J p a U D E T M OF T iE P A IÌ.J ’ o n ! ( J ’X " ' ETHEL IIUESTQN I L I U S T R A T F r BY W .C .T A N N t l »Copyright. th* Bobba-Merrill Company.) IT WAS A LUSCIOIT APPLE THAT GOT OLD MOTHER EVE INTO TROUBLE. AND APPLES IT IS THAT MAKE TROUBLE FOR CONNIE AND THE TWINS. Mr. Starr, a widower Methodist minister, has been assigned to the congregation at Mount Mark, la. He has five daughters. Prudence, the eldest, who keeps house; Fairy, Carol and Lark, who are twins, and Constance. Their advent stirs the curiosity of all Mount Mark, and members of the Ladies’ Aid lose no time in getting acquainted and asking a million questions. Prudence, who is nineteen, has her hands full with the mischievous twins and Connie, but is moved to defend them valiantly when some of the good ladies of the congregation sug. gest that an older woman is needed to run the family. C H APTE R III— Continued. j Carol frowned. The three girls were at laide when Connie hastened to modify her tone. Prudence came Into the dining room "Did they say you might have them?” alone. She Used a tra.v supper quietly site inquired politely. und carried It off upstairs. Then site “ That concerns thee not; ’tls for thee caute back mid sat down by the table. only to render obedience to the orders But her face bore marks of tears, and of the Society. Go out through our she had no appetite. The twins had Held mill sneak under the fence where felt small liking for their food before; the wires are loose, mid hurry back. now each mouthful seemed to choke We're awfully hungry. The trees are them. But thcy*durcd not ask a ques You reckless men unit women who near the fence. There Isn’t any dan tion. They were devoutly thankful are pestered with corns und who have ger." when Fairy llnull.v voiced their luloreal. ut leiist once u week Invited mi awful "But it's stealing.” objected Connie. “ What is tlie matter? lias Connie j death from lockjaw or blood poison "What will Prudence— ” been in mischief?" ure now told hy u Cincinnati authority "Damsel i" And Connie turned to "it's worse titan that.” faltered I’ru- to use a drug called freotone. which obey with despair In her heart. lienee, tears rushing to tier eyes again. the moment u few drops ure applied “ Bring twelve." Carol called after “ Why, Prudeiicol Whul in the world to liny corn or cullous tin* soreness Is relieved und soon the entire corn or her, "that'll be four apiece. And hurry. lias she done?" Connie. And see they don’t catch you “ I may as well tell you, I supposi*— cullous, root und ull, lifts o ff with the | fingers you’ll have to know It sooner or later. while you're about It." Freczoiu* dries the moment It is up She— went out Into Avery's orchard A fter she hail gone the twins lay piled, mid simply shrivels the corn or hack thoughtfully on the hay and and stole some apples tills afternoon. cullous without liirimnlng or even Ir stared at the cobwebby roof above I was hack In (lie alley seeing If Mrs. rltatlug the surrounding tissue or them In silence for a while. Something j Moon could do the washing, and I saw | skin. A small bottle o f froezone will was hurting them, hut whether It was her from the oilier side. She went cost very little at any of the drug their fear o f the wrath of Prudence, from tree to tree, nud when she got j stores, but will positively rid one’s feet of every hurd or soft corn or or the twinges of tender consciences— through the fence she ran. There’s no i hardened callous, if your druggist who can say?’* mistake ubout It- she confessed.' The 1 hasn't tiny freeaono he can get it ut twins looked up In agony, but i'ru- "She's mi unearthly long time about any wholesale drug house for you. Con | It." exclaimed l.nrk at last. "Do you deuce’s face reassured them. stance had told no tales. "I have told He— When I was 4 years old I was suppose they caught her?" Tills was an awful thought, and the her site must spend nil o f her llinc tip- left an orphan. girls were temporarily suffocated. But stnlrs alone for ii week, taking her I Hhe— What did you do with It?— The Grunge Peel. they heard the Imrri dis>r swinging be meals there, too. She will go to school of course, liut that Is all. i want her i neath them, and sighed with relief. It w h s ( ’outdo| She climbed the bidder to sec the awftilticss of It. I told her ! skillfully, and poured per golden treas I didn’t think we wanted to eat with— ure before the urch-thleves. Skull und ii thief—Just y e t ! 