The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], September 04, 1935, Page ELEVEN, Image 11

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WATERBURY. CONNECTICUT. WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 4. 1935
PAGE ELEVEN 1
€> 1933 NEA Service, Inc.
'Rackel
Ruth Leaves Home; Boards a Bus, Wishing
No Longer To Be a Burden To Her Cousins
CHAPTER III
When Ruth reacfted home
she found her cousins, the
Lawrence young people, en
gaged in one of their major
battles. Letty wad trying to
wrest from her brother a dol
lar bill which he had found
on their mother’s desk. Being
large and well-developed for
her 18 years, the girl was
more than a match for the
slftn 16-year-old youth who
was holding out against her.
“Help, Kuth!” Cecil yelled, bit
ing at his sister's exposed arm.
They were struggling on an antique
Jennie Lind laybed and it gave
signs of falling apart at any mo
ment. , ,
Ruth looked at them helplessly.
“I don't know who's right,” she
yelled back abbve the tumult.
"Well, you know who's getting
heatenl” Cecil retorted between
gasps.
Letty said, "If she comes near,
I’ll slap both your faces, and I
mean It. Give me the dollar, pig!
You got the last one we found
You know how I need stockings!”
With a final twist she pried open
her brother’s hand, snatched the
damp, crumpled bill and fled with
It to her bedroom.
Cecil lay groaning and rubbing
his chest, where his sister’s knee
had pressed. Ruth said. “If you
wouldn't smoke so many cigarets,
Cecil, you might beat her now and
then." She had no admiration and
very little liking for this high
school Junior who took his mother’s
hard-earned money as his Just due
and pampered himself extrava
gantly.
Letty came back Into the room
with her hair smoothed and her
mrp.fullv made up. She had
a round, pretty face with wide,
sky-blue eyes, fringed with dark
lashes, and light brown hair. She
looked much like a Christmas doll.
In fact, she had once played that
role In a school play, standing
against the wall In a huge box,
clothed In a crisp, knee-length
dress, and holding out her arms
Invitingly while she smiled a
blank, dimpled smile. Ruth knew,
however, that Letty was not as
blank and forceless as she ap
peared.
Once when Cousin Bessie, Lctty’s
mother, was bemoaning the fact
that the girl could not go to col
lege, Ruth had said to her, “I don’t
think Letty would like college,
Coualn Bessie. She’s not a book
worm like you at all. I think Letty
ought to marry young.” It was
true. She was a voluptuous rose
bud that had formed early and
needed to blossom early. Marriage
would be the perfect blossoming.
• * *
Letty sat down and crossed her
pretty legs. "Any luck In tpwn to
day, Ruth?"
Ruth answered, “No, Letty,” and
wished that she might never hear
that question again. "Can I help
you with dinner?”
“It’s almost ready,” Letty re
plied, brightening. She genuinely
loved to plun and cook a meal. "On
Account of Its being Mother’s birth
day I’ve cooked a chicken. There’s
rice to go with It, and head lettuce
I salad and home-made rolls. I’ve
made a cake, too. Cecil — !” she
' exclaimed, turning to her lolling
brother, "go cleun yourself up be
fore Mother gets home."
Cedi sat up, yawning, "All right.
If the doorbell rings while I’m
i washing,” he said, "It’ll be Jack
I Wilier. Let him* In. He wants
aome radio books I've got.”
I’ll let him In, of course,” Letty
said. She was looking intently at
her Anger nails. She got up and
.went Into the kitchen and put on a
ruffled organdie apron.
| Ruth followed her. “What can
II do, Letty?” she asked earnestly,
'wanting to help. “Or had you
rather I stayed out of your way
now and washed the dishes after
ward ?"
“yes,” answered Betty, “that
Would be better.” She got out four
aulad plates and then thoughtfully
went and got another. "I’ll ask
Jack to stay," she said. "He’s fun.”
She turned her buck and began to
hum.
