The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-02
Chapter 50.
NEW PEOPLE.

We" PGoPLG.
Next morning the girl put on the
stunning blue suit with its gray fur
that came high around her face Sc
lected gray shoes and stockings and
gray suede gloves, and a little fuzzy
blue hat that was the most fetching
thing she had ever SEEN
She stood in front Of the mirror
looking at herself. To every woman
that sensation comes once in a life
time-the sensation of seeing herself
suddenly of the desirable fashion plate
smartness, of seeing herself suddenly
transformed into someone very pretty,
very attractive.
Ruth had thought little Of her looks
But the rich furs, the snug hat, the
expensive suit-above all, the correct
touches that made her outfit so very
lovely, the shoes and gloves, the silk
stockings that showed her what a
slim and graceful ankle she had
these things made the girl look at her
self in a new way. She did not re,
greet now the money that was gone
She only wished, suddenly, that Lang
ley was there to see her in all this
gorgeousness.
On the way out she paused to bury
her face in the bowl of roses that
somehow were sent there by him.
Then she forgot her clothes and her
new prettiness, and gave her whole
mind to the task she had been sent
to do.
She made calls upon several men
whose names she had She talked
house building, looked over their
plans, took copies of their estimates
and made notes of their suggestions.
She discussed draining creek. and
building a canal for floating down raw
material. She saw a new architect
and made corrections in his plans for
some buildings in the new town.
But the war won't last forever,
he said. When it is over your war
work will end. and you will have a
lot of empty houses on your hands.
Why do you want to put SO much
money in them?
They had gone out to luncheon. 10
discuss the affair while they ate. 1t
was a downtown restaurant and very
handsome to Ruth's eyes.
Il am not building for the present,
but for the future" Ruth said. After
the war, we will attract other work,
if we have conditions under which peo-
pie can work. 1t costs more to build
a substantial house than a shack, but
it costs no more to build beautiful
row of houses than an ugly row
except the architects fee. That Is
why | am selecting you-you can give
me something artistic"
The man gave in. And that after
noon the new plans were begun, after
she had made some rough sketches OF
what she wanted.
p,,th To CT in
the new plans were in good enough
shape for her to approve them. That
meant visit of about once a day to
the architects office. He was a tall
and rather a fine looking chap, and
Ruth liked him immensely. In her
own mind, she compared him with
Langley because he possessed such
straight yellow hair.
That afternoon a Mr.. Cooper called
on her at her hotel. He was head of
the largest contracting firms in the
city, and his conversation fascinated
the young girl. Mr.. Cooper did not
talk about the building of one house
or a block of houses, he talked of the
building of whole cities, he created
entire towns where there had been
flat fields, he raised factories and
work shops where there had been
nothing but sticks and stones. Ruth
listened to him with her eyes shining.
The man waved lead pencil in the
air and it was like a magic wand ere
ating city to house thousands. He
made rough sketches on the sheets OF
blank paper spread out before him,
and the stores. halls, homes and work
shops fairly grew out Of his fingers
1T takes a surprisingly little time.
he said, because many parts of the
buildings can be made in stock sizes
and fitted together We make parts
in sufficient variety so that there is no
monotony in the buildings when thew
are finished. I can supply you with
a city in Dutch Colonial or in the Old
English cottage manner. or any one of
half dozen periods of architecture.
Ruth looked at the rough sketches
he had made on the paper. You talk
TYNVYT tn HTHIICT