"I was just wondering if Connie wore her rubbers to school, and if
father remembered to take his muffler."

Fairy burst into renewed laughter. "Oh, you precious, old, practical
Prudence," she gurgled. "Rubbers and mufflers, with such a delicious
snowfall as this! Oh, Prudence, shame upon you."

Prudence was ashamed. "Oh, I know I am a perfect idiot, Fairy," she
said. "I know it better than anybody else. I am so ashamed of myself,
all the time." Then she added rather shyly, "Fairy, are you ashamed of
me sometimes? When the college girls are here, and you are all talking
so brilliantly, aren't you kind of mortified that I am so stupid and
dull? I do not care if outsiders do think I am inferior to the rest of
you, but--really I do not want you to be ashamed of me! I--oh, I know
it myself,--that I do not amount to anything, and never will, but--it
would hurt if I thought you and the twins were going to find
me--humiliating." Prudence was looking at her sister hungrily, her
lips drooping, her eyes dark.

For a long instant Fairy stared at her incredulously. Then she sprang
to her feet, her face white, her eyes blazing.

"Prudence Starr," she cried furiously, "how dare you say such things of
us? Do you think we are as despicable as all that? Oh, Prudence, I
never was so insulted in all my life! Ashamed of you! Ashamed--Why,
we are proud of you, every one of us, daddy, too! We think you are the
finest and dearest girl that ever lived. We think--Oh, I think God
Himself must be proud of a girl like you, Prudence Starr! Ashamed of
you!"