Ruth went to the coat closet and
hung up her hat and coat. She
thought, "Letty doesn't wunt me
•round. She dislikes me more all
the time.” It was a problem that
Uuth had tried a thousand times
to solve. She was dependent on
the Lawrences until she could
6
STORIES OF 34 POPULAR SCREEN
The Watcrbury Democrat’*
Washington Information Bureau
la Issuing this week an attrac
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of yonr favorite stars of the sil
ver screen, including Joan Craw
dark Gable, Marion Da
Vllltam Powell, Kay Fran
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eight others. Dives of the stars
are briefly sketched from birth
to the present time. If yon
want some real accurate infor
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with the coupon below to our
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IMS Thirteenth St., N. W.,
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wind
CD IP COUPON HERB
1 Dept. B-I1S, Washington Bureau, The Watcrbury Democrat.
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I Here is my dime (carefully wrapped). Please send my “Screen
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I
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WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR
Two young officers, about to be sent
overseas, go to spend brief furloughs with
their families. BRIAN CHALMERS goes
to a palatial home where he sees his beau
tiful wife, GWEN, and his 2-year-old
child, ELAINE. GEORGE WOODSON
goes to his modest little home for a brief
visit with his adoring wife, ELEANOR,
and his baby, RUTH. Each man makes the
wish that his liltle daughter will have
“whatever it takes to make her happy.”
, Eighteen years later Ruth, now an or
phan, is living with her cousins, the LAW
RENCES, in Brooklyn. She is looking for
work. Though lacking lunch money, she re
fuses an invitation to lunch with a wealthy
stranger. Ruth realizes that her pretty 18
year-old cousin, LETTY LAWRENCE,
dislikes her. JACK WILLER drops in.
When he is attentive to Ruth, Letty*s hat
red flares to the surface.
, Ruth impulsively leaves the house,
pawns a pin inherited from her grand
mother, and boards an out-going bus, de
termined to be no longer a burden to her
cousins.
Ruth, nitting in one of the deep seats, felt a thrill of
excitement. “Off into the unknown!’’
establish herself. She knew tha
she crowded them. Even hcfori
she came It must have been har(
for the three of them to mon
about the five small rooms, lillei
as they were with Bessie Law
renoe’s antique furniture and bras
candlesticks and samovurs und In
dla prints. Mrs. Lawrence hud col
lected these things In her hupp:
voung married days and who wouh
no more have parted with then
..mu with one of her children.
After Ruth’s arrlvul they let he
sleep on the daybed in the llvlnl
room and keep her clothes In om
side of the coat closet. Ruth wu
deeply grateful and felt herscl
. fortunute. (An orphan wno nas
• lived In the crowded homes of dls
1 tunt rclutives docs not grow up ex
• pectlng a great deal of life.) She
[ only wished that Hetty did not feel
■ this untiputhy towurd her. "Not
< that I blame her.” Kuth thought
■ reasonably.' “Here X am. tuklng up
room, consuming purl of the fam
r ily Income and contributing noth
1 ing but a little work."
• • •
The doorbell rang and lluth
• went, ubsent-mindedly. to un
; swer It. The housu was a duplex
and the Lawrences lived on the
t first floor. When Kuth opened the
; dor she saw u young mun stand
ing on the porch, it was Juck
Wilier.
"Hello!’’ she said politely. “Come
In, Juck. Cecil’s expecting you.’
Sho showed him whore to put hh
hut und took him into the llvlnp
room. She sut down on the little
Vlctorlun sotec und begun to make
polite conversation, while he strode
around the room, picking up thlngt
and luylng them downjn the rest
less way common to young men
Ho wus 22 or 23 years old and wat
handsome In u curly-haired, movie
hero way. Kuth had always fount
him rather boring. She once salt
to Lctty, “If you’d remove th(
slung from Jack’s conversation, al
you’d havo left would be a stack ol
prepositions and a ‘cuss word’ oi
two," Letty had disagreed. "J
think he’s awfully clever and In
terestlng," she had said.
Kuth noticed that Juck Wlllei
was looking at her qucerly. H<
said. In an accusing voice, ‘Tvt
been talking to you for live min
utes and you Haven’t even been lis
tening."
