Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-03
THE GIRL WHO
HAD NO CHANCE
ny Marian Rubincnrr.
Protected by George Matthew Adams.
ANXIOUS MOMENTS.
ttkuntar IN

Chapter TX
On the whole il was good thing Tor
| Ruth that the next few days were so
crowded For while she worried at least
her worries were about more than her own
troubles. And there il always consolation
in that.
The evening she went upstairs after
sitting in the cold on the top step of tho
porch she found her father lying proppcd
up by pillows with an open volume of
Montagnes = Essays in his hand.
let's read some Of these this evening,
he suggested. handing her the book
Ruth had been but recently introduced
| To Montaipnc She and her father had
read through most OF the good old classics
Duncan O'Niel had a specia! fondncss
for the later writer's like Scott and Dick
ems. Thackeray and Byron, The year be
fore they had read every kipling book in
the free library. and before that, IN Ruths
| Junior wear. they had gone through many
/ Of what Duncan called the ancient clas-
sizes This was when Ruth was studying
ancient history, and the old 'ireek ana
Roman PLAYS and oratlons that her fathcr
made her read, had done much 10 make
vivid 10 her the world OF two thousand
years before,
| But the medieval French philosopher
was new 10 her. The first time she had
! delighted in his simple common sense ms
! CHEEKY outlook his occasional mud GYM
! cism. But tonight sh" could not keep her
mind on what she was rcadiHg.
For there ARE times when cheerfulneSs
! only aQgravatcs Ruth felt annoyed that
Moutnignc should offer her consolation.
/ In his dav one did not need knowledge OF
shorthand and bookkeeping to succeed IN
I liic'
Never mind let talk little, Dun
! can O'Niel suggested when long pause
between words showed hm that ms
daughters mind WAS not on her Door
w here your mother
"In the kitchen making tomato butter
from the last tomatoes IN the garden he
grocer trusted us for ~ pounds oi sugar
The bitterness ol Is when II first faces
disillusiou was j., Ruth 5 voice
Ruth the mau said gently after
moment. "Nou don know how sorry
am that YOU could not 90 10 New fork
TODAY with Mvra OF course YOU VIII
We Il manage Il soon
But Ruth knew. almost for the first
time that il would rcver be managed
soon that her fathers optimistic re-,
mark WAS only another q his beautiful
illusions about life
She SAID nothing for a while Her face.
/ however. showed the invalid mu'h more
than spokcn words could have told
"Its only that wanted to do 50 much
I for YOU and mother, she said presently
7 "Of course III get posltIcn here n the
4 town soon. iii begin looking about
"Oh no. Td hate to have YOU gong
toa an office every dav coming home tlred
somehow ID the city i wouldn % -
bad At least the work would pay better
and he less fatlgHug
AGAIN Ruth was not deceived she knew
hat hct father dreaded ~ see her loih the
ranks ~ working girls to sec her ~
her h,is nc suit, go ont each morning "a
come. home each night a httlc more W"rn,
alfftlc older 4 little harder II she we're IN
thee Duncan could let loosc his mag
nation and picture her in the surroundings
III wanted her those surrounding were
All Office. ID would hc some sort ot ideal
Office where Ruth ! word was the -" ana
where her work was negligible
But must earn money. Father !
can't be a burden any longer
"a burden Dear child, never talk that
wav again. 4 burden Why. Ruth, dear,
what makes YOU think It's words
stoned and his hand went to ms heart.
Ruth saw the blue shadow on his face and
her own heart stopped for M instant.
Never mind, ] wont talk that way
again. lie back, and stay quiet until
come home. Father, wont you" J have
an errand II won't take long
Too frightened 70 think about her own
troubles now. Ruth slipped out and went
IL her own room From tiny box 10 her
bureau she took out her hundred dollar
bill her prize money from school She
had not put il in the family bank account
because she knew II would DC drawn Tor
some # the many bills
With the money in her purse, she ran
( down the street II DR. Lane Il was stIll
his Office hours.
II want you n come see Father tins
evening she told him And Mother
wants me 10 pay you $25 on account Can
you take II from this
They walked back 70 the house to-
/ gether, Ruth holding in her small pocket
! book the fat wad of small bills which she
/ had been given as change. She stuffed
! them into the box while the doctor went up
! 10 her father room. Her mother was still
/ IN the kitchen; the delicious odor of that
! delec, able sweet tomato butter filled the
/ whole house
! Then Ruth went down TO the porch
j again aud took up her position on the top
/ s,ep. II was 50 dark that the yellow asters
/ no longer glowed family ia the gloom. Or.
/ Lane came out later and, seeing her,
| dropped down sociably besIde her.
4 gloomy vigil Where that devoted
beau Of yours? ne teased.
please tell me about Father. Ruth
/ begged
fWen, of course, he shouldn't have
/ much excitement, unpleasant excitement
/ 1T least-and no worry. Iouve always
/ known that. He's depressed you
think you could send him away? I'm a
| great Believer In change Of air and scene
and even of people.
Iorao.rrnru-ll Inc E.YenlnQ.