RUTH watched the want ads in the papers and made many inquiries in her effort to secure employment. It was now three weeks since she had quit her job at the bank, and she had not as yet secured a position. She did all the public stenographic work she could secure but was unable in this way to earn enough to provide for the current expenses of the family. She was forced to draw on the special fund that she had been so carefully guarding in the hopes that her father might become a well man. Now she was forced to use some of this money—they must have fuel and provisions. Every time she took a dollar from this her heart ached, because she felt she was giving up her father's chance to regain his health. Ruth, who was naturally optimistic, at times became quite despondent. She frequently cried herself to sleep. Harold King was now prospering in his profession. He had, since securing the big job at the capital, secured two other jobs in Wilford Springs. He now employed a draughtsman in the office. He offered Ruth a position as his stenographer. She knew that he did not need a stenographer and declined.
One day Ruth saw an ad in the paper asking for a stenographer. The ad had been inserted by the R.G. Wing Mortgage Company. She lost no time in going to their office.
She found Mr. Wing a very pleasant appearing man.
When he entered the room where she was waiting she introduced herself and made the object of her visit known.
He was in need of a stenographer. Had she had experience? She informed him that she had. When he asked where she had formerly worked she hesitated slightly before telling him that she had worked for the Central State Bank of Wilford Springs. He dictated a letter and had her transcribe it on the typewriter. He was well pleased with the test. It was entirely satisfactory.
"Would you be satisfied with a salary of one hundred twenty-five dollars per month to start with?" Mr. Wing asked.
"Yes. That would be all right."
"I will let you know tomorrow. I think I shall want you."
Ruth left with a lighter heart than she had carried since she had lost her place at the bank.
That afternoon Mr. Wing was transacting some business at the Central State Bank. "Stover, you had a stenographer here by the name of Ruth Babcock?"
"Yes, she was my former stenographer."
"Is she competent?"
"Yes. She's a good stenographer so far as her ability is concerned."
"Why did she quit you?"
"I discharged her."
"What's wrong with her?"
"Ruth is all right so far as doing the work is concerned, but she would get out and run around with a disreputable young fellow. I gave her a chance to quit going with him and retain her job, but she refused to stay away from him. While I would like to have helped her I could not afford to keep a girl in the bank who was keeping questionable company, especially when she absolutely refused to promise to quit him."
"Well, I'm glad you told me that. I do not want a girl whose reputation is bad or who is conducting herself in a way that it is likely to become bad."
The following morning when Ruth received the mail her eye at once caught the R.G. Wing Mortgage Company in the upper left hand corner of one of the letters. Eagerly she tore it open. Disappointment, black and hideous, rose from the ruins of a shattered hope and obscured the sunlight with a cloud of despair. How could she ever stand so much ill fortune! She was almost driven to desperation. The note read:
"Dear Miss Babcock:
"I regret to inform you that I cannot use you as stenographer.
"Yours truly,
"R.G. Wing."
Ruth rushed to her room and her tense and overwrought nervous system found relief in tears—nature's safety valve.
Charles Wilson went to the office of R.G. Wing Mortgage Company for the purpose of securing a mortgage for one of his clients.
"How are you, Mr. Wing. How is business?"
"I am very well, Mr. Wilson, but I am away behind with my work. My stenographer quit a week ago and the work has been piling up ever since, waiting for her successor, whom I have not yet been able to find. I thought the other day that I had found a peach of a stenographer, but later I learned that she isn't just what she should be."
"Character bad?" queried Wilson.
"If it isn't bad she seems to be doing all she can to make it bad. I understand that she keeps bad company."
"Who is the girl?"
"Her name is Babcock. She used to be the stenographer at the Wilford Springs Central State Bank."
"I had her do some work for me once when my stenographer was gone and she did good work."
"I'm satisfied that she can do the work all right, but you see I can't afford to have a girl in my office whose reputation is bad or whose associations are questionable."
"I hadn't heard anything wrong about the girl. Are you sure that there isn't some mistake about this?"
"I got it straight. Stover told me himself."
"Did he tell you who her evil associates are?"
"No. I didn't ask him. He said a disreputable fellow."
When Wilson returned to his own office he rang Central.
"684," he called.
"Hello, is this Harold?
"Can you come over to my office for a few minutes?
"Yes. It's important."
In a few minutes Harold King arrived.
"Haven't got a thousand dollar check for me?" he asked as he came in.
"I am sorry to say I haven't, but I heard something a little while ago that I thought you should know. I was over at the office of the Wing Mortgage Company and Wing told me that his stenographer has left him and he is having trouble finding another."
"I'll tell Miss Babcock."
"She has already applied, but someone has been doing some knocking."
"If anybody has been knocking on Ruth it is that whelp of a Stover."
"Evidently you are not in love with Stover," Wilson commented.
"Could you love a rattle snake?" Harold asked.
"I didn't call you over here to discuss Stover. I called you to tell you what is between Miss Babcock and the job."
"What is it?"
"You."
"Me? What do you mean?"
"Wing has heard that she is keeping company with a disreputable fellow. You are the fellow, aren't you?"
"Yes," answered Harold as he started for the door.
"Wait a minute. Where are you going?"
"I'm going down to 'mop up' on Stover."
"Just hold on a little bit. I haven't told you that it was Stover who told Wing."
"It was Stover, all right. I recognize his hand."
"Very well, it was Stover; but he did not say it was you."
"He meant me, all right."
"Maybe this girl has been keeping company with some other fellow."
"I am the only man she has kept company w............