The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-08
He FOUND THE WORD.

table that stood in the center of the room,
a perfect monument to ugliness, and with
out unwrapping it or vouchsafng any ex-
PLANTATION as to what it was she went into
the alcove adjoining their little parlor and
began to remove the dust and cinders she
always carried home with her from the
down town district.
Her mother regarded the package on
the table with increased curiosity. She felt
it and lifted it and tried to tear of a cor
ner of the paper covering, but she did not
remove the wrapper.
Ruth came back into the parlor at length
and sat down near the window. Mrs. Gull
berson looked from the package to her
daughter and back again in silent agony.
Presently she could endure the strain no
longer.
''What did you get today, RuthP'' she
asked meekly.
Ruth turned round with a wondering
air, as if not fully comprehending the i'm
port of the query. Her eyes followed her
mothers to the ugly center table, and,
"Oh that, " she said, with a smile that's
a dictionary"
Mrs Culberson's dismay could not have
been more complete had she been informed
that her daughter had brought home d boa
constructor.
'And what did you get that for,
Ruthie?" she asked.
because I needed it, - returned Ruth.
''It must have been pretty expensive" "
hazarded her mother
Eyes, y sighed Ruth. SIT cost 19 cents. y
Mrs. Culberson appeared relieved, but
not entirely satisfied.
1T seems to me, Ruthie, - she went on
querulousIy, that girl who works for
SO week, which is the only income two
people have to depend upon, ought not
to be spending her money for dictionary.
If you had 19 cents to spare for books
why didn't you buy three or four of those
II
interest to me, instead of a dictionary?'
The Culbersons lived in a boarding
house where dictionaries were a rare com
modify. Indeed, Ruth S was the only one
about the house, except Mr.. Winters,
which was an exceedingly small pocket
| edition, that contained only the words in
most common use.
But somehow as soon as it became
known that there was large dictionary
in Mrs. Culberson's s room on the second
floor and that everybody had been given
free access thereto the desire for knOwl-
edge was given wonderful impetus.
But the person who found occasion to
refer to the big book most frequently was
| MIR. Winter. Mr.. Winter was a grocer.
| OF course in his business he daily met
| with many terms that required elucida-
| tion. Hitherto he had found the pocket
edition perfectly satisfactory, but after the
advent of the unabridged dictionary the
! n1uCn WOEu, BES6A bdCASO A4ttAO OOOA o44
! denly lost its usefulness and never an even
| ing passed that Mr.. Winter did not rap at
| Mrs. Culberson's s door and politely request
| to ''come in and look at the dictionary
minute.
His prolonged visits annoyed Mrs. Gull
berson at first. His presence prevented
her scolding at Ruth and as he, himself,
| seemed deeply immersed in scholastic lore,
| thus forbidding opening a conversation
! with him, the poor old lady's evenings be-
came seasons of exquisite torment.
Il don't know what makes him come
| up here so often, - she said pettishly, one
| night after he mad closed the dictionary
| and gone away. Hes an awful bore. -
Its your own fault he comes" said
Ruth. ''You invited him"
"Of course I invited him. retorted
Mrs. Culberson. Il invited all of them.
| Doesn't he annoy youP''
| NO, - she said softly. 81 don't know
that he does"
AS the spring days took on the heat OF
summer Mrs. Culberson became more fret
ful Ruth grew younger and prettier and
| Mr.. Winter studied still later each evening
in blissful oblivion of the added heat OF
the gas jet.
Mrs. Culberson had long since ceased
sitting up waiting for him to go, but bade
him good night and went to bed in the
alcove.
One evening in early June 10 O'Clock
passed and Mr.. Winter had as yet made nc
movement toward going away. Ruth
watched him closely, as she always did
| when he seemed engrossed with the words
before him, and she noticed that he had
not turned page for more than an hour.
He looked up at length and their eyes
met. Ruth felt her face flushing again
and with the realization of her weakness
the flush grew deeper.
Its a pretty knotty problem THAT
| have been puzzling over tonight, - he said,
with sigh.
'Couldn t you find what you were look
ing for?'' she asked softly.
II hardly know. I found the word
wanted. Whether it will ever mean to me
what I would like it to mean 1 do not
know. Here it is. 1 have been looking at
| it a good deal lately
He turned the big dictionary around till
she could read the line over which his i'm
ger rested. There was one word under.
lined with pencil and she knew it was
the one he wished her to see. 1t wal
spelled love.
''Is that ever to be for me?'' he asked.
The blush had deepened into scarlet
then. For a moment look of exceeding
happiness transhgured her face but a mo
ment later the old troubled expression
drove it away She turned the leaves OF
the dictionary till she came to the worC
mother. ="
THAT'S all right, ~ he said, and nodded
toward the aIcove
Away over near the back of the booE
her next answer was found.
Ruth, - called out Mrs. CulbersOn &
quarter of an hour later, what made Mr.
Winter stay SO late this evening?"
He was looking at the dictionary
mother -
Ibid he find what he wanted?" asked
Mrs. Culberson-
''Yes, mother,'' said Ruth, ''I believe
] he did. .''-Chicago News