The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-28
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
(COntinued)

AOOUlluueOl
Thus. over the patient customers
7 head, Ruth was hired as house
I keeper-maid by Mrs. Jones and
urged to report for duty at once.
/ Mrs. Segwick agreed to take Ruth
/ to the Jones home, show her her
room and install her there before the
children should arrive home from
| school.
ID UTH found that the ordeal of
IN meeting Maude and Oracle
Louise was a trivial one. The chill
dren were so accustomed to the
coming and going of housekeepers
that when they arrived home to
find a perfectly strange young
woman baking cookies for them
they took it as a matter of course.
I'm Miss Woodson," Ruth told
them. I've come to keep house
! for you. Your mother told me to
ask you if you'd rather have white
bread or brown for supper"
White" they replied in concert.
After staring at Ruth boldly for
few moments they went up to the
small rear room Of the box-like lit
tie house to inspect her posses
sionS.
N doubt the meagerness of
Ruth's wardrobe caused them to
lose interest in her, for they soon
went out to play with neighbor
| children next door, not even both
ering to ask the questions Ruth had
dreaded
When she called them in to get
ready for supper she asked. do
you drink plain milk, or do you have
cocoa in the EVENING""
Neither one" answered Oracle
Louise, the. elder. Tea"
That's a lie" stated Maude.
Were supposed to have milk"
Their voices rose a shrill Gre
scendo of argument which Ruth
interrupted to call them to supper
When they sat down at the table
she noticed that they Jumped I'M
tidily and spilled their water as
they drank.
Ruth said, feeling her new re-
sponsibilities keenly, I'D like you
to sit straight as I'm doing. First
unfold your napkin this way, do
you see? Then break your bread
before you butter it. Your mother
! asked me to be careful about your
manners"
"Oh, rats!" remarked Oracle
Louise rudely. Ruth saw that she
was wearing lipstick. 1t came off
on her napkin, along with the but
ter on her bread. Ruth. remember
ing Oracle Louise's IL tender years,
mildly, Does your mother know
you wear lipstick, dear?"
Sure" replied Oracle Louise.
That's a lie" said Maude. She
stole it out of Mons box"
Ruth sighed and fell silent She
was humbly grateful for this work,
this shelter which had so uneXpect-
edly fallen to her lot But she knew
there was dullnes and uncongeni-
atty and loneliness ahead.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
FLORENCE MNEILL BURR'S
IL husband and twin daughters
were going to live. The miraculous
was to happen, after all Broken
bones had been set and wounds
sewed. X-ray machines showed no
internal injuries. The little girls
had regained consciousness before
their grandmother and Uncle John
arrived, and Elwell Burr was now
emerging from the slight conclusion
which had caused the doctors worry
All were in the hospital. Mrs. Nc
Neill and her daughter remained
there through the uncertain hours
of Tuesday, while John stayed at
the Burr home to attend to the tele-
phone calls that poured in.
The brilliant young Elwell Burr
stood high in the councils of the
capital. Both government heads
and newspapers were concerned over
the accident.
BY Tuesday night the real strain
was over. With patience and care
full nursing the doctors agreed all
three would pull through nicely. 1t
was then that John felt free to go
home to Worthwhile.
He said, Florence doesn't need
me any longer mother. You'll stay,
Of course. I think I'll catch a night
train out"
He was needed at the factory, but
that was not his first concern. He
wanted desperately to see Ruth.
Some foreboding, some inner I'M
easineSS was clutching at him now
that he had time to stop and think.
His note to explain his departure
had been SO short Too frail a cord
to hold her, in case she should de-
eide to leave. He could not remem-
Der what he had written to Ruth
that concerned just himself and
her except, wait for mel" He re-
membered writing that command
or was it a plea with a boyishly
desperate intensity. . Suppose old
Bertha Gibbs had forgotten to give
her the note?
That thought drove him to send
telegram immediately:
Family better Leaving here to-
night. Must see you Wednesday
morning. Devotedly JOHN"
1t was then that he realized he
did not know her name. There
was only one thing to do about that.
and he did it. He sent the mes
sage to Miss Elaine Chalmers at