Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-19
xviii.

XXV11I.
AFTER talking with Myra, Jack had
gone on down to the office. There
he had arranged matters to be out of
town few days, and, going home he
had packed a bag and without saying
anything to any one had left the city.
1t had been usual for Jack to put
In an appearance at the Rowland
apartment nearly every night, and, as
usual, Ruth expected him on the eve
| ming of the most eventful day that she
had spent in her life. She was SO pale
| at dinner and so unusually quiet that
her mother remarked about II. Grim
Martha relaxed to the, point Of loqua-
ciousness as she waited on the table, and
| Bobby remarked scathingly that It was
| silly of them to be upset about her; she
was In love.
"Oh, I don't think SO much of Jack
| Bond" he vouchsafed. "He isn't a SOL
dier, and they're what count these
| days.
Ruth flushed, and Mrs. Rowland re-
| proved Bobby.
Don't tease your sister; can't you
see she's not feeling well?"
Bobby peered at Ruth and relapsed
| into silence until dessert: but when he
|
pudding. he was instantly himself again
| Mother. I have such headache that
| think I'll telephone Jack not to come
| over tonight" Ruth said as they rose
/ from the table
! ''Oh, 1 wouldn't do that. dear; weren't
you going to plan the trip tonight?"
"Oh. mother, I'm too sick to talk
about It," Ruth was almost crying.
well. of course. Ruth. If you are as
| p1,, p,,I LEFT taS1
| only / should think you could see Jack
just few minutes. Let me give you
| one of my headache tablets"
| mo. mother: want to lie down and
| be alone, that's ALL" Ruth was wonder
| ing IL there was a tablet she could take
| for an aching heart, for her heart ached
SO desperately that she wanted to die.
She had bungled things all around, and
there was no one to help her, no one sne
| could ask for advice.
Every we'll" Mrs. Rowland re]oined,
and Ruth could tell by her voice that
she disapproved. 1t didn't matter,
| though; she would telephone Jack not
! to come and then she would go away
into her own room and close the door
and be alone. Alone with her unhappi-
| ness, alone with another possibility tnat
until today she had not dreamed OF. IL
was that possibility mere than any
| Otner tnan mum
Twice during the day this strange new
emotion had stirred in her heart ana
she longed to be alone with IT; sne
wanted to know If it were really true!
She stood in the hall hesitating unti
| her mother spoke to her again.
| IT don't think you have treated JacR
at all nicely these last few weeks, she
| observed. He has teen more than con-
siderate of you. and Is planning 10 give
YOU everything a girl could want.
don't see what has changed you sc
| utterly"
"Mother," Ruth said, turning toward
her mother suddenly. don't you under'
stand? Jack is here at home doing noth'
ing at all, and all the other men are
doing their share" III,
rs that the way you sympathize VIII
Jacks inability to cope with the o.hei
men physically" Mrs. Rowlands tone
was severe.
TT isn't that, mother, It's everything
o. l don't know what to think, out
| must 20 away and be alone tonight.
Something in the girls voice awoks
every bit of sympathy IN MRS. ROW
lands nature. She did sympathize witf
lack, and for long time she had en-
tirely disapproved of the war work una
| took Ruth away from home nearly al
CT every day. But she had SAID ho'ii
ing because she realized that the wed
ding was not far off and then. she rea
soned, this fad Of Ruth's would pc TOT
gotten. This had been the nrst Tins