already,--having talked much with Prudence.

"Such a Fairy!" gasped Miss Millicent, and the others echoed the gasp,
but wordlessly.

For Fairy for very nearly as tall as her father, built upon generous
lines, rather commanding in appearance, a little splendid-looking. Even
from their windows they could discern something distinctly Juno-like in
this sixteen-year-old girl, with the easy elastic stride that matched her
father's, and the graceful head, well carried. A young goddess,--named
Fairy!

Behind them, laughing and chattering, like three children, as they
were,--came the twins with Prudence, each with an arm around her waist.
And Prudence was very little taller than they. When they reached the
fence that bordered the parsonage, the scene for a moment resembled a
miniature riot. The smaller girls jumped and exclaimed, and clasped
their hands. Fairy leaned over the fence, and stared intently at this,
their parsonage home. Then the serious little girl scrambled under the
fence, followed closely by the lithe-limbed twins. A pause, a very short
one,--and then Prudence, too, was wriggling beneath the fence.

"Hold the wire up for me, papa," cried Fairy, "I'm too fat." And a
second later she was running gracefully across the lawn toward the
parsonage. The Methodist minister laughed boyishly, and placing his
hands on the fence-post, he vaulted lightly over, and reached the house
with his daughters. Then the Misses Avery, school-teachers, and elderly,
looked at one another.

"Did you ever?" whispered the oldest Miss Avery, and the others slowly
shook their heads.

Now, think! Did you ever see a rector jumping a three-wire fence, and
running full speed across his front yard, in pursuit of a flying family?
It may possibly have occurred,--we have never seen it. Neither had the
Misses Avery. Nor did they ever expect to. And if they had seen it, it
is quite likely they would have joined the backsliders at that instant.

But without wasting much time on this gruesome thought, they hurried to a
window commanding the best view of the parsonage, and raised it. Then
they clustered behind the curtains, and watched, and listened. There was
plenty to hear! From the parsonage windows came the sound of scampering
feet and banging doors. Once there was the unmistakable clatter of a
chair overturned. With it all, there was a constant chorus of "Oh,
look!" "Oh! Oh!" "Oh, how sweet!" "Oh, papa!" "Oh, Prudence!"