nning to realize that his
clothes are wearing out again," suggested Lark. "He's too young for
second childhood," Connie thought. So they watched him curiously.

Aunt Grace, too, observed this queer devotion on the part of the
minister, and finally her curiosity overcame her habit of keeping
silent.

"William," she said gently, "what's the matter with you lately? Is there
anything on your mind?"

Mr. Starr started nervously. "My mind? Of course not. Why?"

"You seem to be looking for something. You watch the girls so closely,
you're always hanging around, and--"

He smiled broadly. "Thanks for that. 'Hanging around,' in my own
parsonage. That is the gratitude of a loving family!"

Aunt Grace smiled. "Well, I see there's nothing much the matter with
you. I was seriously worried. I thought there was something wrong,
and--"

"Sort of mentally unbalanced, is that it? Oh, no, I'm just watching my
family."

She looked up quickly. "Watching the family! You mean--"

"Carol," he said briefly.

"Carol! You're watching--"

"Oh, only in the most honorable way, of course. You see," he gave his
explanation with an air of relief, "Prudence always says I must keep an
eye on Carol. She's so pretty, and the boys get stuck on her,
and--that's what Prudence says. I forgot all about it for a while. But
lately I have begun to notice that the boys are older, and--we don't
want Carol falling in love with the wrong man. I got uneasy. I decided
to watch out. I'm the head of this family, you know."

"Such an idea!" scoffed Aunt Grace, who was not at all of a scoffing
nature.

"Carol was born for lovers, Prudence says so. And these men's girls have
to be watched, or the wrong fellow will get ahead, and--"

"Carol doesn't need watching--not any more at least."

"I'm not really watching her, you know. I'm just keeping my eyes open."

"But Carol's all right. That's one time Prudence was away off." She
smiled as she recognized a bit of Carol's slang upon her lips. "Don't
worry about her. You needn't keep an eye on her any more. She's coming,
all right."

"You don't think there's any danger of her falling in love with the
wrong man?"

"No."

"There aren't many worth-having fellows in Mount Mark, you know."

"Carol won't fall in love with a Mount Mark fellow."

"You seem very positive."

"Yes, I'm positive."

He looked thoughtful for a while. "Well, Prudence always told me to
watch Carol, so I could help her if she needed