Show Some Girls Dont Don't Kiss BEGIN HERE Ruth Wilson young demure English English Eng Eng- lish teacher is in disfavor with her school board because she has violated violated vio yb- a strict rule against dating anc and leaving the community during the school month Her friends Rolf Rolt Harwood Harwood Harwood Har- Har wood and Jim Bailey Baile rivals for her affection stage a free for fight at ather ather ather her boarding house She is further humiliated by Coral Brown who is Inlove in inlove inlove love with Jim and seeks to discredit Ruth to advance her own case Coral Brown accuses Ruth of dou dou- c ble-c crossing ble-crossing her She humiliates Ruth Ruthby Ruthby Ruthby by moving out of their room C CHAPTER APTER SEVENTEEN Radcliffe Schemes The voice of the superintendent sent an electric shock through Ruth She stiffened Involuntarily So he meant to upbraid her Good morning Miss Wilson But no it seemed not His voice carried the first friendliness it had carried toward her for days She felt pathetically grateful al almost almost almost al- al most like crying Good morning Mr Radcliffe I see sec youre you're at your our desk early early early-a a commendable thing Miss Wilson I wish vish all teachers were as eager cager to tomake tomake make nake a record in their classes I haven't lavent told you lately that Ive I've been pleased leased more than pleased at the results re- re suits youve you've been achieving No he certainly hadn't told her But Jut Ruth was glad that he chose to tell ell her this morning It helped somehow eased a bit of the despondency despondency despon despon- dency she felt MAKING l PLANS She rewarded the little superintendent dent by a brilliant smile Im tryIng trying try- try Ing ng very hard Mr Radcliffe I do want to be a good teacher And you arc are Miss Wilson on I well thought bought well I thought after last Saturday that mn maybe be Id I'd been a bit hard lard on you ou keeping you here for or that hat debating class Next month Ill I'll take ake it so that you can get away Or better setter still sill how would it be to take the he class into the city for some re research research research re- re search work We could go to the library that library that thatIs Is I think I could get off myself for forthe forthe the hc day and we could accomplish a alot alot lot ot with the class A visit to the library would help them That's a rather ticklish question ques ques- tion ion the state board hands out Our teams eams will need plenty of preparation tion Well see that our teams get plenty plenty plenty plen plen- ty Miss W Wilson lson the superintendent agreed Lets not leave a stone unturned unturned unturned un un- un- un turned to have a winning t team am Ruths Ruth's heart felt fell strangely lighter when she went down to her job of helping unload the busses She had known cnown long ago when she repulsed Radcliffe's advances that it was a dangerous thing to do ALL GIRLS DO After all a man is not to be condemned condemned condemned con con- even a superintendent for admiring a girl even wanting to kiss her Ruth had treated his impulse as an insult rather than an act of admiration No wonder he had taken a dislike to o her As Coral said Why be a flat tire Why not have a little fun All girls do My word a 1 man isn't a devil just because he wants a kiss But Instead Ruth had been a silly sarcastic prude She was thinking of ot Coral as she rounded the corner and met her that minute Hello I thought you ou weren't ever going to wake up this morning I didn't want to waken you ou but goodness goodness goodness good good- ness it seemed to me I made plenty of noise Coral turned away quickly to an answer answer answer an- an a 3 question put to her by some passing massing pupil and md Ruth did not see seethe seethe the he look of actual hate that sprang into the moody girls girl's face It did not seem like a cut direct but it made Ruth feel Ceel uncomfortable NOT FORGIVEN She knew that a bad half halt hour would have to come with Coral while she explained being with Jim But she scarcely realized how bad that half hour would really be She found Jim Bailey just drawing up with his hs bus lo load d of children at the rear entrance He certainly lo looked ked like the morning after the night be be- be fore His Ills bruised eye was opened opened- just a little slit It gave him a queer rather sinister expression as he smiled at Ruth Jim had pondered the situation a abit abit abit bit himself the night before lying with the pounded beefsteak Coral had secured covering his e eye c No wonder wonder won won- der a girl cirl like Ruth had been dis dis- dis- dis gusted To have the young man escorting her home fight like a hobo hobo to to be the object of a regular street brawL No wonder she had called him down so O emphatically Maybe taybe he deserved it It helped a little to think that Rolf RoIf was in it too Rolf Rolt had started the fray tray and hed he'd been pretty badly bat bat- Served him right But Ruth was not disposed to be