairs," was the whispered reply. "Well?"
Then Fairy spoke more loudly, confident that the twins, in their
up-stairs room, could hear every word she said. "Come up-stairs, Prue.
I want to talk this over with you alone." And then she whispered, "Now,
you just take your cue from me, and do as I say. The little sinners!
We'll teach them to be so funny!"
In their own room she carefully closed the door and smiled, as she
noted a creaking of the closet door on the twins' side of the wall.
Eavesdropping was not included among the cardinal sins in the twins'
private decalogue, when the conversation concerned themselves.
"Now, Prudence," Fairy began, speaking with an appearance of
softness, though she took great pains to turn her face toward the twins'
room, and enunciated very clearly indeed. "I know this will hurt you, as
it does me, but we've got to face it fairly. If the twins are convinced that
Christian Science is the right kind of religion, we can't stand in their
way. It might turn them from all religion and make them infidels or
atheists, or something worse. Any religion is better than none. I've been
reading up a little myself this afternoon, and there are some good points
in Christian Science. Of course, for