Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-03

Chapter AAAN.
For the next few days, Ruth had at
least n physical rest. Mrs. O'Neil took
entire charge of the house, she made
herself particularly nice to the people
Ruth had put in, and promptly put the
place on a more efficient basis. In small
things. Mrs. O'Niel was most eiheient
too much so, perhaps, for other people
comfort.
So she took over the house and the
meals. and Ruth sat out on the porch
With her father. reading aloud and en-
loving the new books he had brought
back with him Her mother went back
and forth, dressed in one of the gingham
house gowns she had made while away-a
huge figure with large hips and broad
shoulders, firm jaw, large brown eyes
that wee little hard in expression, and
coarse iron-gray hair. Her deep voice
reached them from various parts OF the
house.
Ruth had already started garden, on
a larger scale than usual, since she planned
10 keep ''bosrders" the next winter and
wanted TO cut costs as much as possible.
Sometimes she worked in it. with her
father giving a little light help. He was
not strong, and could not do anything
strenuous without having a heart attack.
But nc made the work interesting by his
knowledge of plant life, so that Ruth felt
each hour in the garden was lesson IN
biology
Nevertheless, her DAYS of compare
tive rest did not make her look better,
as her mother noted with concern.
"She needs a conn lete change" she
told Mr.. O'Neil. and d.Jy planned how
she might have one.
"No use sending her to Sarah. they
areed- Its too hot there in the sum
u,er. and the town is dead when the col
lesc is closed She needs complete
change.
''Of course. If she could only go and
visit her chum. in the city,
Mrs. O'neil determined that this should
hsppen. Meantime. she began going over
accounts, the house, the bank, debts,
receipts.
One dav she called Ruth in TO the library
Her face was white-as white as it could
he under the naturally brownish tinge o
her Skin.
II hate TO add this to your worries,
she said You've done so wonderfully
i believe your Father would have died
il We had rot gotten him away this winter.
And vou meraged 20 make the house earn
enough TO pay for IT all
1T wasn't much, thanks TO Aunt
Sarah, Ruth said.
Still IL was wonderful for YOU TO have
dore II think your Father IS nervously
better physically, OF course, he'll never
improve
The girls face paled little at this.
But the thing that worries me I'M
mediately !s this-there's lot Of back
taxes owirg on the place. I've been hunt
lrg sor receipts, and haven found them.
But among your Fathers papers | did
find several notices of money due he said
he had paid them. suppose he did not
vast 70 worry me.
What docs it mesn?" Ruth was quite
ignorant of this sort OF thing.
1T means that well have 10 mortgage
the place to pay the taxes
A mortgage, Ruth felt faint for 8 mo-
ment A mortgage to her meant some
strange, strangling, financial thing. some
thing that. once it got on place, sucked
u urtil-ur til il was sold into the hands OF
Honecne lucky enough 20 have the money
and rot 10 be burdened with mortgages
To Ruth. a mortgage was only known
as she had read of il in pathetic stories
where "the dear old farm" was always sold
70 sstisv its creditors. She saw the house
up 81 auction immedlstely Y.
Let's not do that! There must be
way out without that, Is it much?"
Mrs. ONiel named tho sum. To Ruth it
seemed enormous.
But we are earning moro now than
we really have TO have, she said BY
the end Of this wear we can pay if off,
or most OF IT, "
1t has TO be paid at once"'
And that was added TO the girls troubles
for time Then Mrs O'Niel took the
matter into her hands and did one Of the