forgiving Her good morning mornin was icy one of those disagreeable salutations saluta a person voices merel merely because I it Is less conspicuous to speak than not to speak DECIDEDLY COOL Even hi his anxious rather Inane question How are you ou this morning morn- morn log Jig failed to lo bring a smile to her face Quite all aU right How are you ou Ruth hadn't hadn t meant it U to be a question but jut Jim answered it as suchO such O 0 K Kf but maybe I wo wont won't t be when J. J W. W meets me Im I'm scheduled for foran foran foran an interview with him this morning At his request He telephoned this morning Of or course I knew why Ruth did not answer She was glad that the gong rang just then necessitating necessitating tating her attention to the lines of children forming to enter the schoolhouse school- school house She did not nol notice that the superintendent superintendent super super- super super-I was noting the little scene with Jim Bailey approvingly Unless he was very much mistaken he told himself as he watched from an upper upper upper up up- per window the pretty Miss Wilson had been decidedly cool to Jim Bailey That made it all the better for J. J Alton Radcliffe The school day progressed with all the relentless regularity that all school schooldays schooldays schooldays days progress Home room activities first checking up on attendance going going going go go- ing through the regular routine of opening exercises ALOOFNESS A brief respite came at noon when hen all the teachers with the exceptIon of two Iwo who were assigned to discipline the lunch activities of or the children In Inthe inthe the assembly room went down to the domestic science department where a townswoman to had been hired to lo prepare prepare pre pre-I pre pre- I pare and serve lunch for them Usually these lunch periods were moments of ot real relaxation when teachers sat about in little groups discussing discussing dis dis- cussing lessons children school work I dis-I in general Ruth had always rather looked forward to this dil daily ly exchange I of opinions But today she felt their aloofness aloofness all all of them She had the sensation as she came into the room rather late that they had been discussing the brawl of or the night before She felt sure of it when the little group she attached herself to lo sat sal in silent restraint Yes one of oC the older teachers said making conversation now were we're free tree from tests for another month But Ruth knew in her heart that the re remark remark remark re- re mark was apropos of nothing at all dragged out to fill the awkward gap of silence I Coral stayed at the far end of the table away from Ruth carefully avoiding any necessity of talking with wilh her roommate and Ruth caught her moody accusing eyes upon her whenever whenever whenever when when- ever she glanced up Altogether it was a most painful and humiliating luncheon period and Ruth was glad to be away from it and back to her work The long afternoon afternoon after alter noon finally wore ore awa away even to the special m meeting eting of the English club and Ruth was able to lo escape from it il all and get gel back to the shelter of her own room over at al the Dillons' Dillons She dreaded meeting Coral But Butas Butas Butas as well have the meeting over one onetime onetime onetime time as another she dec decided ded wearily as she climbed the Dillon stairs Coral would be in her room sulking Ruth sighed Well perhaps she had this unpleasantness coming to her certainly she managed to make pretty much of a mess of things of late But Bui Coral was not nol there irs in fact I the little room was desolately empty because of her absence Ruth noticed that fact immediately The clutter duller of toilet articles Coral always left on the dressing table was gone and crossing swiftly to open the closet Ruth saw that Corals Coral's other things were gone gon too AN INTENTIONAL SNUB It was then she heard Mrs Dillons Dillon's apologetic tap on the door Mrs Dillon came In at Ruths Ruth's bidding bidding bidding bid bid- ding a bit out of breath from as ascending ascend ascend- nd- nd ing bag the stairway She was curious to know how Ruth would take her roommates roommates roommate's roommates roommate's room room- mates mate's departure I just want to tell you about Miss Brown I thought Id I'd let lei her room downstaIrs with the Lorimer girl She seemed to want to so bad and took her clothes down there I guess they are arc kind of thick arent aren't they they I guess uess so Ruth said in a kind of a daze So Coral had really meant to snub her that thai morning Did you and Coral quarrel Ruth shook her head No Mrs Dillon sighed Evidently she couldn't open up the conversation quite that thai way You dont don't have any objectIon to with Miss Hatcher Hatch Hatch- er She's a nice girl No not at all Ruth said Somehow Somehow Somehow Some Some- how she sensed the threat that Corals Coral's departure really meant to lo her Will Wili Ruth find contentment To be cont continued |