r I shall be happy knowing it is where
it ought to be, even though I myself am banished. I love you,
Prudence. Whenever you send for me, I am ready to come. Entirely and
always yours. Jerry."

With trembling fingers she opened the little package. It contained a
ring, with a brilliant diamond flashing myriad colors before her eyes.
And Prudence kissed it passionately, many times.

Two hours later, she went quietly down-stairs to where the rest of the
family were decorating a Christmas tree. She showed the ring to them
gravely.

"Jerry sent it to me," she said. "Do you think it is all right for me
to wear it, father?"

A thrill of hopeful expectancy ran through the little group.

"Yes, indeed," declared her father. "How beautiful it is! Is Jerry
coming to spend Christmas with us?"

"Why, no, father,--he is not coming at all any more. I thought you
understood that."

An awkward silence, and Carol came brightly to the rescue. "It
certainly is a beauty! I thought it was very kind of Professor Duckie
to send Lark and me a five-pound box of chocolates, but of course this
is ever so much nicer. Jerry's a bird, I say."

"A bird!" mocked Fairy. "Such language."

Lark came to her twin's defense. "Yes, a bird,--that's just what he
is."

Carol smiled. "We saw him use his wings when Connie yanked him out of
the big maple, didn't we, Lark?" Then, "Did you send him anything,
Prue?"

Prudence hesitated, and answered without the slightest accession of
color, "Yes, Carol. I had my picture taken when I was in Burlington,
and sent it to him."

"Your picture! Oh, Prudence! Where are they? Aren't you going to
give us one?"

"No, Carol. I had only one made,--for Jerry. There aren't any more."

"Well," sighed Lark resignedly, "it's a pretty idea for my book,
anyhow."

From that day on, Prudence always wore the sparkling ring,--and the
women of the Methodist church nearly had mental paralysis marveling
over a man who gave a diamond ring, and never came a-wooing! And a
girl who accepted and wore his offering, with nothing to say for the
man! And it was the consensus of opinion in Mount Mark that modern
lovers were mostly crazy, anyhow!

And springtime came again.

Now the twins were always original in their amusements. They never
followed blindly after the dictates of custom. When other girls were
playing dolls, the twins were a tribe of wild Indians. When other
girls were jumping the rope, t