Produced by Al Haines. [Illustration: "Permit your slave——" _Page_ 220.] *The Imprudence of Prue* _*By*_* SOPHIE FISHER* With Four Illustrations By HERMAN PFEIFER A. L. BURT COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK COPYRIGHT 1911 THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY *CONTENTS* CHAPTER I The Price of a Kiss II Lady Drumloch III Sir Geoffrey’s Arrival IV The Money-Lender Intervenes V A Widow on Monday VI A Matter of Title VII A Wedding-Ring for a Kiss VIII An Order for a Parson IX The Wedding X The Folly of Yesterday XI The Morrow’s Wakening XII The Price of a Birthright XIII The Sealed Packet XIV A Pair of Gloves XV The Red Domino XVI At the Unmasking XVII Lady Barbara’s News XVIII The Den of the Highwayman XIX In the Duchess’ Apartments XX A Threat and a Promise XXI An Affair of Family XXII In A Chairman’s Livery XXIII The Parson Sells a Secret XXIV A Supper for Three XXV A Confession XXVI Preparations for a Journey XXVII A Different Highwayman XXVIII The Dearest Treasure *THE IMPRUDENCE OF PRUE* *CHAPTER I* *THE PRICE OF A KISS* "Stand and deliver!" The words rang out in the gathering darkness of the February evening. The jaded horses, exhausted with dragging a cumbrous chariot through the miry lanes and rugged by-roads of the rough moorland, obeyed the command with promptitude, disregarding the lash of the postboy and the valiant oaths of a couple of serving-men in the rumble. "Keep still, unless you wish me to blow out what you are pleased to consider your brains," said the highwayman. "My pistols have an awkward habit of going off of their own accord when I am not instantly obeyed—so don’t provoke them." The postilion became as still as a statue and the footmen, under cover of the self-acting pistols, descended, grumbling but unresisting, yielded up their rusty blunderbusses with a transparent show of reluctance and withdrew to a respectful distance, while the highwayman dismounted, opened the carriage door and throwing the light of a lantern within, revealed the shrinking forms of two women muffled in cloaks and hoods. One of them uttered a shriek of terror when the door was opened and incoherently besought the highwayman to spare two lone, defenseless women.