The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-04
Chapter 81.
A CONTRAST.

A CONTRAST.
The next day, which was the third
in Ruth's stay in the city. she attend
ed to a great deal more of the work
assigned her by the committee, and
managed to be through in time to!
meet the young man with the small
moustasche for tea, as she had prom
Used. Having tea" as she expressed
it, was the most exciting thing that
could have happened" She decided
that when she got home she would !
have tea served to her as soon as she
came in from her work, and then have
dinner a little later. In the city, they
seemed to dine at extraordinary hours
eight and even half past eight. The
girl smiled as she passed the crowded
dining room of the hotel. At home,
she was often thinking Of going to
bed when these people were begin
ming dinner!
But the two things that seemed to
her the greatest marks of leisure and
luxury were-having tea, and her
white satin negligee. And this after
noon, she spent pleasant hour talk
ing to the young chap who wanted to
know great deal about her work and
who seemed to admire her immensely.
And then she went to her apartment
1t was O'Clock, and she was very
tired. The excitement of the city, the
party the night before, the work she
had done that day, had completely eX-
hausted her. She looked forward to a
whole evening by herself. Besides,
there were all the boxes of purchases
TO be undone.
One takes easily to luxury. Ruth
had a lazy, wram hath, and put on the
neghgee she had purchased a few
days before. Its cleaning white satin
folds draped her figure and gave her
a slimnesS and a grace she never
suspected. And there was little blue
here and there too-she noticed sud
denly that her eyes were quite blue
and of very pretty shade. She let
down her hair, and went in to her
little boudoir to read the evening
paper and to rest awhile.
Shall you have dinner up here? |
myself will serve it," the little French
maid offered. And Ruth nodded, de-
lighted at the idea.
II must make out list of things for
Miss Vance to buy for me-" she said.
while the maid arranged the big tray
on a low table by the couch. Il must
have boudoir cap, mustn't |, Marie"
The maid nodded
And some perfumes" she said,
eager to help make up the list. You
have no powder, no rouge, no smelling
salts"
But I never faint, don't need
that Ruth protested, writing out her
list The maid paused.
Still you should have them. And
bath salts. and" she ran off dozen
articles, some of them strange to the
unsophisticated girl from the little
town. Ruth wrote them down; she
wanted at least to know what all these
things were. And she added 4 bath
robe, gloves, a handbag, blouses, and
various other items to her eVer-grOw,
ing list
A telegram came up to her "Off for
a vacation, too" it read Going to
Chicago. Langley"
i To Chicgao-that's where the girl
= lived the girl who had taken so much
of Langleys belief and who had en-
Uttered him for years! A little chilly
feeling went through her. Suppose,
after all, he should see that girl and
find he still loved her! He protested
he did not any more, but
Ruth lay back on the couch thinking
about it, She had thought Of Langley
as the sort who only loved once. He
said he loved her now. But, after all.
hadn't this strange girl taken the best
Of his devotion? Could he give to the
second love all he had given to the
first? Could he love the second wo-
man as he loved the first?
She decided he could not. and lay
for long time thinking Of this and
feeling very unhappy about it. She
wanted to love Langley - in many
ways she did love him They were
such good friends, so very compan-
ionable She thought of the young
man she had taken tea with-gOod-
locking charming. intelligent, brave,
adventurous, with an easy air that
seemed to give him command of the
world. Yet, fascinating IS he was-he
was not the type she would ever care
about.
But then she was the sort that could
love only once And she was still in
loYe with Tim.
More than that, she had to see Tim
and Myra while she was in the city
Otherwise gentle little Mrs. Weed
would feel offended. and some people
would comment on It.
Feeling that the dreaded affair might
as we'll be gotten off at once. she
picked up the always handy telephone
She remembered the number for Myra
had written it in a letter. Myra $
voice came presently.