Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1899-07-28

then she paid only nineteen cents for 1t.
Ruth laid the dictionary on the small
table that stood in the center of the
room, perfect monument of ugllness,
and without unwrapping it or vouch-
safing any explanation as to what 1t
was she went into the alcOve adjoining
their little parlor and began to remove
the dust and cinders she always car
ried 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 off
a corner 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. Culberson looked from the pack
age to her daughter and back again in
silent agony Evidently she could en-
dure the strain no longer.
"What did you get today, Ruthie|
she asked, meellly.
Ruth turned round with a wondering
air, as if not fully cOmprehending the
import of the query. Her eyes followed
her mothers to the ugly center table,
and, ooh, that" she said, with smile,
chats a dictionary"
Mrs. Culberson's dismay could not
have been more complete had she been
Informed that her daughter had
brought home a boa constructor.
"And what did you get that for,
Ruthie?" she asked.
Because l needed it," returned
Ruth.
"Itmust have been pretty expensive"
hazarded her mother.
YES" sighed Ruth, at cost nineteen
cents"
Mrs. Culberson appeared relieved,
but not entirely satisfied.
at seems to me, Ruthie," she went
on querulously, that a, girl who works
for ten dollars a week, which is the
only income two people have to depend
upon, ought not to be spending her
money for a dictionary. If you had
nineteen cents to spare for books why
didn't you buy three or four of those
paper-backed novels instead of a die
tlOnaryW
Mother" said Ruth, quietly, 81 wish
you hadn't asked that. 1t makes it
necessary for me to remind you of
some things that would perhaps better
be left unsaid Whose fault Is it that
we have to live on ten dollars n week?
Is it mine? Did take what money my
father had left us and squander it in
dlshonorable speculation? Is it my
fault that | have had to work ever
since was ten years of age?
"Am to be blamed because you, in
your old age and sickness, are obliged
to sit here day after day in this cheer
less, COmfortless room which is all
can give you except the food that holds
soul and body together? And lastly,
mother, is II my fault that my educa-
tion was so neglected when | was
young that find 1t necessary to refer
so often to the dictionary now? l am
not complaining, mother, but you
ought not to reproach me for indulglng
In just one expenditure in which your
comfort was not considered"
In spite of Mrs. Culberson's keen dis
appointment in regard to her daugh-
ter's purchase, she derived unlimited
satisfaction from dilating on the mer-
It's of the dictionary to the other board
ers.
"If you ever want to look anything
up" she said cordially Just drop into
our room and see what the dictionary
says. You'll always find it on the stand
In the front ROOM"
The Culbersons lived in boarding
house where dictionaries were n rare
commodity. 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 most in common use.
But somehow as soon as 1t became
known that there was large diction-
ary in Mrs. Culberson's room on the
second floor, and that everybody had
been given free access thereto, the de.
Blu lul hlNNlNuEt was tlNNu hbu-
derful impetus.
But the person who found occasion
TO refer to the big book most frequent
ly was Mr., Winter. Mr.. Winter was
n grocer. or course, in his business he
daily met with many terms that re-
qulred clucidatlon. Hitherto he had
found the pocket edition perfectly sat
isfactory. but after the advent Of the
unabridged dictionary, the much-worn,
grcen-backed little book suddenly lost
Its usefulness, and never an evening