1 said we must get used to the Idea of It first. She Is | Cross bones. There were eight big. tempting heartbroken, but— I must make her j see It 1” apples. "H um ! E igh t!” said Carol steruly. "I said twelve." If you were in Prudence's Flush your kidneys occasionally es, hut I was afraid someone was place would you turn in and give coming. I heard such a noise through if you cat meat Connie and the twins each a the grapevines, so I got what I could regularly. sound spanking— at the most and ran for It. There's three apiece effective sort of punishment? for you. and two for me,” said Connie, sitting down sociably beside tin-in on No man or woman who eats meat the hay. f regularly cun make u mistake by »T o I IK CONTINUED» flushing the kidneys occasionally, says But Carol rose. “ Damsel, begone,” u well-known authority. Mont form s she ordered. “ When Skull and Cross- I bones feast, thou eanst not yet share BETRAYED BY FURTIVE SNORE uric acid which clogs tlie kidney pores so they sluggishly filter or strain only the festive board. Rise thee, and part of the waste and poisons from speed." Burglar's Misfortune Was That He the blood, then you get sick. Nearly Fell Asleep in Home He Had Connie rose, and walked soberly ull rheumatism, hendaeheu. liver trou Intended to Rob. toward the ladder. But before she dis ble, nervousness, constipation, dizzi ness. sleeplessness, bladder disorders appeared she tins) this parting shot. Conviction of Walter Jones, n one- coins from sluggish kidneys. I don't want any of them. Stolen The moment you feel a dull nche in apples don’t taste very good, I reckon." i legged burglar. In (lie rrliulnui court Carol and Lark Imd the grace to ! here, brought out mi unusual incident tho kidneys or your buck hurts, or if the urine Is cloudy, offensive, full of flusii a little ut lids, but howevi r the j of house breaking, a Birmingham sediment, Irregular of passage or at stolen apples tasted, the twins had no I f Ain.) correspondent o f the New York tended hy n sensation of scalding, get I World snys. about four ounces of Jail Halts from The story o f the burglary and cap- any reliable pharmacy und take a ttire, as told by tin* evidence, showed tablespoonful In a glass of water be that Jones, in Ids effort to roll the foro breakfast for a few days and home o f Mr. and Mrs. K. P. Vtnnom, your kidneys will then act fine. 'I his an old couple of tlie suburbs, crawled , famous salts Is made from the acid of grapes and lemon Jnlee, combined under tlie lied and waited for them to with llllila und has been used for retire. generations to flush clogged kidtioya The burglar himself fell asleep, and and stimulate them to activity, also Ids snoring arousisl Mr. Vennmu, who to neutralize the acids in urine so It undertook to light u lamp, which ex no longer causes Irritation, thus end ploded. This uwoke the burglar, who j tng bladder disorders. threatened Mrs. Vetinoiii with death if ' Jad Halts is inexpensive nnd can not Injun*; makes u delightful offer she gave the alarm. veocent lithia water drink whirh all Just then Mr. Vennoin grappled with regular meat eaters should tnko now the burglar, who leaped out of ii win and then to keep tho kidneys clean dmv. Tlie burglar Itad left ills wooden j and the Mood pure, thereby avoiding serious kidney complications. leg under the bed. By followin’* single foot-tracks the "Thnt man Is In a grave rovery." police pursued tlie peg-legged robber j to Ids refuge. With the assistance of ! “ Yes; I noticed he was burled In thought."— Baltimore American. a pal. Jones made another wooden ! leg. with which lie went to his shanty j In the woods. Suddenly the police ur- ' rived and Jones dived through the rear ' window. In tlie hark yard tlie mud was deep. 1 and the wooden leg sank so far In Hie mire it stuck firm. Jones hobbled on ! desperately without it, hut was over taken while hopping on one foot. Both tlie original and second wood en legs were exliibltud as evidence. And Connie's soul burned with de sire. She felt that this secret society “ Indeed they are not." cried I’ ru- | was threatening not only her happi dence loyally. “They are young, lively, ness. but also her health, for she could mischievous, I know— and I am glad of not sleep for horrid dreams of Skulls it. But 1 have Uved with them ever and Crosshones at night, and could not since they were born, and I ought to eat for envying the twins their secret know them. They are unselfish, they and mysterious Joys; Finally she ap are sympathetic, they are always gen plied to Prudence, and received assist- erous. They do foolish and Irritating a nee. things— but never tilings that are hate I he afternoon mall brought to the ful and mean. They are all right at parsonage an envelope addressed to heart, and that is all that .counts. They "Misses Carol and l.ark Starr, the are not bad girls! What have they Methodist Parsonage, Mount Mark done today? They were exasperating. \ Iowa.” and in the lower left-hand eor- nnd humiliating, too. but what did they j tier was a suggestive drawing of a do that was really mean? They em Skull and Cross bones. The eyes o f the barrassed and m inified me, but not mischievous twins twinkled with lo- intentionally! I can’t punish them for light when they saw it. and they car the effect on me. you know! Would ried it to tin- horn for prompt perusal. that be just or fair? At heart, they It read as follow s: meant no harm.” ,r^ !f?