" Prudence laughed shyly. "It seems so--well, nice,--to
think of getting letters from you."

"I'll bet there are a lot of nice fellows in Mount Mark, aren't there?"

"Why, no. I can't think of any real nice ones! Oh, they are all right.
I have lots of friends here, but they are--I do not know what! They do
not seem very nice. I wouldn't care if I never saw them again. But they
are good to me."

"Yes, I can grasp that," he said with feeling.

"Is Des Moines just full of beautiful girls?"

"I should say not. I never saw a real beautiful girl in Des Moines in my
life. Or any place else, for that matter,--until I came--You know when
you come right down to it, there are mighty few girls that look--just the
way you want them to look."

Prudence nodded. "That's the way with men, too. Of all the men I have
seen in my life, I never saw one before that looked just the way I wanted
him to."

"Before?" he questioned eagerly.

"Yes," said Prudence frankly. "You look just as I wish you to."

And in the meanwhile, at the parsonage, Fairy was patiently getting
breakfast. "Prudence went out for an early bicycle ride,--so the members
wouldn't catch her," she explained to the family. "And she isn't back
yet. She'll probably stay out until afternoon, and then ride right by
the grocery store where the Ladies have their Saturday sale. That's
Prudence, all over. Oh, father, I did forget your eggs again, I am
afraid they are too hard. Here, twins, you carry in the oatmeal, and we
will eat. No use to wait for Prudence,--it would be like waiting for the
next comet."

Indeed, it was nearly noon when a small, one-horse spring wagon drove
into the parsonage yard. Mr. Starr was in his study with a book, but he
heard a piercing shriek from Connie, and a shrill "Prudence!" from one of
the twins. He was downstairs in three leaps, and rushing wildly out to
the little rickety wagon. And there was Prudence!

"Don't be frightened, father. I've just sprained my ankle, and it
doesn't hurt hardly any. But the bicycle is broken,--we'll have to pay
for it. You can use my own money in the bank. Poor Mr. Davis had to
walk all the way to town, because there wasn't any room for him in the
wagon with me lying down like this. Will you carry me in?"

Connie's single bed was hastily brought downstairs, and Prudence
deposited upon it. "There's no use to put me up-stairs," she assured
them. "I won't stay there. I want to be dow