Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-10-06
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0OURTINq By DICTIONARY.
4 Story of Literary Love Making,

i
| Miss Ruth Culbarson bought her
| dictionary at a fire sale. 1t was IN
| abridged and contained $4,000 words
printed on 1921 pages of heavy white
paper. There was no appendix OF
| names, but then she paid only 10
cents for it.
Ruth laid the dictionary on the
/ small table that stood in the center
OF the room, a perfect monument TO
uginess, and without unwrapping it
or vouchsafng any explanation as to
! what it was she went into the alcoVe
adjoining their little parlor and be-
gan to remove the dust and cinders
she always carried home with her
from the downtown 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 papeS cover
ing, but she did not remove the
wrapper.
Ruth came back into the parI'pr at
length and sat down near the win
dow. Mrs. Culberson looked from the
package to her daughter and back
again, in silent agony. Evidently she
could endure the strain no longeR.
''What did you get today, Ruthie?"
she asked meekly.
Ruth turned round with a wonder
ing air, as if not fully comprehend
ing the import of the query. Her
eyes followed her mothers to the
ugly center table, and, 80, that" she
said, with smile, chats diction-
ary."
Mrs. Culberson's dismay could not
have been more complete had she
been informed that her daughter had
bought home a bQa-constrictor.
"And what did you get that for,
Ruthie?" she asked.
Because I needed it, returned
Ruth.
s1Te," haZaN1ed her mother.
eyes," sighed Ruth, ct cost 10
cents
Mrs. Culberson appeared relieved,
but not entirely satisfied.
1T seems to mt, Ruthie," she went
on queruIously, that girl who
works for SO a week, which is the
only income two people have to. de-
pend upon, ought not to be spending
Der money for d dictionary. If you
had 1S cents to spare for books, why
didn't you buy three or four of those
paper-backed novels that would be
of some interest to ME, instead of a
dictionary.
Mother said Ruthi, quietly, 'T
wish you hadn't said that Tt makes
u necessary for me to remind you of
some things that would perhaps bet
ter be left unsaid. Whose fault is it
that we have to liv e on $40 week?
Is it mine? Did 1 lake what money
my father had left /. US and squander
q IN dlshonor able speculation? Is
u my fault that I haN 'e to work ever
SINCE was ten years Il age?
Am to be blamed ecause YOU, in
your old age and sickne IS, are obliged
10 SIT here day after day in this cheer
less, comfOrtless room V which is all I
can give you except til se food that
holds soul and body togo 4ther? And.
astly, mother, is it nv ia nit that nv
education was so negelec, a d when I
vas young that I find it nj a sssarv to
,efer so often to, the lictio ma nv now?
am not complaining. Mot her. but
lou ought not to reproachj m, for in
iuIging in just one expd.ndi ture in
which your comfort was ne IT con-
idered.''
In spite of Mrs. Culbeirson' 8 keen
IsaPPolntment IN rega5td o her
sHter purchase she DERIVE I'd I'M
,lniled satisfaction from dilati ng on
he merits of the dictior l,arv 4to the
Their boarders.
If you ever want to 10 ak anv thing
p, she said, cordially. ssiusf, dron
40 our room and see W hat the die
onary says. You'll aly gays fndI it
the stand In the front r4cafn.o
The CuIbersons lived In Ii ;. boarding.
ouse where dictionaries we're !. 4ziI@s
Dnmodity. Indeed, Ru-I A.s was the
" one about the house ; ssxceuk ar.