Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-24
DEVELOPMENTS.
Chapter LII.

DEVELOPMENTS.
Chapter LII.
Langley Williams was tall, very tan
indeed his height made apparently grea,
ar because of his extreme shmness. huth
thought him quite the tallest man she
had eve. seen. Late. she found that the
thick crop of straight yellow halr which
was brushed straight back from his iore-
head added an inch or Two to hls height.
That was oil the grl was conscious
of as a first impression. Later she dis-
covered that he had gray eyes which were
80 ,-erv large a mouth tha. closed firm
" but that was rather homely IN shape;
Jaw that was frmer than the mouth,
and . great macy lines in his face. just
now rs he smiled, she did not notlce
this stuhborness of either mouth or emu;
Langley Williams had had herd
Gfe and his face showed IT. He would
tnow more things about a man he had
inst met than most people would Ind out
after weeks of acquaintance. lie knew
practically nothing about women, men
rarely deceived him, women always
could. and one woman once
But meantime Ruth was speaking
again.
about "a room: Her cheeks llusleu
suddenly end she wondered why she
should feel embarrassed with him, talking
shout a simple business arrangement
.uch as renting q room, when she had no
such ideas with anyone else!
srWeI. yes. that was partly 1t. lie
was standing on the step below her, but
.he still felt that she wos looking up AT
bim. :" | expected to get here long time
GOO hut | only arrived yesterday and m
.topping at-welI, they call It hotel
Ruth laughed She knew the Main Street
Hotel was joke, even IN the town, Tor
It's badness.
.RIt Turner was also good enough
70 give me letter Of introduction 10
YOU. and TO few other people mere
1--WE are always glad TO see any friend
OF Tins" Ruth answered mechalucally'
and added Wont you come IN
He eshook his head and said it was dinner
s;n,a. but that he would come again with
the letter. if she would allow hum
'But there isn't vacant room, Ruth
mid. moved by q sudden impulse she
could not explain. She mentioned
bo,rse where he might be made comfort
sble. and with that he went of.
Mr. and Mrs. O'Niel looked up when
the girl came in, wondering at her long
DELAY. She explained that the man l1m
had written about had come for room.
But / said we had none, she went on.
T don't know why, because We need the
money and there's plenty OF rooms to
rent. Only, somehow | did not want
iriond Of Tins TO be-weu, to board
to
II know. nv dear II puts one in
curious, prsition," Duncan O'Niel aswer-
ed. And Ruth, grateful that be could
understand the idea she could not explain,
said nothing more about 1t,
TIE next dav Ruth received note
from Langley Williams.
II said:
FThanks for your suggestion about
a place to live I'm already fixed very
nicely there. This Is the letter OF intro
d,iction Turner gave me. May | come
around some evening next week.
Ruth opened the other note; hating
herself for the agitation that the sight
OF Tins writing caused, 1t was only the
conventional wording OF such notes ana
twas sdatedsometim back. Ruth dropped
il In the fire as soon as she could, ara sent
the new arrival brief letter saying she
would be glad to see him the following
Wednesday.
R1t she WAS not much interested
Mr.. Williams, il appeared, was making
a stir among he. friends, as any stranger
ns-ticularlv a man, would be bound 10
in such q small place.
Mrs. Weed, it seemed, had had him
to dinner and knew 8 great deal about
him.
He's very charming, she told Ruth.
Hes been all over the world, worked his
vav mostly Hes beer on tramp steamers
whatever they are, and he's walked
when he hadn't money. Hes been In the
- Hn1
he's been all over.
Ruth began TO be interested then. Here
was someone who would tell her, st lesst
about the places she wanted 10 see
Hes an efficiency man. He goes into
places, factories mostly, and goes over
their books, and through their works,
and watches .-leir people Taen ne tells
them which are the best workers and which
aren't. and whv and what 10 do 70 the
place to make 1t pay better. Il all sounds
so very interesting" Mrs. Weed quite
enthused about II.
That meant he would come 10 the
factory where she wssl On the way
home Ruth once more felt that she could
not and would not meet thE man, tins
friend. Of Tins, as g factory hand,
and as the daughter OF q roomlng-house
proprietor Then she was ashamed OF
herself for her snobbish attitude.
But In spite of that, when she heard
shat real estate firm in the town needed
stenographer and some one ''tc tend the
Office" she wen, down and sske1 for the
place. And when she secured II she felt
immensely relieved At least it was 81 a
week more. and it was In a place where
she need not breathe Int, non listen TO the
vulgarities OF the factory workers. Sh'
could use some Of her ihJelLgence-anC
she need not meet Langley Williams while
she was at work.
more for Dec "a
''I'n get there yet, but it's slow, sh'
said TO her mother.
CRFAT pr kNG