The Prodigal Girl Read Online Free PDF

his eyes softened with deep pity and tenderness.
    “Listen, Eleanor, you don’t understand. You must trust me in this. I know what I’m about. And our Betty is in terrible danger. That boy is rotten! I heard him talking tonight in the train! About our Betty! Saying unspeakable, loathsome things about her! Oh, I would have saved you this if possible. He was boasting—I can’t tell you all, not now anyway, there isn’t time. I must get Betty before it is too late. Where is Jane? Call Jane. I want her to stay with you. Jane!”
    He sprang up the stairs and flung her door wide, but there was no Jane there. He turned to his wife who had come stumbling up the stairs after him, the tears still flooding her face.
    “Where is Jane?” he asked now with that strained white look about his eyes returning.
    “She has just gone over to Emily Carter’s to study her lessons. She asked me if she might go. They often study together. She’ll be home by nine o’clock.”
    He glanced at his watch.
    “Nine o’clock! Why, it’s past nine now! I’ll just step around and bring her back. I don’t like her running around the streets at this hour of the night even a block. She’s too young, and there are too many devils around. Besides, I want her to stay with you.”
    Then with sudden tenderness he stooped and kissed her.
    “Don’t cry, Eleanor. I didn’t mean to be harsh. But you didn’t understand. It was pretty bad and shook me a good deal, but we’ll pull out of this somehow.”
    Then he was gone out into the night, leaving his wife with the worst alarm in her heart she had had in all the years of her married life. What would Betty do now? And what might not Chester do, when he found that Betty would not obey him in public? She recalled all the recent lectures on child rearing and sat weakly down on the lower step of the stairs and wept again.
    Then out from the little front room near the linen closet at the end of the hall where Johnny had his haunts there arose a raucous voice singing from Johnny’s radio:
“I’m a little boy ,
And I love a little girl!”
    And the mother on the stairs wept and wondered what the lecturer would tell her to do under the circumstances.

Chapter 3
    T he Carters lived halfway down the next block.
    Thornton reflected that he had better take the car to save time. He could explain to Jane on the way home that her mother was feeling worried about something, and he wanted her to stay up with her till he returned. Then he could drop her at the door and drive right on to the high school.
    But when he stopped at the Carters’ door he was surprised to find the house all dark, both upstairs and down. Probably the children were up in some back sitting room studying, or in Emily’s bedroom. He frowned anxiously as he rang the bell and waited impatiently. It seemed terrible to think that Betty had gone off with that unspeakable boy! And how was he to go about it to explain it to her? He would probably have to let her mother do it. It would be such a humiliation for his delicate-minded Betty to hear the foul words that had been used about her. Perhaps a hint from her mother would be sufficient without having to humble her by having her father tell his awful experience. That would have to be her mother’s part. His was to deal with the lad.
    He brought his mind back from his unhappy reflections to ring the doorbell again. Surely these people had not retired at half past nine! And if so, what had become of Jane?
    He rang a third time, this time prolonging the pressure until he could hear the distant whir of the bell from the front steps.
    A window was pushed up slowly above his head, and a voice called casually.
    “Who down dar? What you-all want? Ain’t nobuddy hum ‘cept jes me an the baby.”
    “I’m Mr. Thornton,” explained Chester. “I’ve come for my daughter, Jane. Won’t you tell her to come right down? I’m in a hurry.”
    “Her ain’t hyear no moh! Her ‘n’ Em’ly went out