The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-05-21
His
Correspondence
Course

Rutn lOQted WOndeTlngiy at the big,
brOnzed, bearded chap who stood smil-
ing down into her upturned face.
Somehow those eyes were familiar,
and yet
Burt" she gasped. This can't
be you?"
1T can't be anyone else" he insist
ed. May come in?"
Blushing, she stood aside to let him
pass. In her surprise she had forgot
ten even to be hospitable. He made
his way into the parlor as though 1t
We're only yesterday that he had paid
his last call
The room was little changed; as
little changed as Ruth herself-and as
primly precise. Even his photograph
was still in the little leather frame on
the mantel. He crossed the room and
regarded it admiringly, though there
was fittle.to call for admiration in the
somewhat faded cabinet of the heavy
joWled p6nderous bulked man with a
placenC smile lowering on a rather
weak mouth. Ruth stood beside him
Can you wonder" she asked, with
a nervous little laugh; that did not
know you for a moment?"
Il don't think you know me yet,
was the unexpected reply. Let's si1
down and get acquainted"
He looked toward the old horsehail
covered sofa, but she moved toward a
rocker by a stove. Beneath the beard
the lips parted in half smile and he
sank into a nearby chair.
Got in last night" he rumbled, in
answer to her question. I'm only here
for a week. Came on to see a mar
and he won't be back from Europe un
til next Saturday."
II take it then that you live in the
west o" Burton nodded.
Southwest would be more nearly
correct" he said. Down in Arizona
and Old Mexico mostly"
And this is your first visit cas-
since" She paused and colored.
My first since you opened your cor
respondence school Of character for
nation" he chuckled.
"My what?" she gasped.
"Maybe you forget just how 1 came
to go west" he suggested. She shool
her head. She remembered only too
we'll Burton Brooks had given up {
position because he did not like the
work and saw no chance for advance
ment She had broken her engage
ment in a bitter letter. in which sh.
had upbraided him for his lack Of con
centration. She had been ready to for
give and forget the day after, but /
was too late. Burton had gone on thu
midnight train. Whalenville was {
flag station and none knew his desti
nation. That had been four years ago
Evidently he had not forgotten.
do you think it kind to spoil 1t al
by referring to my unfortunate let
ter?" she asked patiently.
1T wasn't unfortunate" he insisted
You don't know what lot of goot
that letter did me. That's what
came to tell you"
From his pocketbook he drew out
Sheet of tracing cloth and held
toward her "There it is" he said
ITS been my Bible these last fou
years. ..-
IN admit that when I got 1t I wa
sore. | was sore for an hour. Thel
I realized two things. You were NOR
than half true and the rest Of 1t wa
that you had worried yourself sicl
over me and most everyone else. YOU
always did have the trick of wantin,
to manage everyone you came in con
tact with and sometimes the contrac
grew too large for you. You wer'
worried because Jen Stevens raj
away with that actor fellow-and go
Jen's share too.
$50 l just packed up and lit out.
didn't blame you for not wanting t
marry me and l didn't want to pu
temptation in your way-Or mine.
"Well, 1 got out to Chicago and go
q job with a construction company
Every morning I read your letter ant
when 1t began to grow ragged on thu
edges I copied it on tracing cloth.
u simply couldn't talk back to M
boss, remembering what you said, anC
so I got ahead. Down in Old Mexico
! when I was living in a box car ant
bossing a section, I took a correspon
dence course in engineering and aftel
I that I called your letter the Core
spondence course in character. 1t die
me lot Of good"
Then I'm glad that l wrote the let
ter" she said softly. Il was afraiC
afterward that I had spoken too
strongly"
1T was the best thing that ever hap
pened TO me-" he declared. Il don
need the course any more, LIT I d.
need the teacher, Ruth. May l have
herr
For a moment she hesitated. It wa!
in her mind to hold off, TO punish hin
for those four years in which he haC
given no sign. Then she realized tina
he took his punishment very literally
and that she, too, deserved a punish
ment for her scathing arraignment
and Brooks. seeing her weakening, an
ticipated her answer with a kiss.
It's not Oft that pupils marr7
their teachers he laughed, but there
are exceptions to all rules"
Vouched For.