Ruth's Romance

CHAPTEU X. Mrs. Nugeut was torturcd wlth Cltrioelty to know what liad takfn place nt Winstcd. But Ruth had nothtng to tell, and her step-mother soon carne to the conclusión thatRaehel's plans had failcd. "Foor fooi!" she said, rcf-enting Ruth's action as she inferred wbat it must have been from her silence iu niuch the light of a personal injury - "poor, sllly fool ! To throw asido the chance of a life-tünc I" It was quite evident to her, from Ruth's s lence, that she knew nothing about licr agenc in the matter. Therefore, on that point sh feit safe. She expected Ruth would ask som questions about Robert. But she did not men tion him. "lier pride will not let her,'1 conclttüed Mrs Nugent. "Well, the only thing gaincd is tha hc is out of the way, and that is something. I is better for me that she marries co one tha that she should marry a oncarmed pauper.'1 During Ruth's absence, a school for suc children as those sliu had taaght had been start ed on a scale which made it unadvisable for he to attempt to compete with it. It had airead secured most of her old scholars. There ita nothing to do in that line. She must look fo a new field of labor. Ruth sat down and thought the matter ove long and well. She could not uudertake teach ing in the larger schools. She lacked the nc cessary qualilications. She could not teacl music; she could not paiut; she could not writ for the press. It became clear to her, as she thought th matter over, that the work she attempted couk not be what the world would eonsider a "lofty' one. Whatever she did. ehe would do wel!, o not at all. She could nevcr be aatisfied wit] nalf-doing anything. She put on her bat and shawl and went ou one morning without telling her step-mothe what she was going to do. When she eam back, she told her what she had done. "I have found work at last,'' she said. "Well f' Mrs. Nugeut's tone was one cf indifferent in fjuiry. "I am going into Madame Le Vert's dress making and millinery establishment," said Ruth, bractng herself for the storm that she knew was to come. "What?" Mrs. Nugeut faced her step-daughter with a disgu6ted iacc. Ruth repeated her remark. 'You are in earnest about this'" Mrs. Nugent's tone was sharp with anger. "Quite in earnest," answered Ruth. "What objections have you to it!" "It doesn't matter," answered her stepmothcr. "I might have the best reasons in the world for objecting,but I kuow you well euough to kiow thcy would have no weight with vou. Dressmaking and millinery ! Why not go out to work by the day at sewing ï Mrs. Nugent's lip curled seorufully. She evidentlv feit that the family diguity liad reeived its death-blow. "I would do sewing by the day, sooner than do nothing," said Ruth. "Let me state my rcasons for doiug what I have. I am not fitted for teaching. To go into the 6chools properly qualiüed, 1 must spc-nd at least i year in studying the methods of teaching, and iamiliariziug with such branches as I should be expected to teach. That is out of the question - I caunot afford it. lt lias been close work for us to live while sornethiug was coming in. With nothing coming in, and considerable going out to pay my expenses in fitting for school, lam afraiil we should starve. I can play a little, but I don't know euouL.h about music in a scicntilic way to teach auy girl ten years old, who is takiDg "les8ons of a"good teacher. I might get a poeitiOn in a newspaper oüice as a type-6etter, perhaps, but for doing literary work I have not the stightcst abillty. I might obtain a clerkship. or docopying, but 'he work would be distasteful to me ; and I canuot sec that it would be any more honorable than making dresses or bonnets. You may be able to see a diflerenee between earning'a living by cooking.or by writing a book. or painting a picture. I do not. Work is work, whether it is done in the kitchen or the studio. If I eannot do anything in the list I bavenamed, and can make'dresses that women will be glad to buy, then it is better that I trv my hand at that ;"for I am sure of the ground I Btand on, and am not afraid of failing. In the other pursuits I should be dreading f ailure constantly, and I know that failurc would be inevitable. Comparative suocess would be that with me. Whatever I do, I want to do as well as any one can do it. I had rather do a good job at making workmen's blouses than botch up a silk dress. If - " "Such talk sounds fine," Mrs. Nugent said. with sarcastic irony. "It is sensible, and true.at any rate," responded Ruth. "I am sorry the plan does not meet 'with your approval. Something must be done. I have thought what I could tío, and I have come to the conclusión that I can do this best of anything. It is not exactly what I would liketodo; but whatl would like todo is one thing, and what I can do is quite another. I have always had a knackof fashioning dresses andbonnets thatpeople of taste told'me were often more satisfactory than those they bought at the fashionable shops. I have found three girls who are skillful with the needie, and thev will go iuto the enterprise with me. A f riend will help us start. We have rented a oom iu a