Kuth replied In confusion. "The
Idea, Jack! I always listen to you
I simply hang on your words!" Ir
her remorse for his Injured feel
ings sho made her voice' mort
warm and cordial than she In
tended.
In an Instant he was on the little
sofa beside her, his arm around
her shoulders and his sparkling
eyes looking Into her surprised
ones. “Why have you alwayi
uvolded me, Kuth?’ he asked. "Why
aren’t you always nice to me like
this?"
Kuth Jumped to her feet, not
knowing what to do or say. Hhc
felt positively relieved to sec
l,ctiy standing In the door. That
(iti fejijj*;.
I'ls, until Letty said coldly, “Am 1
interrupting something?’'
“No,” replied Ruth In embarrass
ment. "Oh, no. I’ll go and call
Cecil.’’ As she passed Letty their
eyes met and the hatred In those
sky-blue eyes guve Ruth the an
swer to the question she had been
asking herself for weeks. Letty
was In love with Juck Wilier- and
regarded Ruth us her rival.
Ruth wished bitterly thaj there
were some spot in the house where
she might go and be alone, some
little sanctuary where she might
go now with her problems and her
mistakes, and try to think them
out. Well, there was the street—
.She went to the coat closet and
got her hat und coat and put them
on. She slipped out of the kitchen
door.
Ruth did not know how far she
had walked, or how long. She
found herself on the fringe of a
busy business section. She saw a
great bus chugging before a sta
tion. Across its sides, in neut
painted letters, were the words,
“CLEVELAND, BUFFALO, ROCH
ESTER, SYRACUSE, SCRAN
TON—” The lights were lighted
and a few people were filing in,
but the driver was not In sight.
“It won’t be going for a while,”
Ruth said aloud to no one In par
ticular.
Nest door there was a pawn shop
She saw that, too. There were
three gilded balls hunglng above
the door. She went through that
door.
The man who came to serve her
was elderly. He wore a skull cap
and had a white beard and infi
nitely kind eyes. He reminded her
Ot OIIU BU1U tv min, *
a little pin here that I would like
to sell. le belonged to my mother,
and to my grundmother before that.
I think It even belonged to my
grandmother’s mother.” She un
pinned It from her collar and
showed it to him. "What will you
give me for It?” she asked.
The old man took the pin in hi?
slender, sensitive hands. He said.
“You must need money badly to
part with this thing of your peo
ple.” His voice held a sort of re
proof, the reproof of a proud race
that respects a heritage.
“I do need money badly," Ruth
answered. "1 need to catch the bus
out there that's aDout to leave.”
, The old man raised his eyes from
the pin and looked at her. Then
he said, ”1 am a sentimental man.
I do not need any more money
than 1 have. I can do what I like
to do.” He seemed to be explain
ing these things to himself, rather
than to the waiting girl. “I will
give you $20 for the little pin,
and X will put It away until you
come again to get it. It pleases mo
to do this.”
“You are good,” Ruth said, as
he counted out the bills. "I think
God sent me here.”
The old man shook his head In
negation. "We cun never be sure
of those things," he suld.
• • •
CHAPTER IV
The big bus shook the lights ot
New York from Its bleuming
sides and plunged onto the darken
ing highway. Finally It turned its
noBe west and hcld\ the course.
Huth Woodson, sitting In one of
the deep scats, felt a thrill of ex
citement. Off into the unknown!
A porter went through the car,
offering pillows to the passengers.
When he came to Ruth she said.
“No, thank you," firmly. An elbow
prodded her side. It belonged to
the large, gruy-haired woman be
side her. “Take it,” the woman
advised. "It don't cost anything—”
"Thank you so much,” Ruth said
when the clean pillow was adjusted
under her head. "I didn’t know It
was free service.” She closed her
eyes to discourage further conver
sation, for she was very tired. In
a moment she had drifted off into
delicious sleep.
When Ruth awakened there was
a confused moment of locating her
self, then a feeling of being rested
and alert. Dawn was in the sky.