„lf„°n8,anC* starr h’m,b|y «nd re It must be confessed that there were .rectrul.j crave»» admittance Into the An H on ° ™ b U O rgan isation of many serious faces among the Lathes. fc kuJI n a a n ,W d C ro jsb u iie a . Some cheeks were Hushed, some eyes 1 he twins pondered long on a tilting were downcast, some lips were com reply, and the next afternoon the |>ost- pressed and some were trembling. Ev m.in brought a letter for Connie, wait ery mother there was asking in her ing impatiently for It. She had ap heart. “ Did I punish my children Just proached the twins about it at noon fo r the effect on me? Did I judge, my that day. children by what was in their hearts, “ Did you get my application?” sbe or just by the trouble they made me?’ had whispered nervously. And the silence lasted so long that But the twins had stared her out of it became awkward. Finally Mrs. Pren countenance, and Connie realized that tiss crossed the room and stood by she had corandtted a serious breach of Prudence's side. She laid a hand ten secret society etiquette. derly on the young girl’s arm, and said But here was the letter! Her lin in a voice that was slightly tremulous; gers trembled ns site opened It. It was “ I believe you are right, my dear. It decorated lavishly with skulls and is what girls are at heart that really crosshones, splashed with red Ink. suje counts. I believe your sisters are all posedly blood. and written In the same ! you say they are. And one thing I am suggestive color. very sure o f—they are happy girls to Skull and Crosshones, great In merry have a sister so patient and loving and and In condescension, has listened graci just. Not all real mothers have as ously to the prayer of Constance, tl e Seeker. H<ar the will of the Great Spirit! much to their credit!” If the Seeker will, for the length ot two weeks, submit herself to the will of Skull C H APTE R IV. and Crosshones, she shall be admitted In to the Ancient and Honorable Order. The week that followed was n gala A Secret Society. Carol and Lurk, in keeping with one for the twins of Skull and Cross- their twinshlp, were the dearest chums bones. Constance swept their room, and comrades. T o them the great, made their bed, washed their dishes, rambling barn back of the parsonage did their chores, ami in every way be was a most delightful place. It had a haved as a model pledge of the ancient big cowshed on one side, and horse and honorable. The twins were gra stalls on the other, with a “ heavenly" cious but Arm. There was no arguing haymow over all. and with “ chutes” for und no faltering. “ It is the will of Skull and Crossbones that the damsel the descent o f hay— and tw ins! Now the twins had a secret society— do this," they would soy. And the o f which they were the founders, the damsel diii 11 Prudence did not feel It was n case officers and the membership body. Its "I Get What I Could and Ran.” name was Skull and Crossbones. Lark that called for her Interference. So furnished the brain power for the or she sat back und watched, while the ’’ ifficulty In disposing o f them. Then, ganization, but her sister was an en twins told stories, read and frolicked, full almost beyond the point o f com fort. they slid down the liny chutes, thusiastic and energetic second. Car and Constance did their daily tasks. A week passed, ten days, and twelve. went out the back wny, turned the cor ol’s club name was Lady Gwendolyn, and Lark's was Sir Alfred Angelcourt Then came a golden October afternoon ner, and came quietly In through the ordinarily, although subject to frequent when the twins sat in the haymow front door of the parsonage. change. The old barn saw stirring looking out upon a mellow world. Con Prudence was In the kitchen prepar times after the coming o f the new par stance was in the yard, reading n fuiry ing the evening meal. Fairy was in story. The situation was u tense one, the sitting room, busy with her hooks. sonage family. “ Hark ! Hark !” sounded a hissing for the twins were hungry, und time The twins set the talde conscientiously, whisper from the corncrib, and Connie, was heavy on their hands. filled the woodbox. and In every wny “ The apple trees in A very’s orchard labored Irreproachably. But Prudence eavesdropping outside the burn, shiv are Just