pleasant street, and next Monday morning work will begin." Mre. Nugent knew that remonstrance was unavailing. "The school was bad euough." she said. "But ! this is worse. In fact, I had never thought it possible that you could stoop so low as to i come a seamstress." That roused Ruth. "I earned my living in the school. I intend to earn it in the shop - yes, in the shop," emphasizing the plcbian ivord for the benefit of her Btepmother's aristocratie cars. "As for stooping, you may eonsider that I do that, but I do not. I do not eonsider that auv man who works honestly for the bread he eats and the ] clothes he wears, stoops. What is true of men , is true of woraen. I would rather pay my way by doing housework, than be idle and ] vul uu mu jduüi ui uuicrö. '¦Is that a fling at me?" asked Mrs. Nugent. angrily. "If it is.I resent it. My husband lelt me this house,and property enough to support me. 1 am not aware that I íiave been üepeudeut on your exertions." '¦My father eft this liouse and a little nroprty for hi6 wife and child," responded Ruth. "You see that you forget the relatlonship existing between 'your husband' añil mysclf. I be to remind you of it. True, you have never been actually dependent on my exertions, for you could have exüted on a small income. Hut you are well enough aware that we would havegone without a great manv comforts, if I had not earned money to procure them in the little school whieh you say was 'bad enough.' You may be satisfieil with a scanty living, and an outward show of comfortable cireunistances. I am not. I bate sham. I will not pinch and serimp as we have done, that I may buv a featuer or a fiower. You are too proud to tliink favorably of my plan, or of the work I propose to do. I am too proud to consent to longer help keep up the deception we have practiced. I am not ashamed of what I have determined to do. I am willing everybody shall know that John Nugent's daughter has turnod dressmaker." "I am perfeetly williug that you should make a fooi of yourself, if you insíst on dolng so," responded Mrs. Nugent, haughtilv. "It will uot be the first time. We ought to'expect no more than this of a girlwho was sillv enough to throw away a fortune bccause shê lacked spirit to resent being jilted bv amale flirt." Kuth looked at her keenly. It was evident that she knew something of what had taken place at Winsted. But she made no replv. It was beneath her dignity to notiec the insult. CIIAPTER XI. Work in the "shop" bcgan. At first there was not niuch to do, and what ¦ there was, was not such as a fashionable i maker would have feit elated over. "Uut one must be content with small ' nings," Iluth told "the girls." "We must '1 grow. We can't expect very mueh at first." ( The "shop" was located on a pleasant corner i of a picasant Street. The locality was hardly a ; fashionable one, but there were well-to-do ' pie in its vioinity, and Ruth, who did not expect 1 her services would be in demand by j ble folks, feit confident that work could be i enred frorn them The "girls" helped to fit up the shop. Each ' one brought something from home. It was to t be a co-operative establishment, so far as the 3 expenses and profits were concerned, with Kuth ,, as manager, and they "eo-operate in arranglng it. A plain, neat carpet covered the floor. Pictures brightend the walls, and plants 1 blooined in the Windows. A bird cl ÈHed a vast amount of music. acli girl had a sewing machine, and a , table for her work haudy at her elbow. The - rom was hom-like and attraetive. 'I "I fcel more at home here than I do anywhere clse," one of the girls said. "I Bbppose lt's because I om interested here, as a proprletor," with a cheerful laugh tliat eet the bird to singiug. ' Rutn furoished designsïor ttíe drcsses they made. She argucd that that was lo (lie best style which suitod best the womaii who was to wear it. EVdrv woman had an indlviduality of her own. '1 herefore, every ornan should liave an individunlity in lier dress or her bouuet. It should bc as different trom her neighbor's as she was different from Ihat nelghbor. Ruth had an cye tliat was quiek to deteet the s&Uent ])oints in a cnstomer's appeajrance, and it was easy íor her to flt the dresa to the wearcr, and have it In harmony with her cbaraeteristics. She liad a correct eye, too, and shc ucver made the mietake of giving a woman with a dark skin the bonnet thot good taste declared suitable only for a woman with u fair skin. Mrs. Xugeut rcfraincd from asking any questioDs about the progresa of the work. She !gnorcd it utterly. '¦I shall gct away from these unpleassnt asoeiations assoon as possibie," phe said to Kuth one day. AVhat she meant Kuth did not take tlie trouble to ask. Not long af ter that Mrs. Nugent told her thflt she had declded to go away. Her brother hadoffered her a home in bis faniily. It would be more congenial to her taste. If they eonld iirraniie about the property- "1 am willing to accept a third of whatever itwill bring, if it can be disposed of," Kuth said. "Or t'ü take this house for my share, and you may have the rest. I would prcfer to arrange it in that way. It would