Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-11
CHAPTER IL

OUCH conversations as Ruth and Scott
~ INDUCED in on the night they ex-
pected the Carriers to spend the evening,
were extremely bad for both. They
started an unpleasant train of thought
one thing suggesting another; and even
for when nasty things are said they are
bound to be remembered later on. Thus
1t can be seen how easily Scott began
to feel more than ordinarily stiff to-
suggestions on their defenseless heads
and what might have been a nice ac-
uuaintanceship was nipped in the bud.
Scott began to abhor all people with
money. He resented more and more
being with them at all. Bill Carter
spelled to him a SNUG complacence
that was distasteful in the extreme, and
Isabel an e1npty-headed little know
nothing who cared for nothing but
clothes and style. Ruth wondered why
this state of things had come to be,
and did not realize at all that her
utter lack of tact had caused the break
between them. 1t was just ono other
thing that Scott could not be forced
TO do by any manner of means. Once
give Scott the idea that any one was
in any sense patronizing him and friend
ship was impossible.
Ruth's mother had been interfering
in more ways than one in the affairs
Of the young people. She never did
anything openly, but her manner OF
comparing the Raymond's state of af-
fairs with other young couples who had
moro to spend was aggravating in the
extreme to Scott. Not that there was
at any time anything he could take
up and refute. Mrs. Rowland was
too clever to do anything definite, but
she did say definite things. to Ruth
which influenced Ruth and made her
less apt to be broad-minded where her
life with Scott was concerned. Ruth
had learned one lesson. She had learned
that she must be ready to put herself
out, that she must not make mountains
out of mole-hills and agonize over trifies
in short, that she must be more toler-
ant in many ways, but thus far she had
not extended this tolerance to human
beings, to men and women, to relatives,
to friends and in a measure neither had
Scott. Scott, for instance, could real
ize very quickly just how Unfortunately
Mrs. Rowland grated on his nerves.
but he did not stop to consider that
his own mother Jared on Ruth
Ruth had always been half afraid
of Mrs. Raymond. She was SO flippantly
young, so unlike her own mother. Ruth
could never disassociate Mrs. Raymond
from crisp white ruffles and a trim
blue suit, Of sharp eyes and a queerly
enigmatic tongue. Ruth never knew
. t,,-1 nlF Fif,ey
fun Of her and she seemed so efficient
that she somehow put all Ruth's small
efforts to shame. Ruth never felt very
close to Mrs. Raymond, and the bond
of understanding that existed between
Scott and his mother, Ruth had never
been able to penetrate.
AS to Mrs. Raymond herself she
thought Ruth a moro than ordinarily
intelligent young woman. She hoped
things for her. but was quite con-
scious Of the fact that at present Ruth
was. f1oundering, as all young married
woman founder, in the depths Of ig.
norance. Whether she would some day
pull out and prove herself the woman
still remained to be seen. Thus they
all played at cross purposes with each
other and waited for things to happen.
Mrs. Raymond never found fault with
y
pie, but when she dlsapproved she had
a way of making Ruth's choicest friends
appear somehow not at all worth while.
She might do it In perfectly good
natured fashion, as she had in the case
of one of Ruth's girl friends.
Good for relaxing the mind, isn't
she, Ruth? Mrs. Raymond had remark
ed, carelessly, leaving Ruth with the
chance to defend her friend and to
have Mrs. Raymond show immediate
surprise that her innocent remark had
been taken up or quietly assent by say
ing nothing, which Ruth often did
hating herself nevertheless for what she
felt was cowardice.
Mrs. Rowland was different. She
would spend the day with Ruth and
would advise her against some of SCOTS
friends in a serious fashion, and in a
way to irritate Ruth. Ruth might chat
ter quite innocently about them, but
Mrs. Rowland would be sure to gather
from something that was said the fact
that Ruth did not care for these people
II wonder why Scott Is SO strange
in his friendships" she would say. who
could imagine caring for people that
are almost down at the elbow and who
will never amount to anything. Scott
will never get anywhere unless he
changes"
Such remarks Ruth always felt to
be strangely prophetic.
Neither of the two mothers found
each other congenial, needless to say
in fact, neither saw very much of the
other, and it was in this kind of an
atmosphere with no very stable ground
between them in the matter Of friends
and with only dlree short months OF
married life to point out each others