The womun beside her was
awake, too, arranging her hair in
a pocket mirror und uttering little
groans of annoyance. Catching
Ruth's eye, she smiled nt her and
said, ”1 always wish I wus a man
ut a time like this. A woman's
clothes are hard to tidy. My collar
looks like I’d alept In it.”
“You have," Ruth said, and they
both luughed. “Are we almost to
Uuffalo I’m getting off there.”
"We’ll be there soon,” the woman
answered. "I'm chunglng buses
there. I’m on my way to Hunting
ton, to visit my sister-in-law. I
haven’t ever been this far west be
fore."
"I haven’t cither,” Ruth replied.
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Ruth did not know how far'she had walked. Iced. She saw a great bus .. and thought,
l‘It won’t be going for a while."
face und was us eager to be nice
as .a friendly puppy. Kuth felt
grateful to her for telling her about
the pillow.
The woman wasi studying Kuth
with interest. "A young girl like
you will enjoy visitin’ in Buffalo,"
she offered. “There’s plenty to see
there—Niagara Falls and all—”
Kuth decided to gratify the
stranger's curiosity. “I’m not going
there to visit," she told her. "I’m
going to look for a job. Buffalo
> just happened to be the first large
city on this route, so I bought my
ticket for there. I’m being a sort
of gambler, you see."
The woman exclaimed, ‘‘Well,
now!" She was silent for so long
that Kuth hoped it was to be per
manent. But after a bit she re
marked thoughtfully, "I hail a
niece by marriage that, went there
last year from Jersey. She and
another girl. They tried to get jobs
there but they couldn’t. They had
to leave."
• • •
Kuth was now attentive. "You
mean they couldn’t find any work
to do?” she asked. "Not either of
them ?"
"No they couldn't," the woman
replied. "My niece said most towns
have a way of looking after their
permanent residents before they
give jobs to outsiders. She and thitf
other girl stayed five weeks and
then gave it up and left. They
were hitch-hiking,” she explained.
“Oh,” said Kuth. She lapsed into
silence and misgivings.
"I didn't mean to discourage
I you,” the woman remarked. "I
ifoing—"
Ruth said, “It sounds like a good
Idea. It would enable a girl to live
decently until she could get her
bearings.’’
“Yeah,” Mrs. Cogly replied in a
loud, cheerful voice and looked out
of the window lit the brightening
landsca pe.
There was a 20-mlnute silence,
broken at last by Ruth. She said,
"I’ve decided to go on to Pitts
burgh, on account of what you've
just told me. Can 1 catch a bus
from Iluffalo this morning, do you
think ?”
"Sure, you can,” Mrs. Cogly as
sured her. ’’Some time before noon.
I'm going to take that bus myself.
Hut first I’m going out to sec Niag
ara Falls. That's why I came this
way. You ought to see Niagara
yourself, dearie.”
“How much will It cost?" Ruth
Inquired cautiously.
"I’ve heard there's a local bus
takes you there and back for $2,"
Mrs. Cogly answered.
"Well," said Ruth, the adventur
ous, “I believe I’ll go.”
Seeing Niagara Falls with Mrs.
Cogly was 'an experience Ruth was
never to forget. There was Mrs.
Cogly at her elbow' to point out
such obvious items as souvenirs for
Hale and honeymooning couples und
hotel flower beds nnd raincoated
tourists about to go under the ca
iuract. And there was Niagara It
self, detached and thunderous and
errlble and gorgeous, roaring Its
merciless way to the sea. More
magnificent street shaded by four
rows of towering elms, which Is one
of America's own wonders.
Back at the bus station, Ruth
said, "It’s hard to think In dimes
and pennies nfter looking at old
Niagara, but I’ve got to do a little
calculating. It’s going to cost me
$5 to get to Pittsburgh. Now let’s
see how much that leaves me for
a change of clothes and a tooth
brush.’’
"Rand's sake!” shrilled Mrs. Cog
ly in consternation. "Bid you
come off without any clothes? I
thought you were checkin’ your
bags while I was checkin’ mine."
