Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-09
OUR AMERICAN.
KITCHEN ROHANCE.
BY NARY Il. sLEIGHT.

Shure. an It's not meself would be after go
ing. n Mike waTn't tasn' me life OUT said
Bridget. who bad served us faithfully for over
two years. I'D stay with We fOTiyer ii he'd
Ouniy lave me IN pace" But Mike continued
his ''tasin'." and fortnight later Bridget, de-
cisring that 10 was entirely for the sake OF
pace married him and Set up housekeeping for
herself. OF course there was nothing for US ID
90 but md some one tn take her place, an easy
matter one might think, with two "seryants'
agencies" within ten minutes walk, and a col
umn IN every daily Of " Situations Wanted, -
and yet at the enu Of a month after having
tried successfully . sharl,-tongVed Scotch wo-
man, = lazy Svede, and two independent
daughters Of the Emerald Isle" ali highly
rcConmendSd by the gentlemanly agents. we
were still without a servant.
don't see what we are TO do" said neither
coming into the Kitchen with q rueful face af-
ter diSfnissing the last OF the four.
- NJ dSsperesdVrsr' said Madge, rolling m
her sleeves, and making vigorous attack on
ia the course of time.n
why not answer some of the advertise
meHtS: suggested Dell. g Its - hard to ten
what YOU are getting when YOU take them from
The intelligence office" And picking I'D the
daily she began 10 read aloud. Wanted A
situation" There WAS the usual variety of
nurse girls, cooks, middle-aged women etc .
WITH sPriDkiing Of yotng women ..lately
landed but none OF the descriptions seemed
satisfactory, and our faces began to lengthen
wait. Listen, Here's a noveltv,p cried
Del. a. she nearsd :he end OF tho column
aHted- 3 situation TO 10 general Homework,
by an AlneTican girl who Is NOS afraid To Use her
lands"
"HuIrah for Young America, III 20 for
herr she cried, dropping the pauer
Ny csarI-' said mother deI.recatiucIv 81 7 Il,
wish yOu would not use such slang expressions
Slang" said Madge in mock aSt0ni-hm mt
why that's gem from the modern classics,
Slang or classic, it's 10 the point, and I'm
or. SAID Dell, fOnning her Waterproof, and in
les than an hOHr she was hack with the Ameri-
CaE. OGeOurse we were all curious to see the
native who in this gGnteel age had dared to
advertise for ANYTHING SC dsgIs9iBg As general
hOu>ewOTk. think we had all mentally pic
turCd a robust country dsmsel with rmcoufh
way ard o. Cided nasal twang, a Susan Smith
or Polly Jones who had lived All her life in the
tackwc0ds, and only advertised for a place In
the hope of seeing the world, and were hardly
prepared for tie modest. trim little body whom
ileil introduced AZ Rush Somers. Would YOU
IKE her photograph? pair OF brave brown
eyes, girlish face a. frank AMI sunny as a
child , III Its natural expression, but Swallowed
by set, resoiute look that seemed born OF some
recent trial, a clear, soft voice, quiet step. a
quick, deft way Of using her hands, and with II
az the bearing OF genuine lady. Dell had
i@und her staying With an old sehoolmate IN a
cottage on ''the Heights."
What can have induced such a girl TO 20
out To service" asked mother
- Poverty. Suppose" said Dell.
There's some mystery about Il. yOu NAV de-
rend-" said Madge. who has a weakness for
mysteries; but weeks went by and the mystery
remained unsolved. Meanwhile, however, the
little maiden vas steadily gaining in every ones
good gTaces- Never during Bridget's reign had
such fragrant coffee ant, such faky biscuits ap.
feared uIcn the table. Never had the kitchen
Leen kept in such snug order. Some way with
Ruth there, We haf-fcTEOt that it was the
ttchen, and we're frequently beguiled into
spending half hour chatting with its mistress
whom We found a far more inteili gent eOmpan-
ION than many ofthe girls enc meets in society.
