“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, the twins were conducting a circus.  And when other girls played “catch” with dainty rubber balls, the twins took unto themselves a big and heavy croquet ball,—­found in the Avery woodshed.  To be sure, it stung and bruised their hands.  What matter?  At any rate, they continued endangering their lives and beauties by reckless pitching of the ungainly plaything.

One Friday evening after school, they were amusing themselves on the parsonage lawn with this huge ball.  When their father turned in, they ran up to him with a sporting proposition.

“Bet you a nickel, papa,” cried Carol, “that you can’t throw this ball as far as the schoolhouse woodshed!—­By the way, will you lend me a nickel, papa?”

He took the ball, and weighed it lightly in his hand.  “I’m an anti-betting society,” he declared, laughing, “but I very strongly believe it will carry to the schoolhouse woodshed.  If it does not, I’ll give you five cents’ worth of candy to-morrow.  And if it does, you shall put an extra nickel in the collection next Sunday.”

Then he drew back his arm, and carefully sighted across the lawn.  “I’ll send it right between the corner of the house and that little cedar,” he said, and then, bending low, it whizzed from his hand.

Lark screamed, and Carol sank fainting to the ground.  For an instant, Mr. Starr himself stood swaying.  Then he rushed across the lawn.  For Prudence had opened the front door, and stepped quickly out on the walk by the corner of the house.  The heavy ball struck her on the forehead, and she fell heavily, without a moan.

CHAPTER XV

FATE TAKES CHARGE

Four hours Prudence lay unconscious, with two doctors in close attendance.  Fairy, alert but calm, was at hand to give them service.

It is a significant thing that in bitter anguish and grief, Christians find comfort and peace in prayer.  Outsiders, as well as Christians, pray in times of danger and mental stress.  But here is the big difference between the prayers of Christians and the prayers of “others.”  “Others” pray, and pray, and pray again, and continue still in the agony and passion of grief and fear.  And yet they pray.  But Christians pray, and find confidence and serenity.  Sorrow may remain, but anguish is stilled.