The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-06
Chapter SO.
EUTh'S BURDEN.


While Tim, then, was walking the
ence and his new-found affection for
Myra. and while Myra was serenely
running about the town buying warm
weather clothes and thinking triumph
antly Of Tim-while all this was going
on, Ruth was following her deadly,
daily, unvarying schedule.
Ruth was thinner. The winter had
been hard on her. Serious though she
was, she still liked fun and variety
sufficiently to miss it during the long
winter. But she was even prettier
than before. Her thin cheeks made
her eyes seem larger and her pallor
made their blue a little more intense.
Her schedule was always the same.
She got up al ). the loud buzz of the
bringing her to wakefulness with a
shock that sent an ache through every
part of her head.
She slid into bathrcbc, ran down
the cellar and fixed the furnace so the
house might be less chilly when her
dodgers wakened She shut up the
kitchen range, so it would be hot en-
ough for breakfast when she came
down again. Then she went up to her
room and dressed
But there was a wee little luxury
that came here. Mrs. Bedding was
awakened in her room by the alarm,
and while Ruth was down the cellar
she always got up and lighted the Oil
heater in the girls room. So when
Ruth came back. chilled and still
sleepy. it was 10 find room already
warming and cheered by the glowing
frr.
Then there vas tho breakfast, for
the two hungry men and herself and
Mrs. Beldine. The teachers came down
10 prepare their own meal about the
time Ruth was finishing hers, and the
managers wife invariably appeared
late. SO that Ruth had to keep things
hot for her aad table set
Then there was The furnace. the
ashes. tho kitchen stove, the piles Of
dirty dishes. There we're beds to make
and rooms TO sweep, marketing to he
done. a hasty lunch to stop for, special
cleaning. visits to shops for things
about the house that would get broken.
There was n heavy laundry to be done
one day. heavy ironing the next.
think you'd better be sending these
sheets OUT Mrs Belding warned.
You're wearing away life and soul as
it is. And get woman one day
week for heavy cleaning. It's $3.50,
AID worth it."
Il need all the dollars this winter.
I'll do it later Ruth would answer,
going on with her work.
She had not yet learned that the way
to make money is to make others do
tho hard part-that the directing brain
is always the winner, not the ac
complshing hands.
Il wish Tim would write" she con-
fessed once to Mrs. Bedding. She had
lorg ago taken that sympathetic little
lady into her confidence, and had told
the whole story.
Probably he's too busy" Mrs. Beld-
ing murmured vaguely. Personally
she did not believe it: she guessed
rather shrewdly what was going on.
but she wanted to make the girl feel
better
Yes, he's to get another raise,
Ruth frightened the least bit. 81 think
it will be s15 this time. Can people
live on that"
Not these days" the answer came
sharply Not in the city. You know
yourself what your fathers income is,
and how hard it's been"
Yes the girl answered. piling more
. dishes into the pan. She seemed to
wash thousands or dlSheS every Gay
row. But we've been doing it all
wrong. ] mean, we have no right to
have as large a house as this. Look
what it costs to keep up. Look at the
empty rooms. and the taxes it takes.
Well your folks will be home il. a
few weeks" Mrs Belding answered.
Yes, sent them 500. | saved it
this winter The girl spoke proudly
of this achievement That is more
than enough for their fare, and Father
is 50 much better that he will be able
10 stand having a lot Of people around.
He couldn't before. They Jared on
his nerves.
Except for a half audible sniff, Mrs.
Bedding made no comment. And Ruth
went on with her work-she wanted
the place unusually nice this time, for
her parents return.
The closets were to be cleaned. the
beds taken Out in the warm sun and
aired and freshened. The vounglsh
1nan who worked al the factory, who
had been using her mothers room, vas
moved into hcr fathers (which was
smaller) and Ruth fixed un the huge
front room for her mother and father,
III Fathers so nervous he must be
alone. I'll ask Mr. James to leave.
she said.
The furniture was oiled, the silver
cleaned the cellar gone over again.
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