Villanova Digital Library - The Girls' companion, v. VIII, no. 25, June 19, 1909.

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Full Title	The Girls' companion, v. VIII, no. 25, June 19, 1909.
Contributor	White, Charles T.
Date Added	5 February 2016
Format	Journal
Language	English
Publish Date	1909-06-19
Publisher	Elgin, Ill. and Chicago : David C. Cook Publishing Co.
Source	Dime Novels and Popular Literature
Alternate Title	The chance that came to Prudence / by Charles T. White.
Topic	Children's literature > Periodicals.
About	More Details Permanent Link
Disclaimers	Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement

OCR copyright, 1909, by David 0. Cook Publismng company. VOL. -VIII. No. '25. .t;‘;‘;L;‘;f” DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO., ELGIN, ILLINOIS, AND 36 WASHINGTON S'r., CHICAGO. ‘ June is, 1909. By Charles 1. White The Chance that Came to Prudence “ 7IIO‘D ever have dreamed that it would come about-such an odd way too?” I‘rudence's brown hair was pnrtiy in the warm June sunshine. Her face was radiantly happy; vvithal, just the least bit bewildered, for she was still partly in the maze of this wonderful thing which had happened. course I heard the talk about the men prospecting-or, whatever they call it- in the ‘east pasture,’ but it didn’t seem when-why, when we'd always . Even after tcliley cqlilmpanyg olfercd to lease the land I di nt t ink o this-not just at first. Father spoke about my going 0E to school last night. I was so surprise-deI‘d never mentioned it to him. I wonder how he knew?" Miss Whiting hesitated a moment before she answered her eyes bent upon a bundle of neatly folded exercises on the desk be- fore her. “I had a long talk with your father last winter, Prudence," she said at length, still making microscopic figures on one of the papers with her pencil. “I didn't know but there inightdbchsome way, though I l.h0u"llt I undcrstoo t e x.iACLll'l1StHnC(‘S- they waere so much like my own. I'm glad for you, dear, more glad’ than I can tell. It seemed such a pity you shouldn't go on! So few girls have the Lpirit ande and inclination.” . The teacher's head was still bent thotiglifnlly over her desk, when the door closed behind Prudie Andrews, and her chased gold pencil went on sliapilng aiinless 8's and 9's and 5'5 with exacting nicety. There wasn't a spark of insincerity in Miss Whiting and she had i'ncnnt‘every word she said,to Prudence, but, somehow, the re- calling of that half-forgotten interview with Loren Andrews made her vaguely uncomfortable. He had looked pleased at all she said in praise of Priidence but Miss Whiting seeined to see again the pa- thetic wistfulnem in his wezttlier-broiizcd face, and she shrank from it a little. Loren longed for his child-Miss ‘Vhiting said so then and she said so now-but a sigh crept out with1the‘Iadmis“si1on. Busy. progressive practicn . iss 'iitinv was not much given to longings, but she had had regrets of her own, for all that. The empty classroom was a railway coach. whirling, whirling over endless miles. of level prairie, and the bundle of exercises was a yellow telegram. with a brief mes- sage upon it which the whirling..grinding wheels repeated over and over and over, until her brain grew dizzy and her heart ' sick. She crime too late for words of wel- come or farewell, to be sure, but the tiny cottage was ‘full of s"cnt reminders of the neglected comforts which mother had never spoken of in her letters, but which ti daughter's fondness might have found a way to supply. And Loren Andrews‘ dra;iiling.