. should be afraid that she wOulI take on
ans AID expect TO be treated "a one of the
family" said q lady friend who had dropped in
10 lunch
And Why not treat her "a one OF the family,
II she j. worthy of it?" asked tiemccratic Dell.
The lady shrugged her shoulders but was pre-
vented any further expression on the subject by
the entrance OF Ruth herself.
- IL does EN- too bad for that little girl to be
down there all alone" said MadSe that evening
a. we gathered in the back-paTlOr with books
and sewing: LETS ask her 10 sit with us
awhile" Having no unmarried brothers at
home. there va, not the least danger that such
an arrangement would result in a romance, and
mother smiled approvingly Dell fastened
Downstairs TO deliver the invitation IL was
only after much urging, however, that Ruth
could be induced 10 come. and at first little
Shy, as ii afraid that she might seem to be in
tiuding. vet she carried herself like one accus-
toned to psTlor al, her DAYS, and was presently
absorbed in . volume of Browning's poems.
After that we had her with us every evening.
though when visitors came she always slipped
AWAY, n il unwilling 70 attract tsntiOn.
Iii we could only know her history" said
Madge again ard again; but apparently uncon-
sCiOUs thar her history COuldbe Of any possible
interest to u, the girl went steadily about her
work, hunmr, like bird at tiIses, and at
" u
70 ok in the brown eyes that made Ma1ge more
eager than ever for a elew 10 the past.
one morning. an hour too early for any of our
usual callers, there was ring At the door, which
Madge, with her hair in crimping-pins, an
Swered in person, 10 find herself, much to her
ehasrin. face to face with a tail gentlemanly
stranger.
s.Can see Miss Somers?-' he asked.
"MisS S0msrs?'' said Madge, with a long in
teTTogaticn- Point. g oh. Ruth. you mean-our
our Ruth!'' repeated the stranger. with an
accent on the pronOun that plainly indicated
personal OWs,T~hip; and strai ghtway Madge
s-sirs for Ruth, sure that his was to be either
the beginning or the end of a thrilling romance
stsirs, she cried; "theTe's a gentleman asking
tor y0U.'
TIE color went cut OF Ruth's face, and her
brown ewes grew suddenly black.
Al don't wish to see any gentleman" she said
bTidliDg her pretty hood aiitte.
- But he wants 20 see you, and he's splendid"
laid Madge, with enthusiasm. Such curly
hair. and ewes like-let me see-why, the very
twins Of yCurs!n
"Oh." exclaimed Ruth brea,hlessly, the
color rushing back to cheek and lip.
And without stopping 20 take of her apron or
even to look in the glass, she sped up stairs,
leaving Msdge wholly in doubt whether the
later, however, on passing through the hali. She
found him taxing q very lover-like farewell.
and was just beginning TO build her romance
wondrousiy glad face, and introduced him as
her brother, Harry Somers. The romance, OF
course, fell 70 the round, but soon after,
through a friend who had become acquainted
with Harry, ve learned Ruths history Her
father had once been prosperous merchant In
a large inland town, but heavy Losses by fire
had brought hin 10 the verge OF bankruptcy
and made 10 necessary for the older children to
seek their ovn support. For Ruth however,
there had been IN afternadve-0 wealthy suitor
twice hex age; but, mueh to the gentle mans dis
gust, she chose her uncertain earnings In pre-
ference 90 his wealth, and began at once TO look
fer work She had inst returned from boarding
school. and her friends advised her 90 try teach
ing But 20 make q successful teacher, she
knew that AZ least another year Of study would
he needed and she could not afford the time.
Sewing and copying were also suggested as
Iady-like WAYS ofearning living; but sedentary
work OF any Kind, " closely followed, invariably
resulted in side ache; and preferring health "a
white hands, she decided 70 find some active
occupation.
.. Then try elerking," they said, cor canvass
for subscriptions for a new book or paper; any
thing but s'working ont"
But Ruth rejected all their counsel. Asensi-
BE mother had carefully instructed her in every
branch Of housekeeping, and knowing herself t.