The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-19
Chapter Is
lESOlA 1lON.

DESOLATiON.
Ruth turned over the last page of
the paper, and laid it down with
sigh.
She was too generous by nature Ito
envy anyone. especially the chum She
loved so much. She was truly i;lad
Myra was having such good Il me.
Her letter read like the stories hnm
some OF the magazines she picked up
Al the library
Roof gardens, motors, dances, low
cut dresses, gfittering mater ials.,
sweeping trains, devoted attendan It's
she wondered whether Cousin E mily
had a Pomeranian dog. too. The ], dies
III the magazine stories always hal.
Her thoughts left Tim for a fhile
and turned towards the city. With Ny
ra's letter as a start, she let her. imag-
ination run on with that otheI. life.
She pictured Myra in lovely clinging
blue gown, something that would make
her very pretty eyes still more strik-
ing, something that would bring out
the glints in her wavy golden hal {. She
would carry fan, of course, which
she would wave slowly. seattle ring a
faint, elusive perfume as she W, tited it
to and fro-it was always that way in
the stories!
Ruth pictured half a dozen devoted
men-Myra usually had who le trail
Of OF boys behind her-but these, would
be grown men. with motor cars; and in
tense eyes-this also according to the
magazine story formula-anjf Myra
would marry the millionaire zone and
go on wearing glittering GOWNS and
jewels, and have huge apartment and
personal maitland Pomer anian.
And she, Ruth, would go to- visit her
now and then. But this idea was less
pleasing. For she would be M lrried to
Tim, and they would be poor and she
would not have any 1ow-cut Towns to
wear.
But she would have all the other
things. the real things Of ljtfe-love
and Tim, and a home. And here
Ruth's common sense, her mothers
gift, came back to her. She laughed at
herself for her wild Visions, and re.
read the letter.
But why" she thought Il, herself
should Myra go to the city, when it
means nothing to her but pleasure
while I have to stay home. when that
same trip would mean a VII ole career
to me?
"Myra, after all, won't get anything
from this but lot of d,nces and
clothes and men, which she would have
on smaller scale at homr!. To me
it would mean a chance tor learn--tc
ean-to make something Of myself tc
give my Mother comfort an my Faith
er peace and happiness. Vi 11y, when
want to work, can't l have the
CHANGER"
But she felt ashamed Of herself fol
even this approach to envy She was
glad Myra was having a good time!
AS she folden the letter and put it ir
its envelope, she noticed P
scrawel on the back Of tho page.
Remember me to Tim '1nd ask hin
when he's coming to the ci ty. I've tolt
Cousin Emily he's the ham soonest maj
in Pennsylvania"
Ruth smiled a little.
She had Tim! And VIII at else coult
she want? She had his 1--we, his deyo
ton: she had his presenos &c, strength
en- her when things went badly.
You needn't stop cna,ing to SEE
me-" she had told him. '"lNe will go o.
being Just as nice friendtj as We wer'
BEFORE"
She got up and went through TIL
household duties, working swiftly ant
efficiently as her mother had laugh
her. She had a vague plan, in tn
back Of her head-she hardly knew
what it was herself, but part Of it wa.
to find out the resources of the house
the supplies OF it.
So, after her cleaning. she went t
the storerooms, brought out all tn
sheets and blankets and quilts, an
made UP two piles-the good and tn
bad. The Dad or the worn things wer
taken downstairs to be- mended, an
brought into use again. Worn sheet
she ripped in half, and aid them asid
to be sewed up-the edges to b
scanned together, maxim e a sheet ne1
in the centre where the wear came
and weak only on the edges. She care
fully sorted and counteci.the piles, the
did the same to the silver and tn
table linen-most OF it :gone-and tn
china
The result showed that the hous
was fairly we'll Stoke d, though mos
things had been we'll worn.
Then she walked thpsugh the rooms
and made notes of possible changes i
furniture and the conditions OF rug
and upholstery Things were shabb
but perhaps they could be fixed
Twilight brought little Mrs. Beldin
back from her work SHE had pickle
up a lot of harmless gossip from tn
town, which she related to Ruth a
they got their supper That evenin
Ruth called on Mrs. Weed. and tn
next evening Tim came again
DO you want to read my letter froI
Myra?" she asked.
He nodded. somewhat Indifferent!
She gave him the lettGr, but he va
plainly bored by it.
SILLY little fool" he, murmured.
don't care if she is yCMr best frient
Ruth. she is silly little fool. All sh
NJ