Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-24
The Wife.
Claude Becky Succeeds in Spelling
Ruths Evening.
BY JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER Nv.

VI Ar X lsN.
The d fool" Ruth heard Brian
say under his breath. then. as a wave
OF crimson dyed his face. ne said
"Mollie has some business that I
am looking after for her and Il
saves time II do 1t at luncheon in
stead ot when I might be seeing
someone else"
lie realized that. in view OF what
Claude Becky had said, that It was
n lame explanation. While II had
really been more than an hour since
Becky had seen them--although
now Ruth wouldn't believe it-yet
he had sat over the luncheon all the
afternoon. He recalled that he
looked al his watch just as they
rose from the table and II had been
just five-thirty. 1t was now only a
little after seven. So Becky wasn't
so far off.
Ruth felt stunned. Had things
gone so far that Brian neglected his
business. remained away from the
office the entire afternoon TO be with
Mollie King?
where did you lunch. Brian ?"
she asked very quietly, Too quietly,
Brian thought, Her voice sounded
ominous. -'
AT the Brevort"
Suddenly Ruth knew what to do.
She would not uphraid him. She
would not allow him to think she
thought him guilty OF any wrong
neither was she at all sure in her
own mind that ne had wronged her
in any way.
81 wish you had called me up and
asked me down there too | should
have enjoyed It immensely"
Brian was SO taken aback he
couldn't speak for a minute, then he
said gruffly:
How did know your boss was
going to give YOU the afternoon"
II have TO lunch somewhere every
day. can ALWAYS take an hour-or
"A little more. When you have time
to 60 to a really nice place. wish
you would call me up and ask me TO
meet you"
IAN right, I will" he breathed
more freely Was she going to be
nice about it? He had been afraid
Of scene. Yet. knowing Ruth, he
should have known she would make
no scene in public place. Perhaps
when they got home he'd catch II.
How he hated that fool Becky.
Meddlesome boob.
The waiter came with their order,
and while Brian ate what he had or
dered he noticed that Ruth scarce
" ate a thing. And she had told him
she was hungry. She asked for
coffee with her dinner and drank
two strong cups. Something she
never had done before. and conse-
quently Brian looked upon II as an
added proof that she was trying to
hold back the lecture he was to get
when they reached home: she was
bracing up on coffee. So he ex-
pressed Il In his thoughts
In one way he was right. Ruth
trembled so she could scarcely con-
troll herself. To appear indifferent
when She was 80 furiously jealous.
was hard. She had asked for the
coffee 10 help steady her nerves.
Ruth also could not help but Won
der, as she pretended to eat, and
occasionally made remark about
someone near them; II that was the
reason Brian had no money; that he
was broke as he had told her be-
fore they left home She had given
i'm ten dollars the night before. per-
haps he had not found 1t. He had on
the same clothes. She would ask
him. 1t wasn't the money! II he
had spent 1t. every cent, on himself,
she would have laughed at him for
his boyish foolishness; but to take
the money she had earned-how
should she approach the subject.
She couldn't ask him point blank II
he had done as she suspected.
She tried to chat unconcernedly
about some people near them, and
Brian was so thankful for her for
bearance that he seconded her in
such a way that they both breathed
more easily.
Their dinner as ordered would
take about all OF the five dollars,
including the tip.
II believe could eat baked
alaska" Ruth finally said. She had
selected the most expensive dessert
she could think OF,
Brian tueshed again, looked un-
comfortable. then hlurted out:
We haven't money enough
told you we had better not come to
such a place as this with only five
dollars"
But we didn't" she almost held