El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-08
TT WAS o'clock when the express
1 man deposited Ruth's trunk in her

TT WAS o'clock when the express
man deposited Ruth's trunk in her
- skylight room.
"Where'u I put it, miss?'
There was really no place TO put It,
except at the foot OF the bed. which
left hardly room enough to pass De-
tween 1t and the washstand-
well. there you are" wiptng MS
face on his sleeve.
Ruth handed him she so cents she
had taken from her purse.
He shook his head. That's 10 !
wouldn't lug no trunk up all those
stairs for so cents"
But the man at the office SAID IL
would be So"
MAYBE he did, but he didn't know It
was goin' to the top o the house L IL
not take no so cents for that job
Ruth hesitated and then gave MN
the extra uarter. When ne mao
gone. she unstrapped and unlocked
her trunk with anxious thoughts HOW
fast her little hoard of money was go
inri Everything cost, so much more
than she expected
Even when she carefully bargained
In advance, as she had about me
trunk-still it was always more Per
haps she shouldn't have given MIN
the extra quarter. But she never mad
the courage to argue about money
Not Sure OF Her Position
II she could only feel sure OF her
position, But she had been taken only
on trial. and would not know until the
end of the month whether or not they
would keen her She had secured the
nosition through an employment
agency to whom she must pay Fee
Some one came running up the steps
nov and into the room adjoining hers.
They were whistling loudly popular
air. Who was on this floor? she won,
dered. Mrs. Dolan had said ina! III,
the rooms were filled. She SUPPOSED
she would meet them at dlnheI'
would be the first dinner she had ever
had in a boarding house. and she
looked forward to it with nervous
dread.
Hurriedly she unpaclSed her trunk.
shaking out the few simple dresses anu
hanging them on the door oehind the
curtain. Her comb. brush, powder oo&
and bottle of cheap violet water she
carefully arranged on the bureau.
There was no mantel; so the nlckeI
alarm clock. few photographs ana
bflliken also went on the buerau.
A small dictionary. a Bible,
stenographers handbook and an Eng
lish grammar went into the washstand
drawer. The rest of her things she
left to unpack after dinner
There was only one gas jet In the
room; 1t was without a globe ana
gave only feeble light. She picked at
1t with a. hatpin. 1t flared up higher
for a moment and then dropped back
again to its narrow forked blaze
Slow, Dragging Step.
Some one else came up the stairs
now, not whistling Their step seemed
dragged and wearied. as they entered
a room further down the hall Ruth
wondered who it was. Her fancy pic
tured an o1dish man. tall and stoop-
shouldered.
Ruth's ina gination was always most
vivid. She had a trick OF picturing the
whole personality from just the sound
of a voice or footstep. Her impress
sions were not always correct, but
they were always interesting.
Now came the shrin changing OF
bell from below The dinner bell.
Ruth hurriedIy hooked up her waist.
She had not realized it was already
after six.
Anxiously she scanned herself in the
mirror smoothed her hair and re-
adjusted her collar took fresh
| handkerchief from the tray Of the
| trunk, sprinkled 1t with drop Of the
! toilet water. lowered the forked blaze