"I haven’t a stitch with me ex
cept what I’ve got on my back,”
Ruth confessed. "I came off that
suddenly—’’
There flashed back to her mind
her amuzing telephone call to the
Lawrence home just before she
boarded the bus. Cecil had an
swered and she had told him, her
voice shaking a little, "I'm just
taking a bus for Buffalo, Cecil—’’
He kept saying, "Hugh?” and she
had to repeat it three times. She
said to him, "No. don’t call Letty
or your mother—I’d rather talk to
you. I’m getting a job in Buffalo
Tell your mother she’s not to wor
ry. Everything's going to be fine
I’ll write later, and you can send
my clothes on—”
Another “Land’s sake!" from
Mrs. Cogly recalled Ruth to the
present. She looked around and
located a cheap store nearby. She
pointed it out to Mrs. Cogly. "Vou
go on and got a seat in the bus,"
Ruth Sets
Out Alone
she advised. “I’ll Join you aa •non
as I’ve bought what I have to
The shopping waa quickly con
summated. She bought a cheap
blouse, a pair of stockings, a
change of lingerie, a nightgown,
and some toilet articles. She ran
for the bus and caught It Just as
It was about to pull out. Mrs. Cogly
was waving to her excitedly from
one of the rear windows, but ahe
had not been able to save a seat
for her. Ruth had to sit beside a
sour-faced little man, up near the
front.
It was mid-afternoon when Ruth
was startled by a sudden energetic
shake of her shoulders. She looked
up and saw Mrs. Cogly gazing down
at her, wild-eyed.
"I told you wrong about that
Girls’ League place,” she sputtered
agitatedly. ”It ain't In Pittsburgh
at all. It's In Cleveland I Get Off
at the next stop. Get off right here
where the bus is stopping You Mn
catch one going to Cleveland—”
The bus was rumbling to a pause
before the station of a small, sleepy
town. Ruth, dazed by the turn of
events and Impelled by Mrs. Cogly’s
hurricane determination, put on her
hat, collected her parcels and obe
diently got off the bus.
“Can she catch a bus for Cle’.ws
land here?” Mrs. Cogly was ex
citedly asking the bus driver, the
passengers and half/the Inhabitants
of the village in which thsy hart
paused.
From several sides she was as
sured that the Cleveland bus would
"be along In a few minutes.”
"Then sit here,” said Mrs. Cogly
to Ruth, and pushed her down onto
a bench Just outside the station
door. "Keep your spirits up, dea
rie, whatever comes! These little
mistakes happen to everybody—”
Mrs. Cogly, the arbiter of Ruth’s
destiny, the unwitting changer of
her life’s course, got back into the
bus and was borne away. Ruth
could see her waving and looking
anxiously back until the big car
turned a corner and disappeared
from sight.
It was not until then Ruth burst
Into hysterical laughter.
(To Be Continued)
ri
guess I should ve kept my mourn
shut. My name’s Mrs. Til lie Cog
ly—" she paused to introduce her
self. “I'm always saying the wrong
things to people, so you mustn’t
mind me. Maybe ypu'll do fine in
Iiuffalo.’’
Ruth smiled at her. "Thank you,
Mrs. Cogly. My name’s Ituth Wood
son. 1 think you did right to tell
me your niece’s experience. Where
is she now?"
"Well,” replied Mrs. Cogly,
“that’s the nice part of it. .She
and this girl went on to Pitts
burgh, it was. Hitch-hiking, you
know, and lucky all the way. They
got a place in Pittsburgh called
the Girls’ Industrial l.enguc and
they live there now. Or they did
the last time I heurd, which was
two or three months ago. This
place is a big old residence that
somebody donated to the welfare
people. They take in girls that
can’t afford to pay and provide
work for them—something like
those camps Mrs. ltoosevelt started,
X guess. I recall my niece said they
were all doing hooked rugs at the
time, and getting paid for it. The
welfare people sell the rugs, see.
FUN
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