The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-12
EVENING STORY
Discovering Ruth.


the bowl of sweet peas spreading their
fragrance thru the cool shaded living
room and smoothed the snowy cloth
of the tea table charmingly arranged
for three. She sighed with lsatisfac-
ton when she thought of the pantry
shelves and icebox grooming with good
things she and Mrs. Woodward liked
in the old days at home.
For Bob vas coming back. NOT TO
stay, but to take a months rest IN the
pure, fresh air of the country WIZ
he was reared. Ruth" called Mrs;
woodward over the banisters. YOU'D
better get dressed. The house looks
all right now, and you've only tlIteeh
minutes till train time" -
Yes, auntie. I'm coming. I've Just
been wondering
wondering what, dear?"
.'Wondering-oh, 1 can't say it ex-
actly. Wondering if Bob has changed
any-if he'll notice that things are
oh. told you l couldn't say II. hou
see, when people go away from a
place and get rich and are used 10
all sorts of things, and then come
back, the old things and the OLD peo-
pie may not seem so attractive
Mrs Woodward had been having
the same misgivings for some tlme
about the young man she had reared
from babyhood. But she answered
brayelv. ''Nonsense, Ruth. The house.
with all the new paper, looks prettler
than ever and the new white 1urnl,
ture in the spare room hasn't its equal
in New York"
Ruth sighed and started upstairs.
ct think you're right, auntie. I'm
| foolish to think of things. III hurry
now and put on something decent;
| But Ruth's real misgiving she had
not voiced. She picked up a photo-
| graph of her playmate from the bu-
! reau when the door was closed ana
gazed long and thoughtfully into the
| earnest eyes that looked back 1t ner
81 don't care about the house. Bob
by. if you aren't tired of US. But after
all the nice people you must know I'm
afraid ws're very plain and dull. And
| if will hurt me so if. But there!
I'm silly, you dear boy. And if I moon
around here any longer you'll catch
me in this old blue gingham."
She brushed back her thick wavy
hair into a roll at her neck where Bob
| used to like it, and hurried into a
dainty white dress and was just clasp
ing the necklace of seed pearls that
he had sent her for Christmas. when
there was the sound of car. hurryinS
feet and Bobs voice, Hello. people.
auntie, Ruthie. Hello, l say, where
are you?"
And in an instant everybody was in
| everybody else's arms Ruth's fears
flew to The winds 1t was Rob. their
very own Rob. home again. And he
hadn't changed, except to become bet
ter looking than ever, and his clothes
somehow had a different look than of
old.
Bob held her off at arms length and
! looked her over and then turned her
slowly around. "Ruthie, you're
sumner; that dress just suits you, and
there isn't a girl in New York who
wouldn't give her right arm for that
IL Of md h0f hai rf
Ruthie, you're a beauty! Isn't she.
auntie?" and catching his aunt by the
| waist he spun her around several
/ times in spite of her gasping protests.
just as he had of old.
Ruth was radiantly happy. No!
Bob had not changed at all.
Tea was a wonderful affair. where
| everybody talked at once and told
! everything that anybody knew, and
Bob leased the cat and then went to
the kitchen and opened all the cup
board doors to see what else they had
in the house to eat.
It was then, while Bob was picking
up crumbs that had fallen round the
chocolate cake, that he said nonchal-
antly-so very nonchalantly that
Ruth pricked up her ears at once
do you know the Owens who had
rented the old Stephenson place on
the hill for the summer
mo-" said Mrs. woodward.
They're pot our kind, Bobbie. They're
society folks and we're not. l UNDER
stand it's very gay there-house par
ties all the time and everything. The
girls pretty. they say. Do you know
them, Bobbie? They're from New
York"
Yes. Mr.. Owens a client of mine
I've been to the house several times.
and they're all nice people. Katharine
is pretty. She rides we'll"
do you know her very we'll? ?" ask
ed Ruth, ingenuously, putting away
| the tea things and appearing to be
| Interested in some spoons.
"Oh, yes. we ride together some-
times. It's about all the exercise
get. BY the way, auntie. I'm having
my horse sent out tomorrow. There's
! room in the barn. isn't there 1
brought my riding things along L
thought this air and these wonderful
roads a pity to be wasted now I'm
here. Oh, what pity. Ruth. I'm
afraid I'm crowding you here. and I'd
better get out before you break any
thing else"
Before many days had passed it was
clear to the girl and the woman in the
little white house that more than a
| desire for rest had brought Bob home
He was over at the Owens or riding
with Katharine most of the time
! When he was in the house, too, there
was something which, in spite of his
jollity. seemed to have risen like y
barrier between them. Daily Ruth
felt how nearly right she had been
in her mis- yivings. Bob had outgrown
them He was older, broader and
deeper than in the old days. BUSH
ness and association with people had
done it. She felt bitterly how inade-
quate she was to amuse him. how far
short she fell of being proper COM
panion. Girls of high breeding and
unusual attachments like Katharine
Owen were, of course, the kind that
naturally appealed to him now.
one day Bob came in from a ride
while Ruth WIS gathering eggs in the
! barn. She had on a blue bingham
dress and her cheeks were the delicate
! pink of Ophelia roses. To her intense
| amazement Bob came right up to her
and kissed her deliberately on the