“unmod'ulmed voice was ringing in . iss 'hltings ears again: "Course, I didn't know. You sec I'd kind 0‘ reckoned inebbe the little girl might feel willin’ to settle down now, so‘: we'd have it home togethersher and me. Miss Whiting roused herself from her reverie with a protesting lift of her shoul- ers. Prudence was really an exceptional girl. The normal college would do great things for her, and it was fortunate that slate in paying quantities should be found in that rocky pasture just in the nick of ' No doubt ioren Andrews had better of Prudie‘s completing her education, or e wouldn't have broached the subject himself. With the money the company would pay him, it would be easy to hire help in the house, and Prudence deserved to have a chance. Three others, at least, had. said the same. They had been teachers in the little red schoolhouse at the crossroads, and had known Prudence when she was younger, Apparently she had always been what she was now, cheerful, persevering, painstaking. A day. out of school-a week, for the matter of tliat-never meant ii lost lesson. Prudence certainly deserved the little bit of good fortune which had fallen in her way. Loren Andrews ought to understand that, if he was a sensible man. Meantime, Prudence was driving home- ward, licr spirits dancing a merry ac- companiment to the brisk pace of the buck- skin pnr-er. These two had grown to be very good friends in their daily trips to Iilainsville and back, and she talked to in a low, cooing undertone, as she unloosened the check nt the iron kettle on the last hill, and patted the sleek, arching neck. “And you never knew this would be our last summer over these dreadful hills, did you, Prince? I don't believe you know now, you stupid fellow. ‘Yell, it iseit is. You'll be having an easy time, while l‘rudie’s riding on street-cars or going ti . thought 52? s, entrance certificate a-foot, won't you?" The buckskin drank unconcernedly, little troubled, apparently, by the im- pending change in the existing which her father had told her a hundred times, “didn‘t bother him half as much as it did her." She put a new measure of tenderness into the preparations this particular afternoon, browning the slices of ham and frying the potatoes to the deli- cate crispness which were sure to call out some word of appreciation from the head of the table, after the snowy cloth was laid, and the two sat opposite. She looked her surprise now, when he was silent, studying the rugged face attentively, and presently falling into silence herself. Pru- dence was beginning to realize that every great joy is hedged in by a borderland of sadness, whose shadows sooner or later fall upon us, shutting out the glad sun- light. The remaining days of the school term passed all too quickly. Miss Whiting had urged. Prudcnce to plunge at once into the one or two delinquent studies, and try the spring examinations. A complete from the academy would relieve her from -all further anxiety on that score, and a pupil was never at her best, going into a strange place to tell strange people what she knew. It was severe strain, studying early and late. but Prudence was never much afraid “str:1iiis.” Her confidence grew, as the first day of the examination passed, and the second. The last one came, and Pru- die waited an hour, after the candidates had gone out from the afternoon session. to get her standing. Miss Whiting looked up from her desk at length, her pencil poised, then made a mark on the back of the folded sheet. “It's a splendid record, dear, spendid. On general principles, I don't approve of the cramming system, but this seemed to be an exceptional casc. Your mind will be easy now, and you'll have the time for other preparations you need to make.‘ I :9 think it was worth the special effort." it all, the social stir and inspiring atmos- phere of a great school. The intervening - weeks shriveled up in the tiame of her fancy, and she was a college girl already, with a college girl's ambitions and aspira- tions and hopes. 1 ‘ -' The quiet of the old tionie. nestling in the suinnier dusk, drew Prutlence out of her self-z-entered thoiiglits. '1‘ovi'.ser ru- frained from his customary “'I‘lt‘lIIl‘llll;'," bark, stretching himself lazily fi..i.i his afternoon nap on the back punli. tl hazel bushes, a straw hat. bobbing altiiig in the rear. Strangely . ", it was the hat which fixed I’ at. -ttteiitlon, though it was it very faniiliar tm,-ct to her. IIadn't she hung it on its nail scores of times, when her father's day's work out- side was finished, and she w. s tidying the kitchen? But to-night it had a language of its own. It moved wearily, ii kind of grotesque index of the bent shoulders underneath and the tired feet. Prudence turned to look at it again. after the buck- skin, freed ,-from the entanglement of straps and buckles, wasrolliiii: luxurious- ly on the green turf. I ‘ "I oughtn’t to have been so late," she chided herself softly, i; ' fingers Hy faster. “ I 7 every blessed day, tili--till I a. ‘$5 it .atw;1V again. And that will he a long time yet.