Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-09-11
RUTH SEES NEwPoRF's FAMOUS
OCEAN DRIVE FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
CHAPTER xxx.


The next morning Ruth and Mr.
Mandel started out Immediately after
breakfast to inspect the "Cary house"
which was situated some distance a
way on the ocean drive.
Ruth thought she had never seen
anything so beautiful as the drive was,
that morning. The early sunshine fall
ing upon the water through the haze
that was over all, wonderfully dis
solved itself into all the colors of the
rainbow. The beautiful homes, so
well kept, the shrubbery and the flow
ers, all caused exclamations of delight
to fall from her lips constantly
Mr.. Mandel told her the names Of
all the owners of the drive property,
adding little bits of personal history
that he thought might interest her.
Already the beach was filled with a
crowd of early morning bathers, add
ing color to the scene.
"I should love to spend summer
here" Ruth exclaimed.
cit is charming place-if you are
in the swim," Mr.. Mandel told her
with smile, "But rather stupid, l
am told, for those who are not. !"
"That would be so, naturally, !"
Ruth musdd, thinking Gf the caste
laws so strictly observed in the little
southern town in which her aunt lived.
The Cary house was large place,
beautifully situated. They had the
keys, and as Mr.. Mandel opened the
door and Ruth passed in, something
very like groan broke from her.
lawful, isn't it?'' he asked with a
smile.
"Awful doesn't express it! it is
wicked" "
"You see," he explained, "the orig
inal owner of the house was one of
our nouveau richie. One of those to
whom price, the cost in dollars, rep
resented value. The furnishings and
decorations of the house show how
false that idea is The house itself is
not 50 bad. 1t was built by good
architect who threatened to leave his
Job half finished if not allowed to 60
ahead with the approved plans with
out change"
"I should think he would have
threatened something if the house
would have been anything like this, -
she motioned with a sweep of her
arm "Why, it crime to spend
money for such stuff, " hideous red
plush davenport was the particular OBJ
ject of her scorn.
"Well, you have almost carte blanche
to do what you please with the inter
ior. There comes the landscape gar
dener whom | was to meet. III leave
YOU alone and attend to him. Here
are the plans of the rooms and halls.
Mark sthem up as you please. we
have another set at the office. "
"Thank you" then, hesitatngly'
"Shall we get back tonight9"
"Why no! that is impossible. If
we get through we win take the sleep
er and get home in the morning. II
not, we will go tomorrow night Don t
hurry through the work; take all the
time you need,' he said, totally mis-
understanding Ruth's question He
thought she feared she wasn't to bel
allowed time enough.
"I'll wait until this afternoon, then
telegraph Brian. III know by that
time if / can get thru today, she said
aloud to herself as she started to
make an inspection of the house, be-
fore settling down to the planning.
Thoughts of Brian intruded until she
resolutely forced them from her mind.
"You go back where you belong
Brian Hackett, and stop bothering
met" she said, laughing aloud at her
own nonsense. ''Ill have trouble e.
nough with you when [ get back
home.'
Thereafter she allowed no straying
thoughts to impede her work But
long before the noon hour, she saw
it would be AN utter impossibility to
do her work, and do it well, in one