Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-19
Charter LNXV.

Chapter l<NNN'
3uth had known for long tune
that there vas no sympathy to be expect.
ed from her mother. But sihe had not ieit
II while her father lived, for he was al
wavs tl ere to talk to, always ready WIT
sorne whimsical answer, or with quick
sympathv-above all. with anunderstand.
ing that required no words TO make itseii
felt.
N,,yv she felt sometimes that she missed
this ,aors thar anything. else IN the world
Little Mrs Belding offered ali the sym
pathy she could-an uninteillgent sym
pathv that made her decide that every
thing Ruth did was right and everything
her mother did was wrong.
Mrs. Belding still lived at the O'Nlcl's
but she had not ppid any 'front.', as
she called it, since Ruth began earning
enough TO cover the family expe nses.
As the little old lady could get scarcely
any work now. she put in her time help
ing about the house and mondlng and
making such clothes rs Ruth would allow
hor 10 do.
I'm the evenings Ruth would stay IN
her room and read. md she would come
down then and SIT with her, never talking
unless Ruth talked. but sitting quietly
darninr nr reading the newspaper until
o'clock, when she laid aside whatever
she was doing and went up to her room to
bed
50 the girl. who had been the very
centre of the little towns social life,
suddenly dropped out of frivohtv en-
firclv that Spring 4 few of the Older and
morc serious mem bprs OF her club came
~ soc her and oCCafi onally she dIned az
their lrnuseS. and Langley came up often
for part Of an evening But she had at
last, almost rs much time u read as she
wanted
Il believe YOU bring mo now book
every time YOU come she said TO nun
once.
Tread them all first here's one published
th wcck-it's ono Of tie best anall tical
STUDIES of a mans reaction 20 misfortune
that ever real You'll find
Ruth opened the book Sometimes
whom he came up he sat and smoked
while she real aloud. sometimes he
Ioulcad in the couch hammock on the
porch while the girl read to herself. Ruth
hal scrpeuel in part of the big porch
and had bought lamp and comfortable
char ani a table Of green WlckeiWork
for t. IL was her one extravaganza after
the PAYMENT If the FIRST dividend.
II was shortly after this and towards
Fall that the Civic Committee told her
expresses were 20 he paid and the d'vl-
defld- hal given her enough ~ pay the
r.st Of tho bills and quite a little over.
You'll have a lot of work e. do Tor
them. so they're going to raise your
sal try and give Won an expense account
ayglev explained lie had dropped n
on The wav home from the meeting. and
Wa smoking cigarettes The Andcrsons
hal come down that evening and were
sitting there also
That will be wonderful Ruth. vou' u
get lot Of clothes, wont YOU Mrs
Anderson asked
To wear climbing around the build
ing operations" Ruth laughed ia answer
ing "You can { imagine how much mud
there is in our new town.
And do look at the new styles Of
hairiressing, the lady went on I'm SO
tired of the wav | do mine, but | can
think Of better way. | wish ! could 60
too"
You'll see some of our old fellow
citizens | suppose Mr. Anderson said
There's Thu Turner lets see, he was
engaged t. Mvra Weed WASH he2 They re
in New York Aren they married]
"Well, for two years nearly Mrs.
Anderson said And YOU should just
see the picture If the baby Myra sent
home 1t 81 a cute, 30 look them UP. hutn
"Of course Ruth answered, and
suddenly dreaded going to the city.
''Cf course YOU Il tske your mother.
Mrs. Ar derson seemed to thiI IT settled
"If you're wise you wort Lar Rlev
said, after the yo'u couple had lett
"Don't do IL. Ruth You'll be busy YOU ve
got to spend some of your time with 2
verv smart set that she wont ke-and
she wort try to be nice TO them # she
doesn't ike them This is BUSH ess trlp
but it's a char &c too, and | want It to 10
complete a cha ge for YOU as possible
n don't want to go, = Ruth SAID
The man looked at her in astOnlshmert
4 know, You'll tbil k me temper
mental do1' I want TO go but appreciate
beng seut,-it's a great honor ard q
ereat respor sibility aud I'm goirg o
course And III do my best for them. But
III have to ask mother She hasn't hao
much fun IN her hfe, she might like th'
city
But Mrs. O'Niel did not seem to en-
thuse over the idea She bought hersel
some more black dresses when Ruth Te
ceived the moI ey. Aud she and Mrs
Peldr started to make some ew thir 6
for Ruth But when it came TO the actua
question of Hyir tickets and makirl
hotel reserva6or S, she said sudder ly-
Il just don't believe III 60. You car
set alol alone, 50 I'm not eeded. If
was. I'd go. always try to do my duty
But you re very capable OF tahI G care o
yourself, for al YOU 'e not %. I'd rathe
90 see Sarah. I'd Ike to spend the fa1
and winter with her
IF you'd prefer itr
''N ell, ! would " hen you come bacl
from the city, Mrs, BeldlI VII be herr
to take care of YOU. y GU call send me al
allowance if you want -"
Ruth wondered at this sudden chang
Of plans, but she was SO busy packir & ant
gettirg work dor e, she had not muci
time to thin about il. J he day before sh'
left, Langley came to the house
omorrow-Larg gley,