The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-11
Chapter IL
&. RUTH DECIDES


in that complicated emotional state
which only very young girl can
achieve. This is a statement that
needs to- be amplihed. There are |
many girls of Is who have experienced !,
every emotion they are capable of
having. to whom nothing more can
come as surprise. These are not
necessarily the sophisticated type of
the big city. They are found as fire.
Quently, and some say more frequent !
ly. in the small town.
But Ruth was not this sort. Instinc-
lively she kept away from the fast"
set in her town and she had not en-
ough money to know the fashionable
crowd who lived on country estates in
the neighborhood, who rode and
danced together and flirted in the
moonlight.
So almost automatically she fell in
with a crowd of sweet and harmless
children. As she grew up her studies
took more and more of her time. Her
father had made her read an unusual
number of good books which had ma
rured her mind so that Irritation for
firtation'S sake seemed to her a fool
ish waste of time. Myra might sit by
the hour talking the most absurd non
sense while one Of the boys held her
hand, but Ruth had better uses for
her time.
Up to is. then. she had not appar-
entity fallen in love. She liked Tim
better than any other boy she mad met
He frequently read the same books
she did, he was interested in his
work. he was capable of carrying on a
far more intelligent conversation than
the other 22-year-old men of her &C
INT ily1r L@a I,
she looked up to him as being extreme
iy brilliant. she was sure he would be
great man. Bevond that she had not
analysed her feelings.
But this was new emotion, and
she lay awake hours thinking about
It. Tim had not gone to the city be-
cause she had to stay. Tom, then,
must like very much to be with her:
and, thinking this, she fell happily
asleep.
Next morning she had little time to
think of anything. The woman who,
with her husband, had taken the top
floor Of the house, received a telegram
that her sister was dead. So she gath
cred up her few possessions and left
for her old home in the South that
day, her husband (who had left his
lob a week before) going with her.
ueS ldu dilSduS pau titc 1ChI ~ tiiS
first of the month. but Mrs. O'Neil was
concerned about losing them
The money paid for your fathers
medicines and cam" in for lots of
thrgs." she said. - waS going to take
the next months rot and give it to
Dr.. Lane on account.
Il gave him S25 on account. And he
says he's coming again this morning.
Ruth answered, looking up from her
silver cleaning. Never mind, mother.
we'll get in new tenants"
But she wasn't so sure. Her mother
thanked her for paying the bill.
Though I can't take your money,
You may still get to New York with it,
if I can manage to find some to put to
it," she answered. IF l can get some
more people for rooms. now
Ruth went to the top floor and began
cleaning the empty rooms-in case the
vague new tenants should mater
ialiZe.
Tim stayed home from New York
because she couldn't go-he liked to
be with her enough to sacrifice a great
opportunity. How many other men
would do a thing like that--for a mere
girl 1t was very romantic-Tim was
romantic, thought she hadn't thought
of it before.
Ruth stopped to look out the Win
dow at the wind-blow world beyond the
garden. What nice name Tim was,
too. What a nice boy. She put her
hand to her heart, which was beating
so hard she could feel it. Suppose
she was in love.
Ruth, come down when you're
through. DR.. Lanes here" her mother
called
"All right, l will" Ruth came back
TO earth and her task.
But of course she wasn't in love.
She was only 1S-oh, yes, at Is many
girls had fallen in love and many had
married. Myra had been in love half
dozen times. But not she! There
were too many things to be done first
her father must be better. her
mother more comfortably fixed.
It would be nice and consoling to
have Tim around. she decided, rubbing
the furniture with a dust cloth. She
would not have thought to stay home
Tim had.
Tim. then, was in love with her.
And this sudden thought. bursting
in upon her mind, made Ruth com
plotely forget her work. She sat in
the middle of the floor, dust rag in
hand. and thought over this delicious
idea for a long time.
Indeed, it was DR.. Lanes voice that
brought her back. She went down
stairs.
"Ductors always order change of