seem like being turned into the street to lenve the old home." To this proposal Mrs. Nugent agreed, and one pleasant day she took her departure, and the place that had known her bo long knew her uo more forevor. One of the --girls"' was without a home. and Ruth took her in, and made a home for her. She was glad to do it. She nevcr eould have enduredtuc loneliness which followcd Mrs. Nngent'a departure. Though they had never been companlons íor eaci ctlier. "in the best nu-aning of the word, her step-motlier's preseuee had kept her from feeling utterly isofated rom her kind. Work aecumulated slowly, hut eteadilv. "The businessJs having "a healthy growth," she told the giri?. She took pj-idein her work. It was not romantic; it was not "lofty;" but shc was iHterested in it, and she was ñot ashamed of it. and she was ambitious to make a success of it. She was earning her own living honorablr, and she was belping these girls to du the sanie. She was educatiug them up to the faet that it 8 bettcr to eat the bread of oue's own earning tháh it is to reckoD on the labor of anotherfor it, no mat ter how willingly it is given. That bread is always svveetest whlch wc fcel" we have done sometbiug for. A "streak of uck" carne to thein. Ruth was on the street one day. She heard her name callecl from a carriage she was passing, and turned to meet the ontitretched hand of an old friend, , 'Where have you been keeping yourselfsinec I carne back!" Mrs. Estecourt asked. "I called at your house twicc, but you were not at home. You seem to have dropped out of society in sorne wav." "I haven't time to go as I uscd to," answercd Ruth, frankly, "for I have turned dressmaker and milliner." She said it with a smile that told shc expected Mrs. Estceourfs disapproval. "Are y ou in earnest?" asked her friend. Ruth bowed. "I am very sorry that eírenmBtances made i neeessary íor you to do this, as I suppose mus be the case," said Mrs. Estecourt. líBut sinc you aro ín the business I must give you mv pat rouage lor the sake of oíd times, and to shoi you that I respect (he woman who ain't afraii towork. I remember that you used to "mak over" my hats for me, so that they suited bet ter than when they carne f rom Madame Dubois hands. Are you going to your establishmen nowí If you are, let me take you there. want to see it." So Ruth was taken to the "shop'' that inora los in grand style, and the "girls" wére sur priscil to see her set down at 'the door by s stylish a tnrn-out. "And a ?ery nicely-dressed lady is coming ii with her," announced Rhoda Weir. : shouliln't wonder if she had found a new cus tomer." And a new customer Ruth had found. Mr Estecourt was delighted with tho "shop," il wassoeosy, so home-like. 'Tcouldrun inhen Tor a chat, Buch as wc used to have in oíd times,' shc said, ''and forget all aljout business. You eau't do that in most dress-makers' establishments." When she went away she took a bonnet with her that was the product of Kutu's skill and aste. "It shall pay yon the best of any bonnet you ever made," said Mrs. Esteeourt, laughiug. 'I shall be back again with more work for you u a day or two." She was as good as her word. She brought a lady who uanted a bonnet that 6uiteo her" as veil aa Mrs. Estecourt's suited that lady. Ruth took observations and went to work. from silk and ribbon, and lace, and feathers, she produeed what Mrs. Ectecourt pronounccd i "miracle." "You're an artist," she said, enthusiastically. 'I forsee great things in store for you, if you can keep on cvolving these triuinphs of niïlliïcry f rom that busy brain of yours. Yon never lad a bonnet that looked half ëo well before, Mrs. Bouuerie." Mrs. Bonnerie súnrej ed herself complaeeutly n the ghiss. ' "I tliink it is beeoming to me," shc said, in a one of great satisfaetion. '4Thcrc scems to be omctliing about it that makes it a part of me, and not a bonnet that might belong to any oth: er woman. You are a genius. Mis Nugeiit. I )redict suecos-s for you." So had Mrs. Estecourt. And Ruth and her girls ware suecessful beond what they had dared to hope. "Miss tugent's" becaine popular. Everything that :ame from that establishment was made "on lonor." There was no shamming, no slighfing f work. They had cnough to do to keep them busy rom morning to night, and the customers paid veil. Every Saturday evening "dividends were eclared." and each member of the "compariy" eceired her share of what had been earnod uring the week. One or two evenings in eac)i weck found them t a lecturc, or a concert. "We can afford It," Ruth said. -We ,'need musament of soidc sort; we won't starve the. nind while we are werking to satisfy the wants f the body." You are not to infer that beeause she was ept so busy, Ruth fouud no time to remeniber n. She never forgot. Always thcre was a ore spot in lier heart. Of ten she got away by erselfandhad a selí-cxaminatioii. And alays the result was tne same. Sho had a tenIer meniory,- an affectiou sf il], - for the Robrt Ilaviland she had beüeved her lover to be. Jut that Robert was dead. For the Roben tavikmd who had deeeived her. the living íobert, he had pity. [to be coxtin'ited.1