Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-25
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1ehow she felt when she was awakened
In the middle of the night by the sound
of the telephone bell shrilling through
the apartment. 1t always seemed to
her the most terrifying sound in the
world after that.
For several nights she had not been
sleeping at all we'll. The excitement OF
the Whitmores sudden departure,
Alice's trouble with her husband ana
everything combined had caused her to
lie awake night after night, nervous
and excited. Things had finally calmed
down, however, and this night she had
gone to bed feeling deliciously drowsy.
She dropped off to sleep leaving Scott
reading book in the other bed. Alice
had gone back to the davenport IN
the front room.
And then had come that frightful
sound in the night. First it had seemed
like dream and then as Ruth struggled
10 consciousness she realized that II
was the telephone. 4.
fsSeThe night was hot and breathless,
and Ruth tumbled out of bed without
stopping for slippers or kimona: Inc
telepbone wire buzzed alarmingly ana
then out of the chaos she heard Mar
tha's voice, in a half whisper.
''Miss RUTH" -,
eyes, Martha, is anything wrong!
Ruth was wide awake in an instant
'Your mothers took very bad. You
best come over right away. -,
"Have you sent for the doctorE
Eyes. he's here
"I,ll he right over" Ruth's voice
.book. and her hand shook as she hung
un tbe receiver. She felt suddenly Ill
and weak and leaned against the wall
for snnport. Then she hurried back 10
her room, snapped on the lgnt anu
spJhe Ms sat 90 m dazedly. "what is it.
what's wrong ,o..o.
Ruth was hurrying into ner eio tLso
Her flesh felt moist and not 'heis
wasn't a breath Of air stirring anI
everything seemed to stick as sne trieu
TO hurry.
"Motber's i'll, I'm going over.
CO, uas ont of bed in an instant,
,,,,;na nm his own things. Neither saio
anrtb;nq until they were out in the darh
s;Iort street A city street has no Dusi,
,,ass +o he ouiet. One always THINKS OIL
- as teeming with life, busting WIN
human energy. Therefore az nlsn' WI W.
n Is deserted and when one loo.iaii'
sonnd out unusually loud ana WIN d
metallic sound there is nothing III the
world so lonely. 1t was SO not anu
hreathless that their rapid walking maze
.her, uncomfortably warm and they SAID
rory little. Ruth had a horrible tear at
heart She knew that her mother was
ALWAYS ant to exaggerate everything
that allied her, but Martha, sensible.
easv going Martha, never exaggerated
| ANYTHING. If everything had been all
r;gbt over home, Martha would never
have called Ruth out in the night. Had
Martha told everything that had hap
pened? That was what was worrying
Ruth most.
They took car which crawled along.
tired sailor lay huddled asleep in one
corner. his warm face upturned to the
glaring light, there was no one else in
| the car. 1t was all so unnatural, so
unreal. Ruth had that feeling that this
couldn't be happening to her. And then
! thew were at their corner and hurrying
along again through other dark streets,
until they finally turned in at the en-
trance of the big apartment house.
A sleepy elevator boy took them up
and then Ruth was standing before the
= door of her mothers apartment. 1t
stood slightly ajar. Martha met them
| lust inside. Her face looked grey and
old. 1t did not take Ruth's quick How
is she?" to bring that look to Martha S
face Ruth knew before she asked that
the worst had happened.
'Not dead Martha - 1t was almost a
wall.
Martha nodded, slowly.
Ruth swayed on her feet and Scot
caught her against him. But she fought
off her weakness in a moment.
"When, when MarthaH'
Fright after telephoned; it was her
heart"
Then Ruth was in her mothers room
standing close beside the big four poster
bed looking down at the face against thu
pillow. 1t did not seem like her mother
somehow she had no desire to cry. Doc
tor Bradley said something to her anc
she answered him. Then she heard
Z.