loaded." said Lark. "And had no word of praise for then» that ered sympathetically. “ What is it ! Oh. what Is It?” wailed there ure lots on the ground, too. 1 evening. She hardly seemed to know saw them when I was out in the tield they were about the place. She went the unfortunate lady. “ Look! Look! Bun for your life t” this morning.” about her work with a pale face, and Carol gazed down Into the ynrd never a smile to he seen. Then while Connie clutched the barn door in a frenzy, there was a sound of where Constance was absorbed In her Supper was nearly ready when (.’on- rattling corn as the twins scrambled book. “ Constance oughtn’t to read as tile sauntered in from the barn. After upwurd, a silence, a low thud, and an much ns she does,” she urgued. “ It's leaving the haymow, she had found a unromantic “ Ouch!” as Carol bumped so bad for the eyes.” cozy corner In the corncrib, with two “ Yes, and w fiat’s more, she’s been heavy Inprobes discarded by the twins her head and stumbled. “ Are you nssuulted?” shouted the getting off too easy for the last few In their flight from wolves, and liud bold Sir Alfred, and Connie heard a days. The time is nearlyVip.” settled down there to finish her story. “ That's so,” said Lurk. “ Let’s call As she stepped into the kitchen Pru wild scuffle ns he rescued his compan ion from the clutches of the old hulter her up here.” This was done at once, dence turned to tier with sueli a sorry, on which she had stumbled. Up the and the unfortunate Constance stood ropronchful gaze that Connie was haymow ladder they hurried, and then before them respectfully, as they had frightened. slid recklessly down the hay chntes. Instructed her to stand. The twins “ Are you sick, Pruo?” she gasped. Presently the barn door was flung hesitated, each secretly hoping the Prudence did ntit answer. She wont «open, and the “ society” knocked Con other would voice the order. But Lark, to the door and called Fairy. “ Finish nie flying backward, ran madly around as usual, was obliged to be the spokes getting supper, will you. Fairy? And the barn a few times, and scurried un man. when you are all ready, you nnd the der the fence and into the chicken “ Damsel,” she said, “ it Is the will of twins go right on eating. Don’t wait coop. Skull and Crossbones that you hie ye for father— he Isn’t coming home until A little later Connie, assailed with to yonder orchard— A very’s I mean— evening. Come upstairs with me, Con shots of corncobs, ran bitterly toward and bring hither some o f the golden nie; I want to talk to you.” the house. “ Peeking” was strictly for apples basking In the sun.” Connie followed her sister soberly, bidden when the twins were engaged “ What I" ejaculated Connie, startled and the twins flushed nt each other In Skull and Crossbones activities. out o f her respect startling and questioning looks. With the Fingers! Says Corns Lift Out Without Any Pain IF BEGIN ON SALTS — ► TO OBTAIN THE ◄ — HIGHEST DEGREE OF EFFICIENCY Pleasure in Well-Doing. Pleasure lias a wny of coming Indi rectly— where leust you look for her mid when least you expect her. She lurks in tiie happiness of work well done. Site lingers In the consciousness of honest bookkeeping with life, und sin* uiwuys Is to be found In the Joy of growth nnd progress. In ull these ways honest pleasure Is to be found. This Isn’t meant, to be a dull preach ment against anything but work. But It does menu to sny that happiness lies in doing and tlie consciousness of well doing. Special attention must be paid to the diet, and reg ularity must be promo ted in the stomach, Live r and Bowels. You can help Nature wonderfully by trying OSTETTER’S Stomach Bitters H Missouri’s Lead Output. The demand from Europe la Itilfi for lend to be used for war purposes caused the output o f Missouri mines to break all previous records In the quantity of lend ore placed on the mar “ A perfect wife never nags,” says a ket that year, the amount being 11 ».',,. writer in an exchange. That’s true. fk’(4 tons In smelted or refined shape, And a perfect husband never gives which was worth $lH,.’l.sy,f»!Ml, or Just cause for nagging.— Baltimore Star. nltoiit enough to build and equip art up-to-date dreudnuught for the United Htutcs navy. Force of H abit "I Judge our new acquaintance tins been married for some time.” "W hat makes you think so?” “ He Is such n good listener and as sents to everything you say.” No Allurement "Some day you’ll be rich enough to retire from business.” “ Give up my nice pleasant offices and stay home?” rejoined Mr. Growcb- er. “I should say not 1” Allcock . PLASTERS Til World'§ G m t t t t ' Exltrnal Ktmtdy. P a i n In S id e , R h e u m a t is m , B ackache, —A n y L o c a l P a in .