Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-10-09
Oh, a day or two ago. !"
cat luneheonY"

Oh, day or two ago."
"At luneheon9"
Yes. She wanted my advice-as
lawyer-and telephOned me. 1t was
| about luncheon time, so l took her to
lunch and we talked then. We both had
to eat, and it saved her a trip to my
office"
My, what an elaborate explanation -
Ruth said ironically, then at once plung-
ed into another subject Now she was
glad she had not told Brian about her
Delmonieo luncheon. Had she, he
would have blamed her for his not want.
ing to lunch alone, she thought, as he
always blamed her for not wanting to
| dine alone when she was out Of town.
Brian, evidently relieved, was will.
ing to follow her lead, and was pleasant
ly chatty both then and the following
morning. He had, to ten. the truth
been little uneasy over Ruth IS recep
tion of his having lunched with Mollie
He had not relished her tone when she
spoke of his elaborate explanation. )"
Was she going to be nasty about Mol
lieg He hoped notl Mollie was such
a good little pal. A fellow was so
comfortable with her. OF course, if
Ruth objected, he would have to keep
away from her when Ruth was in town,
When she was away-that was another
matter. He had told Ruth how he stood
on that point.
After he had left for his office, Ruth
thought very seriously about him and
Mollie King. Big tears welled up into
her eyes as she thought that perhaps
he was sorry he had married her in.
stead of Mollie. The very feminine
trick of making herself miserable even
before she was sure there was anything
to be miserable about, had not passed
Ruth by, even though she were busi-
ness woman. Business had in no way
robbed Ruth of her femininity; nor of
her womanly, or her womanish traits.
So she had pictured herself neglected
forlorn, because of Mollie King.
When she reported for her work, Ar
thu" Mandel quickly sensed something
wrong. She looked troubled, and there
was suspicious redness about her
e,ses.
"That fellow has been making her
he thought to himself, and
apostrophised him in no uncertain Ian
guage-in his thoughts. "1t's a darn
shame, he resumed, vet could not help
a feeling of pleasure that it would EN-.
phasize his own attitude toward her.
"You are not looking up to the
mark, " he said to her, "Take it easy !
today. Really, if you like, you may
go home at noon I shall be too busy
to da anything about that western mat
ter, and nothing else is at all pressing"
AT first Ruth started to say she !
didn't care to go home. Then there
rushed over her desire to spend the
afternoon in her own apartment. She
would let Crawford go and meet Brian
somewhere for dinner. She longed to
be alone. So she thanked Mr.. Mandel
and said that if nothing came up be
tween then and the noon hour to cause
him to change his mind, she would be
glad to go home.
~ have a number Of little things
yet to do in my apartment. / shall be
glad of the chance" she said, and then
added rather shyly-she had not yet
become accustomed to being in the po-
sition of employee" Thank you very
much, Mr.. Mandel."
"Don't thank me, I'd'--he flushed
and caught himself. He had almost
told her more than he knew to be wise
at this time. But he wanted her to owe
her happiness to him. "I'd not have
allowed you to show up at all today had
l known you felt badly" he finished
in business-like manner.
Glow good he is to me-" Ruth said
to herself as she went about her days
work. "I don't believe many employ.
ers are like him.2
She was thinking, as it happened
just exactly what Arthur Mandel in.
terded for her to think.
(Tomorrow-Claude Becky Enlightens
Ruth as to Brian's Whereabouts.)