‘ ' lie sha’n't wait for a meal-not a min- Ute" ' a halt Iicftire the (melt door. grtziiig out with thoiislitful. unwinliing eyes into the warm, scented dusk. The veil of the years had l'iI‘0]Ip(‘d away suddenly. and she was a child again, chubby, 1‘ '-frocked.’ cuddling up contciitedly in a pair of strong ‘arms. hcr kinky, brown hair nestling against-n bmnzevl. u .shav.-it cheek. “Dadd,$"ll haw V. little lady to keep the- lm o .v iin one 0' then order of things, but I'rudence’s words brought a sober expres- sion to her own face. It had not wholly disappeared when the low, brown farmhouse came into yiew, back by the green slope of young grass and orchard trees. A chance passer-by would not have been impressed by any- thing in the surroundings, but it was home to Prudence, and her eyes always brightened at the sight of it. She leaped down lightly, as a tall man in over- alls came from the shed adjoin- ing, and took the horse.by the 5 “Miss Whiting says I won't have the least trouble with the entrance examinations, dad!" Prudence cried eagerly, drop- ping her dinner-box and books to unhook one of the traces. “You see I've had everything they require except one subject, and I can make it up this sum- mer just as easy. She talked to you about the college long ago, and you never said a word." “It didn't seem any use, then," Loren Andrews said. his face still hidden under the brim of his straw hat. “I hadn't realized till then how much you lotted on goin' oti. to school, when you‘d done here. I guess this new streak o’ luck must have come all on your account, little girl." Prudence was as capable with her hands as with her head, and the supper was soon under way. She tried to make it a par- tial compensation for the cold dinner ..-:-. ...... . “. I1‘ DIDN'T SEIEEI ANY USE, THEN." Miss Whiting talked on along time after arms,“-ere gloriously to stay liere-oi. ,.,t1 iimietstand. tiar - that. The sun was poising ':. it--J "ti:-re seemeri L0 be I‘ l":Il . ice behind the words. only the chirp of kets and the lowing of white, heifer iii tilt )".I'.'Ll. be ii 0 yum’ mother. little gill, '5 like as.two peas In 11 pod." Sometliiii; like a thin mist always cniiie into i’rtiden(‘c's eyes when she ti-nuzlit of the mother she had ucv-r known. It was like uiiw ipping a blIIl('iI of f:"led viulI.'-, ' some fHl‘i('i4'd s-x-iit r--. past siiinnier clinging .- wt the brittle, crumbling petals But her nmtherlcss childhood had never hruuglit her a sense of lack. Iler fatlver had borne tlie lirunt of the, berenvciiient, shielding her with marvelous and vigilance from the’ hat “hips if orplninliood. The thm ‘ c..ine to her grateful‘ if‘. ‘ 'JllSt‘ti lierselffas sotiiitled out side. , t>npr,’good. lovely ‘(linging white deck. “I'm uoinyj above the western hilltops, when the buck- going to stay right in this hoi:..‘>, and “'1, 1‘. skin pacer finally stretched his long neck have‘ a lovely Lint.--better that. r-- '1 :0. toward home. spell of her triumph, her dark eyes shin- ing. Miss ‘Vhiting's brought the college days very near to her. least bit auxin-vs. There would be months and months of com- ni..ination.-I, dia you. l't'lltill!'i’ pnnioiiship with her beloved books, ‘w.v -;'L.- teachers than she had ever had, and, viithlinutli stti-tyln’. I gins.-s." Prudence was under the or.or anything!" "‘Vhat‘s happeiied, little‘V;:..": luyxtn reminiscences had Ant‘..r:ws lrmkerl bmil-lered. and the “ IIittu‘t !'ll:. . tr ex- lilels. me, ' A tetra 5:-. ,. In spite of her liaste, PI'l1d4'Il('E C1llI1‘9'(0 hiltl’s i'r:‘in'--‘ill f.li,'l,..‘u out with ‘so ’ -k.