Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1908-02-29
6mReturn.
-. By.
Martha Cobb Sanford.
Copyrighted, 1905, by NJ. NJ. Cunningham.

Life seemed to hold little of romano
for Ruth jeffrey as. with a long draw
sigh, she closed her desk at the end o
the day. What was there In It, afte
all? she asked herself. She looket
ahead and imagined one day following
another in UNMARRIED monotony. Sh
fancied she could see her hair turning
gray and the color fading from he
cheeks. though for that 1t must hav,
taken very big stretch OF the imagi
nation indeed.
And what return was life making
her for all the effort that she was put
ting into it? A negative reciprocatioI
at best She was not compelled t.
marry. She had proved herself capable
of independence. 1t was five years
since she had entered upon her bust
had made for a success even beyond
her most sanguine anticipations.
Only month ago she had accepted
at practically her own terms a position
that hundreds of women might wei
envy her and probably did. Surely Il
was an unreasonable time for her tt
feel blue and discouraged. There must
be some definite cause for her unrest
Ruth set herself the task of discover
ing It,
Finally. with somewhat shame.
faced yet wistful little smile, she was
forced to admit that the disturbing
undercurrent) began to ruffie her
thoughts about the moment that she
had stood by her office window that
morning and from the height of many
a fur lined Overcoat step out of his re.
splendent motor car and enter the
building
Who the man was did not matter.
nor that he was wealthy. 1t was the
woman in the car who stirred old
warnings in Ruth's heart. She had
with her for comfort and inspira ton
through the day the memory of p
mans farewell kiss.
This pretty and refreshing bit Of
Il
workaday world Ruth had witnessed
nearly every morning. to be sure, since
she had been In her new position But
never before had it plunged her into
such an impacable mood of discomfort
We'll" she commented to herself a.
she pinned on her little tailor made
hat, with a gesture of wholesome de
termination, this will never do at all
It's my own fault. | refused him. and
that's all there IS about It, At the time
matrimony seemed such an obvious,
commonplace transaction in compari
son with the allurement of independ
enCe-and now. Well it's no use think
Ing about it. may bump into ro
nance any day"
The wind on the night In question
WAS blowing a hurricane When Ruth
tried to open the outside door of the
building, she found the resistance toe
much for her strength and was obliged
TO fall back moment
AS she made second attempt the
door yielded with a suddenness that
almost upset her equilibrium. She
heard some one Immediately behind
her say. ALLOW me-" and was aware
OF masculine coat sleeve. fur lined,
holding back the door for her to pass.
Ruth thanked the auxiliary arm me
chemically. half conscious of tinge OF
resentment in her gratitude that she
should be in any way beholden to the
man upon whom that woman, whom
she envied. also depended. But the
next moment, with characteristic i'm.
Ruth found herself chas,
ing IA derby hat down the sidewalk
just as she was about to rescue II
from an imminent mud puddle at the
corner something struck her n fearful
blow, and she lost consciousness.
In the days Of delirium that followed
Ruth sometimes imagined that a heavy
door was swinging back upon her; that
a man stood by and would not rescue
her And again she would shrink in
fear from a plunging automobile that
bore down upon her, while the man
and woman within the car laughed
and kissed each other And always
the man wore a fur lined overcoat
When Ruth had recovered suffi-
ciently to be interested in her sur
roundings. she noticed first the tall
fragrant American Beauties by her
bedside.
"Who sent them?" she asked the
nurse languidly.
"a gentleman, Miss Ruth"
What gentleman"
Faint and weak though Ruths voice
was. the nurse detected In 1t note of
suspicion.
"He did not leave his card, Miss
Ruth" replied the nurse. blushing al
her own subterfuge, but Ruth did not
observe her confusion.
Why Mr.. Mcdonald did not wish his
identity disclosed In connection will
the roses the nurse did not know. Blu
he had insisted upon being an anony
nous benefactor. and 1t was not he
concern to demand his reason for It.
What does he look likeT Ruth per
sisted.