Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-09
CHANGED FRIENDS.


The sudden. unexpe cted change in
Myr~s voice over the phone. combined
With Ruths own nervousness, made her
feel suddenly unwelcome. suddenly strange
apd awkward with Myra-zn curious con-
dition 10 exist now between two girls
vho had bean bosom friends sipcc they
could first walk and play.
when did you get ip?" Myre ask. d
Ruth told her. and sdded that she
had b.>cn 30 busy with her aunt that
abe hSd not time TO look up anyone she
kpew-snd felt amused when she oon.
adhered that the only people she knew
were her two friends from home,
Then Myras voice came back more
cordnlly-ip fact, with sudden hign
pitched cor,iiality thrt pushed Ruth
mor~ than the former CONSERVATION.
The directions came slowly and ierkilv,
and there was quite obviously = consulta-
cor between Myrs and someone else ss
D. whether Fifth or Madison WAS the
~s,i.sst WAY to come. Ruth csught the
tones of a men g voice-could it be Tim s?
Was Tim with Myra now She did not
want To see him vet, She certainly did not
usnt TO have 10 face him for the first
time when he and Myra were together.
But she oos,ld not be sure who It was
The voice WAS too faint to catch through
The phone. Fins lly, when she understood
t1ust how she was to resoh the little apart
ment, she started on her way.
But her hands were cold and her face
was hot IL must be Tim-if he and Myra
fvrre sged Who else could it be? She
must sec him, but she did not wsnt the
i<trnn6ied encounter TO take plsce so i'm
mediately
However, when she entered the tiny
Sportneot, Myra WAS alone; and this
wss an immense relief TO her visitor.
sD,riin' Pm Just too glad to see you'll
Myrs rushed over and embraced Ruth
enthusiastically, kissing her on both
cbsyrks Its too nice of you TO come In
s4{ke this! OF course wei knew you were
iNrxe. You and mother both wrote and
sent my address 70 you. But | didn't ex-
pect YOU would look me upl'
Obviously Myra WAS fesrfullv en-
lt~xsssed Ruth opened her eyes in sur
Prise.
why notr" she asked Why not,
indeed wasn't Myrs after all her best
and oldest friend? But Myra did not
nrswcr this question; instead she sat
down on the deep cushioned couch, and
tu,led the tea table and its lamp little
closer.
Ruth had been proud of her new suit,
snld thought she made q very good ap-
u,arance, but she felt her insignificsnce
PAINFULLY as she looked at her old friend
Nvra WAS dressed IN 3 long, clingIng gown
al p soft satin, 50 draped that every fold
caught the light and cleaned Her white
neck and arms were bare. Her lovely gold
hair was piled high up on her head, and
her k.shess were amazingly long and black.
Ruth learned later that this was done
with pant She was really exquisltely
beautiful, highly artificial, very expensive
looking.
Ruth sat on the other end of the couch,
and gradually a little OF the uneXplaln-
able reserve dropped away As they thaw-
ei out. Myras high keyed manner chang
ed too, and she talked IN the way she used
to 81 boxne-except for new phrases and
uannerisns which Ruth credited to her
new Mty associations.
Myrs WIS 50 thoroughly a reflection
Of the person she was with, that she was
inoApable Of keeping up one character
when the model of that character had been
removed. Under Ruth's honesty and SIN
crrIty, she dropped back now 70 the SOFT
az gIrl she had been IN Marketown.
Ruth told OF places OF interest she had
visited. Some OF them Mvra knew. most
she did not.
Il suppose ! should have seen them.
she remarked But of course. ] see new
things every once IN awhile tr0tting about.
No, I've never been in the hbrar~ heay-
ems. Emily had all the magazines. what
did want Oh well, architecture doesn I
interest me. No, Ihaven 'tseen the Museum
/ expect Il has a lot Of things that would
educate me-but Lord, I've done with
SCHOOL,
To this philosophy there was no answer
Ruth recognized the gulf that was widen
ing between them. II began the DAY after
they graduated, when Ruth had the rrst
mixing OF her real financial situation
and when she began taking UP new studies
having finished her old ones. For MyTa,
education stopped with q diploma. In
deed she felt virtuous that she had car
ried Il so far as that,
They chartered awhile Of home Ruth
gave her the latest news Of everything.
I'm glad you're alone tonight. she
said once. 1T s nice to see YOU and talk
with yuu again ] thought when phoned
that you might have company-especlal-
Nv when ] arrived and saw your dress
oh yes. alonew Myra echoed vacant
IL. but caught at the last word dress.
TITS a last wears style When Emily sail
Cd she gave me all her clothes, except
what she needed for the trip across. She
went first 20 Paris TO get new things. Most
of these are ready 10 wear out.
The door opened out ID the hallway
aad vuioe hailed Myra.
Nyra face lighted up ca gerly.
TornOrrow-A New Type.